By H. Copella
The town appeared quiet and peaceful in the early morning. The sun was an hour from rising. There were tiny homes and scenic beauty. The streets were clean and well lit. They appeared almost abandoned. A cloaked person hurried along the sidewalk and entered a nearby alley. Upon the alley wall were the words painted--The takeover is close at hand--prepare to fight.
Further from town there was a large, chain link fence with barbed wire along the top. The sign near the gate read--Trespassers will be shot. On the other side of the fence were human heads on poles. They were male and female. There were the remaining bodies lying along the fence. Within the confines of the fence were several makeshift buildings. Spacecrafts lined the rear of the complex.
The first building exploded and rocked the small town. Flames and molten debris showered the complex. Several floodlights brightened the area. Alarms sound from the confined area. Soldiers scurried from their tents with their laser guns in their hands. The second building erupted into a volcano of flames and debris. Several soldiers were thrown backward. The alarms wailed. There was a series of explosions that followed. Buildings throughout the entire complex were torn apart. The soldiers fell to the ground and took cover from the falling debris.
The alarms ceased and there was silence. The Rebellion March Theme played loudly in place of the alarm. It was the music chosen by the rebels reclaiming their town and their planet from their alien captures. The alien soldiers lifted their heads and looked around with apparent confusion.
Five young men a women sat around a small table in a dingy basement. The lighting was dim. A map was spread out on the table before them. Frazer Montique pointed to several spots on the map then looked around at the others.
�Is everyone clear on tomorrow night�s assignment,� Frazer asked curiously and without emotion.
�Question,� Denny Grant announced while playing with a grenade.
Frazer eyed him and sat back in his chair.
�Should I use plastic explosives or nitro? Because for the full effect you�d want--�
�Use whatever you think will work best,� Frazer snorted impatiently.
The others hid their smiles and looked away.
Denny tossed the grenade in the air and caught it. He smiled slyly. �Gotcha.�
Bosco approached from the old stairs. Bosco was a man in his late sixties. He owned the bookstore above the basement. �Be careful leaving. There�s been a lot of alien patrols since last night�s escapade,� Bosco announced. �They�re going to be on their guard.�
�I�m not sure we�re the ones who put up their guard,� Nadine Salvig announced simply and looked at the others. �Word of the rebellion leaders closing in has made them nervous.�
�And a nervous alien is a careless alien,� Frazer said firmly.
�A nervous alien is quick to kill,� Whitney Prentice added. �Bosco�s right. We need to be especially careful.�
�I think we should silence activity until our last blast wears off,� Parson Hill said.
�Nonsense!� Denny erupted. �We need to strike harder. Those bastards need to be pounded into the ground. When the leaders arrive, I�d like to see the aliens already on their knees.�
Whitney leaned back in her chair. �We need to destroy their space port,� she said casually.
Denny looked at her. His eyes lit up.
�It�s too risky,� Frazer informed her. �We�re not that strong.�
Denny pounced forward. �We�re kicking ass! We can handle it.�
Frazer glared at Denny. �We�re not tackling the space port. That�s a job for the rebellion leaders with their heavy firepower,� Frazer said sternly.
Denny frowned and walked away from the table. Whitney stared at Frazer then looked down with disappointment or perhaps disapproval. Denny stood near the small refrigerator and removed a drink.
�Mertz would�ve done it,� Denny muttered lowly.
There was silence. Everyone but Frazer looked at Denny with a surprised stare. Frazer lifted his head and looked to the ceiling. �Mertz got killed pulling a stunt like that,� Frazer bluntly informed him.
Their heads lowered with great sadness.
Frazer looked at Denny. �Do you want to die before reaching the battle? We need to keep our numbers strong to aid our leaders when they arrive.�
Denny remained silent and refused to look at Frazer.
Frazer sighed and straightened. He looked around the table. �We�ll continue with our attack tomorrow night.� He turned toward Whitney. �Would you alert our comrades about tomorrow night�s events?�
Whitney nodded.
Frazer stood. �Then we�ll me at the rendezvous tomorrow night,� he informed them simply.
�Be careful,� Bosco announced from where he stood. �Leave one at a time.�
The other left the basement. Frazer stopped Whitney and pulled her into his arms. She smiled warmly.
�Someone might see us--� she informed him.
Frazer frowned and released her. �You know you want me,� he said. �We shouldn�t have to deny ourselves.�
�I know--but things have become tense around here lately,� she announced. �If we become involved, it could jeopardize the cause.� Whitney looked at him and tilted her head. �Our lives are on the line every day. If we become too emotional, we may not be able to do what needs to be done.�
�You�re right,� Frazer replied with a sigh. �I really hate it when you�re right.� A tiny, defeated smile crossed his face. �No sex--but once the aliens are defeated, you and I have a date.�
Whitney laughed. �You�ve got it.�
Whitney, Denny, and Parson entered the crowded pool hall. There were several aliens playing pool together. Whitney stared at them a long moment. The aliens were very much human with the exception of their dark eyes and vertebra that protruded from their backs. Whitney watched as an alien shoved one of the humans away from their pool table. The man crashed through several tables before being caught by another human.
One of the humans attacked the first alien with the thick end of his pool stick. He cracked the alien over the back of the head, snapping the stick in two. The alien was cast forward, though not seriously injured. The second alien pulled his laser gun. A second human dove on top of the alien with the gun. The alien flipped him over his head and to the ground before him. The alien coiled his hand back. Claws appeared from his fingers. The man on the floor looked up. The alien slashed him across the throat. The man jolted once then lie dead.
