Alien Storm Read Free Page B

“Where’s Bright?”
    The door to the major’s caravan swung open once more. The soldiers tensed as Bright stepped out and crossed into the middle of the camp. Twenty dart-rifles swung round to point at him.
    â€œKnees, now!” the captain ordered. “We’re taking you in, Bright!”
    Major Bright looked at him. “Or what?”
    All around, people dropped from their knees to their stomachs, faces in the sand. Someone started sobbing with fear. Major Bright looked around the cowering mass with contempt. Only Eco and the soldiers remained standing.
    â€œFire!” the captain screamed.
    Twenty rifles went off at once, the tranquillizer darts slamming into the major’s arms, chest and legs. He staggered back, almost losing his footing, but managed to keep his balance. The soldiers stopped firing. They looked at the still-standing target with amazement, lowering their weapons.
    Major Bright winced and roughly brushed the darts away that were embedded all over his body, as if he were removing dust from his uniform. He looked back at the soldiers with an annoyed expression and said one word:
    â€œOuch.”
    The soldier with the loudhailer looked at his captain. “He’s taken enough juice to sedate a zoo, sir.”
    The captain took a step back. “Yeah. Perhaps we need to—”
    A howling sound filled the air, drowning out the last of the captain’s words. On impulse, Eco ran to the major’s side as he raised his hands. The ground beneath them vibrated. Bright looked round at him, his eyes blazing red now.
    â€œMy turn,” he said.
    All around, a tornado was beginning to form, creating a wall of sand that ripped around the soldiers and the inhabitants of the camps. The wind grew in intensity, but Eco and Major Bright were safe in the eye of the storm. Bright raised his hands higher and the tornado raged faster. Eco watched soldiers being lifted off the ground and into the expanding twister.
    Commander Craig watched the rotating pillar of sand engulf the camp, expanding as it turned. Within seconds the edge of the sandstorm was only a few hundred metres from where their copter was hovering. Ahead of them, the wall of the twister grew closer by the second.
    In the link-up window, Rachel Andersen’s eyes widened as she saw the camp swallowed up. “Commander, get out of there!”
    Commander Craig yelled into the comm, “All units! Full retreat!”
    His voice trailed off as a black object was spat out of the tornado and arced through the air towards them. As it flew closer it was possible to make out what it was – one of the Humvees.
    Commander Craig’s mouth fell open. “That’s our—”
    The two-tonne vehicle slammed into the side of the hovercopter, sending it into an uncontrollable spin. The windscreen shattered from the impact, showering the occupants with glass. The copter hit the sand a second later.
    The storm had passed – and so had the camp…and the copters…and the soldiers…
    Eco stood in the centre of a giant crater where the camp had once been. As the dust in the air settled he made out the shape of half-buried vehicles. It was as if someone had taken the entire desert and shaken it. Beside him Major Bright stood stock still, eyes closed, arms still held up, in some kind of trance.
    A few metres away, one of the survivors of the camp emerged from the sand, took one look at Major Bright and ran off into the desert.
    â€œHey!” Eco yelled after him. “Where are you going? There’s nothing out there!”
    Major Bright opened his eyes and shook his head. “Leave them, Eco. Fools.”
    Eco looked round at the strange tone in the major’s voice – almost dreamy, as if he were half asleep.
    â€œUh, Major,” he said, “are you okay?”
    â€œWe must travel east,” Major Bright went on, as if speaking to himself. “That is where the children are.