Turbulence: Book 7 in The Trapped in the Hollow Earth Novelette Series Read online

  My master will kill me if I betray his trust by letting you leave—unless you agree to help me.

  Casey flexed and contracted her numb fingers as the cold continued to bite into her. She couldn’t take another minute in that place. Time was running out. She curled her fingers into the lodomodo’s long fur and tugged. All right. Her mind yelled into the beast’s thoughts. I promise. Surely, Thorn wouldn’t have a problem. He seemed to genuinely care about his wellbeing.

  A few moments passed with no reply from the lodomodo. Casey opened her eyes and peered around her. Something wasn’t right. She tried to lift her arm when she realized she still couldn’t move. Squeezing her eyes shut, she screamed, but no sound came out of her mouth.

  Clearly, the beast didn’t believe her.

  Chapter 2

  The seconds ticked by. Casey waited for the death blow, her insides trembling. When it never came, she opened her eyes and peered up into the beast’s face, mere inches from her own. As she gazed into the depths of the lodomodo’s soul, she felt no fear. The large orbs changed from evil green back to soothing ice blue. Casey’s thoughts turned from a jumbled concoction of negative energy to pure love and peace.

  The beast opened his mouth, his huge tongue hanging out, and stepped down from her chest. A soft purring, like that of a cat, filled the air. The creature looked tame, but she still wondered if it was safe to get up yet? Taking a deep breath, Casey lifted her hand, as though to stroke the ragged fur, then dropped it again, thinking she better not. The lodomodo nudged her side with his large head and pushed her up into a sitting position, rubbing the side of his face on her shoulder as he continued to purr.

  In spite of her better judgment, she smiled and grabbed hold of its fur. Somehow, they had connected in mind and spirit; Casey couldn’t even believe it possible, but she had already witnessed so many impossible things that she had to accept it. As long as she got out of there, it didn’t matter. She grinned at the animal and ruffled the fur on top of its head. The hair was fluffy, like that of a Saint Bernard, but it was a little longer and in need of a good scrub. Tio hadn’t done a great job of taking care of his pet.

  “It worked!” said Thorn. “Casey, you did it. You brought him out of attack mode.”

  She reached for Jack’s hands as he ran over, peeking over his shoulder at the huge animal, but if he wasn’t convinced the lodomodo wouldn’t attack, he didn’t say it.

  He helped her up, his grip strong and reassuring. “Thank God you’re okay.”

  She met his gaze, only then noticing the shimmer of tears in his eyes.

  “Casey—”

  “I wouldn’t have let anything happen to you,” Mike interrupted as he wrapped his arms around her.

  Thorn thrust his weapon into his holster. “Come on, guys. There will be time for reunion celebrations later. May I remind you, we still have a mission to fulfill?” He made a point of looking at his watch, as though they could ever forget that the world still needed saving.

  The animal let out a soft growl, bobbing its head slightly. Maybe he did understand what this was all about. Somewhere inside her head, something brushed her consciousness, like a shadow appearing in the blind spot where she couldn’t see it, but she knew it was there. The lodomodo turned his head toward her, blinking. Go, for we shall meet again soon.

  ***

  As they raced down the winding corridors, high-pitched sirens blasted in Casey’s ears. She blinked, shielding her eyes from the flashing red lights beaming from the ceiling. Soldiers appeared behind them and rushed past. The passageway, a few feet ahead, split off in a fork. Casey leaned against the wall as she craned her neck to catch a glimpse of what could lay hidden beyond the long corridors. She looked at Thorn. “Left or right?”

  He hesitated for a moment. “Right.” She was glad he’d memorized the floor plan, because she couldn’t remember a thing.

  Groaning, Mike ripped off his glove, revealing red, swollen fingers.

  “What’re you doing?” hissed Thorn.

  He winced. “It hurts…bad.”

  “We’ll ice it later,” said Casey. “Please get that glove back on!”

  Mike rolled his eyes. “C’mon. There’s no one around now.”

  “You know that can change in an instant,” said Jack.

  A high-pitched buzzing caught Casey’s attention. “Guys, hear that?” She scanned the corridor but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Straight ahead, the weird sound grew louder. A floating fireball appeared around the corner and stopped above them, hovering in midair.

  “What the heck is that?” whispered Jack.

  Mike peered up at it. “A disco ball on fire?”

  “Looks like a giant orb.” She’d seen everything from dinosaurs to spaceships, so it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see a ghost too.

  “Let’s poke it and see what happens.” Mike lifted a finger when Thorn’s voice cut him off.

  “Surveillance! Shoot it!”

  The red ball flew straight up, then zigzagged until it disappeared into thin air. Footsteps echoed from behind. Casey shot an anxious look over her shoulder in time to see soldiers storming the area, leveling their weapons at the three of them. “Halt!”

  Thorn motioned them to follow him behind a giant, silver pillar, whispering, “Fire back. Now!”

  Breathing hard, Casey flattened herself against the pillar and peeked out. Dozens of red beams split the air as the attackers rushed forward. Crackling and whistling echoed all around her, and her heart pounded till it felt like it might explode. She took aim but froze. Even though she held the weapon with both hands, the barrel of the pistol wavered. She took a deep breath. Focus. The first shot missed, but she positioned the gun again and let out another blast, followed by two more. Three guards fell backward, knocking rows of aliens behind them like fallen dominos.

  Another round of laser fire ripped past. She dodged and hid behind the pillar, taking a quick breath to calm her nerves. The guilt was quickly buried as she concentrated on saving not only her own life, but her friends’ lives as well. Her grip on the laser pistol tightened. She rolled back out and shot four more guards before taking cover. They returned fire, unleashing all their fury. The scene reminded her of a light show at a Mega Scream concert Mike had forced her to watch a year ago. Only here, the greatest danger she’d likely face wasn’t ear damage.

  A laser beam grazed Thorn’s leg, slicing his pocket. Something silver clattered to the ground. Casey shouted above the hiss of the lasers. “Hey!”

  Thorn tumbled and waved a hand at her before continuing to fire his weapon. “Not now!”

  She grabbed the ring-sized box off the floor and stuffed it in her pocket. Following Thorn’s lead, she returned a rapid shower of fire. More soldiers flew backward. She hesitated for a second, marveling at how easy it seemed to take down one enemy soldier after another, even though she’d never fired a weapon in her life.

  Jack and Mike threw themselves onto the ground as more beams flew overhead, missing them by mere inches. A surge of anger flooded through Casey. No longer shaking, she held her weapon tight, aimed, and fired; a shot of adrenaline pumped through her veins, empowering her. She wasn’t about to stand by and let anyone harm her or her friends.

  Mike moved out of the path of a laser beam, landing flat on his back with a thump and aimed for his next target: the fire ball floating over him.

  “Shoot it!” Casey shouted.

  He fired, and the strange device shot out showers of bright sparks followed by trains of white and yellow. Mike scrambled to his feet as hot particles rained down, thankful that they were garbed with helmets. The spinning ball changed in color from brilliant red to dazzling orange to lime green, like a fireworks show on the Fourth of July.

  “Watch out!” Casey ducked, her reflexes kicking in. A whistling roar echoed as the object flew past. Bingo! Target eliminated.

  “Score!” yelled Mike. “And my mom said all those hours of videogames would never amount to anything.”


  An electrical crackle filled the air, and thick, black smoke erupted as the fireball blazed across the corridor, leaving a trail of yellow sparks behind. The squad of soldiers shouted and ran as the surveillance orb ploughed right into them.

  The explosion sent Casey staggering backward, like someone had just kicked her in the gut. She fell to the floor on her side. Her visor popped up, almost blinding her. She shielded her face from the yellow flames and black smoke engulfing them, but her eyes continued to water, her lungs burning with the pressure building inside. The fumes made her nose and throat burn as heat singed her flesh. Searing pain in her hip made her groan as Jack and Mike helped her up.

  Red lights flashed, casting an eerie crimson glow over the entire corridor. She was quite ready to get out of the sci-fi movie. The stench of acrid fumes lingered, and the sound of marching boots echoed somewhere in the distance. Her jaw dropped as a platoon of soldiers stretched across the hall, the scene playing out before her eyes as if in slow motion. She aimed and fired again and again, shooting soldiers and watching them fall in all directions, but like a swarm of insects, more just kept coming. She turned to Jack, her mouth gaping.

  “Run!” he shouted.

  Casey froze when an alien jumped in front of her, leveling his weapon on her face, mere inches away. As she stared down the silver barrel, her heart raced—maybe for the last time. She took a sudden step back into a karate stance, then kicked his knee out from under him. When he fell to his other knee, she spun and kicked the gun out of his hand, panting from the effort. The karate lessons had paid off, but she didn’t have Bruce Lee’s muscles of steel.

  She aimed her gun and fired; the beam bounced off the floor, not hitting its mark. The alien whirled around, dodging left and right, then ducked and hopped. Getting a good shot was impossible. Oh, he wants to play, does he? Game on! Casey swung her leg in a semicircular motion, delivering an award-winning Muay Thai High Roundhouse kick, knocking him to the floor. The rebel swiped at her arm, slicing through her thin black uniform with its long nails. Sharp pain seared through her.

  Grunting, the alien kicked and swept her feet out from under her. She tumbled back, crashing to the floor, still gripping her gun tight. He might’ve gained the upper hand, but it only meant she’d have to fight harder. Casey rolled aside to dodge a blow from his steel-toed boot and scrambled to her feet.

  She dodged more quick jabs to the chest with her forearm and kicked a sideways blow into the alien’s side. He stumbled to the ground, scooted back, and jumped to his feet, then lurched at her. She wrapped her fingers around the trigger and squeezed. The alien’s body jerked and twitched as he crumpled to the ground. She looked down at him, grinning, even though she knew the battle was not yet won. “Hope you enjoy your nice long nap.”

  Slowly, she spun in a circle, scanning the dim hall, but Mike and Jack were either gone or obscured by the leaping flames. She heard soldiers’ voices all around her as the fire crackled. The corridor lights flickered, then went out. Droplets of water pounded on her helmet, falling over her head like rain. Great. That’s just what I need right now—fire sprinklers spurting out gallons of water.

  She ducked behind the pillar and held her gun with a death grip. Looking down at her radar tracking device, she saw three blinking red dots that remained stationary about two halls away. They’re alive! Thank God. Letting out a long sigh, she squinted and swallowed hard as the flames flickered and smoke continued to swirl before her. She couldn’t stay there on her own. She hoped she could catch up.

  Following the slow curve of the corridor, she scanned the darkness through the water pouring down from the ceiling, stifling the remaining flames. Mike and Jack couldn’t be far away. She raced down the long hall to catch up with them as a red blast of energy bounced off the wall, missing her head by inches.

  She shrieked and cowered down, then dashed around the corner. The aliens continued to shoot blindly, the red beams crisscrossing the air, cutting through the wet curtain. Leaping forward, Casey slipped in a puddle and fell on her side. The sirens continued to blare in the distance. She needed a place to hide, and quick, before the soldiers found her. Scrambling to her feet, she spun when she saw a glowing symbol of Earth on the door. It was the only thing familiar to her on the alien ship.

  In front of the door, Casey fidgeted, fearing what she might find. She closed her eyes to focus for a split second, then shot the lock, the sound reverberating from the walls, barely audible among the gushing water and guns around the corner. The door slid open. She jumped inside before it closed again and quickly raised her gun. It would have been a jump-out-of-her-seat-moment, except for the fact that she was already on her feet. She wondered if some creature, some alien would jump at her like in the movie Alien. She’d seen that film at least a dozen times, and she couldn’t help picturing the dripping teeth inching their way toward her throat, dripping acidic saliva all over her. Her pulse pounded in her ears as she swept the room with her weapon. There were no footsteps or anything else to signify that anyone else was there. She heaved another big sigh of relief and took a look around.

  One entire wall was covered with control panels. The only light came from the back of the room. Rectangular capsules with people in them extended from floor to ceiling. She stared in horror at their blond hair, high cheekbones, and fair skin. Human hibernation pods? Are these the missing people from Agartha that Commander Gallant told us about? Is this Commander Tio’s secret Frankenstein testing lab? A lump formed at the back of her throat as she realized people really were abducted from their bedrooms and used for experiments. She took a step back, her entire body suddenly shaking.

  The door opened, and voices made her flinch. She took cover behind a large container, her ears straining to place the hard thuds. Footsteps approaching and then retreated again, and then there came another voice. Someone was there, and she could only hope they hadn’t seen her. She wiped her sweaty palms on her tight suit as her heart skipped a beat. As much as she’d have liked to investigate further, her curiosity had to wait. The thought of her brain floating around in a specimen jar freaked her out big time, so being found wasn’t an option, but she didn’t know where to hide.

  “We’ll check that room in a minute,” said a voice. “First, this one over here.”

  “Remember, they’re dressed like us,” another called as the door slid closed.

  Dressed like them? Not anymore. Casey had to strip the rebel’s uniform off, quick. She removed her helmet, holster, and backpack and threw them on the floor. As she tore off her wet black uniform she felt a hard lump in the pocket and remembered picking up the silver box Thorn had dropped earlier during the gun battle. She pulled it out. There was no time to investigate it right then, but she’d keep it with her so it’d be safe. She stuffed it in her blue uniform pocket, then hid the gun deep inside her other pocket. Luckily, she still had on her silk blue uniform from Agartha. Getting caught in her skivvies wasn’t an option.

  She stuffed everything under one of the glass chambers and, careful not to make any noise, hurried over to one of the empty capsules. The glass lid stood open, so she slipped inside and closed it, leaving it open just a fraction of an inch.

  The narrow space reminded her of a coffin. The air seemed stale, devoid of oxygen. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart, but she couldn’t quiet the sudden panic inside at the prospect of being trapped like a rat. She took a deep breath, chanting over and over that she wasn’t stuck. The key was to stay focus and avoid panicking. She crossed her arms over her chest like the other captives and waited.

  The door slid open, voices and footsteps carrying through the silence of the room.

  Casey sucked in her breath as rivulets of sweat started to run down her spine. She could only hope she looked like the countless other sleeping humans. A thought raced through her mind, making her heart ache. Jack had been scheduled to be put into a coma in this very chamber. She couldn’t imagine him going through what those poor people h
ad suffered. Shivering, she hoped the aliens would leave soon.

  “Look at the puddle of water,” said a voice. “They’ve been here.”

  The water was a dead giveaway. Where’s a mop when you need one? She clenched her fists, hoping they wouldn’t figure out that she’d climbed into an empty pod.

  “They’re gone now,” another female voice said. “Move to the next room and find them quickly.”

  Casey let out a tiny, silent breath. It was a small victory, but a good one nonetheless. She was just thankful she hadn’t been discovered.

  Crackling like fire echoed around her. She craned her neck, but she couldn’t see beyond the vapors surrounding her. A smell that reminded her of laughing gas from the dentist’s office tickled her noise and made her eyes water. Before she could stop herself, she sneezed, the voice cutting through her eardrum like a knife.

  “Sir, I think this one’s still awake,” said a female soldier.

  They’d spotted her! Her heart thrummed in her chest.

  “Not for long.” A gloved hand appeared and shut the lid tight, trapping her in the confined space as the voice continued, “Some idiot didn’t secure the top.”

  “I know this girl,” said the female soldier.

  Busted. She felt as if her heart would explode. They’d recognized her as the dark-haired Agarthian Commander Tio was searching for. Just my luck.

  “She’s one of Dr. Pather’s test subjects,” the woman continued. “He said he was using humans from the Deep Sleep Lab, remember?”