Atonement (Earth Evolution Series Book 3) Read online

  “What now?”

  “Your friend Corey is going to show us the way to the other tribe and then we’ll deal with this man who claims to be your husband.”

  She nodded and took a deep breath. “Let’s get this over with.”

  Chapter 21

  Jared was tense as they took their hover carts down the tunnel. He was in the first cart with Kyle, and another Lieutenant. Lily traveled in the second cart with Quin, Corey, Lt. Saber and a mediko. The third and fourth carts carried more warriors, and medikos. Each cart had an attachment with supplies.

  He had to fight himself to not kick Quinn out of the cart and take his place next to Lily. He wanted to hold her and keep her by his side until the threat to her was neutralized. He used his communications to check in with each of the hover carts. It would take a couple of hours to reach their destination, so they stopped for a quick bite and to stretch their legs.

  When they finally reached the other tribe it was later in the afternoon.

  The tribe leader was a woman in her mid-forties, blond hair and sharp brown eyes. He had to admit, she was an attractive woman. She couldn’t compare to his Lily though. She greeted them introducing herself. He assumed the man standing next to her was her husband. He watched as Kyle took the lead. He was proud of his youngest brother.

  “I’m Lt. Kyle Estros and I am in charge of this mission.” He reached out to shake their hands.

  “I’m Tribe Leader Heather Bates.” Heather shook his hand, but before she could continue, the man next to her pushed his way forward. “I’m second here, Leonard Stern. Did you bring the supplies?”

  “Yes of course. My men are setting up the tents we’ll use for giving treatments. If you could have someone show us where you would like your food supplies we’ll unload it for you.”

  “Yes, I’ll send someone to help with that.” Leader Bates said.

  “Where are the weapons?” The second in command demanded.

  “We do not supply you with weapons.” Kyle told him forcefully.

  “Why not? I heard you were giving out weapons like candy to those in the dome. What? Are we not good enough?”

  “Leonard, enough!” Bates got up into his face. “Go show them to the supply room. Now!”

  Leonard grumbled as he walked away. Kyle motioned for several of his warriors to follow him and turned to introduce Jared.

  “This is our Lead Mediko Jared Estro.”

  The woman looked between him and Kyle. “Brothers?”

  “Yes.”

  She gave a flirty smile. “Are there any more of you?”

  “Yes, our cousin Quinn is here and we have another brother and then my father who is Commander of the fleet that are back on the ship.”

  “Are you all single?”

  “No, I have a mate—um, wife, Rachel, and my brother Liam is married to her sister Maggie.” Kyle responded.

  “What about you?” She winked at Jared and he couldn’t help but smile at her innocent flirtation.

  “I hope to be mated soon.” He glanced back at Lily who was watching them closely with a frown on her face. Did that mean she was jealous a little bit? She seemed to be really jealous over Tinley. He didn’t want her to fear that another would sway him.

  “What a shame. So, what else could I offer you?”

  “We are looking for a tribe not far from yours. There’s someone there we need to interview. When we are done setting things up here, we have to go there next.”

  “The closest one is Roger’s tribe. Are you sure you want to go there? I’ve had some run ins with some of his people. They’re not a very trustworthy lot. It’s partly why Leonard was hoping you brought weapons. It’s getting dangerous here in the tunnels. They also don’t seem to be alien friendly.”

  “Are they involved with the resistance rebels?”

  “Is that what you call them? It makes more sense than what I heard they call themselves. They think they are Earth’s saviors. I personally think they are hogwash. I kicked out five of my own tribe members for coming back here spewing their hate against Drastans.”

  “We appreciate your support.” Jared responded.

  Heather snorted. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t completely trust you guys either, but we need the help if we want to survive.”

  Jared and Kyle looked at each other. “How dangerous is this Roger and his tribe?”

  “They scare the hell out of me, to be honest.”

  “Could you tell us everything you know about the tribe and its location; all the ways in and out?”

  “I’ll do one better, follow me to my sub car and I’ll show you the map I have of this entire section of the subway.”

  They followed her, Jared looked back at Lily and motioned for her to stay with Quin.

  *****

  Lily got out of the cart and watched as the woman flirted with both Kyle and Jared. She had never suffered such a jealous streak before, but she found she was extremely possessive of Jared. She kept her eyes on him until he disappeared into a subcar with the others.

  “Wow, you’ve got it bad huh.” Corey commented next to her.

  She looked over at him as he lifted a heavy box. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Come on Lily. Other than Maggie, I’m the only other person that knows you the best. I’ve seen you with that ass, Taylor, and you never once looked at him the way you look at the Doc.”

  “Taylor was mistake.”

  “Was it because he didn’t want Thomas? I could kill him over that alone.”

  “That was a big part of it. I didn’t love him; I didn’t even really like him. I just liked having the attention. After being alone for so long and a single mother, it was nice to have someone desire me. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get past the sex to care enough about the rest of me.”

  “Can we not talk about your sex life?” Corey made a disgusted face.

  She couldn’t help but laugh. Corey was like a brother and she certainly didn’t want the details of his sex experiences either.

  “Do you think the guy claiming to be Shawn came here?” She looked around the tribe members who were coming to check them out.

  Quinn shook his head. “No, he’s supposed to be in a nearby tribe. Kyle said he would verify its location. We’ll be here a few hours setting up things, then we’ll travel to the other tribe.”

  She noticed that some of the security were leaving and then coming back. Something was definitely going on.

  Chapter 22

  Two hours later

  “Send someone with a message that this guy claiming to be Mr. Tyner will have to come here.” Kyle ordered.

  “Who do you want to send?” Quinn asked surprised.

  “You and two of our men go with Corey and a couple of other humans from this tribe. I’ve already cleared it with the Tribe leader, Bates.”

  “Why the sudden change?”

  “After talking with Bates, this other tribe is trouble, and possibly dangerous. I want to have them come here where I can set up the area with protection. I contacted the commander and he is sending more security. How are the cameras coming along?”

  “We have them installed in most of this area.”

  “We need to monitor this other tribe. I’m going to send the extra security in behind you, don’t let on that they are there. Go and escort this guy back as quickly as possible.”

  “Do we have a visual of what Shawn is supposed to look like?”

  “Yes.” Kyle pulled out his digital handheld viewer and typed his code. A few seconds later, an image of a young man in a military uniform was smiling. Another image of the same man in a different outfit standing next to Lily who was wearing a white dress, similar to what Maggie called a wedding dress.

  “Do you still want me to bring him back if he doesn't look like this Tyner?”

  “Yes, even if it proves not to be him, I want to know why he chose to pose as Lily’s husband. Why her?”

  “What if he refuses to come here
?”

  “Then we will take Lily back to the command ship. This is his only choice if he wants to meet with her.” Kyle was determined to protect Lily for his brother’s sake. He had never seen Jared act this way toward any female before and he wasn’t about to let someone hurt him.

  *****

  Lily felt him first. She was helping the other medikos give shots, and talking to the tribe members to let them know her own experiences with the aliens. The hair on her arms stood up and her nipples hardened. She knew Jared was close by.

  “How is everything going?” He asked from behind her.

  She turned and looked up into his handsome face. Instantly she felt more at ease, calm, safe—loved. God, how she loved him.

  “Fine, we’ve gotten half the tribe evaluated and started with their initial treatment. How about you?”

  “The tribe leader is showing Kyle a map she has of the subway system. There are some tunnels that are blocked, but they can be bypassed by following the map.”

  “She was flirting with you.” Damn, she said that out loud. There was no way to hide the tone of jealousy she had.

  He took her in his arms and kissed her. She didn’t resist wrapping her arms around his neck and returning his kiss with every emotion she felt inside for him. For just a brief moment, the world around them faded and it was just the two of them.

  Jared ended the kiss, but he didn’t let her go completely. He looked into her eyes, and all his emotions were laid bare for her to see.

  “I love you, Lily,” he whispered the words. She opened her mouth, but he placed a finger over her lips. “Don’t say anything. I’m not trying to put pressure on you. I know you have a lot on you but I need to let you know how I feel. I won’t give you up easily. It would be the honorable thing to do, but this one time in my life, I can’t be honorable. I love you and Thomas and want you both to be in my life permanently. This man, whoever he is, better be ready to fight for you because I’m not giving you up.” He kissed her again before finally letting her go.

  “Jared I—”

  “We’ll figure this all out.” They both turned when Kyle came up to them.

  “Hey, I want to give you an update. After speaking with the tribe leader Bates, I’ve decided that this guy claiming to be Tyner will need to come here.”

  “Why?” Lily asked.

  “The other tribe is known for trouble, I get the feeling we would be walking into a trap. We need to make them bring it to us here. That way we have a chance to set up a defense.”

  Jared wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I think that’s a better idea, safer. Have you sent word to the other tribe yet?’

  “Quin, Corey, and a few more left a few minutes ago. According to the maps it will take them an hour to reach the other tribe and then an hour for them to return. If they are not back in exactly two hours and fifteen minutes I am sending a full security team after them with instructions to treat the situation aggressively.”

  Lily wanted to ask him whether he was overreacting to the situation, but maybe he wasn’t. The way the people in this tribe kept questioning her about whether the aliens were really there to help, they were suspicious and distrustful of the Drastans. They were also distrustful of those in the domes, their own people, who claimed to want to help.

  Lily could understand, it wasn’t so long ago she was one of the tribe members who questioned the Drastans’ intent. She questioned Maggie on how quickly she fell for Liam, no one could find love that fast. She was wrong about Maggie and she was wrong about love.

  She couldn’t help but to reach for Jared’s hand. She needed to have contact with him, skin to skin. Lily couldn’t say the words right now to express how she felt, but she would show him until the words finally came. He raised her hand to his mouth and pressed a gentle kiss on her knuckles making her sigh contentedly. Once again he sought to reassure her.

  There was no doubt in her mind; she knew where she belonged—next to Jared. Even if by some miracle Shawn had survived, she didn’t know him anymore. They had both grown apart. He knew her when she was a young wife that rarely argued with him. It was easier that way, she knew that Shawn liked to get his own way and he would be relentless until that happened.

  She used to argue with him in the beginning, before she got pregnant with Thomas. After that, she often just let things go so that she could keep the peace. She didn’t want to bring up her child in a bitter environment. That didn’t mean she hadn’t loved her husband, she had. He had been her high school sweetheart. Everyone knew that they would end up together, it was a given. Their break up was short lived and they eventually came back together.

  She had a hard time believing it could be true. The fact that he had never tried to find her before now didn’t sit well with her. It didn’t make sense that all of a sudden after five years, he wanted her back. The Shawn she knew would have done anything to find her and Thomas, unless something kept him from it like an injury. Well, her answers would have to wait until he arrived. Until then, she would keep busy so she wouldn’t drive herself crazy.

  Chapter 23

  The ground was shaking. Are we going to die? That was all Lily could think when an explosion went off. She wasn’t even standing near Jared, but she found herself being cradled in his arms, he bent her so that his body would protect her from the falling debris around them.

  “What was that?”

  “I think someone set off a bomb of some sort. Are you okay?” Jared moved so that he could inspect her.

  “I’m fine. Just really stunned. Who would do such a thing?” She checked him over too to make sure he was uninjured. She could hear people around them calling out in panic. This was similar to what happened when the nukes struck.

  “The resistance rebels—we knew they were up to something.”

  “Are you okay?” She touched his cheek. His hand was shaking a little.

  “I heard the explosion and felt the ground shake. I was scared that someone was attacking and that you would be hurt. I can’t lose you Lily. I wouldn’t survive it if something happened to you.”

  She kissed his lips. “Shh—I’m fine, baby. I’m not going anywhere, not now that I’ve found you. I love you Jared, truly and deeply. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, you’re the one I want to live the rest of my life with.”

  He cupped her cheek and had joy in his eyes. “Baby—”

  They were interrupted when screams came from the tribe members at the edge of a smoky area. “We have injured tribe members, several of them are children. We need doctors over here ASAP!”

  “Go, I’ll be right behind you.” She pushed him forward. He hesitated obviously not wanting to leave her. “Children are hurt Jared, go!” He nodded and turned grabbing his kit and following the other medikos.

  Lily made the tables ready with supplies set up next to each one for easy access to treat on those who were injured. She was about to grab another kit and head toward where the medikos went when a Drastan warrior with his helmet on came to stand next to her. She recognized the uniform.

  “Hey Quin, I didn’t realize you were back already.” She moved toward the disaster but he blocked her. “It’s okay Quin, I just want to go help.”

  He grabbed her arms tightly and started walking her in the opposite direction, toward the tunnel. That’s when she knew it wasn’t Quin. She struggled to get free of him. She reached for his helmet and yanked it off. She stepped backward stunned.

  “Taylor?”

  “Come with me now Lily, I am trying to save you from them.”

  “I don’t need saving! Wait, you’re the one that was claiming to be Shawn. Why? Why would you do that?” She was relieved and disappointed at the same time. Although she wanted to be with Jared, she would have been happy to know that Shawn survived and that he could be there for Thomas as a father. She was angry that this man she once thought of sharing her life with would be so cruel.

  “I knew that would get you to come down from their ship. It was the only way. I can
’t believe you would let them take you there.”

  “Let me go, Taylor.”

  “We’re going to be together now. Collins said I could have you. He gave permission for all his men to claim a woman, and you’re mine to claim.”

  He was crazy, downright insane. She wanted to keep him talking and try to get as much information as she could. She acted like she was following him but made sure she kept a much slower pace. “Collins who? Do I know him?”

  “No, he came from one of the Domes.”

  “What happened to the Drastan that had that uniform?”

  “He’s being held with the others, we outnumbered them easily. They’re so stupid thinking that they are better than us. We showed them. I can’t believe Corey was with them too. He’s a traitor to mankind.”

  “Did you do all this for me?”

  He snorted. “Sorry babe, you’re the distraction. Although, I would have found a way to get to you. The real target is up there.” He pointed to the roof of the tunnel.

  “Who?” She stopped walking trying not to shake. She had a sinking feeling that Maggie was in danger. “What’s the plan?”

  He frowned at her. “I’m not going to tell you everything. Collins warned me that you might have been brainwashed like the other women were. There’s no help for them, but we plan to fix you.”

  Fix her? She didn’t even want to know what the hell that meant. It was time for her to get away from him. She pretended to stumble and fall to her knees.

  “Come on Lily, there’s no time to play around.” He knelt down to try to help her up. She clenched her hands together and sprung up connecting her hands with his chin. He fell backwards onto his ass, dazed.

  She grabbed the gun he was carrying and knocked him on the side of the head. He collapsed, not moving. She wasn’t sure if she had killed him or not, but she didn’t have time to look.

  Lily began to run towards where she knew Jared and the others were. “Help!” she called out. Jared was the first to appear and he saw her and came running. He reached her in seconds.