The Rain: The End by Marietta Standlee (good summer reads TXT) 📕

are joking with me?" His voice sounds disbelieving.

This is hard; how do you talk with somebody while wearing a blindfold? "No, it's just difficult to describe."

"What color is their skin?" He wants to know next.

"The jury is still out if they even have skin." I try.

"Of course, it's skin." Colin interrupts. "It's just really thin and tight. It looks kinda orange."

"Ochre." I correct.

"Whatever." He laughs.

"What do you mean tight?" Litvin asks.

"It seems really tight; you can see their muscles move underneath. The aliens are kinda wimpy, though." I explain.

"Careful, we haven't met any of their real soldiers yet," Colin warns.

"I guess," I admit. "But the ones we have met so far are really easy to beat in hand-to-hand combat, but they do possess some powerful technology."

"I have only seen them from far away," Karsten admits. "When they loaded up all the maniacs."

"Come again." Litvin double checks.

Karsten explains what he and his friends saw; while Colin and I fall quiet again, the Black Hawk banks, and I'm gently pushed towards him. He puts his arm around me, holds me close.

"Not much longer." He whispers.

I know he is just guessing, but I appreciate him trying to reassure me. I close my eyes against the blindfold's scratchy material; I might as well try to get some shuteye.

I wake up to a soft rumble as the Black Hawk sits down somewhere. Voices ring out, but I don't understand what they're saying. Colin still has his arm around me and gently nudges me. Next, I hear the sound of a door opening, and Colin puts a hand on my arm.

"Careful, give me your hand, Commander." Litvin offers.

I stretch my hand out and feel his calloused fingers brush against mine. "Step down, carefully."

Probing, I put my feet out into nothing until I reach the first step, Litvin guides me towards them, and a minute later, I stand on firm ground again. Colin follows right behind me; I can sense his presence, voices speaking Russian drift towards me as I slowly make my way forward.

"Major Dimitrov will drive us now to the location. I'll also be blindfolded."

A different hand takes my arm, "Nice to meet you, Commanders Allister, Thornton."

"Major." Colin acknowledges him, with an edge to his voice; he's getting irritated with all this secretiveness as well as me. We do understand the necessity to protect the President, of course, but enough is enough already.

We are pushed/guided into a jeep or Humvee; once comfortable, the motor growls deeply as the vehicle starts to roll.

"I'm very sorry for the inconvenience. But you understand the necessity of it, yes? The Presidents have to be protected." Dimitrov offers.

"Presidents?" I echo.

"Your President will also be present; you just happened to show up when the Presidents returned from a meeting with the alien leaders."

That probably means Ka will be present as well. "Has President McFarland been informed of us coming? And did he bring anybody else?" Colin inquires nonchalantly; the unspoken question is, will Ka be there.

"Yes, he was briefed." Dimitrov fills us in.

"Your English is excellent," I observe.

There is a smile in Dimitrov's voice. "It better be, I went to Westpoint, spying on your military prowess."

"You're kidding?" I ask, flabbergasted.

"True story. I'm not ashamed to admit that I was a spy and a good one at that. Made me Major when I came back."

"Son of a bitch." Colin exclaims, but his voice sounds amused.

The vehicle stops, and we hear a screeching sound, like metal grinding on metal.

"Almost there." The Major advises.

We drive again, slower this time, wherever we are, there is a lot of noise. "You can take your blindfolds off now."

It takes me a minute to adjust to the brightness in the cavernous space we entered after having been blindfolded for hours.

At least a hundred vehicles are parked throughout the vast area, in all shapes and forms, even ten huge tanks. People in uniforms mill about, some spar further down the huge space on training mats. Assorted gym equipment has been placed there as well.

The hall or cave we're in is the size of a football stadium; bright lights are attached to rocky ceilings and walls, hence my assumption that we are in some man-made cave. Cables and cords crudely line the walls; this place has not existed for very long, probably created after the invasion.

My gaze turns towards Dimitrov, he is younger than I expected for being a Major, but then again, Colin and I are Commanders. He's probably Colin's age, perhaps a year or two older, tall, lean and extremely handsome; he has the surfer dude vibe going, with his blue eyes and blonde—unmilitary-like, long hair. Dimpled cheeks, when he smiles at us, finish the look. Yes, I can see how Dimitrov was a successful spy. Calling him charming doesn't even begin to do him justice—charismatic would be a much better word.

"Very nice to meet you, Commander." He smiles at me disarmingly.

Colin stiffens beside me, and I grin. "Nice to meet you too, Major."

"May I say you look dashing without the blindfold Commander? Not that you didn't with it on, of course."

I give him my most disarming smile. "Of course. Thank you, you don't look so bad yourself, Major."

He laughs at that and slaps Colin on the arm. "Nice catch you made there, Commander."

Yes, this guy is definitely a good spy; he knows how to throw his charm around, even Colin seems to thaw a little, despite the blatantly obvious attempt to flirt with me.

"Lieutenant Litvin." Litvin introduces himself to the Major, who barely acknowledges the older man.

Dimitrov nods. "Please, follow me."

Karsten, who has stayed uncharacteristically quiet the entire time, clears his throat. "Ahem.... what about me?"

Litvin looks questioning at Colin, who shrugs his shoulders: "He wanted to go back home with us."

Dimitrov calls somebody over and, after a short exchange in Russian, follows another in German of which we don't understand either. It doesn't escape my attention though, that Dimitrov appears fluent in that language too. Karsten nods, though, and follows the soldier.

"You'll find your friend again