Spirits of the Earth: The Complete Series: (A Post-Apocalyptic Series Box Set: Books 1-3) by Milo Fowler (paper ebook reader .TXT) 📕

I hold my breath.

“Well, would you look at that...” Bishop grins, despite his best intentions to keep a straight face. He can’t contain himself. “She’s looking right at me!”

“It may appear that way,” I’m quick to explain, whether or not it’s the truth in this case. “Their eyes are not yet able to focus, and with the amniotic fluid—”

Is he safe?

The young one’s thought enters my mind so abruptly, I blink against a brief wave of vertigo.

“You all right?” Bishop reaches for me.

I steady myself. “Fine. I just—I haven’t eaten in a while.”

“You and me both.” He chuckles.

Luther speaks quietly with one of the sentries standing outside before turning back toward us. “Forgive me, I should have offered you something.”

Bishop faces me. “If the others are anything like these two, then it looks like we’re still headed to Eden.”

I focus on the female’s pod. We can trust him.

Luther smiles as I relay Bishop’s response, obviously pleased. But his eyes have yet to relinquish their sadness. “I had hoped so.”

“Don’t misunderstand,” Bishop says grimly. “The children will be taken by the UW. There’s nothing I can do about that. I’m just the middle man here.”

I can tell that he regrets this being the case. My tone shows as much.

“Better with your people than Willard’s,” Luther says, and if I didn’t know better, I might have believed him. “I ask only that you allow us to go with you.”

“Out of the question.” Bishop glances at me, certain I don’t plan on making the return trip. He’s right about that. “Your presence would only add to what could be a volatile situation—if what you’ve told me about Willard is true. Besides, what’s to keep you from overpowering my team once we get to Eden and taking the children yourselves?” He holds up a gloved hand to halt Luther’s objection once I repeat the question. “You told me yourself. They’re yours. It makes perfect sense that you’d want them back. But I can’t allow that to happen. The future of the world depends on it.”

“And where do we fit into this future?” Luther asks.

Is there any place for people like us, now that the UW knows of our existence?

Bishop looks at a loss for words. “I honestly don’t know.”

“This is the situation,” I explain. “Willard’s only goal is to get off this continent and return to the outside world. The children are merely a means to that end. If he doesn’t get what he wants from you, then he will destroy them all.”

Bishop doesn’t believe that. He cannot fathom anyone being so selfish—or evil. “Leave him to me.”

“He has you outnumbered, Sergeant. And outgunned. At least allow me to send a few of our sentries with you,” Luther insists. “You don’t realize the power Willard has at his disposal.”

“I appreciate your concern—” Bishop begins.

“Tell him.” Into Luther’s mind, I project a scene from last year in Eden: of Luther and two of his friends trapped underneath the city’s sublevels with hordes of flesh-eating mutants advancing on them.

Luther nods, taking a deep breath before diving in. “Willard’s men themselves are well-armed and outnumber your team five to one. But in addition, Willard has hordes of collared daemons at his disposal. Those flesh-eaters that shot down your aircraft—Willard has managed to fit them with remote-controlled shock collars to do his bidding. You’ll never leave Eden alive unless he permits it, and that’s assuming you make it there in the first place. There are plenty of wild daemons between here and Eden to contend with, and their only desire is for fresh meat.”

I rest a hand on the forearm of Bishop’s suit. “Two of your team are injured already. Would it not be wise to allow Luther to send help with you?” I face Luther. “Do you still have the Hummer you took from Eden?”

He nods. “Samson has kept it running well.”

Bishop looks at me. “You won’t be our chauffeur.”

I let go of his arm and turn back to the incubation pods. “I am needed here.” But into his mind, I project, When the spirits appeared to you, what did they say?

Bishop shrugs. To listen to Luther. And I have.

There is a difference between hearing and listening, Sergeant, I remind him.

He paints a real bleak picture. If what he says is true, then the odds are decidedly against us.

Luther clears his throat quietly. “If you will not accept our help, will you at least contact your people off-shore for their support? Believe me when I say I only want those children to live. Yes, they are your future. But they are ours, as well.”

“We both want the same thing, Sergeant,” I tell him. “To rescue those babies from Eden.”

Bishop raises an eyebrow. “If I’d known that’s what this mission was all about, I might have brought more men.” He recalls the handful of well-armed jarheads that blew up in the chopper, and I see each of their faces in his mind.

“Radio your ship,” Luther says. “Don’t go to Eden alone.”

Bishop nods. “Our doctor’s taking care of it, once he has a chance to go over the information I gave him. He’ll request full support. But I’m not getting my hopes up, not after the first contact we made with those well-armed freaks out there. The UW doesn’t make a habit of losing its assets, and that helicopter isn’t easily replaceable. It’s not like your factories are running over here anymore, churning out everything we need. We’ve had to make do with what we’ve got.”

Luther nods pensively as I relay the sergeant’s side of the conversation. “There is another matter.”

“Cain.”

“His warriors are here already—those who attacked you. And Cain himself is en route with more of his people.” Luther pauses. “He will want to take you and your team by force, back to his encampment. For judgment.”

“That’s insane.” Despite his best efforts at masking his emotions, Bishop is beginning to look a little unsure about the situation. “The UW would never stand for such a thing. If