Soldier

By Kalcee Clornel

Soldier is the first in a sci-fi/paranormal series about three very different young adults, each trying to find their place in a world they don't belong in.

Athena had a promising future ahead of her at 17. A talent for dancing, a free ride to the best performing arts school in the country, and a crew of friends as close as family. Then she begins to see things that no one else can see.

During an attack that leaves several people dead, Athena is saved by AB-12. An elite military team from a city called Audens, a secret city, home to hundreds of people who do not belong in this universe. And Athena is one of them.

Charlie, a scientist, has finally found a place he belongs in AB-12. Even though the team is the family he never had, life in the field isn't easy. He can fight with the best of them, but he isn't a soldier. With skills that make him invaluable, not just to the military, but to the enemy, he can never escape the military life.

Rayne, daughter of the most famous Generals of Audens, has lived there her whole life, hiding her identity, even from her best friends, Willa and Killian. Her dreams to become a General herself one day are dying, despite her best efforts. She's used to life being tough, but always being the tough girl doesn't mean she's always strong, and somehow she always ends up alone.

Unfortunately for the three of them, they may be the key to ending a war that's been continuing for centuries and returning the Audian people to their home world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kalcee Clornel
• Release date: Jan 21, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311013699

Kalcee Clornel

Sci-fi and paranormal fiction writer. Author of the Audian Forces and Faerie Believers series.

Book preview

Chapter One

Casualties

The lights flickered, bass thundered and the sound of drums whispered across the stage. Athena closed her eyes and took a slow breath. She could almost taste the energy that hung over the entire auditorium. A rhythmic beat started slow and built gradually until she could feel it in every inch of her body, as though each beat punched right through her heart. Then the stage exploded to life, bright lights, hypnotic music, pounding rhythm, and her body responded in turn.

The rest of her dance crew were dancing alongside her. They were her friends, almost as close as family, and getting to this point in the national dance competition had once been a distant dream. Now, in their senior year of high school, after three years of trying, they were in the finals.

The crowd was a distant roar, drowned by the deafening music pounding through her ears, and when she gazed across the sea of people cheering them on, she couldn't help but grin. This was what she lived for: the music, the dance, the people, and most of all, her own crew. She met her best friend Hazel's eyes across the stage, and the girl grinned back, clearly having the time of her life.

Athena cast her gaze back to the crowd and almost missed a step. A figure moved over the heads of the crowd, something she could barely make out, something that looked distinctly reptilian. With all the stage lights, she couldn't see clearly, but she didn't have to. She knew what it was. Even here among crowds of people, while losing herself in the music and dance, she couldn't get away from the shadowed figures that had haunted her for the last three weeks.

Athena glanced at Hazel, who was still looking at her, a concerned frown crinkling her nose. What's wrong? Athena shook her head slightly and put on her most convincing smile, letting the music back in again. Nothing was going to stop them from winning.

Backstage after their performance, the entire crew of Mark-12 gathered. The night was a success, Athena was sure. Whatever the judges decided, it didn't matter. Here, right now, was the real prize, what mattered most. The people who shared her dream were with her, her crew, her friends, who had seen one another at their worst and stuck around to help one another become their best.

The announcing of the winner was, as always, drawn out as much as possible, forcing both the participating crews and the crowd to endure agonizing suspense. Athena gripped Hazel's shoulder hard, biting her lip against the torture of waiting. Hazel's own hand was grasping Athena's forearm tightly, her knuckles white. Please please please. Athena shut her eyes tightly, feeling the collective silent pleas from her crew members.

Then it was over, and Athena barely registered the name spoken before her crew and friends began screaming and bouncing around, hugging one another and flapping their hands in excitement. Athena was gasping with shock and elation. She was barely aware of Hazel hugging her, and each of the other crew members who grabbed her next. They did it. They'd each secured themselves a position in one of the most elite programs of the Waterford Performing Arts Academy.

Athena felt a wave of relief. She didn't have to worry about applications to colleges anymore, she was in. Next year she was going to the most prestigious performing arts college in the country, and she would be going there with her crew. What more could she possibly ask for? Everything in her life was lining up, everything working out for her.

Well, almost everything. As Athena walked into the parking lot of the auditorium, she remembered the shadowed figures that haunted her, the ones that no one else could see. Keeping everything on track in her life depended on her ability to pretend that she couldn't see them. Unfortunately, she'd done a lousy job of the last few weeks, and her parents already had her seeing a psychiatrist, Dr. Nash. Things weren't getting any better, if today was anything to go by.

She glanced around, and though the parking lot was underground and lit dimly, the presence of at least a dozen other people, also finding their cars, was assuring. Her crew had gone out for drinks to celebrate, but Athena had a curfew that was nonnegotiable.

She wished once again that she had her own car, but her parents were adamant that she would only get a car when she went off to college. She reached into her pocket for the car keys to her brother’s car, a sleek black Camaro SS, his pride and joy. It took two weeks to convince him to let her drive it to this competition, a two hours drive away from home, and he only agreed on the condition that she’d be back before midnight. She'd tried to convince him to come along, but her brothers had a college formal evening event they had to attend, because apparently their girlfriends were more of a priority.

Athena had barely reached the car when she heard the first scream, and it chilled her to the bone. She looked up and saw a woman several feet ahead, clutching at her arms which were covered in blood, skin ripped open by a vicious creature that Athena recognized instantly. Except, this time, it was not just a shadow. The creature, now fully defined, was with at least ten similar creatures. It looked like a mangled combination of a bat and a monkey, and with claws that were far more deadly.

The woman screamed again, staring at her arms, clearly unable to see the creature that was killing her. People turned to stare, just like Athena, but none moved towards her, all shocked into immobility. After a minute that felt like an hour, the woman dropped to her knees as the attacking creature sliced her chest open.

Athena stared in shock as blood sprayed everywhere, unable to move or speak. The woman’s eyes stared blankly upwards, and her body collapsed to the ground with a final spasm. Then screams erupted all around her as creatures began to rip people apart, slicing skin open, tearing limbs from limbs, and all Athena could do was run. She almost made it to her car, but one of the creatures was already there, hovering, its beady eyes searching for something. Athena had a nasty feeling it was looking for her in particular. She heard an almost deafening screech, and the sound of metal crunching. She peered around the car in time to see several other cars flattened by the combined force of the beasts. Some of the cars flattened had people sitting in them, crushed beneath the metal. There were more creatures now, their numbers had tripled.

Athena ducked down behind the 4x4 parked beside her brother’s Camaro, and held a hand over her own mouth, trying to make as little noise as possible. The screams hurt her ears, it made her heart pump faster, and her hands tremble. People were dying all around her, and there was nothing she could do. She had no way of defending herself against these things. She’d taken one self-defence class in her life, and it had been on a dare, and it certainly hadn’t covered animal attacks.

Athena heard a smaller cry, more of a whimper, from beneath the 4x4 she crouched behind. She flattened herself to the floor and saw a little boy under the vehicle, lying on his stomach, a nasty scratch on his cheek and tears streaming down his face. Another loud crunch and Athena flinched. This car could be next.

It's okay, Athena whispered, reaching out a hand to the boy. It wasn’t okay, and they were both probably going to die, but what else could she say? The boy sniffled and grasped her hand, his tiny fingers curling around hers. He crawled out from underneath the 4x4 and they crouched together, listening to the screams and praying the creatures wouldn’t find them.

Then three creatures found them at once. The beasts flew around the side of the 4x4 and hovered right in front of them. Athena saw leathery cracked skin, sharp gnashing teeth, and as their claws flexed, she pushed the boy behind her. She looked around, trying to find anything she could use as a weapon, something she could fight with, but there was nothing. All she had in her hand were car keys, and they wouldn’t do anything against three of these creatures.

The largest creature came towards her first, its eyes wild and feral. Athena raised her hand, ready to do whatever damage she could before it killed her.

Run! she yelled at the little boy still standing behind her. Get out of here! The boy didn’t have to be told twice. He bolted and Athena couldn’t see if he’d gotten away. Thankfully, the three creatures in front of her remained focused on her. The boy had a chance.

When the creature came towards her, Athena swung her hand at it, hoping the keys would at least gauge the skin, hurt it in some way. What she didn’t expect was for the keys to turn into a sword. She blinked at the weapon, the change of weight in her hand so sudden and surprising that she almost dropped it. Then she was on the floor, the creature pinning her to the ground.

She swung the sword once, and it cut through the creature easily, severing it in half. Thick white liquid gushed from the creature and Athena shoved it away. She sucked in a few breaths, trying to keep hold of her stomach contents, and screwed up her face against the smell, like rotting flesh, coming from the creature’s pale blood.

She turned to face the remaining two creatures, and it didn’t look like they were going to attack her one at a time. She was so screwed. She didn’t know how to wield a sword. Slaying the first creature had been a stroke of pure luck.

With two loud screeches, the creatures dove towards her, claws aimed at her face and her chest. They never reached her. One of the creatures burst into flames and the ashes of its body rained down on Athena, making her cough hard enough to bring tears to her eyes. When she blinked and could see properly again, the other creature lay on the ground, dead, eyes glassy and blood dripping from a bullet shaped wound in its head. The sword slipped from Athena's hand and clattered to the ground as she stared, frozen.

Hi there, a voice made her look up. A man towered over her, dressed in pixel patterned camouflage that combined tan, green, and gray. He was covered in the white blood of the creatures, patches of red blood where he'd clearly been injured, and several chunks of what looked like the creatures' skin. His hands held a large assault rifle, and he moved it to his side as he knelt down to look at her. Concerned brown eyes studied her, looking her over as if assessing the damage.

I’m here to help, the man said, his voice a little gruff, but sincere. He looked to be in his late thirties, tall and built like a soldier. He glanced around, and it looked like his eyes were taking in everything at once. She could almost see his brain working, assessing the situation. He knew exactly what he was doing, as though he’d done it a hundred times before.

Can you stand? the man asked, gesturing to the large gash on her left thigh. Blood had already soaked her jeans around the wound, and she was still losing blood. She could barely feel the pain. She could barely feel anything at all.

Athena, the man said, startling her. How did he know her name? You need to get up. Can you do that? He spoke slowly, his eyes narrowed at her, watching her reactions.

Who are you? Athena asked finally, relieved to find she could still talk. What’s happening? She could hear other screams now, inhuman screams, and it gave her the shivers, but it was a good sign. The creatures were dying.

Good, the man said with a small sigh of relief. Glad to see you’re still with us. I’m Colonel Zachary Fields, and my team is taking care of the other creatures.

You know what they are?

Colonel Fields looked away, assessing their surroundings again. We call them croans, but now’s not the time for this conversation. Let’s just say that this is what my team does, and we’re damn good at it.

The little boy! Athena started, scrambling to her feet. Where is he? Is he okay?

He’s fine, Colonel Fields said calmly, also getting to his feet. He eyed her leg. At least we’ve answered the question of whether you can stand.

Where is he? Athena demanded. She could still see his pale face in her mind, his frightened blue eyes.

It’s alright, Colonel Fields said, placing an arm on her shoulder. She knew he meant the gesture to be comforting, but it felt more awkward than assuring. She could tell Colonel Fields wasn’t good at comforting, but at least he was trying. The effort made her calm down slightly.

He’s with Captain Serena Paige, Colonel Fields continued. He’s in safe hands, trust me. He’ll be okay.

Hey Zack, another man was walking towards them, dressed in the same uniform as Colonel Fields and holding on to an identical weapon. He had a few injuries of his own, in particular a nasty gash on his arm. He was much younger, he could have been Athena’s age, maybe a couple of years older, and he didn’t hold himself the same way Colonel Fields did. He was more open, his expression softer, voice laced with warmth. With the uniform and his physique, it was obvious he was a soldier, but everything else about him told a different story, starting with the dusty brown hair that was much longer than military standard.

Charlie, Colonel Fields acknowledged. Report?

We got them all, Charlie said, before wincing. But this is a wide spread situation. The bodies, the cars -

Any witnesses? Colonel Fields asked, cutting him off.

None. Charlie glanced at Athena. Aside from her and the little kid.

We can easily alter the boy’s memory with no lasting effects, and it will be a good thing. Seeing something like this could affect him psychologically in ways we can’t even predict. It’s best that he forgets.

Charlie nodded. I’ll call the cleanup department and ask them to send in a team.

So what about me? Athena asked. Are you going to make me forget too?

Colonel Fields shook his head. You’re a special case, Athena. We can’t make you forget. In fact, remembering might make things easier for you in the long run, get you to the right place a lot faster.

Athena blinked in confusion, but before she could open her mouth, Charlie spoke up.

Zack, why can’t we just -

Charlie.

But-

We’ve discussed this. She’s underage, there are laws, and there are protocols.

Yes, but look at what happened today! Charlie said, thrusting his hand towards the middle of the parking lot, where most of the massacre had occurred. The sooner we get -

Do I need to remind you of our standing orders? Colonel Fields asked sharply. "Last time I checked, Specialist Charles Winters, you were part of my team, and you follow my orders."

Yes, but-

Private Ambers! Colonel Fields barked suddenly, a hand pressed to his ear, talking to one of his team members over their communication line. Athena jumped slightly at the loud voice and tone, and she saw Charlie wince.

I have a situation here with Charlie. Colonel Fields returned Charlie’s glare. Sometimes it seems like your girlfriend is the only one who can keep you in line. She’s just a private, but you listen to her more than you listen to me.

"Because she cares, Charlie retorted. She cares about things beyond our standing orders and mission objective."

"She’s a soldier, Charlie. She can’t afford to care about anything other than the mission. She humours you, because against her best judgment, she cares about you."

I am not your mediator! The exasperated voice came from a girl who was striding towards them from the auditorium entrance, looking both tired and annoyed. She wore the same uniform, had the same weapon and was covered in as much blood and gore as Colonel Fields and Charlie. Her long black hair was tied back in a braid, and her sharp blue eyes were glaring at Charlie.

What is it this time? she demanded.

Charlie blinked, and even in the dim light Athena could see a wounded look shadow his eyes. Why do you assume that I’m wrong? You don’t even know what we’re arguing about.

Because that’s how this goes, Charlie. Colonel Fields gives us an order, we follow it. There is no right and wrong. We trust him, and we’re damn lucky to have him as our commanding officer. Why the hell do you think that orders don’t apply to you?

Charlie swallowed and Athena felt a pang of sympathy for him. He wasn’t like the rest of his team members, that was obvious. Why he was with them was as much of a mystery as why Private Ambers was his girlfriend. Athena waited, wondering what Charlie was going to say, but he didn’t say a word. He just looked away, his posture stiff, lips tightly pressed together.

Finally, some silence, Colonel Fields said, directing a humourless smile at Private Ambers. You certainly have a magic touch, he said sarcastically.

Private Ambers lifted her chin and straightened her shoulders. Sir, permission to speak freely.

Colonel Fields studied her for about ten seconds before he shook his head. Now’s not the time, Private. We’ll talk once the mission’s over.

Yes, Sir.

Colonel Fields turned to Charlie. See? That’s what you’re supposed to do.

Charlie didn’t answer; he just turned around and stormed off towards the auditorium entrance.

Wait, Colonel Fields said. The operators, did you find them?

No, Charlie replied, without stopping or slowing down. They’re still out there.

After a long speech about how important it was that Athena keep the events of the night to herself, and how the deaths and damage caused would be covered up, Athena was free to go. They didn't seem concerned that Athena would tell anyone the truth about what happened. Athena had a feeling they were hoping she'd do exactly that, though she couldn't figure out why. Colonel Fields wouldn't answer any of her questions, and as soon as her wound was cleaned and dressed, he drove her home in a shiny black SUV and sped out of the driveway as soon as her feet had hit the ground.

Athena limped up to the door, which opened before she reached it. Both her parents were scowling at her, and she could see her brother Ty standing behind them wearing a black designer suit and a deep frown. Her heart jerked as she remembered looking at the remains of the car, flattened, just like a dozen others. Ty was never going to forgive her.

She spent the rest of the night explaining what had happened. She gave her parents and her brothers the story that Colonel Fields had told her to give. There was an explosion in the parking lot of the auditorium. Several people were killed, but she'd been one of the lucky ones, she was only injured. A piece of metal slashed her thigh. The police were still investigating the cause of the explosion.

To his credit, Ty didn’t complain once about his car. Sitting beside her on the couch in the living room, he just reached towards her and tucked her into his side. I’m glad you’re all right, he said.

Me too, said Atlas, Athena’s other brother, standing hunched over the back of the couch. He reached down to ruffle her hair. She swatted his hand away.

This is a mess, Athena’s father said, shaking his head. You’re going to be all over the news, nearly getting killed after some punk dance contest. We should never have allowed you to go.

Hey! Athena protested. "That was the most important event of my life! We won!"

Oh, that makes it all better then? her father asked. It was all worth it? It doesn't matter than people died and you were injured, because you won a stupid dance contest?

That’s not what I meant!

The conversation went downhill from there.

A few weeks later, Athena saw the creatures again, the croans, in the far distance. She was walking home from school, the wound in her thigh finally healed, and there they were, far ahead down the street, fleeing around a corner. Athena could have sworn she also saw figures in military uniforms chasing after the creatures, but when she ran down the street and rounded the corner, they'd disappeared. No croans, no Colonel Fields. Just an empty alleyway. Running towards the croans might not have been the best decision, but she wanted to find Colonel Fields and his team and ask them all the questions running through her mind. She needed answers, and they were the only ones who knew more than she did.

As each day passed by it made her feel like maybe she’d just imagined the events of that night. Her parents had her seeing a psychiatrist more regularly now, convinced that her ordeal during the explosions at the auditorium had affected her mental state, and with each session she began to think that maybe they were right. Maybe there was an explosion that night in the parking lot. It was possible that she had conjured up the croans and the soldiers to cope with the trauma. Maybe the creatures she was seeing now were figments of her imagination as well, a manifestation of her unstable mental health.

Athena tried her best to pretend that everything was normal, but it was getting harder every day. Deciding the croans weren’t real didn’t make her memories of them disappear. Her sessions with Dr. Nash weren't helping, and she was afraid of what her parents were going to try next.

Chapter Two

Solutions

Charlie strolled into his B&B room in the small city that they were stuck in for the next few weeks and slammed the door behind him. He dropped onto the bed, kicking off his shoes. This mission was getting to him in a way that no other mission ever had. It wasn’t anything in particular, yet at the same time it was everything.

He’d hoped this would be an extraction mission: get into the city, find the Audian, kill the rippers, neutralise the operators, destroy the transporter, and get the Audian to safety. But this time the Audian was underage, and she had a family. They couldn’t take her out of the city, they had to deal with laws and regulations and other issues that could get a whole load of people killed. And the operators - the soldiers that come from the Rip dimension and the ones who control the croans - were still out there.

Charlie understood why they had to follow protocol. He knew the reasons, and they made sense. But then he saw people dying, people ripped apart while they screamed. If they’d just got Athena out of the city a week earlier, she would have been safe. No one would have died. But no. They weren’t allowed to approach her unless she displayed some special ability. And Athena had done just that, too late. And Charlie was sick of it being too late.

Until Athena was safe, they had to keep her under surveillance and continue to kill croans and operators that threaten her life and the lives of other innocent people. Charlie had hoped to go back home for a while, take a break from the field, but that hope had fizzled out the moment Zack had pulled rank on him.

Zack was still pissed at him for arguing the case in front of Athena and not following orders, and Teresa still annoyed at being ordered to keep him in line. The thing was, Zack usually listened to him before disagreeing, but with this mission, the man wouldn’t let him get a single sentence out.

A knock came at the door, disrupting this thoughts. Charlie sighed and got to his feet. He swung the door open to stare at Zack.

Zack.

Charlie. Zack leaned against the door-frame, raising an eyebrow. Ambers said you were sulking.

I’m not sulking.

Zack peered over Charlie’s shoulder into the room, and Charlie knew what he was looking at. The drawn curtains, the slightly rumpled bed.

Yeah, looks like it. You’re certainly not reading or doing research or whatever you do when you’re not in the field.

Zack pushed his way past Charlie into the room and Charlie shut the door, resigned. Was there something you wanted?

I know how you like to overanalyze things. Thought I'd make sure you're all right.

I'm fine.

Sure you are. What did you want me to do, Charlie? Zack asked quietly.

"I don’t know. Something. People are dead, and we could have prevented that, if it wasn’t for protocols."

This isn’t just about protocols.

Charlie met Zack’s eyes for a moment before he had to look away. He knew what Zack was talking about, and he was probably right.

You blame us, Zack said. You think that if we’d gotten there sooner, we could have prevented the attack.

We should have kept her under surveillance.

Athena displayed no symptoms of being Audian. The safest course of action for us was to keep our distance, you know that. It’s what we always do. What happened that day is not on us. We follow orders, we do what we can to help, when we can. But we cannot predict how events will turn out, we just have to do what we do best and hope that it’s enough.

I know that! Don’t you think I know that? Hell, I’ve been on this team for two years, I get it.

Then what’s the problem?

"The problem is that this time,