Seven Day War

By Greg Alldredge

War is coming to Marysfield!

Mister Death has made an ultimatum, the interdimensional sisters must get out of town or else! Crystal and Misty have been so weakened by his clandestine attacks that they have only one place to turn: West Texas!

Thank god for those gun tote’n Texan freedom fighters willing to throw down their lives to protect the universe from the evil megalomaniac Mister Death!

How will the Earth ever survive?

Read the final installment of the Ostinato series to find out!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Publish Drive
• Release date: Jun 26, 2018

Book preview

Seven Day War

Book Three

The Ostinato Series.

By Greg Alldredge

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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© 2018 Greg Alldredge

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Cover Art by Ryn Katryn Digital Art.

Melinda Campbell, Copyeditor

www.MCEdits.com

This is dedicated to my wife and everyone that has waited for the story to finish.

Ostinato: a constantly recurring melodic fragment.

Death.

Plans.

I Have No Idea.

The Gathering.

Quarrels.

Ambush.

Regroup.

Boom.

We’re Here to Help.

Break Through.

The Missing Piece.

Grace of God.

Help.

Crystal Halls.

Barney.

Box Canyon.

Pyrrhic Victory.

Counter Attack.

The Return.

Revenge.

Finale.

Just a Dream.

Death.

The majority of the lights were dimmed, except a solitary light in the center of the room which shone down over a white sheet covering a table. Under the sheet lay a body, it was easy for anyone to tell. The setting gave a measure of privacy for family visiting the deceased.

Trevor sat in the observation room. Ellie’s body was laid out on the table in the dark room that Trevor occupied only hours earlier. Out of tears and stupefied, he sat there in a daze waiting for his daughter-in-law to jump off the table full of life.

Smith and Jones left him in the room. The installation had never been set up for so many uncleared persons. There weren’t enough holding cells, besides it quickly became evident that however little Trevor and his party understood, the Government grasped less.

Time passed swiftly, and it all seemed impossible. Everything about the last couple of days seemed incredible. How did those kids and that creature appear in the center of the town?

He considered all the steps taken that brought them to this point in time, trying to decide if there were any choices he made that could have gone differently and saved all this pain. If he never left London, if he’d never came to Texas, the events would probably still have happened, he just wouldn’t be in the middle of it.

Shouting outside the door of his little room interrupted his self-torture.

He clearly heard Evan’s voice say, You can’t cut her open! She’s a human being, not some lab rat!

Trevor watched as they locked El into another room, unconscious. She dropped from exertion after the fight in the center of Marysfield. He didn’t defend her as strongly as he should, and it added to his pain.

Jones or Smith’s voice came next. He couldn’t remember which was which, but it was the male agent. I don’t know if you noticed or not but you just got your ass kicked. If we didn’t show up, you would be dead now. We need to find out what those things are and how they attacked you.

Then you should catch one and cut it open. Cut one of your people open! You can’t do that to Ellie, and I will stop you! Evan’s voice cracked.

Trevor became deeply concerned this was going to grow out of hand quickly if someone with a calmer head didn’t step in. He wished he knew someone with a calmer head, but figured he would have to do.

Trevor pushed off from the swivel stool he perched on. Lightheaded from the enormity of it all, he swerved to the door. Cracking it open he peeked outside and said, I understand you’re both trying to do what you think is right. But please remember emotions are running high for everyone right now. That’s my daughter-in-law in that room lying on the table. My wife, my son and daughter, my grandson, and El have been through too much today. Agent man, you’re right. We do need to investigate this to the fullest. However, right now you need to give us a chance to mourn. Billy is back in your hospital. Shannon has been sedated. The two children are with your Radar… Unable to finish the sentence, he glanced at Evan and started crying again. Through his tears, he said, Let us go for a walk outside for a while.

Agent Smith looked at them both, shuffling on his feet while he noted the crying Trevor. He nodded his head and pointed in the direction of the exit.

Trevor grabbed Evan’s arm and led him down the corridor.

Evan started pleading a few steps down the hall, We can’t let them do this, what if Crystal comes back and brings her back to life?

If Crystal can fix what that little bastard did to Ellie, then she can fix what these scientists are going to do. You didn’t touch her… Again, he couldn’t finish the sentence. The thought of Ellie’s twisted and busted body grew too graphic for him to relive. He would never be able to forget her body lying at impossible angles, feeling like every bone in her body had been crushed from the force of the attack, even if he wanted to.

Evan opened his mouth as if about to speak but closed it again and walked down the hall. They came to the outer door that had been yanked out of the wall and thrown into the hallway. Trevor stopped at the doorframe lying at his feet. How do we, how does humanity fight against something that is this powerful? What are these things? They’re not Crystals.

Now Evan led Trevor past the destroyed door and outside the building. I’m not sure how much you heard Crystal say, I’m not entirely clear on the whole process. Did you know that Crystal has a sister, Misty?

The heat of the Texas night struck Trevor in the face like a wall when they left the air-conditioned hallway for the desert outside of Marysfield. Yes, Crystal told me, she mentioned her five years ago. Said she was a real bitch.

That’s her, best I can tell the two of them have been here for some time. All the while they’ve had kids, and their kids had more kids. Over the generations some developed powers, some not.

And you’re one of those kids? Trevor asked softly.

I’m not a hundred percent sure how it works. I’m one of those kids. Crystal and Misty’s offspring are called Chosen. They call regular humans norms. I’ve no idea how many Chosen there are. Crystal did say, and stressed this fact, that not all Chosen will develop powers. I got the impression that each power would be different.

Trevor shook his head. What was that thing that attacked us? Why are they after us?

I’m not sure… Evan hesitated before continuing, The twins attacked us in Cambodia. Before El and I discovered our powers. We escaped through Crystal’s portal to the island where we found you. I don’t know what the tentacle creature is. That’s the first I ran into. I feel terrible that they chased us to your hometown, and because of us Ellie is… Evan’s words trailed off.

Trevor wasn’t in a forgiving mood, but he’d never been known as a cruel man. They might’ve chased you to Marysfield, or they might not have. We can decide blame later. One of those tentacle monsters attacked me a couple of days ago at my brother’s church. I barely escaped alive. It’s strange that the twins and the tentacle creatures seem to be working together. I’ve never seen Crystal show any signs of being a tentacle monster, have you?

Evan shook his head. I never knew Crystal existed until we landed on that island off the coast of Cambodia. I never guessed I was Chosen until after I met you. I can’t remember anything past about four years ago. My life doesn’t make sense to me. Now I don’t know who or what I am. Evan stopped, turning his head toward the bright Texas sky. He examined the stars that filled the pitch-black Southwest night. "What do we do now?

Trevor stopped beside him and followed his gaze. He would never grow tired of the night sky over Texas. There were a multitude of stars compared to what he might find in London because of the city lights and overcast skies. I’m not sure, but I think it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

In many ways, Trevor accepted that Evan was a lot like him. He understood being a young adult, and he remembered being clueless. Always sure he recognized the intricacies of how the world worked. Honestly up until five years ago his mind had been made up on how things were meant to be. Even if he didn’t like the answers. Then he came to Texas and met Crystal, his certainty dissolved with the chaos. Perhaps he should be thankful for the five years of peace that he and Shannon were able to enjoy before the shite hit the fan. After meeting Shannon, he always felt his life became too good to be true. Now he needed to deal with everything the universe threw at him, oh yeah and possibly the end of the world.

Plans.

I didn’t expect that to happen. Misty picked up the closest coconut and hurled it toward the jungle where Mister Death just disappeared.

We must decide what we are going to do… I say we gather our forces, grow stronger, and when the little prick attacks in seven days we slaughter them. Crystal sank back to the beach, weak from her outburst.

That sounds like a wonderful plan. Is this before or after you collapse into a puddle because you let yourself become too weak?

Let’s not argue, when you are near I possess much more power. There’s something about us standing together that makes me stronger.

Of course, silly, we are always better together than apart. Even when you imprisoned me inside yourself, I perceived your power combining with mine. We are stronger together than apart. When we are in different locations, I can sense the weakness creep in.

Misty strolled closer to Crystal, sitting her leather-clad butt in the sand next to her.

Perhaps we’ve been going about this all wrong. I wish there were a place we could be together and coexist like we did in Athens or Rome in the old days. Now everything has become civilized. Negative emotions are hidden until the time of conflict and war.

You’re saying we need a modern-day Gomorrah, where anything goes, where the best and the worst of humanity’s emotions are put on display day and night. Once Misty moved closer, Crystal sensed her energy returning, though still not at full strength.

I hope you’re not thinking of Las Vegas. That will never do. They turned that into a modern-day theme park for families, Misty said.

Crystal shook her head. Do you think so little of my knowledge as that? We need to heal quickly not lounge about in the sun. It must be close enough to not tax our energy. It must be a place where all the emotions run amok. I can think of only one place that fits all those requirements.

Surely you can’t mean… Misty put her right hand over her mouth in a mocking gesture.

Yes, we need to go to Thailand, specifically Pattaya.

Misty couldn’t control herself, like a child she clapped her hands together in excitement. All those wonderful raw emotions, let’s go, I can’t wait.

A moment before we go. Crystal placed her right hand on Misty’s leg to calm her excitement. We need a plan before we run off and sate our appetites in Thailand. Do you have any idea how we’re going to combat Mister Death?

Misty slumped her shoulders. You understand I’ve never been a long-term planner, I’m more of a spur-of-the-moment kind of girl. I would say though, we need to gather all our forces in one place. Then do whatever we can to prepare them… That’s all I got.

Crystal studied Misty’s face before continuing. "That’s not a bad start, but we can’t gather them in Thailand, it would be like trying to herd cats. They would scatter in all directions. No, we need someplace boring, a site with absolutely no distractions, someplace like West Texas. Once we regain some strength, we will search for our members and Chosen and direct them to Marysfield. Not out in