Shadows Fall: Tearing Through Space, #2

By Chris Bosman

The Resistance is gone.
As everything falls apart around them, Chris, Joel, Amanda and Kelly escape with little more than their lives, and the Protection quickly takes control of the Solar System. Hope begins to fade as President Malvado's reign of powerful terror is established. Joel and Kelly are trapped on Venus, a planet under siege by a rouge senator. Chris and Amanda travel the System as they stay out of sight. Separated and hunted, the four friends from a nameless town still hold the key to fighting back. As rumors of unrest spread and danger grows, Chris realizes that hope is still alive. Darkness is falling. Evil is thriving. But change is coming.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chris Bosman
• Release date: Feb 11, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201750831

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

A RAID AT DUSK

SIX MONTHS LATER - OUTSKIRTS OF ROGUE, MARS

CHRIS

There it is, I said, peering over the red-orange hill that Amanda and I were lying on. About a hundred feet away was a Protection storage building. Large, gray and rectangular, the unassuming structure was filled with appetizing food. Night was approaching, and as soon as the blue sun sank below the caramel clouds, we were going to sneak some of that food for ourselves.

I can’t believe we’re really doing this, Amanda said, lying on her stomach beside me. That place seems pretty heavily guarded.

She was right. Protection soldiers patrolled the perimeter. Unfortunately for us, the Protection had taken over Mars a month ago. It was a poorly-kept secret that Charles Ling, the president of Mars, was anti-Protection, but the Martian military was far too small to repel an invasion without support. Because of this, the government was grudgingly cooperating to keep both their jobs and their heads. Amanda and I had been living with two different host families in the same neighborhood before, but neither of us could show our faces in Martian towns anymore. Being on the Protection’s most wanted list will do that to a person. The last food we had smuggled to our hideout in the Martian wilderness had run out yesterday, so we were about to take drastic measures.

Are you sure this is a good idea? We could still get out of here now, Amanda said. New planet, new start…

Not yet, I replied. We don’t know where the Protection is. Mars isn’t great, but who knows? It could be the least infiltrated. I glanced back at the marching guards. For now, at least. Also, I’m not sure how many uses this thing has left. I gestured at Kelly’s purple wristband, sitting snugly on my left forearm. You saw how many portals she opened on… that day.

Yeah. Amanda looked at the ground. Okay. You have a point. Just let me stay near you and throw open a portal if anything starts to go sideways.

Gotcha.

The sky was getting darker. Off in the distance, the streetlights of Rogue, the capital city of Mars, began to flicker to life. It was almost time to go.

What comes after this? Amanda asked.

Hm?

Say we get in, we get out, we take some food. It won’t last forever, and I doubt we can pull this off again. We don’t want them to know that we’re here. So… what do we do after?

I guess we’ll have to figure that out as we go, I replied. The sun was almost below the horizon now, and the guards were turning the corner away from us. You ready?

As much as I will be.

I chuckled. Alright. Here goes absolutely nothing.

I began crawling prone through the red sand towards the building, Amanda following close behind. Suddenly, I saw a flash of light approaching from the right side. I threw my hand up to signal Amanda and flattened myself into the ground. Two Protection guards rounded the corner, talking and laughing between themselves. They walked up to the door and then stopped, placing themselves on either side of it. My heart sank.

Amanda crawled up beside me and whispered, What now?

I’m not sure. They were only circling earlier - this is new.

They wouldn’t be suspecting anything, would they? They don’t know we’re on Mars, Amanda said. They don’t know. Right?

Not as far as I know, I replied. But this is definitely weird.

I heard something. A crackling noise, coming from the guards. They had comms. I strained my neck to try and hear what was being said.

Negative…nothing here…moving on to…

Keep looking…others…found nothing…other planets…they must be…

Amanda’s eyes widened. They’re looking for us. Chris, they know we’re here!

Stay calm, I said, trying to follow my own advice. "They think we might be here. We hid the hideout before we left, right? The hideout that is also a fair ways away from the city, in the middle of a forest. We just need to stay out of sight."

Right. Okay. Deep breaths… Amanda said. Her eyes widened suddenly. Chris! Behind us! Her voice came out as a frightened, squeaky whisper. I turned around.

Light. And voices. The patrol was coming.

My mouth went dry. Okay. Uh… I stopped for a second, mind racing. New plan. We can’t let the patrol see us.

Okay?

I peered back over the top of the hill we had hidden behind earlier. It’s just one guy. He’s got a ray gun, but we could probably take him if we sneak up.

If we can’t take him, though, we get vaporized by that thing.

Yes, but look at him. If he gets much farther, he’ll start seeing our tracks. We stopped wiping them away after we got far enough from the hideout.

Crap. You’re right. Amanda scanned the area. So, we go around wide to the left and take him from behind?

I smiled. Exactly. Then we incapacitate him and take his ray gun.

Which we only use on him if he’s seen our faces.

Sounds like we’re on the same page. Let’s go.

Amanda and I crawled until we were far away enough from the food building, then got up and started stealthily running in a large circle behind the patrol guard. I reached him and put my hand over his mouth, holding him in a chokehold until he passed out.

Alright, he’s out, I said. Grab his ray gun.

Amanda unstrapped it and stuck the pistol-sized weapon in her pocket. Did he see you?

I don’t think so. We can leave him.

She let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. I know they’d kill us first if they had the chance, but it’s not like that makes vaporizing anyone any more pleasant.

Yeah, I said. Let’s go back to the food building.

As we turned around, the downed guard’s comm crackled to life. Everyone call in. Any sign of them?

Nothing here.

I haven’t seen anything here either.

Just entering a new sector, previous one is clear.

There was a pause.

Sam, you were checking the perimeter of the building? Anything there?

Silence.

Sam, can you hear us? Have you found anything?

Well then, you must be Sam, Amanda said, looking at the guard on the ground. My name is Amanda and I think we may have screwed up.

Nothing from Sam, a voice over the comm said. Everyone head to his last known location and look around. Look for Sam and keep your guard up for the fugitives as well.

We should go, I said. I could see the flashlight beams from the food building coming our way.

Back to the hideout? Amanda asked.

No, I replied, back to the food. Look at it. They’re leaving it defenseless. It’s a small window of time, but I think we could make it!

That’s a stupid idea.

I know, but so is not eating anything tomorrow.

Amanda rolled her eyes. I hate it when you make a good argument. Fine. Let’s go get some food, before I start thinking sensibly again.

We circled back around, avoiding the advancing flashlights. I pulled a shiv from my pocket and broke the lock on the door. Amanda slipped inside and I followed, closing the door softly behind us. See? Easy.

Yes yes. Let’s get the food and get the heck out of here. Amanda unfurled the large burlap sack on her back and began shoveling food off the shelves. I did the same. Most of it was pre-War packaged food that had survived a war and would last much longer still, but some was new produce from the beginnings of farms that were starting up again. All of the fresh food looked like it required much more refrigeration than the hastily constructed building provided.

I’m all filled up, Amanda said. You?

I think so, I replied. Let’s get going.

Loud voices. I froze.

They’re back a lot sooner than I thought, I whispered apprehensively. Go to the far corner and hide.

The voices were getting even louder. The lock’s broken! From my vantage point in the corner, I saw the two guards kick the door open. Some food’s gone too. They played us like a fiddle. One of them let out a frustrated yell. President Malvado is going to have our heads for this!

They might still be in here, the other said. Look around. Blow their brains out if you see them.

You still have that ray gun, right? I asked Amanda, who was squeezed in with me between two large sacks of corn.

Way ahead of you, she whispered, clicking off the safety on it. I don’t want to use it, but I will.

They’re still in that first aisle. Let’s try to sneak around them and get out the door.

You should get ready to open a portal, Amanda said. She saw my expression and continued. I know, I know, we have limited portals. But they have ray guns too. It’s two to one and I…

And…?