Fall Like Lightning

Chapter 9 - The Body on the Beach

Kennedy Spaceport, New York

The moment their shuttle door opened, the press swarmed Rhys and his father.

"Ambassador Kingsley, did you see the meteor?"

"Did you fear for your life?"

"Can you confirm that a member of the Special Forces saved your shuttle from destruction?"

As much as Rhys wanted to share what he'd witnessed, he followed his father's example and kept his mouth shut. But the reporters continued to ask about the meteor, and his father paused long enough to say, "I had an exceptional pilot at the helm, and I never worried a moment for my safety."

His father resumed walking, hoping his reply would be enough to divert them from their questions.

As it was, Rhys had his own series of questions for his father. He wanted to know what Project Ragnarok was. He wanted to know what he'd seen. He wanted to know what his father knew.

As they made their way through the lobby, the reporters shifted their questions to the matter that had consumed the final days of Rhys's summer break. "Any insight into why the GEA Special Forces attacked the Jade Colony?"

"Are there any more colonies that should be worried?"

"What are your thoughts on Nazir Khan's calls for peace?"

This time, his father didn't even bother giving a hint of an answer. He stared straight ahead, his face revealing nothing as they made their way to the waiting car. But the second they stepped outside of the port, three men wearing GEA military uniforms greeted them.

The officer in charge, a baby-faced lieutenant who appeared fresh out of the officer's academy, approached them. "Ambassador Kingsley, Gen. Masuda would like to have a debriefing with you."

"Why am I not surprised?" his father murmured before saying in a slightly louder voice, "I would love to meet with the general, but first I need to see my son home."

"We'll send a car for him," the lieutenant replied. "Let's not keep the general waiting."

The two enlisted men with him, both heavily armed, moved alongside his father as though they were arresting him rather than escorting him to a debriefing with the general.

Rhys's breaths quickened, and he wiped his sweaty palms on his trousers. For several heartbeats, he feared for his father's life. His father had always played the part of a negotiator, a go-between for the GEA and independent colonies. What if Gen. Masuda had grown tired of diplomacy?

His father shot him an apologetic smile. "I'm terribly sorry about this, Rhys, but as you can see, I have no choice in the matter."

"I see that," he said, his voice growing hard as he glared at the officer in charge, "although it seems that they're being a little overly aggressive about it all."

Surprisingly, the lieutenant acknowledged his comment and nodded to his men. "Ambassador Kingsley is not a threat. We do not need to treat him as such."

"Just trying to ensure his protection, sir," the sergeant replied, only slightly loosening his hold on his gun.

"Tell your mother I'll be home as soon as possible," his father said before leaving with his military escort.

The reporters quickly dispersed the moment his father cut through their crowd with his military escort, ignoring Rhys as they fled.

He scanned the road for another car, the one the lieutenant promised that would take him home, and found nothing. "Typical."

The spaceport sat along the remnants of old Queens. Rising sea levels two centuries ago had nearly decimated this part of Long Island. However, as space travel grew more popular, the GEA Corps of Engineers reclaimed the land by building a series of retaining walls and dry locks. The noise and chaos of Manhattan glittered less than a mile away, a protected haven reserved for the wealthy and well connected. Here on the practically abandoned spaceport, though, Rhys enjoyed the simple sound of lapping waves. He crossed the road that separated the port from the man-made beach, eager to dig his toes into the sand while he waited for a car.

But as he drew close to the beach, he saw something through the gaps in the fence that caused somersaults to flip in his stomach.

A body.

Rhys crept closer at it, trying to learn what he could before he got too far away from the port. The body appeared to be wearing a uniform similar to what the Special Forces pilots wore in outer space, complete with an airtight helmet and supplemental oxygen tank built into the back. He pulled out his phone and dialed the number for the emergency dispatch as he ran for the gate leading to the beach. "Hello, I found a body on the beach across the street from Kennedy Spaceport. Please send an ambulance."

His heart pounded with uncertainty as he approached the body. It was lying face down in the golden sand, the waves dancing around the partially submerged feet. As far as he could tell, it wasn't moving. It didn't even appear to be breathing. His feet propelled him forward even as his mind urged caution. Basic compassion for another human being trumped the last of his fears and overrode his hesitation. He had to know if the pilot was still alive.

Rhys grabbed the body by the shoulders and dragged it out of the water before flipping it over. He examined the uniform for any details it could give him about the identity of the pilot. But there were no names. No ranks. No insignias. Nothing that would tell him anything about the person inside.

With shaking hands, he unfastened the helmet and lifted it off.

His breath caught when he saw the face of the person inside.

It was a woman.

She young, probably no older than him. Her ebony hair was pulled up into a bun on the top of her head, and a thick fringe of lashes created shadows along her dark cheeks. A pair of full lips tightened in a grimace as she regained consciousness. Her almond-shaped eyes fluttered open, revealing irises the color of storm clouds.

His heart gave an odd thump as he stared down at her, wondering where she'd come from and how she'd ended up here.

But as her eyes focused on him, she gasped in terror.

"Don't move," he ordered, trying to restrain her as she scooted away from him. "I've already called for an ambulance."

Off in the distance, the sounds of sirens drew closer.

Instead of reassuring her, his statement only deepened the fear in her eyes. She shook free of him, jumped to her feet, and tried to cover her face as she backed away.

"Please, relax," he begged. "I have no intention of hurting you. I only want to help."

She opened the front panel of her suit and pressed a button on the control panel inside. The circuits flickered to life, only to spark in a puff of smoke. "Damn it," she muttered before pushing him away and making a break for the gate leading to the road.

The strange woman dashed into the street.

A taxi driver slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting her.

She opened the rear door and dived inside.

A few seconds later, the taxi took off like a rocket launching into space.