colorful phrases of the language.
“You have three,” Radcliff says.
Without warning, needles of cold stab my skin. The air thickens around me, pressing in, suffocating. It’s a familiar and very unwelcome sensation. Fear sloshes in my stomach as I check all the shadows. An image of an army of shadow-blobs massing in the darkness forms in my mind.
Hurry, hurry, hurry, I silently urge the scientists. Movement catches my attention. Why is Beau— Not him, but his shadow is rising!
I aim my laser at my partner. “Beau, duck.”
He dives for the ground. The laser goes right through the HoLF. Nothing happens. It keeps advancing. I toss the laser to the ground, yank my flashlight, click it on, and…poof.
“Lasers are useless,” I yell. More shadow-blobs loom behind the others. “Everyone down,” I order.
They comply and I sweep my light over them. Poof, poof, and poof.
“Retreat.” Radcliff’s command echoes.
The four officers hop to their feet, but Bertie continues to tap on her portable. Her fingers dance over the surface. “Just a sec.”
“Now!” Radcliff is standing in the threshold. “Leave the floodlights.”
Rance grabs Bertie’s arm and yanks her toward the lab. Yenay kneels next to the sensor and fiddles with something before Elese hauls her to her feet.
A sizzle and pop sounds and one of the floodlights dies in a shower of sparks and shattered glass. We sprint for the lab. Another crack rends the air. Two more follow. All that’s left are the lights from the lab. Behind us is nothing but darkness.
“Turn around! Use your flashlights,” I just about scream. Okay, yes, I screamed.
Elese and Rance shove the women toward the lab before spinning around. The five of us back up while sweeping our beams of light. I poof a few more.
“The doors are closing,” Bertie shrieks.
I glance over my shoulder. Radcliff and Morgan are fighting to hold the doors open. Stars!
“Double time,” Radcliff orders through gritted teeth.
The shadow-blobs thread through the gaps in our defenses. Their sharp appendages slice the fabric of our jumpsuits. The column of light from the lab narrows. Now my parents have joined Radcliff and Morgan, helping to keep the doors open. If they closed— No. Not going there.
We finally reach the lab and dive through the gap. The doors bang shut and Morgan rushes to lock them. No one says a word for a long while. We’re all huffing either from the effort or from almost being killed.
“Lawrence, did any of the HoLFs escape?” Morgan asks.
Good question. I inspect all the shadows in the lab. Nothing. Plus the heavy pressure is gone along with the cold. “No.”
“Did you activate the sensor?” Dad asks Bertie. “Is it working?”
She jerks as if startled, then consults the portable. The rest of us hold our collective breaths. Did we just risk our lives for nothing?
“It’s…collecting data,” Bertie says.
The relief is palpable. We share grins and Beau slaps Niall on the back.
“You’re bleeding,” Mom says to me.
I glance down. An assortment of cuts mark my arms, torso, and legs. Lovely. But I’m not the only one. Beau, Niall, Rance, and Elese also have multiple lacerations. Niall has one on his forehead. Blood streaks the side of his face. I squelch the desire to fuss over him. At least the astrophysicists are unharmed.
“Morgan, ask Dr. Edwards to meet us in security,” Radcliff says.
“Yes, sir.”
“The rest of you report to the conference room to be stitched up.”
“What about the lab?” Rance asks. “Who’s going to guard it?”
“I’ll stay until the next shift arrives,” Radcliff says.
“I should stay as well.” Before they can protest, I gesture at the entrance. “They blew out the floodlights and tried to close the doors. I think I should ensure they don’t find a way into the lab.”
Radcliff gives me his hard stare. I meet it.
“Morgan, change of plans. Have Dr. Edwards come here first,” Radcliff says.
I don’t alter my expression, but inside I’m celebrating my small victory. Morgan and the others leave. Niall catches my eye on the way out. His amused smile is all I need to know that he’s applauding my efforts on the inside as well. My parents remain in the lab.
“We’ll wait until Dr. Edwards is finished,” Mom says to me when I tell them to go to bed.
I can’t believe it’s only oh-one-fifteen. Time must have slowed while we fought off the shadow-blobs. Or it could have been the adrenaline, which is wearing off.
“Did you expect them to try to close the doors?” Dad asks Radcliff.
“Obviously not. Truthfully, we didn’t know what to expect.