Destiny Unknown

Chapter Ten

Edward remained close to Bella in case something sinister lurked in the shadows of the basement. However, it became clear there was none. Not one dark corner, since the basement was a bunker. The second the basement door closed behind them, the seams and hinges seemed to melt into the woodwork until they disappeared entirely.

He didn't know all the capabilities of Bella's people, but it was clear humans were considerably below their level. Their artificial intelligence alone was well beyond what they had even thought of creating.

"What is it?" Bella walked up behind Garrett and looked over his shoulder to a screen with numerous symbols Edward didn't recognize, yet some he did.

"What language is that?" He placed his hand at the small of Bella's back, and he took some pleasure in it, especially since her comment earlier. Watt was right; Edward wanted her during the worst time. "I recognize some of this, but not the rest."

Bella looked at him in confusion. "It's in a different language?"

Garrett winced. "Yes, your last memory probably triggered your natural universal translator, Bella."

Edward whistled. "Any chance you can trigger that capability in me?"

Kate cleared her throat. "Given time, mates usually share each other's gifts and some traits, except for the one power they specialize in."

Bella looked at her then Garrett. "Are you saying that soon Edward will be able to do the things I'm starting to do? Like the language thing?"

"Yes, and the extra strength. Watt can explain it in more detail to you on your journey. First, we need to do something about that." Garrett pointed to a blank wall over the large computer console and images popped up in vivid color.

The wall was a screen, a military convoy, with two tanks and several trucks filled with armed men and women, all led by one man. His dark hair gleamed in the setting sun's rays. Equally onyx eyes were a prominent feature other than the wide forehead as Garrett zoomed in closer.

"Who is that?" Bella asked softly. Something about the man on the screen made her heart race in fear, and Edward did what he could to soothe her.

"The owner of the company my current employer planned on merging with." Edward cursed and shook his head. "This explains a lot. If this alien species is intending to invade after the next wave, it's safe to assume they'd already had someone here to ensure it all goes to plan."

"Correct." Garrett brought up Aro Volturi's entire history, from his medical information to his credit reports. "From the look of this, he didn't exist until ten years before the meteorite hit your planet."

"Our planet." Bella's voice held not only determination, but also an edge indicating she would be ready for anything that came her way. "You forget, this is now our home. Contact the others; find any information you can on Aro Volturi and his associates. They probably all are involved in some way."

Garrett and Kate nodded, their fingers tapping away at foreign-looking keys at alarming speeds. "We suspected someone at or with your lab facility worked for them, Edward. He's human and likely had been recruited years ago."

"There's something inhuman about him." Bella shook her head. "If these alien invaders are capable of creating genetically engineered viruses, can they also enhance certain humans?"

"Without a doubt," Kate stated, leaping to her feet. She ran toward a wall, pulling at a metal wall sconce. An entire panel of at least eight by eight opened up, revealing several weapons. "These guns require no ammo but must recharge for thirty seconds every fifty-eight shots. Remember that. They are completely silent, making them important out there since the zombies respond to sound."

She showed Edward and Bella how to use them, and then made them only capable of being used by them. "Once you get to the compound in Alaska, Watt will give you what you need to make more. Your family will need them." She grabbed another weapon and threw one toward Garrett. He caught it without looking, and it barely weighed more than a pound. "Follow me, we'll get you three into a vehicle and onto the road now." Kate turned toward her mate and winked. "Don't take too long, love."

"I'll be right behind you, but first I intend to have some fun." Garrett rubbed his hands together. "And make them all immune to the airborne virus to spread it far and wide."

Bella and Edward ran behind Kate, Watt whizzing out in front, lighting the way to an underground tunnel. "It goes on for several miles and would take us to a relatively vacant area according to my scans."

"Is he going to kill those soldiers?" Edward asked, concerned. They were in essence only following orders, unaware they were from those who sought to destroy mankind and take over the planet.

"He'll just wound them, and likely track Aro's movements. If we can see what they have planned once they realize the airborne virus stopped spreading, we'd be ahead of this game. We must know all the players, all the steps they'd take if we want to win this war and put a stop to the invasion."

"Is it too late to stop zombies from taking over?" Bella had to know; what if her people never landed on Earth? Would the invaders have chosen the planet anyway? So many lives would be lost.

"We've only slowed it down, sweetheart. If the airborne virus continued, within a few weeks, the entire planet would be overrun with them. Without the airborne version, we slowed it considerably, by at least a few months." Kate pulled Bella into a hug, whispering something to her Edward couldn't hear.

He turned away to give them a moment to say goodbye. It appeared they would traverse over three thousand miles to Alaska and hopefully not on foot. Jasper had a license to fly and had a Cessna waiting for him and Alice once they reached the state. His parents had a boat to get to the isolated island off the Petersburg Borough.

It left them with no way to get to their destination other than stealing or highjacking an aircraft or a boat. Edward would cross that bridge later. At the moment, they had to get out of there before Aro Volturi decided to knock down the door with missiles. If what Bella and the others believed was true, that the man helped spearhead the invasion, Edward had no doubt Aro would.

.

.

.

"Do you see them, Watt?" Bella asked for the tenth time since leaving Garrett and Kate behind.

"No, but they are currently buying time. Once they know we're out of the tunnel, they'll blow it."

"What?" Bella turned back to look at the darkened area behind them. "How will they get away if they blow it up?"

"There's more than one tunnel system, though they are prepared to ensure our survival." Watt zoomed out of the window of the modified truck.

A vehicle that ran over a hundred miles on a gallon of fuel and it took more than one kind. Edward itched to look under the hood, but hoped they wouldn't need to abandon it. Three thousand miles was a long way, and anything could happen. It would prove useful for the future, too.

"I don't want them to sacrifice themselves." Bella demanded to speak with them through Watt, but the annoying thing simply ignored her.

Edward, for one, understood what they were all trying to do. Prepare Bella for the worst. It would get ugly; a virus like the one they faced would make their lives a thousand times harder. In the end, he hoped she would understand they were doing what they could to survive the epidemic and prepare for the next wave of the invasion.

"Tell me about the truck." Edward needed for Watt to distract them with useful information. According to the onboard navigation system, the tunnel would come to an end in a few minutes. He watched Bella worry her lip, as tears fell from her unique eyes, and it hurt him to see her that way.

Watt sprouted the information, using colorful anecdotes and metaphors to explain certain aspects of the truck, as if he knew what Edward truly asked of him.

A thunderous roar made them all react in different ways: Edward sped up as a red plume of smoke and fire chased them, Watt surveyed the area and immediately indicated what was happening on the surface, Bella started to sob.

Then she got pissed. Her eyes glowed as her body vibrated with anger. "Hurry! The place where we'll exit will be infested with biters."

Edward wanted to know how she knew that, but chose to speed up instead. His eyes landed on the rearview mirror to find the fire closing in on them. "Any chance the truck is fireproof?"

"Not yet." Watt turned into a bright green for a moment. "Garrett and Kate are safe. They're ahead of the fire. We have ninety-four seconds until we reach the exit."

"How long until the fire gets us?" Bella turned in her seat to look and shook her head. "We need more speed or we won't make it."

"Garrett didn't get a chance to add those enhancements; this all happened earlier than anticipated." Watt zoomed to a small port in the navigation system; its face opened and a short wire danced out and he connected to it. "That should help enough."

Edward noticed the truck lunge forward, eating up the road ahead of them. "That's one hell of a power boost and just what we need."

Bella climbed into the backseat and grabbed her weapon, charging it.

Edward almost swerved into the tunnel wall when her ass brushed his shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"As soon as you hit the exit, we'll need all the firepower to get away."

Again, Edward wondered how she knew.

"I uh…can hear Garrett's and Kate's thoughts." Bella shrugged when Edward's eyes widened comically. "And yours too." She smirked. "You have a filthy imagination, Sir."

Edward ignored her and Watt's chuckles or the fact that he blushed. "Count us down, Watt!" The doors ahead started to part as the truck neared, Bella opened the sliding window in the back.

"Five," Watt proceeded to do as Edward asked.

Bella's weapon chimed and an indicator light remained a bright purple.

"Four."

The fire continued to build, and despite Watt's power boost, the truck struggled to keep the interior cool. Sweat dotted their brows and chests, except for the black box zooming about the vehicle.

"Three."

The gun in Bella's hand chimed once again, the light now a brilliant green. "That chime needs to be silent."

"Done," the weapon whispered.

"Two." Watt settled onto the dashboard; a red beam of light streamed out of its body.

"Here we go!" Even as light filtered through the doorway, hulking shapes stood at the opening, groaning and growling, attempting to reach inside where they sensed something on the move.

Edward didn't stop, taking two zombies out with the spikes that made up the grille of the truck. Hands and bodies came down on them from every direction. "How the hell did so many get here if the area was clear before we went down in the basement?"

"Aro had a legion of zombies already assembled and simply dropped them off." The monotone in Watt's voice made Edward and Bella share a look. "He was prepared for the contingency of the airborne version of the virus being rendered useless. We slowed it down, but with the sheer number of biters…this side of the country will be overrun in a week."

AN: Been sick for a week and had my daughter visiting from college, it's her birthday today and she was having a stressful week, so I had her come home. Hopefully, the issue with payroll is resolved soon. Updates may be slow, depends on how I'm feeling this week. See you all soon.