The message played on repeat.

“We have surrendered. Can you understand us? Have you received the message? The southern United States surrenders. We await further instructions. God save us all.”

Students hauled supplies and material possessions into cars. Some people braved the fire to collect keys from bags and purses. They needed the unclaimed vehicles for the evacuation. Sagan recommended it before disappearing with Rayne and her friends.

“Do you think this is enough?” Lucy carried tons of assorted snacks she’d stolen from the vending machine outside, using her shirt as a basket.

Matt placed an outward smile on his lips to display his approval. “Yeah, this is exactly what we need. Thanks.”

“Can you pop the trunk for me?” Her voice was strained with the effort.

“No,” he answered, tersely. “Just put it in the backseat with the rest.” When he glimpsed the constraint in her eyes, he considered the abuse she’d suffered over the years from Justin.

Matt aimed for a more gentle approach. Even if it went against every one of his instincts. “We’ll want them accessible to us on the drive. No unnecessary stops if we can help it.”

This seemed to satisfy Lucy as she visibly relaxed and stored food rations in the backseat. Well, she tried, anyway. She had every right to ask about the trunk, seeing how the back of the car was piled up with makeshift weapons, an abundance of medical supplies, and unstained clothes they’d scavenged from North Hall lockers.

The fire engulfed the school at a terrifying pace after South Hall collapsed. All the insulation combusted and withered, spreading it faster. They had a thirty-minute window where they could access the safer classrooms before the entire school went up in flames.

Lucy mussed around the backseat. “Where are we going?”

Matt tried hard to ignore her perfect heart-shaped, jean-clad ass as she rifled through their shit between the front seats.

He wet his lips and looked straight ahead out the windshield. A few cars pulled away. After the two Icarean leaders had flown off, the beasts guarding the perimeter followed. As in, hefted their great bodies into the sky and flew away into the darkness. After that, every single individual looked defeated. Matt asked, “Uhm, do you want to check on your folks?”

Lucy paused in her task. “Wow.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“I forgot about them.”

He knew exactly how she felt. Until he’d asked her, Matt hadn’t given a second thought to his parents. It was like he survived a battle, and now he had to contend with a war. He asked again, “Yeah. So, do you wanna check on them?”

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“Of course.”

“Where do you live?” He peered at her through the rearview mirror.

“Oh, uhm.” Lucy’s cheeks warmed a little, and she started concentrating on packing the food away. Her movements became awkward. “I live in Mabelvale.”

Matt understood. She was ashamed of her neighborhood, but he’d learned a long time ago that all the students living in Southwest Little Rock, the primary zone for J. A. Fair, lived in lower income areas. He said, “That’s the opposite of where I’m headed.”

“Where do you live?”

“Oh, I live in Otter Creek, but I’m not going home. I’m headed to Kavanaugh. Did you know Rayne well or at all?”

Lucy shook her head.

Matt explained, “Her parents have a bookstore in the Heights. I plan to start there in case that’s where her crew went.”

She spun around to face him again. “You’re going after them?!”

“You got a problem with that?” The thought amused Matt. As if Lucy could persuade him not to go.

She got closer to his face. “Take me with you.”

That was the last thing he’d expected her to say. “Whoa, this ain’t an adventure. People are hurt and dying.”

Lucy said, “And if anyone knows what’s going on, it’s that group of freaks.”

Matt worked hard to keep his voice very calm and very still. “Nobody is a freak.” He examined the effect his voice had on her.

She pulled back from his face and returned to her chore. After a few moments of silence, she made a disgruntled sound. “I understand the food, but can’t we put some of this in the—”

“Shh!” Matt interrupted, his tone sharp. He strained to listen, and he noticed her face shift as she realized it, too. Deafening static had replaced the message on the radio. For the first time since nine that morning, the message had stopped.

Lucy jumped into the front seat, and they both leaned forward. Matt’s hands gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles went white. With bated breath, they waited for anything to take the message’s place. When a man’s deep voice invaded the radio waves, Lucy startled and slapped a hand against her mouth. Matt watched her out of his periphery. She appeared frightened, and he wondered if he should act the same.

The insidious voice delivered its address across every station, “Earthlings, humans, homo sapiens, in a presentation of surprisingly sound wisdom the leaders of your planet have surrendered all assets, resources, and possessions to me.”

Lucy whimpered and shivered.

Matt’s skin grew chill, and his palms went damp. The pearl in his back pocket prodded him.

“Henceforth, you shall know Nox as your King. You serve me in all things without question. This obedience extends to my people whom you will come to recognize and know very well. You are no longer the dominant species on your planet. The Icari are your Masters, now. There will be no period of adjustment. Effective immediately, we will collect you from your shelters. All of you: men, women, children, and the elderly. Any attempt to resist will result in the total destruction of the surrounding thirty acres. The only hope for your feeble race is to fetch me the woman, Progeny Alpha One. Code Name: Celindria. Bring her to me, and we will consider negotiations. Make what peace you will and enjoy the following news reports.”

As soon as the voice departed, Matt jumped to turn the volume down. The station flooded with sirens and explosions. “I don’t know how much longer I can go on. I’ve been reporting since eight this morning. This is Longview, Texas. Please send any help. Wait, something is coming in from the station. Oh, god. No. It seems… It seems Houston is entirely gone. I repeat, they wiped Houston off the map. Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio. Still no word from Western Texas.”

Matt changed to the next station. The FM radio tuned into a signal, but he wished it hadn’t. “The west coast is gone. It sank into the seaboard around 10:00AM. California, Oregon, and Washington state. All gone.”

Lucy pressed the next preset. A female voice whispered, “Please send help. They’re outside the building. I know they’re coming for me. I just hope—” Silence. Then a shrill scream, the rustling of furniture, and a very unusual whoosh sound. Rubble scrambled in the background.

Lucy turned the radio off. Matt met her eyes at the same instant. They both looked away and closed the car doors.

Matt started the engine. “Put your seatbelt on.”