The Mamluks (The Mamluks Saga: Episode 1) Read online

  The Mamluks

  A Novel by Edward Lake

  Copyright © 2013 by Edward Lake

  All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior written permission of the publisher.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Part One – The Arrival

  Part Two – Nine Months Later

  Part Three – New World Order

  Part Four – The Great Escape

  Part Five – The Rise

  Part Six – Return to Los Angeles

  Part One – The Arrival

  Chapter 1

  I was flipping through our DVD collection, trying to find something that looked interesting. My girlfriend Emily was sitting on the sofa behind me, eating some popcorn. As I carefully checked each cover before going to the next, I heard her huff in aggravation.

  “Just pick one already.”

  I chuckled. “Hey, be patient. I’m trying to find one that we’ll both like. Because if I don’t, you’ll start whining halfway through it.”

  It had been a while since we watched a movie together. For us, living in LA usually meant going out every weekend. It was nice to share a quiet evening at home for once.

  Finally, I saw a movie I liked and pulled it out. “This looks good.” I turned it around to read the back. It was an older movie from the eighties—or maybe the nineties. I remembered picking it up at the Amoeba music store on Sunset Boulevard.

  “Let me see.”

  I flipped it around and held it out so Emily could see the cover.

  She flashed a playful smile and rolled her eyes. “OK, whatever.”

  You’re such a brat. But I still love you. I opened the case and put the movie in my PlayStation 3, then went to the sofa and cuddled with Emily. She grabbed the bowl of popcorn off the coffee table and tucked it between us. I picked up the PlayStation 3 controller and pressed play.

  Oddly, as I got comfortable, I heard a horrifying scream from outside. “Did you hear that?” I turned my head and stared at the window.

  “No. What was it?”

  I blinked and listened carefully. “Sounded like someone screaming.”

  Emily laughed. “Babe, we live in Hollywood. Remember?”

  I smiled and looked back at the TV. But as the previews played, another scream echoed from outside. And this one was much louder than the first. I took an anxious glance at the window. There is something going on out there. I tried to get up and check it out, but Emily pulled me back.

  “Andrew, leave it.”

  I exhaled softly and looked back at the television. Emily rubbed my arm, trying to calm me. The movie began, and within the first few minutes, we were yawning. It had been a long day for both of us—and a long week.

  Emily released a gentle sigh and rested her head on my shoulder. “I don’t think we’re going to make it.”

  “That’s OK. Let’s just fall asleep right here.”

  She put the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table. Then she reached over my chest, grabbed the PlayStation 3 controller and turned the system off. She set it down on the table and leaned into me, closing her eyes. I kissed her forehead and wrapped my arms around her.

  Finally, it was quiet outside. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the peaceful silence. But within seconds, I heard more screams.

  “Keep going! Don’t look back!”

  A thunderous boom followed that shook the building.

  I opened my eyes and jumped to my feet, pulling Emily up with me. “Shit—I think it was an earthquake.”

  Out of nowhere, a loud buzzing sound came over us, followed by a bright light that zipped past our window, shattering the glass and wrecking the wall. Emily screamed as we staggered backwards. I quickly shoved her behind me and moved toward the front door, trembling.

  More bright lights flashed outside, followed by more thunderous explosions.

  “Get down!” I shouted.

  We quickly dropped to the floor. I jumped on top of Emily and covered her head. She kept screaming, shaking in my arms.

  Finally, everything stopped. Still, I waited a few seconds before slowly lifting my head and checking the wall. There was a small fire on the edge of the wreckage. My mind was racing, thinking of all the possibilities. “What the hell was that?” I wobbled to my knees and crawled toward the wreckage. “Stay here.”

  Emily reached out to me, still shaking. “No, don’t go over there. Let’s just leave.”

  I ignored her and kept moving, hoping that whatever hit our building was just some freak accident. But as I got closer, I could hear more screams. The sounds were terrifying, like someone was being burned alive. When I got to the wall, I leaned against the splintered opening and peeked over the small fire.

  “What is it? What can you see?” Emily begged.

  I was speechless at first—probably because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. “They’re all dead.” I shuddered as I looked on. “There’s a bunch of dead people in the street.”

  Emily got to her feet and ran to me. “Come on; let’s go. We have to get out of here.”

  I couldn’t look away, still trying to comprehend what my eyes were seeing. At that moment, worrying about myself, or Emily, seemed impossible. I wanted to help those people, if I could. Because we were OK, and one of them might still be alive. But not for long if we did nothing but run to save ourselves.

  Chapter 2

  The only thing on my mind was getting as far away from the area as fast as we could. I loved Andrew with all my heart—but this was a life or death situation. We didn’t know what was out there—and helping those people seemed foolish.

  I desperately tried to go the other way. “Please, listen to me. This is no time to be a hero.”

  Andrew huffed as he pulled me along. “What if it was you, huh? What if you were out there, dying on the street, crying for help? How would you feel if no one came?”

  I wanted to break free and run—regardless of everything—even our love.

  When we got to the exit, Andrew pushed me against the wall. “Wait here. If I’m not back in two minutes, go to the car.” He shoved the keys in my hand and kissed me hard.

  Andrew pulled away and looked into my eyes. “I love you.” Then he dashed outside.

  I stood there, sweating like crazy, thinking about running to the car. Waiting for him was making my whole body sting, like a painful itch that I could feel all over. Still, despite my overwhelming fear, I stayed.

  Down the hall, I saw a man and two little girls sprinting toward the parking lot. The man caught me standing by the wall and paused—probably wondering why I wasn’t running out the door.

  “I just looked out my window. They’re coming back! They’re coming back!” He quickly lifted the two little girls into his arms and ran into the parking lot.

  “Wait! Tell me what’s out there!”

  Seconds later, Andrew burst through the door, carrying a woman. She was bleeding from the top of her head. I hurried to the floor and held her up as he set her down.

  “We’ve got to get her to a hospital.”

  Then, shockingly, Andrew turned to go back outside.

  “Wait! I think we’re being attacked.”

  He spun around with a frustrated glare in his eyes.

  I ignored the troubling look and tried my best to reason with him. “Andrew, please. We need to leave now.”

  “There are two more out there that ar
e still alive. We’re taking them, too.”

  I covered my forehead and cried out in agony, gradually shaking my head.

  “Emily! There is no time to waste. Just take her to the car.”

  But before Andrew could leave again, a deafening horn sounded that shook the building, knocking him to the floor. Moments later, I heard footsteps approaching. Andrew staggered to his feet. The horn stopped, but the footsteps continued.

  Watchfully, Andrew leaned his head outside and looked up at something. “Oh my God.” Trembling, he spun around and quickly helped me and the injured lady to our feet. “Run!”

  After that, the bright light appeared again, zipping right over our heads, ripping through the building. Blocks of concrete fell on top of us like an avalanche. Andrew tried to pull us back, but it was too late.

  Chapter 3

  My body was aching, and I was littered with cuts and bruises. I pulled myself out of the rubble and rolled over onto my back. I could only see out of my left eye. My right eye was covered in blood, seeping from the gash on my head. I wiped the blood away and looked around. Emily was a few feet away, covered in concrete blocks and broken beams. Her face was blanketed with dust and tiny rocks—and she looked lifeless.

  Thereafter, a powerful whoosh came over us, taking some of the debris off. I looked up and saw the same creature from before. It was clearly a male of its kind, resembling a human. He was about ten feet tall, bare-chested, wearing black pants that looked like cargo pants, and black boots. He had a bald head with no hair on his face, was ripped like a bodybuilder, and had a device on his arm that looked like some kind of weapon, covering the area from his wrist to his elbow.

  The creature aimed at me with the same device, confirming what I was thinking. He held his arm out for a second, and a bright light flashed. The flashing light looked like a laser, and he was about to blast me with it.

  As I looked on, another one came out of the shadows—then more and more came forward. All males, dressed like the first one: shaved heads, no facial hair. Finally, it hit me. They were aliens, and we were in the middle of an invasion. At first, the thought seemed silly. But I knew I wasn’t dreaming. Even though I wished I was.

  One of the others came close and talked to the one that was aiming at me. His voice was incredibly deep. I tried to make out what they were saying, but my ears were buzzing. However, the blurry words sounded a little familiar, like they were speaking our language. They went on for a moment, going back and forth while the first one I saw continued to aim at me. I kept looking back at his comrade, hoping he would stop him. Then my hearing slowly came back.

  And finally, the one aiming at me lowered his arm. “Call a ship.”

  My eyes got wide, realizing I was right. Right away, the other one lifted his arm and held it by his mouth. He had a laser device, too. I took a quick look at the rest of them and realized they each had one of those gadgets.

  The creature radioed to someone, telling them to bring a ship. I could hear the other devices buzzing with the same message. At last, the group marched along, obviously soldiers of some kind. I looked back to Emily, thinking they were going to spare us.

  Out of nowhere, a spaceship swooped down over our heads. Seconds later, another glided in and stopped over us. They were massive ships, about the size of houses. They landed, and ramps popped out. Two more aliens came marching down the ramps and walked onto the rubble. Surprisingly, they were females—but dressed just like the males from earlier. Their chests were bare, too—which was a sight to see. And they had laser devices on their arms.

  They got close, giving me a better look at them. They had strong facial features, and their bodies were incredibly muscular like the males. They were also just as tall. It was so unreal, looking up at these remarkable, yet frightening creatures.

  The one on my right had long, platinum blond hair that was neatly kept. And the one on my left had short brown hair, dipping evenly over her ears.

  “These two are still alive,” the one with the platinum blond hair said. She checked us for a second and pointed at Emily. “Take that one.”

  The brown haired soldier reached down and scooped Emily out of the wreckage. She went into her ship and the ramp closed up. The other one picked me up and headed to her ship.

  No! Emily!

  She carried me like a bag of laundry as she walked up the ramp. I looked around and studied all the gears. It was right out of a space movie. Flashing lights, buttons all over the place, weird looking controls. She pressed a button on her arm gadget that opened a circular door on the floor. She tossed me inside, and I landed on someone.

  “Get off me! Get off!”

  “I’m sorry. Are you all right?” I said as I rolled off.

  It was pitch black. The person I landed on pulled out their cell phone and used it as a flashlight. I could see their face, barely, and realized it was a woman. “They got you too, huh?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, at least I have some company now. My name’s Madison.”

  “Nice to meet you, Madison. I’m Andrew. Sorry for falling on you.”

  She laughed tensely. “It’s OK.”

  “How long have you been in here?”

  “About an hour.”

  There was a brief, unnerving silence.

  “I always knew we weren’t the only ones in the universe. But never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this,” I said.

  “How do you know they’re aliens? What if they’re robots that the government’s been hiding for years? And now they’re releasing them on us to begin some kind of new world takeover.”

  I laughed. “That would be more reassuring, I guess.”

  Madison let out a depressing sigh. “I was joking.”

  “I figured as much.” I crawled through the dark until I found the wall. “I wonder what the military’s doing.”

  “I don’t think they’ll be able to stop them. I was on the freeway when I first saw the spaceships. They came out of the sky and blasted us with lasers. I tried to drive away, but cars were crashing left and right. So I got out and ran. But I didn’t get far. The lasers were going by like bullets, crisscrossing from all angles. I desperately dropped down and hid behind a wrecked car. I stayed there and watched for a while. And moments later, a fighter jet flew in. But by then, the spaceships were covered with bright force fields. The fighter jet fired a missile, but it bounced right off the force field and exploded.”

  Hearing her story made me shiver a bit. “How did you end up in here?”

  “One of the ships landed nearby and an alien came out. She checked the area and found me. I froze and put my hands up. Then she grabbed me and took me into the ship.”

  I exhaled and shook my head. “I don’t understand. Why would they keep us alive?”

  “I know, right? Makes me think they’ve got something horrible planned.”

  Chapter 4

  Madison checked the time on her cell phone. It was almost two am, and we were still in the spaceship. She had been trying to pull up some information—or get through to someone. But the service was out.

  We had a few drop-ins, too. There were nine of us now, crammed in a dark, cold hole. After introducing ourselves, everyone got quiet. But in the background, I could hear a lot of crying and praying.

  “Hey, Madison—you there?”

  “Yeah, I’m here.”

  “Tell me about yourself,” I went on, moving closer, following her voice.

  “There isn’t much to tell. Before this, I was just a struggling LACC student. I had a place in Hollywood, right off Santa Monica Boulevard—just me and a roommate.”

  I bumped into her shoulder and stopped. “What were you going to school for?”

  Madison chuckled. “Performing arts. I wanted to be an actress. LACC has a really good program. So, yeah—that was my dream.”

  I nodded and smiled, thinking Madison was a great name for an actress. “I’m sure you would have made it.”

  “Thanks,�
�� she said. “But that doesn’t matter now. I just wish I could call my parents and see if they’re all right. I was actually on my way to San Diego to visit them. That’s where I grew up.”

  Suddenly, the ship stopped moving and the floor opened up. We all fell on a pile of rubble. I grunted as I stood up. Madison got up and faced me. I paused and studied her. She had long, light brown hair, light brown eyes, and a mole on her cheek. Very pretty. Yes, you definitely would have made it as an actress.

  The ship flew away, revealing a never ending row of people lying face down on a demolished terrain.

  “To the ground, Humans,” a soldier said, marching toward us.

  As we moved forward to the line and dropped down, I looked into the distance and checked the area. There were hundreds, if not thousands of soldiers, spread out as far as my eyes could see. They were destroying the city with their laser weapons, holding their arms out and blasting away.

  That dreadful horn from before sounded, and another soldier came marching by.

  “Undress, Humans,” she called out.

  Without hesitation, everyone rose to their knees and stripped down to their birthday suits. I was trembling, having trouble taking my clothes off. Finally, I got it together and stripped down. I lowered again and braced myself, feeling the pain of the jagged rubble against my naked body.

  “I can’t do this. I just can’t,” someone said, weeping.

  I looked up and saw a man walking out of the line, still dressed.

  “Don’t be a fool! Just do what they want,” someone said to him.

  The soldier lifted her arm and shot the man. His body split in half like butter. Everyone nearby winced and looked away. But I couldn’t. I looked on in complete shock, and my trembling got worse. The soldier pressed a button on her device and shot again, this time widening the range and turning the man’s remains into dust. A cold wind whooshed over us, and I finally looked away.

  Then a spaceship came out of the sky and landed in front of the line. The soldiers in the area dropped to a knee and bowed their heads.