Science Fiction/Supernatural thriller: the third book in the Return of the Aliens series.
Two months after "The Watchers", Alex has a psychotic episode before collapsing. The doctor says it was a heart attack, but Autumn isn't convinced and warns him not to take more pills. Devon searches for answers and finds them in a place he least suspects. War erupts between Israel and Iran, setting off a chain of events that will change everything.
Excerpt:
Devon knew it was a bad idea to come here. He had no business tempting fate. As long as he stayed away, she would most likely give up on her suicidal pursuit to find out what was going on. And yet, he couldn’t stay away. Or maybe it wasn’t that he couldn’t but more of the fact that he didn’t want to.
Whatever the case, one thing was for sure: this was a bad idea. But that didn’t stop him from entering the mall, nor did it stop him from stepping into the store where she worked. His gaze drifted up to the camera set at the entrance. No longer did the stores hide the fact that they had surveillance. Now it was all in the open.
Any pretense of privacy was being eroded right in front of everyone, and very few people seemed to notice or care. It was unfortunate. They were trading freedom for security, and in the end, it would be their undoing. But this was the aliens’ plan. How nicely it all fit into place.
“Can I help you?” a young blond woman asked as she came up to him.
He wondered if he should ask for her co-worker or just “look”. But then, what would he look for in the women’s section of a store? Finally, he said, “I have a matter to discuss with someone who works here. She’s 5’4”, a light brunette, probably in her early 30’s.” And pretty. He willed that thought away.
“Oh, you mean Autumn.”
So that was her name. “Right.”
“She’s outside on a break. She likes to smoke a lot.” She rolled her eyes and giggled.
“Thank you,” he replied, deciding that women as young as the woman in front of him had limited appeal.
His boss preferred those types—probably because they weren’t smart enough to figure out what a loser he was. But then, his boss didn’t want smart; he wanted easy. And the type standing in front of him would fit the bill. Sighing, Devon headed out of the mall through a doorway that wasn’t blocked off by security. He found Autumn sitting alone on a bench a few stores down and took his time in approaching her.
She put out her cigarette but remained sitting. She stared ahead, not seeming to be looking at anything in particular. He wondered what she was thinking. He was aware that they were being watched, but he’d been aware of that ever since he started his job a good seventeen years ago, though he hadn’t been a human guinea pig until seven years later.
He stopped in front of her and realized she had her eyes closed. “Autumn?”
She jerked and sat up straight.
Book 1, The Vanishing.
Book 2, The Watchers.
