Free Alien-Under-Cover by Maree Dry Page A

people.
    Still ignoring the reverend, John spoke very quietly but every hair on her body stood straight up. “Answer me or I will cut you into pieces.”
    The slaver glanced at the broken bars, paled, and wiped a sweaty palm over his oily hair before his finger went to his nostril, obviously a nervous habit. Julia gagged and clutched her stomach. Why would these people want her friend and how did John know Natalie?
    “I don’t mind telling you ’bout the Hanson woman. Everyone knows Murdoch was killed ’cause a her. Someone high up wants to use her to trap big prey. Didn’t know there was a higher up anymore.” The little man stepped back, shaking so much Julia thought she could hear his knees knocking. “But I don’t have any message,” the man almost sobbed.
    Who could he be that afraid of?
    Next to her, John tensed. The very atmosphere chilled and even the guards with the big guns took a step back.
    “You will give me the message but first tell me who do they want to trap?”
    Before the oily little man could answer, a shot ran out and Julia clutched her ears as the slaver slowly crumpled to the cement floor. She couldn’t look away from the red stain spreading under the pathetic figure.
    “I said I’m the one in charge here. You don’t get to ask the questions,” the reverend said, pointing the laser rifle squarely at John’s chest.
    Julia almost snorted out loud. Fat lot of good that would do him against someone on Superman Crack. John would just keep going, no matter his injuries. But she and the other captives might not fare that well once all these idiots started shooting.
    “Yeah, we’re gonna kill you and take your bitch,” Jackson said.
    She’d heard and seen worse from John but, the way he stiffened in front of her, you’d think he was offended. Julia stepped from behind John to give Jackson a piece of her mind.
    John stepped in front of her and, at the same time, reached out and casually snapped Jackson’s neck. With just one hand.
    She stared at the body on the ground with its neck at a strange angle. All she could think of was the pistol that had been oddly bent as well.
    Slowly, very slowly, John’s head turned and he looked at the reverend. “You need to die, human.”
    The temperature in the stuffy basement dropped and she saw several of the reverend’s men stumble back.
    “I think once again you forget who is in charge here. Boys, if he so much as twitches you shoot the bitch.”
    Several of the rifles pointed to her.
    John moved in front of her and stood with his feet braced apart and his arms crossed over his chest. A better person might object to him being her shield but Julia was grateful for every inch of him in front of her.
    “Shoot him,” the reverend said.
    John crowded her back into her cell. Loud shots rang in the cellar and Julia screamed. His body shook with the impact of the laser hits and bullets. As if they hadn’t just shot him full of holes, he moved through them with blurring speed. When he killed the first thug, the reverend ran and most of his men followed.
    John grabbed her arm.
    “Stay behind me.”
    “We have to get the others out.”
    His eyes flared. “Stay behind me.”
    She tugged on his arm and motioned to the other cages. “I’m not leaving without helping them.”
    “You will obey me, breeder.”
    She lifted her chin at him. “I will. Open the cages and I’ll do as you say.” She cast around for a reason that will convince him. “The reverend would hate to lose them.”
    He snarled something at her that she couldn’t make out and she crossed her arms. “Help them or I’m not moving.”
    Around them everyone was screaming and begging to be freed.
    Keeping his body between her and the door where the reverend and his men had run out, John broke open the cages with his bare hands. The reverend screamed at the top of his lungs from outside. Julia stopped and gaped at the man staring at her from a cage in the farthest