Jones’ words snatched Shane’s attention.

“We can’t afford to keep anyone here who doesn’t perform as expected. We must have the best people possible for these missions if we are to survive.”

He held his breath. What if they took Kelly? Shane wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for her. He wouldn’t have been motivated to fight—to stay alive.

“Ivan Anitov,” Jones announced, “please come with me.”

Shane exhaled. It was one of the Russians, thank goodness. He’d rather have seen Petrov, who he considered downright evil, leave, but with one of his cronies taken away, maybe Petrov would mellow out.

Anfisa stepped into the aisle, anger seething in her voice. “Why would you take him? We are the best trained and most qualified people here.”

“We will not explain our motives,” Jones replied calmly. “You must trust that we know the enemy better than you, and the final teams will be composed of those people who we feel have the greatest chance of success. Return to the line.”

Although he didn’t move his head to look at her, in the periphery of his vision, Shane saw the hotheaded Russian girl stand her ground for a moment. But Jones’ gaze must have been enough to end the argument—without another word, she stepped back in line.

“This is Vlad Poisek,” Jones growled. “He is the replacement.”

Anitov walked down the aisle toward the exit, his head low, his shoulders slumped with defeat. He was the smaller of Petrov’s two thugs, the one who Tracy had tripped earlier in the day and then Kelly had kicked in the balls during sparring. He’d also cheated during the flag-capturing game.

Vlad walked by, heading in the other direction. He was tall and blond like Petrov, though he looked to be carrying at least forty more pounds of muscle.

“The rest of you, get some sleep,” Jones ordered, turning out the lights as he followed Anitov out of the barracks.

When the door shut, the kids broke into hushed conversation.

“Where do you think they’re taking him?” Maurice asked, clearly concerned about the possibility of being eliminated.

“Probably putting him with the regular troops,” Tracy replied casually. “They said they’re preparing small armies of teens to back us up.”

“He’s better off than we are,” Laura said. “I get the feeling they’re training us to die.”

“You don’t know that,” Jules scolded, frowning at her. “And even if it’s true, have you watched any of the loop?” She pointed toward the TV on the other side of the quad. “The Anunnaki will put us on the front lines in a war against their enemies. I’ll take the suicide mission over fighting for them any day. Anyone who doesn’t agree is a coward.”

“What did you just call me?” Laura stepped around Tracy and looked up at Jules. The dim light coming from the bathroom revealed the concern in her eyes transforming into anger. Shane took a step closer, ready to jump between them.

“Nothing,” Jules replied, a slight smile on her face. “But your willingness to kick my ass is probably the reason you’re here. You’ve got more fight in you than I think even you realize.”

Laura blinked, the comprehension that Jules had just paid her a compliment taking a moment to sink in.

“She’s right,” Shane said, hoping to get the attention off Laura. “We are all here for a reason. The rebels have a lot of experience in dealing with the Anunnaki, so I think we just have to trust their judgment and do what we’re told for now.” He wasn’t convinced of what he was saying, but he couldn’t afford to have his team lose their focus.

They nodded and made sounds of agreement. Shane’s eyes found Kelly’s again. When Jones was announcing who was to be replaced, he feared it might be her. And now, he felt a surge of guilt for wanting to see her go. If she was replaced, she might live. But if he did anything to get her eliminated, she’d hate him forever.

Down the aisle, Anfisa’s voice grew shrill. She was scolding the members of her team, angry over losing Anitov.

“Wow,” Steve said, his eyes wide. “Glad I’m not one of them.”

“Yeah,” Maurice added. “Not a very warm welcome for poor Vlad.”

Chuckling, Shane and the rest of his team crawled into their racks. Soon the barracks grew quiet, the sound of heavy breathing and snores building into an annoying symphony, a constant reminder that he wasn’t asleep.

When he closed his eyes, his mind raced, spinning out of control to the point where he was short of breath. Opening his eyes only made him feel how heavy they were, made him painfully aware of his exhaustion and of how he desperately needed sleep.

There was a rustling, and his sheet lifted. Startled, Shane opened his eyes and saw Kelly slipping into his bed.

“Do you mind?” she whispered.

“Of course not,” he replied, moving over against the partition to make room for her on the narrow bunk.

“Can’t sleep.” Kelly pulled the sheets over her and pressed into him.

“So you decided to come over and spoon with me?” Shane teased. The arch of her back fit perfectly into the curve made by his front.

“I guess so,” she said. He couldn’t see her face, but he sensed her smile. “Your first time?”

He blushed. It sounded like the question might have more to it than just spooning. A fire ignited in him, and he felt possessed by her smell and the delicate texture of her skin. He could barely breathe, but he was also painfully aware of all the other kids around them. Not to mention, the rebels’ cameras probably had a night-vision mode, so everything they did was being watched.

“Uh, yeah,” he whispered, his lips near her ear. “Aside from a near-death experience under a school bus in a tornado. You?”

“Yeah, me too,” she whispered, sounding as breathless as he felt. She pushed her hips tighter against him and sighed.

Shane breathed in the smell of her hair, soothed by her presence but also boiling inside with passion. The turmoil in his mind vanished, all his attention on the areas where she pressed against him, only their T-shirts and underwear between them. As exciting as having her this close was, it also relaxed him. He wouldn’t disrespect her by trying anything while they were so exposed in the barracks, but his mind was free to imagine all the things he’d do if they were alone. It took him away from the traumatic past, and it stopped him thinking about what lay ahead. Happier thoughts, of tasting her lips again and of exploring her body, filled his mind. Although his veins pulsed with excitement, having her this close was a comforting distraction that allowed exhaustion to sneak in. Pulling her even tighter to him, he closed his eyes with a grin on his lips.

“Rise and shine, tadpoles. Get on the line!” Jones yelled. “The last one in push-up position has to clean the head.”

“Damn,” Kelly said, rolling out of bed.

Steve was already up, giving them a mischievous look. Kelly darted across the aisle onto the girls’ side just as Tracy rolled out of Jules’ rack. Shane, Steve, and Maurice rushed to the line and dropped into push-up position.

“You guys too?” Steve teased quietly, raising his head to look at Tracy, who was directly across from him.

“Shut up, dude,” she whispered back, glaring at him. “It’s not like you didn’t already know.”

Steve chuckled again.

“You’re having way too much fun over here,” Jones shouted. “Push-ups on my count—up, down, up, down… ”

The routine was the same as the day before, push-ups and sit-ups on the cool barracks floor until they’d all created puddles of sweat beneath them. Then they were allowed a fifteen-minute bathroom break, where everyone rushed to pee and brush their teeth. Jones yelled the entire time.

It amazed him how no one seemed embarrassed, and everyone stayed out of each other’s way. In one day of suffering together, they were starting to become gears in a well-oiled machine.

Petrov even moved to let Shane spit in the sink when he was brushing his teeth. Shane was cautious the boy might be setting him up for a prank. Or perhaps losing one of his buddies humbled the Russian, and he’d play nicer today. Anfisa’s scolding last night might have had something to do with it too. Regardless, Shane was glad for it. In the end, Jones was right. They were all in this together.

On the tarmac, the predawn air was cool. Shane settled into a mellow pace next to Steve at the back of their group, ensuring no one got separated and ambushed in the dark again. Cruising around the loop, he tilted his head back and half closed his eyes, wishing he could get a couple of more hours of sleep. Laura made pained grunting sounds every minute, but she kept going. The Aussies plugged along behind them, forming a formidable unit of fourteen people.

Up ahead, he saw the Koreans and the Chinese run through the circle of light cast by the lamp above a hangar door. They cruised along with an appearance of relative ease, their quiet confidence enviable. He hoped his team would adopt a similar demeanor as their training progressed. But then again, they had won yesterday, so he reckoned he shouldn’t be too critical.

By the fourth lap, Maurice and Laura were wheezing, barely moving faster than a walk. Steve was still plodding along with his shoulders square and his chest pushed out, as Shane expected he would until his heart burst if he was put to the task.

“Pick up the speed, or I’ll run you until you all puke!” Jones shouted at them as they passed.

“Come on, guys,” Shane encouraged. “There’s a bottle of water waiting for us in the training building and another lap coming to us if we don’t hurry.”

It was enough to get Laura moving faster. She was at the front of his squad, and set the pace for everyone else. They came around the north side of the tarmac, and Shane was relieved to see Captain Jones standing at the open door to the hangar where they’d had the morning lecture the day before, directing people to enter.

“I never thought one of these metal chairs could be so comfortable.” Maurice groaned and tilted up the bottle of water he found under his seat.

“Today, we will do a walkthrough of an Anunnaki recruit ship,” Jones announced, climbing up the metal stage onto the podium. “Place your hands on your laps and relax.”

Kelly reached over and grabbed his hand, tugging it between them so she could hold it discreetly throughout the simulation. In doing so, she moved closer to him, causing their bare legs and arms to touch. He smiled at her, his heart threatening to explode and kill them both when she smiled back. When he felt the warmth and softness of her skin pressed against his and she looked at him like she was now, time ceased to exist. The rest of the world vanished, and he felt completely alive again. Her spirit seemed to penetrate into his through the connection of their skin and eyes. Her lips beckoned him like cool water did a man who had gone thirsty for days. He had to stop himself from leaning over and kissing her, almost forgetting they were sitting in a crowded room with Jones glaring down at them.

Buzzing in his ear and a flash of bright light tore him away from her. A warm breeze kissed his face, and he opened his eyes, the joy of being so close to Kelly dissipating. He was standing in a field. A large, pyramid-shaped mound covered in neatly mown sod was in front of him. The rest of the students stood on either side. They wore regular clothes, not the crimson armor of the day before. He had on blue jeans and a white T-shirt. Kelly was standing a few people away, like the aliens had separated them on purpose for the simulation. She wore jeans as well, but had on a tight, black tank top that kicked the embers of the fire she’d started, sending a warm shower of sparks through him. They exchanged a heated glance and he sighed, wishing for time they couldn’t have.

Lily stood on the lawn in front of them, wearing her usual black pantsuit and a kind smile on her face. Shane liked her. She was the first person from this alien race he’d met. He trusted her more than Jones, though maybe it was just because Scarface never smiled. At the same time, it unnerved Shane how he was willing to trust her so quickly, how he’d wanted to the moment she’d walked into that farmhouse.

Her gaze swept across the group, connecting with everyone. It seemed to convey a mix of admiration, superiority, and concern. He suddenly wondered how old she was. She must have been an adult to be flying the ship that crashed in New Mexico, yet she looked less than thirty now. She was silent long enough to make them shift uncomfortably and glance at each other, like they were unable to bear her omniscient scrutiny any longer.

“You’ve all seen these before,” she said, pointing at the mound behind her. There was a flash of light, and they were suddenly standing in the blazing sun, desert sands stretching out around them.

“They are scattered across the globe.”

An Egyptian pyramid was in front of them, twice as tall as the first mound.

“Humans used pyramids for many purposes; burial grounds, temples, and gateways to other worlds,” she continued.

Another flash transported them to a jungle. Shane rubbed his eyes and swallowed the nausea caused by the shifts. Monkeys shrieked and leapt through the treetops. Vines entangled a Mayan pyramid whose peak pierced the lush, green canopy.

“Whether the builders had direct contact with the Anunnaki or were instructed subconsciously, they were all driven by the same purpose.”

They flashed to another ruin—this one Shane immediately recognized. It was a pyramid in Teotihuacan, the center of the ancient Aztec empire. He’d just learned about the bloodthirsty warriors at the end of the last school year. He gazed up and down the Avenue of the Dead, stepped pyramids of various heights on either side.

The sunlight glinted off something in the clear blue sky. Shielding his eyes, he glanced up and saw a golden craft flying high above the ruins.

“That’s an Anunnaki recruit ship,” Lily explained, pointing skyward. “The primary interplanetary vessel used by the enemy.”

As it drew closer, he could see that the dark bottom of the vessel was hollow.

“Nearly all the pyramids your ancestors built are landing sites, and they are on every continent in the world except Antarctica and Australia,” Lily explained.

“Thank goodness for that,” Liam whispered.

“The pyramids are docking terminals where the ships can draw resources from the planet,” Jones boomed, stepping next to Lily. “A large percentage of the older kids left on Earth are gathering toward these structures now, driven by what to them is an irresistible and instinctive urge. In reality, it is a residual effect of the limbic manipulator, designed to aid the Anunnaki in harvesting their slaves.”

Shane imagined the world outside of this base. Without parents or governments, the good kids must be fighting roving mobs of juvenile delinquents like the ones who attacked the Leeville gym. And gangs like Shamus’ would be fleeing the millions of rotting corpses left in the cities, terrorizing the rural areas in search of food. Meanwhile, they all unconsciously migrated toward these ancient sites, their fates decided millennia ago.