Alien Invasion (Book 1): Invasion by Sean Platt, Johnny B. Truant Read Free Book Online

below the sign, was a picnic table. Lila was sitting on its top with her feet on the bench, eating a sandwich. Trevor was on the far side, possibly pondering something. Piper was emerging from the station carrying a coffee. Beside Lila was someone Meyer had entirely forgotten about.  
    Piper saw Meyer, dropped her coffee, looked at the dropped cup reproachfully, then sprinted toward him. The run was shameless and full of youth. A moment later, her petite arms were around him, her head coming only as high as his neck, squeezing almost tight enough to sever his breath.  
    “Thank God. Thank God, Meyer!”  
    “Any trouble?” he said, looking around. He’d left the door of the JetVan open beside the Beetle. The engine was still running. It was a waste of gas, but something in Meyer told him they wouldn’t want to be here longer than a minute.
    “No. There was traffic, of course, but it was mostly civil.”  
    Meyer looked around. The area was still reasonably urban, but the worst of it was behind them. Soon they’d be out past 95 and into suburbia. From there until Morristown airport, things would get easier.  
    “We’ve been here for ages , Dad,” said Lila, her mouth full of sandwich. He had the provisions in the van, which meant she’d bought the sandwich from the station. He wasn’t sure whether to take it as a good or bad sign. On the plus side, the station was conducting proper business instead of being raided. On the negative, it was a fucking gas station sandwich.  
    Meyer stepped forward and hugged his daughter. Then he straightened and extended his hand to the boy beside her — a boy Meyer approved of, but who for some reason wouldn’t meet his eye.  
    “Raj.”  
    “Mr. Dempsey.”  
    “I didn’t realize you’d be accompanying us. Where’s your family?”
    “Home, I assume.”  
    Meyer’s eyes went to Piper. She shrugged, so Meyer turned to Lila, his eyes taking in the scene. Past Lila, beyond the big propane tank, a group of kids her age were milling. They looked over. Meyer looked away.  
    “So, Raj,” said Meyer.  
    “Yes, Mr. Dempsey?”  
    “We’re taking a little trip.”  
    “Okay.”  
    “To the airport.”  
    “Sure.”  
    He wasn’t getting it. “Meaning we’re leaving New York. Jersey, whatever.”  
    “Okay.”  
    Meyer’s eyes fixed on the Beetle. “You can take it if you’d like.”  
    “Take it where?”  
    Lila wasn’t as obtuse. She picked up Raj’s hand and squeezed it. “He’s coming with us, Dad.”  
    “His family is here, Lila.”  
    “You want me to take the Beetle back into the city?” said Raj, aghast.  
    “You should be with your family. They’ll be worried.”  
    “Maybe we can meet up with them later,” said Raj.  
    The kid wasn’t understanding. It was as if he’d started the day with one objective — apparently to ditch school with Meyer’s daughter — and hadn’t yet cottoned on to the shitstorm’s obvious gravity.  
    “There’s no later. We’re headed out right now. If you stay with us, you’ll end up in … ”  
    “Dad,” said Trevor, arriving at Lila’s side.  
    “Trevor,” he turned back to Raj, “ … in Vail.”  
    “Cool,” said Raj.  
    “Dad,” Trevor repeated.  
    “Hey, kiddo.” He wrapped an arm around Trevor’s shoulders, but the boy stepped out of the embrace. Back to Raj: “You can’t just fly away from your family. Not right now, of all times.”  
    “So he should go back into the city?” said Lila. “Dad, that’s stupid.”  
    “Don’t tell me what’s stupid, Lila. It’s right. He can take the Beetle.” He took the keys from Piper’s hand and put them in Raj’s. “Here. It’s yours. You can have it. Merry Christmas.”  
    “Dad!”  
    Meyer looked at his son. He was tipping his head as if indicating something to one side.  
    Meyer followed the gesture and saw that the group of teens was approaching. As they neared, Meyer could see details he