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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 5319022" data-attributes="member: 143">Don't worry, the Alphas didn't forget about her.I wanted to let my regular readers know that I've posted another novel on Smashwords. This one's called Heart of a Hero, and like my last one I'm selling it for $2.00. It tells the story of an unlikely hero named Daran who gets into all sorts of trouble. The story more or less stands alone but I have plans on eventually expanding it to a trilogy. The book is posted at <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/24008" target="_blank">Smashwords - Heart of a Hero - A book by Kenneth McDonald</a>. As I did last time I set it up so you can download the first half free, so you can see if you like it before you dig into your wallet.And thanks to all my readers who bought copies of Of Spells and Demons; sales have been decent and I think that's largely due to you. And here's the update. We're coming up on the final mission, and it's going to be a big one. * * * * * Session 28 (November 10, 2008)Chapter 128Jane’s face twisted into a grimace as she fought the controls of the alien ship, trying to arrest their descent.  The ship wobbled and struggled, but it leveled off, and they streaked out over the rough mountain landscape, giving up altitude with each kilometer they managed. “Got a hull breach back here!” Hadrian yelled from the passenger compartment.  Catalina tried to get a communications link open, and was rewarded as Ken Yushi’s voice sounded over the ship’s speakers.  “Alpha!  Where are you?  Alpha, come in!”“We’re in an alien vessel!” Catalina said.  She turned to Jane.  “Where are we?”“A few klicks south of the base.”  Jane frowned at the line of mountains that seemed to stretch out like a barrier ahead of them.  “We’re not going to make it much farther.”“You got that, Ken?” Catalina asked.“I’m reading you… I had to take off, there are Frenchies landing all over the place!”“We’ve been hit, we’re losing altitude,” Catalina said.  “Can you give us new coordinates for a rendezvous?”There was a brief pause.  “Sending coordinates.  Nice little valley over the Swiss border.  Can you make it?”Catalina looked down at Jane, who hadn’t taken her eyes off the alien readout screen.  “I’ll do my best.”The ship streaked forward over the rough landscape, jolting every few moments.  Catalina looked back at Vasily.  “Guess Vala on her own,” the Russian said.  “I’ve a feeling she copes.”The next few minutes passed slowly.  Jane wove the alien scout through the line of peaks, but every one they passed gave way to more ahead, rising ever higher above them.  They crossed one ridge barely twenty meters above the level of the treetops, and continued to lose altitude as the ship struggled onward.“Coming up on the coordinates,” Jane finally said.  She banked around a peak that rose up ahead of them, then brought the ship down into a meadow where the Lightning waited for them.  The landing was not too rough, and they quickly transferred to the waiting X-COM craft.  Vasily lingered just long enough to toss a demolitions charge into the open hatch of the alien ship.  Ken had the ship rising into the air even before he was buckled in.  “We clear?” James asked. “A few of the French interceptors tried to follow,” Ken reported, “But we had a surprise waiting for them, in the form of Firestorm-2.”Vasily’s eyes were drawn to the three racks holding the Elerium canisters.  The LEDs along their sides pulsed steadily, indicating that each of the containers was full, their contents stable.  “Next stop, Mars,” he said.  The Alphas shared a look, but there was no conversation as the Lightning streaked into the darkening sky, on its way back to HQX.</blockquote>

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