Love Falls From the Sky

  LOVE FALLS FROM THE SKY

  by J. J. Rossanno

  © 2019 by J. J. Rossanno

  Cover design: germancreative

  Cover image source: https://depositphotos.com/8181663/stock-photo-love-couple.html

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Title Page

  Prologue

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  Epilogue

  Note from the Author

  Prologue

  The council room was mostly dark. A single beam of light fell over the prisoner who had been brought before the eight leaders of the Althean Alliance. They were seated at a semicircular table that emitted a diffused light that highlighted their rough features. Eight rigid faces belonged to those with the right to life and death over the one who was now to be sentenced.

  General Dannar Zander had long been a hero of the Alliance. He was regarded as one of the protectors of the citizens of the Alliance during the bloody war that was being currently waged against the Xerons.

  “General Zander,” one of the councilmen started, “today is the last day we will see each other. The treacherous actions you have taken against the Alliance have been thoroughly evaluated. We believe that you are a narrow-minded, hateful man. Otherwise, we cannot explain your sudden transformation from a respected Alliance General to the leader of a rebellion that defies our values.”

  Yes, Councilor Raunner was known for his harsh words. He was also inflexible. If he had an idea, no matter how false or unsound, it would never change. Not that Zander's guilt was ever questioned. Everyone knew who he was. For some, he was still a hero, to others, a traitor. It depended on where you were located within the Alliance. Those on the inner planets were doing well and, of course, they supported the Alliance politics. Those in the outer ring were not doing so well and were getting tired of being second-class citizens. Or, worse, citizens with whom the Alliance could dispense.

  That was the case with the family of the rebel general who was on trial today. The council had had information that the planet where his family had lived was going to be attacked by the Xerons, but they had done nothing to prevent it. They had even ordered Zander to take Allegiant, the cruiser he was commanding, to another planet that was being attacked at the same time. What did it matter that some of the supporters of First Councilor Avertus lived on that other planet? It was a more important planet in the Alliance's plans than Haronia, the planet Zander and Alaina had been living on along with their daughter Aniris. It was a planet of special natural beauty. It had little industrial development and, no large colony cities, just small clusters of farms. Zander was not a farmer, but Alaina had been a bio-geneticist and helped farmers grow new varieties of crops.

  When he had learned of the threat against his planet, Zander disobeyed the orders he received and went with his ship directly to Haronia. By the time they arrived there, the Xerons had already passed through the weak defense of the planet and were bombing agrarian settlements. Their ruthless plan was to clean up the current colonies and then return to colonize the planet. The Xerons had a small fleet of about five smaller ships in play, but Allegiant came hard on them because Dannar and his men were fighting in the hope that they would save their families and friends.

  He saved many settlers that day, but it was too late for his family. Dannar had only the time to bury his wife and the daughter so cowardly murdered by the Xerons.

  Then he unleashed his wrath in two directions. To those who had killed his family, the Xerons, but also to the leadership of the Alliance who had facilitated this criminal act through non-intervention.

  He first gathered around him those who were dissatisfied with the Alliance's leadership, especially those living on the outer solar systems. And he also attacked several Alliance garrisons to get more ships and resources for his rebellion movement, which he called The Outer Circle. Those on his ship had been, for the most part, at his side since the first day. Once he gathered a small fleet, Zander went into repression against the Xerons. But he did not attack innocent civilians. Only ships and military outposts. And he had been very successful in this fight with the Xerons. He had even achieved more resounding victories than the Alliance army. But this battle on two fronts could not last. Betrayal took its place in his circle of command and he was finally arrested by the Council’s agents.

  The trial of the Alliance’s number one enemy was now complete and was broadcasted live on all member planets.

  “Do you have anything else to say before the sentence is delivered?” asked the same Councilor Raunner.

  Zander thought about ignoring them, but then said a few words, especially for those who were still with him.

  “I have nothing to say to a corrupt leadership that disregards the good of the citizens and thinks only of the welfare of their group!”

  “You won't have the opportunity to speak to anyone from now on anyway!” the First Councilor also spoke. Then Avertus read the sentence.

  “General Dannar Zander, as a recognition of your merits during the time you served the Alliance faithfully, the Council decided to spare your life.”

  Nonsense! Zander thought. If it wasn't for the public exposure of the trial, nothing would stop them from cutting my throat. They just didn’t want to create a martyr.

  “... Therefore,” Avertus continued, “we will condemn you to permanent exile on a planet outside the Alliance. The destination of your exile will be unknown to the public in order to prevent your supporters from coming to your aid. It will also be a dangerous planet, without technological means that will allow you to escape. We also considered erasing your memory, but then we thought we would do you a favor because you would forget about your personal suffering. We do not favor the enemies of the Alliance. So you will suffer and reflect on your deeds for the rest of your remaining life. We hope it will be as long as possible!”

  The First Councilor thus ended his speech, struck the table with his golden scepter and the broadcast of the trial ended.

  CHAPTER 1

  The morning light slipped merrily through the green foliage, and Sparks ran happily down the forest path. Annabeth was enjoying a new summer day in self-imposed isolation during this period of her life. Now it was just her and Sparks, the dog. It may not have been original, but this labrador was named after Meryl's favorite band: the most famous unknown band in America.

  “Hey, Sparks, take it slow, we don't have to rush anywhere!” she shouted at the dog who was already fifty feet away.

  For the week since she'd come to Meryl's mountain cottage, Annabeth had been trying to forget about the trauma that had uprooted her life.

  Until recently, she had been a quiet accountant who had come out of a toxic relationship and was living in a quaint, little apartment with Jenna, her roommate. Jenna was also her long-time friend who now seemed to have caught a dream man. Hunter was the owner of the company the two worked for, an
d he seemed really dreamy: the owner of a small but successful finance company, thirty-something years old, nice ... although Annabeth always thought that the guy was kind of slippery.

  She told Jenna to be careful because something didn't look right with this guy. But of course, she would not listen. He was taking her out for a drink every night at fine restaurants or exclusive clubs. Jenna liked to have fun. “You only live once, right?” she said. What could Annabeth reply to that?

  She had confirmation of Hunter's dubious character one day when she opened an email that had accidentally reached her inbox. It was a two million dollar bank order for a real estate purchase in the western bay past Harbor Island. She didn't know Hunter was also involved in real estate. The email was sent by Jenna to an agency on the west side of the city. She had probably accidentally put her email address in the CC. When she confronted Jenna about this, she seemed somewhat embarrassed by the subject, saying Hunter was looking for some land for a home of their own.

  Annabeth's suspicious mindset pushed her to spy on Jenna’s computer one day when she was out. She’d known her password for a while, and as Jenna hadn't changed it, she almost considered it as an invitation. To poke around in things that were not to be known.

  But she would find out about that later. It turned out that quite large amounts of money were being traded by Jenna. That smelled of money laundering from a mile away. For whom was Hunter laundering money with Jenna’s assistance? Because Annabeth had no doubt that Jenna was doing her lover's dirty work.

  She didn't have the opportunity to find out. That fateful night, when they were both in their apartment, she confronted Jenna.

  “Anna, forget about this, for your own good!” Jenna said in a gloomy voice. “Hunter's customers are some dangerous Mexicans. If they find out you know about it, your life is not worth a frozen onion.”

  “God, Jenna! Why did you get into this thing? No man is worth putting yourself in such danger.”

  “But I love him, don't you understand? And Hunter wouldn't let anything happen to me. Besides, I’m not stupid so I took some safety measures. Now, please, forget about this!”

  She promised her that she would, although she also promised herself that she would also resign the next day. And she was going to look for another place to stay. Jenna was a good-hearted girl but lately, she was too reckless for her taste.

  She headed to the fridge to make herself a sandwich. It was her diet rule not to eat cooked food in the evening. She had her favorite rye bread, ham, and cheddar cheese. Assessing the contents of the refrigerator, something immediately caught her eye.

  “Come on, Jenna? We have no milk again! It was your turn to get some.”

  “Ah, damn it!” exclaimed the admonished. “I forgot. But I'm buying it for sure tomorrow. Forgive me, Anna!”

  “But how will I eat my cereal tomorrow before going to work?”

  It might seem like a childish tantrum, this outburst from Annabeth. But that was not the case. Her entire life, Annabeth had an anxious nature, and this long-time build-up of anxiety was later translated into a medical condition called IBS that was ravaging her abdomen. She had to maintain a strict diet in order to have a normal life. That's why she was so careful about the content of her breakfast. Milk and cereal were what the doctor recommended for meals every morning, and she religiously followed this directive.

  “I will go to the street corner market!” Annabeth said, trying not to look too upset about Jenna’s slip. She took her denim jacket and left the apartment. She went down the stairs because they were living on the third floor in that old, four-story building. She walked out the front door into the inner courtyard to reach Han Kim's shop, a Korean non-stop deli at the corner of the street. As she crossed the inner courtyard, a terrible noise sounded in the night. Annabeth felt the earth tremble beneath her feet and a wind gust threw her across the pavement. She felt the air ripped off her chest and at the same time, she hit the pavement with her forehead. The darkness of the night completely enveloped her.

  When she returned to her senses, she was lying in an ambulance parked in front of the building. The one who looked at her, just a little worried, was Steve, her ex-boyfriend. He was a short-tempered policeman, and when he began to show signs of his abusive nature, she left him without a second thought. Her anxious nature had told her to get over the fact that Steve looked good and always told her that he loved her. Annabeth was convinced that he was one of those men who beat you senseless when they lost their temper and then begged for forgiveness by bringing you flowers. She got rid of him quite harshly, but in the end, the threat of a restraining order was effective. That would not look good on his resume as a policeman who protects and serves.

  Of course, Steve was going to be here because he was on duty, in uniform and everything.

  “What happened?” Annabeth asked, trying to get up from the ambulance stretcher and look through its still open back doors.

  “Easy, sweetheart!” said the doctor who was monitoring her, a woman far from her early youth. “You had a pretty nasty fall.”

  You could say that! She had a terrible headache, and reaching her forehead, she felt a huge bump there.

  “Yeah, take it easy, Anna!” Steve said. “You were hit by a blast.”

  “What exploded?”

  “I'm sorry to say ... but the explosion affected your apartment.” Steve looked really upset.

  “Jenna! Nooo!” cried Annabeth.

  “I'm sorry, Anna, but Jenna didn't make it. Looks like it was a gas leak.”

  “No, it's not true. It's not possible!” And Annabeth began to struggle, trying to rid herself of the doctor's hands that were pushing her back onto the stretcher. Soon her movements felt heavier, and numbness settled throughout her body. The sedative introduced by the doctor in her arm drip had taken effect.

  Annabeth's next return to reality happened in a hospital room. She was not connected to the monitoring devices but had a perfusion that dripped lightly into her veins, who knows what liquid, more or less beneficial. Annabeth hated not knowing what was happening to her. Why was she here, what was she suffering from, what treatment was being administered to her?

  Soon, a falsely smiling nurse came in and said, “Ah, you woke up! Good thing, because there are some cops out there who want to talk to you!”

  The nurse left, making room for the two of them. Annabeth didn't know these men, and she wondered if they were from the same precinct as Steve.

  “Miss Miller,” one of them started, “we are detectives Armstrong and Cutter, and we need you to tell us what you remember from the moments before the accident.”

  He was a massive guy probably heading for the retirement years. His partner was clearly younger and kind of lean. He was probably just muscle fiber and no fat. Good for him!

  “What accident? I went out to buy milk because I didn't have any, and I didn't even get to cross the yard of the building because I was hit by the blast.”

  “Do you know if Jenna, your roommate, had suicidal thoughts? Could she intentionally leave the gas open?”

  “No!” cried Annabeth. “Jenna was the most cheerful being you can find.” And by saying these things, the realization of her friend's death struck her suddenly. “And then,” she continued, “how could so many gasses accumulate in the short time I went down three floors?”

  “Hmmm, weird really!” said Cutter, the lean and tall policeman.

  “I tell you, it's the cartel's doing. Jenna and Hunter, her boyfriend, were laundering money for them. I had just found out last night.”

  “Convenient explanation. Do you have any evidence in this regard?”

  Armstrong didn't seem convinced at all.

  “They're all on Jenna's office computer. If you get a warrant, you will be able to convince yourself.”

  “You will have to give us a statement so we have something to rely on when we ask the judge for that warrant. Even that may not be enough. The judge could say that these are all fables of a w
oman in shock. Nonsense!”

  And after Armstrong’s somewhat harsh words, the two left, Annabeth promising she would go to the precinct when she left the hospital.

  About that ... Where would she go now when all her things were burned to ash? Good thing she had her documents and bank cards on her when she left the apartment. She called Dinah, a friend she made at a previous workplace. As expected, Dinah agreed to host poor Annabeth for a few days.

  The future seemed dark to her, but she did not have to fall into despair, for she was truly lost then.

  That same afternoon, she was released from the hospital and she headed straight to the police station to give that statement. She was in front of the hospital trying to find a taxi to take her to the precinct. It was a warm day, and her clothes seemed too heavy. Good thing she had sports shoes at least. She hated to think of leaving home with high-heeled shoes. The noise of some overdriven car engine awakened her from her drowsiness. A black SUV was speeding toward her and was not going to slow down. The tinted car windows did not allow the driver's face to be distinguished. Weren’t those illegal?

  Annabeth stopped like a deer in the headlight.

  A second before the fatal impact, a steady hand pulled her to the wide sidewalk. The dangerous car left traces of rubber on the edge of the sidewalk where it had intentionally driven by making a short slide, and then changing direction, disappearing down the street. Only now did she see that the one who saved her was that lean cop, Cutter.

  “You're not safe on the sidewalk these days either,” he said in a not too cheerful voice.

  “Now do you believe that they want to eliminate us? They killed Jenna, and now they want to finish the job.” Anna's voice was trembling, but there was an exasperation there also. Her life was in danger, and no one believed her. Well, maybe this Cutter believed her if he lingered here to intervene at the right time to save her life.