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Enjoy this excerpt of terror from Martian Divides...

A raccoon followed the scent of people through its territory on the outskirts of town. Darkness had fallen. Although the animal's sight had already adjusted it preferred to use its sense of smell. The aromas of pine needles, foliage and dirt could never mask that of humans.

It had recognized the odd looking one as a recent source of tidbits...not enough to quit foraging but worth seeking out anyway. She was accompanied by other humans who didn't seem the least bit concerned about offering any tidbits. Still, any worthy forager generally did well to follow members of a species that sometimes contributed snacks to the larder.

The scent seemed to change as if something wasn't quite right. The animal sniffed harder as they came upon an old cabin. The humans went inside, not an altogether unexpected development. Since the nearby garbage can offered no new smells, the raccoon continued to watch the cabin and sniff the air. The dim glow from the shaded window made little dent in the darkness as if the light itself sensed something amiss. The raccoon rose to its hind feet. The friendly scent became tinged with an odor of dread. The raccoon sensed a sinister aggression from the humans it didn't know. It backed several feet away from the cabin before it turned and fled into the woods.

Muffled voices filtered through cracks in the cabin's rough exterior. They barely disturbed other wildlife in the area.

"Why haven't you sedated it?" a female asked.

"Her parasite expels everything we inject," a male voice answered.

"I'm having second thoughts," another male offered.

"Oh grow up," the female growled. "This is for the good of humanity. Your grandchildren will hail you as a hero."

"I'm not feeling very heroic. She doesn't seem like much of a threat in spite of her appearance," the first male objected.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this..."

The female voice filled with contempt. "If you've lost your nerve just give me the laser saw. Got any last words, Mutant? No? Good, since nobody would want to hear them anyway."

A horrible scream filled the night air. Then, silence.

More about Martian Divides: Third in the Martian Symbiont series

Martian Divides picks up the Martian Symbiont story two years after the end of Martian Blues. The Martians who returned to Earth hundreds of years ago finally found human women who were compatible with them and their telepathic symbiont. With the additional issue of defending Earth from hostile aliens now resolved, the Martians decide it's safe to return to their one true passion: space travel. Only one group of beings can threaten their plans.

Angry that most other people now carry the alien telepathic life form, the underground insists that what's left of real humanity is in danger. They believe Martian influence on society puts them at a disadvantage so they set out to prove their humanity still has a voice. When they attack a Martian the resulting mental shockwave has consequences felt around the world.

The Martian matriarch chooses not to delay the planned return to outer space. However, faced with the prospect of losing her telepathic leadership, humans with the symbiont insist on a successor. To their dismay the underground comes to realize they might not be getting rid of all the aliens. Loyalties and friendships are tested as events unfold along various sides of the Martian divides.