Page 5 of Marc
“We aren’t alone.”
Tensing, we all formed up, our weapons aimed into the darkness.
I breathed through the adrenaline pumping through my system.
The seconds stretched into a minute.Come on, you fuckers.
The monsters rushed us, launching out of the darkness.
I pressed the trigger and the wash of green laser gave me a clear view of them.
There were four of them. They were humanoid, which always turned my stomach. There was probably some human DNA in them.
They were all over six and a half feet tall, with legs like tree trunks. They had gray, scaly skin, hairless heads, and long snouts. One swung a thick branch like a club.
I could also tell there was lots of raptor DNA in these ones. The raptors had been the main Gizzida, the brains of the operation. My dad had told me they’d been fierce fighters.
I ducked the branch as the creature swung it.
Hunter Squad kept fighting. Zeke was beside me and we directed fire on the monster in front of us.
Across from us, I saw Jess and North fighting another one. Jameson was cursing as he traded blows with another. I couldn’t see Kai, but I heard his carbine firing.
With a roar, my monster swung the branch again.
Fuck this. It was wasting our time. We needed to be looking for Colbie.
“Cover me.”
Zeke moved, his laser hitting the monster’s face. I slid under the branch, right at the monster’s feet.
I aimed my carbine up and fired.
Gore splattered my armor. With another roar, the monster toppled like a felled tree.
Then Zeke was there, holding out a hand. I let him pull me up.
The carbine fire had stopped. With one glance, I saw that all the monsters were down. I smiled.
“Nice job.” Jameson rolled one of the monster’s bodies off the path.
Kai searched the ground again, then waved a hand. “This way. I have her trail.”
My mouth flattened into a line and I followed him.
I’m coming, Colbie. Hold the fuck on.
CHAPTER TWO
Colbie
God, I’d kill for a cheeseburger.
I moved through the dark forest, my stomach growling. I was dirty and hungry, and I had a nasty scratch on my arm and a gash on my side that both stung like hell. The arm was from the crash. The side was thanks to a monster who’d tried to make me a snack.
I hadn’t been interested.
My hand tightened on my blaster. It was my only weapon. It wasn’t much, but it was all I had. I was well aware that there was no way I could fight off a pack of monsters.
