Page 80 of Marc
“Move,” Marc yelled. “Let’s blow this joint. Beers are on Kai later.”
“Me?” Kai huffed as he heaved the threader forward. “No, it’s your turn, Jackson.”
The squad ran, and then darted through a doorway. We hurried down a corridor, Jess and Zeke keeping the last of the bats off us.
“They’re thinning out,” Jess said.
We stepped into the hangar, and I saw a crumpled Hawk nearby.
That’s when I felt a prickle along the back of my neck.
I whirled.
The rest of the squad hurried past me, but I stared into the shadows and my stomach clenched. Something was watching us.
“Colbie,” Marc called. “Come on.”
A monster stepped out of the darkness.
My chest locked. For a second, I thought it was a threader, but then I realized it was a monster I’d never seen before.
It had a black, muscular body similar to a threader, but it was taller, broader. Its muscular arms ended in long claws and as it took a set of large, folded wings behind its back.
Marc pressed against my back, and I heard his low curse.
The monster had glowing gold eyes and was staring at us. I could just make out a set of short horns on its head. I felt a wash of cold dread.
The winged monster waved an arm in our direction.
What was it?—?
A new stream of flying monsters poured into the hangar. It wasn’t just bats—there were mutant birds, reptilian looking creatures with wings, large monster insects. They streamed past the winged monster and it made a sound—a low, toned hum. The swarm of monsters wheeled around and aimed straight for me and Marc.
Horror filled me. Were they obeying the winged monster’s commands?
“Marc? Colbie?” Jameson sprinted back into the hangar. “What’s the hold up?” Then he saw the winged monster and bats. “Fucking hell.”
Jameson and Marc lifted their carbines and fired. The monsters hit us like a black wave.
I ducked down and covered my head. The carbines whined.
“Back up,” Jameson ordered.
I lifted my head. The creatures were thinning, but as I watched, the winged monster’s wings flared out behind it. It took flight.
Its muscular body flew straight upward, blindingly fast.
“Fuck,” Marc fired at it.
Suddenly, the winged monster wheeled back around and flew downward, diving at us.
Marc’s body hit me, we rolled across the floor. The air was knocked out of me. Jameson was flat on the floor nearby.
The monster swooped past us and grabbed at Marc.
His body lifted off the ground.
“No!” I cried.
