Chapter Thirteen
Arden darted toward the bomb. Just a few more meters—
A tentacle reared up out of the ground, knocking her back.
She tripped and fell on her ass with a cry. The tentacle with its ugly suckers rushed at her. With a yelp, she rolled out of the way.
Oh, God.
Her heart was pounding, her stomach churning. There were tentacles everywhere and she could hear the grunts of the nearby raptors.
Above her head, the drone’s rotors whirred, and the machine started firing. The tentacle whipped around, trying to evade the weapon. The lasers hit their target. The tentacle exploded, and she was splattered with… Ugh. Wincing and swiping at her face, she pushed to her knees.
All around her, the berserkers were fighting, tooth and nail. Ash was dragging Levi away from the mêlée. Hemi was roaring as he fired his weapon. Griff was lobbing several grenades. Tane was a force of nature. With a grim face, he leaped into the air, spraying carbine fire all around.
The squad leader landed, then yanked a grenade off his belt. He tossed it upward.
The weapon exploded, spraying cineole oil everywhere. The tentacles whipped around in a violent frenzy.
Tane kept moving forward, ignoring the tentacles, focused.
And that’s when Arden saw Selena.
Oh, no. The woman was held in the air by a tentacle, being whipped around like a broken doll.
As the cineole hit the tentacle, it wiggled faster and shriveled. It dropped Selena.
Tane lunged forward and went down on one knee, catching her against his chest.
Arden swiveled her head and saw Dom whirling and lunging, his knives in his hands. Dark and deadly, he slashed at several tentacles.
A tentacle dropped to the ground, swiping at his boots. He dived over it, rolled, and came up fighting.
Focus, Arden. She turned, her gaze falling on the bomb. She had a job to do. Sucking in a deep breath, she ran.
She jumped over a tentacle, dodged another, then another one slammed into her. Crap. She threw herself on the ground, going with the momentum of the blow. The tentacle swept over her, and she rolled across the dirt.
Ouch. She wasn’t anywhere as nimble as Dom, but she was alive. Her drone appeared, spraying oil and laser fire around.
Nearby, several tentacles retracted. Arden pushed to her feet. The bomb was right there.
She’d taken two steps when she spotted the raptors.
Her heart lodged in her throat. They were walking toward her, large-scaled weapons in their hands. One fired, sending ugly, green poison splattering on the walls. Their eyes were glowing red, like demons in the dark.
Arden ducked around the side of the bomb. She had to get this done…fast.
“Drone, target raptors.”
Her drone whirled and fired cineole oil. Arden focused on the black surface of the bomb. It had a matte finish, absorbing the light. She quickly pressed a small targeting patch to the bottom of the device.
She stepped back. “Drone, fire laser cutter.”
Her drone moved into position. A small arm swiveled, and then a narrow green laser shot out, piercing into the black metal where she’d applied the target.
She watched, heart pounding. Come on, come on.
A hole opened up in the metal and the laser abruptly stopped.
But no fluid came out of the bomb.
What? Frowning, she moved forward, smoothing her hand over the black metal. She circled around it. She couldn’t quite see over the top of it since it was too big and closed up. Then she felt a panel depress under her fingers, and she snatched her hand back.
With a click, the top of the octagon bomb started to open, unfurling like a flower.
Arden quickly moved around the side, looking for a way that she could boost herself up and look into the top.
She heard a grunt and spun.
And found herself face-to-face with a raptor.
Her lungs contracted. The alien towered over her, close to seven feet tall. She froze, suddenly unable to breathe.
The raptor’s gaze fixated on her. She saw blood oozing from its eyes and ears. It clutched a huge weapon in his claws. Its dark-gray scales looked thick, its chest covered in old scars.
She could swear the raptor was smiling at her, baring sharp teeth.
Suddenly, a burst of fury uncoiled in her belly. These aliens had taken so much from her. Anger flowed through her like a molten river. She charged forward, shoving her hands against the raptor’s gut.
It grunted in surprise and Arden quickly pressed one of the target patches onto his scales.
“Fire,” she cried out.
The drone fired. As the laser blasts hit the raptor, his body jerked wildly. He collapsed at her feet.
Steeling herself, Arden stepped on top of the dead raptor. She used the added height to peer over inside the bomb.
Her heart dropped. It was empty.
She stepped back, her knees unsteady. The bomb was just an empty shell.
She touched her earpiece. “Tane, the bomb is empty. It’s a decoy.”
“Fuck,” came the squad leader’s harsh reply across the line.
Arden spun. The tunnel was like a war zone, lit up by the glow worms above and the laser fire below. Raptor poison sprayed the walls and floors, sizzling as it ate into rock and dirt. The sharp scent of cedar and cineole filled the air.
Her gaze fell on Dom. He kicked a raptor, then spun and threw a knife. It lodged in a raptor’s chest and the alien threw its head back and roared.
She watched as more raptors converged on him.
Adrenaline surged. For so long she’d been holding back, drowning in her grief. But Dom had woken her up. He made her want to live.
“Drone, target raptors around Dom Santora.”
The drone zoomed forward, its weapons humming. It opened fire.
She had taken several steps forward when tentacles erupted out of the ground around Dom.
One slammed into him and he staggered.
No.
Two tentacles wrapped around him and lifted him into the air. One was wrapped around his left leg, and the other around his shoulder and right arm. He jerked, trying to get free.
The tendons in his neck strained, and he let out a shout.
Ice slid into Arden’s veins. The tentacles were pulling him in different directions. Trying to tear him apart.
“Dom!” She broke into a sprint. “Dom!”
* * *
Agony ripped through Dom. His bones and joints were being stretched to the breaking point.
He tried to push the pain down. He swiped out with his right arm, trying to cut the tentacles with his knife.
“Dom!” Arden’s frantic scream.
“Hang on, Dom!” Griff’s shout.
Laser fire roared nearby.
Dom turned his head. He watched Arden’s drone whizz past him, firing on the tentacles holding him.
Suddenly, the tentacle holding his arm shriveled and released him. Dom’s upper body dropped.
Cazzo. He watched the ground rush up at him. Then the other tentacle released him and he fell. He landed hard on his belly, and he grunted.
He lifted his head. Arden was running toward him.
Her gaze met his, and he couldn’t help but smile. Fierce, molten anger was driving his gorgeous woman.
But before he could push to his feet, the ground opened up beneath him.
Fuck.
There were more tentacles directly below him, wriggling in a giant mass. One coiled around his legs and yanked him down into the disturbed soil.
Dirt covered his head. He spat it out, trying to pull himself upward. He guessed the main body of the alien beast was buried somewhere below him.
“Dom!” Arden screamed.
“Fucking hell.” Griff cursed right above Dom’s head.
Dom twisted and kicked, trying to stab at the tentacles. They were glowing with a green-blue light, like the glow worms.
&nb
sp; Suddenly, a hand reached down and gripped Dom’s wrist. He looked into Arden’s face.
“I’ve got you,” she cried.
“Get out of here,” he growled.
“No! Fight. We’re getting you out.”
Griff was beside Arden, digging desperately in the dirt to try and get Dom loose.
Dom kicked his legs, but the tentacles kept their tight hold on him. They yanked again, and he sank downward another few inches.
Arden heaved, her face strained.
“Shit, we have more raptors incoming,” Tane said in their earpiece. “We’re heavily outnumbered.”
A sob burst from Arden as she tried to heave Dom upward.
He kept kicking, but the creature wasn’t letting him go.
“Berserkers, we need to get out of here!” Tane roared.
Arden kept pulling on Dom. He let his gaze trace over her face. She was so beautiful.
“Go,” he said. “Get out.”
Shocked violet eyes met his. “No.”
“Griff, get her out and go. Keep her safe.”
Griff stopped digging, staring at Dom.
“No, damn you,” Arden screamed. “I’m not losing you, too.”
“I want you safe, bella. I’ve always belonged to the dark.”
Her face twisted, fierce determination flooding it. “Well, Dominic Santora, I’m dragging you into the light.” She tightened her grip on both his wrists and heaved backward. “Now, fight, damn you!”
Chapter Fourteen
Tears were streaming down Arden’s face. Inside, she was on fire.
She’d just found him. She sure as hell wasn’t losing him.
She gripped Dom’s wrists harder. His lower body was buried in the churned up dirt, the tentacles wrapped around him.
No way was she giving up. Dom was hers, and she wasn’t letting the Gizzida take him.
Laser fire exploded nearby, and suddenly Griff slammed into her. Her hands slipped off Dom, and Griff’s big body pressed her flat, covering her completely.
“Fucking too many of them,” Ash yelled.
She heard a guttural growl and looked up. A raptor was almost on top of them, aiming its weapon.
No. Arden couldn’t breathe.
“Need some help?”
The gravelly voice echoed in Arden’s ear. Marcus.
She felt Griff shift above her, and she turned her head.
Hell Squad strode into the fight.
“Hell Squad, you ready to go to hell?” Marcus yelled.
“Hell, yeah,” his squad responded. “The devil needs an ass kicking!”
The crack of a sniper rifle echoed loudly in the tunnel, and the raptor standing above Arden jolted. It toppled backward.
“Yeah, baby,” Shaw said.
“Nice shot, babe,” Claudia drawled.
Laser fire joined the berserkers as Hell Squad launched into the skirmish. Gabe barreled into the fight like a linebacker. Nearby, Reed was firing a modified carbine, firing more cineole. Marcus and Cruz fought side by side. Claudia was providing her man with cover as Shaw fired his rifle.
Suddenly, Selena ran in close to Arden and Griff, landing on her knees beside them.
“Are you okay?” The alien woman’s face was streaked with sweat, blood, and dirt.
Arden nodded. “Dom needs help.”
Griff slid off her, and they both turned back to the hole. Dom had slid lower and his face was partially covered in dirt. With a cry, Arden lunged for him.
His fingers closed on hers.
“Bella.” He coughed, spitting away the dirt from his mouth.
“I’m here.”
Selena moved closer and thrust her hands into the dirt. A pulse of energy filled the air and Arden gasped.
Suddenly, the tentacles went wild. Dom grunted, pain on his face. Then the tentacles started to shrivel.
“There.” Selena dropped back, her face lined with exhaustion.
Griff and Arden both grabbed Dom’s arms and heaved backward.
He came free of the ground with a shower of dirt.
Sobbing, Arden threw herself at him. His arms wrapped around her, hugging her tight.
“We’ve got more raptors,” Marcus called out. “We need to go.”
Dom pulled Arden to her feet. His balance was off, and she wedged her shoulder under his arm. They closed in with the berserkers. Hell Squad walked backward, all of them firing.
Then Arden’s drone beeped.
She glanced at the screen on her wrist. “No, no.”
“What is it?” Dom asked.
She looked up, trying to control her panic. “There are more raptors coming in from the tunnel entrance.”
“Shit.” He swiveled, staring down the entrance to the tunnel. “We’re trapped.”
Tane cursed.
She watched in horror as the raptors stomped into view. These ones were bigger, their shoulders covered in spikes and their eyes wild. The berserkers had encountered them before, and nicknamed them super raptors. Dread curdled in her gut. They were wilder and more savage than regular raptors.
The super raptors opened fire first, the sharp stench of poison filling the air. Dom yanked another knife off his belt, and even though he was limping, he threw it.
All around her, the berserkers and Hell Squad threw cineole grenades and fired their carbines.
Selena stood still, her gaze narrowed on the grenades.
She held out a slender hand to Tane. “Give me a grenade.”
He glared at her for a beat, then set one in her slender palm. Her fingers closed around it.
“What are you—?”
Selena swiveled and started walking toward the super raptors.
“Selena!” With a curse, Tane followed right behind her.
“Fuck,” Hemi bit out. He kept firing his carbine.
With a gentle throw, Selena tossed the grenade into the air. A second later, it popped open, cineole bursting free.
Then Selena closed her eyes and raised her hands.
A gust of wind rushed into the tunnel. It flowed past Arden, rustling her hair. It swirled around Selena and Tane, tearing the tie out of Selena’s hair. Her silver-white locks blew back from her face.
The alien woman’s skin started to glow. Above on the tunnel roof, the glow worms flared, so bright it hurt to look at them.
Arden threw up a hand and she saw the others shielding their eyes.
Only Tane didn’t bother, keeping his gaze locked on Selena.
An arc of light shot out from Selena’s palms, like lightning, and ignited the cineole spray floating in the air. It blazed, flowing out toward all the raptors. It moved around the tunnel, leaving the berserkers and Hell Squad untouched.
Arden stared, her mouth dropping open. Dom’s arm tightened around her.
“Fuck me,” Hemi muttered.
The raptors started shrieking, dropping their weapons. They clawed at their faces as their skin burned. Blood flowed from their eyes, noses, ears, and mouths.
“Go!” Tane bellowed.
The squad leader wrapped an arm around Selena’s waist and lifted her off her feet.
Dom kept his arm tight around Arden as they broke into a jog. They skirted the writhing, screeching super raptors.
Together, with the berserkers and Hell Squad, they ran toward the tunnel entrance.
* * *
Dom barely registered the pain in his body as he stepped out of the tunnel.
He was alive. Dappled sunshine fell over him and he sucked in a breath of fresh air.
Beside him, Arden was blinking as her eyes adjusted to the light. Her drone hovered silently above her. Behind them in the darkness, the raptors continued to scream, and the smell of burning flesh wafted out toward them.
He glanced over at Selena. She was standing in the circle of Tane’s arms. The alien woman’s skin was still glowing, but she looked tired and shaken.
Griff touched his ear. “Indy?”
“Oh, my fucking God.” Indy’s h
alf sob came over the line. “Are you okay? Is everyone all right?”
“We’re out of the tunnel,” Griff said. “A little battered, but everyone’s alive.”
“Thank God,” Indy said. “The bomb?”
“It was a fake,” Tane growled. “Let Holmes know we didn’t find the bomb.”
“Ah, hell. Will do. Get home now.”
Ahead, the rugged form of a Z6-Hunter was parked on an angle—Hell Squad’s ride. Thankfully, the Gizzida hadn’t touched the vehicle, or the berserkers’ bikes.
“They probably didn’t expect any of us to come out of the tunnel alive,” Arden said quietly.
Dom didn’t give a shit about his bike. He spun her around to face him.
“Dom.”
He yanked her up on her toes and she came eagerly. He cupped her cheek. She was dirty, her hair tangled, and gore splattered her armor.
She was beautiful.
And she was his. His reward. Everything he’d endured in his life was worth it just to hold her.
He lowered his head and kissed her. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
“Hey, enough of that.” Griff slapped Dom on the back.
Dom rested his forehead on Arden’s. He was happy to see her smiling.
Ash appeared. “I need to check you out, Dom.”
He nodded. Ash’s gaze was on Dom’s twisted, broken armor. The tentacles had made a mess of it. The medic pulled a piece of chest armor off, then pushed Dom’s T-shirt up.
Ash hissed. “Hell, Dom. You’ve got bad bruising. You could have some internal bleeding.”
“I’m fine.”
Arden stiffened. “Internal bleeding is not fine.”
Dom smoothed a hand over her hair. “I know when I’m hurt bad. I promise you, I’m okay.”
Ash nodded. “Get the doc to check you over when we get back to base.”
“How about we get the hell out of here?” Marcus suggested.
“Thanks for the help,” Tane said.
Marcus nodded. “Our pleasure.”
Hell Squad headed for the Hunter. Levi and Hemi were limping and moving cautiously. Dom knew they must be banged up pretty bad, as well.
But they were all still standing.
Dom rolled his bike out onto the track and swung on. Arden settled behind him. She was a slight weight against his back, but she was everything to him.
Dom: Hell Squad #18 Page 11
