by Anna Hackett
“Ready?” Tane asked.
“Fuck, yeah,” Griff answered.
Hemi pulled a grenade out and grinned, his teeth white against his beard. He lobbed it toward a cluster of raptors.
Boom.
More grenades followed, and Griff tossed his own explosive. Explosions lit up the night.
Griff smiled. The berserkers always enjoyed making a mess.
Guttural roars echoed nearby. Raptors poured out of the hotel building. They were racing in the berserkers’ direction.
Griff lifted his carbine and fired.
Indy’s voice in his ear. “Ten raptors incoming.”
The berserkers laid down a hail of laser fire.
“Wait.” Indy’s voice was tense. “There’s a larger signature heading in your direction.”
“Rex?” Tane asked.
Griff frowned. The last thing they needed was a giant rex stomping around.
“No,” Indy said. “It’s not as big as a rex, but it’s larger than a raptor.”
A giant creature came into view, appearing from around the side of the hotel.
“Fuck me,” Hemi breathed. “What the hell…?”
“Cazzo,” Dom murmured.
It looked like a raptor—humanoid in appearance—but it was way taller. Damn thing had to be at least ten feet, if not more. It had the same gray-green, scaled skin, but was more streamlined than the stockier raptors. It also had spikes that sprung up from its shoulders and down its powerful arms. It looked more beast-like than a standard raptor. It also didn’t appear to have any eyes. Where its eyes should be was just smooth, scaly skin.
Then it tossed its head back and opened its mouth. A mouth filled with needle-like teeth. It let out an ear-piercing shriek that cut through the night.
Griff winced. “What the fuck is that?”
Indy crouched, hidden in the darkness, listening to the fighting both in her earpiece and not too far away. As explosions went off, the ground vibrated beneath her.
She watched the larger red dot approaching the berserkers. What the hell was it?
An earsplitting shriek drowned out everything else.
“Ahh.” She pressed her hand to her ear. The sound drilled into her head and was painful as hell.
“What the fuck is that?” she heard Griff say.
“What is it?” she asked.
Indy looked at her screen, pulling up Tane’s helmet cam. But he was on the move, the image jumping, so she couldn’t see anything clearly.
She popped her head out of the pool house. She glanced over the garden to where the fighting was, in front of the main hotel building.
Then she saw the creature.
Indy sucked in a breath. Well, it sure wasn’t pretty. It towered over the regular raptors, and had ugly spikes coming from its shoulders, like some sort of evil collar.
It tilted its head, then it charged. It ran straight at Levi who was firing on it.
“Fuck,” he yelled.
Levi dived out of the way, and the creature ran through a stone wall lining the garden area, trampling it to rubble.
She watched the berserkers fan out, concentrating their fire on the alien.
Griff darted around the paved patio area. He bumped into some outdoor furniture, knocking a chair over. It crashed onto the tiles.
The creature spun, shrieked again, and charged at him.
No. Indy’s chest hitched.
Griff dived, then came up running. The creature was following him, the ground pounding under its huge feet. The rest of the berserkers were firing and shouting.
The creature stopped, spun, and tilted its head again. It was clearly trying to hone in on someone.
That’s when Indy realized what it was doing. “Hold still and hold your fire! It’s attracted to sound and movement.”
“You sure?” Hemi asked.
The creature took a step and Hemi fired. The alien shrieked again and swiveled in Hemi’s direction.
Indy winced. “I’m sure.”
The berserkers all stopped firing and froze. The creature stopped. Its scaled chest rose and fell as it waited.
“Back away slowly,” Indy whispered.
Her gaze moved to Griff, watching as he slowly stepped backward.
But the creature heard something. It swiveled, zeroing in on him.
“Griff, run!” Indy screamed.
The alien shrieked and charged. God, it was too close. It was going to get him.
“Over here, you ugly motherfucker!” Hemi yelled.
The shrieker turned and charged at Hemi.
From the other side of the patio, Tane let out a shrill whistle. “Over here!”
The creature stumbled to a halt. It appeared confused, its head swiveling back and forth. Then it threw its head back and shrieked. It spun and charged toward Tane.
The Squad Three leader turned and ran. He pumped his arms and legs, moving like a rocket. He leaped over an overturned patio table, heading toward the hotel.
The shrieker followed, thundering right behind him. Indy’s heart leaped into her throat.
Tane jumped, smashing through the glass of a French door. The shrieker followed, crashing right through the wall, bricks tumbling around it.
A second later, Tane jumped back out another door. Nearby, the shrieker ducked out of a doorway, looking dazed. It was shaking its head, as though to clear it.
“Converge,” Tane shouted.
The berserkers moved forward, opening fire with their carbines.
The creature shrieked, its body shuddering. Indy saw it go down on one knee. It let loose another shriek, but it sounded far less powerful than before. Indy grinned. Take that, alien sucker.
Her elation was short-lived.
A clawed hand wrapped around the back of her neck and lifted her off her feet.
Shit. Fear burst through her. She shoved her tablet in her pocket, then she thrashed and kicked her legs.
Her assailant spun her and she found herself eye to eye with a raptor.
Her blood turned to ice. It looked unlike any raptor she’d seen before.
Like the shrieking creature, this raptor had spikes sprouting all across its broad shoulders. It was more muscular, its scales rougher, and its red eyes looked half crazed. It was far more savage-looking than the raptors they’d dealt with before.
“Fuck off,” she said between gritted teeth.
Its red eyes narrowed and its claws dug into her skin. She swallowed a cry. She wanted to call for Griff or the others, but they were in the middle of a firefight. She could get them killed.
The spike raptor lifted her higher and carried her into the darkness.
Chapter Fifteen
“It’s almost down,” Griff yelled. “More grenades.”
Each berserker tossed more grenades at the alien. They did love blowing shit up.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The creature let out another wild screech, then flopped forward. It smacked into the ground and stopped moving.
Griff blew out a breath.
“Fuck,” Tane bit out. “We have more company.”
Griff spun and spotted a raptor patrol running at them. His brows drew together. These raptors looked different. A few inches taller, more muscular, with brutal-looking spikes all along their shoulders.
“What the hell?” Hemi said. “Raptors have been taking badass, ugly steroids?”
Griff tensed. Why hadn’t Indy warned them?
“Indy, we have more raptors incoming,” Tane said. “I need numbers.”
There was no response.
“Indy?” Tane barked.
Griff turned. He looked toward the garden between him and Indy’s hiding place. Then he broke into a sprint.
“Griff!” Tane roared.
Griff ignored his squad leader. He heard his teammates dive into cover and start firing on the incoming super-raptors.
He leaped a hedge and saw the pool. He skirted the edge and sprinted toward the pool house.
It was empty.
He felt like he’d been punched in the gut. Indy. He scanned the deck area. No sign of her.
Then he heard an angry female shout in the distance. Back toward the hotel.
He spun, raised his carbine, and searched the darkness. He spotted movement. There.
One of the super-raptors was holding Indy by the back of her armor. She was kicking out as the alien dragged her through a side door into the main hotel building.
Griff touched his ear. “One of these super-raptors has Indy. It’s taken her inside. Eastern side. I’m in pursuit.”
He lifted his carbine and ran.
“Acknowledged,” Tane said. “We’ll be there when we can.”
Griff picked up speed. As he neared the door, he lowered his shoulder and smashed through. In the gloom, he could see a large ballroom. Large circular tables and chairs had been shoved out of the way.
The super-raptor spun. He grunted, and a second super-raptor appeared out of the darkness.
Shit. The new raptor stomped toward Griff. Then broke into a run.
Griff tried to dodge, but the alien hit him and they crashed through the French doors and out onto the patio.
Griff rolled away, careful to avoid the deadly spikes on the raptor’s shoulders. He got to his feet and swung his carbine up. He fired, but when the alien got too close, he dodged to the side. He swung his carbine onto his back and bent low, yanking his combat knife off his belt.
The raptor swung a clawed fist. Fuck. Griff ducked. Damn, this creep was faster than a regular raptor as well.
He dropped to one knee and slashed at the alien’s legs.
The alien roared and kicked.
Its boot caught Griff and sent him flying. Shit. He rolled, blocked the pain, and whipped his weapon around to fire again.
The raptor let out an enraged roar.
Dammit. Griff kept firing. He needed to get this fucker down and get to Indy.
The super-raptor advanced, the laser fire barely slowing him down. Griff lifted his knife again. He’d spent a lot of time practicing his knife skills with Dom. Time to put them to use.
Breathing out, he lined up the shot, and threw the knife. It flew through the air and speared into the super-raptor’s left eye.
With a guttural cry, the raptor staggered back, clutching its face.
Griff lifted his carbine. He concentrated his fire, walking closer. The alien’s body jerked and flailed, and finally, he toppled over like a fallen tree.
Indy.
He spun, running toward the building, rushing through the broken doorway. In a second, he took in the ballroom. It had once probably been a nice, pleasant place to sit and enjoy the view. Now, it was filled with organic-looking cables. Other Gizzida tech was stacked in haphazard bunches all over the place, and the room stank like raw meat.
And in the center of the space sat the octagon. His pulse kicked up. It was a dark, light-absorbing black, about the size of a car. It was open at the top, like a flower.
Worse, there was a smaller replica of it, resting on the ground right beside it. Hell.
He ripped his attention from the octagon device. He had to find Indy first. Where was she?
Then, he heard her shout from the other side of the room. She was cursing worse than any sailor, soldier, or berserker he’d ever heard.
He rounded the octagon.
The raptor was still holding her, ignoring the names she was calling it. The damn alien lowered his head and sniffed her.
The bastard. Griff advanced.
Indy smacked the raptor and yanked the knife off her belt. The Squad Nine ladies had equipped her with a smaller combat knife. She shifted, then jammed her blade into the raptor’s shoulder.
His girl. So fierce.
The super-raptor let out a guttural growl and tossed her. She flew through the air and hit the wall with a sickening thud. She slid to the ground, body limp.
No! Griff aimed his weapon and started firing. “How about you take on me, asshole?”
The super-raptor turned. Its wild eyes glowed red, and the spikes on its shoulders started to glow red as well.
With a roar, it charged at him.
God, she hurt.
Indy sat up, hugging her ribs. She bit back a groan. Her armor had taken the brunt of the impact, so nothing was broken, but it still hurt. She pushed her hair out of her face and saw Griff and the giant raptor fighting each other.
The damn alien towered over Griff, but he showed no fear as they grappled, hand to hand.
Her man. Courageous to the bone.
She watched him dodge a blow, and kick the raptor in the thigh. Indy shifted, and suddenly realized she was right beside the octagon.
Griff and the raptor crashed through some gear, knocking over boxes. God, she had to find a way to help him.
Her knife was gone. She moved closer to the octagon, searching for any Gizzida weapons.
The top of the octagon was peeled open. She went up on her toes and looked inside.
Ugh. It stank.
She saw it was filled with a dark-brown fluid. She frowned. What the hell? She was expecting wires or explosives of some kind.
Then she saw small things swimming through the fluid.
She glanced back, and watched Griff heft a box and throw it at the alien. The raptor stumbled and fell over a table, crashing to the floor.
She quickly pulled out her tablet. The screen was cracked, but it still had power. Thank God. She snapped a few photos of the inside of the octagon. Then she spun and took a snap of the smaller octagon as well.
She had no idea what these damn things were supposed to do, but seeing that brown fluid filled with living things, she was worried. What would happen if they blew it up? Her stomach rolled, her gut telling her the answer probably wasn’t good.
A crash reverberated through the room. She spun. Griff and the raptor were straining against each other.
She had to help him.
Looking around, she saw a raptor gun resting on a crate. Yes.
She grabbed the heavy weapon and almost staggered. It wasn’t one she’d seen before. She realized it was more like a bow and arrow. She hefted it and a bone-like bolt clicked into place. She aimed toward the raptor.
Damn, the thing was unwieldy. She pulled the string back and her arms started to burn. She aimed slightly away from Griff, and released.
The bolt slammed into the wall and turned red.
Oh, shit. “Griff, get down!”
He didn’t question her, just turned and dived.
Boom.
Debris flew through the room and Indy ducked, throwing her arm up. When she opened her eyes, there was a gaping hole in the wall, leading into a bathroom. Holy shit. Dust hung heavy in the air.
The big, spiky raptor rose, shaking its head to clear off the rubble and dust coating it. She saw that the spikes on its shoulders were glowing.
Griff rose, stared at the hole, then Indy. He grinned.
She grinned back.
Then the raptor launched itself at Griff. He dodged, but the enraged raptor kept coming.
“Indy!” Griff yelled.
She spun and saw another spiked raptor heading in her direction. She leaped onto a box and lifted the weapon. Another bolt clicked into place, and she aimed and fired. The bolt hit the raptor in the chest.
Boom.
Indy saw bits explode into the air and winced. She spun.
The other raptor rushed at Griff. Griff moved, but his boot caught on something and he tripped. Everything slowed down and Indy’s heart lodged in her throat. The raptor hit him, slamming him against the wall.
A scream caught in Indy’s throat.
Griff made a horrible, terrifying noise. It echoed through her earpiece.
The raptor’s spikes had pierced Griff’s chest.
The raptor backed up, its spikes sliding out of Griff. He let out a pained grunt, and slid to the floor.
She watched blood pour down his chest and smear on the wa
ll behind him. Her stomach dropped away.
The raptor made a strange, guttural sound. Indy realized it was laughing.
No way. She lifted her weapon, but realized it had no more bolts. Dammit. With a sob, she threw it aside.
There was no way she was letting the alien bastard kill her man.
She looked all around and spotted heavy chains dangling from the ceiling. She tilted her head.
A huge black box was suspended up in the air. Right above the spike raptor.
Fierce determination filled her. She leaped off the box, running toward the chains.
The raptor turned, watching her come.
She jumped, grabbed onto the chain, and swung wildly. She gave it a yank.
The box slammed downward. The raptor looked up and grunted. The huge box crashed into him, pinning him to the ground. He moved once, then slumped down. His burning eyes were still open, watching her, but he wasn’t moving.
Indy let go of the chain and dropped back to the floor. She stared dispassionately at the crushed alien.
It made a gurgling sound and then fell silent. Heart hammering, she turned away. She had to get to Griff.
She circled the dying raptor and touched her ear. “Griff’s hurt! Get inside now!”
She dropped to her knees beside her man. He groaned and lifted his head.
“In-dy.”
“Shh.” She breathed, pressing her hands to his chest. There were several ugly puncture wounds that went straight through his armor. “You’ll be okay.” She wanted to cup his face, but blood was seeping through her fingers and she needed to keep the pressure on.
He tried to talk and blood spilled onto his lips.
Her belly turned to stone and she bit back a sob.
“You got…pics of octagon?” he asked.
“Yes. Don’t talk.”
“Give to…Tane.”
There was so much agony in Griff’s eyes. “Shush. Wait for the others so we can get you out of here.”
“Love you, Indy. Always have.”
With a sob, she pressed her lips to his. She tasted the coppery tang of blood. “I love you, too, Griffin Callan. I’m crazy about you and have been since I put itching powder in your shirt. We have more living to do, Griff. More fucking to do. More drinking and laughing. And one day, I want a belly full of your baby.”
