by Anna Hackett
***
Taylor crept silently down the corridor, following in Devlin’s steps. They hugged one wall, and she marveled at the way Dev seemed to blend into the shadows. The man moved like a cat on the hunt.
Her gaze drifted over the play of muscles in his back. God, she’d just watched him stroke his long cock. She blew out a short breath. And she’d watched him kill a raptor with lethal ease.
It seemed wrong that she found all that attractive.
Focus on escaping, Tay. Once they were out of here, she could process everything that had happened.
Dev paused, holding up a closed fist. At the signal, she stopped. They were nearing the door that led out into the main part of the alien factory.
She lifted her raptor weapon. Without her armor on, the weapon felt heavy, and its scaled exterior was rough against her skin. She missed her carbine. Hell, she missed everything—her squad, most of all.
She gripped the weapon. She’d see them all again soon.
Dev touched something near the door, and it whispered open. She followed him out of the corridor.
Steam hit her in the face. She wrinkled her nose at the harsh smells. The center of the factory floor contained large vats filled with dark fluids. Off to one side, there were raptors building more of their ugly, tank-like vehicles, in a huge assembly line.
Here in this factory, it appeared they were building all the things they needed to continue to pick off the remnants of humanity. And when the raptors captured humans, they usually ended up in tanks in raptor labs.
Dev moved his hand, indicating to stay close to the wall. They headed toward the exterior door, which they’d been brought through only two or three days ago. God, she wished she knew exactly how long they’d been stuck here. It felt like forever.
They were moving quietly along, nearly at the exit, when suddenly, three raptors stepped out from behind one of the vats.
Shit. The aliens looked as surprised as Taylor and Dev.
She and Dev lifted their weapons in unison and fired. The alien gun kicked hard, but Taylor tightened her grip and kept firing. Dark-green poison splattered the three raptors.
One raptor went down, roaring and tearing at his face. Another lunged forward, and Dev sidestepped and spun, shooting the alien in the back. Taylor fired at the third raptor.
Moments later, all three raptors were down.
“So much for being quiet,” she said.
“Yes. We need to move.” He nodded in the direction of the exterior door. “This way.”
They hadn’t gone far, when the door they were aiming for opened.
A raptor patrol ran in, shouting in the unintelligible Gizzida language.
Dev muttered a curse. He pointed in the opposite direction, deeper into the factory. Dammit. They ran down a line of vats. The smell was even worse here—a heavy, tar-like stench that seemed to coat the back of her mouth.
Where could they go? She looked up at the ceiling soaring high overhead. All around them were more vats and behind them, she could hear the raptors searching the factory.
The lines of tanks ended at a wide open area. Taylor pressed her back to the last tank in the row, peering out to check left and right. From here, she had a better view of the raptor vehicles being built off to the left. Dev lifted his hand and pointed. They darted across the open space, and ducked down behind some squat raptor equipment. She thought they were some sort of power generators, since they pulsed with a red light.
“We need to find another way out,” Dev said. “I’m hoping there’s another exit to the outside at the back of the factory.”
With a nod, she followed him, keeping low as they ran beside the line of alien generators.
Suddenly, a raptor appeared from behind one of the generators. His leg kicked out, and the weapon flew out of Taylor’s hands.
Dev spun and started firing. More raptors appeared behind the first.
Taylor focused on the raptor in front of her. Its clawed hand swung out and Taylor dropped to the ground, feeling the rush of air as its arm swung past, only an inch from her head. She yanked her knife out. As the alien pulled back, she burst upward, jabbing the knife into his belly. She pulled back and stabbed again. She circled around him, and got in a few more hits.
She could still hear Dev firing, but as poison splattered the ground near her, sizzling, she knew the raptors were firing back. More poison came in her direction, spraying in a wild arc. Shit. Taylor hit the floor, rolling, before jumping back up.
She spun…and found herself face to chest with a raptor.
His blow hit her in the head. Seeing stars, she staggered. Her ears were ringing and she couldn’t focus. Stay on your feet, Tay. Stay on your feet. She knew that if she went down, it was all over.
She saw another hit coming at her and jumped backward. Her back slammed into a smaller tank, and she felt the vat rock on its base.
The raptor advanced, its face twisted into what she guessed had to be an arrogant smirk.
Suddenly, Dev appeared. He was holding his raptor weapon like a bat, and she assumed it had been hit by poison, and therefore had to be useless. He swung the weapon, hard. It hit the raptor’s shoulder with a crack. He swung again, hitting the raptor in the head.
The raptor slammed into the tank beside Taylor. The vessel toppled over with a deafening smash, amber glass shattering, and black fluid rushed out, spilling all over the floor. Alarmed-sounding cries rose up from the factory floor.
Dev wrapped an arm around Taylor’s waist, hauling her away from the gush of mystery liquid. He pulled her behind a row of tanks, where they paused for the briefest of seconds.
“Come on.” He released her and grabbed her hand, heading farther away from the commotion. “More are coming.”
They sprinted as fast as they could down the row. She heard the raptors giving chase—more shouts and grunts, and the loud, hammering sound of raptor footsteps.
“Where do we go?” she said.
Dev shoved another raptor weapon at her. It was a smaller alien pistol. “That way.” He pointed.
She expected an exit, but it wasn’t a door. It was a set of stairs, leading downward into blackness.
Her stomach hardened, old memories biting at her, their teeth razor-sharp.
Chapter Four
Devlin took the steps slowly. The blackness was thick and unforgiving. He had to feel for each new step with his foot.
Who the hell knew what horrors the Gizzida were hiding beneath this factory?
He knew Taylor followed behind him, but all he could hear was her quiet breathing. It sounded slightly ragged. He hoped to hell he wasn’t leading her into a worse situation.
Finally, they reached the bottom. Tunnels opened up ahead of them, illuminated by a faint yellowish glow. He paused for a moment, listening for any sounds, but heard nothing—not even indications of pursuit from above.
Three tunnels branched off, each one a perfect circle. He reached out and touched the vertical striations on the walls.
“It looks like these were bored out recently,” Taylor said.
Devlin nodded. Taylor stepped in front of him. She had her scavenged knife and the pistol he’d given her tucked into the waistband of her trousers. She gently pressed her fingers to the knife wound on his shoulder.
“How’s this holding up?”
“It’s fine.” He’d blocked it out.
“It’s bleeding again.”
She was only a few inches shorter than him. He liked that. He reached out and cupped her cheek. There was enough light to see the swelling on her face. “That raptor gave you a good wallop.”
He saw the white flash of her teeth in the darkness. “I paid him back.”
So she had. “This will bruise. You’ll have a black eye.”
She shrugged. “It’ll be my second one this week. Sienna got a lucky hit in at the gym the other day.” Her tone was amused.
Devlin tried to imagine tiny, pretty Sienna giving Taylor a black eye, but ha
d trouble picturing it.
Taylor apparently read his mind. “It’s why she’s such a good soldier. People underestimate her.”
When the squads had first been formed by the remnants of the United Coalition’s military, many people had underestimated the ladies of Squad Nine. They were headed by rough, tough Roth Masters, and with the only other male soldier on the team being Theron, the ladies had made a lethal name for themselves.
People only underestimated them once.
“Let’s stick to the left-hand tunnels and see where we end up.”
She grimaced, dragging in a shaky breath.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I hate being underground.” Her voice was flat, toneless.
“You were okay in the cell.”
“I know, but this is more overtly underground.”
This woman had faced down raptors twice her size, and been captured and told to mate. None of that had put fear in her voice.
“Taylor—”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” She set her shoulders back. “I’ll be fine.”
He grabbed her hand and started down the tunnel. He felt the tension pumping off her.
“Why’d you become a soldier?” he asked quietly to distract her. “Was it your dream to fight for your country?”
She snorted. “Hell no.” Her voice changed, charged with emotion. “My mom inspired me. She was a stay-at-home mom who loved to bake, but I learned what it meant to protect others from her.”
There was pain there. Lots of it. When they’d started this mission, Devlin had looked at Taylor Cates and had only seen an attractive and extremely competent soldier. Now he wanted to peel back those layers and uncover more of the woman beneath.
He was a man used to uncovering secrets. It was an urge he never denied.
“Did you always want to be a super spy?” she asked.
He frowned. He hadn’t thought of his life before he’d joined MI6 for a long time. “No. My family was killed when I was fifteen.”
She gasped. “I’m sorry. An accident?”
“No. My parents and brother were murdered.”
She hissed in a breath. “Dev—”
“It was a home invasion, and I was lucky enough to be studying at a friend’s house. It was a long time ago.”
“What happened to you?”
“I had a few years in the foster system, and then went on to university. I was recruited by MI6 in my first year. I was…a good fit for them, and it turned out I was good at it.”
“They recruit agents with no family ties.”
He nodded, following the curve of the tunnel, alert for any signs of movement. The job had fit him like a glove, and for the first time since he’d lost his family, he’d belonged.
Until too many years of deception, lying, and killing had carved away at him. Until he’d screwed up and trusted the wrong person.
“Hey?” A warm hand on his shoulder.
He looked back at Taylor, her touch anchoring him back to the present. He liked her. He liked her a lot. But right now, he needed to get them out of here, and he knew himself well enough to know he was a failure at dealing with people. He was always better off alone.
He slipped away from her touch. “Come on.”
They made their way through the network of tunnels. He was thankful for the golden light, wherever it was coming from. He kept taking the left-hand tunnels. They had to come out somewhere.
Finally, the tunnel widened, and ahead he saw cells lining one side of it.
He slowed. Trying to see inside the cages.
“Shit. What now?” Taylor lifted her raptor pistol. She looked wrong, holding the strange alien weapon.
Devlin walked slowly toward the cages, each of them dark inside. Maybe they were empty?
“Creepy,” Taylor murmured.
It was. And in the darkness, he sensed something there. Something watching them.
They continued walking, and from one cage, he heard a strange, clicking sound. A noise that set the hairs on the back of his neck rising.
His steps slowed and he moved closer to the cell.
Something rushed forward and slammed against the bars.
Devlin saw a flash of teeth and feathers. He stepped back.
Fuck. A velox.
These alien creatures looked like Earth’s velociraptors. Powerful, feathered bodies balanced on back legs, and huge sickle-shaped claws on their feet. They were fast and dangerous hunters.
“Oh no,” Taylor said.
“It’s stuck in the cell.” He moved toward her. “Let’s move.”
“Dev, look.”
He saw her staring at the rest of the cells. His body locked. He could see more red velox eyes watching them hungrily.
Damn. One velox was hard to bring down. Eight of them would be a death sentence. Especially with no armor, and unfamiliar weapons. He pushed her ahead of him. “Go.”
They broke into a jog.
They rounded a corner, and as they did, he heard a strange beeping noise and the clank of metal behind him.
“Jesus. Did the cages just open?” she asked.
“Let’s not wait to find out.” He took another tunnel to the left. “I think we should run.”
They sprinted, bare feet slapping on the stone floor.
“You really think there’s a way out?” she asked.
“Yes.” There had to be. He was getting Taylor out of here, no matter what.
They rounded another corner, and then he heard a noise behind them.
That damned clicking, followed by a long, drawn-out growl that echoed through the tunnels. Another growl joined it. And another.
Devlin and Taylor stumbled to a stop, looking back over their shoulders.
“They are definitely out of the cages,” she said.
The veloxes were on the loose.
And now, Devlin and Taylor were being hunted.
He looked at her, lifting his raptor weapon. “Run.”
***
Taylor was sprinting as fast as she could.
She couldn’t hear the veloxes anymore, but she and Devlin were so lost in the twists and turns of the tunnels that she had no idea where they were.
But she knew the creatures were coming. She’d been locked in the dark with a monster once. Prey could sense when something dark and dangerous was after them.
Dev ran beside her with a long, powerful stride. Her chest loosened. She wasn’t alone.
They turned another corner, and ahead, she could tell the light looked stronger. “Look.”
They reached the end of the tunnel. It joined several others at a larger junction. Together, they pressed their backs to the wall, peering around.
One tunnel in the center shone with a brighter, deeper-golden light.
Dev nodded and they headed straight for the tunnel. But they’d only taken a few steps when she heard a clicking noise.
Close. Too close.
They both swiveled…and watched a velox step into view.
“Bloody hell,” Dev said.
They both brought their weapons up. Taylor had never felt more naked, with no armor or shoes, and just this alien pistol and a broken blade.
The creature rushed at them.
Both of them fired, poison splattering the animal. She could smell the sizzle of burning feathers as the green ooze ate away at the creature.
It let out a loud roar and continued its rush.
They both dived out of the velox’s path. It stopped and spun, then started shaking itself, trying to dislodge the poison.
The velox’s eyes glowed and it raised its head. It made a long string of strange clicking sounds.
Taylor ground her teeth together. “It’s calling its friends.”
Dev stepped closer to the alien beast. “Taylor. Go.”
He opened fire, walking steadily toward the vicious creature.
Go? He thought that she’d just leave him?
She saw the velox swipe out at
him with one of those wicked claws it had on its hind feet.
Oh, no, you don’t. She advanced. Devlin and the creature were circling each other, then it rushed toward him.
The velox leaped, taking Devlin down. Thankfully, it didn’t use its claws to gut him, instead, it snapped at Dev’s face.
Dev dodged his head left, right, left.
Taylor launched herself into the air and leaped onto the velox’s back. She jammed her weapon up under its jaw and fired.
Nothing happened. The weapon didn’t fire.
The creature spun, trying to knock her off its back.
She clamped her legs down on its body to stay on. What the hell? The weapon was either jammed, or out of ammo.
She tossed it aside and pulled out her knife, stabbing the velox in the side of the neck.
It roared, bucking and trying to throw her off. She stabbed again, aiming for the creature’s eyes. She slid to the side, desperately scrabbling for purchase.
The velox spun around, and this time, managed to throw her off.
She rammed into the tunnel wall.
Ow. She hit hard, and landed on the ground in a sprawl. She sucked in air, quickly assessing. Nothing was broken or bleeding.
She heard a click of claws on stone and raised her head. Two reptilian feet with horrifically huge, sickle-shaped claws stepped into view.
She’d lost her knife shard when she’d fallen. She had no weapons. Nothing. She looked up into a mouthful of demonic teeth and red, angry eyes.
Something slammed into its head.
As the creature let out a cry and turned to face Dev, he whipped his weapon around and fired at point-blank range in the creature’s face.
The velox staggered back and hit the wall. Dev kept firing. She saw now that he was holding her pistol and his raptor rifle.
The alien beast dropped to the ground.
Taylor heaved in air.
“Are you all right?” Dev knelt beside her, hand out.
She put her hand in his, and let him pull her up. “I am now.” Her legs were a little shaky, but he didn’t need to know that.
There was a faint smile on his face. Damn, the man was handsome, even bloodied and bruised.
“Beauty, competence, and grit.” He touched her face. “Hell of a combination.”
