by Anna Hackett
There was a knock on Laura’s door. “Come in.”
Katrina popped her head in. “Our guest is not very happy.”
“So I can hear. He give you any info?”
The woman pulled a face. “Not a thing.”
“We’ll keep working on him. How’s Gaz’da?”
“Compared to the new raptor, he’s a sweetheart.”
“All right. Grab a coffee, then have another run at the new raptor.”
“I’m calling him Scrooge.”
Laura smiled for the first time since Noah had walked away from her. “Let me know if you need a hand.”
“Roger that.” Katrina cleared her throat. “Laura, are you sure you’re okay? You seem…down.”
Laura thought about opening up and talking about Noah. But she couldn’t do it. “I’m working through a few things.”
“You and Noah have a fight?”
Laura stiffened.
Katrina waved a hand. “You didn’t think people knew that you and the sexy head of the tech team were doing the dirty? We deal in information around here, remember?”
Laura gave a slow nod.
“You hang on to that one. He’s smart and sexy, and looks at you like he wants to eat you all up. That wasn’t easy to find before the aliens came, and now—” Katrina shrugged. “You’re lucky.”
After the woman had left, Laura sat there staring at the closed door. She was lucky. She’d loved once, and she’d lost. But now she was getting another chance.
She just had to find the courage to grab her happiness and not let it go.
She needed to talk to Noah. As soon as her shift was over, she was dragging him out of the Swift Wind facility and into bed. It was a good place to start.
The lights went off.
Her office was pitch black, and she couldn’t see a thing. She suppressed the tiniest twinge of panic and counted silently in her head. One. Two. Three. The backup power kicked in, and the dim emergency lights positioned near the floor flickered on.
Katrina appeared again. “Laura?”
“Everything okay out there?”
“Backup power is on and all the cells are secure. What’s happening? Another emergency drill? They springing surprise ones on us now?”
“I guess. Stay alert and watch the prisoners.”
Katrina nodded and dissolved into the darkness.
Laura tapped her fingers on her desk. According to the memos she’d received with the drill schedule, no more evac simulations were planned for today. She cocked her head and listened. She was sure she could hear the distant peal of alarms.
She put a call through to the Ops Area. The general and his team would be up there.
There was no answer.
Damn. Her pulse raced. This wasn’t good. She’d have to go and see what the hell was going on. She stood, and at that moment, the emergency lights failed.
Her heart clamored in her chest. Oh, God. That meant the backup power had failed.
And that also meant the electronic locks on the cells would have failed. Leaving only deadbolts securing the doors.
Laura grabbed her laser pistol and headed out to find Katrina.
It was so damn dark. Her laser pistol had a small light attached to the end of it, but she was worried about announcing her location. She opened her door slowly. The darkness was impenetrable. She moved, using her memories of the floor plan, and keeping one hand against the wall.
A hushed, pregnant silence filled the air.
“Katrina,” she whispered.
No response.
Laura kept moving.
Then she stumbled over something on the floor.
She crouched, feeling around. She felt a body. Felt something sticky on her fingers. Felt long hair.
No. No. Risking showing her location, she flicked on the tactical flashlight attached to her pistol. It illuminated Katrina’s blank face. She was lying on her side, a pool of blood beneath her. Her stomach was a mass of bloody scratches.
Caused by raptor claws.
Laura looked up. Saw the nearest cell door was open. The deadbolt ripped from the wall.
She flicked off her light and sat there, crouched in the dark.
She was alone in here with two enemy raptors and an alien bug.
She dragged in a steadying breath. Whatever was happening above, she couldn’t let these aliens escape and get into the base.
Just then, the ground rumbled around her. She heard distant bangs. Explosions.
There was no mistaking it now.
The aliens were attacking Blue Mountain Base.
A grunt sounded in the darkness and Laura froze.
She turned her head. Just as an enormous body slammed into her.
They crashed into the ground, and she fought to get her laser pistol up.
The raptor let out a roar.
***
Noah sprinted through the tunnels.
They were filled with smoke, screams, and running, panicked people.
“Get to the exits,” he yelled. He waved a group on, pointing to the exit he’d used to get in.
There’d been no raptors there.
But there were raptors everywhere else.
As he’d sprinted to the base from the Swift Wind facility, he’d seen a fleet of pteros in the sky, dropping bombs.
Even now, the base was vibrating from the explosions above.
Raptor troops were in the base. They’d known where the main entrances were hidden and had blown the doors off.
Right now, all he could think of was getting to Laura.
He kept running, covering his mouth when the smoke got thick. He yelled at some more residents to get above—a man and a woman with two small, frightened children.
“Follow your evacuation plan. Get to the convoy.”
They nodded and hurried away.
With Natalya’s help, Noah had finished work on embedding the cubes into the illusion system…but he hadn’t had time to test it yet.
He had no idea if it would work or not.
All he could do was pray, and hope Lady Luck decided to smile on him for a change.
She’d given him Laura. Sure, they’d screwed up, but he was going to find her and drag her out of here. After that, he wasn’t letting her go.
He rounded a corner and saw the door to the comp lab ahead. It was open. And he heard grunts and guttural shouts from inside. As well as things smashing.
He hesitated. He had to go past it.
After drawing a deep breath, he ran.
But he looked, saw the huge raptors inside. There was no smoke in the lab, so he had a perfect view of them stomping on all of his comps and tools and supplies with their thick, heavy boots. He saw one raptor swing a massive arm, and the shelf behind Noah’s desk collapsed. His dice scattered across the floor.
And a second later, that raptor turned his head, his red gaze colliding with Noah’s.
Noah kept running. He heard the raptors shouting and spilling into the tunnel behind him.
Fuck. He wasn’t going to make it.
Green poison sprayed the tunnel walls beside him, hissing as it burned through the concrete.
He tensed, waiting to feel it burn through his skin.
Suddenly, black-clad bodies ran out of the smoke ahead. Green laser fire whizzed through the tunnel.
Squad Nine appeared. The women—with set faces and their weapons up and aimed—moved forward. Mac, Taylor, Cam, Sienna. They moved like one, pressing forward.
Roth and Theron appeared behind them, just as focused, their gazes on the raptors.
Noah risked a glance back. Saw the raptors ducking for cover.
“Noah!” Roth shouted. “Get the hell out of here. Get to an exit.”
With a nod, Noah turned the corner. He could still hear the sounds of Squad Nine and the raptors fighting.
But he wasn’t headed upward. He was headed down.
He took the spiral ramp down to the prison area. Here, the sounds of the fight
ing and the explosions were muffled. Noah moved slower now, creeping along the edge of the tunnel.
It was as black as the densest, moonless night down here. He sucked in a breath. This sector had lost backup power. Jesus. That meant the cells would be unsecured.
And far too easy for a huge, strong alien to bust down the doors.
He grabbed his small flashlight out of his pocket and flicked it on. The thin shaft of light illuminated the door to the prison. He crept toward it. The door was still closed.
Where was the guard? He glanced around but only saw dark shadows.
His boots hit something.
He glanced down and then recoiled. The guard’s body. Chewed and clawed.
Fuck. He scrambled over to the wall. He knew there was a rack of the stun weapons the prison guards used here somewhere. He ran his hands over the wall.
He touched the rack, and yanked a stunner off. He turned.
Just as a giant, dog-like thing leapt at him from the darkness.
Noah fired the stunner. The canid growled. His flashlight illuminated rows of long teeth in a rabid mouth. Noah kept firing and the canid smashed into him. They skidded across the floor.
But Noah felt hot anger flowing in his blood. He had to get to Laura, and this thing was in his way. He jammed the stunner into the creature’s mouth and pressed the trigger again.
The canid squealed, leapt off him, turned in an ungainly circle, then collapsed.
Noah jumped up and raced for the prison door.
He touched a hand to it. It was closed, but he saw that there were no lights blinking on the electronic lock.
Then he heard a chilling sound on the other side of the door.
The deep, guttural barks of alien laughter.
Chapter Fourteen
Laura strained against the raptor. It had her pinned. She’d lost her laser pistol somewhere, and the raptor had sunk its claws into her belly, shredding her clothes and skin.
There was no pain, but she was bleeding.
She felt the alien’s hot breath in her face. She knew the thing was toying with her, and his laughter told her he was clearly enjoying himself.
She was going to die here, in the dark, alone.
Her thoughts turned to Noah, and she wanted to scream. They’d wasted time they could have spent together. She’d wasted time because she was afraid.
The thoughts fueled her anger. She thrust everything she had into fighting the raptor. Her pistol wasn’t far away. She could see the thin beam of light from the tactical flashlight attached to it.
Get it. Kill the raptor. Escape.
She heaved against the creature’s bulk. He wouldn’t budge.
Suddenly, another body barreled into the fight. Her raptor attacker grunted and rolled off her.
Laura scrambled into a crouch, and snatched at her laser pistol. She spun and faced the person who’d helped her.
Her heart clenched. It was no person. It was Gaz’da.
Gaz’da had the large raptor pinned. They strained against each other, snarling.
“Captain,” Gaz’da said in a strained voice.
She raced over and aimed the laser pistol. Her hands were shaking a little, but they were steady enough. Green laser lit up the darkness. She held the trigger down until the large raptor fell backward. He landed on the ground, his last breath making a wheezing sound before he went still.
Laura swayed on her feet. Pain crept in now, a savage burning through her middle. Her arm holding the pistol fell to her side. “Gaz’da, are you okay?”
The raptor nodded. “You are not.”
He was right. She felt dizziness wash over her. Then she heard the bang of a door.
“Laura!” Noah sprinted in and skidded to a stop. He was holding a stunner prod in his hands. He took one look at her, then Gaz’da, then lifted the weapon.
“No.” She held out a hand. “Gaz’da saved my life.”
Noah’s gaze went to the dead raptor on the floor.
Laura’s legs gave out. Noah cursed and was there, helping her back against the wall. “Shit, honey. You’re bleeding all over the place.”
She heard concern in his voice and wished she could see him better. She could barely make out his features in the dim light. “You came for me.”
He cupped her cheek. “Of course I did. I always will.”
She nodded, but the pain was starting to steal her breath now.
“Where’s the first aid kit?” he asked.
“My office.”
“Hang on.” He touched her lips.
There was movement and Gaz’da knelt beside them. Laura felt Noah stiffen, but he didn’t move.
“Thank you, Gaz’da,” she said quietly. “For saving me.” She’d been his jailor, his interrogator, his enemy. And yet, he’d saved her life.
The alien nodded.
Noah looked torn, but he stood. “I’ll be right back.” He sent a pointed look at the raptor, then was swallowed by the shadows.
Gaz’da was frowning at the floor. It had always been hard to read his face, but now he looked upset. “I was…not always Gizzida.”
She’d guessed as much. He obviously hadn’t been human, but probably some other race captured and turned by the Gizzida.
“I’m sorry. For what they did to you. For what I’ve done to you.”
“You were…fair. Especially considering the—” he paused, searching for the word “—circumstances.”
Noah returned and started yanking things from the first aid kit. “The base has been attacked. We’re evacuating.”
What the hell was she going to do with a raptor prisoner who was victim, ally, and enemy all rolled into one? “Gaz’da—”
“I do not belong with humans,” the raptor said. “And I have no desire to go back to the Gizzida.”
“Then you’re free, Gaz’da,” Laura said. “Go. Find a way out and then go somewhere far away from here.”
The alien tilted his head, then nodded.
Noah set to work stopping Laura’s bleeding. As he applied pressure to her belly, she sucked in a sharp breath. The pain had her breaking out in a sweat.
“Sorry.” He touched her cheek for a second. Then he looked at Gaz’da. “Head for one of the exits on the southern side of the base. The ones closest to the prison area. They weren’t part of our evacuation plan. You need to be careful. Humans will be fighting the raptors. They’ll shoot at you.”
“Thank you.” Gaz’da looked at Laura. “You were an evenhanded captor. I was never mistreated. Goodbye, Captain Bladon.”
Her chest hitched. “Goodbye, Gaz’da.”
The alien stepped into the darkness and was gone. Laura leaned back against the wall. Despite Noah trying to stop her bleeding, she felt the puddle of blood beneath her growing.
There was no way she’d make it out of the base.
But Noah’s face was set in hard lines as he worked to stem the bleeding. She stared at the planes of that face she’d come to know so well. God, she was still so angry about the wasted days and harsh words between them. All because she’d been trying to protect herself.
And it was far too late. He was already under her skin, in her heart.
She could have been with Noah these last few days, instead of locked in her office, hurting anyway.
Now she felt the life bleeding out of her. She swallowed. Now she was really afraid. She wondered if Jake had been afraid at the end. She hoped not.
“Bleeding’s mostly stopped.” Noah’s voice was grim. He dabbed some med gel on and was taping bandages over the wounds. “That’ll have to do, because we need to get out of here.”
As if to underscore his words, the base shook around them.
“I’m going to give you a painkiller.” He pressed an injector to her neck. “We need to get out and get to the convoy.”
She grabbed his hand. “Noah…we both know I’ll never make it.”
“Honey, we’re in this together.” He cupped her cheeks, forcing her to meet his gaz
e. “Whatever happens. No more running from each other, no more lies, no more ultimatums. It’s you and me, whether you like it or not.”
Even in these dire circumstances, she smiled. “Really?”
“Yep, whatever happens.” He got an arm around her back. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
He hauled her to her feet. She felt a sickening wave of dizziness but gritted her teeth. The pain was ebbing, the drugs easing it away.
She had to do this. Because she knew from the obstinate tone in Noah’s voice that if she didn’t go, he’d stay with her.
And then they’d both die.
She had to get him out.
She braced herself. “Let’s go.”
***
Noah kept his arm tight around Laura as they headed out of the prison area. She was limping badly, each one of her breaths a harsh inhalation.
A muscle ticked in his jaw. He was getting her out of here, one way or another.
It was slow going up the spiral ramp. As they neared the top, he heard screaming and the sounds of fighting.
And the sounds of the raptors.
He also smelled smoke. His gut cramped. The base—their home and haven—was being torn apart.
Noah gripped the laser pistol in his right hand harder. Just get to the convoy. That was the only thing he could focus on right now.
“Ready to move?” he asked.
She looked up at him. Pain had etched deep lines on her face. “No. But I will give it everything I’ve got.”
He didn’t doubt it. “Go.”
They hobbled forward. Noah tried to take as much of her weight as he could. He led them down empty tunnels when he could, but finally, they reached one where he heard fighting around the corner, and they had no option but to go through.
He paused and peeked around.
His chest went hard. He saw base residents battling raptor soldiers. Lasers were firing and raptor poison was eating into the walls. Dead bodies—mostly human, he realized, his chest hurting—littered the ground.
Just get to the convoy.
“Come on.” He held her tighter and they moved toward the melee. The smoke shrouded them, and the crazy fighting did, too.
Then one raptor spun and spotted them. He let out a vicious snarl.
Noah shot him in the face.
