Arlo

by Arcadia Shield

  She swallowed her terror. Dragon fire, the wolf was enormous, with sharp, wiry bristles covering its body. The smell drifting off it suggested it was more dead than alive.

  Juniper lined up her shot and fired.

  Her aim was accurate, slamming into the wolf’s side. The wolf sprang off Arlo, snarled, and bounded toward her. She stood her ground, refusing to let panic make her run, her pulse laser gun firing repeatedly as the wolf neared.

  The ground shook beneath her feet, but she refused to budge. This damn wolf had to die. Nothing was immune to laser fire.

  Suddenly, a second pulse laser joined hers. It was Arlo, already on his feet, attacking the beast from the other side.

  With an agonized howl, it finally slumped down in front of Juniper, the light fading from its eyes.

  Arlo gestured Juniper toward him, and they were off and running toward the tower.

  Juniper ran her gaze over Arlo to make sure he hadn’t been bitten. He looked fine, but that thing’s rancid teeth had been inches from his face. Her stomach flipped at how close he’d been to death.

  “We’re nearly there.”

  Juniper glanced over her shoulder. She could still smell wet dog.

  “Heath, we’re at the tower,” said Arlo. “And we’ve got some rabid company.”

  “Do you need a hand?” asked Heath.

  “Any you’ve got spare will be appreciated.” Arlo pulled his backpack off and knelt. He glanced up at Juniper. “Keep a lookout while I set these bombs.”

  Juniper licked her lips. She’d already been looking and had just spotted two more beasts slide from the shadows.

  She set her feet firmly on the ground and raised her weapon.

  Chapter 9

  “Heads up,” said Juniper.

  Arlo jumped to his feet, his weapon raised. He glanced at Juniper, and she nodded as they lined up their kill shots together.

  The beasts flew toward them, separating out and curving around them.

  “I’ll take the one on the right.” Juniper swung toward the approaching wolf.

  Arlo fired between the eyes of the other wolf. It took a few shots, but the wolf beast was down. Juniper wasn’t so fortunate.

  Horror ran through him as the wolf grabbed Juniper. They rolled together on the ground. She fought like a demon, her weapon slamming against the wolf’s mouth, and a knife Arlo didn’t even know she was carrying stabbing at its side.

  The few seconds he waited to get a clear shot felt like a lifetime, but he couldn’t risk hitting Juniper.

  His line of sight was clear. His laser sliced into the beast repeatedly until its movements became sluggish and it slumped on top of Juniper, pinning her to the ground.

  Arlo raced over, kicked the wolf beast away, and yanked Juniper to her feet. He ran his hands over her, checking for injuries. She could not be hurt. She had to live.

  Juniper pushed his hands away, but Arlo couldn’t stop himself. He carried on checking her arms, running his hands over her head and neck and over her back. He had to make sure she was okay.

  “Stop. There’s nothing to worry about.” Juniper grabbed his hands. “I’m fine.”

  Arlo hauled her toward him, pressing his lips to hers, needing to taste her.

  She made a startled sound, but then her arms were wrapped around his neck as their kiss deepened and their tongues met.

  This woman would be the death of him. Nothing seemed to slow her. She fought off any enemy, including this monstrous beast.

  Arlo’s fingers buried deep in her hair and his other hand wrapped around her waist and tugged her closer.

  “We’re almost at the tower. What’s your location?” Heath demanded over the comms.

  Reluctantly, Arlo broke the kiss. “This is not over.”

  She blinked at him several times. “Agreed.”

  He smiled, and heat curled in his chest. “Heath, we’re all good here. We met two more wolves, but they didn’t want to play fetch. They’re dead.”

  “And neither of you is injured?”

  His gaze ran over Juniper. “We’re fine. We’re at the tower now and about to set the bombs.”

  “I’ll return to the booth. We just took out two drones,” said Heath. “You’ve not got long before backup arrives.”

  “Understood.” Arlo grabbed his backpack from the ground. “Are you ready for a little flash and bang?”

  “You show me what to do and I’ll do it,” said Juniper.

  He went to take hold of her hand. She was still clutching the bloody knife. The wolf’s blood coated her skin. Arlo slid a finger down her arm and felt her shiver. She was fearless.

  The signal tower thrummed with energy as they worked together. Their rhythm was fast and efficient and they just seemed to fit together. He loved working with Juniper. She needed barely any instruction as he activated the bombs, passing them to her to attach to the base of the tower.

  Within two minutes, there were twelve bombs all in place, ready to blow.

  “We’re all set to go here,” said Arlo through the open comms link.

  “Good timing. I’ve detected more movement,” said Jude.

  “More wolf beasts?” Arlo packed up his kit and slung it over his shoulder.

  “I don’t think so,” said Jude. “This movement is inside the building.”

  Juniper grabbed Arlo’s arm. “There are people inside?”

  A curl of dread ran through him. “I thought no one would be here?”

  “There shouldn’t be. This place is automated. You only have a few day-time staff checking everything is running smoothly. No one’s here at night.”

  “If they’re concealing themselves, they can’t be doing anything good,” said Juniper.

  “I don’t know where they were hiding,” said Jude. “I’ve got a dozen heat signatures coming your way. You need to get out of there. You’ll be right in their path when the doors open.”

  “Heath. You and Lincoln need to stay out of sight. I’ve just seen two flash cars heading your way,” said Ranger. “They drove straight past the Cobra. Some sort of diplomatic car. A long stretch limo with blacked-out windows.”

  Arlo grabbed Juniper’s elbow, and they hurried to a dense patch of shadow away from the tower.

  “The heat signatures are getting closer,” said Jude.

  “We’re out of their way,” said Arlo. “We’ll wait and see who comes out.”

  “Take care,” cautioned Heath.

  “I always do.” Arlo crouched next to Juniper in the darkness.

  “Who the hell is inside?” she whispered.

  “Our scan of the building showed it as empty. They must have arrived before us.” Arlo reached over and squeezed her shoulder. “Whoever it is, we’ll deal with them.”

  The large double doors of the tower slid open. Six State officials walked out. They all wore similar dark suits. They were accompanied by six guards, one per official, all carrying weapons and dressed in the usual head-to-toe black of the State militia.

  “Holy shit,” whispered Arlo. “They’re State commanders. They must have been having some powwow inside the tower.”

  “Are you sure?” Juniper stared with wide eyes as the suited commanders paused by the door and continued their conversation.

  “I’ve seen enough pictures of them to know who they are,” muttered Arlo. “The woman with the blonde bob used to run Intergen. She’s involved in some shady experiments on dragon hybrids. The two guys with dark hair have links to the transport sector. I’m not certain of the others.”

  “We should take the woman. If she’s experimenting on hybrids, she needs a taste of her own medicine.”

  “We’re not taking anyone.” Before Arlo could stop her, Juniper had crept closer, keeping to the shadows and ducking down until she was on her hands and knees, concealed by the abandoned cars.

  “Where are you going?” he whispered.

  Juniper waved a hand to him and kept on moving.

  He hurried after her. “Stay where y
ou are.”

  “This is a chance to grab someone important. We can find out more about them.”

  “No way,” said Arlo. “That’s not the mission.” He crawled along in the shadows and grabbed hold of Juniper’s ankle.

  “I’m improvising a new mission,” said Juniper, trying to kick free of Arlo’s grip.

  “It’s too risky.”

  “We have to take risks,” said Juniper, glaring at him over her shoulder and freeing her ankle from his grasp. “This could be the only chance we get.”

  “To do what, get ourselves killed?”

  “We won’t get ourselves killed if we’re quick. We grab a commander, take them back to the base, and interrogate them. Isn’t that what you want to do?”

  “Our mission tonight is to blow up the tower,” said Arlo. “If we go off plan, it could all go wrong.”

  “We can score ourselves a bonus,” said Juniper. “Think how happy that will make Danni when you arrive back with a State prisoner. We could get so many answers if we grab the right one.”

  “And if we grab the wrong one? Or get seen and shot down by guards?”

  “Arlo, what’s going on?” asked Heath. “The cars have passed the booth. They’re heading to the tower.”

  “We’ve spotted six State commanders coming out,” said Arlo, keeping his attention pinned to the State officials as he latched his fingers back around Juniper’s ankle.

  “They haven’t spotted you?”

  “Not yet.” His fingers slipped off Juniper’s ankle, and she wriggled away. “Dammit!”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Juniper. She’s determined to catch herself a commander.” Arlo let out a sigh, his heart racing as he saw Juniper head closer to the group.

  “Don’t let her do it. It’s too much of a risk.”

  “Have you met Juniper?” Arlo tracked along behind her. “She doesn’t know the meaning of the word risk.”

  “She could mess up this entire mission if we’re discovered.”

  “I won’t let her do that.” Arlo cut the comms and increased his speed. He had to stop Juniper before she did something reckless.

  JUNIPER COULD HEAR Arlo cursing at her as she drew farther away. She ignored him and carried on skulking toward the State commanders. She was so close to reaching some of the people who’d made her life a misery. The State made her skin crawl. There was something inhuman about them, something cruel and wrong. It was more than just her intense hatred that made her feel this way. Everything about them was unnatural. They were hiding a dark secret, and she was determined to find out what it was.

  She glanced over her shoulder to see Arlo still in the shadows, his fists clenched and his expression grim as he followed her. She knew he’d be pissed with her for doing this, but she couldn’t waste this opportunity. Arlo had his orders to follow, but Juniper wasn’t one of his squad. She was just a new recruit, an undecided new recruit. She might not even be at the base next week. Maybe Danni would kick her out after this. Not that Juniper cared. This was a risk worth taking. Even if she got kicked out, she’d have answers to the questions that plagued her head. Questions that kept her awake at night.

  Pausing in a deep patch of shadows, Juniper heard the commanders’ voices. She couldn’t catch their whole conversation but heard mention of the next phase and assimilation. One of them mentioned something about an egg being ready. They must mean a dragon’s egg. Were they growing themselves a dragon?

  Juniper grimaced. Whatever they were talking about, none of it sounded good. Her anger grew.

  A hand wrapped around Juniper’s middle, and she stifled a scream. She was yanked back and landed on Arlo’s chest.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” His tone was harsh as he whispered in her ear. “Do you have a death wish?”

  “Of course not!” She tugged his hand from her waist and turned toward him. “Don’t you want to know what they’re doing?”

  “Not if it risks everyone else. I’m not putting the team at risk by going off on some random mission. The only thing that will do is get everybody killed. You included.”

  “Then let me do it alone,” she whispered. “I can hear them talking. They mentioned some kind of egg and moving to a new phase. What if this has to do with the dragons? Could the next phase be trying to grow a dragon inside an egg, just like you’re attempting?”

  “We don’t know,” growled Arlo. “Stick to the mission. We’re lucky they haven’t spotted the bombs yet.”

  “You should trigger them now,” said Juniper sharply. “Since you’re too much of a coward to go grab a State commander, then the least we can do is blow them sky high. We could take out half a dozen commanders right now.”

  “I’m not a coward. I simply know when to follow orders and when to act sensibly, not put people I care about in danger.”

  Juniper blinked up at Arlo. He cared about her? She shook the thought from her mind. “We’re already in danger. A little more can’t hurt.” She could see from the gleam in his eyes that he was tempted by the opportunity. It would seriously screw up the State chain of command if they lost so many commanders.

  Arlo’s attention went to the group of State officials as the black stretch limos pulled up. “Let me grab images of them first.” He activated the image lens on his wrist comm and scanned it over the group.

  Juniper jiggled on her toes, adrenaline making her twitchy. “Are we good to go?”

  “Heath and Danni will kill us for doing this.”

  She flashed him a smile. “They’ll give us both medals.”

  Arlo snorted. “You don’t know Danni at all if you think that’s ever going to happen.”

  “It will be worth it.”

  Arlo’s expression was grim, but he nodded. “If I can’t convince you not to do this, at least I can cover your back.”

  “You’re such a gentleman.”

  “Trust me, there’s nothing gentle about me.”

  Juniper ran her gaze over Arlo. He wasn’t a coward. His exterior was that of a battle-hardened soldier, with his scars and muscles. There was more to him than that, and she wanted to learn all about that side of Arlo. But first, they had State monsters to capture.

  “We should go for the guy on the left,” said Arlo. “He’s not engaged with the rest of the group. It looks like he’s keen to get away and there are fewer guards close to him.”

  “Agreed,” said Juniper.

  “Arlo. Give us a status report,” said Jude. “You’re too quiet for my liking, and Danni is breathing down my neck.”

  “We have an opportunity,” said Arlo.

  Heath cut in. “Do not do anything stupid.”

  “We’re not,” snapped Juniper. “We’re getting results.”

  “Arlo, return to the Cobra and detonate the bombs. Our mission is to bring down this tower.” Heath’s tone was no nonsense and the order clear.

  Juniper grabbed Arlo’s hand. “We’re running out of time. We grab this chance now, or we give up. And I don’t take you as a quitter.”

  “I’m also not suicidal,” muttered Arlo. He drew in a breath. “Heath, we’re taking a shot at a commander. We’d appreciate covering fire.”

  “Do not engage,” yelled Heath.

  Arlo cut the comms link. He nodded at Juniper. “Let’s go.”

  They crept as close as they could, keeping to the shadows. They reached the final dirt-spattered car and stopped behind it.

  Juniper risked a look out and drew back quickly. “They’re on the move.”

  “Is our target still on his own?”

  “He is. And heading this way.”

  “Ready?”

  Juniper nodded, her nerves feeling stretched to the breaking point. She wanted this so badly, to dent the stranglehold the State had over everything.

  Arlo moved swiftly and smoothly as he positioned his weapon, leaned around the car, and fired three shots.

  Juniper joined him. Three guards were dead. Her heart raced as she
saw their target turn and run in the opposite direction.

  “No, you don’t.” She raced away from the safety of the car. Juniper ignored Arlo’s shout to come back. She would not miss this opportunity.

  She narrowed the gap between them. Juniper had gotten good at sprinting from trouble. She was almost on top of the commander when he spun around and grabbed her arm, preventing her from firing.

  Up close, she could see strange orange flecks in his dark brown eyes. And, despite the strong cologne he wore, there was a sour smell lingering beneath it, and a tang of rotting meat.

  “How dare you invade our territory?” He shook her roughly, keeping her gun arm pinned to her side.

  “Territory? This place isn’t yours.”

  His nostrils expanded. “But it is. Why do you question me?”

  Juniper risked a glance back and saw Arlo firing at the remaining guards. The commanders also had weapons trained on Arlo, and he was pinned behind the cars. A stab of regret hit her. She shouldn’t have left him, but she couldn’t lose the chance to capture a commander.

  “Answer me.” He shook her again, his cold, emotionless gaze running over her face. “What makes you different?”

  Juniper yanked her arm free and tried to raise her gun. She wasn’t going to kill him, but a flesh wound would slow him down.

  The commander smashed her arm away. Damn, he was fast and strong. His fingers clawed into her hand, trying to yank the gun loose.

  His eyes narrowed, and he inhaled. “You are not human.”

  Juniper slammed her gun against his hand, but he held on tight. “What’s it to you? Do you want me for one of your sick experiments?”

  His top lip curled, revealing a row of perfect white teeth, the tips looking a little too pointed to be natural. “You are a monster.”

  “I’m guessing the same goes for you.” She gasped as the man swung her around and forced her to take several steps back, away from Arlo. Hell, he was strong. His fingers dug into her flesh like cold metal rods, preventing her from shooting him. “What are you?”

  A humorless smile slid across his face. “The rightful species in charge of this globe.”