breath.
“We need a way out,” Marcus said. “We’re
pinned in an alley.”
“Okay. Okay.” Noah sounded harried. He was
probably regretting volunteering to do comms. “I’ve got a Hawk on
its way. And I’m searching for an exit for you.”
“Now, Noah!” Marcus yelled.
“He’ll come through,” Elle said. “Noah
always comes through.”
A distant roar echoed through the alley.
“Shit,” Marcus bit off.
Elle swallowed. Boom. Boom. Boom . The
ground beneath them trembled.
The raptors ahead scrambled out of the way.
Two huge, scaled legs with clawed feet the size of SUVs stepped
into view.
It took another step and the huge, bulky
body of the rex filled the alley entrance.
It lifted its enormous head and roared.
Chapter Eight
In his head, Marcus worked through all the
curse words he knew. And he knew a lot.
This was bad. Fucking bad.
He stepped closer to Elle and wished like
hell she was anywhere but here. He needed to keep her safe. He
needed a way out.
She was looking around and he could almost
see the wheels turning in her head.
“Marcus. Back through the library. We need
to go that way.” She pointed.
He saw the door that had locked behind them
was now torn and bent from where the canid had come through.
He cupped the nape of her neck. “Good work.”
Then he looked back at the team. “Everyone, back into the
library.”
They sprinted toward the door. The raptors
opened fire again. The thick, green goo hit the side of the
building, sizzling as it ate into the brick. The squad returned
fire.
The rex roared again and took a step into
the alley. But the massive creature’s progress was halted by the
tall buildings on either side of the narrow alley.
As they moved inside, it took Marcus’ eyes a
second to adjust to the dim light. Elle stumbled on an overturned
chair. He grabbed her arm and kept her on her feet. They ran down
the rows of shelves.
Suddenly, part of the roof gave way with a
crash and a huge clawed foot came down and squashed the bookcase
beside them.
Marcus swerved left and looked up. Through
the gaping hole in the roof, he saw the rex.
“Marcus.” Noah’s voice cut through the
chaos. “Hawk will be landing in five minutes in a park two blocks
north of your location.”
“Roger that, Noah. Now keep quiet. We have a
hungry rex to deal with.” A raptor appeared in front of them.
Marcus shot it in the head. “Everyone, keep moving!”
“Marcus!”
Claudia’s shout came through the earpiece.
Followed by Cruz’s swearing in Spanish.
Marcus swiveled. Elle slammed to a stop
against his chest.
Hell . Claudia was pinned by an
overturned bookcase. Cruz was trying to free her but one of his
arms was hanging uselessly by his side and covered in blood and it
looked like the bookcase was too heavy even with the help of his
armor’s exoskeleton.
Three raptors were heading their way,
tossing debris out of their path to get to them.
Overhead, the rex roared, smashing its tail
through a wall. Hunks of plaster flew through the air, one smacking
Marcus in the back. He pulled Elle to his chest, curling his body
around hers.
“Fucking fuck.” Shaw appeared beside them.
He knelt and sighted his rifle at the raptors bearing down on Cruz
and Claudia. “We have to get her out of there.”
Gabe rushed passed them, sprinting toward
the pair.
“Zeke!” Marcus roared.
The man materialized beside him. He held his
carbine in one hand and his knife—covered in raptor blood—in the
other. “Boss?”
“You take Elle and you get her out of here.
Get to the evac point.”
“Marcus, no!” she said. “You need Zeke
here.”
“I need you safe.”
She opened her mouth and he gripped the
front of her armor and yanked her onto her toes. He pressed a quick
kiss to her open mouth.
“I. Need. You. Safe,” he growled.
He didn’t wait to see that she followed his
order. He spun and plowed toward his fallen team members. Shaw had
taken down a raptor, Gabe was wrestling with
“We need a way out,” Marcus said. “We’re
pinned in an alley.”
“Okay. Okay.” Noah sounded harried. He was
probably regretting volunteering to do comms. “I’ve got a Hawk on
its way. And I’m searching for an exit for you.”
“Now, Noah!” Marcus yelled.
“He’ll come through,” Elle said. “Noah
always comes through.”
A distant roar echoed through the alley.
“Shit,” Marcus bit off.
Elle swallowed. Boom. Boom. Boom . The
ground beneath them trembled.
The raptors ahead scrambled out of the way.
Two huge, scaled legs with clawed feet the size of SUVs stepped
into view.
It took another step and the huge, bulky
body of the rex filled the alley entrance.
It lifted its enormous head and roared.
Chapter Eight
In his head, Marcus worked through all the
curse words he knew. And he knew a lot.
This was bad. Fucking bad.
He stepped closer to Elle and wished like
hell she was anywhere but here. He needed to keep her safe. He
needed a way out.
She was looking around and he could almost
see the wheels turning in her head.
“Marcus. Back through the library. We need
to go that way.” She pointed.
He saw the door that had locked behind them
was now torn and bent from where the canid had come through.
He cupped the nape of her neck. “Good work.”
Then he looked back at the team. “Everyone, back into the
library.”
They sprinted toward the door. The raptors
opened fire again. The thick, green goo hit the side of the
building, sizzling as it ate into the brick. The squad returned
fire.
The rex roared again and took a step into
the alley. But the massive creature’s progress was halted by the
tall buildings on either side of the narrow alley.
As they moved inside, it took Marcus’ eyes a
second to adjust to the dim light. Elle stumbled on an overturned
chair. He grabbed her arm and kept her on her feet. They ran down
the rows of shelves.
Suddenly, part of the roof gave way with a
crash and a huge clawed foot came down and squashed the bookcase
beside them.
Marcus swerved left and looked up. Through
the gaping hole in the roof, he saw the rex.
“Marcus.” Noah’s voice cut through the
chaos. “Hawk will be landing in five minutes in a park two blocks
north of your location.”
“Roger that, Noah. Now keep quiet. We have a
hungry rex to deal with.” A raptor appeared in front of them.
Marcus shot it in the head. “Everyone, keep moving!”
“Marcus!”
Claudia’s shout came through the earpiece.
Followed by Cruz’s swearing in Spanish.
Marcus swiveled. Elle slammed to a stop
against his chest.
Hell . Claudia was pinned by an
overturned bookcase. Cruz was trying to free her but one of his
arms was hanging uselessly by his side and covered in blood and it
looked like the bookcase was too heavy even with the help of his
armor’s exoskeleton.
Three raptors were heading their way,
tossing debris out of their path to get to them.
Overhead, the rex roared, smashing its tail
through a wall. Hunks of plaster flew through the air, one smacking
Marcus in the back. He pulled Elle to his chest, curling his body
around hers.
“Fucking fuck.” Shaw appeared beside them.
He knelt and sighted his rifle at the raptors bearing down on Cruz
and Claudia. “We have to get her out of there.”
Gabe rushed passed them, sprinting toward
the pair.
“Zeke!” Marcus roared.
The man materialized beside him. He held his
carbine in one hand and his knife—covered in raptor blood—in the
other. “Boss?”
“You take Elle and you get her out of here.
Get to the evac point.”
“Marcus, no!” she said. “You need Zeke
here.”
“I need you safe.”
She opened her mouth and he gripped the
front of her armor and yanked her onto her toes. He pressed a quick
kiss to her open mouth.
“I. Need. You. Safe,” he growled.
He didn’t wait to see that she followed his
order. He spun and plowed toward his fallen team members. Shaw had
taken down a raptor, Gabe was wrestling with
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