Read Online The Tide: Deadrise by Anthony J Melchiorri - Free Book Online Page A

cried out in response.
    Shepherd, Rachel, and Rory dodged under branches and leapt over knotted roots as they dashed down a slope. Momentum carried Shepherd to the point where if he lost his footing, he would probably roll straight into the river. But he didn’t stop. They ran as the muck and mud grabbed their boots and sucked at their feet. Skulls splashed in after them. The monsters, weighed down by their heavy organic armor, floundered in the shallow water.
    The Skulls would be dangerous until they were far enough out to be swept away by the current and drowned. According to Rachel and Rory, the damn things couldn’t swim. He hoped their intel was good, but it was too late now to change tactics.
    Let the river take the Skulls, please, Shepherd prayed.
    Soon he was swimming, his pack floating in front of him. The midshipmen did likewise. They kicked as hard as they could, and the current started to sweep them away. Suicidal Skulls, attempting to follow, were quickly pulled under by their dense armor plates. They splashed and flailed, but Shepherd did not spare them a moment’s pity.
    Shepherd felt something hit his feet and roll under him. “Shit! Keep swimming!” The monsters were just as dangerous dead as they were alive. One cut from their bony claws, one scratch, and the Oni Agent would take them.
    “Ah!” Rachel cried out, practically jumping from the water. “They’re under us!”
    She powered ahead of the group with the prowess of a practiced swimmer. Shepherd wasn’t too far behind, but Rory was struggling. Soon, Rachel was striding up the other side of the river. Shepherd kicked until he reached the shore. He tossed his bag up the muddy bank and looked back.
    “Where the hell did Rory go?” he asked.
    The midshipman’s pack was floating nearby, but the young man had disappeared.

-8-
    ––––––––
    T he Skull screamed at Meredith. She rolled out of the way, and it slammed harmlessly against a tree trunk. She dove to snatch up her dropped rifle. Before she could grab it, bullets lanced through the Skull. Its body twitched with each shot. Blood and flesh sprayed from the exit wounds. The rounds had come from the wrong direction to be machine-gun fire from the Joint Base. She pressed the stock of her rifle against her shoulder and aimed it around the darkness.
    “Meredith!” Miguel yelled. Glenn came running behind him.
    “Careful,” Meredith said. “Renee’s nearby!”
    “Here, here! Don’t fire!” Renee’s voice called out.
    They swiveled toward the crunching of feet over leaves and twigs. Renee emerged from the gloom. More Skulls cried out around them. The Hunters circled up and fired. Their gun chatter broke out over the unholy chorus of Skull voices. The creatures came at them, clawing and screaming, through the trees. Bullets crashed into the monsters’ plates and tore through their flesh. Their heads snapped back, their bodies crumpled and lifeless.
    “Retreat,” Dom said over the comm link.
    “Aye, aye,” they replied in unison.
    The Hunters worked like a killing machine. Firing and moving slowly through the woods. Machine-gun fire still peppered the shore and the sailboat. The Hunters maintained a healthy distance from the river as they made their way north, back to the building they’d come from. Progress was slow but steady.
    “Changing!” Meredith called out. She replaced the mag on her rifle and resumed firing. Somehow they’d been lucky enough to avoid being overwhelmed by a wave of Skulls. But she’d learned long ago relying on luck was a mistake, and she remained vigilant. They soon reached the parking lot near the marina.
    “Run!” Dom said. “I’ll cover your retreat!”
    As promised, rifle fire chattered from the window of the burned-out office building they’d used as a temporary base. Rounds pierced the night air and impaled the pursuing Skulls. Bony bodies thudded and smacked against the asphalt. Meredith ran with the others, taking the occasional