Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
Greer
“ G et those supplies roped down.” The wind whipped at my face, tearing at my hair and clothes.
The storm had come in fast. The wind was so strong that I was struggling to stay on my feet. My team and I were trying to secure all the construction supplies.
Everyone hurried around the dam wall, tying gear down and carrying crates into storage. The crane had been secured, and I hoped it didn’t rip free. I glanced over at it, and watched it rocking in the wind.
Lightning flared through the sky, followed by a deafening crack of thunder. Even though I knew it was afternoon, it looked like night had fallen. The water looked dark and menacing, the tips of it flicked up into a frenzy. Overhead, the clouds boiled.
I pulled a mesh net over some boxes and clicked it down.
A cry pierced the deafening roar of the wind. Whipping around, I watched boxes tumbling down off the wall and into the water.
Dammit .
Pushing against the wind, I headed in that direction. There was another flash of lightning followed by a crack of thunder. I saw one of my engineers—I could tell it was Travis by his tall, lanky body and the hat he always wore—fighting against the wind.
Then the rain started.
It pelted down and I was drenched in an instant. Great, just great. I swiped water out of my eyes. Visibility turned to crap. I held my arm up, shielding my face.
I pushed on, and almost collided with one of my other engineers, Sam. He was fighting to get a rope tied over some crates. I rushed to help him, blocking one crate from sliding away with my hip.
“The storm wasn’t forecast to be this bad,” Sam yelled. His blonde hair was stuck to his head.
“Secure the gear, then we need to get everyone inside.”
Suddenly, the rope flew out of his hand, flopping around. Together, we grabbed at it.
“Where’s Travis?” I yelled. “I just saw him here.”
“I don’t know. He was going to get more rope.”
Together, Sam and I got the rope tied down.
I straightened and scanned the wall. “Travis? Travis?”
There was no answer, only more thunder. I doubted he’d be able to hear me, even if he was right beside me. A crack of lightning illuminated the top of the wall. I didn’t see anybody.
Where was he?
“Greer! Look!”
At Sam’s shout, I spun. A coiled rope lay on the ground at the edge of the dam wall. Beside it, were Travis’ hat and communicator. The man loved his stupid, beaten-up straw hat.
What the hell? I scanned the water.
“Do you think he fell?” Sam’s voice was filled with worry.
My heart pounded in my chest. I hoped not. “Travis!”
Suddenly, something long and dark flew out of the water.
I staggered back and tripped, landing on my butt. Beside me, Sam cursed.
A huge, black tentacle slapped onto the dam wall beside me. It was oil-slick black and covered in bumps.
God . My pulse spiked, my heart hammering fast. I crawled backward. “Sam, get inside!”
“What about Travis?”
Something told me that Travis hadn’t made it. I locked down the churning emotions inside me. I had to get Sam to safety.
“Go!” I shouted.
Sam ran, pumping his arms. The door to the interior base was at the end of the dam wall. Inside the wall was the power station, dam equipment, and living areas for the dam workers.
More lightning flared overhead. The water churned angrily, and a second tentacle arrowed into the dark sky.
Jesus, how big was the damn monster?
The tentacle beside me withdrew, slithering back into the water. I pushed to my feet. The roiling water seemed to expand, moving down along the dam wall.
Oh, no . It was following Sam.
“Sam, stop! Stay still.”
The wind snatched my words away. He couldn’t hear me.
No .
I looked around and spotted a toolbox. I quickly fumbled to open it, wiping away the water in my eyes. I grabbed a wrench and a hammer.
Turning, I sprinted down the dam wall. I leaped onto some crates and jumped off.
“Sam!”
A tentacle speared up. In horror, I watched it snap out and hit Sam.
The young engineer fell, hitting the concrete hard. It was clear he was winded. He looked back over his shoulder and his gaze met mine.
Then, the tentacle wrapped around his leg. It dragged him toward the water.
“ No .” I ran toward him. I brought a hammer down and hit the tentacle hard.
It jerked side to side, slamming Sam into a box.
“Let him go.” I threw the wrench toward the water.
The tentacle retracted fast. Sam screamed.
It lifted him into the air, then the man and tentacle dropped, and disappeared into the water.
My heart thudded in my ears and my lungs constricted like they were being squeezed by giant hands.
No . Sam. God , no .
“Greer?” I heard shouts and the thud of running footsteps. Two of my team appeared—Lisa and Kiaan.
“Everyone inside.” I swallowed. “No one is to come out on the wall.” My stomach clenched hard. “A monster in the water took Travis and Sam. We need help.”
“Oh, God,” Lisa cried, pressing a hand to her mouth. Her brown braid whipped around her slim shoulders.
Kiaan’s face crumpled. He was several years older than me and our hydroelectric expert.
I ushered them both toward the door. As we stepped inside the dam base, Lisa grabbed my arm.
“Wait, Frankie and Jordan were locking down the exo-suits.”
My chest squeezed. “They’re still out there?”
Lisa nodded.
“Okay.” I blew out a breath. Frankie was a good friend. I tried not to let my fear overwhelm me. “You two stay in here and keep the rest of the workers calm. I’ll get them.” I quickly pulled out my communicator. I needed to make a call before I went to find Frankie and Jordan. I stabbed at the screen.
“Hey, Greer,” a deep voice said. “I thought you were calling later.”
The familiar rumble of Jameson’s voice felt like a calm in the storm. I turned on the video.
His rugged face appeared on the screen, then he frowned. “You okay? You’re all wet.”
“No, I’m not okay. Jameson…I need Hunter Squad. I need you.”
Jameson
The wind buffeted the Talon.
I gripped the handhold above my head to keep my balance.
“This storm is bad,” Zeke muttered.
The others were sitting, but I couldn’t. I was standing, fighting to keep my balance and staring out at the rain-drenched darkness that we were flying over.
Greer was in trouble.
My fingers flexed on the handhold. I had to get to her.
“What did Greer say about this monster?” Kai asked.
“Not much. It was in the water and it had tentacles.” I gritted my teeth. “It took two of her people.”
“Hell,” North said.
I prayed that Greer was inside and safe.
“I have a visual,” Colbie yelled from the cockpit. “But the visibility is crap in this rain.”
A huge gust of wind hit us, and the Talon shuddered.
The squad was tense but ready. I hated that we were a soldier down. I needed to replace Scott, but we couldn’t stop helping people when they needed it.
“Oh, God,” Colbie said.
Not much rattled my pilot. I shoved forward and leaned into the cockpit. I barely paid any attention to Colbie as she worked the controls. She could handle the bad weather.
She was the daughter of two pilots. Finn had been Hell Squad’s Hawk pilot. Hawks were the quadcopter model that came before the Talons. Finn still trained new pilots, and Lia, Colbie’s mother, was still in charge of the drone pilots, like she had been during the alien invasion. Now, the drones delivered goods to communities all around the area, rather than dropping bombs.
Colbie was the best pilot I knew. If anyone could handle this storm, it was her.
I looked ahead. The gray dam wall stood out in the darkness. Then I cursed.
Two giant tentacles were slapping at the wall.
And then I saw Greer.
My gut locked. “The little idiot.”
She had a blaster in her hand and was shooting at the monster. Running my gaze quickly along the wall, I spotted two people huddled by some crates. The monster was between them and Greer.
“All right, Hunter Squad.” I turned to my team, checking my armor. “We have three people on the dam wall, and one nasty, aquatic monster with tentacles.”
My guys checked their carbines, getting ready.
Marc smiled. “Only one monster? Easy.”
“Get us in there, Colbie,” I ordered.
“On it, boss man.”
I wrenched open the side door. The wind and rain flew at my face, but I ignored it. “Let’s move.”
As soon as the Talon was over the dam wall, I jumped.
I landed, bent my knees, and whipped my carbine up.
My team moved in beside me. We opened fire on the creature, our lasers lighting up the night. The monster let out an ear-splitting noise, its tentacles waving madly.
Shit . I needed to get Greer clear.
“Concentrate fire on the center of mass,” I shouted.
Even if they couldn’t hear me over the wind, my orders would come through their earpieces. My squad moved closer to the edge of the dam wall. I lowered my weapon and ran toward Greer.
“ Jameson .” Her hair was plastered to her head.
I hauled her close. “You need to get inside.”
“Not without my people.”
I turned my head to look at the two people trapped on the far side of the wall.
“Come on.” I waved at the man and woman.
They rose and took one step.
A black tentacle slapped down between us.
I swiveled my carbine and fired. The tentacle jerked, but didn’t move away. I saw the terror on the man and the woman’s faces. They were frozen.
“Get inside, Greer. I’ll get your people.”
“No.” She straightened and aimed her blaster. “I’ll help.”
“Greer—”
“You’re wasting time, Jameson.”
Dammit . I advanced on the tentacle, firing. Beside me, Greer fired her blaster.
The tentacle slid toward us. I tackled Greer and rolled us out of the way. I ended up on top of her, the rain hammering down on us.
“Okay?”
She licked her lips and nodded.
Rising, I pulled her to her feet. Then I yanked my combat knife from the sheath on my thigh.
I was going to have to get up close and personal.
“Stay behind me.” I strode over and rammed the blade into the tentacle. I yanked, opening up a gash.
The tentacle went mad. I used all my strength, cutting and hacking. Thick, black blood oozed from the wound. Damn, the skin was thick. Gritting my teeth, I kept pulling the knife through the tentacle.
Hands gripped mine and Greer was there, adding her strength to mine.
Together, we sawed the blade through the thick flesh. The tentacle ripped free, leaving a hunk of it behind. It flopped around and I kicked it away.
Greer ran to her people. “Come on. It’s okay. Hunter Squad is here.”
I waved them ahead of me, bringing up the rear. I kept my weapon up, watching the churning water. My squad was still firing on the creature.
Then suddenly, the final tentacle slipped back into the water.
The water went still.
Damn, I knew it wasn’t dead. It was still in there. Waiting.
“Everyone inside,” I yelled.
My squad mates nodded.
We followed Greer into the dam base.