Jameson (Hunter Squad #1)

Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

Jameson

I watched the electro device shoot through the air…

Straight into the monster’s gaping mouth.

“The device is in place, Sasha,” I yelled over the comms. “Tell Maxim. Colbie, retract the cable. Now!”

Marc started whizzing upward. I reached out and yanked Greer up.

“Nothing’s happening,” she cried. “It didn’t work.”

I kept my gaze on the monster. It reared up, trying to reach Marc. “Give Maxim time to activate it.”

A second later, a low, almost subsonic sound vibrated through all of us. The monster started jerking in the water, thrashing around.

“It’s working.” I smiled at her. “You did it.”

She beamed back at me.

The monster screeched so loudly I almost winced. I hugged Greer close, watching as the creature sagged and floated in the water.

It was still. Dead.

“Woo-hoo!” Marc yelled from below the Talon. He pumped a fist into the air.

I grinned back, then I turned to the rest of the squad. “It’s dead.”

Everyone cheered.

“Nice work, Greer,” North said. “Your parents are going to be proud as hell.”

She grinned, and she’d never looked more beautiful. “I’m a damn good shot. I’m going to tell Dad I’m better than him.”

Then I snatched her into my arms and kissed her. She clutched at my shoulders, kissing me back.

The guys cheered again, and Kai whistled.

“Shut up,” I muttered at them, but I was still smiling.

“That’s justice for Travis and Sam,” she whispered.

“Yeah.”

“Wait—” Colbie’s voice cut through the moment.

Her tense tone made me stiffen. “What’s wrong?”

“There’s something else coming. Sasha, are you picking anything up?” The Talon turned in midair. “There’s something else in the water.”

“I’m picking up a faint signature,” Sasha said on the comm line. “I can’t tell what it is.”

I turned back to the side door and scanned the water.

“Oh no,” Greer said.

There . In the distance, the water was rippling hard. Something was definitely coming.

“Hunter Squad,” I said.

“We’re ready,” Kai said.

“Marc?”

“Yeah, more fun to come,” the man answered.

“Hold us steady, Colbie.” I met Greer’s gaze. “Stay back.”

She stepped back and gripped one of the seats.

Suddenly, a massive monster, far larger than the first one we’d just killed, reared up out of the water. Multiple tentacles broke the surface, waving wildly.

“Fuck me,” Marc yelled, opening fire.

The rest of the squad fired their carbines. I jerked my weapon up and pressed the trigger.

The creature let out a low rumbling sound. Like we were just pissing it off.

“Kai, turret,” I barked.

A flash of movement out of the corner of my eye as Kai jumped into the turret seat. The large gun swiveled and aimed.

Heavy laser fire hit the creature. It shuddered and let out a loud roar.

More tentacles speared upward, heading for the Talon. The quadcopter jerked quickly to the side.

I stumbled, gripping the door frame hard. I swallowed a curse.

Greer stumbled into one of the seats.

“Keep firing,” I yelled.

There was no time to worry about water contamination now. Another tentacle flew up, narrowly missing Marc.

“Get Marc aboard, Colbie,” I said.

But before the pilot could retract the cable, another tentacle splashed out of the water. How many did this thing have?

Greer staggered to my side and looked out. “Oh, God,” she breathed in horror.

The tentacle circled Marc. I saw him drop his carbine and kick his legs. The tentacle tightened its grip on him, then the monster pulled.

The entire Talon dipped down toward the water. The guys started cursing. I wrapped one arm around Greer and gripped the doorframe even harder to keep my balance.

The engines droned.

“Full power, Colbie,” I yelled.

The Talon straightened and the monster rose out of the water.

Then we were pulled down again, tipping to the side.

We were caught in a deadly game of tug-of-war, and Marc was trapped in the middle. I saw that he was stabbing at the tentacle. But it wasn’t letting him go.

“Marc, hold on.”

“Not…giving up…yet.”

Dammit, he sounded in a lot of pain. The damn creature was crushing him.

“Colbie, tell me you can get us free,” I barked.

“That’s everything I’ve got,” she yelled back.

My mind whirled. I needed options.

“Jameson,” Marc’s strained voice in my earpiece. “Cut the cable.”

“No!” I heard Zeke roar behind me.

My chest solidified, felt like fucking concrete. I could cut the cable. My gaze locked on Marc below us. My gut clenched. Greer’s hand pressed over mine.

No . We never fucking left a man or woman behind.

“We’re not cutting the cable. We leave no one behind. Okay—” I pulled out my combat knife “—let’s?—”

Greer broke away and reached behind us. Then she stepped into the open door beside me, the crossbow in her hands.

“Let’s make this fucking monster regret its actions.” She aimed the crossbow, then fired several bolts down at the monster.

The creature let out a muted roar and loosened its hold on Marc a little.

“Concentrate fire on its head,” she said.

Everyone aimed their carbines at the creature’s head. The monster jerked, shaking its massive bulk.

“That’s it,” I yelled. “Keep firing.”

Then, a second tentacle speared up, and grabbed the body of the Talon.

Fuck .

Black, oily skin dotted with suckers was right in front of me. The guys were shouting, Colbie was yelling, and the Talon tilted.

Greer slipped, and the crossbow fell from her hands, dropping into the water below. We listed even more to the side. She slid toward the open door.

“Greer!”

She fell but grabbed the bottom of the doorway, her body dangling out of the quadcopter. Her gaze met mine.

I could see her fingers slipping.

“Greer! No!” I lunged for her.

Then she fell.

I watched her arms and legs flailing as she fell past a tentacle and hit the water.

No .

For a second, I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Then my focus solidified. I had to save my squad, and I sure as hell had to save my woman.

I leaped out of the Talon and onto one of the tentacles.

Clamping my arms and legs onto it, I slid a little. I clamped on harder. Then I pulled out my knife and stabbed it deep, and the tentacle jerked.

I used all my weight and dragged the knife through the thick skin. I heard that roar-shriek again.

The creature released the Talon. I clung to the tentacle like I was riding a bucking bull. It waved through the air, whipping me around. I stabbed again.

Then it released Marc.

“Colbie, get out of range. Now!”

I watched the quadcopter turn and ascend, Marc swinging below it. He was limp in the harness, his arm and legs dangling. Shit, I hoped to hell he was all right.

The tentacle sliced sideways, and I hung on with everything I had. My body slipped a little and I gritted my teeth.

I looked down. Greer was in the water and swimming away, trying to get to the bank. But as I watched, one of the tentacles wrapped around her middle. Every muscle in my body locked.

Fucking hell. No.

I let go and plummeted into the water.

The water closed over my head, then I kicked up. I broke the surface and powered toward her.

“Greer!”

When I reached the tentacle holding her, I grabbed on.

Just then, the monster started to move, swimming through the lake and away from the Talon.

Greer

Fighting back my panic, I tried to keep my head above the water. Water splashed in my eyes and filled my mouth. I spat it out.

The black tentacle tightened around me, squeezing hard.

Oh God. Oh God . There was a second monster. I couldn’t believe it.

Water splashed in my face again, and I shook my head.

The monster was moving fast, swimming through the lake in the opposite direction of the dam. I was in trouble.

“Greer!”

Jameson? I heard him shout my name and wondered if I was imagining things. I turned my head.

My heart surged. He was clinging to the tentacle, just a few meters away.

He’d dove in after me. Emotion flooded me. He’d come for me.

More water splashed over us. Jameson slipped and my pulse spiked. He lunged forward, gripping on hard.

“Jameson!” I reached out, and his fingers touched mine.

Then the monster picked up speed, driving through the water.

I heard Jameson curse. I glanced up and saw the Talon above, but as the monster followed a curve in the lake, the quadcopter disappeared from view.

“I’ll get you free. Hold on.”

But I could tell he was struggling to hold onto the tentacle.

If he couldn’t do it…

I’d be alone with the monster.

No , I wasn’t going to lose it. I was going to survive this. My own mother had survived Gizzida captivity. I could survive this.

Besides all of that, I very much wanted to get naked with Jameson Steele again.

I was very motivated to survive.

A large wave of water hit my face. I coughed and blinked.

Then suddenly, the creature plunged under the water.

Darkness closed around me. I struggled wildly. I couldn’t see Jameson. I couldn’t see anything.

Scratching at the tentacle, I tried to loosen its grip, but it was too tight. It was impossible to break free.

I was going to drown.

I held on as long as I could, until my lungs were burning. Bubbles escaped from my mouth.

Then the creature shot upward. My head broke the surface.

I greedily sucked in air.

“Greer! Greer, are you all right?”

I blinked, my vision blurry. He was just a dark outline. “I’m…okay.”

“The armor has a combat helmet built in. It has an oxygen supply. You need to activate it. There’s a button on?—”

The creature went under the water again.

No .

I pushed and shoved. The tentacle loosened its grip a little, then retightened. God, it hurt. What had Jameson been saying? A helmet?

Then the monster thrashed around, and water filled my mouth.

We broke the surface again and I coughed hard. “ Jameson .”

“I’m here!”

“If I don’t make it… Tell Mom and Dad I love them.”

“You’re going to make it.” His tone was fierce, and I wished I could see him. “Activate your helmet, Greer. The button on the left side of your neck.”

Helmet? I reached around, trying to find the controls. Jameson’s hand appeared, as he tried to haul himself farther along the tentacle.

I touched a button, and the thin, thermoplastic helmet slid over my face. I heard a hiss of air.

He nodded, relief on his rugged face. “We’re going to get out of this.”

I wanted to believe him. That we were going to make it. I sucked in some deep breaths. “I want more time with you.”

“And you’ll get it. When this mission is over, we’re going to take a few days off.”

“We are? I seem to recall your mother complaining that you never take time off.”

“I have a good reason to now.” His voice was gruff. “We’re going to spend the entire time in my bed. I’ll fuck you every way I’ve ever dreamed of.”

My heart stuttered. “You’ve had lots of dreams?”

“Of you? Yes.”

I saw him climbing along the tentacle. He had his arms and legs clamped onto it. His helmet was in place.

My breathing hitched. I was terrified he’d fall off. “Don’t leave me.”

“ Never .” His gaze stayed on mine. “Whatever happens, I’m getting you out of here.”

I nodded, my breath fogging up the helmet.

“Greer, repeat that. Jameson is going to get me out of here.”

“Jameson is going to get me out of here.”

“Good girl. Okay, I’m?—”

The monster lunged under the water again.

Oh, God . I tried to keep my breathing calm, listening to air hissing through the helmet. I pushed against the spongy, oily skin, trying to get it to loosen its hold.

Come on.

Then it shifted, and another tentacle reared into view. The end of a tentacle smacked into my face. The helmet cracked.

No. No. I stared at the spiderweb of cracks. My heart beat harder, thumping in my chest.

A thin trickle of water started pouring into the helmet. I clamped my mouth shut. The cracks widened.

It wasn’t long before the facemask filled. I couldn’t hold my breath forever. Panic hit and I tried desperately to fight it back.

I couldn’t hold my breath any longer.

My lips opened and water filled my mouth. I started thrashing. Black splotches filled my vision. I couldn’t breathe.

My movements slowed.

Jameson .

I wasn’t sure if I saw his face, or just imagined it, but then darkness bled in over everything and there was nothing.