Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
Colbie
My heart went wild as we stared at the threader. Its oil-slick skin seemed to absorb the sunlight, and its eerie face was aimed in our direction.
It cocked his head, and I knew it was focused on us.
“Stay behind me,” Marc said.
I stepped back. We were so close to getting out of here.
My face and arm were stinging like hell, and I kept my damaged arm cradled against my chest.
Marc lifted his carbine, not taking his gaze off the monster.
The creature launched forward, and Marc fired.
The threader dodged, its mouth flaring open.
My stomach dropped. It looked like some demonic flower.
The web substance sprayed out and hit Marc’s hand and carbine. He cursed, shaking his arm, trying to get free of the sticky stuff.
The carbine fell to the ground, coated in web.
Marc backed up, and the threader advanced.
Reaching down, he yanked his knife out of its sheath.
Oh God. I didn’t want him getting too close to that thing. I knew they were strong. One had dragged North off during a mission, and he was a tall, fit guy.
Marc and the threader charged at each other.
The monster sprayed web, but Marc dived and rolled across the grass. He came up close to the threader and stabbed his knife into its thigh.
The monster let out an enraged sound. It swung out a long, thin arm, but Marc rolled and got to his feet. Then he leaped, and rammed his knife into the threader’s bony chest.
The monster let out a high-pitched squeal and flung Marc off.
He landed on his feet in a crouch. He charged at the threader again and sliced into its side.
But before he ducked out of reach, the threader caught his arm in one clawed hand.
Marc tried to yank free, but the monster was too strong. It dragged him closer, squeezing his arm, and I saw the pain on Marc’s face. The knife fell from his fingers.
No. Pulse hammering, I looked around. I spotted a good-sized stick on the ground and lifted it. I sprinted forward, then swung the branch into the monster’s back.
It connected and the monster swiveled. With a low cry, I hit it again.
“Get back, Colbie,” Marc gritted out.
“No.” I swung again.
The threader grabbed the stick. I tried to jerk it free, but it snapped off and I stumbled backward.
Marc rammed a fist into the threader’s face. The monster was still holding his left arm in a punishing grip.
Screw this. “Let him go!” I swung what was left of my stick.
The threader moved, jerking Marc with him, and my branch slammed into his back.
He grunted.
“Sorry!”
The threader’s mouth flared open, and my stomach clenched. It was still holding Marc. He couldn’t get free.
With a cry, I leaped into the monster’s back. Marc punched it again, and the threader twisted his arm. I heard the bone snap.
Marc yelled.
I dug my fingers into the threader’s face. It didn’t have eyes, but the area where they should be was soft and spongy. I jammed my fingers in hard.
It squawked and let Marc go. As he staggered back, it reached up, trying to grab me.
“Colbie, get off there,” Marc yelled.
I looked up. He was standing, his left arm hanging loosely at his side. As I watched, he bent and scooped his knife off the ground. His face was set like stone.
I jumped off the threader and landed badly. I went down on one knee.
Marc advanced on the monster. It was still shaking its head from my attack.
He leaped into the air, and drew back his good arm.
They collided, and he rammed the knife into the center of the threader’s face.
The screech was ear-splitting. I winced.
Then Marc was there, hauling me up.
“Time to go.”
A low, familiar rumble pulsed through the air.
I grinned. “Marc, the Talon’s close.”
He nodded. “Run into the trees.”
I ran, Marc keeping pace beside me.
I glanced at him. “Your arm…”
“It’ll be fine. How are your burns?”
“I’m not even thinking about them right now.” That wasn’t exactly true, but I was trying to block out the pain.
He shot me a look that said he wasn’t buying my BS.
Get to the quadcopter. That was all I cared about.
We ran through the trees, our feet pounding on the dirt. Suddenly, there was a loud howl, and I stumbled.
What now? I turned to glance back.
Marc cursed. “Keep going. Don’t look back.”
Something was hunting us.
“Colbie, faster.”
Soon, my chest was heaving and my lungs were burning. My body was just one mass of aching pain. But I had to keep moving. I pumped my arms.
If I stopped, Marc would stop.
We broke into a clearing.
There was another angry howl, much closer this time.
Oh, God.
Marc scanned the trees, his face grim.
Then there was a wash of air from above. It whipped the end of my hair around. A Talon swung into view above the clearing.
Thank God. Elation hit me. What a gorgeous sight.
The quadcopter hovered above us and lowered a line down.
“Come on.” Marc clipped it to his belt. He wrapped an arm around me. “Hold on tight.”
I wrapped my arms and legs around him.
We started whizzing upward, just as the huge, shaggy wolf monster broke free of the trees.
My chest felt like a steel band was squeezing it. The monster ran and leaped into the air. Marc and I both tucked our legs up. The huge jaws snapped, just centimeters from our boots.
Then suddenly, arms grabbed us, and I looked up into the faces of Jameson and Zeke.
They hauled us into the quadcopter
“You two look like hell,” Jameson said.
“I’ve had better days,” Marc noted, his voice tight.
Jameson helped me up, while Zeke helped Marc into a seat.
“His arm’s broken,” I told them.
“Colbie’s badly burned. North, look at her first.”
“No, I’m okay. Check his—”
North cleared his throat. “I’m the medic, I’ll decide. Sit.”
I dropped into a seat.
“Is she okay?” The deep voice came from the cockpit.
I gasped. “Dad?”
My father, with a flight helmet on, glanced back. He pushed up his visor. “You okay, sweetheart?” I could see the relief on his face.
Love filled me. He’d come to help. “I’m okay, Dad. A bit of a rough day.”
“You had us worried.” He smiled. “Let’s get you home. Welcome aboard Erickson Air, we’re hoping for a smooth flight.”
I grinned at him. God, I loved my dad. He focused on the controls and a second later, the Talon swung east.
North kneeled in front of me and touched my face. “Those are some nasty burns.”
“It was some nasty, black fluid.” Just remembering that poor man in the cocoon made me shudder.
“I’m going to put some medgel on them. You’ll need nano-meds once we get back to Dawn.”
I nodded. The quicker he did this, the quicker he’d check out Marc.
North slathered me in gel. Jameson was nearby, talking quietly with Marc. Zeke hovered next to his brother. Jess and Kai sat close by.
“Okay, Marc, let’s see to that arm,” North said.
“A threader broke it,” I said.
Jameson leaned forward. “A threader?”
“Yeah,” Marc said. “We ran into an entire fucking convention of them.” He sat back, wincing as North checked his arm. “There are cocoons all through Blue Mountain Base. We saw maybe twenty or thirty threaders.”
“Fuck,” Jameson said.
I swallowed. “We opened a cocoon. There was a man inside.” Marc reached out with his good hand and took my hand. “He didn’t make it,” I finished quietly.
“The guy was in bad shape and fucking sprayed black crap at Colbie. That’s what burned her.”
Jess leaned forward, her eyes burning with questions.
“Okay, take it easy for now,” Jameson said. “We’ll do a full debrief once we get home.”
I watched North splint Marc’s arm.
“We’ll let your mom fix that for you.” All business, North pressed an injector to Marc’s neck. “That’s to tide you over.”
A moment later, the lines bracketing Marc’s mouth eased.
“And you.” North gave me a shot, too.
Immediately, warmth seeped into me, the pain dulling.
“You two had a hell of an adventure,” Jameson said.
“Yes, a scenic waterfall ride, then a night huddled in a blown-up base filled with exotic creatures,” I said, dryly.
Jameson smiled. “Glad you made it.”
“Me too. Marc nearly died from the injury from the monster at the waterfall. It was bad. He nearly bled out.”
Frowning, North pushed Marc’s shirt up.
“Hey,” Marc complained.
“It’s healed.” North’s brow creased. “How?”
Marc scratched the side of his head. “Well, we found…”
“He took a shot of nano-meds we found in Blue Mountain Base,” I finished.
Jameson cursed, and the others all traded shocked glances.
North blinked. “You took a shot of decades-old nano-meds? You could have killed yourself!”
“It does sound bad when you say it like that,” Marc said.
North let out a sound.
“Yet here I am. Alive and kicking.” Marc shot them his trademark grin. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
My heart squeezed. He was making light of it. Not wanting his squad mates or his brother to worry.
But I’d been there with him. I knew how close he’d come to dying.
I gripped the edge of my seat. He’d protected me. He’d also almost lost his mind when I’d taken a dangerous risk.
He had feelings for me.
Maybe it wasn’t the love I craved, but I felt a deep connection to this man. He could be charming or serious. A joker or focused soldier. He might break my heart, but I felt Marc Jackson was a risk worth taking.
We’d both survived hell. Both almost died. Now, I wanted to know what it was like to be with him.
“Colbie?”
I saw Marc looking at me.
“Okay?” he asked with a frown.
I smiled. “I am. I’m glad we’re heading home.”
“Me too.” His fingers brushed mine on the seat.
Yes, I was going to risk it all with Marc.
Somehow, I was going to make him show me the real him that he rarely showed anyone.
And I was going to show him what we could have together.