Off to the side on a separate table sat an untidy stack of black crystals in the shape of small cubes. More were sitting in a box below.

  A raptor sat in front of the screens, perusing the data.

  Marcus scanned around. The alien appeared to be alone. He was smaller than the standard warrior raptors.

  Gabe inched forward and caught Marcus’ gaze. He held up his large gladius combat knife. The knife all the squad members carried.

  Marcus nodded. Gabe was a spooky-good soldier. When Marcus had accepted the man onto Squad Six, he’d heard the rumors. That Gabe had come from some secret military super-soldier program. Marcus had certainly seen the man do some things that didn’t seem humanly possible.

  The unknown and unexplainable tended to scare people, but Marcus didn’t care because Gabe was damned good at his job. Marcus figured everything that had come before the invasion could stay there. None of them were the same people they’d been before.

  Elle glanced from Gabe, to the knife, and then to the raptor.

  Yeah, the realities of this ugly war of survival were what he’d wanted to protect her from. He gripped her chin and forced her to look at him. Her blue eyes were wide, but steady.

  Gabe didn’t make a single noise, nor did the raptor as he died.

  Marcus waited until Gabe had dragged the body away before he urged Elle forward.

  She hurried to the comp screens, grabbed the chair, then paused. Blood stained the edge of the seat. She stared at it for a second before she stiffened her spine and sat. As she studied the raptor symbols on the screen, her brow scrunched. Then she tapped some of them. Data filled the far right screen. Most if it was in English.

  “Looks like they’re copying ebooks and any other relevant data from the library’s databases.” She tapped again, scanning the screens. “They’re focusing on anything referencing resources, power generation, computer technology and medical science.” She shook her head. “No raptor language on this crystal.”

  She reached over, her hand hovering over the scale-covered holder where the crystal was lodged. She yanked it out.

  “Hand me another.” She waved her fingers.

  Marcus grabbed one off the table and set it on her hand.

  She jammed it into the holder. More data flashed up. More English.

  “Another one,” she said.

  As they worked through the crystals, Elle muttered to herself. She discarded crystal after crystal in rapid succession.

  “Dammit.” She yanked another crystal out. “Still only English.”

  She kept working as Marcus’ team prowled around the space. They were getting edgy and so was he.

  They’d been here too long.

  Their missions were always quick in-out incursions. The raptors knew they were here, somewhere. With a pack of hungry canids out front, it wouldn’t take much to find them.

  “Come on, Elle,” Marcus growled.

  “I’m working as fast as I can,” she snapped.

  He heard the tremor buried under the snark and he gripped her shoulder. “I know you are. You can do this.”

  She sucked in a deep breath, nodded. “Put in another one, please.”

  Only Elle would still be using her manners in the middle of a post-apocalyptic warzone. He shoved another crystal in. A few seconds later, she shook her head.

  Thumps echoed from the front of the library. They all swiveled to look in that direction. The distant howls of the canids reached them.

  “Marcus, we need to go, amigo,” Cruz said, shifting his grip on his carbine.

  “We aren’t leaving without the damn crystal.” He put another one into the system, then tapped his earpiece. “Noah?”

  Still nothing.

  “Get some cover between us and them. Gabe, scout for a secondary exit.”

  Gabe gave a brief nod before he disappeared into the shadows. The others tipped over some tables and dragged them over.

  Marcus and Elle worked through three more crystals before she gasped. “Yes!”

  Raptor language filled the screen with its distinctive letters that looked like claw marks and scratches. Elle’s eyes moved back and forth as she scanned it.

  “Is it enough?” he asked.

  She nodded. “I think so.”

  A crash sounded from the front of the library. The excited yips of the canids sounded—loud and getting louder.

  “Time to go.” Marcus helped Elle shove the crystal into her backpack. Gripping her bicep, he tugged her close. “Hell Squad, let’s get out of here.”

  ***

  Elle hurried alongside Marcus, jogging to keep up with his long stride.

  The flush of excitement at finding a crystal containing the raptor language had faded in an instant. The howls of the canids sent chills across her skin.

  Gabe loomed ahead. “This way.”

  They maneuvered through the rows of books. Paper books had long ago gone out of favor, eventually becoming nothing more than quaint collectibles. But the invasion had made them popular again in the base. Not everyone had a working portable comp, so they had to read from paper. She spared one longing glance at the shelves and shelves of books before focusing on their escape. She needed all her concentration to keep up with Hell Squad and not slow them down.

  Gabe opened a side door to the outside. He slipped out with his gun up, followed by Claudia.

  “It’s clear,” Gabe said.

  They stepped out into a deserted alley, parts of it in shadow as the sun sank toward the west. Large plastic waste containers were lined up near the door, some marked for trash, others for recycling. To the left was a dead end, dominated by an overflowing dumpster that stank of rot.

  Shaw cursed. He had a palm pressed to the now-closed door. “It’s self-locking. We can’t go back that way.”

  Marcus nodded. “Doesn’t matter.” They moved together in a tight formation, headed toward the entrance on the right. “We need to—”

  Suddenly, a team of seven enormous raptors appeared at the alley entrance.

  Elle gasped. They were so big, and all brandishing wicked-looking weapons that vaguely resembled Hell Squad’s carbines, but were covered in scales. She heard Marcus curse.

  Then the raptors opened fire.

  Marcus shoved Elle back hard, and she fell behind the waste containers. She stayed there for a second on her hands and knees. Dark-green poison splattered the wall above her. The roar of her squad’s carbines was loud in her ears as their neon green laser fire lit up the alley. She heard Marcus calling orders to his team.

  She lifted her head and risked a glance. Saw the raptors advancing and Marcus and others returning fire.

  They were trapped in this damn alley like animals in a cage.

  She pulled out her thermo pistol and tried to calm her racing heart. Marcus was right, this was way worse than listening to a fight over the comms.

  Then she heard another terrible sound.

  Canids growling.

  She swiveled. The first dog-like alien came through the door from the library. It was big, the size of a wolf, with a spiked ridge along its back. The animal lifted its head and spotted her.

  It opened its mouth, baring sharp teeth. Then it leaped into the air and with one bound, landed on top of the waste container in front of her.

  Elle scrambled backward.

  And dropped her pistol.

  The canid leaned down, its jaws snapping. It smelled like rotting meat and old blood.

  Elle moved her hand desperately across the concrete. Her heart was hammering like drums in her chest. Pistol. Pistol. She touched cool metal and whipped the gun up…just as the canid leaped at her.

  The weapon discharged, the canid’s body shuddering under the impact of the thermo bullets. The creature fell on top of her, pinning her to the cracked pavement.

  She stayed there for a second, panting. Warm stickiness coated her chest. Ick, canid blood. With a heave, she pushed the animal off her.

  More raptor poison hit the wall above her head.

  With a yelp, she ducked back down, cheek to the ground.

  Then Marcus was there, his big body shielding her and pressing her into the ground. He patted a hand over her blood-soaked armor. “Where are you hit? Are you okay?”

  She gripped his wrist. “It’s not mine. I’m fine.”

  He spotted the canid’s body and his jaw tightened. Then he touched his ear. “Noah? Tell me you got the comms fixed.”

  “I’m here. I broke through the jamming signal.”

  Noah’s voice was still faint, but clear enough. Elle released a 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 another. Marcus lifted his carbine and shot the third.

  More raptors stormed through the door from the alley.

  “Shaw and Gabe, get Claudia and Cruz out.” Marcus stepped between his team and the door. “I’ll hold them off.”

  The sniper didn’t miss a beat. He leaped to his feet and raced over to Claudia. Gabe followed, then gripped the heavy bookcase with one hand and heaved. It should have been far too heavy for one man to lift, but it moved.

  Marcus kept firing his carbine. The front few raptors fell but he knew there were too many. All he had to do was keep the majority of them off his team and give them a chance to escape. Two aliens rushed him.

  He went down under the weight of them. As he fell, he yanked out the two gladius combat knives he carried.

  God, the raptors were heavy bastards. They were bigger than humans but they were also more dense. He stabbed one up through the ribs, rolling to avoid the second raptor’s jagged, black blade.

  They strained against each other. The raptor’s red eyes were narrowed on Marcus. The alien managed to force Marcus’ arms away from him and aim his blade for Marcus’ throat.

  Fuck. Marcus pushed upward, trying to keep the wicked edge away from his skin.

  Suddenly, the rex crashed through the roof again.

  Chunks of ceiling crashed on top of Marcus and his opponent.

  While the raptor was startled, Marcus jammed his elbow up, catching the creature’s chin. With his other hand, he jammed his knife into the softer flesh under the raptor’s neck. The skin there was still harder than a human’s and Marcus had to work the knife in. Finally, blood spurted and the raptor made an agonized noise.

  Marcus heaved the creature off him and rolled away. He pushed to his feet. As he sprinted to his people, he saw that Gabe had managed to get the bookcase off Claudia and Shaw was helping her up.

  The rex roared, a sound so loud it made Marcus’ ears ring. He glanced over his shoulder and almost lost his footing.

  The rex was staring down through the hole in the roof.

  Right at them.

  Its red eyes looked like the fires of hell.

  “Go! Get her out,” Marcus yelled. But he knew it was too late. The rex could kill them all with a single swipe of its claws.

  “Hey! Ugly! Over here.”

  Marcus stumbled, his gut pulling tight. No. No. No.

  Elle yelled again. “Yeah, come on you hideous thing. Come this way and leave them alone.”

  Marcus clenched his hands. He saw her on the other side of the library, waving her arms in the air.

  He saw the rex tilt its head, watching her.

  It had lost interest in the rest of them.

  Zeke rushed in beside Marcus. “Sorry, boss. She got away from me and refused to leave without you.”

  Jaw tight, Marcus moved to the others. “Up and at it, soldier.”

  “Yes, sir.” Claudia grimaced. Shaw was holding her upright. “I can make it.”

  The rex let out a horrible roar and Marcus watched Elle lunge to the side.

  The rex swiped out with its claws.

  Marcus’ heart just stopped.

  Agile and nimble, Elle dropped flat on the floor. The creature’s massive claw swiped through the air about a meter above her head.

  She leaped back up in one lithe jump and started running. Her gaze caught Marcus’s.

  Come on, baby. She was running flat-out.

  The rex stamped its feet, managing to squash the last few raptors heading Hell Squad’s way. Then it swiped at Elle again.

  And this time he caught her.

  The creature raised its claw, Elle dangling from it, her arms and legs thrashing.

  No. Marcus swung his carbine around and ran toward her.

  ***

  Adrenaline stormed through Elle, leaving her heart racing and her mind pumped.

  The rex’s claws had hooked into the back of her armor. The creature was waving her, wildly trying to shake her loose.

  She couldn’t see anything but a blur of color, but she heard laser fire.

  Then she felt her armor tear a little, dropping her down a few inches. She held her breath. Another shake and her armor ripped on the sharp claw and she tore free of the rex.

  She fell several meters to the floor and hit with a hard slap. The air rushed out of her lungs with an oof.

  Stunned for a second, she stayed sprawled amongst torn-up books and broken shelving, staring at the rex’s giant claws.

  Hands gripped the back of her armor and yanked her up. She caught a brief glimpse of Marcus’ scarily enraged face before she was tossed over his broad shoulder.

  Too out of it to speak, she saw of the rest of Hell Squad getting ready to move. Claudia was standing, but favoring one leg, and pointing a finger at Shaw.

  “You try and carry me and I’ll gut you,” Claudia snapped.

  “You’re hurt—”

  “I can walk. The damn exoskeleton in my armor will help.”

  “You stubborn idiot—”

  “Shut your mouth or I’ll shut it for you. With my fist.”

  “Fine. I won’t carry you—” he slid an arm around her shoulders and fought her when she tried to pull away “—but I’m helping you out of here. Compromise, Frost. A word you’ve probably never heard of.”

  She swore at him.

  “Ah, there’s your sweet disposition shining through.”