Page 12 of Hunter's Moon

Summoning every shred of strength I had left, I reared back and slammed my fist into the door. The metal dented under the impact, and I struck again and again, ignoring the protests of my battered body.

Finally, with a screech of tearing metal, the door gave way. Alarms blared as we stumbled out into the corridor beyond.

“Come on,” I growled, grabbing Lina’s hand. “We need to move. Now.”

My body screamed in protest as we ran through the dimly lit corridors of the underground base. The pain from the energy field still coursed through my veins, but I pushed it aside. Survival was all that mattered now.

Lina stumbled, her human reflexes slower than mine. I tightened my grip on her hand, practically dragging her along.

“Keep up,” I growled, more harshly than I intended.

“I’m trying,” she snapped.

The alarms continued to blare, the piercing sound echoing off the metal walls. Red emergency lights flashed, casting eerie shadows as we ran.

Fragments of conversation drifted out as we passed sealed doors:

“...breach in sector seven...”

“...Trefter’s gonna have our hides...”

“...that human bitch better be worth it...”

I filed the information away for later. Right now, escape was our priority.

We rounded a corner and skidded to a halt. Three guards blocked our path, their weapons already raised.

“Stop right there!” one of them shouted.

I shoved Lina behind me, my eyes darting around for anything I could use as a weapon. There was nothing but bare walls and flickering lights.

The guards advanced, their energy rifles humming with deadly power.

“Last warning,” the lead guard said. “Stand down or we’ll?—”

I didn’t let him finish. With a snarl, I lunged forward, my speed catching them off guard. I slammed into the first guard, driving my fist into his solar plexus. As he doubled over, I grabbed his rifle and swung it like a club, catching the second guard across the face.

The third guard managed to get off a shot, but I twisted away at the last second. The energy bolt sizzled past my ear, close enough that I could smell the ozone.

I brought the rifle up and fired, the recoil jarring my already aching arms. The guard’s chest exploded in a spray of blood and viscera, painting the wall behind him.

The second guard was struggling to his feet. I didn’t give him the chance. Another shot, and he collapsed, a smoking hole where his head used to be.

I turned back to the first guard, who was still on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Our eyes met, and I saw the fear in them. Good. He should be afraid.

“Please,” he wheezed. “I have a family...”

I hesitated for a fraction of a second. Then I remembered where we were, what they had done to us. What they might have done to Lina if I hadn’t been there.

The rifle barked once more, and the guard slumped to the floor.

I turned back to Lina, expecting to see horror on her face. Instead, there was a mixture of awe and... something else. Something that made my blood heat up in a way that had nothing to do with the fight.

“Are you okay?” I asked, my voice raw.

She nodded, her eyes wide. “That was... intense.”

I grunted in acknowledgment, then bent down to search the bodies. I found a smaller sidearm and held it out to her.

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