Page 29 of The Ozar Triad

Because she couldn’t leave them. Because a soldier didn’t leave people to bleed out, to be in pain. To die.

She was a soldier, and duty came first.

That was what she told herself, and for the moment, that was all she cared to dwell on.

She would just go back. Make sure they were alive and okay, and then she would get back to the airfield and find a way home.

She was a soldier. A soldier. She repeated that to herself with each step. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Her heart did that strange little lurching thing again. She wasn’t going to listen to her heart, though. Soldiers didn’t get emotionally involved. It led to…

Well, it led to feeling like this.

She forced herself not to care. Not beyond her moral duty.

As a soldier.

She grit her teeth and concentrated on taking another step.

Something flashed from the dark mouth of a cave. She dropped to her belly. Keeping a low profile made it harder to be spotted at ground level.

Figures slunk out from inside the cave. Hissing and clacking sounds echoed over the ground. The same reptilian monsters from before! Her jaw ached from the pressure of clenching her teeth.

The dull green scales on the monsters reflected metallically. Their chests were bare, highlighting small, thin arms, but they wore weapons like clothing, more than making up for their limbs, although they weren’t completely harmless. She knew that from experience.

She studied them while she hid, needing to understand her enemy, assessing them for strengths and weaknesses. They were a cross between a gigantic iguana and a velociraptor. Several had a row of razor-sharp scales that ran from the top of their heads to the tips of their tails. Their tails were tipped with a lethal talon, reminding her of a scorpion. These creatures were built to fight.

They walked towards the downed craft in an organized clip, suggesting they were intelligent and had training. They were observant, orderly, and calm. They knew what they were doing. These creatures were dangerous. And they were on their way to the craft—with her men still on board.

The breath caught in her throat. “Come on, guys. They’re coming. Get out of there!”

She strained her eyes until they watered, but there was no movement from the craft. They could escape through the still-open hatch, or through the gigantic tear right through the center.

“Where are you?” she muttered to herself.

The Reptile monsters each held an evil-looking weapon that reminded her of a cross between a bazooka and a rifle.

“Come on,” she whispered under her breath.

But then several of the Reptiles reached the craft and disappeared into the gaping hole. The others remained outside, turning their backs to the craft and keeping a watchful eye.

She hardly dared to breathe. She was right out in the open. Any movement, no matter how slight, could be seen.

Why aren’t they fighting?

There was something wrong. Something really wrong.

Her men didn’t seem like the type to go down quietly.

Hermen? She pushed away the thought for later.

After too long, there was movement at the hole.

Rujali appeared.

Her heart leapt.

He jumped from the craft to the ground and staggered forward. Blood oozed from a wound in his forehead, covering his head and dripping onto his shirt. Setzan appeared next, holding someone on both of his shoulders. Klaej! They hadn’t reversed the numbing wand!

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