Page 33 of Heart’s Prisoner

Lana felt confident enough that in a month's time she could get Xerus to cooperate. As she walked back into the facility, she walked in with a new, hardened determination. Not even Cole's critical gaze or Officer Galger's wolfish smile and off-putting stare could phase her.

"I'm ready to enter the unit," Lana said to Officer Torrence without even looking at him.

When Torrence said nothing, Lana side-eyed him and shivered. His mouth was tilted up in a smug sort of smile.

"What is it?" she asked, not too friendly.

"Got the announcement from General Hartin. He told us about your little ploy to convince him and the other generals of letting that thing out."

Lana tensed. "Yes. That's correct. That is after all why I've been here this whole time, Officer Torrence, not that I expect you to still comprehend that."

Officer Torrence's smile widened but his eyes read murder. "It just seems a little hopeless to even attempt. Not that I don't expect you won't try anyway. But there's something you might want to see first." Torrence shifted in his seat. Turning toward his computer, he pulled up what looked to be video feed of the edge of a dark forest. Lana moved closer as he pressed play and saw that it was footage from a soldier's helmet-cam.

The sound was low enough so only they could hear. there was a rustling as the soldier moved through the grass. Around him was a military set-up, a base camp with movable units, and standardized armored vehicles. When the soldier turned his head, she could see lab testing equipment in the distance along with a few warehouse bots lumbering about, carrying metal crates. The soldier seemed to be a lookout, guarding the camp for the night. There was a giant, orange moon in the sky with a small yellow one beside it. It was too dark to make out the trees but, in the grass, Lana noticed little blue and green mushrooms glowing softly. The soldier was talking with one of his teammates, sitting by a post, when a low rumble was heard in the distance.

"What was that?" the soldier said, twisting his head around.

The rumble came again and the soldier clicked on the flashlight atop his gun and directed it toward the forest. He skimmed the area then swerved his light to the left in response to the snapping of branches.

"What the hell?" he whispered.

There was silence for a moment. Then a huge shadow flashed between the trees. The soldier jumped up and yelled and his teammate drew up his gun and began shooting. They shot toward the forest, into the darkness. The soldier turned on his communicator.

"We have a situation in the forest, something is moving within, requesting backup, over."

A second later someone responded, "We don't see anything on our scans, private, are you sure it isn't just–"

The forest turned white and the sky lit up. There was a brilliant blast after and a cloud of flames erupted down by the camp.

Another blast than another and the soldiers hurtle themselves to the ground.

There was a lot of screaming and roaring and gunshots. The feed was a dizzying image of foliage, the night sky, and fire.

The soldier weaved through the camp as contents flew around him, his gun going off in different directions. When he made it to the center of the camp his light caught the end of a spiked tail as it slipped past an armored vehicle.

"Camp to base," the soldier yelled into his communicator. "We are under attack, need back up immediately!"

Another explosion and the soldier twisted around to see a menacing looking silhouette against the flames. The silhouette turned and ripped open one of the gas tanks with its tail. Then it leaped into the air and landed on one of the testing units. It tore the roof open and dropped inside.

Breathless, the soldier sprinted away, avoiding the fires and the rush of bullets. He ran for the air pads where the ships were stationed. One ship was already starting to take off but as it began to ascend, a flash of blue hit its right wing and it burst into flames. The ship swerved and began to fall.

The soldier stumbled back and retreated to hunker down behind a metal crate. For a moment there was only darkness, then the soldier looked around and, from the side of the air pad, a creature stalked passed.

Lana's stomach dropped and her heart leaped as she watched Xerus on the feed. His eyes glowed red in the darkness, reflecting the fire's light. He looked lethal. Feral. He stopped beside one of the lab containment pods and sliced it open, letting whatever contents inside spill out.

A scraping of metal sounded nearby and out from one of the units, a man in a lab coat stumbled into the clearing, toward Xerus. The way he walked seemed to indicate he was injured. His limbs shook and black blood trickled down his nose and mouth.

He stopped in front of Xerus and started to speak at him, but the soldier was too far away to hear.

Xerus stood towering over the man, his nostrils flaring, his eyes narrowed into slits. His mouth grew wide with fangs bared. He looked enraged. Maddened by hate. A beast with no other purpose. He hissed and growled and bent low and Lana almost had to look away because she knew what was coming.

As quick as a spider, Xerus lunged at the man and bit into his neck. Dark blood gushed and sprayed them both but Xerus didn't let go.

"Oh fuck, oh christ!" whimpered the soldier.

The blood covered the alien's face and neck and chest. Xerus twisted his head like a wild dog until he ripped the man's head off with his teeth.

Lana clamped a hand to her mouth to stifle her cry.

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