Page 44 of Fated to the Hunter
“Oh Leeeennnnnny!” Pip’s voice faded out like he was moving farther away, even though he was technically just a voice on my screen.
I moved to the window and peered outside. More flyers had joined the party, and they were all circling a spot in the distance, which I assumed was Bael’k’s shuttle. Even if we could get the new AI to him, he’d never be able to lift with all of them there. And, what if he decided to do something stupid like leave the shuttle or something? They’d eat him alive.
“I need to get those flyers off him.”
“Yes. We also need to know what condition the shuttle is in. It might not even be able to fly after that impact.”
That too.
“Do you still have the drones?” she asked.
“Yeah. And the Eye-Spies too.”
All I had to do was eliminate the flyer outside in the hall, make my way up to the observatory, send out the drones, then get the Eye-Spies attached to a pair of flyers… all without dying.
Impossible. I wasn’t good enough, fast enough, or brave enough.
But Bael’k was out there, injured, and with an unreliable… no scratch that…murderousshuttle. I had to ditch the self-doubt and get my act together.
“Sam?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m going to do it. I still have the blaster. It’s a hallway. It can’t get away. I can do it.”
“Damn right, you can. Just remember. Safety, power, brace, and shoot. I have faith in you.”
Then Pip spoke again. “Kiera?”
“Yes, Pip?”
“You'd better be alive to receive this program, or I’ll never forgive you.”
I couldn’t stop the corner of my lips from lifting despite my grim position. He’d totally learned that from Sam.
“You got it, Pip.”
Chapter 24: Kiera
I had about a dozen false starts. Each attempt ended with me gasping and hyperventilating like a fish out of water, heart thudding so loud I was sure the flyer outside the door could hear it. But I had a plan. Sort of. And it was time to move.
Step one: get the desk away from the door. Quietly. Which was easier said than done when every tiny scrape felt loud enough to wake the dead. It took forever, but I managed it. Then I was at the door, ear pressed to the thick metal, trying to figure out where the creature was.
Lucky for me, the flyer had barreled into the hallway before folding its wings. Now they were stuck open, scraping against the walls, knocking into pillars, smashing sconces. The noise gave me an audio map of its location.
If I was right, it was down the left side of the corridor. And I needed to go right, which was great. Perfect in fact. Except it was a crapshoot how far down the hallway it was, and which way it was facing. Flyers were surprisingly fast on land, and I needed the mofo dead before it got anywhere near me.
But it was trapped. I couldn’t miss. Right? And I had a Xarc’n blaster, not a rifle. No need to worry about hitting the eye orchambering rounds. Just point, shoot, and pray I hit something vital.
I reached for the door.
My hand didn’t move. My body was locked up tight with fear. Sweat coated my palms, making the blaster slick in my grip.
I’d never chosen to face a scourge on my own before. Sure, I’d fought them before, but every time it had been out of necessity, something done on pure adrenaline. But Bael’k was out there in no-man’s-land on his own, injured, with a hostile shuttle, and if I didn’t get my ass into gear right the fuck now anddo something, I’d never forgive myself.
I wiped my palms on my pants, readjusted my weapon, making sure the safety was off and it was set at max. I reached for the door again.
I said I reached for the fucking door.
