Page 52 of Monstrous Baby
This BGR would be able to jump.
Now I knew what the rest of his squad was doing.
Pain filled me. Shrieks tore through the night like Rizan’s warning, but these were gleeful as they shredded into the Balaenoptera, easily destroying the transparent shadows swimming toward me through the midnight sky. Flames shotout of a long-necked dinosaur, roasting the larger chunks. Incinerating the torn flesh into ash.
Black beetle-like wings swept out of the belly of the whale, the last remaining Myrm drones. Winds and rain buffeted their wings but they fought toward me, using the hardened armor plating to protect against the fire. They reached the edge of the grassy yard. They could see the house, shattered timbers and jagged plaster from the T-rex’s passing.
So close, hope welled in my chest. I wasn’t sure what kind of weapons they might have to fight off the T-rex. Maybe they could just carry us out to Kroktl? Before the jump ring could close?
I smelled ozone. The T-rex let out a roar of victory. Snryx’s implements wrapped around me, clutching me between him and Lohr. Trying to shield me. Or go with me, wherever DSC might take us…
Something cut through the drones in midair. Invisible sheets sliced through their wings and bodies like a hot knife through butter. Cutting them up, dicing them into bloody chunks that dropped to the lawn only ten or twenty feet away from the destroyed front door.
A huge bug-like dinosaur whipped a scorpion tail back and forth, shooting out more invisible razor nets.
The last drone dropped onto the welcome mat. Body cut in half. It still reached over the threshold with its front legs. Crawling. Trying to reach me.
:This is not the end, Mother.:
Sobs shook me. I tried again, desperately willing the blue fire to leap us away. Help them. I opened my mouth, screaming—but it was a human sound. Not Rizan’s echolocation. So much senseless death. And for what?
What am I supposed to do? How can I possibly beat DSC? Escape?
:Remnants remain,:the Myrm whispered. Crackling in the flames.:Use us.:
Blue fire closed around us and Earth disappeared.
23
AXXOL
Red wanted to rip my fucking head off. Fire burned in his eyes that had nothing to do with his heat sensors. Shifting back to my rex, I held his gaze. Waiting for the truth to settle in his head.
This had nothing to do with my ego or whose dick was bigger, and everything to do with strategy. He’d grown a lot as a mated Tri-R but I still possessed alpha programming that he didn’t. I knew our squad’s weaknesses and strengths as if they were my own skills. How best to deploy each player to win, regardless of how badly we were outnumbered or incapacitated.
The youngling ran to him, curling her tail and smaller limbs around his lower leg. Immediately, the rage in his eyes burned hotter—but not at me. He gave me an expectant look, head cocked, waiting for his orders.
:Testing, one, two, three,:Rizan’s voice crackled over the grid.:We’re back, baby. Improving connection speed and stability.:
:Jam their fucking signals,:I ordered.:How badly are you injured?:
:Working on it. Lost some tail feathers but I’m good.:
I detected some falsehood in that reply but without the medic handy, there wasn’t much we could do anyway.
:I still can’t reach Natalie.:Kroktl kept his emotions tightly under control with his youngling listening.
:Signal’s jammed,:Rizan replied.:She’s not…:His words fell off into silence.
We didn’t need his words. Not when we could see for our own damned selves that she wasn’t pinging at the house. The second squad’s pilot had snatched her.
Akylla peeped softly.:Mama’s gone.:
I’d never seen a raptor cry before. Fucking hell. Not even BGR+s were immune to youngling tears.
Kroktl scooped her up so she could nuzzle up beneath his chin.:Don’t you worry, baby girl. We’ll get Mama back, and Lohr and Snryx will keep her safe.:
Assuming they’re still alive.I couldn’t censor that thought—but hopefully it didn’t echo on the grid. The rest of the squad knew the two dyni would be immediately incapacitated by DSC.
