Page 89 of The Hive Queen

She stares at it in disbelief, then points to the small rifle strapped to my back.

I shake my head and mime sneaking, then stabbing.

While Icouldshoot the drone from a distance, this is the best time to test if the earbuds will counteract the drone’s defense mechanism before we’re in battle.

I pull another dart free and pop the protective sheath off the tip, then raise my hand to point toward the figure shuffling through the trees before gesturing to the left and right.

Amalia palms the dart before slipping away, and I move in the opposite direction.

As I approach the drone from the side, I tap my baton against the trunk of a tree to draw his attention.

The drone swings around, and an irritating itch fills my ears, but it’s nothing I can’t push through.

“Cay, what’s going on?” Sharpe demands in my ear.

“There are drones in the woods.” Stepping forward, I jab the man in the gut, and the itching increases, making me twitchy, but still functioning.

“Do you need backup?” Marc asks.

“No, I’m giving Amalia a field test.” I step back and gesture for her to get a move on as the drone lumbers toward me, arms outstretched.

Amalia races in from behind him and stabs the dart into the side of the man’s neck, then dances back out of reach as he swings around to grab her.

I jump forward and tap his side, then duck when he swings his arm around, avoiding being hit in the head. Amalia does the same, and we play cat and mouse while we wait for the tranquilizer to take effect, but the drone shows no signs of slowing down.

Will drugs not work on their new physiology? Or are they just more resistant now that they’re not human?

Sharpe had chosen a drug that blocked neurotransmitters, but maybe we should have just gone with big-game tranquilizers instead. It’s so hard to judge, though, with varying body weights and sizes.

Amalia’s head whips to the side, and she points two fingers to the left and behind me.

Great, we’ve drawn company.

I jump forward and stab the dart I hold into the man’s chest near his heart. Then, trusting Amalia to cover me, I turn and pull the air rifle from the holster on my back as I assess the new threat.

Two more men lumber toward us, and I double-tap the trigger, unloading two darts into the man on the right before quickly reloading.

Behind me, a thud sounds, but I keep my focus on the two coming toward us, their shuffling steps narrowing the gap quickly.

Lifting the small rifle to my shoulder, I pump two darts into the one on the left just as the one on the right stumbles and crashes to the ground. His cohort follows a moment later, and the itchy feeling in my ears stops.

“Speak to me, Cay,” Sharpe commands.

His ears must have been buzzing, too, to know the moment the fight ended.

I check over my shoulder to find Amalia hovering over the first downed drone. “We’re good.”

The tension eases from his voice. “Were you able to take them down without killing them?”

I hurry forward and kneel to check their pulses, which beat slow but steady beneath my fingers.

“The earbuds work at close range.” I sweep the woods for signs of any more drones. The downside of the earbuds is that I can’t hear them lumbering through the woods. “They need two tranquilizers to take down.”

“Got it,” comes Sharpe’s voice in my ear. “Double up, everyone. And Cay? Get your ass back here.”

I smile at the comment. “Yes, sir.”

Standing, I pull my phone from my pocket and drop pins on my map so we can find these guys again when this is over. Hopefully, Sharpe’s theory will prove true, and they’ll come back to their senses once they’re no longer enthralled by the Hive Queen.

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