New Species 03 Valiant (13 page)

“Was that a lion?” Ned whispered. “A re those

common in this part of northern California?”

“I don’t know,” Mark whispered back. “I know they

have cougars and bobcats in mountainous areas.” His

hand eased away from her breast and he fumbled behind

his back at his waist. “It’s close though. Prepare for an

attack. Her screams probably drew it, thinking there’s

food to be had.” He withdrew a handgun he’d had tucked

in his waistband under his shirt.

“That didn’t sound like either one.” Terry reached

down, tugged up the leg of his jeans and revealed a gun

holster. He yanked the weapon out as he straightened.

“Whatever it is, it’s nearby.”

Tammy sucked air into her lungs and screamed

again, despite her sore throat. She wanted Valiant to find

her and figured it would make it easier if she helped.

“Shut her up.” Ned sounded panicked.

Mark gripped her jaw to force her mouth closed. He

glared down at her. “Do it again and I’ll smother you

until you pass out.”

Ned and Terry moved away from Tammy. Her relief

was instant that their focus wasn’t on her anymore. They

took positions around the fire to watch the woods. Her

heart hammered with hope that Valiant would save her.

How does he know I’m in trouble? Why did he come for

me? Does it matter? Hell no. He’s here.

It had to be Valiant unless there were other New

Species who could roar the way he could. That was

possible. Either way, she knew nothing lived in the area

before the New Species arrived that could make that kind

of roar. It had to be one of them and she’d never been so

grateful in her life to have them as neighbors.

A howl broke the silence, startling Mark. Ned cursed

softly, spun to face another section of woods, and his

gun lifted. “Shit.”

Mark looked terrified as he jerked his head around.

“Was that a wolf?”

“A wolf and a lion?” Terry hissed a curse. “Shit. It’s

not real animals out there. It’s them. Those damn two-

legged animals.”

A nother howl broke the night and another one joined

in. Tammy tried to twist away from the asshole who still

held her mouth but he grabbed her throat suddenly and

clamped down tight. He glared at her.

“You move an inch and I’ll strangle you. Don’t

scream either.”

She believed him. He appeared terrified and she

could see sweat breaking out over his upper lip and

forehead. He released her throat and lifted his hips off

her enough that she was no longer pinned. He gave her a

warning glare.

“Don’t move or I’ll kill you. Got it?”

She nodded very carefully, keeping her lips sealed.

She had heard them say that whoever they worked for

wanted her alive but judging by their terror, they weren’t

thinking clearly anymore. Her gaze shifted to the guns

the men held. Even Ned and Paul had guns now. Fear for

Valiant’s safety worried her. Or, if it wasn’t him, for the

other New Species who were out in the woods coming

after her.

“If any of you are out there and can hear me,” Mark

screamed. “I’ll kill the bitch if you attack at us.”

Ned inched close to the fire. “What do we do?”

Terry held his gun, watching the dark woods. “We

wait until morning when we can see good, because they

have the advantage in the dark. A s long as we keep a

gun on her, they won’t dare attack. They obviously want

her. Keep the fire burning bright to keep them back.”

“Maybe we should put her clothes back on her so

they don’t know we messed with her any,” Ned

whispered.

“I’m not moving.” Mark shook his head. “I don’t give

a damn if they are pissed that we stripped her down to

her underwear. I’m close enough to blow her brains out

if they come at us.”

“We could make them rush us and take them out.”

Terry held a gun in one hand and a knife in another,

slowly turning circles to keep a close watch on the woods

outside the circle of firelight. “One of us could hurt her to

force them to come in and we’ll have the advantage.

There are only three of them and we can handle that

many of those upright animals.”

“How do you know there are only three?” Ned

whispered. “There could be dozens of them watching us

right now. They could have us surrounded.”

“I heard two wolf howls and one roar.” Paul stated. “I

agree with Terry. There are only three of them and if

there were more they would have sounded out to go for

ultimate intimidation. My guess is they are closing in on

us and are doing it to give positions. It’s basic hunting

tactics when using animals. It’s to sound out to know

where the prey is so you don’t shoot each other when

you have a few teams closing in on the same target.”

“They carry guns?” Ned whined. “Nobody told me

that.”

“Fuck yeah,” Terry nodded. “I saw them when I

joined that rally a few months back at their Homeland.

They were lined up along the top of a wall with

sharpshooters defending the gates in case any of us

decided to try to break in again.”

Tammy knew with certainty the jackasses who’d

kidnapped her would shoot the New Species. Did her

rescuers know the jerks were armed? Her gaze darted to

the nervous assholes again and she slowly drew a deep

breath in. She was willing to bet her life that they

wouldn’t kill her outright. She knew she’d become the

only leverage they had to keep the New Species from

coming at them.

* * * * *

Valiant lunged toward the camp when the smell of

Tammy’s fear filled his nostrils. The urge to protect her,

to help her, became so overpowering he couldn’t even

form coherent thoughts anymore.

A n unexpected, heavy weight landed on his back and

his knees collapsed. Two strong arms wrapped around

him, one around his throat to cut off his oxygen and

another hooked around his chest under his arms. He

grabbed at the male body but the words hissed in his ear

prevented him from fighting.

“She’ll be dead before you can reach her. Calm now,”

Tiger demanded. “Think, my friend.” The arm around his

throat eased. “Take a few deep breaths, fight your

instincts, and trust me.”

Valiant sucked in air through his mouth, bit back a

roar and knew Tiger made sense. “The humans would

kill her. I need to get to her.” He kept his voice low to

keep it from carrying to the camp.

“We need to get to her without them killing her first.

I understand and I can feel your rage. I smell it. You

want to save her and so do I. We have to do it right.

Look. See the fire? Do you notice the male with the gun

sitting on top of her? He’s there to shoot her if we rush

them.”

Valiant noticed more than the human pinning his

Tammy down. They’d stripped her, her pale skin exposed

to the chilly night air and to the view of the males who

had stolen her. Murderous rage gripped him until his

entire body shook from the emotion.

“I know,” Tiger crooned softly. “I can smell how

strongly you want to rip their hearts out and tear their

heads from their bodies. It will get her killed. A re you in

control?”

He shook his head before he nodded. “Yes,” he

rasped.

Tiger’s hold around his chest eased and his weight

left his back as he stood. A howl from Rider sounded on

the other side of camp. He was in place. It made thinking

a little easier for Valiant to know the humans were

surrounded. The Species males would attack from the

other direction to draw attention. He just needed to wait

a few moments before he’d reach Tammy. He’d protect

her and murder the males who had stolen her.

Tiger eased down to a crouch next to him. “I’ll allow

you to take out the male on her. Use your knife. We’ll

open fire when you strike. She’s safer on the ground,

Valiant. Leave her there and don’t go into the open. They

will fire at you. You won’t be able to help her if you’re

dead. You’re a big son of a bitch but half a dozen holes

torn through you would take you down. Do you

understand me?”

“Yes.” He didn’t want to though.

“Prepare, but wait until you have a perfect

opportunity.”

Valiant stood, his hand going for the knife strapped

to his thigh and tested the weight of it in his palm. His

focus fixed on the male straddling Tammy’s hips, rage

boiled, and he knew he wouldn’t miss.

“Go for her when we’re clear. Take her away and

we’ll clean them up.”

“I want them all dead. I want to do it.”

“Her, Valiant. Focus on her. Take her away the

second you get a chance to grab her when we pin the

males down with gunfire but not before. You can’t help

her if you’re dead. Remember that, damn it.”

“I’ll remember.” His gaze narrowed, he fought back

another roar and couldn’t wait to kill the bastard who sat

on his Tammy.

“They have guns,” Tammy screamed out, making

sure the New Species were warned about what they were

facing from her attackers if they entered the camp.

Mark clamped his hand around her throat but it had

come too late. She’d been able to call out to the New

Species. They had to have heard her, she hoped at least,

as she glared up at the asshole on top of her. If looks

could have killed, she knew her life would end with those

hazel eyes glaring at her.

“It’s a sad day when someone picks an animal over

their own kind,” Paul grunted. “Back to back, men. Shoot

anything that moves.”

Tammy frantically struggled with the belt holding her

wrists. It didn’t help that they were pinned under her ass,

making it tougher to wiggle free. She was careful not to

brush against Mark’s spread thighs where they straddled

her hips. She became aware that his hold didn’t ease and

she couldn’t breathe. A s seconds ticked by she realized

he didn’t plan to let go.

Panic gripped her and she jerked both knees up. He

cursed when they hit his back, had to release her to use

his palm to catch his weight before he pitched forward,

choosing to let go of her throat instead of his gun.

Tammy gasped in air and let her legs drop.

“Don’t do that, bitch,” he hissed at her.

“I couldn’t breathe,” she gasped.

He glared at her. “Fucking bit―”

Tammy stared at Mark as his words were cut off and

his eyes widened. His mouth stretched open, almost if he

were going to scream, but only a very soft hiss came out.

His gaze lowered slowly to the knife handle that

protruded from his chest. Red suddenly flowed from his

mouth and splattered on Tammy. The warm, wet, bright

blood spread over her bare skin.

Tammy reacted after a split second of utter horror.

She twisted hard and lifted her hips, bucking her body

toward the fire. Mark’s weight shifted, crumpled, and

Tammy rolled hard in the opposite direction to get out

from under him completely. Once free, she used her

shoulder to brace her upper body on the grass since her

hands were bound behind her back.

She crouched on her shoulder and knees, ignoring

the debris from the ground that dug into her skin. She

heard someone fire a gun, the sound really loud, and all

hell broke loose as more gunfire erupted a heartbeat

later. She didn’t know if they shot at her or not. She

struggled to her feet in frenzied desperation and bolted

for the darkness of the woods.

Tammy kept moving even though some bullets tore

up tree trunks around her but she didn’t stop. She left the

campfire behind without feeling anything strike her body

and managed to avoid running into any trees. Once the

firelight faded it left her totally blind.

She ran until her shoulder slammed into a low

branch and the impact sent her sprawling to her knees.

She fought her way to her feet and painfully leaned

against the rough bark, trying to catch the breath that

had been knocked from her lungs and ignored the

roughness against her skin.

A male screamed behind her—a horrible, painful