Noah: Scifi Alien Invasion Romance (Hell Squad Book 6) (9 page)

Noah headed for the door. He held up his tablet and started tapping away. But this time, before he’d cracked the lock, the door clicked and started to open.

Oh, hell.
He took a step back.

A huge raptor entered, took one look at Noah, then tackled him to the ground.

Fuck
. The landing was hard. Noah’s tablet flew out of his hands. The weight of the alien had driven all the air out of his lungs. He kicked out, trying to buck the creature off him. But then the alien clamped scaled hands around Noah’s neck.

Shit. Shit
. Noah forced himself to relax. Analyze the problem.
Exoskeleton
. He didn’t have the strength to battle the raptor, but his armor did.
Follow Marcus’ training
. Noah jammed an elbow into the raptor’s face and a knee into the alien’s side.

The raptor grunted, his hands loosened.

Noah managed to roll and get on top. He slammed a punch at the alien’s ugly face.

Then a carbine was aimed into the raptor’s temple. A cool, female voice spoke a few words in the language of the aliens.

Noah looked up at Laura. Damn, she looked badass with that hard, take-no-prisoners look on her face.

Beneath him, the alien sagged in defeat. Noah pushed off him. “Thanks.”

She inclined her head. Then Cruz and Gabe appeared, pulling the raptor to his feet and binding him.

“Nice moves, Kim,” Cruz said.

“Marcus is a tough teacher.” Noah scooped up his tablet. It had a crack through the screen.
Dammit
. He thumbed the power button, relieved when it lit up. “Give me a second and we’ll get out of here.”

He went to work and the door opened. He waved the squad out. They moved, taking their two prisoners with them.

They moved through several more doors before the tablet screen flickered. “No, no.”

“What’s wrong?” Laura leaned over his shoulder.

“Tablet got damaged when it fell. Must be a loose connection.”

“Voices,” Gabe said. “Hurry it up.”

Noah couldn’t hear anything, but he shook the tablet and tried to get it to open the damn door.

“Anything?” Laura asked.

“No. Dammit.”

He released a breath.

A calm hand landed on his shoulder. “Noah, as you’re so fond of telling us, you’re the best at this kind of thing.” There was a thread of amusement in Laura’s voice. “Fixing broken electronics is something you can do in your sleep.”

“Yeah, with my damn tools in my damn lab.”

“Oh, so maybe you aren’t as good as you’ve been telling us.”

His eyes narrowed. “I know what you’re doing, Bladon.”

“Every man likes a challenge.” The tiniest smile. “Is it working?”

“Give me one of those damn pins you have in your hair.”

She retracted her combat helmet. Even with her hair damp from perspiration, she still looked damned gorgeous. She reached up and fished a slim, metal pin from her hair. Noah grabbed it, pried off the back of the tablet and went to work.

“Kim, we need more speed,” Marcus growled.

“It’ll take however long it takes,” he snapped back.

“How long?”

“Two minutes.”

“You have one.”

“Steele, I’ll fix this and get us out. If aliens sneak up on us in the meantime, do what you guys do best.” Noah found the problem and fiddled with the wires.

Marcus grumbled under his breath.

Gabe moved almost imperceptibly. “Raptors. Heading this way.”

Hell Squad shifted. Reed and Cruz stayed with the prisoners, carbines trained on their heads. The rest of the squad made a line, carbines up and pointed down the corridor behind them.

The tablet screen stabilized. “Yes. Come on, sweetheart.” He tapped in his commands. The door lock clicked and the lights stopped blinking. The door opened. “Got it!”

“Go, go,” Marcus said.

They charged through.

Noah got them through two more doors, and then they were outside. He took a moment to breathe in the cool desert air. The stars overhead had never looked so beautiful.

“Go.” Marcus waved them on. “Head to the preassigned location.” Marcus touched his ear. “Elle, we’re out and on the move.”

Noah ran. He sensed someone beside him and saw Laura keeping pace with him.

Finally, they reached the spot, far enough from the domes to not be spotted. There was a small hillock of rocks that provided cover for what they needed to do. He turned and saw Hell Squad coming. One raptor was jogging, the other refusing, and Gabe and Cruz were dragging him. Claudia followed behind, hiding the trail they’d left in the sand.

“Nice work back there. We couldn’t have gotten through the doors without you.”

Noah turned his head and looked at Laura. “Thanks. Held my own?”

She smiled. “Yeah. You did.”

Marcus strode up. “Okay, Bladon, do your thing.”

Laura nodded and even in the darkness, Noah saw that focused look that descended on her face. She studied their two prisoners, both kneeling in the sand.

She pointed at the larger, tougher raptor that had attacked Noah. The one who’d dragged his feet all the way. His face was set in mutinous lines.

She pulled out her tablet and started asking questions. The raptor stared over her shoulder, refusing to talk.

Laura sighed. She leaned down and said something in raptor. The alien stiffened, his determination wavering.

“Marcus, take him away. I don’t want him in visual range. I need him to make a few noises that’ll convince our other friend here to talk.” She reached over and yanked the younger raptor closer. He sprawled at her feet, making grunting noises. He tossed a glance at the other raptor as Gabe dragged him to the other side of the rocks.

“Okay, let’s see what it will take to make you tell us what we need.” She lowered her voice, to something almost seductive, but there was an edge to it. She started speaking in raptor.

The raptor’s throat was working, then he gave her a few halting answers.

Suddenly there was a keening sound from the other side of the rocks. Noah glanced over. What the hell was Gabe doing to the alien?

The young raptor trembled. He spoke again and a friendly smile crossed Laura’s face. But there was nothing happy about it. “Okay, Noah, ask your technical questions.”

Noah cleared his head and started talking. The tablet translated his words into raptor. The young raptor scientist answered, his shoulders slumping. The translation wasn’t perfect and sometimes the raptor was confused. Laura had to intercede a few times, but finally, she nodded and stared at her screen.

She held it out to Noah.

He read through everything the young raptor had said. “Shit. There are some good ideas here.” Yep, he could work with this. Excitement zinged through Noah. “This should work.” He looked at Laura and smiled. “I think we got it.”

She smiled back.

Suddenly, lights flicked on outside the domes, and loud, guttural shouts could be heard.

“Shit.” Marcus said. “We’ve been busted.”

Chapter Eight

“Okay, leave the scientists here,” Marcus directed. “Leave them bound, and gag them as well. Let’s get back to the Hawk.”

Laura jogged through the darkness. Hell Squad was quiet and tense around her. They had a kilometer of sand to cover to reach the Hawk. And the commotion behind them made it clear the raptors were searching for them.

They’d make it. They’d gotten what they needed. She’d done her bit, and Noah had been amazing doing his. It felt…good.

“Marcus.” Elle’s urgent voice. “I’m picking up a heat signature moving in your direction. It’s big and fast. Coming in from the west.”

“Close up everyone.” Marcus swung his carbine around to aim west.

Laura followed suit and they all stared into the darkness.

“It’s not coming from the domes, Ellie?” Cruz asked.

“No. It’s long and narrow. I think it must be some sort of alien they have patrolling the area around the domes.”

Laura kept searching the shadows. She didn’t see anything. God, what could it be? Canids? But the alien hunting dogs weren’t long and narrow. “Could it be that crocodile-type alien you guys saw recently?”

“That came out of the water,” Claudia said. “No water around here.”

So what was long and narrow and could survive easily in the dry desert sands?

The creature exploded out of the dark with shocking speed. It slammed into Gabe, knocking the large man over.

Laura was speechless for a second, horror sinking into her gut. It was a…snake. A giant, scaled snake with burning red eyes and a ridge of spikes along its back. It coiled up, then struck again, this time knocking Marcus back into Cruz. Carbines fired, but the alien snake didn’t seem to care. The laser bounced off its tough hide. It slithered through the sands and curled around Claudia, who kept firing.

Then it tightened its hold.

Claudia cried out, her carbine falling to the ground. Laura stared in dread as she saw the creature tightening its coils around the female soldier.

Suddenly, Noah flew past. He held a knife and started stabbing at the snake. It tightened more and Claudia made a choked noise.

Laura pulled her own knife and ran forward. She slashed at the alien snake, but the blade barely penetrated.

The rest of the squad were back on their feet, firing carbines or stabbing with their combat knives.

Marcus was near Claudia, trying to get his hands between her and the animal. “Hold the fuck on, Frost. We’ll get you out.”

Claudia made another choked sound, but couldn’t talk.

Suddenly laser shots echoed in the night and green laser blasts slammed with precision into the creature’s head. One eye was blown out and the creature loosened its hold, making a hideous hissing sound. Marcus shifted and slammed a boot into the snake’s injured face.

It bared giant fangs, but from what Laura could tell, it was like a boa constrictor, and strangled its prey. That probably meant it wasn’t venomous. Probably.

Another shot and the snake lost its second eye.

Unable to see, it released its prey and slithered away.

In the distance, Laura could see lights heading in their direction. They’d been spotted. “We have to go.”

Marcus was kneeling by Claudia. The woman was lying incredibly still on the sand.

Faint rustling noises coming toward them had everyone turning, their weapons up.

Shaw appeared, his long-range laser rifle in his hand. His face was tense. “She okay?”

Marcus lifted Claudia into his arms. “No. Crush injuries. Let’s get back to the Hawk.”

Laura ran with Noah. The quadcopter appeared from the darkness, and Finn was there, pulling the side door open. “Everyone okay?”

Laura shook her head. “Claudia. She got attacked.” Laura grabbed Finn’s hand and climbed in.

The pilot’s gaze went past her. “Shit.”

Then Shaw was leaping aboard. He tossed his rifle down and then turned back. Marcus passed Claudia up.

Laura gasped.

In the Hawk’s dim interior light, she could see that the woman’s armor was dramatically compressed in places. It had crumpled under the pressure of the giant snake. Claudia’s eyes were closed, her face pale, and she was taking tiny, shallow breaths.

“Hold on, Frost.” Shaw laid her down on the floor and knelt beside her, cradling her head. “We’ll get you back to the doc. She’ll fix you up as quick as you can say Shaw is the best shot in the world.”

Claudia didn’t open her eyes or respond.

Shaw looked up at Marcus. “You think she needs nanomeds?”

“Maybe. Cruz? Scan her.”

Cruz grabbed a first aid kit off the wall, knelt by Claudia and went to work.

Once everyone was in, Finn slammed the door closed. “Hold on. We have unfriendlies heading this way. We’ll take off hard and fast.”

“Just how we like it,” Cruz said.

It was a weak joke, an attempt to break the thick tension inside the copter. Finn flashed a smile but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You got it, Ramos.” He headed back into the cockpit.

Noah sat beside Laura. “Strap in.” He reached over and clipped her harness in.

“You think she’ll be okay?” Laura couldn’t look away from the injured woman and the men clustered around her, concern pouring off them.

“She’s tough as carbon fiber. She’ll make it.”

“That thing was horrible.”

Noah nodded. “I hate snakes.”

“No one likes snakes.”

Without warning, the Hawk lifted off, rocketing into the air so fast, Laura’s stomach dropped.

“Hell Squad.” Elle’s voice again. “It appears the raptor ground patrol has anti-aircraft weaponry. They are getting ready to deploy it. Repeat. Anti-aircraft weaponry.”

“Fucking brilliant,” Marcus muttered. “Roger that. Finn?”

“I heard. Someone man the cannon.”

Laura watched as the team, as one, looked at their sniper, who was still cradling Claudia’s head in his lap. Her eyes were open now and she was staring up at Shaw. He was murmuring something to her and it looked like whatever he was doing was holding her there.

“Reed?” Marcus ordered.

“Got it.”

The lanky SEAL climbed into the autocannon seat on the side of the Hawk.

“Incoming!” Finn suddenly yelled from the cockpit.

The Hawk lurched to the side and Laura slammed into Noah. He put an arm around her.

The autocannon made a loud whining noise as Reed fired back.

The Hawk banked hard to the right. Laura clamped a hand on Noah’s thigh and held on. Finn was good, really good, but she hated not knowing exactly what they were up against and what was going to happen next.

“Shit,” Finn yelled. “Watch out.”

Suddenly the wall beside Laura and Noah was peppered with shots. She lunged back into Noah, staring at the bone-like projectiles that had pierced the metal and protruded a few inches into the copter.

“Dammit,” Noah muttered, sliding an arm around her.

“Hang on,” Finn called again.

He put them into a dizzying spin, and then they were climbing. Seconds later, the Hawk evened out.

“Clear of the weapons,” Finn called back. “Should be a smooth ride the rest of the way…unless we end up with pteros on our tail. Reed, stay on the cannon.”