The super raptors opened fire first, the sharp stench of poison filling the air. Dom yanked another knife off his belt, and even though he was limping, he threw it.
All around her, the berserkers and Hell Squad threw cineole grenades and fired their carbines.
Selena stood still, her gaze narrowed on the grenades.
She held out a slender hand to Tane. “Give me a grenade.”
He glared at her for a beat, then set one in her slender palm. Her fingers closed around it.
“What are you—?”
Selena swiveled and started walking toward the super raptors.
“Selena!” With a curse, Tane followed right behind her.
“Fuck,” Hemi bit out. He kept firing his carbine.
With a gentle throw, Selena tossed the grenade into the air. A second later, it popped open, cineole bursting free.
Then Selena closed her eyes and raised her hands.
A gust of wind rushed into the tunnel. It flowed past Arden, rustling her hair. It swirled around Selena and Tane, tearing the tie out of Selena’s hair. Her silver-white locks blew back from her face.
The alien woman’s skin started to glow. Above on the tunnel roof, the glow worms flared, so bright it hurt to look at them.
Arden threw up a hand and she saw the others shielding their eyes.
Only Tane didn’t bother, keeping his gaze locked on Selena.
An arc of light shot out from Selena’s palms, like lightning, and ignited the cineole spray floating in the air. It blazed, flowing out toward all the raptors. It moved around the tunnel, leaving the berserkers and Hell Squad untouched.
Arden stared, her mouth dropping open. Dom’s arm tightened around her.
“Fuck me,” Hemi muttered.
The raptors started shrieking, dropping their weapons. They clawed at their faces as their skin burned. Blood flowed from their eyes, noses, ears, and mouths.
“Go!” Tane bellowed.
The squad leader wrapped an arm around Selena’s waist and lifted her off her feet.
Dom kept his arm tight around Arden as they broke into a jog. They skirted the writhing, screeching super raptors.
Together, with the berserkers and Hell Squad, they ran toward the tunnel entrance.
Dom barely registered the pain in his body as he stepped out of the tunnel.
He was alive. Dappled sunshine fell over him and he sucked in a breath of fresh air.
Beside him, Arden was blinking as her eyes adjusted to the light. Her drone hovered silently above her. Behind them in the darkness, the raptors continued to scream, and the smell of burning flesh wafted out toward them.
He glanced over at Selena. She was standing in the circle of Tane’s arms. The alien woman’s skin was still glowing, but she looked tired and shaken.
Griff touched his ear. “Indy?”
“Oh, my fucking God.” Indy’s half sob came over the line. “Are you okay? Is everyone all right?”
“We’re out of the tunnel,” Griff said. “A little battered, but everyone’s alive.”
“Thank God,” Indy said. “The bomb?”
“It was a fake,” Tane growled. “Let Holmes know we didn’t find the bomb.”
“Ah, hell. Will do. Get home now.”
Ahead, the rugged form of a Z6-Hunter was parked on an angle—Hell Squad’s ride. Thankfully, the Gizzida hadn’t touched the vehicle, or the berserkers’ bikes.
“They probably didn’t expect any of us to come out of the tunnel alive,” Arden said quietly.
Dom didn’t give a shit about his bike. He spun her around to face him.
“Dom.”
He yanked her up on her toes and she came eagerly. He cupped her cheek. She was dirty, her hair tangled, and gore splattered her armor.
She was beautiful.
And she was his. His reward. Everything he’d endured in his life was worth it just to hold her.
He lowered his head and kissed her. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
“Hey, enough of that.” Griff slapped Dom on the back.
Dom rested his forehead on Arden’s. He was happy to see her smiling.
Ash appeared. “I need to check you out, Dom.”
He nodded. Ash’s gaze was on Dom’s twisted, broken armor. The tentacles had made a mess of it. The medic pulled a piece of chest armor off, then pushed Dom’s T-shirt up.
Ash hissed. “Hell, Dom. You’ve got bad bruising. You could have some internal bleeding.”
“I’m fine.”
Arden stiffened. “Internal bleeding is not fine.”
Dom smoothed a hand over her hair. “I know when I’m hurt bad. I promise you, I’m okay.”
Ash nodded. “Get the doc to check you over when we get back to base.”
“How about we get the hell out of here?” Marcus suggested.
“Thanks for the help,” Tane said.
Marcus nodded. “Our pleasure.”
Hell Squad headed for the Hunter. Levi and Hemi were limping and moving cautiously. Dom knew they must be banged up pretty bad, as well.
But they were all still standing.
Dom rolled his bike out onto the track and swung on. Arden settled behind him. She was a slight weight against his back, but she was everything to him.
“The drone?” he asked.
“It’ll follow.”
The Hunter headed off. Around him, the berserkers started their bikes. With a nod, Tane headed out first, Selena sitting quietly behind him, resting against his back.
The rest of the squad followed and Dom pulled into line. As they bumped down the track, his relief at being alive dissolved.
The aliens had tricked them. There’d been no bomb. It was still out there, somewhere.
As though she could read his thoughts, Arden’s arms tightened around him. He dropped a hand, touching where her fingers rested on his abdomen.
It didn’t matter. He had a lot to live for now. They’d find the fucking bomb and stop it.
Before, he’d been fighting for redemption.
Now, he was fighting for love.
As they neared the end of the track, two Hawks swept into view overhead. There were also a few smaller, swifter shapes that shot through the air.
Darkswifts. Squad Nine was keeping an eye on the skies.
The track ended at the wide clearing where they’d started. Dom pulled to a stop near the Hunter.
Everyone was battered, but they were alive to fight another day.
“Dom, get your
