Containing Malice (Rebel Cyborgs #1) - Cynthia Sax Page 0,51

that, viewing her as a disposable female.

He slid the lever to the stun setting because he didn’t wish a projectile in the groin. And he slipped the gun into one of her pockets. The Humanoid Alliance will use missiles.

I was referring to the rotting beings. Valor’s tone was dry. He selected a blade. They were savage and challenging to kill.

The Resurrected, as Illona called them, were the reason his female wanted the lab destroyed. She was convinced the beings were the Humanoid Alliance’s next great weapon.

Malice couldn’t project how reanimated humans could kill anything. Humans were easy to defeat even when they were fully functional.

He chose another blade. We’ve already set up trip lines in the lab. Valor had attached those wires to explosives. If they enter it, they’ll die. We’ll wait outside the structure and commandeer their ship if they land.

Vengeance was good. Vengeance and a means of transport was better.

Valor chattered about the path they had to take out of the lab, the placement of the trip lines, the thin air on the planet, other things. The E Model was hopeful their brethren would arrive before the Humanoid Alliance did.

Malice had no such optimism. They hadn’t heard from Cadet. The transmission line previously utilized no longer existed. They couldn’t determine the order of the approaching ships, and he wouldn’t base his female’s safety on luck.

A gun in his hand was more reliable.

He rested his chin on top of his female’s head, breathed in her succulent fragrance, as he listened to Valor’s flow of words. They filled all the sheaths and holsters on their body armor. The weight of the weapons was familiar, comforting. He was a warrior again—not a captive, not a test subject.

Illona stirred in his arms, pressing her slight curves against body armor-clad muscle.

The movement excited his body. He had to force himself to concentrate on their escape, to not become distracted.

“Malice.” His female gazed up at him. Her gaze was soft, unfocused. “Is it time for you to leave?”

“It’s time for us to leave.” He hefted her high against his chest and stalked toward the chamber door. “Valor, you cover the rear.”

“I usually do.” The E Model’s tone was edged with excitement. “This is just like old times.”

Malice huffed his disagreement. He didn’t have to worry about protecting a fragile human female during those old times.

“I can walk.” That human female wiggled in his grip.

“You will remain still and silent.” He slung his little medic over his right shoulder and smacked her ass, seeking to end her protests. “We’re moving at cyborg speed.”

The structure should be devoid of living beings, but he wouldn’t take any risks with her. She was delicate and his and no one would damage her.

He raced along the hallways with her, passing dead bodies, severed limbs, destruction. Valor followed him closely. The aroma of gunfire and death mixed with Illona’s enticing fragrance, the combination exciting Malice’s primitive soul.

An explosion rocked the structure. His female gasped but didn’t say anything, obeying his command to stay silent.

That pleased him.

As he entered a stretch of space, he slowed his pace.

Someone is here. Malice warned Valor. He detected three lifespans in front of them.

His nose twitched. He smelled them also. They stunk.

Three forms shuffled around at the end of the hallway. A naked rotting male bumped repetitively against a wall. Another male fed on the third form, chewing on the armless female’s shoulder.

The first male turned toward them. He snarled, baring yellowed teeth, and he ran at a surprisingly fast pace toward them.

“It’s the Resurrected.” Illona drew her gun.

Before she could find the trigger, Malice shot their attacker. Multiple times.

That slowed but didn’t stop him. The other two beings joined the lead male.

“Frag. There’s more of them.” Valor drew both his guns. “Shoot them multiple times in the head.”

Malice blasted the male’s skull with four projectiles, blowing what was left of his brains out. The male fell. Malice took aim at the armless female to the right, downed her.

Valor shot the other male, leaving his brains plastered against the wall. “No lifeforms appear on my scans. They should be dead.” He peered at their motionless forms. “But they didn’t appear on my scans the last time I downed them either, so I could be wrong.”

“They were dead when you scanned them last time. And they’re dead now. But they’ll resurrect if they have sufficient brain cells to heal.” Illona shuddered in Malice’s arms. “We should go.” She waved her gun at him.

Malice snatched the weapon