him that he hadn’t seen the third hybrid in freaking forever.
He turned just as a blur darted toward him.
He caught an arm and twisted, hearing a satisfying crunch as he took down the hybrid. He’d crush every bone in its body if he had to.
But when Declan moved to go in for the killing blow, the hypodermic syringe in the hybrid’s grip froze him in place. As big around as his wrist, it had a four-inch needle with yellow goo dripping from the tip.
What the fuck?
He didn’t have time to consider why the hybrid had just tried to stick him with a needle because the rabid creature he’d been about to charge earlier leaped on him. But instead of going for Declan’s throat, the beast reached for the needle. The three of them went down in a rolling ball of claws, fangs, and muscles as they all fought for control of the syringe.
Declan was so focused on trying to keep whatever was in the needle out of his body, he barely registered the sound when a weapon rattled off three-round bursts right over his head. The hybrid holding the needle flinched, giving Declan the opportunity he needed to get the heel of one hand under the thing’s chin and shove—hard enough to snap its neck and make the back of its head connect with his shoulder blades. He didn’t wait to see what effect that had on the creature. If it survived a neck broken that badly, Declan was beyond screwed.
Ripping the syringe out of the dead hybrid’s hand, he jabbed it into the neck of the other hybrid. He hadn’t really intended to inject the thing. He just wanted that big-ass needle someplace out of the way.
Declan shoved the hybrid away, praying he wasn’t too late to help Kendra. But as he rolled to his feet, he realized she didn’t need his help. She aimed her M4 at the hybrid he’d stuck with the syringe and shot the thing in the head.
He put his hand on her arm. “Are you okay? Did that thing get you?”
Declan didn’t wait for an answer, but instead spun her around to check for himself. Her uniform top was torn in a few places, but the skin underneath appeared beautifully unmarred.
“I’m okay,” she said. “It was close, but you got it off me in time.”
Thank God. Declan was so relieved he felt like hugging her. He probably would have if her eyes hadn’t gone wide with horror. Oh, shit. What now?
“You’re bleeding!” she said.
Declan looked down at the gash on his chest. “It’s just a scratch. He barely got me.”
She swung her M4 over her shoulder. “Let me check.”
The urge to feel her hands on him was way more tempting than it should have been given the circumstances. But right now, he had to get his head screwed back on right and get them out of here, and he couldn’t do that with Kendra playing nursemaid.
He caught her hands. “Later. We need to get out of here before more hybrids show up. The gunfire is bound to draw them like flies.”
She frowned, her gaze lingering on his wounds, but then she nodded. “You’re right. Sorry. I had to shoot. I couldn’t figure out any other way to put them down.”
“You don’t hear me complaining.” He gave her hands a squeeze. “Let’s get our stuff and get going.”
Unfortunately, getting their stuff turned out to be more difficult than anticipated. Kendra’s pack was a goner, as was most of the stuff in it. She ran around, trying to pick up what she could salvage—ammo, protein bars, and the gun cleaning, survival, and first-aid kits. Her clothes were scattered and shredded, but she still checked to see if any of them were usable.
“Forget about those,” he said. “You can make do with the uniform you’re wearing.”
She put her hands on her hips, pinning him with a look as he dropped to one knee beside a dead hybrid and began going through its cargo pockets. “And what am I supposed to do about underwear?” she demanded.
“I don’t know.” He moved to the second hybrid. “Can’t you just do without?”
Declan was sorry he’d said it the second the words were out of his mouth because the image it brought to mind—of Kendra running around the jungle bare-ass naked—was seriously distracting.
She bent to rummage through another pile of clothing. “I’m not even going to answer that.”
Thank God. Because if she’d said yes, he really would have been in trouble.