Instinct: A Chess Team Adventure - By Jeremy Robinson Page 0,117

bolted forward, flinging the spear and diving out with the knife.

As Rook launched himself through the air, swiping the knife toward Weston’s throat, a large force struck him in the side, sending him crashing into the cave wall. The knife fell from his hand and clattered to the cave floor.

Queen watched from the darkness as the four remaining hybrids surrounded Rook. He’d been hit by Shane as he’d twisted and struck out upon hearing Weston’s fearful voice, but Shane had also taken Rook’s flung spear in the chest. The large male hit the cave floor at the same time Rook did, except Shane no longer stirred.

Weston dove to his fallen son’s side, feeling for a pulse on his thick, hairy neck. “No, no, no!” But there was no pulse. The sharp spear, flung by Rook’s strong arm at point-blank range, had pierced the giant’s clavicle and heart beneath. Weston stood, breathed deep, and choked back a sob. He turned toward Rook, took hold of the spear rising from Shane’s chest, and yanked it out with a bloody slurp. He stormed toward Rook, who was nearly back to his feet.

Lucy lunged and swiped at Rook. He fell back in front of the doorway opposite Queen’s hiding place. “Get the hell away from me, Cha-Ka!”

Weston made a sharp sipping noise with his mouth. The four hybrids instantly backed off, though they still surrounded Rook. Weston approached, spear in hand. “Cha-Ka. That’s funny.”

“Go to hell,” Rook said.

“I used to love that show,” Weston said. Then he screamed, raised the spear over his head, and brought it down.

Before the spear reached Rook’s chest, a large hand swept out from the dark, striking the wood of the spear and snapping it in half. Everyone froze for a beat. Rook looked up at Weston’s bewildered expression and realized they were thinking the same thing: What the fuck was that?

And then, all hell broke loose. Five-foot tall, fur-covered bodies flew from the cave. The hybrids roared as they were tackled by their grandmothers. Lucy squealed and dove away from the action. She cowered against the wall, farther down the tunnel. The others were quickly subdued, each being pinned down by two of the full-blood Neanderthals.

Then Red stepped from the darkness, her yellow eyes glowing in the firelight. She stepped over Rook, showing no fear of him, and approached Weston. Her head twitched as she spoke. “Big man. Mine. I find him first. He mine.”

Weston stared into the red-rimmed eyes that had changed his world fifteen years ago. She had saved his life, albeit unknowingly, and had given him a family to replace the one he’d lost. That’s why he’d let her live. In return he was bringing her people back from extinction—something she couldn’t comprehend, but instinctually knew. That’s why she let him live.

But if Red wanted Rook alive . . . the big man . . . she could only want him for one thing. The truce would be broken.

Competition, while good for business, never helped repopulate a species on the brink. But he had no choice at the moment. Red acted on instinct more than any kind of mental process. She was in heat and wanted to mate. She’d found an acceptable mate in this large and loud soldier and had pursued him into the very stronghold of her ancestors.

Weston looked at Rook and saw horror just beneath the surface. Whatever the old hags would do to him would be a fate far worse than death. “Take him,” Weston said. “My gift to you.”

He would take care of the old mothers later. Right now he just needed them out of his way.

Red huffed, spun around, and picked up Rook with little effort. She heaved him over her squat frame and carried him off into the darkness from which she had emerged. The others followed her. Rook’s angry shouts and vile cursing faded into the distance as the group retreated through one of the many secret tunnels crisscrossing throughout the mountainside.

A distant shout sounded from the direction Queen and Rook had come. Queen couldn’t make out the word, but the tone smacked of alarm.

“Come!” Weston said, and the band rushed toward the cave exit, carrying Shane’s body and leaving behind a still-burning torch and King’s knife.

Rook’s last words rolled out of the darkness, incoherent and pained. Then he was gone, abducted into the heart of the mountain by a bunch of ancient monsters. Queen stood in the darkness. Her arms shook. Her breath was heavy. Bishop