Relic - Jaid Black Page 0,38

on the excursion the excuse was made that he wished to look for specific herbs to heal with.

Octavia had been letting her natural curls flow freely as of late, but today she plaited them a few inches from her temples and left the rest to cascade down her back. She didn’t want anything fucking with her line of sight. She wore the hooded cloak over her prison issue tank top and breeches. Her assault rifle was hidden beneath the cloak as well, as were a few knives and some explosives.

“Let’s go towards the water,” Octavia murmured to Angus as he put her on his horse. “For some reason it keeps going near it.”

He nodded, but said nothing as he climbed the mount and seated himself behind her. When he looked around and saw that everyone was ready, he gave the word for their party to move out. Colban and Dr. Kincaid took the lead; Angus and Octavia brought up the rear.

It took over an hour to get all the horses down to the beach behind the castle. Foamy waves crashed against the deadly rocks, the sound louder than what she’d expected. When they came to a halt Octavia removed her cloak and armed herself with the SA80. She jumped off Angus’ horse and met James on the ground.

Angus dismounted and instructed Finlay and Oliver to take care of all the horses while the rest of them tracked the Xenocann. “Call out if you see anything,” he told them. “Dinna hesitate for even a moment.”

“Aye, laird.”

Octavia neared the ocean with James right behind her. She looked up and down the beachline in so far as the eye could see. No footprints, no nothing. Then again, the tide had likely washed away any evidence assuming some had been there to begin with. She sighed. “I don’t get it,” she said as Angus and the others caught up to them.

“We know it’s going near the water if not using it somehow,” James added. “We just don’t know where or why.”

She rolled her eyes. “Thank you, Lieutenant Obvious.”

“But it’s weakened,” Dr. Kincaid reminded them as he joined them in the sand. “We’ve heard tell of no more bodies, yet the bloody thing has to eat every day.”

“Wouldst it resort to eating animals if no humans could be found?” Angus asked.

Octavia’s eyes lit up. “I don’t know. Doctor?”

“It’s certainly possible. Meat is meat to them. Though they have an affinity towards the taste of, well, us.”

“’Tis disgusting, that,” Niall muttered.

Octavia shrugged. “We taste to them like venison tastes to us.”

“I may never eat again.” This from Alistair.

“Angus brings up a good point,” Octavia interjected. “We need to look for anything dead, be it human or otherwise.”

“We can cover more of the area do we split up,” Angus pointed out, “yet my gut is telling me dinna do that.”

“Then we listen to your gut.” Octavia nodded toward the forest where Finlay, Oliver, and the horses were waiting. “We should cover as much of the terrain nearest to the water as possible.”

“But that won’t explain why an alien that needs heat and arid weather is suddenly keeping close to the frigid water,” James reminded her. “We can find bodies all day long, but until we understand why its behavior has done a 180…”

“I know.” She sighed. “But a body can at least lead us in the proper direc—”

A tortured scream pierced the air, sending shivers down Octavia’s spine. She took off running at top speed, her rifle at the ready, towards Finlay and Oliver. Angus quickly caught up to her, running alongside her. The others followed suit behind them.

“Jesus God,” Angus said, crossing himself as he came to a halt. His breathing was as labored as his wife’s. “Holy Mary.”

Oliver, soaked in blood, stared back at them through wide blue eyes. Clearly in shock, he backed up against a tree until he hit it then fell to his knees. A few feet away from him were Finlay’s remains—what was left of them anyway.

Octavia and James immediately went flush against each other’s backs. They both looked through their scopes as they traveled in a circle, the guns Octavia had stolen from the human collaborators ready to kill. She could hear her husband and his men drawing their swords.

“Do you see it?”

“No. I’ve got nothing in my sights.”

“Me neither. I see nothing.”

Oliver’s scream caused everyone to turn towards him. Octavia and James fired rounds at the feeder as it tore open Oliver’s head. Angus bellowed, running towards the horror