been created in a laboratory experiment gone awry? To this day, no one had those answers. Their ships appeared without warning, and the creatures tore through settlements like locusts. They would disappear before sunrise and leave no trail to follow.
Images of the Concord attack aftermath flashed in his mind. It had been nearly fourteen years since the attack, but he could still smell the stench of the bodies. His boots and uniform had been beyond salvageable. Blood had congealed on the streets, and the homes that had once been filled with happy families had resembled slaughterhouses with limbs and torsos and organs flung far and wide.
Terror had been desensitized to death from an early age, but that day, walking through what was left of Concord and seeing the remains of innocent children nearly broken him. Back in his quarters, he had cried. Cried, for fuck’s sake! He’d nearly choked on his tears as he imagined the horror those children had endured before their painful ends.
And to know this rotten piece of shit had fled rather than fight infuriated him. Rage boiled up inside Terror. He snarled and snapped the bounty hunter’s neck before shoving him down the shaft. The man landed with a gratifying thud. Good fucking riddance!
Popping up the collar on his jacket and tugging his knit cap back into place, he left the utility shaft and continued walking the length of the smelly, hot deck until he found another stairwell. He took the steps two at a time, checking his watch as he climbed. Dispatching that bounty hunter hadn’t taken as long as he had expected. Now, he had to find the other one.
A klaxon blared suddenly, startling him briefly, and he glanced around, fully expecting a team of hidden security to run toward him with weapons drawn. When none appeared, he relaxed a little and decided the alarm wasn’t about him. Hoping Maisie had made her loop and lost the bounty hunter, he emerged on the main departure deck.
A disturbingly happy female voice crackled through the public announcement system. “Passengers, please disregard the alarm and proceed to your assigned gates. All flights will continue as scheduled.”
The message was repeated two more times as he oriented himself. With purposeful strides, he walked toward their assigned gate, all the while scanning the crowd for Maisie or the other bounty hunter. He touched his pocket to make sure he hadn’t lost their travel card. It had been a mistake not to hand it over to Maisie before they separated. What if he had gotten captured or killed? How would she have gotten onto the ship?
Frustrated with himself, he eyed their gate as it came into view. The flight was already boarding the fourth and final group which meant there wasn’t much time. Expecting to find her waiting with the other passengers, he looked around the waiting area, searching for her hooded jacket. His concern ratcheted up to straight anxiety when he didn’t see her.
Where the hell is she? Did the bounty hunter get her?
He edged toward a full panic before he caught a flash of that ugly jacket she was wearing. His hammering heartbeat slowed as she met his concerned gaze. At first glance, she looked calm and relaxed, but he spotted the slight tension in her smile. She could hide her true emotions from everyone else, but not him. Something had happened. Something bad.
When she was close enough to touch, he noticed the minute flecks of red on her neck. They looked almost like tiny freckles, but he knew exactly what they were. Blood.
Not hers, judging by the clean state of her clothing and her exposed skin. He didn’t see any injuries. She must have felt his lingering gaze because she reached up and wiped at her neck, clearing away the blood with the dark sleeve of her jacket. He wanted to take her hand, to let her know that whatever had happened was over now. He wanted to assure her that whatever she had done was necessary for her survival.
She bumped against him, as if seeking his comfort and protection. He briefly touched her lower back, letting her know he was right there with her, before stepping in front of her. He led the way to the automated boarding screen and swiped their card. They passed through the gate and onto the shuttle, taking their seats in the uncomfortable exit row that no one else had wanted.
The departure was uneventful. Maisie kept her hood up and focused on