Trapped (The Condemned Series #1) - Alison Aimes Page 0,5

something that looks like a cave only a little ways up. If we can make it there, we can hide.”

“But—”

“No but. We are making it there.” She dropped to her knees beside the wounded officer’s body. “No one else is dying. Headquarters will send search and rescue to investigate the crash. We only have to stay alive until then.”

The shrieking cry of 225’s pack sounded again. Closing in fast.

The reminder cooled 673’s lust enough to get him thinking again.

His gaze flickered between the woman, now frantically working with her friend to wrap the man in some kind of fabric, and the strewn, burning wreckage that littered the ground. His hands clenched and unclenched.

Choices.

His dick was telling him one thing. His mind another. Shit. He really hated choices.

He started forward.

*****

“Wedge the cloth under his side.” Bella dug her fingers beneath Winthrop’s back and fumbled for the other side of the shirt. They’d found it flapping on a piece of wreckage. She didn’t even want to think about where it had come from. “I’ve almost got it.”

Another one of those horrifying shrieks shook the air. Louder than before. Her heart slammed into her throat. The wind seemed to be picking up as well. Larger and larger pieces of rock and dirt pinged against her skin. This place was even more inhospitable than Earth during its frequent dust storms.

“Just a little more,” she urged. “I—”

“Oh, shit.” Davies’ panicked curse had Bella’s head jerking up.

She promptly fell on her ass. Her mouth opening in a silent scream as terror strangled in her throat. The rock was alive and swaggering toward them, a rust-colored mammoth monstrosity that swirled dust and danger in its wake.

She blinked again, and the rock became a man. A massive, sculpted, dark-haired man. One wearing little more than a loincloth and boots, every inch of his muscled skin and face caked in mud the same reddish color as the rocks. Threat emanated from every pore.

The planet’s inmates had found them.

She scrambled backwards on her ass, Davies right beside her. The man was at least a head taller and several inches thicker than Pogue, the biggest and strongest of the soldiers on their mission. The urge to jump and run pumped through every sinew, but Davies couldn’t. Her colleague’s leg wouldn’t hold her more than a few steps.

Eyes locked on the approaching threat, Bella’s fingers scraped the dirt behind, scrounging frantically for some kind of weapon. A rock. A piece of wreckage. Anything that might slow him down as his shadow fell over her and his wide shoulders blotted out the suns.

He stopped inches from her boots. She looked up and up and up into hooded dark eyes. Empty, cold, they raked down her body. Horrific stories of crimes committed by Dragath25 prisoners clawed through her mind. Her fingers clenched the dirt, ready to fling. It wasn’t much, but she wasn’t going down without a fight.

Then he stepped past, his laser-like gaze finding a new target in the twisted metal behind her.

Her gaze swung to Davies’.

The same mix of panic and confusion was clear on her fellow trainee’s face. What the hell? she mouthed.

Bella shrugged. Who knew? But she didn’t intend to miss an opportunity.

Neither made a sound as Bella shifted under Davies and carefully, quietly, lifted her to standing. As she moved, Bella monitored mud man, who was even now picking through the rubble with purposeful intent. Did he intend to rape and kill them after? Was he hoping they’d run so he’d give chase? She had absolutely no idea, but a single glance at his muscled back, sculpted arms, and solid thighs rammed home that he could easily do whatever he wanted if he got hold of her. She didn’t intend to give him that chance.

“Start hopping toward those rocks. Nice and quiet.” She whispered the words in Davies’ ear as she walked them both backwards. She could only pray there weren’t more like mud man right behind.

Her colleague shook her head. “I’m not deserting you again.”

Bella cut her off. “I’m coming, too. But if he suddenly turns around and comes after us, I’ll split off. Give him something to chase. Get to any cave you can. I’ll find you there.”

Another eerie shriek split the air, ending their discussion. The terrible cry was joined by another. And another.

Davies’ hand clenched round Bella’s shoulder. Goosebumps rose on her flesh. The feral sound was like nothing she’d ever heard.

Was it her imagination or did mud man start moving faster? He never looked