Dom: Hell Squad #18

by Hackett, Anna

  Tane kicked the bag so hard that it fell off the chain and landed on the floor. “Shut it, Hemi.”

  Hemi was shorter than his brother, but broader. He didn’t seem intimidated by Tane’s sharp tone. “Why would I want to do that?”

  Dom knew the silver reference was to Selena—the alien woman and ally who now lived at the Enclave. Hell Squad had rescued her from the Gizzida months before. When she’d first arrived, she’d been a shell-shocked kidnap survivor. But lately, she’d been coming into her own strength.

  And she was powerful as hell.

  “I hear the doc’s running more tests on Selena,” Ash said.

  Tane’s head jerked up. “Tests? She’s been through enough.”

  “She has skills and abilities that can help us fight the Gizzida,” Levi said.

  Hemi nodded. “Yeah, without her, there’s no way we’d have gotten away on that last mission in Katoomba.”

  Dom’s gut tightened. Without Selena, Griff would’ve died on that mission. The alien woman had the ability to tap into the planet’s natural energy. She could connect with animals, and hell, he’d seen her control the very ground under their feet.

  “She isn’t a fucking weapon.” Tane snatched up a towel, wiping his face. Then he tossed it in the bin near the door. “I’ve got things to do.” He strode out of the gym.

  Hemi just shook his head, watching the empty doorway. “Okay, who wants to place bets on how long it takes my little bro to stake a claim on our resident alien?”

  “I’m in,” Levi called.

  Griff nodded. “Me, too.”

  Dom ignored them, turning back to his punching bag. His friends were so blissed up from being in love, they wanted the same for everyone else. He thought briefly of Arden, then blocked her out of his head.

  He pounded the bag until his arms ached.

  Chapter Two

  “Okay, step to the left.”

  Arden did as instructed, and as she moved, the high-tech drone hovering over her left shoulder moved with her. She laughed. “This is amazing, Noah.”

  The head of the tech team nodded, his long, dark hair moving around his hawkish face. A small smile flirted around his mouth.

  He didn’t need her to tell him it was amazing. He was a genius, and he knew it. They were in his tech lab in the heart of the Enclave. The room was packed with desks loaded with comp parts, wires, and, well, a bunch of stuff she didn’t recognize. Behind Noah was a shelf, and lined up on it was the man’s prized dice collection. No one was allowed to touch them.

  The rest of his tech team were out in other parts of the base, keeping the Enclave’s systems running, the lights on, and the soldiers in weapons. In addition to keeping his team on their toes, Noah still had time to work on new devices, like this combat drone.

  Arden watched as the drone hovered above her. Noah had needed a guinea pig to help him test the drone and Arden had volunteered. Unlike others in the base, who had partners or children, she didn’t. And lately, her best friend Indy was busy sneaking off to have sex with Griff at every opportunity.

  That left Arden with plenty of free time.

  She touched the back of her hand, her fingers running over the light bump of the chip under her skin. Noah had implanted the computer chip that linked her to the new combat drone a few weeks before.

  It wasn’t like any of the normal drones that the drone team used for surveillance and intel—this one was larger, had pinchers at the front for grabbing things, and its rotors were encased below its main body.

  Noah leaned against his desk. “Okay, move around the lab. Let’s test the targeting.”

  Arden circled the desks and chairs. The drone followed her.

  Noah nodded, his gaze narrowed.

  “Target.” She pointed at a chair.

  The drone spun, it’s laser weapons swiveling to aim at the chair.

  This drone was also equipped with weapons. Wow. It was pretty cool.

  Noah nodded. “The chip has integrated well. It’s tied into your nervous system and I’m really happy with the results.”

  “Target doorway.” At the sound of her voice, the drone swiveled.

  Arden smiled, feeling more than a little badass. Her squad had four badass female soldiers, and for a second, she felt like one of the team.

  “Noah…oh, sorry to interrupt.”

  The feminine voice came from the doorway. Arden glanced over her shoulder and saw Selena. The woman’s silver-white hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Resting on her shoulder was a giant black bird.

  The bird took one look at the drone, squawked, then attacked in a flurry of fluttering wings.

  Oh, crap. Arden panicked, leaping back, and ramming into a chair. Her drone, sensing her fright, moved in front of her. Protecting her.

  Its lasers swiveled to lock onto the bird. Noah cursed, and as the bird’s claws slashed out, the drone dodged to the side. Lasers fired, blasts singeing the wall.

  Arden swallowed a cry and ducked down. “Drone, disengage. Disengage.”

  “Fluffy, no.” Selena threw out a slim hand.

  Energy filled the room, and Fluffy froze midair. The alien hybrid bird hovered there, wings fluttering. Then the gyr flew back to Selena, landing on her outstretched arm.

  Arden slowly rose. She’d heard about Selena’s abilities. The woman, like all her species, was connected to nature. Selena could tap into natural energy and even command animals. It was mind-boggling.

  “I’m so sorry, Noah,” Selena said. “I didn’t realize you had a drone in here.”

  “It’s fine, Selena. You’re here for this?” He held out a flat, portable comp from his desk. “It’s all fixed.”

  “Thank you.” Selena took the tablet, her overlarge green eyes warm. “I’ve become a little addicted to some of the shows in the base database. I’ve been missing them since Fluffy cracked the screen.”

  “Any time,” Noah said.

  “Sorry, Arden.” Selena sent Arden a shy smile. “Fluffy still forgets drones aren’t the enemy.”

  “It’s fine. No harm.”

  With a nod, Selena left. Arden straightened, admiring the confidence in the woman’s steps. She’d come so far since her rescue.

  So many of them had. From those terrible, horrifying early days of the invasion, they’d found some semblance of normality.

  But Arden knew that the Gizzida would keep hunting them. A cold shiver hit her. The aliens wanted Earth and its resources. They would eventually hunt down all the survivors.

  Unless the humans found a way to stop them.

  Noah reached up and powered down the drone. He set it down on the bench. “I think that’s enough for today. Thanks for your help with this.”

  She nodded. “I’m happy to help.”

  He gave her a chin lift. “Same time tomorrow? We might head into a larger space and test some new features.”

  “It’s a date,” she said.

  “Hope you aren’t making dates with other women.”

  The voice made Arden swivel to see the redhead standing in the doorway.

  “Hey there, Captain Dragon,” Noah drawled.

  Arden watched Noah’s stern face light up. Laura Bladon, head of the interrogation team, smiled back at her man. The woman took two steps into the room before Noah was on her, sweeping her into his arms.

  Watching the couple kiss made something move through Arden. She felt the love pulsing off them.

  Once, Arden had been loved like that.

  While Noah and Laura were lost in each other, she snuck out of the lab.

  Heading down the corridor, she wrapped her arms around her middle. She missed that. That sense of belonging. She missed sex. She missed snuggling on the couch. She missed sharing a glass of wine with someone.

  And she missed her kids.

  Hot tears pricked at her eyes. She missed sweet cuddles, messy rooms, toys underfoot, little kids’ laughter.

  She missed it all, but she wouldn’t let herself cry for Jason, Beth,
and Emmett anymore. Now, she tried to honor them by remembering the good times. She knew in her heart that they wouldn’t want her to be so sad. She’d shed so many tears over the last couple of years, and she knew that her hubby and kids would hate to know that she’d been so lost and alone.

  Suddenly, Arden’s chest was so tight that she couldn’t breathe.

  Air. She needed air.

  She broke into a run, sprinting into another corridor. She rushed past a group of residents, heading for the closest exit. The tie in her hair slipped loose, her hair spilling around her shoulders. She reached the door, overrode the locking mechanism, and without stopping to think, shoved the door open.

  Arden rushed into the darkness, running through the thick grass and into the field above the Enclave.

  When she stopped, she was panting, but thankfully the pain had dulled.

  Pressing her palms to her eyes, it almost hurt to realize that what she felt wasn’t the piercing, shattering grief that had once gutted her. Now, it was just a dull throb. A sad reminder that something she loved was missing.

  She stood there, lifting her gaze to the stars in the inky sky above. She dragged in some deep breaths, waiting for her pulse rate to calm.

  Then she heard a rustle.

  A chill skated over her and she went still. Dom’s warnings rattled in her head.

  No. There was no way that raptors were this close to the Enclave. There were soldiers on patrol, drones flying overhead, security cameras.

  She strained to listen but heard nothing but the wind ruffling her hair. She took a step back. She should go back inside.

  But before she could move, a shadow detached from the ground, flowing upward.

  Arden’s throat closed.

  The creature rose up in front of her.

  It was covered in pitch-black scales. Her heart pounding in her ears, she watched it morph into a slender raptor, no taller than herself. Its body was lean and wiry, built for stealth, not power, like the regular raptor soldiers.

  Suddenly, one sinewy arm flashed out and grabbed Arden’s bicep. Its claws bit into her skin.

  She tried to wrench away, but it was too strong. Its other arm grabbed her, and it lifted her off her feet.

  Arden screamed.

  * * *

  Dom’s boots crunched on the dirt. It had been a quiet evening on patrol. Beside him, Levi was cradling his carbine and eyeing the surrounding trees.

  “You got plans after we finish?” Levi asked.

  Dom shook his head. “You?”

  “Gonna track down my woman. No doubt she’ll be in the maintenance hangar, working on a vehicle.” Levi’s teeth flashed white in the darkness. “She looks pretty cute streaked with grease.”

  Chrissy usually worked on the Z6-Hunters, the armored vehicles the squads used in the field.

  “No doubt,” Dom replied. “She works hard.”

  Levi nodded. “I’ll offer to scrub her back.” He grinned again.

  Dom grunted. It was fifty-fifty what Chrissy’s reaction might be. The redhead lived up to the reputation, and had swung a wrench at Levi’s head more than once.

  Suddenly, a woman’s scream pierced the night.

  “What the fuck?” Levi barked.

  Both of them broke into a run.

  They rounded a small clump of trees in the field, and the scream sounded again. Levi and Dom whipped their carbines up, slowing down and moving forward cautiously.

  Then Dom saw it.

  The raptor was black, sinewy, and unlike any alien he’d seen yet. The creature was holding a struggling woman in its arms.

  Dom’s gut turned to rock. It was Arden.

  “Let her go!” he yelled.

  Arden turned her head, and in the moonlight, he saw her face was lined with fear. Her violet-blue gaze met his, and he saw a flash of relief.

  The raptor made a grunting sound, turned, and started running through the long grass. It threw Arden over one lean shoulder.

  Cursing, Dom and Levi gave chase, charging through the grass.

  “We have some sort of stealth raptor out here,” Levi barked into his earpiece. “It’s got Arden.”

  “What?” Indy’s voice came over the line. “Did you say Arden?”

  “Yes,” Dom replied. “We need backup, Indy. Now.” He leaped over an uneven patch of ground.

  The stealth raptor was damn fast. Dom sucked in air, pushing for more speed.

  “This raptor is smaller, leaner, and faster,” Levi said. “Covered in black, scaly skin.”

  “Okay, okay. I’m on it.” Indy’s voice was shaky. “Get her back, you guys.”

  “I can’t get a shot,” Levi said.

  Dom couldn’t either. There was too much risk of hitting Arden. He watched her twist around, ramming her elbow against the raptor’s head.

  The alien stumbled, then regained its balance. It gripped the back of her shirt and shook her so violently that her head flipped forward and back.

  Cazzo. Dom dropped his carbine and yanked out his knives. “Keep him busy.”

  Levi nodded, firing into the night. The raptor skidded and spun. Arden had gone limp in his arms.

  Be okay, bella. Dom crept up behind the raptor. The alien was focused on Levi, and Dom used the darkness to hide his approach. The dark was his old friend.

  Just a bit closer. A bit closer. Dom leaped forward and jabbed the knife into the alien’s lower back. The scales weren’t as thick as a regular raptor’s, the blade meeting little resistance.

  The stealth raptor roared and spun.

  Dom dropped low, slashing at the raptor’s thigh.

  As the creature roared again, Dom dodged and leaped up. He rammed his second blade into the alien’s shoulder.

  The raptor tripped, falling to the ground, trapping Arden beneath him.

  Cursing, Dom dropped down. “Arden?”

  “Dom!” she cried.

  “Hang on, bella.”

  Terrified eyes looked up into his. He yanked another knife off his belt and plunged it into the raptor’s neck. The alien jerked and Dom slashed again, and again.

  Blood spurted, and a second later, the raptor slumped and stopped moving.

  Arden whimpered. “Get it off me!”

  Dom gripped the creature and heaved it off her.

  She sat up, shoving her hair out of her face.

  “Jesus. Fuck.” Levi appeared, keeping his carbine aimed at the raptor. He toed the creature. “Arden, you okay?”

  Dom stayed crouched on one knee, watching her. She was panting, trying to pull herself together.

  More than anything, he wanted to touch her. Instead, he curled his fingers into his palms. She was splattered with blood—red staining her face and clothes.

  “I… I…”

  “Take your time, darling,” Levi said softly.

  In the distance, shouts sounded. Their backup was coming.

  Arden turned her head, her eyes meeting Dom’s. They were wide and shocked.

  He cleared his throat. She’d just watched him slaughter an alien and cover her in blood. She had a right to be afraid.

  She launched herself at him.

  Cazzo. He closed his arms around her. She pressed close, burying her face in his neck. She was shaking violently.

  “I’ve got you,” he murmured.

  “Dom—” Her voice hitched.

  He held her tighter. “You’re safe now.”

  Chapter Three

  Arden couldn’t slow her breathing. Her heart was pounding a hundred miles a minute, making her ribs ache.

  Dom scooped her up off the ground.

  Blood. There was so much blood. God, it was everywhere. Instantly, her mind plunged back to old memories, of the first wave of the invasion.

  She lifted her head and saw Hell Squad rushing toward them.

  Marcus Steele was in the lead. The big man’s scarred face was serious as he scanned her and the dead raptor. Beside him stood his second, Cruz, with the rest of the squad fanned out behind t
hem, all holding their weapons.

  “Arden? You okay?” She recognized Shaw’s easygoing drawl, although at this moment, it was filled with tension.

  She looked at the sniper and managed a nod. Then she tucked her face back into Dom’s neck and held on.

  “I’ll get her inside.” Dom’s deep voice rumbled beneath her ear. “She’s not injured.”

  “We need the body.” Marcus’ gravelly drawl. “We need to get it to Doc Emerson so she can autopsy it.”

  “What the fuck is that?” The faint accent told her that it was Cruz speaking.

  “It flowed up from the ground,” Arden choked out. “Out of nowhere, like a shadow.”

  Dom’s arms tightened around her, then he turned and walked away. Moments later, he was ducking inside the Enclave.

  “We need to get the doc to check you over—”

  Arden shook her head. “No. I’m not hurt. Please, I need to get clean. Please.” She felt panic rising in her chest.

  Dom was quiet for a beat. “Arden—”

  “Please, Dom.” She lifted her head and met his dark gaze. “When my family was killed—” her chest hitched “—I was covered in their blood.”

  He cursed softly in Italian. “Okay, bella. Hold on.”

  She did as told, holding onto him tightly. He was all hard-packed muscle, and the warmth of him helped her control the panic twisting in her belly. Soon, they reached her quarters. She didn’t ask him how he knew where she lived. He shifted her so she could press her palm to the electronic lock.

  He strode straight through her living area and into the bathroom. He set her down, and for a second, Arden wasn’t sure her legs would hold her. But she locked her knees, determined to find some strength. She didn’t want him to see her fall completely apart.

  Then he dropped to his knees. Arden sucked in a breath, staring at his dark hair. He unlaced her shoes and pulled them off, one at a time. Her socks followed. He rose and started to undo the buttons on her shirt.

  Arden just stood there and let him methodically strip her down to her underwear.

  When he shifted away, she looked in the mirror and bile rose in her throat. Raptor blood was all over her skin.