Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 110757 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110757 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
When I arrive at our concrete supply building, my stomach drops. A massive lion has its sharp gaze fixed on Georgie, one of our kitchen workers. Its head is dipped and its ribs are visible.
It’s very rare for a regular animal on the island to approach our camp. This one is aromium-enhanced, though—I can tell by its size. It’s also hungry, probably from the volcano wiping out so much of its prey.
Damn. We lightened camp security with the Tiders here because we need everyone for other work. But we didn’t account for nonhuman predators.
The lion takes two slow steps closer to Georgie, who’s holding a burlap sack tightly against her chest.
I could shoot it. But it’s so big that a single bullet wouldn’t take it down. I’m not confident I could put enough bullets in it fast enough to keep it from getting to Georgie.
“Don’t move,” a male Tider says to Georgie.
Nova’s about ten feet from me, an electrified stun stick in her hand. Wyatt is a few feet from her, and he doesn’t have any weapons.
“Nova?” I call out, keeping my eyes on the lion.
“I’m thinking,” she says.
“Thinking we’re fucked,” Amira mutters.
She’s not wrong. Aromium made the animal into a mutant that has to weigh at least seven hundred pounds. Our only hope is to attack it all at once, with every weapon we have, and hope we can take it out before it hurts anyone.
“Everyone, get behind me!” I call.
The Tiders who beat me here are in front of and beside me. They don’t move.
“Everyone, get shoulder to shoulder,” a male voice orders.
I exchange a confused look with Amira as the Tiders close ranks and form a human wall. The male voice orders them forward and counts their steps, his voice clear and commanding.
They’re not moving quickly or slowly. It’s just a steady progression, and within thirty seconds, they’ve passed Georgie. Niran is there, and he moves himself in front of her and helps her slowly retreat.
I keep my gun pointed at the ground as I watch, fascinated. I recognize Marcelle’s tiny frame and wild blond curls in the line of Tiders. Their backs are facing me, and if anyone’s getting attacked, it will be them.
Amira and I move to the side so we can see what’s happening. The lion is looking at the advancing Tiders, its head still lowered. The tip of its tail swishes and my heart stills as I wait for it to pounce.
But instead, it backs up a step. Then another one. The deep voice is still calling out numbers as they all walk forward in unison, some of them with their arms linked.
Nova’s stun stick crackles in the air. The Tiders keep moving, and the lion backs up several more steps.
“It’s working,” Amira says softly.
The lion is close to the edge of the jungle, but it doesn’t seem to want to look away from the Tiders.
It chances a quick look, then turns and jumps into the jungle, running away. Everyone lets out a collective sigh of relief.
The Tiders disband, none of them looking fazed. I approach the tall, dark-haired man who assembled them into the line.
“Thank you,” I say.
He nods. “It might come back. We can help patrol.”
I hesitate, because that would require giving them weapons. I’m not sure our truce is solid enough for that yet.
“Or not.” He shrugs. “But you took the shield down to help us, so it’s the least we can do.”
“We could use the help,” I admit.
“We can see better in the dark. We’ll ride the laundry bikes at night and patrol the camp.”
I consider. With all our people sleeping in the Sub, that might not be a bad idea.
“All we need is spears,” he says. “We can make them ourselves.”
“We have spears.”
I glance at Nova, who’s just a few feet away. She gives me a quick, slight nod.
“Okay, thank you,” I say. “We’ll take you up on that.”
“I’ll run it by Pax first.”
“Sure. Tell him to let me know either way.”
Everyone’s walking back to the central camp area, and Nova falls into step beside me.
“Can I talk to you?” she asks.
“Of course.”
“I’ll catch up with you later,” Amira says, walking toward Wyatt and Chance.
Nova is pensive for a few seconds.
“You okay?” I ask her.
“I’m worried about Ellison.”
I pinch my brows together. “Is she overdoing it? She has to eat and sleep.”
“It’s not that. She’s always overdoing it. There have been two times in the past few days where she’s told me she was going to be somewhere, but then she wasn’t there.”
“You know how it is for her, Nova. She’s always getting pulled in a thousand directions.”
She hums in agreement. “Right, but when I asked her later about the place she said she was going, she acted like she’d been there. She lied to me.”
Now I’m concerned, too. “That’s not like her.”