Page 43 of Beast in the Badlands
My heart sinks deeper into despair as anger ignites within me. “I’m not leaving them!” The words tear from my throat with all the strength I can muster.
“And I’m not fucking leaving you, either.” His gaze locks onto mine—a storm brewing behind those fierce red eyes. There’s a weight in his words that leaves no room for argument.
In that moment of shared intensity, time stands still; everything else fades away until it’s just us against this broken world. Then without warning, he bends down and kisses me—hard and desperate—his lips crashing against mine with a ferocity that leaves me breathless.
"I'm not leaving," he says, his breath hot against my cheek.
I feel my body bend to his.
“Let’s go kick some ass.”
His words are laced with defiance and heat; they spark something deep inside me—a flame rekindled amid ashes.
With renewed determination flooding through my veins, I nod sharply. “Okay.”
CHAPTER 33
EMRY
Ibrace myself against the jagged remnants of the med tent, breath coming in sharp bursts. The air hangs thick with smoke and gunpowder, the acrid scent clawing at my throat. I pull another wounded civilian behind a makeshift barricade, my muscles screaming from the effort.
“Stay down!” I hiss, pushing a trembling man into the dirt, hoping to shield him from the chaos that swirls around us.
Gunfire erupts nearby, a relentless symphony of violence as enemy forces flood our perimeter. Soldiers rush in, their black armor gleaming like sharks cutting through water. Mechs stomp forward, heavy-footed behemoths towering over us while aerial drones zip overhead like angry hornets. They descend with ruthless precision.
My heart pounds in time with each shot fired, adrenaline surging through my veins. I grip my rifle tighter, teeth gritted against exhaustion as I return fire, each round fired feeling like a battle cry echoing in this hellscape.
Renn is beside me, a dark shadow against the flickering flames. He moves with lethal grace despite his injuries; his weapon sings a deadly tune as he mows down foes withouthesitation. Each shot he fires fills me with an unexpected thrill—a promise that we won’t go down without a fight.
“Emry!” He calls out, voice cutting through the din. “We need to push them back!”
“I know!” I shout back, my voice strained but resolute. I drag another civilian—that same young girl from before—behind cover and turn to face Renn again.
“We can’t hold them forever!” My heart sinks at the sight of our dwindling numbers; civilians huddle together like frightened sheep while soldiers fall one by one.
Renn’s eyes flash with determination. “Then we take out their command center! We disrupt their lines!”
I nod fiercely, swallowing my fear as he gestures toward a cluster of enemy soldiers advancing through the smoke. We have to do something—anything—to change the tide before it swallows us whole.
As we step out from behind our barricade, gunfire whizzes past us like angry bees. I wince but press on, focusing on the civilians still able to fight.
“Cover me!” I yell to Renn before I dive into action again—grabbing an older man who’s lost his footing and hauling him up.
The ground trembles beneath our feet as another blast rocks the area—a distant explosion sending debris flying like shrapnel through the air.
My vision blurs momentarily as panic threatens to overtake me again—but then I see Renn firing methodically beside me, unwavering even amidst chaos. That sight alone steels my resolve; if he can fight through pain and uncertainty for me, then I can do this too.
But then—a new wave of enemy dropships break through the smoke, roaring down from above with engines screaming like banshees hunting for prey.
“Emry!” Renn’s voice rises above the din of destruction as they land hard on the outskirts of our position—the thud reverberating deep within my chest like a warning bell tolling doom.
“We need to move! Now!” His eyes dart between incoming threats and defenseless civilians still struggling to comprehend what’s happening around them.
My stomach twists at what’s coming; they’re not just bringing more soldiers—they’re bringing death itself in overwhelming numbers.
I grip my rifle, breath quickening as Renn's crew bursts into the fray like a pack of feral wolves. The air ignites with blaster fire and the harsh clash of metal against metal. I barely have time to register their monstrous forms, their eyes glowing with fury and purpose, before they launch into the chaos.
They move as one, each Reaper a living weapon, slicing through enemy lines with brutal efficiency. Blasters roar and knives glint under the flickering lights of battle, painting the ground red with blood—both enemy and ally. I can’t help but feel a chill run down my spine at their savagery.
