Page 32 of Rebel
Xavier shook his head. “No.”
The hairs on the back of my neck quivered and stood to attention. “Xavier …” I gripped Xavier’s arm, dropping my voice to a whisper. “I think there’s something behind us.”
17
Xavier clasped my hand, and together we turned, slashing light into the space between us and the outside.
A dark shape shot to the left. “What the—”
Xavier stepped forward and shone the light in the direction the shadow had gone, but the space was clear, but … Wait. I grabbed his arm and moved it back toward the wall. Four evenly spaced scrapes were etched into the plaster. Claw marks, high up and wide enough apart to indicate a large hand span.
“Xavier … I don’t think we’re alone on the station.”
“Whatever it is it doesn’t like the light,” Xavier pointed out. “We get back inside. Now.”
I grabbed a tool off the counter—a wrench-like item—and we stepped out into the courtyard, light held high. There was a thrumming in the air now, a rhythmic clicking sound. We moved fast toward the entrance to the main building, breath coming shallow because there was something out there watching us, waiting for us to—
Clink
Something hit the lamp, and the glass shattered.
“What the fuck.” Xavier froze.
I looked down to see a small rock, and horror bloomed in my chest.
“They’re trying to take out the light. Run.”
We broke into a sprint, hands still clasped while whatever was out there pinged us with rocks. They were missing. Okay, that was fine. Almost there, and then, with aclinkandfizz, the lamp went out.
The world bled to black, my night vision activated, and terror closed its fist around my throat. There were five—no, six—huge insect-like creatures with humanoid bodies and bug-like heads. Mandibles pinched, and feelers quivered, and there was one right in front of us, blocking the entrance to the main building.
There was no way in.
“Rogue, fuck. Rogue, I can’t see.”
The creatures chittered and chattered as if communicating, but they didn’t attack. They thought they had us where they wanted us. They thought we were blind.
“Xavier. We’re cut off. There are six of them. There’s no way into the main building. I’m going to head for the tower. Whatever you do, do not let go of my hand.”
“Oh, fuck.”
“Now.”
I broke into a sprint, the sudden movement startling the creatures long enough for us to slip past, but then they were on our tail. A low-level buzzing filled the air.
Don’t look back. The tower was close. So close. “Almost there.”
Xavier’s fingers were a death grip on mine. The radio at my hip cracked. Shit. Please, do not come after us. I needed to get to safety and radio the guys.
The steps to the tower loomed, and then I pulled Xavier round and into the cage surrounding the steps. “Climb.”
I shoved him, and he began to crawl up, feeling his way with his hands. My body jolted as the cage shook. The insect was in flight, wings beating fast as it reared back to take another bash at the metal.
The whole structure shook, and then the steps beneath me clattered as one of the humanoid insects climbed the stairs.
“Move.” I shoved Xavier, and he grunted as he pulled open the door.
A hand grasped my ankle. Like hell. I swung the wrench at it, making contact. It screamed and let go.
