Page 61 of When Monsters Rise
“Rue, are you all right?”Bastianasked.
“I’mfine.”Ifixed a smile on my face. “Justtired now.”
“Ican carry you.”
“I’mfine.I’mnot physically tired.”
“Yeah,Iget it.”
Tensionrippled through my body—a primal warning a moment beforeZaqcried out in alarm.
“Incoming!”
“Fuckinghell!”Bastiancried.
Ispotted the ripper a moment later.
Largerthan the ones we’d dealt with inSector4.
Thesewere type 5, and they were headed down the road right at us.
“Ididn’t see them!”Zaqcried. “Theyweren’t there a moment ago.”
Therewas no time to debate. “Offthe road!Move!”Iled the humans off the road and into the field, not that it would do much good.Therippers could see us and smell us.Therewas no cover.
Wewere fucked.
Theyswarmed toward us.Toomany for the watchers to engage.Toomany to keep them off us.
“Run!”Bastianordered. “Fuckingrun for the woods!”
Theclose-knit trees would make it harder for the rippers to get to us, they would slow them down.Butslow didn’t mean stop.Nothingcould stop them.
Weran, boots beating the earth with the thunder of a multitude of talon-tipped legs behind us.
Beeran alongside me, arms pumping hard, head pushed forward, and for a momentIwas back on the road inSector4, running from the rippers withBeeat my side.
Behindus, the screech and scream of the creatures being attacked by the watchers tore at the silence that had shrouded us up until now.
Lookingback wasn’t an option.
Thetree line rushed to meet us, but the air fizzed and two huge crabines erupted into our path out of nowhere.
Theyreared up, pincers clacking eagerly.
Peoplescreamed, skidding to a halt before veering left to get away from the creatures.
Thecrabines and the rippers clashed.
Butthere were more rippers then crabines.
They’dwin, and then they’d come for us.
“Move!”Wehad to get into the forest while the fuckers were distracted.
Theair crackled, and the tree line was blocked off by more crabines. “Getback!”
Wewere trapped, surrounded by the creatures with no watchers to protect us.
