Hunted - Chapter 8

Hunter turned as two wolves appeared from beside the center tank. He could feel Warlock moving to place them back to back as he faced his own assault. “This is not going to be good,’ he thought as the wolves peered at him.1

To his left, Hunter heard the rest of the slayers pouring out of the trucks to face the ambush. Screams from wolf and man alike began to mingle as the battle was faced. Letting the attack take him over, Hunter began to move.2

Sliding quickly to his right, he sliced at the closest wolf. The thing recoiled, as he hoped it would, and gave him the room he needed to pivot and slash at the second one. Ducking his head, he just missed getting a face full of claws as he continued his turn and sliced deeply into the thigh of the first wolf. Howling in pain and grasping at the burning cut, the dark wolf fell to one side as Hunter continued his attack.3

The sudden surprise of the second wolf at his pack mate’s howl gave Hunter just enough time to slide his blade deep into it’s chest. The life light went out of its eyes as Hunter pulled his blade free and turned to face the next assault.4

Warlock had already dispatched his three opponents. Turning, their eyes met for a long battlefield instant. They both had the same thought at the same time, ‘the tank!’5

Slicing through a fourth foe, Warlock sprang to the deck of the battle tank and kicked a snarling grey wolf in the teeth as he landed. Having silver toes on his boots always gave Warlock an advantage in close quarters. Since his preferred style of martial arts was kick boxing, he was glad that his feet actually caused the damage needed to stop these beasts.6

Sliding around the side, Hunter took his scabbard and crashed it down along the nose of the black wolf he now faced. Hearing the crush of bone and cartilage made him smile. When the wolf doubled over in pain, he used its back as a step up onto the tank. Slicing down as he stepped up, he finished the wolf off with a slice to the neck. Turning, he looked for Warlock, who was already sliding into the driver’s seat of the Abrams. 7

“Get in!” Warlock screamed as he slammed the hatch shut over his head.8

Hunter looked and found the only other hatch open was at the very top of the turret. Climbing up, he saw that a red colored wolf was already landing there. Slicing with his blade, he cut at the wolf but missed. The wolf leaned back just in time and slapped at Hunter’s wrist. They both looked as Hunter’s blade went sailing.9

Hunter, holding his scabbard like a club, knew he was in major trouble. His only chance would be to knock the wolf off of the tank long enough to scamper in the hatch. He set his feet as he watched the wolf stretch towards him over the top of the hatch.10

Its eyes went from hunger to shock as a length of bright metal blade sprouted from its back. Shoving hard, Warlock pushed the wolf up and away. Standing in the commander’s hatch, Warlock looked at Hunter with a smirk and said, “Are you getting in or what?”11

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Holland gasped as the wolf grabbed the leg of the guy laying on the gurney next to her and pulled him from the ambulance. Looking back after it jumped down to the pavement, it held Holland’s eyes for a heartbeat. Suddenly, it was gone.13

Her mind raced with shock and fear. ‘Why hadn’t it taken her? What was going on? Where the hell was Hunter?!’ Leaning back on the gurney, she pulled her sword from its covering and grasped it hard. Panting from the adrenaline, she tried to stay as quiet as possible.14

She could see directly behind the truck through the open doorway and she could hear the sounds of the feeding wolves. Everyone had been killed but her. She tried to hold back the sobs that were threatening to break her open, knowing that if she started, she would never be able to stop. Her breath caught short when a dark grey and silver head appeared in the doorway.15

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RisingMoon looked at the human female holding one of those swords in her hands. He knew she was injured; he had been there when one of his wolves had plucked her from the side of the hill. He would probably never forget her face, her eyes, or her hair. Instinct told him to kill her, but intellect told him to use her against her kind.17

He would take her to BloodClaw, just as soon as he figured out a way to get that damn sword away from her without killing her or getting killed himself.18

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Hunter slammed the hatch closed and dogged it down while Warlock scrambled back into the driver’s seat.20

“Ever been in one of these before?”21

“No,” Hunter responded, “I went straight into the slayers.”22

“Pick up those headphones and put them on. Once I start the engine, we won’t be able to talk without them.”23

Hunter reached and pulled the headphones away from a disgusting mound of meat that was piled close to his feet. He wiped them off as best he could before slipping them over his ears. He tried hard not to think about the wet stickiness on his face.24

“Can you hear me?” Warlock’s voice said clearly in his ears.25

“Yeah, I hear you.”26

“Okay, I’m starting this baby up. Give me a second and I’ll talk you through your weapons station.”27

Hunter grinned. He wasn’t out of this fight yet. While a bullet usually didn’t kill one of these damn things, if you pump enough 50 cal rounds into something’s head, it will eventually not get back up again. 28