“Bring them back alive!” she screamed without looking at him. Netto stared at her for a second longer, willing this moment to last, but he dove into the ocean, threading out his signal to realign itself with Zeph.
The watership was gone within an instant of his landing. He registered the lack of its electricity before he was able to shift into a shark. All he knew was that Rylie was safe. The Montihans would provide cover fire and lead the behemoth away from the Cyborgs and Janet. He gritted his teeth and looked for Rylie’s sister.
Chapter Thirteen
***
Rylie focused on thebeast before her, targeting the long-armed monstrosity with every bullet she had left. Her aim was good—great even—and she targeted the same spot Zeph had in hopes of cutting the monster in half, of seeing its flesh tear and rend, and its bones peeking through the gore.
She heard Netto dive off the side and her fear grew as he vanished to go after her sister. She suddenly felt alone and Rylie let out a strangled screech as she faded out everything beyond her control, her eyes on the creature in the mist. Hundreds of bullets slithered over her arm as she overheated the turret under her hands.
“Please die, die, die, die!”
Rylie had tunnel vision. Her sister was in danger and that justified exacting revenge on the beast in the distance. Da focused on getting them out, piloting the watership with a finesse born of years on the water.
The metal burned under her palms.
Rylie blinked back the dew on her lashes. Her adrenaline ruled her and with little sleep the night before, she swore to the gods of Earth and the gods of Kepler that her loved ones would remain safe into this new day. A surge of energy coursed through her veins.
The monster buckled forward, bowed over by the region of pain she gifted it. The watership was struck again and all she could do was hold on and close her eyes as it dipped below the waterline. Her nostrils burned when she unexpectedly breathed in the salt water.
They bobbed back upward and she coughed, sucking in the fresh morning air. Rylie checked her weapon and cranked a new set of bullets. She had no idea where her sister or Netto were; all she knew was that they had to survive. The retort of the cannon stabbed her eardrums and her ammo reserve depleted rapidly under her trigger-happy finger.
Within minutes, she had killed their supply. The watership rocked beneath her. Rylie looked out at the beast that remained far too close and prayed that Janet was all right.
The ship jerked and with that, she unbuckled herself, only to stumble back onto the bow. Her body slammed into the floor, rolling, before it she hit the wall of the cabin. Her vision sparked before she regained sight. Rylie swept her hands beneath her and shoved herself.Not hurt. I’m okay.
Grappling her way to the stairwell, she descended to the back of the ship. Her father was strapped within the helm seat and she crawled toward him, gripping the railways. Water and wind rushed over her skin.
Rylie yelled until Da turned around. She raised her arm and he clasped it pulling her the rest of the way. She settled in the co-captain's seat, barely managing to buckle herself in before they dipped again below the waves.
“We need to stop!” she screamed.
“We’ll be crushed if we do.”.
“Janet was thrown overboard. Circle back.” He looked at her, eyes wide, with his face sunken and strained. The ship groaned to a halt as she and her da shared a look. The behemoth roared in the distance.
