At this rate, I'd get sun poisoning before I found Penny.
By the time night fell, I was out of food, out of energy drinks and losing my mind.Dargo was getting restless, pacing in half circles around the back of the truck, and testing the limits of his tether.Every time he reached the end, I waited for him to snap the yellow straps, but he never did.
I could feel his eyes on me all day, like an itch on the back of my neck as I kept watch over the alien camp.By the time I retreated from my post, I was almost ready to cut his bindings and drive off without him.But something told me he wouldn’t let me disappear, and the last thing I needed was an unbound Dargo stalking me from the darkness.
The thought of it made me shiver, and not just from the fear that he’d swoop in and steal me away like his friend had taken Penny.
No, I knew what he’d do if he caught me, unawares, with his hands free.And I no longer trusted myself to resist him.
I watched him pace another circuit and wondered how I was going to get out of this strange stand off.Even if I saved Penny, I’d need to dump him before we ran.Short of running him over with the truck, I didn’t know how I was going to get a head start.
Dargo froze, his long ears swiveling forward as he searched the darkness.
"What is it?"I broke the silence only to have him shush me.His whole body tensed and I strained to hear whatever had set him off.
An eerie shriek broke through the night sounds of crickets and my hair stood on end.
The sound set off a primal instinct inside me and my mouth went dry.
"What was that?"I grabbed my useless cattle prod.
"Untie me."Dargo's usual teasing tone was gone.
"Tell me what that was."I didn't like the look on his face and I really didn't like the way all the bugs and birds went dead silent as that ominous shriek came again.
"Percer," he bit out, whirling to face me."Untie me, we have to get to camp."
"I'm not losing my advantage," I argued, even as my stomach twisted in anxiety as I remembered the freakish alien monster he'd killed outside the pharmacy.That thing had been huge, bigger even than Dargo, and I doubted my stupid zappy stick would do any good against it.
"You'd rather lose your life?"Dargo's eyes burned into mine and for the first time he looked scared."You can't take on a percer and it's caught our scent."
"Why should I believe that?"I gripped the prod, hating that I didn't have anything better to fight with.If I let him go, my plan was ruined.He'd drag me right into camp and I'd be stuck there.Even if I found Penny, there was no way I could sneak both of us out if the whole camp knew I was there.
"Taz," he growled, stepping toward me and pulling up short as his bindings snapped tight."I'm trying to keep you alive."
Another rippling shriek, this time closer and the sound set off every alarm in my subconscious.Over the hill someone shouted a warning and I could hear the whole turoch camp erupt into chaos.
If a hundred armed males were freaking out, what chance did I stand against this thing?
But letting Dargo go meant admitting defeat, and I couldn't force myself to give up on saving Penny.
I stood there, frozen with indecision.
Pounding steps shook me out of my thoughts and I looked up to see the percer sprinting toward me.My vision tunneled onto its gaping jaws, massive fangs bared as it lurched at me.
It was more terrifying than anything I’d ever seen, and I swore its blank white eyes could see straight into my soul.
I screamed and dove for the truck.The monster shrieked, the sound almost blowing out my ear drums as I scrambled under the truck and it skidded in the sand, wheeling after me.
I pulled my feet to safety just as one of its claws smacked into a tire.Dargo let out a roar, and I heard the ratchet straps snap like a gunshot.The truck rocked above me as the percer clawed at the dirt, straining to reach me.
Its boney head banged into the metal, its huge talons digging ruts into the ground and I crawled toward the front end.
"In the camp!To me!"Dargo's bellow was almost as loud as the screaming percer and I covered my ears as the siren pitch of the beast’s call pierced my skull.The furious sounds increased as it reached for me.
I curled into a ball, and saw Dargo's giant hooves pounding toward the percer.
He hit the creature hard enough I swore I heard bones cracking and suddenly the truck was rising, tipping over and I scrambled out of the way as it crashed onto its side.Above me, the percer reached out with two long, mantis-like limbs that protruded from its humped back.
