Once she had the weapon in hand, she dug through the hybrids’ cargo pants’ pockets until she found all their extra magazines. There weren’t many. Apparently, hybrids weren’t fans of carrying too much ammo.
She was just dragging the weapon around to get into a shooting position as the three hybrids headed her way.
Kendra dropped to the ground behind one of the dead hybrids and threw the barrel of the weapon over the creature’s chest, then grabbed the charging handle, praying the gun operated like the ones she was used to. She jerked the handle to the rear, feeling the bolt move with it. When it stopped, she let it go and felt the bolt slide forward with a satisfying thump. She hoped she’d just chambered a round properly. She didn’t have time to aim, so she simply slapped her cheek to the stock and moved the rear of the weapon down until she was staring directly at the oncoming hybrids, then squeezed the trigger.
She discovered the hard way that she was on full auto, but while there was a solidthump-thump-thumpagainst her shoulder, the rifle didn’t jump around too much. Even better, the rounds she fired hit where she’d aimed, and the hybrid in front crashed to the ground.
One of the two remaining hybrids charged her, but his friend slowed long enough for her to get the first one, then shift over to pop the one who was having doubts. Knowing there were only a few rounds left in the magazine, she dropped it and put in a fresh one as she scanned the camp for more hybrids. Thankfully, there weren’t any.
Kendra chambered a round, then spun to point the rifle at Marcus. Maybe she could get a clean shot at the big hybrid and put a quick end to this.
But that hope died quickly. Declan and Marcus were going at each other like a couple of deranged werebeasts, twisting and turning across the ground one moment, clawing and pounding at one another the next. She was too terrified of hitting Declan to even try and take a shot.
She’d seen a lot of shifters—and a lot of hybrids, too—fight, but none of them could match the pure, unbridled rage and violence of what she was seeing now. Declan and Marcus pounded and clawed at each other like something out of a prehistoric movie, growling and roaring at each other so loud the entire jungle had to hear them. She cringed as ribbons of blood hit the ground. Even if Declan lived through the fight, she wasn’t sure he’d survive all the punishment he was taking.
Her heart squeezed in her chest. But there was nothing she could do, except wait and pray she’d get a chance to take a shot.
Kendra was just lifting the weapon to her cheek again when she heard the sounds of fighting on the far side of the camp. That had to be Tate, Brent, and Gavin. Who else would be willing to fight with a whole camp full of hybrids?
She opened her mouth to tell Declan that help was on the way, but he and Marcus smashed right through the side of a building.Crap.
Kendra looked over her shoulder again, wishing someone would come running around one of the buildings right that second. But they didn’t. She was the only help Declan was going to get. She tightened her grip on her weapon and headed for the building and the fight inside.
Kendra got there just in time to see Marcus grab a huge computer monitor and smash it against Declan’s shoulder. Declan barely noticed it. He simply lunged forward and raked his long claws across the hybrid’s chest. Marcus ignored the pain the same way Declan had and brought his fist down on Declan’s shoulder. It was hard to be sure over the growling, but Kendra swore she heard something break.
How long could a shifter, even one as strong as Declan, keep fighting at such a savage pace before he slipped up and let a fatal strike slip through? Kendra didn’t know, and she didn’t want to find out.
She darted behind a heavy desk and got her weapon into position. The time was coming when she was going to have to make a decision. She could keep praying that Declan would be able to end the fight without her getting involved, or take a shot she was uncertain she could make.
Chapter 14
Angelo jumped over a dead hybrid to get to Ivy, intent on making good on his promise to Landon about protecting her, and found Tanner, who was still in the grips of his own hybrid rage, stepping in front of Ivy just as three hybrids advanced on her. Angelo dropped to one knee, raised his M4 to his shoulder, and started taking slow, careful shots at the snarling monsters.
“What the hell are you two doing?” Ivy demanded, squeezing off a three-round burst over Angelo’s head. “Get out of my way!”
“Fall back to the wall!” Angelo yelled over his shoulder. “Tanner and I will give you time to get to safety.”
Ivy kept shooting over his head. “You stupid ass. Landon told you to do this, didn’t he?”
“He never said a word,” Angelo shouted. “Now hurry up and go. Carter’s injured, and Butler and Derek need your help getting him out of here. They didn’t sign up for this.”
Angelo glanced over his shoulder, prepared to argue some more, but Ivy was already running across the rocky ground to where Derek and Butler were trying to get Carter up on his feet. Angelo dropped his magazine to the ground, loaded his last fresh thirty-rounder, and flipped to full auto, then threw a quick glance at Tanner. He returned Angelo’s look, eyes flashing red as hell and claws flexing.
“You know, you’re not so bad.” Angelo wasn’t sure Tanner could even understand him when he was in beast mode like this, but he grinned at the man anyway as he added, “For a Ranger.”
Angelo made his ammo last as long as he could. When the bolt of his M4 locked back on an empty magazine, he dropped the weapon and pulled out his knife, then jumped to his feet. But before he could get in a jab, gunfire erupted from somewhere to his right. Tanner growled and crouched, clearly intending to launch himself at the hybrids.
Shit. What the hell was he doing?
Angelo sheathed his knife and jumped on Tanner’s back, trying to keep him out of the line of fire, but all it did was freak out the ex-Ranger. Angelo ducked as Tanner reached back and tried to take off his face with those daggers that passed for claws. He’d be damned if he’d let go, though. More copper-jacketed rounds were coming their way. Landon’s slow-ass help had finally gotten there. No way was he going to let Tanner die now.
More bullets zipped over their heads, taking out most of the remaining hybrids. The few who hadn’t gone down ran for cover in the jungle.
Beneath Angelo, Tanner roared. One second the ex-Ranger was wiggling under Angelo’s grip, the next he was tossing Angelo over his shoulder. Angelo hit the ground hard, pain shooting up his back and lancing through his skull. He opened his eyes just in time to see Tanner jump over him and tear off into the jungle in hot pursuit of the hybrids who’d escaped.
Doubleshit.
“Tanner, no!” Ivy shouted.
