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They could try, but now that Eden knew what they were up to, they wouldn’t succeed.

Pecket were big, brutal, and mean, but she could handle them.

And most of them had set down their weapons and were focused on dealing with the animals. They didn’t seem to be expecting any kind of retaliation.

She could take them out one at a time. When they realized something was wrong, the numbers would be more in her favor.

Eden lined up her first shot and waited until the guy was alone before pulling the trigger. He went down with a grunt.

The next guy who walked through the door also died.

She looked around and dashed to the door before easing inside the room. She checked that both aliens were dead, then moved the bodies and concealed them out of sight of anyone wandering in. There was nothing she could do about the blood on the floor.

An apex whimpered as she passed its pen.

Eden ducked and peered at it. “Hey, you need to stay quiet. You’re not going anywhere. These assholes aren’t taking you.”

She snuck to the door and peeked outside. There was no one coming, so she headed back into the building to see what damage the Pecket had caused. There could be casualties inside.

Eden had to duck into a room, leaving the door open as footsteps approached.

“We have to get that thing out of here. It’s worth a fortune,” a deep male voice rumbled.

“Did you see its silver back spines? I’m not going anywhere near that thing. Besides, they’re supposed to have weird powers,” another guy said.

“You believe that hoo-doo crap? It’s a dumb animal. If the idiot lined up to buy it believes in the magic stuff, that’s their choice. It only makes the thing more valuable.”

“It gives me the creeps. Those glowing eyes never seem to blink.”

“Tranq the bastard before you get it out. So long as it’s alive when we hand it to the buyer, that’s all they’ll care about. Get to work. We’ve got ten minutes. Then we need to be out of here.”

Eden scowled as the voices faded. They weren’t going anywhere. And they weren’t taking the animals.

She slid out of the room and dashed along the corridor. She was about to try another door when it was yanked open. Two Pecket stood there.

She fired at them, and they went down.

Eden ran into the room. She leaped over the bodies just as three more Pecket appeared.

She fired at the first Pecket then ducked and rolled to avoid their returning gunfire.

A large male Pecket flew over her head, trying to take her out. These jerks weren’t messing around.

Eden flipped over, checking behind her. A scarred, angry looking Pecket was getting to his feet, his weapon raised.

She lifted her gun. “Bye, loser.”

He fell before he had a chance to get a fix on her.

The metallic scent of blood and stress fear from the animals filled Eden’s nose.

She focused on the approaching Pecket. Good. They were warier of her now. This wasn’t the first time she’d encountered this type of alien. Pecket were always so full of themselves. And they always underestimated Humans.

“Where the fuck did she come from?” one of them said.

“Your worst nightmare.” Eden sighted her gun on the Pecket who’d spoken. “Why are you raiding my sanctuary?”

“Your sanctuary?”