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He growled under his breath. This was another damned experimentation lab, but on a scale he’d never seen before.

Hunter ducked behind some crates as footsteps approached the room.

The rodent quivered against him, as if it knew those footsteps meant bad news.

Hunter rested a hand gently against the animal to keep it calm and not give away their location.

There was a quiet conversation for a few minutes, before a cage door was slammed open and shut, and then the footsteps faded away.

Hunter couldn’t stay here much longer, and it was only a matter of time before he was discovered.

He headed back the way he’d come, taking note of anything that could be useful. This site was a perfect match, exactly the sort of place Cleo expected the Siblet to use. He had to let the Apocalypse know what he’d discovered.

A shuffling noise nearby had him slowing, and he tilted his head. Hunter crouched, his hands in fists as he waited for a troop of Siblet to appear. They didn’t come.

He turned slowly, picking out strange shapes in the gloom, trying to identify where that sliding sound was coming from.

The rodent rustled against his chest and tensed.

A deep growl rumbled from nearby, and the hairs on the back of Hunter’s neck stood up. He inhaled and caught the whiff of dirty fur and sweat.

Something slammed into his face, and he flew back and hit the wall. His vision blurred and his ears rang as he jumped to his feet and looked around. What the hell was that?

Hunter ducked as something swung right in front of his face, disturbing the air and bringing with it another whiff of dirt. There was a growl again, and that same shuffling noise was much nearer.

He stiffened and crouched low. Oh, crap! The Siblet had succeeded in creating a mutant beast with a camouflage ability, and the damn thing was in the corridor. How the hell was he supposed to defeat something he couldn’t see?

There was another growling snarl. Hunter dodged, but something sharp slashed across his upper arm, tearing his uniform and sending a warm stream of blood down to his wrist.

He dodged back, pulled out the rodent, and tucked it behind a pile of rocks. “Wait there, buddy. This isn’t a fight you want to get involved in.”

The creature stared up at him, then sniffed the air, its panicked gaze going to the wound on his arm.

“It’s not as bad as it looks. Just don’t move.” Hunter pulled the knuckle duster from his pocket and slid it onto his hand as he turned, his gaze shooting around the corridor.

He was trapped, injured, and his enemy was invisible. Talk about an end to a really shitty day. “Come on, you huge, invisible bastard. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

***

“Everyone keep an eyeon your radiation monitors.” Cleo sat opposite Ash and Georgia as they headed to Rowick. “Most of the radiation is concentrated in certain areas, but leaks aren’t unheard of. And radioactive bombs have been detonated at some key fighting grounds.”

“If we start to glow, get the hell out of there,” Ash said.

“Don’t ignore those monitors. Not even an Apexian is invulnerable to radiation,” Cleo said.

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Georgia said.

“That’s my job,” Ash said, giving her a wink. “And I’ll watch out for both of you when we’re down there.”

Cleo nodded. It felt weird to be on a mission without Hunter. He was always there for her. “This planet isn’t friendly, and although most of the skirmishes are contained in the west quadrant, they’ve been known to break out anywhere. And the few settlements remaining are desperate for resources. If they find this ship, they could try to get inside.”

“You’re not selling this place to me,” Ash said. “Radiation, hostile locals, and a war full of dirty bombs. Throw in a few two-headed monsters, and I’d think you were trying to kill us.”

“I’m just reminding you to be careful,” Cleo said. “The information we’ve got suggested a Siblet ship stopped here numerous times, but it could be nothing. A war zone isn’t a safe place to conduct experiments.”

“Other than the fighting, Rowick fits the profile,” Georgia said. “There are low population numbers, a hostile territory, so you don’t get tourists dropping by for a nose around, and it’s right by a jump point. If it wasn’t for the battle over resources, you could imagine the Siblet taking up residence.”

“That’s why we’re here. We investigate, gather data, and destroy any Siblet who gets in our way.”