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I’d never seen anything like it: skeletal creatures, the deepest shade of purple, almost black, were slinking across the road, hunched over on all fours, crawling toward the crashed vehicles. Their size shocking, with bony spines arching taller than the wrecked cars and trucks. And their skin, if you could call it skin, appeared armored, haloed with a subtle purple smoke.

Somehow, even in the beginning stage of shock, I counted five of them.

“Oh my . . .” I trailed off.

Hunter grabbed my hand, lowering his voice. “Move back toward the bar.”

I did as he instructed, my brain communicating with my body on instinct.

“A few more feet,” he coaxed.

A high-pitched shriek sounded from one of the creatures, its head thrown back like a werewolf howling at the moon. The others joined in, their shrieking a warning before they descended upon the vehicles, tearing the people from them with their claws.

“Run!” Hunter yelled over the screams of slaughter.

I did as he said, tripping over myself along the way, before throwing myself through the bar’s door.

Hunter slammed it shut behind me and locked the deadbolt firmly.

The music inside had been turned down as patrons realized something was happening outside.

Hunter flipped the switches on the wall, killing the lights. “Get away from the windows!” he shouted to the people occupying the tables nearest to the road.

“What’s going on?” Niall ran toward us, Connor and Sarah in tow.

“An attack,” Hunter said, his voice calm as he slipped into his commanding role.

Hunter was one of the best squad leaders stationed at Fort Gray. The reason evident in his quick thinking now. “Get everyone near the back wall, under the tables, and tell them to stay quiet.”

We all started grabbing people and herding them toward the back.

Thankfully, it was a weekday, and there weren’t too many people to herd.

Kyle appeared from the bathroom looking bewildered, his shirt covered in his blood. “What the fuck is going on?”

Hunter grabbed him, shoving him toward the back. “An attack. Get down.”

Kyle did as he was told, most likely concussed, while Hunter ran behind the bar to grab Brooke.

The noise from inside the bar began to quiet, allowing the havoc from outside to fill the space, the sound of sirens growing louder.

Hunter cursed, looking at our group of friends. “If those things get inside, we’re all dead.”

Brooke started to sob as she clung to my brother.

I tried my hardest not to roll my eyes. “We need to get to base.”

Hunter nodded. “Agreed. We need to draw those things away from here.”

Niall gulped. “I don’t know what things you two are referring to, but judging from the screams of absolute terror outside, I’m guessing they’re horrific.”

Connor spoke, appearing to have sobered up, “We’re with you guys, whatever you need.”

Sarah nodded her head in agreement.

“My gun is in my truck,” I stated, having left it behind before entering an establishment that served alcohol.

Hunter bobbed his head, thinking through our next move. “Mine, too. Our best bet is to get to our trucks and radio base. Let the guard station know we’re on our way. We might be able to draw whatever the fuck those things are to the fort’s perimeter and have the guards there ready to fire.