Lost in Barbarian Space(29)

“Alpha, this is the Drake.”

At the new voice in her ear, she held up her hand for the others to wait. “I’m here, Drake.”

“We’ve picked up a snowstorm moving in on your location.” Ning sounded out of breath. “Honor, it’s huge and it’s coming in fast.”

Honor cursed. “Behati is missing.”

“You have ten minutes until the storm hits…no, wait a second… Stars, make that four minutes. It’s speeding up!”

Honor looked at Colm and Derek. “We’re about to get hit by a huge snowstorm. We have four minutes to find Behati and get out of here. Let’s move. Now.”

Colm nodded and swiftly moved to look around the area. Derek moved to the left and Honor went right. Together, they moved in larger and larger circles around the marlins. Honor called out and kept trying the comms. Where the hell was the archeologist?

Ahead she saw Colm crouch and touch something in the snow.

She hurried over. “What is it?”

Colm looked up, and his face was as hard as she’d ever seen it. He moved his body slightly…and she saw what he was looking at.

The snow was stained with a splatter of bright-red blood.

Honor felt her stomach turn over.

Colm shot to his feet, his eyes flashing gold. “Something’s here.”

The fog had thickened more and the wind was picking up. With her heart pounding, Honor turned around, trying to see anything through the thick, white mist.

“Agent Brandall!” Derek yelled across the comm. “I saw something in the fog. Something big.”

“We need to leave,” Colm said.

“I can’t abandon Behati. He’s an archeologist, Colm, not a soldier.” To leave the man here would be a death sentence.

“Then we’ll all die.” Colm reached under his furs and drew his sword.

Feeling desperate, Honor contacted the Drake. “Drake, any life signs? Can you pick up Dr. Behati anywhere?”

“I can’t detect Dr. Behati’s signature, Honor,” Ning said. “I see your three signatures…wait—” A sharp intake of breath. “Oh, my God. There are faint signatures appearing around you! Three, no, four, no…ten. I can’t tell what they are, but they have you surrounded!”

It set Honor’s nerves alive and she pulled out her laser pistols. “We’re surrounded. Ten intruders. Get to the ships…now!”

“Go!” Colm jerked Honor toward the marlin.

They started running. Honor stumbled through the thick snow. A lone growl echoed in the fog and it sent a shiver down Honor’s spine. She gritted her teeth.

“Keep moving,” Colm growled.

It couldn’t be much farther to the marlins. Honor saw a shadow move in the fog and she tensed. Then the black shadow was gone.

She tripped over something and landed on her knees in the snow. What the hell? She looked down.

“Oh, God, Dr. Behati.” The archeologist was lying face-up in the snow. His face and chest were covered in splatters of blood. He’d been…mauled by something.

Then Colm was there. He saw the archeologist, cursed, and then leaned down and lifted Behati. He tossed the man’s body over his shoulder. “Keep moving, Honor.”

Honor pushed off, and tried to keep pace with Colm’s long strides. They reached the first marlin, where Derek was scrambling into the pilot seat. The man’s chest was heaving.

Colm dumped Behati’s body in the other seat.

“Jesus.” Derek blanched white. “Is he alive?”

“Barely,” Colm answered. “Now go.”

Honor kept up her stumbling run towards the second marlin. She cursed. The snow was too damned deep. Suddenly, she was jerked off her feet and pressed against a fur-covered chest.

Colm charged ahead, and she heard Derek’s marlin take off. Its lights shone across the snow in front of them…

Illuminating the huge creature emerging from the fog.

Every muscle in her body froze, and her breath lodged in her throat. “Colm.”

Colm set her down and pushed her behind him. He raised his sword.

The beast was larger than Colm, with shaggy, white fur covering its muscular body. It had huge jaws.

“It looks like a winter wolf,” Colm said. “But larger.”

Honor pulled her laser pistols and aimed them at the beast. “Best way to kill them?”

“Before they kill you.”

The wolf leaped.

Colm moved fast. He swung his sword into the air, his fur coat spreading out around his large body.

But the wolf was wily, leaping out of the way.

“Honor, back to the marlin. Now.”

“I’m not leaving you.” She clutched her pistols harder, when something made her look behind her.