results, when the Spiders had
injured Lucy. Eva’s house hadn’t fared too well in that attack, unfortunately.
“Yes, and I remembered to bring it. It’s my last one,” Greyson
replied, easing the ship to a soft landing. “Here.” He powered down and
unstrapped himself, then tossed a metal disc back to Solomon.
Solomon caught it and examined the device with his senses. “Still
fully charged. Excellent.”
“That’s the only one I have left.” Greyson climbed out of the
ship. “Use it wisely.”
“Of course.” Solomon followed him into the trees. “We’ve focused
so much on the sensors we have not had time to fabricate more of these.”
“Everything takes energy,” Greyson agreed, striding through the
woods.
Solomon armed the disc with a small pulse of energy, but didn’t
set a timer. “It’s ready to go.”
“I say we toss it into the cave and then deal with any stragglers
after detonation.” Greyson headed for a game trail, moving faster.
“Agreed.” Solomon wished he’d worn hiking boots instead of shoes.
He slipped as the trail grew soft. “This must follow the creek,” he murmured,
staring at the moss on the ground. Moisture seeped into his socks.
Greyson nodded, then abruptly stopped just as the trees started to
thin a bit. “Yes, it does.” He pointed. “Ten yards.”
Solomon squinted. The sun was in his eyes, but he could make out a
dark opening through the brush. “Okay, I see it.”
“You want to throw the grenade?” Greyson asked.
Solomon thought of Lucy, staring up at him earlier. She’d been so
confused when he kissed her. He thought of the day he’d had to put Constance in
the ground and suddenly rage simmered along his nerves. “Yes.”
Greyson eyed him warily, clearly sensing his fluctuating emotions,
then he nodded. “I thought so.”
Solomon didn’t bother to explain. He eyed the distance, wanting to
be accurate, but then a Spider crawled out of the cave mouth. It skittered up a
tree, clearly agitated. They were out of time. Solomon sent out his empathic
energy like sonar, grimacing as he sensed the number of Spiders holed up in the
cave.
“Time to get to work.” He slid his finger along the disk, setting
a short timer, then lobbed it toward the cave mouth. It bounced inside. “Five
seconds,” he told his brother, crouching down behind a tree. “I am grateful
there aren’t as many here as there were at Eva’s house.”
“I agree, but there shouldn’t be any here at all. Something
has changed,” Greyson said as he crouched down too, waiting. A few seconds
later, a wave of power shook the ground.
Solomon extended his empathic senses, ranging out over the cave
and beyond. “There are a few left.”
“I’ll take care of those.” Greyson stood up and headed into the
tiny clearing in front of the cave mouth. The Spider in the tree launched
itself at him, but Greyson caught it and crushed it in his fist, then dusted
his hands together.
Solomon followed him, scanning the forest. “One more,” he said,
heading right for the cave. He reached out, then grabbed the Spider hiding
behind a rock. Its energy touched his skin, but his natural immunity
disintegrated the silicate creature. Sand sifted down as it died. “I do not
feel any others.”
“Me neither,” Greyson said, both hands on the rock that formed the
mouth of the cave. He sighed and turned, leaning on the stone. “What happened?
Why didn’t we detect these earlier?”
Solomon wished he knew. “Something has changed.” He headed for the
cave, feeling his way into the crack between two slabs of sandstone. It wasn’t
very deep. Nothing remained inside except for fine sand. He’d designed the
grenades they used to kill batches of Spiders to completely dissolve after
deploying their burst of energy.
“They are evolving,” he finally said, easing back out of the hole.
Greyson was staring at the sky. “The Spiders are always evolving.
That’s nothing new.”
Solomon joined his
injured Lucy. Eva’s house hadn’t fared too well in that attack, unfortunately.
“Yes, and I remembered to bring it. It’s my last one,” Greyson
replied, easing the ship to a soft landing. “Here.” He powered down and
unstrapped himself, then tossed a metal disc back to Solomon.
Solomon caught it and examined the device with his senses. “Still
fully charged. Excellent.”
“That’s the only one I have left.” Greyson climbed out of the
ship. “Use it wisely.”
“Of course.” Solomon followed him into the trees. “We’ve focused
so much on the sensors we have not had time to fabricate more of these.”
“Everything takes energy,” Greyson agreed, striding through the
woods.
Solomon armed the disc with a small pulse of energy, but didn’t
set a timer. “It’s ready to go.”
“I say we toss it into the cave and then deal with any stragglers
after detonation.” Greyson headed for a game trail, moving faster.
“Agreed.” Solomon wished he’d worn hiking boots instead of shoes.
He slipped as the trail grew soft. “This must follow the creek,” he murmured,
staring at the moss on the ground. Moisture seeped into his socks.
Greyson nodded, then abruptly stopped just as the trees started to
thin a bit. “Yes, it does.” He pointed. “Ten yards.”
Solomon squinted. The sun was in his eyes, but he could make out a
dark opening through the brush. “Okay, I see it.”
“You want to throw the grenade?” Greyson asked.
Solomon thought of Lucy, staring up at him earlier. She’d been so
confused when he kissed her. He thought of the day he’d had to put Constance in
the ground and suddenly rage simmered along his nerves. “Yes.”
Greyson eyed him warily, clearly sensing his fluctuating emotions,
then he nodded. “I thought so.”
Solomon didn’t bother to explain. He eyed the distance, wanting to
be accurate, but then a Spider crawled out of the cave mouth. It skittered up a
tree, clearly agitated. They were out of time. Solomon sent out his empathic
energy like sonar, grimacing as he sensed the number of Spiders holed up in the
cave.
“Time to get to work.” He slid his finger along the disk, setting
a short timer, then lobbed it toward the cave mouth. It bounced inside. “Five
seconds,” he told his brother, crouching down behind a tree. “I am grateful
there aren’t as many here as there were at Eva’s house.”
“I agree, but there shouldn’t be any here at all. Something
has changed,” Greyson said as he crouched down too, waiting. A few seconds
later, a wave of power shook the ground.
Solomon extended his empathic senses, ranging out over the cave
and beyond. “There are a few left.”
“I’ll take care of those.” Greyson stood up and headed into the
tiny clearing in front of the cave mouth. The Spider in the tree launched
itself at him, but Greyson caught it and crushed it in his fist, then dusted
his hands together.
Solomon followed him, scanning the forest. “One more,” he said,
heading right for the cave. He reached out, then grabbed the Spider hiding
behind a rock. Its energy touched his skin, but his natural immunity
disintegrated the silicate creature. Sand sifted down as it died. “I do not
feel any others.”
“Me neither,” Greyson said, both hands on the rock that formed the
mouth of the cave. He sighed and turned, leaning on the stone. “What happened?
Why didn’t we detect these earlier?”
Solomon wished he knew. “Something has changed.” He headed for the
cave, feeling his way into the crack between two slabs of sandstone. It wasn’t
very deep. Nothing remained inside except for fine sand. He’d designed the
grenades they used to kill batches of Spiders to completely dissolve after
deploying their burst of energy.
“They are evolving,” he finally said, easing back out of the hole.
Greyson was staring at the sky. “The Spiders are always evolving.
That’s nothing new.”
Solomon joined his
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