going off nearly simultaneously as the Templars opened fire.
Cade could only watch in horror as the Adversary seemed to dance and shake in mid-air as two squads of Templar knights hit it with concentrated firepower at the same time. The creature let loose a thunderous roar that literally shook the very framework of the bridge on which they stood as it was blown off course by the simultaneous impact of so many projectiles and disappeared over the side of the bridge.
The former Echo Team commander lurched to his feet and raced to the railing, screaming his wife’s name as he searched the water for any sign of her. Beside him, the Templar soldiers were doing the same, but for a very different reason.
It was too dark to see much and the sound of the water rushing past a hundred feet below covered any sounds their quarry might have been making. Shouts of “Anyone see it?” and “Where did it go?” passed between the men as they searched for it as earnestly as Cade.
Riley stepped up beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. “You all right?” he asked.
Cade spun toward him. “You sonofabitch! You knew...”
That was as far as he got.
The Adversary exploded upward from the river below, moving so quickly that those lining the railing barely had time to focus before it was upon them. It had no weapon other than its claws, but they were all it needed as it lashed out at the closest individuals as it rushed past, laying the throats of two men open to the bone before it headed for the nearby trees in an attempt to put something between it and the Templars on the bridge.
Cade’s gaze followed the creature as it raced for safety and found himself mentally cheering it on, knowing it was the only way Gabrielle was going to survive.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Riley bring his weapon up, preparing to fire, and that was more than he could take.
Cade flung himself at his former comrade in arms, knocking the barrel of his weapon downward just as he went to open fire.
“What the hell are you doing?” Riley shouted over the din as he wrenched his weapon free of Cade’s grip and hurriedly tried to line up another shot.
Cade went nuts.
He knocked Riley’s gun aside a second time with one hand while punching him in the face with the other. The blow caught Riley completely by surprise and as his head rocked backwards, Cade swept Riley’s legs out from under him and rode him down to the ground where he began pummeling him with both hands in a fit of white-hot rage.
Riley was the bigger of the two men, but the intensity of Cade’s attack had caught him by surprise and Cade had the upper hand as he kept Riley pinned to the ground. It might have gone on that way for several minutes if some of the other Templars hadn’t seen Riley’s plight and rushed to his aide. Three men tried to drag Cade off of the Echo Team commander, but all they managed to do was earn several blows of their own as Cade successfully fought them off.
Those few moments of respite were all Riley needed, however.
When Cade raised his fists, ready to deliver another series of punishing blows, Riley jabbed him in the side with the Taser he’d managed to pull off his belt.
Cade’s eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen.
Sorry, boss, Riley thought, as he pulled the trigger.
CHAPTER SEVEN
He stood in the midst of a great wood, the massive trees looming around him like ancient sentinels glaring down at an unwelcome intruder. All he could see in every direction were trees, which was disconcerting, for he had no idea where he was or what he was doing there.
Nor did he know how to get out.
The dense foliage and thick branches high above his head kept most of the light out and what filtered down through cast long, lazy shadows between the trees, shadows that seemed to twist and sway of their own accord when he looked in their direction.
A distant voice called his name and he recognized it immediately as that of his wife, Gabrielle.
Cade could only watch in horror as the Adversary seemed to dance and shake in mid-air as two squads of Templar knights hit it with concentrated firepower at the same time. The creature let loose a thunderous roar that literally shook the very framework of the bridge on which they stood as it was blown off course by the simultaneous impact of so many projectiles and disappeared over the side of the bridge.
The former Echo Team commander lurched to his feet and raced to the railing, screaming his wife’s name as he searched the water for any sign of her. Beside him, the Templar soldiers were doing the same, but for a very different reason.
It was too dark to see much and the sound of the water rushing past a hundred feet below covered any sounds their quarry might have been making. Shouts of “Anyone see it?” and “Where did it go?” passed between the men as they searched for it as earnestly as Cade.
Riley stepped up beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. “You all right?” he asked.
Cade spun toward him. “You sonofabitch! You knew...”
That was as far as he got.
The Adversary exploded upward from the river below, moving so quickly that those lining the railing barely had time to focus before it was upon them. It had no weapon other than its claws, but they were all it needed as it lashed out at the closest individuals as it rushed past, laying the throats of two men open to the bone before it headed for the nearby trees in an attempt to put something between it and the Templars on the bridge.
Cade’s gaze followed the creature as it raced for safety and found himself mentally cheering it on, knowing it was the only way Gabrielle was going to survive.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Riley bring his weapon up, preparing to fire, and that was more than he could take.
Cade flung himself at his former comrade in arms, knocking the barrel of his weapon downward just as he went to open fire.
“What the hell are you doing?” Riley shouted over the din as he wrenched his weapon free of Cade’s grip and hurriedly tried to line up another shot.
Cade went nuts.
He knocked Riley’s gun aside a second time with one hand while punching him in the face with the other. The blow caught Riley completely by surprise and as his head rocked backwards, Cade swept Riley’s legs out from under him and rode him down to the ground where he began pummeling him with both hands in a fit of white-hot rage.
Riley was the bigger of the two men, but the intensity of Cade’s attack had caught him by surprise and Cade had the upper hand as he kept Riley pinned to the ground. It might have gone on that way for several minutes if some of the other Templars hadn’t seen Riley’s plight and rushed to his aide. Three men tried to drag Cade off of the Echo Team commander, but all they managed to do was earn several blows of their own as Cade successfully fought them off.
Those few moments of respite were all Riley needed, however.
When Cade raised his fists, ready to deliver another series of punishing blows, Riley jabbed him in the side with the Taser he’d managed to pull off his belt.
Cade’s eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen.
Sorry, boss, Riley thought, as he pulled the trigger.
CHAPTER SEVEN
He stood in the midst of a great wood, the massive trees looming around him like ancient sentinels glaring down at an unwelcome intruder. All he could see in every direction were trees, which was disconcerting, for he had no idea where he was or what he was doing there.
Nor did he know how to get out.
The dense foliage and thick branches high above his head kept most of the light out and what filtered down through cast long, lazy shadows between the trees, shadows that seemed to twist and sway of their own accord when he looked in their direction.
A distant voice called his name and he recognized it immediately as that of his wife, Gabrielle.
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