Marcus by Anna Hackett Page A

front of
them. Elle skidded to a halt, throwing her arms up.
    Marcus didn’t stop to think. He tackled her
to the ground and rolled them into cover behind a car.
    They stopped with him on top of her, both of
them breathing heavily. He gripped her face in his gloved fingers.
“Elle, you okay?” God, she hadn’t been hit, had she? Standard
raptor weapons shot high-velocity poison that burned and paralyzed,
while their snipers shot razor-sharp projectiles made of a
bone-like substance. Either was deadly. He felt the racing drum of
her pulse in her temple.
    “I’m okay.” Her words were breathless as her
hands clamped over his wrists.
    Shit. He was twice her size and
squishing her. He rolled off her and crouched. “Stay down.” He
lifted his carbine and sighted a raptor sniper on the roof. He
heard his team returning fire and through the scope, the reptilian
humanoid came into view. For a second, Marcus wondered if the
scientists’ theories were right. That this alien was what the
Earth’s dinosaurs might have evolved into over millions of years if
they’d survived.
    He gave his head a tiny shake and blocked
everything out. It was second nature. “Get the job done” had always
been his motto, one he’d learned from his Marine father. Marcus
sighted the head of the ugly raptor, right between his red eyes. One, two, three . Marcus pulled the trigger.
    There was a spray of blood and the raptor
fell backward out of view.
    “Let’s go.” He yanked Elle up and pulled her
toward the others.
    “A little welcoming committee,” Cruz
said.
    “Yeah.” Marcus nodded at his second. “They
know we’re here.” He glanced at Elle. “Time to do your stuff. Where
to?”
    She studied her little screen, her brow
furrowed. “Through the mall. The library’s situated on the street
on the other side.”
    “Let’s move.” Marcus motioned them on.
    “Wait.” Elle reached up and pressed her
fingers to his face. Her touch was electric, he froze.
    “You got nicked by something.” Her finger
ran over his stubbled cheek.
    He clamped a hand over her wrist, held her
touch to his cheek for the briefest second before he pulled it
away. “I’m fine.”
    She nodded and stepped back. Over her head,
Marcus saw his team all grinning at him like idiots.
    “Into position.” He growled the command, but
inside he felt a little glow of something he couldn’t focus on
right now. He studied Elle’s dark head. He had to keep her
safe.
    His team moved into their positions. They
were a motley crew but Hell Squad got the job done. The rules had
changed since the invasion. Now a little rebel thinking was needed
because that was what they’d become in their own world.
    Elle kept pace beside him. As they moved
through the mall, past shops with their windows still displaying
their wares, she mimicked the others on the team, staying in cover.
Moving fast. He knew she had to be afraid, but she was steady. Good girl, hang in there. A quick learner, his Elle.
    Not yours, Steele . They moved through
the old food court. All the chairs were empty, but the tables were
still covered in old trays and fast-food wrappers. Like people had
only just left moments before.
    Where the hell were the raptors? Marcus
clutched his carbine tighter. He almost wished for an attack. It
would make him less nervous.
    They made it to the other end of the mall,
but Marcus’ neck was tingling. This was far too easy. They were
deep in raptor territory, close to one of their key installations.
No way they’d let them just waltz in.
    “Razor sharp, Hell Squad,” he murmured.
“They’re here somewhere.”
    They stepped out onto the street. It was
deserted except for twisted steel, rusting cars and rubble.
    Marcus warily led the team out, Elle close
at his side, moving into the open. He’d be happy when they were
back in cover.
    Suddenly, Shaw yelled, “Canids!”
    Fuck . Marcus saw the pack of
fast-moving creatures racing toward them.
    Canids were the equivalent to