Red Angel: Book II: Raiders (Red Angel Series 2) by C. R. Daems Page A
Authors: C. R. Daems
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after they die—and that flying blood or bodily fluids from wounds will infect you." I turned to face Adrian, Kris, and Gannon and pointed at Pannell. "Stay! You can't help and would just be in the way."
I turned and ran out of the conference room as I envisioned the layout of the cruiser. I was on the third level toward the front, whereas the intruders would be on the first level toward the rear. I needed to cut them off before they got too far—the farther they got, the more risk of encountering someone out to be a hero.
I raced down the forward steps three at a time, missed a step, and slammed head first into the second floor landing. I lay there dizzy and confused until Red wound himself into my hair. That seemed to jerk me back to my present dilemma, and I slowly rose onto my knees and then managed to stand.
Holding onto the railing, I continued down as fast as my dizziness would permit. I opened the door and looked out. The hallway was clear of human life—eerie, considering there were almost five hundred navy and marine personnel on board. The containment doors did prevent me seeing to the end of the ship, but … Then I realized bay N1 was on the port side and I was on the starboard.
"Captain, where are they?" I asked.
"They've exited Bay N1 and are heading up the hallway."
A tentative plan began to develop as I found the first connecting hallway to the port side and started running. I wanted to be the first person they saw. Their entire focus was on finding me –actually, Red—therefore they would ignore everyone else once they saw me. When I reached the Port hallway, I almost panicked when I didn't see them.
"Captain?"
"They just turned into the first connecting hallway to the starboard side."
I whistled several times and then shouted. "You looking for me?"
A minute later a man's head appeared and I could hear, "She's down at the end of the hallway." A minute after that, four other men appeared and started walking toward me, laughing and joking.
I idly wondered if Red would stay with one if I was killed or would kill one or all as he did last time—of course I wasn't dead last time. I walked fast toward them, hoping to reach the middle connecting hallway to the Port side before they did.
"Captain, I'm hoping to lead them to either Bay M1 or M2," I said as I watched the men's progress. So long as they didn't run, I would beat them.
I grabbed Red and he wrapped around my arm like it was the staff of Asclepius. That caused the men to begin running, which wasn't good because that meant they would reach the connecting hallway before me. I stopped and began backing up, which caused them to run faster. I didn't want to turn and run for fear they would shoot me, but I wasn't going to make the connecting hallway behind me before they caught me, so I stopped, which caused them to slow.
"Give us the snake, sweet thing, and we won't hurt you," said the one in the middle. His rugged unshaven face was filled with brown blisters, indicating stage three or maybe four Coaca. He was average height but broad and muscular. "If you’re sweet to us you don't have to die. We'll share the snake."
"Won't work," I said to stall while I considered a revised plan. "They tried that at the hospital. The krait can only support one person." I backed up as they began arguing.
Eventually, their speaker recovered. "She's lying—and getting away."
When they started running, I held my arm with Red to my chest, drew my laser, took aim, and shot the lead man in his right leg below the knee.
He collapsed, causing them all to get caught in the resulting flaying arms and feet.
I made the hallway just as the four regained their feet and started running again. I preferred not to shoot them, as their bodily fluids would make the area contagious. I had no choice, but I hoped to keep them mobile.
Waving Red in front of me, I backed down the hallway.
Several had drawn their weapons, shard guns.
"Nice weapons, shard guns. Hard to miss,
I turned and ran out of the conference room as I envisioned the layout of the cruiser. I was on the third level toward the front, whereas the intruders would be on the first level toward the rear. I needed to cut them off before they got too far—the farther they got, the more risk of encountering someone out to be a hero.
I raced down the forward steps three at a time, missed a step, and slammed head first into the second floor landing. I lay there dizzy and confused until Red wound himself into my hair. That seemed to jerk me back to my present dilemma, and I slowly rose onto my knees and then managed to stand.
Holding onto the railing, I continued down as fast as my dizziness would permit. I opened the door and looked out. The hallway was clear of human life—eerie, considering there were almost five hundred navy and marine personnel on board. The containment doors did prevent me seeing to the end of the ship, but … Then I realized bay N1 was on the port side and I was on the starboard.
"Captain, where are they?" I asked.
"They've exited Bay N1 and are heading up the hallway."
A tentative plan began to develop as I found the first connecting hallway to the port side and started running. I wanted to be the first person they saw. Their entire focus was on finding me –actually, Red—therefore they would ignore everyone else once they saw me. When I reached the Port hallway, I almost panicked when I didn't see them.
"Captain?"
"They just turned into the first connecting hallway to the starboard side."
I whistled several times and then shouted. "You looking for me?"
A minute later a man's head appeared and I could hear, "She's down at the end of the hallway." A minute after that, four other men appeared and started walking toward me, laughing and joking.
I idly wondered if Red would stay with one if I was killed or would kill one or all as he did last time—of course I wasn't dead last time. I walked fast toward them, hoping to reach the middle connecting hallway to the Port side before they did.
"Captain, I'm hoping to lead them to either Bay M1 or M2," I said as I watched the men's progress. So long as they didn't run, I would beat them.
I grabbed Red and he wrapped around my arm like it was the staff of Asclepius. That caused the men to begin running, which wasn't good because that meant they would reach the connecting hallway before me. I stopped and began backing up, which caused them to run faster. I didn't want to turn and run for fear they would shoot me, but I wasn't going to make the connecting hallway behind me before they caught me, so I stopped, which caused them to slow.
"Give us the snake, sweet thing, and we won't hurt you," said the one in the middle. His rugged unshaven face was filled with brown blisters, indicating stage three or maybe four Coaca. He was average height but broad and muscular. "If you’re sweet to us you don't have to die. We'll share the snake."
"Won't work," I said to stall while I considered a revised plan. "They tried that at the hospital. The krait can only support one person." I backed up as they began arguing.
Eventually, their speaker recovered. "She's lying—and getting away."
When they started running, I held my arm with Red to my chest, drew my laser, took aim, and shot the lead man in his right leg below the knee.
He collapsed, causing them all to get caught in the resulting flaying arms and feet.
I made the hallway just as the four regained their feet and started running again. I preferred not to shoot them, as their bodily fluids would make the area contagious. I had no choice, but I hoped to keep them mobile.
Waving Red in front of me, I backed down the hallway.
Several had drawn their weapons, shard guns.
"Nice weapons, shard guns. Hard to miss,
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