The Deepest Jungle by Amanda Bridgeman

Author:Amanda Bridgeman [Bridgeman, Amanda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: soldiers, spaceship, found family, predator, black ops, firefly, action, horror
Publisher: Centralis Entertainment
Published: 2023-06-06T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

They said their goodbyes to Heiko and continued forward solemnly, and maybe even a little rattled. Tiberius’ unit didn’t seem so nonchalant now and he noticed them paying more mind to Spud’s crew. One death they could put down to bad luck, but two? They finally realized these creatures were expert killers.

Spud bandaged the rattus bite mark on his arm, noticing that both Finn and Lorenzo had them too. He guessed the rodents weren’t deterred by klauten piss like the Pantheras were. That said, the klauten piss hadn’t totally deterred the Panthera. Spud eyed Finn and Lorenzo and saw the thick yellow paste covering them was starting to wear off in the humidity. The Panthera hadn’t attacked them, but it hadn’t hesitated to attack those near them.

“Tiberius?” Nikita’s voice sounded over their comms.

“Yeah?” he answered.

“The Gabriel’s Science Officer, Dr. Carlton, wants to know why there are two dead X03s.”

Tiberius stopped walking. “What?”

“He wants the last three to be captured alive.”

“They’re watching our comms,” Spud told him.

“Yeah?” Tiberius said to Nikita. “Did they see two of my men get killed?”

“They don’t care, Tim,” Spud said. “Look at me. I’m facing jail, not because I gave my thieving ex a ride, but because I helped kill their expensive X.” He exchanged a look with Grey. “Her, too,” he told Tiberius. “She didn’t steal anything. But she helped me kill their expensive weapon. They want us to pay for that.”

“We’re here because we know too much,” Finn added. “It may not be the admiral, per se. It’s probably the folks on Quadrant Four insisting on this.”

“That’s where these things came from?” Tiberius asked.

Finn nodded. “They have a lot of power. More than you think.”

Tiberius looked at Spud with concern.

“You knew about Quadrant Four?” Spud asked, eyes narrowed with accusation.

“Just rumors,” Tiberius said. “Nothing confirmed until now.”

Nikita’s voice sounded again. “Capture the last three alive and there’ll be no penalty.”

The silence sat thickly in the jungle’s humidity.

“They told me to say that,” Nikita added. “In case you hadn’t figured it out.”

Tiberius turned and stared quietly out into the distance. His mind was turning over, perhaps finally realizing just what he’d stepped into. Spud felt a lump of guilt stick in his throat. Fight as they may, Tim was still his brother.

“I’m sorry Dad sent you here,” he told him.

Tiberius looked back at him. “He didn’t send me. I volunteered.”

“You volunteered for this?” Spud’s brow furrowed.

Tiberius nodded. “I was there when he got the call about you. He asked me to step outside the room. Next thing I know, he calls me in and says you got yourself in trouble and have to do a mission for the navy to dig your way out. He wouldn’t tell me what the mission was, but I sensed it was dangerous. So, I volunteered to watch your back and make sure you weren’t going to get yourself killed.” He gave a laugh. “No wonder Dad tried to stop me from coming.”

“So he offers me up on a

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