Vitalis Omnibus by Halstead Jason

Author:Halstead, Jason [Halstead, Jason]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
Publisher: Novel Concept Publishing LLC
Published: 2012-06-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Elsa turned quickly, expecting to stare into the open fanged maw of her imminent demise. Nothing awaited her. She glanced back at the macabre feeding, noting the range at one hundred forty feet. There was room enough for her to pass them by and continue down the pass, but for all she knew this pass was a breeding ground. Or perhaps mama was ahead of her, looking for the next meal.

Elsa swallowed down the fear in her throat, noting that it tasted a little like bile. So close, she was so damn close! One hundred forty feet, but if she tried to sneak past them it would narrow to less than sixty. They’d be sure to see her and come after her. Even if they weren’t hungry she’d make a great plaything. Then again, judging from the way they were eating she suspected hunger was a constant for them.

Maybe they’d fall asleep after gorging themselves? That’s what a Marine does when they’re safe and able to enjoy a good meal. What more dangerous predator was there than a Marine? Elsa frowned, suspecting she might have just found the answer to that question.

This was it then. All or nothing, just like everything else had been on this miserable planet. “Eat this,” she muttered, aiming down her rifle and triggering the first shot.

It took three shots to drop the first of the four babies. Using the primary fire mode the X109 recycled almost as quickly as she could pull the trigger. In that second of time the first baby carnivore had time to screech in agony. Its brothers spotted her instantly, two of them running around their dinner while the third hopped up on it to come straight at her.

It was on her fifth shot that the gun let loose a burst of flame from the energy pack. Acrid smoke smelling of burnt electronics curled out of it. Elsa let if fall to the ground and pulled her last grenade. She thumbed the grenade to the proximity burst mode as she was throwing it. The wounded baby Marine-eating monster was limping towards her, screeching with its high pitched voice. It was overtaken and passed a moment later by the one that had climbed over the dead animal.

The third thundered towards her, toothy beak opened wide and dripping blood from its prior feast. The grenade went off, sending a pulse of low frequency sound across the narrow ravine. Elsa and the baby dino closest to her were outside the effective range, though her suit still registered the shockwave. The other two mini-dinosaurs were sent tumbling from the concussive effects of the blast.

Elsa spun away from the charging creature, drawing her combat knife as she did so. One of its arms clipped her shoulder, sending her stumbling away as she spun. By the time she recovered it had stopped and turned to face her again. It was on her almost before she could plant her feet.

Elsa’s knife dug into it, glancing off a rib before it slid between them and into the tissues beneath.

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