Critical Strike (The Critical Series Book 3) by Barnes Wearmouth and & Wearmouth Darren & Barnes Colin F

Author:Barnes, Wearmouth and & Wearmouth, Darren & Barnes, Colin F. [Barnes, Wearmouth and]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Horizon's Edge
Published: 2015-03-08T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

Mike turned, staggered back toward the basin, and glanced over his shoulder. The snap of croatoan rifles split the air. The riders of both hover-bikes paused above the edge of the forest, steadied their black beasts and fired.

Mai’s head appeared above the step leading to Unity. He flapped his right hand, motioning her to get down.

Projectiles whistled past and threw up lumps of dirt and root. Mike’s right boot snagged between two thick stems of the flourishing crop and he crashed against the ground.

Pain coursed through Mike’s right shoulder after it took the brunt of the impact. Turning on his front, he expected to see the bikes hovering above him, ready to deliver their coup de grace.

Both remained in the same position. Four more whined into view, smoothly fanning out in an extended line. Mike fumbled around his belt and clipped off his handheld radio. “Enemy over the forest. I repeat, enemy over the forest.”

Mai extended a hand toward him and mouthed something. She disappeared below the top step cut into the ground around the edge of the drained lake, to provide solid foundations for the better houses in the city.

Mike didn’t blame her for running. He wanted her to be safe. It would be a pointless sacrifice if they both died in the field.

Already out of breath, and ignoring the twinges in his chest, Mike scrambled to his feet and squelched through the root field, expecting to be killed at any moment. He never thought he’d be the first casualty in the battle for Unity. If his plan had worked, they wouldn’t even be facing one. As it stood, because of the failure, they were at the mercy of Augustus and his advancing army.

A tweak would probably correct his new weapon. Mike was sure he had the fundamentals in place and all he needed was time. He looked over his shoulder again at the force that would deny him that chance.

One hover-bike thrust forward over the root field, directly at him. He planted the radio to his mouth. “Please. Come quickly.”

Mike internally kicked himself for not requesting a protective guard to carry out the field trials and ending up in this situation. With an attack on the horizon he should have known. He was the inventor who worked behind closed doors and had no idea about combat strategy beyond the video games he played forty years ago.

The heat of a projectile flashed past Mike’s ear and hit the dirt in front of him. His boot slipped in the loose soil and he dropped to all fours, gasping for breath. The hover-bike swept around in a wide arc and came for a second run.

In the distance, Unity’s own bikes punched into the air above Aimee’s residence. A few small figures ran from between the houses toward the field. Neither would reach him in time. The enemy’s engines rose in volume and the croatoan rider aimed a rifle down.

Mike closed his eyes and bowed his head. The alien wouldn’t miss a second time.

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