The air was thick with tension as Angel leaned against the back of an overturned truck, her shield glowing faintly in the dim light of the setting sun. Every muscle in her body ached, her stomach gnawed with hunger, but she couldn’t afford to let her exhaustion show. The others were counting on her. The creatures weren’t gone; they were regrouping, waiting for darkness to descend.
“They’re smart,” Michaela murmured, crouched beside Angel with her tablet in hand. “They keep attacking at night. I’m trying to figure out why. It could be something about their biology—light sensitivity maybe?”
Angel gave a tired nod, her eyes scanning the horizon. The once-bustling streets of Altus were eerily silent now, the only sounds the occasional scrape of rubble shifting underfoot and the faint hum of the shield enclosing the city. “Let’s hope you figure it out soon. We can’t keep this up forever.”
“No kidding,” Ryan called out from nearby, his voice tinged with fatigue as he adjusted the straps on his gun. “Hannah’s working on something big for me, though. Says it’ll pack more of a punch. Right, Han?”
Hannah didn’t look up from the makeshift workbench she’d set up in the back of an abandoned hardware store. Her hands moved quickly, assembling parts with the precision of someone twice her age. “I’m almost done. Just need a little more time.”
Jocelyn’s voice crackled through the comm. “I’m heading to the northwest sector to repair Camera Seven. It got trashed during the last wave. Hannah, I’ll need those mounted turrets ready to go.”
“They’re in the box next to you,” Hannah replied without missing a beat. “Just be careful. Those things pack a punch.”
Jocelyn gave a soft laugh. “Careful is my middle name.”
Angel couldn’t help but smirk at that, though the humor was fleeting. The creatures weren’t going to wait much longer. Nightfall was their domain, and the group’s five-hour rest was already ticking away.
As darkness fell, the group worked in a rhythm that was both efficient and chaotic. Michaela crouched in a corner, analyzing blood samples and video footage from the previous battle, her brow furrowed in concentration. Angel caught snippets of her muttering, phrases like “hemolymph viscosity” and “photosensitive enzyme,” but the words blurred together in her exhaustion.
Ryan sat nearby, cleaning his gun and occasionally testing the weight of a new blade Hannah had forged for him. “This one’s good,” he said, giving it an approving nod. “Nice balance.”
“It’ll hold up against the insect species,” Hannah said, finally stepping back from her workbench. “Just don’t lose it.”
Jocelyn returned a few hours later, her backpack bulging with supplies. “Cameras are back online,” she announced. “I added audio and a few surprises, courtesy of Hannah.” She grinned, patting one of the mounted turrets she’d brought back. “Let’s see how these monsters like a dose of their own medicine.”
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Angel forced herself to stand, brushing off the thin layer of dust that clung to her pants. “We’ve got five hours left before they come again. Let’s use it wisely.”
The creatures struck at midnight.
Angel felt the pressure before she saw them—the shield vibrated with the force of their approach, sending shockwaves through her body. She gritted her teeth, pouring every ounce of her energy into maintaining the barrier.
“They’re hitting the east side!” Jocelyn shouted through the comms, her voice barely audible over the sound of claws scraping against the shield.
Ryan was already moving, his massive gun firing in controlled bursts. The mounted turrets Jocelyn had installed activated with a hiss, spitting streams of molten energy into the advancing horde. The insect-like creatures were the first to fall, their armored shells cracking under the relentless assault. But the zombies weren’t far behind, their grotesque, half-human forms pushing through the carnage with single-minded determination.
“Angel, focus on keeping them contained!” Hannah yelled as she tossed Ryan another blade. “We’ll handle the rest!”
“I’m trying!” Angel snapped, her voice strained. The shield flickered for a split second, and one of the zombie-like creatures slipped through. It lunged at Michaela, who barely dodged in time, her tablet clattering to the ground.
“Ryan!” Angel shouted, panic rising in her chest.
“Got it!” Ryan barked, driving his blade into the creature’s chest. It fell with a wet thud, its blackened blood pooling around its twitching limbs.
Michaela scrambled to her feet, grabbing a sample container from her belt. “Hold it still!” she ordered, her voice sharp. Ryan held the creature’s body steady as Michaela extracted a piece of its spine with surgical precision.
“Sample secured,” she said, breathless. “Keep them off me while I analyze this!”
The battle raged on, the air thick with the acrid stench of burning flesh and alien fluids. The alien-like creatures were the last to appear, their tall, spindly forms emerging from the shadows with eerie grace. They moved with purpose, their glowing eyes scanning the battlefield.
“They’re heading for the cameras!” Jocelyn shouted. “I’m engaging the turrets.”
The automated defenses whirred to life, their energy blasts slicing through the darkness. The alien creatures dodged and weaved, but a few were hit, their bodies collapsing in a tangle of limbs.
Angel’s head pounded as she held the shield steady. Her stomach growled, but there was no time to eat. She gripped her knife tightly, preparing to jump into the fray. “Ryan, cover me!”
“On it!” Ryan bellowed, firing a barrage of rounds to clear her path.
Angel darted forward, her shield flickering but holding. She slashed at an approaching zombie, its body crumpling under the force of her attack. Another insect-like creature lunged at her, and she spun, driving her blade into its thorax. The sickening crunch of exoskeleton made her stomach turn, but she didn’t hesitate.
“Angel, fall back!” Jocelyn called. “You’re too exposed!”
Angel ignored her, grabbing another sample and tossing it toward Michaela. “We need this data!” she shouted.
The battle felt endless, the group moving in a desperate, coordinated dance to keep the creatures at bay. By the time the last alien fell, the first light of dawn was creeping over the horizon.
Angel dropped to her knees, the shield dissolving around her. Her hands shook as she reached for a protein bar, tearing into it with trembling fingers.
“That was close,” Ryan muttered, his voice heavy with exhaustion. “Too close.”
Michaela was already examining the samples, her face pale but determined. “We’re making progress,” she said. “I think I’ve found a weak point.”
Angel forced herself to stand, her legs unsteady. “We don’t have much time before the next wave. Let’s get ready.”
The group nodded, their exhaustion outweighed by their determination. The night had been brutal, but they had survived. And as long as they could keep fighting, there was still hope.