Page 148 of Alien Burn

His lead glanced at him and quickened his pace.

Sereya had given him a direction.

He would use every second she had bought.

“Stron has Adryel secured with her guards,” the lead said. “He's coming from the west access.”

“Tell him there are at least three attackers with Sereya. Roemary is with them.”

The exterior door struck its stop as he pushed through.

Wind cut across the service lane. He smelled hot metal from the processing sheds, felt grit beneath his boots, heard his own breathing as he ran past the nearest freight stack.

The first guard reached the corner and dropped to one knee.

“There.”

Sereya stood against a container beneath the floodlamp. Her shoulder was crooked, one sleeve torn. Two males blocked the route back to the building.

Burk approached from the skiff with something bright in his hand.

The nearer gunman turned toward the service lane. Dhomhes caught the guard's shoulder and pulled him behind the corner as a shot tore grit from the wall.

Every muscle in his body pulled toward her.

The gunman shifted his aim, and Dhomhes dug his fingers into the container's edge.

A charge fired at him would cross straight through Sereya's position.

His lead signaled from the wheel housing opposite. Dhomhes pointed to the raised weapon, then to Sereya.

The lead shifted left, drawing the gunman's attention.

Dhomhes moved along the container, teeth bared, close enough now to hear Burk speaking to her.

The armor across his shoulders forced the torn seam wider. He lowered his head and moved faster.

Sereya pointed toward the observation walk.

“You won't get to say you weren't here.”

Burk caught her sleeve. She twisted away and drove her heel into his foot. His hand came up with the knife, trying to pin her against the container.

Dhomhes broke from cover as she ducked. The blade caught her near the hairline. Her shoulder struck metal, but she kept moving sideways, clear of Burk's reaching arm.

Blood ran toward her eye.

Dhomhes roared.

He struck Burk's weapon arm with his armored forearm. The knife flew.

Burk reached for Sereya with his other hand, and Dhomhes seized him by the coat and drove him into the container hard enough to buckle the panel.

To his left, his lead drove one of the other attackers down behind a wheel housing.

A shot struck the cargo stack above them. The second attacker ran for the skiff.

Stron stepped out from behind its open hatch.