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Then it appeared.
Its eyes were small, dull, and black. They had no eyelids. The dust must itch something fierce.
I aimed but I did not fire.
Let them come.
A little further…
A little further…
Now.
I opened fire. The bolt of plasma sliced through the creature’s shell as if it wasn’t there.
The Titan soldiers on the other side of the tunnel opened fire too, blasting at the creatures they could see, and the creatures hidden by the shroud of dust.
I stood before Hazel, protecting her from enemy fire. And there was enemy fire, but it was haphazard and sporadic.
The Changelings disappeared inside the dust cloud. The Titan warriors wanted to take after them but I motioned them back with a hand.
Any moment now, the Changelings would back into the second part of the trap.
Any second now…
What if they avoided it? What if they found another tunnel we didn’t know was there? What if—
There. Gunfire.
I wanted to head into the tunnel, to fire on the Changelings from both sides, but we might accidentally fire on our own team.
The light from the lamps illuminated the dust cloud and made it impenetrable to the naked eye.
I waited until the firing stopped. Then I waited a little longer.
But we couldn’t wait forever. Changelings were still swarming the base from other holes they had drilled into the mountain.
“Clear!” I shouted.
“Clear!” the other team yelled.
I stepped into the breach and tucked Hazel behind me. One step after another, the dust gave way to fallen Changelings lying in the dust. I was relieved when we came to the team on the other end of the tunnel.
“Well done,” I said to the young warrior I’d given the order to.
“We found more survivors,” he said.
I searched their faces. They were so young.
They saw me and nodded with respect.
I nodded back at them.
“Follow me,” I said. “We’re evacuating.”
Evacuation sounded so much better than retreat, didn’t it?
I stepped into the moonlight and was welcomed by a hundred plasma pistols and assault rifles. All aimed at our heads.
