The Tide: Breakwater (Tide Series Book 2) (22 page)

Dom dropped his rifle and grabbed the Skull’s forearms. It snapped at him, spittle flying from between its teeth. The Skull let out another frustrated scream. Dom wrestled it away from his face, careful not to cut himself on the jagged bones climbing out of its flesh. He planted his boot on the creature’s chest and kicked it backward.

The Skull tripped over the side of the Zodiac and fell into the churning water. It tangled one of its twisted hands in the rope around the gunwale. The Zodiac, still racing, dragged the creature. The Skull bounced against the craft and screamed, its eyes filled with hatred and hunger. Dom steadied his rifle, took aim, and planted two bullets into those eyes. Blood and gore splattered from the gunshot wounds. The creature’s arm went slack. It lost its grip and slipped under the dark waters.

Dom’s earpiece crackled.
Renee’s voice. “
Alpha, this is Bravo. We’re in position.”

“Copy,” Dom replied. “Charlie, do you read?”

“Charlie here,” Miguel replied. “Still in the sky. Alpha, you trying to take our job of distracting the Skulls? Seems like they all ran your way, Chief.”

Dom scanned the basin, and Spencer curled the Zodiac around to face it once again. A horde of Skulls clambered along the docks. Some leapt into the water, disappearing beneath its surface. Others let out frustrated howls, jostling each other for position.

“Charlie, you got a better view than me on these guys?” Dom asked. “Can you tell me how many contacts we have on the docks?”

“Eh, a good fifty, sixty, maybe,” Miguel replied. “You want us to ring that bell?”

“Negative, Charlie.” He held up a hand to signal Spencer to slow the Zodiac once more. They floated a couple of dozen yards from the basin. Just enough to keep the Skulls riled up, but not close enough that they would attempt another stunt like the one Dom had dispatched. “This is going to cause a slight change in plans. But I told you Alpha would secure the docks, and that’s just what we’ll do. This might be easier than I thought.”

He knelt at the stern of the Zodiac and signaled Jenna and Owen to shoulder their rifles.

“Bring us in a little closer, Spence,” Dom said.

The Zodiac gurgled forward.

Jenna leaned her head forward slightly to see through her optics. “Captain, there aren’t sharks in the bay, right?”

“No idea. Why? You don’t think they’d like to feed on Skull meat?”

“Nah, it’s just that we’re about to chum the water with blood. We’ve got Skulls on dry land; I don’t want to deal with sharks, too.”

“Easy solution for that.” Dom took aim. “Don’t fall off the boat. Fire at will!”

The Hunters let loose. Skulls dropped to the docks, their heads snapped back by gunfire. Bodies slipped into the water; others fell across the bobbing sailboats. Even as their twisted kin fell to the Hunters’ trained aim, the Skulls climbed over each other, still desperate to get at live prey.

The crew continued their barrage until the docks were void of the Skulls’ shrieks and howls. Only bodies and a slick layer of blood were left when Dom held up his hand to signal for the Hunters to hold their fire. Picking the Skulls off at a distance had been too easy. The grotesque shooting gallery meant his Hunters got to stay out of harm’s way. They waited a few minutes, the Zodiac bobbing in the basin, to see if any more Skulls would arrive late to the party.

But no more showed. Maybe the unexpected attack had made the mission easier for the rest of his team, too, and for that, Dom was thankful.

“How we looking from the air, Charlie?” Dom asked.

“Pretty damn clear around the Academy. You got a half-dozen Skulls to the northwest, maybe three or four to the northeast. Otherwise, you made our job pretty pointless.”

“Copy that, Charlie. Bravo, what’s your position?”

“Alpha, the doors to the field house are locked,” Renee said. “Windows are barred. Might be able to gain entrance through an emergency exit on the east side. Permission to force entry, Captain?”

“Permission granted. Watch out for civvies.”

“Copy that.”

Dom signaled Spencer to bring the Zodiac into one of the empty slips at the docks. Jenna and Owen immediately tied a couple of mooring lines to the bollards.

“Alpha, this is Bravo,” Renee said. “We’ve gained entry.” A pause. “Not much to see. Just a hall. Going to check out the arena.”

Dom climbed out onto the dock. His boot slipped in the mix of blood and saltwater. He steadied himself by grabbing the top of a piling. He offered a hand to Jenna and Owen. Spencer killed the motor and hopped up next to them.

The slow, muffled breathing of the Bravo team members sifted through the comm link. Dom signaled Jenna to take point as they secured the dock and headed toward the Academy.

“So far, no—” Renee stopped.

Dom waited a tic and then asked, “Bravo, do you copy?”

A loud roar echoed over the mic. Dom and the rest of the Alpha team Hunters flinched. A single word, a single syllable came through the din. “Skulls!”

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M
eredith shouldered her rifle, covering Renee and Terrence. They chose their steps carefully, avoiding the ring of dead Skulls littering the lawn and sidewalks. She’d known what to expect from the satellite imagery, but the smell of death and the macabre scene still made her retch. She took a deep breath to settle her nerves, and they inched toward Halsey Field House. Its central roof bulged like a surfacing whale. Underneath that dome lay the main arena, where she expected they’d find the survivors hunkered down.

“Alpha, the doors to the field house are locked,” Renee said. “Windows are barred. Might be able to gain entrance through an emergency exit on the eastside. Permission to force entry, Captain?”

“Permission granted,” Dom’s voice came back over the comm link. “Watch out for civvies.”

“Copy that.”

They made their way to the emergency exit. It was one of the few doors that hadn’t been boarded up.

“Here we go.” Renee heaved the butt of her weapon into the wire-reinforced glass. It cracked, and she struck it again. She picked away at the glass and then pulled out her multi-tool to cut the wire. Each wire snapped and coiled until she had enough room to reach her gloved hand through and push the door out from inside. It cracked open, and Renee stuck her boot in the door.

“Alpha, this is Bravo. We’ve gained entry.” Renee signaled for Terrence and Meredith to enter.

Meredith followed Terrence’s hulking frame into the doorway. Plywood covered most of the windows. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. A series of heavy doors lined the hall, presumably leading to the main arena. The floor seemed clear of debris and clutter—no signs of life anywhere. Meredith listened closely but could only hear the sound of her and the other two Hunters breathing.

“Not much to see,” Renee said in a low voice, reporting to Dom again. “Just a hall. Going to check out the arena.”

She indicated one of the heavy sets of doors with a nod, and Terrence took point.

He leaned into one of the doors, a hand on the handle and the other holding his rifle. He pressed lightly on the handle. “Locked,” he said. “Want me to break it down?”

“Hold up. Don’t know who we’ve got hiding behind those doors, so watch your fire. Don’t want any civilians harmed.” Renee gave the door a single rap with the back of her knuckles. “This is Renee Boland, crew member of the
Huntress.
We’re here on a search and rescue.”

Meredith waited with bated breath, but no response came from within. She could see the gears turning behind Renee’s eyes. No doubt the squad leader was wondering whether there were actually survivors behind those doors.

Renee knocked on the door again. “This is Renee Boland.” She spoke louder, repeating her words, and waited another twenty seconds. “I think I hear footsteps. Terrence, crack it open.”

The Hunter did as commanded by swinging the stock of his rifle down on the lock. Renee pushed the door open slightly. Meredith couldn’t see past her, and the squad leader quickly drew back and closed the door. Her face was ashen and her eyes went wide. “Skulls,” she whispered. “Maybe they didn’t—”

Something slammed against the door, knocking Terrence back. He fell, sliding on the polished wood floor. His rifle clattered beside him. “Fuck!”

Meredith watched in horror. Something crashed against the door again, knocking it open all the way this time. In that brief moment she saw into the arena. Like she’d expected, it had served as a shelter. Boxes of MREs and canned food lined one side of the old basketball court. Cots were strewn about the center.

But instead of the survivors—midshipmen, officers, and civilians—she’d expected to find sheltering there, a horde of Skulls filled the room. Hundreds of them. Mangled appendages, bones jutting through their skin, heads crowned in horns. A massive roar echoed. The creatures’ hunting cries grew louder, a sound so great it threatened to shake the air out of Meredith’s lungs.

The one that had burst through the door rapidly scanned Renee, then Meredith, then Terrence. Its muscles coiled, and it sprang into the air. Meredith fired a quick burst. The rounds smashed against the Skull’s side, knocking it off its trajectory. It landed inches from Terrence.

As the other Hunter recovered his rifle, Meredith fired two rounds into the Skull’s face. The impacts shattered the creature’s cheekbones. Blood pooled out onto the floor.

“Skulls!” Renee yelled into her comm link. The screams and wails of the Skulls reverberated through the hallway while she helped Terrence stand.

Meredith shot off a volley to cover them. Two more Skulls charged through the open door. One of the beasts was cut down by the bullets, but the second continued forward. It was no more than four feet tall, scrambling on all fours, its clawed feet slipping on the polished wood floor.

“Watch out!” Meredith yelled.

The small Skull dashed at Renee and Terrence. Terrence drew his rifle up and fired. The monster fell face-first, its arms and legs going placid.

“Move!” Renee said. “Go, go, go!”

“What the fuck is going on?” Dom’s voice cracked over the comm link.

The trio took off down the dark hall. Skulls poured from the arena.

“Fucking Skulls,” Terrence said. “Hundreds of ‘em.”

The beasts stampeded, crashing against each other and the walls. Their snarls and howls and claws clicking against the floor chased after the Hunters. The beasts quickly filled in the hall, blocking the emergency exit. There was no going back out from where they came.

Meredith could practically feel the creatures’ body heat and their breath on her neck. There was no way they could outrun the Skulls.

Terrence unclipped a grenade from his tac vest when they reached a wide corner. “Frag out!”

He tossed the grenade. Meredith didn’t bother turning to see the results of the Hunter’s counterattack. Her quads burned, but she pushed forward, following Renee and Terrence. An explosion went off after they cleared the corner. Heat rushed through the hall. For a moment, Meredith thought the Skulls’ cries had been quieted, that they’d been defeated by the grenade.

Then the ringing in her ears started. She’d been temporarily deafened. Now she risked a quick glance back. The Skulls surged, spilling over the scattered corpses and torn limbs of their comrades.

“There!” Renee pointed toward another exit door. Only a single folding table was pushed up against it.

Adrenaline gushed through Meredith. She fired a spray of bullets into the wave of Skulls. She saw one, two, maybe three monsters falter. Their bodies were quickly trampled by the rest of the horde.

Terrence, too, fired off a barrage. But Meredith saw the pathetic impact of their attempts to fight back. She knew they didn’t stand a chance. Their only hope lay in that door. Ten yards away. Five now.

The din of the Skulls grew louder, a cacophony straight from hell. Renee reached the exit first. She shoved aside the folding table and threw her weight against the door. It opened outward. Meredith followed the other two Hunters out. They spilled into the harsh afternoon sun.

“Barricade the door!” Terrence yelled. “Got to find something—”

But the door gave way before the words came out.

Renee shouldered her rifle, and her weapon chattered away. Meredith and Terrence joined in. The bark of their guns accompanied the thud of Skulls falling to the wall of lead. The single door funneled them through one or two at a time, slowing the Skulls’ progress enough for the Hunters to catch their breath. Bodies piled up at the exit.

“Changing!” Terrence called.

Meredith performed a speed reload next, followed by Renee.

“Bravo, let’s rendezvous,” Dom called. “Abort mission and head north toward Alpha’s position. Charlie, provide air support!”

“Got it,” Renee said, backing away while still firing.

Meredith continued to squeeze the trigger, letting the automatic fire hose a stream of bullets over the hungry Skulls. But soon four of the creatures escaped the exit. They rushed across the lawn, leaping over the dead ones piled around them. As Terrence and Meredith adjusted their aim to take out the closest ones, more of the beasts rushed from the field house.

“Retreat, retreat!” Renee yelled. She waved Terrence and Meredith onward.

Meredith fired off a final three shots. Her rifle clicked. Empty again. She pushed out the mag and jammed in a fresh one as she ran. Terrence led the way, barreling between trees and over another sidewalk.

“Shit!” Renee called out.

Meredith spun to see Renee had fallen. Her rifle fell across the concrete, skittering away from her grasp. A thin Skull with shoulder blades like small skeletal wings wrapped its fingers around Renee’s ankles. She kicked at its bony face, knocking it back slightly. The rest of the Skulls would be on top of Renee in seconds.

Dread filled Meredith. She tried to sight the monster attacking Renee through her optics, but she wasn’t confident enough that she wouldn’t accidentally hit Renee. Terrence sprinted straight at their squad leader, probably sharing the same thoughts. The only way they could save Renee was by running back to her, back to the oncoming horde. Another Skull bounded ahead of the pack, a bloodied naval officer’s uniform whipping around it.