Sometimes to the point of beheading them.
Seemed as if they had no discretion about who they killed.
And since Nox needed numbers to bring down the Goliath.
Nox leapt to the rear leg of the giant. The lack of armor on the inside of the thigh made it easy to find a handhold. The giant kicked, catching smaller defectives under its foot. Nox waited for the creature to raise its leg again in an attempt to shake him off. It did, and he swiped his claws down its uncovered belly.
In a waterfall of red, its intestines spilled out and the smaller defectives swarmed on the new source of nutrients. Nox wedged his claws under the armor where it stopped at the back of its thigh, reaching the major tendon running to its hock. He severed it and the defective screamed. He jumped to the other leg and did the same.
The Goliath tipped, and Nox scrambled up its side as it leveled out, pushing off just as it hit the ground. He landed close to the blues who stood with their heads down. Their thick chests rose and fell with deep breaths, and clouds of white puffed at the end of their muzzles.
Massive claws reached from beneath the pile only to be pulled under. The remaining Goliaths turned on each other in a squabble over the food. One with short front limbs rolled another with a ridged back, and the downed beast kicked its attacker, gutting it. The smaller defectives climbed its legs and ate their way into the body cavity.
Those not feasting on their comrades turned toward Nox and the three betas.
They would not survive another attack. The Anubis still had energy to burn, but the smoked glass armor made stamina almost useless.
Tell them to run. I’ll distract the defectives.
The Anubis rumbled, and the wolves echoed it.
They remained where they were. While no words were spoken, the images of their unfinished battle were enough to make it clear to Nox they would not leave him to die alone. They, too, would protect Luca.
The curs charged in a wave of black forms, sharp teeth, and extended claws, and almost simultaneously, their legs folded. They dropped mid-leap, hitting the ground face-first, their heavy bodies digging out ruts. Others went limp.
All of them marionettes with their strings cut.
Nothing moved. Nothing breathed.
The Anubis peeled away, leaving Nox standing in the field in front of dozens of dead defectives. James was the first to emerge from his wolf.
“I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but what the fuck just happened?” James said.
“I don’t know.”
Ty and Eric joined their packmate.
Ty said, “Are they dead or playing possum?”
No particles danced around them and what remained continued to fade. “Definitely dead,” Nox said.
“Maybe they had a time limit?” Ty still frowned.
It was as good as a guess as any. “Yeah, maybe. As long as they’re down, I really don’t give a shit.” Nox nodded in the direction of the M-ATV tracks crushed into the grass. “Where were they headed?”
James answered, “Told them to get to the airport.”
“How much fuel did they have?”
“Not enough to get there.”
That meant they were still vulnerable. “Then we better move before someone finds them before we do.”
Nox disappeared under threads of black, and the three betas transformed into the Fenrir. Together they followed the path left behind by the M-ATV.
Another few miles and the military-style vehicle appeared in the distance sitting on the side of the road. In front of it an unmarked, dark-colored van.
* * *