The Pretender (The Soren Chase Series Book 2) by Rob Blackwell Page B
Authors: Rob Blackwell
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shrieked, adding to the cacophony around him.
Soren had never faced so many different monsters at once, and there was no way out. But now he knew what he was—and for the first time, he was grateful. He was terrified, afraid he would be overwhelmed by those around him and fail Alex, but he was also exhilarated, eager to find out just how much of a beating he could take.
He grabbed a flashbang from his vest, pulled the pin, and threw it in front of him. The intent of the grenade wasn’t to destroy so much as to distract. A flashbang would blind most attackers for a few precious seconds, allowing Soren to take them out.
He jerked his head to the side and closed his eyes as the grenade went off, and then quickly looked back to see several monsters with their hands over their eyes. Soren fired a barrage of bullets into the shirkens, stoneskins, and gaunts behind him.
He aimed high, hoping a few of the bullets might catch the shirkens in their eyes, their only vulnerable spot, and perhaps slow down the stoneskins.
He didn’t have a chance to see if he killed any of the monsters in front of him because two gaunts came leaping at him from either side. He ducked and rolled forward out of the way. When he came up, he fired a spray of bullets at them as they collided with one another.
He killed them, but felt something large grab him from behind. He looked down to see two sand-colored arms holding him around his chest. The shirken squeezed him so hard he couldn’t breathe. Without pausing, Soren pulled one of the knives from his vest with his left hand and jabbed it behind him. He heard the thing squeal, and he kicked backward, again connecting with that soft flesh.
But suddenly, he had trouble dislodging his leg. He pulled it out with effort and stumbled forward, the knife falling from his grasp. Soren turned and open fire, watching as holes appeared in the shirken’s body. But he didn’t aim high enough, and the creature absorbed the bullets and kept lumbering toward him.
Soren aimed higher, a bullet slamming into the shirken’s right eye. He watched as it fell to the floor, only for two more to emerge from the darkness behind it.
Soren squeezed off another few rounds at the shirken on the left, hitting it right in the face. But as he aimed at the remaining one, he heard the click of his gun as it ran out of ammo.
He didn’t have time to reload. Instead, Soren pushed the assault rifle away, leaving it hanging by the strap. He reached into his vest to grab another gun. But the attacking creature sprinted toward him before he could get to it. It landed on top of him, pushing him to the floor. Its mouth opened large as it snarled. Soren, practically gagging, was overwhelmed by its putrid breath.
He punched it in the face, his hand disappearing inside its skin. When he tried to pull it back, he couldn’t. It was lodged inside the thing.
He kicked at the shirken, trying to push it away from him. But his leg punched straight through the flesh of the creature—and then was also trapped. Soren struggled on the ground, unable to free his hand or his leg. He felt the thing pressing down on top of him. It was trying to absorb him into it, swallowing him whole.
Soren felt along his vest with his left hand, intending to find another knife and cut his way out. Instead, he found a frag grenade. He brought it to his mouth and pulled the pin with his teeth.
“You want to eat, huh?” Soren said. “How about this, you son of a bitch?”
He jammed the grenade into the thing’s mouth, punching another hole through its squishy flesh. For a half second, Soren thought he detected a satisfied look on the shirken’s face as it trapped both of Soren’s hands.
Then the grenade went off, and the shirken’s head exploded in a mass of black liquid. Soren was momentarily blinded and felt an incredible pain in his left hand, which had been holding on to the grenade when it went off. After a few seconds, his vision cleared and he
Soren had never faced so many different monsters at once, and there was no way out. But now he knew what he was—and for the first time, he was grateful. He was terrified, afraid he would be overwhelmed by those around him and fail Alex, but he was also exhilarated, eager to find out just how much of a beating he could take.
He grabbed a flashbang from his vest, pulled the pin, and threw it in front of him. The intent of the grenade wasn’t to destroy so much as to distract. A flashbang would blind most attackers for a few precious seconds, allowing Soren to take them out.
He jerked his head to the side and closed his eyes as the grenade went off, and then quickly looked back to see several monsters with their hands over their eyes. Soren fired a barrage of bullets into the shirkens, stoneskins, and gaunts behind him.
He aimed high, hoping a few of the bullets might catch the shirkens in their eyes, their only vulnerable spot, and perhaps slow down the stoneskins.
He didn’t have a chance to see if he killed any of the monsters in front of him because two gaunts came leaping at him from either side. He ducked and rolled forward out of the way. When he came up, he fired a spray of bullets at them as they collided with one another.
He killed them, but felt something large grab him from behind. He looked down to see two sand-colored arms holding him around his chest. The shirken squeezed him so hard he couldn’t breathe. Without pausing, Soren pulled one of the knives from his vest with his left hand and jabbed it behind him. He heard the thing squeal, and he kicked backward, again connecting with that soft flesh.
But suddenly, he had trouble dislodging his leg. He pulled it out with effort and stumbled forward, the knife falling from his grasp. Soren turned and open fire, watching as holes appeared in the shirken’s body. But he didn’t aim high enough, and the creature absorbed the bullets and kept lumbering toward him.
Soren aimed higher, a bullet slamming into the shirken’s right eye. He watched as it fell to the floor, only for two more to emerge from the darkness behind it.
Soren squeezed off another few rounds at the shirken on the left, hitting it right in the face. But as he aimed at the remaining one, he heard the click of his gun as it ran out of ammo.
He didn’t have time to reload. Instead, Soren pushed the assault rifle away, leaving it hanging by the strap. He reached into his vest to grab another gun. But the attacking creature sprinted toward him before he could get to it. It landed on top of him, pushing him to the floor. Its mouth opened large as it snarled. Soren, practically gagging, was overwhelmed by its putrid breath.
He punched it in the face, his hand disappearing inside its skin. When he tried to pull it back, he couldn’t. It was lodged inside the thing.
He kicked at the shirken, trying to push it away from him. But his leg punched straight through the flesh of the creature—and then was also trapped. Soren struggled on the ground, unable to free his hand or his leg. He felt the thing pressing down on top of him. It was trying to absorb him into it, swallowing him whole.
Soren felt along his vest with his left hand, intending to find another knife and cut his way out. Instead, he found a frag grenade. He brought it to his mouth and pulled the pin with his teeth.
“You want to eat, huh?” Soren said. “How about this, you son of a bitch?”
He jammed the grenade into the thing’s mouth, punching another hole through its squishy flesh. For a half second, Soren thought he detected a satisfied look on the shirken’s face as it trapped both of Soren’s hands.
Then the grenade went off, and the shirken’s head exploded in a mass of black liquid. Soren was momentarily blinded and felt an incredible pain in his left hand, which had been holding on to the grenade when it went off. After a few seconds, his vision cleared and he
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