Nocturnal Read Online Free PDF Page A

vehicle, leaving the covered one behind. She gave a final order to the few remaining soldiers to stay put but vacate the area if she didn’t radio back in time. Jack Tanner assured her they’d succeed, that his winged creatures would keep that promise.
    When Rathbone saw the safehold, he feared that he had finally taken on an impossible task. But he forged ahead, and every soldier was ready to fight and prepared to die.
    Even in the dark, Rathbone could see the black smoke billowing from inside the safehold. Piper and her team had set some vehicles on fire. Stage one was complete. It was time for stage two.
    Rathbone and his troops swept down upon the savages, who were too focused on penetrating the safehold to notice. Dozens of men rocketed teargas canisters through the air from hand-held modified rocket launchers. Greenish smoke rose, and a cloud soon covered the swarm of ferals. As the men reloaded and launched another volley, Rathbone hoped the gas would choke most of them out, buying his people time to reach the captives. But seconds later, he knew his hopeswere dashed.
    Out of the heavy green mist came hundreds of red eyes. Rathbone screamed, and his werecats attacked them head on as human soldiers fired into the massive horde. His troops were outnumbered, probably five to one, and a horrible bloodbath was inevitable.
    A group of ferals rammed Rathbone’s Jeep, flinging him onto the ground. He rolled and came to a standing position and took out three ferals with a handgun, gutting another with his long knife. “Mangus,” he yelled, his eyes wide as he heard the young man scream. A dozen ferals were eating the young soldier alive. He was surrounded by death. All he could do was fight to stay alive and kill the enemy.
    As he fought, he saw the headlights of military vehicles piercing the fading greenish fog. “Piper!” he yelled, catching a glimpse of her in the lead vehicle. She’d fled the Pits and was driving straight toward him, running over several ferals as he rolled out of the way. She spun the vehicle to a stop and jumped out, firing two machine guns at the swarming ferals. She handed Rathbone one of the guns and they fired together, trying to carve a hole through the rush of maddened beasts.
    Half of Rathbone’s men began fleeing back to their vehicles, but the ferals swarmed them as they fled and ripped then apart, only stopping to feast on the remains. Rathbone continued to fight, side by side with Piper, but soon a group of around twenty ferals had them surrounded. Every time one fell to their gunfire, another would replace it. Finally, their ammunition ran out.
    â€œI’m sorry, Piper,” Rathbone yelled as the ferals moved in for the kill. He wished he had saved two rounds. But the ferals abruptly stopped. They lifted their noses to the air and sniffed. They hissed and began running as creatures dipped down out of the smoke and early morning mist and began grabbing them and lifting them upward. Screams filled the air above, as ferals were killed and dropped back to the ground. The high, piercing squeal of the nocturnals filled the air. Piper covered her ears as dozens of nocturnals landed and joined the fight.
    Rathbone unleashed a savage war cry that was answered by another as Rebecka arrived with her troops. Men, werecats, and nocturnals shouted back and continued the fight with renewed hope. The tide had turned, and the ferals knew it. Still shrieking and hissing, the surviving beasts retreated.
    â€œI can’t believe it,” Rathbone said as he watched the creatures run away. He looked around at the dead. Among the bodies, there was not a single nocturnal. He was thankful they were on his side.
    â€œJack found us,” Rebecka said. “We decided we couldn’t abandon you.”
    â€œI figured your stubborn butt might pull a stunt like this, but for once I’m glad you did!”
    â€œRebecka,” Piper shouted and ran to embrace her old