Bronto's Revenge: 2 (Barbarian Lust) Read online

  Running a hand through his hair, he parked his ass near Zypher and visually searched the trees. “How many are we talking? Any idea?”

  Zypher shook his head. “At least ten so far.”

  “One took an interest in Ivy. Do you know where it went? It’s missing a hand.”

  “Yeah,” Zypher replied, his gaze focused straight ahead. “I’m looking at it.”

  Bronto raised his M21 and glanced through the scope. The green SOB stood partially hidden behind a pine tree, holding its injured arm against its chest. Blood dripped from the severed stub and ran along its forearm. A long, red, split tongue hissed in and out of its mouth like a snake. “He’s mine,” Bronto said as he took aim at its heart and disengaged the trigger. The kickback from the blast knocked Bronto’s shoulder but the bullet hit the target and the alien dropped.

  Suddenly rapid gunfire exploded as the species charged from all directions, racing into the camp. The women screamed, obviously frightened by the blasts and commotion. He couldn’t blame them. He at least had a ringside view of what the hell was going on.

  An alien darted between the tree branches as it raced toward the horses. Its arm sprang into the yard and it clamped on to Zypher’s legs. It yanked, pulling his feet out from under him, and Zypher’s back slammed the dirt.

  Bronto plugged a bullet between its eyes. It fell near Vulcan’s black stallion. The horse reared on its hind legs then landed, crushing the alien’s skull.

  The women’s screams surpassed a hysterical level. Bronto swung around and assessed the leather walls for stray bullet holes. There weren’t any he could see from his angle, nor was it possible for the species to sneak behind him and Zypher to breach the doorway.

  “Bronto!” a female shrieked. “Bronto! Vulcan!”

  Another alien crawled from between the huts, its gnarly fingers dragging its body across the ground as if it had no use of its legs. Zypher rolled over in that instant and discharged the rifle, blowing the creature’s head off. Blood and brain particles burst into the air, sounding like rain when they splattered the soil.

  Little by little the gunfire tapered to a stop but the women continued screaming and Birmon squawked in a frenzy. Bronto lunged at the door and flung it open. Four of the ladies were huddled in the southwest corner, hugging and squeezing each other and crying. He stepped inside and his heart lunged to his throat. “Where’s Ivy?”

  “She’s gone,” Jade blurted.

  “What do you mean, gone? Where is she?”

  Wisteria clung to Pearl and was sobbing so hard she didn’t appear to be breathing. “Where!” he shouted.

  Jade flinched as she pointed to the roof.

  Sucking air, he raised his eyes to the ventilation hole. The leather was torn and the opening twice its original size. Dear God.

  “They took her, Bronto,” Pearl wailed. “They reached in and took her.”

  The color drained from his face and he dug his feet in the ground to prevent himself from swooning. His heart thundered in panic and he refused to let them see the fear that soared through his guts like a raging fire. Pain racked his body. The worst pain he’d ever felt in his life. In his moment of dread he barged outside, removing himself from the women’s view.

  No sooner had he reached the corner of the hut than he dragged mouthful after mouthful of air into his lungs.

  He’d failed Ivy. He’d miserably failed to protect her. Oh dear God, the fear she endured. The aliens were desperate. It would only be a matter of time before they strapped her down and turned her into an experiment.

  Fuck. Fuck!

  “Zypher, they have Ivy,” he shouted.

  “Who?” Zypher spun around and looked at the hut.

  “The species. They pulled her through the ventilation hole.”

  “Then what the fuck are you doing standing here? Let’s go,” Zypher hollered then whistled to garner Vulcan’s attention. “They’ve captured Ivy,” he shouted. “We’d better find her before they turn her into a fucking mutant.”

  “Go,” Vulcan shouted. “I’ll secure the women then catch up to you guys.”

  Bronto felt as if Zypher bashed him in the head with a rock. A mutant? Jesus, he hadn’t given that a thought. His guts were busting apart with worry that they’d drain her blood.

  His jugular twitched and his heart pounded so fiercely it reached his ears. “They were able to avoid us so they must have fled east,” he said, peering eastward above the huts. “Let’s hope the tribe guarding the area stopped them.”

  Bronto tore into the woods but didn’t see a soul mixed within the trees. He halted to look and listen. Nothing. It was eerily quiet. Not even the sound of leaves rustled.

  He followed smashed ferns, not knowing if the tracks were fresh or left over from their feet when they’d chopped down trees.

  “Bronto?” Vulcan shouted, halting him in his tracks. “Wait.”

  He turned.

  “Let’s mount the horses and ride out. We’ll waste too much time on foot,” Vulcan instructed.

  “Caw. Caw.”

  Bronto glanced overhead. Birmon’s mom circled the treetops, her massive wings swooping air. She flew toward the mountains, hovered over an area for a moment then returned, gliding above the trees.

  “Caw. Caw.”

  Vulcan stepped beside Bronto, keeping his eyes on the sky as she again headed toward the mountains. “It’s unusual for her to appear for no reason,” Vulcan said. “Let’s ride over there. Zypher, untether the horses.”

  Bronto shot past him and mounted his horse. He didn’t wait for Vulcan or Zypher and he raced toward the foothills where the thirty-foot-long bird treaded air.

  Suddenly she changed direction, flying straight ahead to a clearing, and swooped up and down within a large area. Bronto halted and gazed at the open meadow. There wasn’t a damn thing in sight. No footprints in the dirt. No footprints in the grass. No fucking evidence at all.

  He tried silencing his raspy breath to focus on unusual noises but the only things audible besides air rushing in and out of his lungs were horse hooves beating to a stop behind him.

  “Caw. Caw.”

  “What the fuck,” he shouted, rubbing sweat off his forehead with the back of his arm. “We’re wasting time. There’s nothing here.”

  Again the creature took flight and changed direction, gliding to the southeast.

  Where the fuck was she going? Bronto kicked his mount into a run. For all he knew the bird could be leading them to their deaths. She’d shred them to pieces as she’d done to that bastard Sledge. The SOB deserved it.

  Bronto had had enough of that asshole’s shitty antics. The day Bronto met Ivy, Wisteria was, for the second time, at the mercy of the whip-happy prick. He’d used Ivy as bait to barge his sneaky ass into the Barbarians’ camp and take Wisteria hostage. While he’d held an ax to Wisteria’s throat, Ivy sat bound to a tree. Bronto deserved a medal for the amount of restraint he’d utilized to maintain control. If Vulcan hadn’t commanded him to halt, Bronto would’ve plugged an arrow right between the abducting lug’s eyes. One wrong move would’ve earned him a third eye socket.

  Bronto pulled on the reins and guided the horse left when the creature flew around a bend. In the backdrop he spotted what appeared to be a dark haze but he knew it was a distant forest wall. The trees appeared no bigger than an inch tall. It would take them fucking forever to get there and breach the border. Precious time they couldn’t afford to lose.

  The creature swooped low then gained height then swooped again. Trying to keep an eye on it while looking from side to side for Ivy was more difficult than he’d anticipated. They traveled so fast she would’ve been easy to miss had the aliens stalled within the surrounding trees.

  And then the bird landed on her talons in a thick patch of knee-high brush. She didn’t move as Bronto barreled ass to reach her. As he narrowed the distance he slowed to a trot, positioning his finger on the rifle trigger in case she showed any signs of aggression. A short distance beh
ind her through the trees a purple haze glowed. And then he heard a waterfall. The damn bird had guided him the long route to the exact place he and Ivy encountered when they’d fled from the cave lion.

  He steadied his mount, which sidestepped as if spooked, and he listened for voices or, God forbid, screams.

  “What the hell is that?” Zypher asked as he and Vulcan settled on either side of him.

  “This is where Ivy and I found the baby dinosaurs.” He pointed toward the purple background. “In there.”

  “Caw.” Birmon’s mom waddled to the wall of trees then took flight.

  Without a second thought, Bronto galloped to the forest border and dismounted. He tied his horse to a conifer and entered the small stretch of pines and evergreens. On the opposite side he saw the waterfall, the pond and the stones where Ivy sat to watch the fish.

  His eyes burned and his breath caught but he contained the sick feeling bleeding through his veins and trudged forward until he reached the plush grass.

  He thought he heard whimpers and he stiffened in alarm but it was hard to focus with Vulcan’s and Zypher’s footsteps shuffling through the dense bed of ferns.

  Then he heard them again. He whipped around and held up his hand. “Shhh.”

  Swoosh-swoosh.

  The sound of the bird’s wings broke the silence as she landed on top of the opening of a golden cave, her talons gripping the edge.

  Muffled screams echoed from the belly of the rock tunnel. Bronto wanted to rush inside and shoot everything that moved but he controlled the urge and backed up until he disappeared inside the line of trees near the men.

  Zypher’s eyes flared and his mouth dropped as if he wanted to speak but he snapped it shut and peered at the cave.

  As quietly as possible they made their way to the entrance. They didn’t need to venture deep inside to see bright lighting reflected at the end of a narrow rock tunnel. They crept along the wall, spurring each other on, stopping periodically inside deep crevices to listen. The closer they got to the dead end, the louder the whimpers and screams tore through the enclosure.

  One was very distinctive and Bronto rested his head against the wall and squeezed his eyes shut. Suddenly the pained cries stopped. Dread hung in the air.

  “Go,” Zypher whispered while giving his shoulder a nudge. “We can’t stop now.”

  Sucking air through his nose and steeling his nerves, Bronto inched forward. He kicked a rock that skidded across the stone floor, making enough noise to sound an alarm. He veered off the path to a dark section carved in the wall. It was big enough for two men at most and only a second passed before Zypher was standing beside him.

  A gut-curdling scream pierced Bronto’s ears. He clamped his teeth and clenched his fist around his rifle.

  “Keep it together,” Zypher advised. “We’re too close to fuck this up now.”

  Bronto filled his lungs through a shaky breath and stepped back into the path. Vulcan was squatted near the opening of the lightened area. He glanced around the corner then bolted backward and dropped to his ass, hanging his head.

  Bronto’s guts churned. Not once in nine years had he witnessed Vulcan react so grimly. What the hell was taking place inside that room?

  It took every morsel of strength to avoid bursting inside and demolishing the place. Trying to mentally prepare himself for the worst, he stepped over Vulcan and looked in.

  Jesus God!

  He back-slammed into the wall and inhaled while trying to compose himself. A slight foot-tap on the ground stole his attention and he glanced at Zypher. He was moving closer and pointing in the direction of the room. Bronto nodded then peeked inside again.

  Three women lay on what looked like hospital gurneys. Their gray fur clothing signified they were from the Mountain Slayers tribe. Clear, thick tubes were inserted into their jugular veins. Blood flowed through the tubes into buckets on the ground. Fifteen aliens, if not more, hustled around the room. A mutant wandered aimlessly in a circle.

  How many rounds were left in his magazine? Hopefully enough to shoot every one of the motherfuckers.

  Where’s Ivy? Where in the fuck is Ivy!

  Again Bronto turned away.

  “Psst.” Zypher’s eyes widened and he nudged his chin at the room, goading him to gather his wits.

  If Zypher witnessed what took place in there he’d lose sight as well.

  Another scream rang through his ears.

  Ivy’s scream.

  His guts exploded. He glanced inside the area, his eyes frantically darting from wall to wall. Two women lay lifeless on the ground in a corner. Their abdomens were cut open and their female reproductive organs were gone. He forlornly shook his head at the decaying corpses.

  He swallowed while a feeling of dread consumed him. Three little creatures were chained to the wall beside the bodies. Creatures that looked exactly like Birmon. In the opposite corner, one of the two missing dinosaur babies lay huddled and chirping in fear. The other was bound with ropes. A small tube was inserted into its stomach, draining its blood.

  Vulcan stood behind Bronto and laid a hand on his shoulder. Bronto quickly reassessed the room. It resembled an experimental lab or hospital operating room. Heavy equipment lined the back wall—ovens or incubators or some type of heating devices. Tubes of all thicknesses and lengths were attached to what looked and sounded like breathing machines. One clear tube pumped air down the throat of a baby T-Rex where it lay strapped to a gurney. Apparently it’d perished but the aliens fought to keep it alive using the artificial means. Broken dinosaur egg shells were stacked in piles sporadically placed around the vicinity.

  What the fuck? He wouldn’t believe it if he hadn’t seen it.

  Just then two more species emerged from a dark tunnel, dragging Ivy. Each had a hold of her arms. Her feet scraped the ground as they hauled her into the room. She writhed between them but appeared too weak to actually fight. A trail of blood spread from the crook of her elbow to her wrist.

  Bronto’s heart stopped.

  He had to get her out of there now. Right. Fucking. Now.

  He nudged Vulcan with his elbow then nodded at Zypher. Whether they were ready or not, he was going in.

  The green sons of bitches had his woman and he wasn’t leaving until he’d blasted every last one of them to hell.

  He raised three fingers and folded them one at a time, signifying a countdown. When the third finger struck his thumb, he flew into the room and opened fire. Vulcan was beside him within the span of a breath and began knocking the aliens off one at a time. Long arms stretched across the room from all directions in an attempt to steal the weapons but Bronto and Vulcan blew the species to pieces. Bodies splintered apart and blood and guts sprayed the air.

  The two who held Ivy turned around and raced for the tunnel, tugging her by the arms. Bronto aimed at the backs of their heads and plugged a bullet into each of their skulls. Ivy screamed and dropped to the ground, covering her ears.

  When not a single alien stood, the gunfire stopped. Bronto dashed across the room and lifted Ivy. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung so tightly he could barely breathe. Once he had her safely in the tunnel, Zypher emptied his magazine into the equipment, disabling the machines. The room filled with dark-gray smoke and sparks fizzled in the air.

  Vulcan quickly released the women on the gurneys and carried them one at a time into the large area just inside the mouth of the cave, where he laid them down, then he ran back into the room. By the grayish color of their skin Bronto knew all three females had passed but Vulcan hadn’t realized it until he’d returned with the animals.

  “Damn it,” Vulcan blurted. “Ten minutes sooner, we could’ve saved them.”

  The animals waddled behind Bronto as he fled outside, holding Ivy tighter than he’d ever held anything in his life. She trembled and jerked occasionally, the only signs proving she was alive.

  Vulcan appeared, carrying the baby dinosaur. He laid it down in the grass and carefully r
emoved the bindings and the tube from its stomach. Barely any blood seeped from the wound but he applied pressure anyway. As Zypher emerged minutes later shaking his head, the dinosaur rolled to its feet and waddled to its sibling.

  “Wow,” Zypher said aghast. “Wow,” he repeated and dropped to his knees. “We’ve destroyed the lab and obliterated the aliens. There will be no dinosaur shifters created on our time. Our job is complete. It’s time to board the shuttle and go home.”

  “Don’t get too confident,” Vulcan responded. “We don’t know if there are any more.”

  “Great,” Zypher said, shaking his head. “What should we do with the deceased women?”

  Vulcan looked toward the cave. “Leave them for their tribe to discover. They’re entitled to a proper death ceremony.”

  “What if the Flesh Eaters find them first? They’ll leave nothing but bones.”

  “Zypher, we can’t worry about that. If we bury the females we may be defying the Mountain Slayers’ customs. Nature will take its course.”

  “Caw. Caw.” Birmon’s mom descended from the cave and landed near the pond. Her three babies squawked and waddled toward her as she stood, proudly spreading her huge wings. When they reached her talons they lay down and huddled together.

  The little dinosaurs also inched toward her and settled near her claws, sniffing the babies.

  Boom-boom.

  “Rrrrraaaaggghhh.”

  Zypher jumped to his feet, aiming his rifle at the sky. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

  “Get in the cave,” Vulcan hollered.

  The horses whinnied. The sound of their tethers snapping filled the air. Then they fled into the meadow, their hooves stomping the ground and fading in the distance.

  Ivy stiffened in Bronto’s arms and squeezed his neck. She was either in shock or too weak to scream.

  “I’m out of ammo,” Zypher shouted, trying to sway the animals away from Birmon’s mom to guide them into the cave.