Divided (#1 Divided Destiny) by Taitrina Falcon Read Free Book Online

hit it in the faceplate, which made an immediate hole. The odor of charred flesh hit Leo’s nostrils. That was definitely the sweet spot.
    “Don, hit them in the face,” Leo yelled before, just like last time, he was thrown to the ground by the enraged alien he had just made commit friendly fire.
    Leo scrambled to his feet, just in time to dive to the ground again to avoid a hail of deadly energy bolts fired at him. He heard the chatter of gunfire as Jakeman tried to cover him, but the bullets did no damage, and the alien had learned that. It didn’t give it pause at all. Leo dashed for the side of an overturned car, skidding behind it as energy bolts splashed against the other side. However, he realized his mistake when he smelled gas. He ran and dove into the next alley just in time.
    Wary of follow-up fire, Leo got to his feet once more and ran back. The smoke from the exploded car filled the road, shielding his approach. He sprinted forward, pulling his Ka-Bar knife. He leapt over the twisted metal remains and onto the alien’s back. Leo stabbed into the metal mask with the knife, searching for purchase to pry it off as he had done once before. The alien bucked, trying to throw him off, but Leo dug in, refusing to relinquish his grip on the shiny, slippery metal.
    The faceplate moved and Leo dove to the ground. He aimed his rifle, but before he could fire, both Jakeman and O’Flynn let loose a burst, turning the alien’s skull into paste. It hit the ground. Leo looked over to where Don was struggling against his two. Leo had been lucky on his first strike, and that had made all the difference. As he watched, Don was forced to the ground, and the alien lifted his arm to execute him.
    Out of the corner of his eye, Leo saw Jakeman and O’Flynn whirl around. Leo raised his own rifle, but he knew with a sick feeling that he was going to be too late. He was about to watch his best friend die and there was nothing he could do. He was out of position and out of time.
    That was when Staff Sergeant Ortiz and his squad arrived. One of them, Sergeant Nicholas Carter, grabbed the alien’s arm, diverting the deadly beams right at the last second. The energy bolts hit the ground, kicking up the concrete but otherwise doing no damage.
    “Hit them in the face,” Leo screamed, repeating his earlier command.
    Don leapt to his feet to comply. Ortiz and his men joined the attack, and the aliens were on the floor, unmistakably dead, before Leo got there.
    “Nice timing.” Leo clapped Ortiz on the back.
    All around them, the city was under attack, but they had bought this corner a moment of peace. They needed to take advantage of that while they could. There were now five dead aliens and suits to choose from; they needed to grab one and get to the chopper. Let the scientists dissect the little gray alien and its technology.
    Leo looked around. “You’re one short?” he asked grimly.
    “Lost Corporal Demming to one of these bastards,” Ortiz confirmed.
    Leo met his eyes in sad understanding. That meant they had both lost a man under their command that day. It wasn’t the first squadmate Leo had lost in combat, but that never made it any easier. Above them, Leo heard the incoming sounds of chopper blades. He looked up; miraculously, the chopper had made it through the waves of small alien craft. It was intact and heading straight for them.
    “Let’s move,” Leo said, waving his arm forward. “Jakeman, O’Flynn, take an alien for the eggheads. Fan out. Let’s not keep our ride waiting.”
    They weren’t far from the park; it was just the other side of the tree line. The eight remaining marines moved as quickly as possible. When they burst through the trees, the chopper was hovering over the broken ground, and there wasn’t a suited alien in sight. At that moment, it was the most welcoming sight Leo thought he had ever seen. After the aliens had beamed down, they must have all moved into the city, leaving this park