Frost Station Alpha 1-6: The Complete Series by Ruby Lionsdrake Read Free Book Online
Authors: Ruby Lionsdrake
Tags: General Fiction
bumping against her, their bristly fur poking her through her uniform. The creatures ranged from waist-high to chest-high and could have knocked her over if they tried, but none of them were that aggressive. One pushed a snout into her hand.
Sorry, buddy , she thought. It’s not dinner time yet. She dared not share the words out loud.
Since the animals did not object to her presence, she eased her way to the back side of the pen, then dropped to her knees. If she lowered her head to the deck, she could see through the legs of the pigs, through the fencing, and down the corridor she had come up. She gripped her rifle, ready to shoot if anyone came into sight.
The pigs settled as seconds turned to minutes, seeming to forget she was there. Perfect.
She licked her lips, not sure whether she hoped her pursuer would walk down the corridor and she would have a shot at him or whether she hoped he wouldn’t be able to find her at all and would give up. All the warm bodies around her should make it hard for his sensors to work. She hoped. As far as she knew, there weren’t any nearby exits. She had chosen a spot that trapped her back here, or that at least required that she leave the way she came.
The lights remained out, which she hoped meant the override had worked. Either that, or he hadn’t yet made his way down here. Maybe the hatch had thwarted him, and he’d had to go another way around and was delayed.
Or maybe he just liked to hunt in the dark.
Tamryn swallowed, weariness creeping into her limbs. Her knees started to ache from kneeling on the hard deck, and cold seeped up from the metal, stealing the warmth from her body. Her sweat chilled; she would be shivering soon.
Another shudder coursed through the station. Definitely an explosion. Earlier, she had figured someone might be firing on Frost Station Alpha, but now, she wondered if the intruders had found the safe rooms and were trying to get to the scientists. She started to feel like a coward for crouching in the pen—for hiding —when others were being captured. Or worse. If only she could think of something useful to do. If only—
A figure appeared at the end of the corridor, a single set of legs.
Tamryn held her breath. A couple of the pigs stirred and walked over to the fence. She aimed between their legs, using her scope to lock onto the man’s left shin. Unfortunately, she couldn’t target anything higher, not with the animals in the way. She would have to stand up to hit him in the chest, but he might see her movement, and then he’d simply anticipate and dodge, the way he had up above.
He stopped moving. Was he looking for her? Or did he already know where she was?
Tamryn tightened her finger on the trigger. She hated to give herself away if he didn’t know she was here, especially for such a non-vital target. But the way he had slowed down... He knew she was close. Maybe the pigs were throwing off his sensors, but something had led him down this corridor in the maze.
After the short pause, he continued in her direction.
She lined up her target and fired.
The laser streaked between the legs of two pigs, past the fencing, and slammed into his shin. She saw the hit, even though an instant later, the animals were squealing and stampeding, stealing her line of sight.
Rifle ready for a second shot, she rose into a high crouch, just high enough to see over their backs. She had to press against the wall so that, in their fear, they didn’t trample her.
The man hadn’t cried out when struck, but that didn’t surprise her. Tamryn expected him to fire at her and had her finger on the trigger, planning to fire first. But she didn’t see him. Figuring he might have tumbled to the floor, clutching his leg, she stood straighter, rising to tiptoes. From there, she could see the entire corridor.
But he was gone.
Chapter 4
Makkon’s shin was on fire. He crouched atop an animal cage, looking down at the agitated dhevars , trying to pick the woman
Sorry, buddy , she thought. It’s not dinner time yet. She dared not share the words out loud.
Since the animals did not object to her presence, she eased her way to the back side of the pen, then dropped to her knees. If she lowered her head to the deck, she could see through the legs of the pigs, through the fencing, and down the corridor she had come up. She gripped her rifle, ready to shoot if anyone came into sight.
The pigs settled as seconds turned to minutes, seeming to forget she was there. Perfect.
She licked her lips, not sure whether she hoped her pursuer would walk down the corridor and she would have a shot at him or whether she hoped he wouldn’t be able to find her at all and would give up. All the warm bodies around her should make it hard for his sensors to work. She hoped. As far as she knew, there weren’t any nearby exits. She had chosen a spot that trapped her back here, or that at least required that she leave the way she came.
The lights remained out, which she hoped meant the override had worked. Either that, or he hadn’t yet made his way down here. Maybe the hatch had thwarted him, and he’d had to go another way around and was delayed.
Or maybe he just liked to hunt in the dark.
Tamryn swallowed, weariness creeping into her limbs. Her knees started to ache from kneeling on the hard deck, and cold seeped up from the metal, stealing the warmth from her body. Her sweat chilled; she would be shivering soon.
Another shudder coursed through the station. Definitely an explosion. Earlier, she had figured someone might be firing on Frost Station Alpha, but now, she wondered if the intruders had found the safe rooms and were trying to get to the scientists. She started to feel like a coward for crouching in the pen—for hiding —when others were being captured. Or worse. If only she could think of something useful to do. If only—
A figure appeared at the end of the corridor, a single set of legs.
Tamryn held her breath. A couple of the pigs stirred and walked over to the fence. She aimed between their legs, using her scope to lock onto the man’s left shin. Unfortunately, she couldn’t target anything higher, not with the animals in the way. She would have to stand up to hit him in the chest, but he might see her movement, and then he’d simply anticipate and dodge, the way he had up above.
He stopped moving. Was he looking for her? Or did he already know where she was?
Tamryn tightened her finger on the trigger. She hated to give herself away if he didn’t know she was here, especially for such a non-vital target. But the way he had slowed down... He knew she was close. Maybe the pigs were throwing off his sensors, but something had led him down this corridor in the maze.
After the short pause, he continued in her direction.
She lined up her target and fired.
The laser streaked between the legs of two pigs, past the fencing, and slammed into his shin. She saw the hit, even though an instant later, the animals were squealing and stampeding, stealing her line of sight.
Rifle ready for a second shot, she rose into a high crouch, just high enough to see over their backs. She had to press against the wall so that, in their fear, they didn’t trample her.
The man hadn’t cried out when struck, but that didn’t surprise her. Tamryn expected him to fire at her and had her finger on the trigger, planning to fire first. But she didn’t see him. Figuring he might have tumbled to the floor, clutching his leg, she stood straighter, rising to tiptoes. From there, she could see the entire corridor.
But he was gone.
Chapter 4
Makkon’s shin was on fire. He crouched atop an animal cage, looking down at the agitated dhevars , trying to pick the woman
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