Wrath of the Void Strider by Erik Harlow Read Free Book Online

can excuse it.”  She winked, before suddenly noticing his growing panic.  “What is it?”
    “ Now you die !” roared the stone giant as it stepped back into view on the far side of Gavin’s truck.
    “Maugals can hear through the ground,” breathed Gavin, and he swallowed visibly.
    “No more of your tricks!”  The maugal looked up and down the street.  It ignored Takeo as he drew his gun and ordered the granite thug to stand down.
    “We should run,” advised Gavin.
    Taryn’s eyes went wide.  “Good idea!”
    They reversed course, dashing back toward the club as music spilled from its momentarily opened doors.  With rising panic, they raced toward a group of club goers that had just exited.
    From behind them, they heard Takeo bellow, “Gavin, Taryn— look out !”  They heard the creek of the Rhino’s shocks, the groan of its metal as the maugal lifted it off the ground.  Takeo emptied his gun into the truck near its fuel tank, but none of the bullets struck home.
    Startled by the gunfire, the small crowd of club goers screamed and scattered.
    Like a cannonball, the pickup rocketed through the air toward Taryn and Gavin.
    Taryn twisted around in time to behold Gavin’s massive vehicle on a direct course for his back.  She stumbled and fell.  Breathing out, she closed her eyes and hit the sidewalk hard.  Gavin dove with arms outstretched, and he landed protectively on top of Taryn.  Terrified screams filled the air, but they abruptly stopped.
    They were replaced by astonished gasps and whispers of, “That’s impossible!”
    Gavin rolled away with Taryn in his grip, tumbled into the alley and came to rest with her atop him.  Her eyes met his only briefly however, and she fixed her attention on where the two of them had been a moment ago.  Suspended in the air, nearly as high up as the street lamps, was his Hulkr Rhino.
    Thunderously, it crashed down, a burst of broken things, skewed wheels and a shower of glass.
    Gavin breathed out and closed his eyes.  “My truck.”
    From the huddle, Valerie stepped into view wearing an interested smile as she regarded Gavin at her feet.  “Told you he was going to be here, Captain.”
    Booming, the maugal resumed his mad charge toward Gavin.
    Boldly, Zerki stepped out onto the sidewalk.  Leveling a snub firearm that glowed brightly of orange along its top ridge, she squeezed the trigger, and a searing line of white and yellow intersected the maugal.  In a flash, the gun was sheathed, and the maugal crumbled into a heap of white-hot molten rock.
    Another round of screams erupted, and the scattered club goers took cover where they could find it.  Chris promptly threw open the doors.  He began escorting them back inside.
    Breathless, Taryn sat up on Gavin’s legs.  “That’s… that’s impossible!”
    Zerki ordered, “D’Arro, take your team and bring me his other friend.”
    “Aye, Captain,” said D’Arro, and he nodded toward a few others in the huddle.  D’Arro towered over most every other creature he met.  His body feathers were bright green and white, his head feathers massive, colorful, and extravagant.  He and his associates dashed along the sidewalk, where they soon reached Takeo.
    Zerki turned her attention to Krane.  “Please warm up the shuttle.”
    “On it,” said Krane, and he loped away.
    Looking to Valerie, she said, “I really do have the best psychic in the galaxy.”
    “Damn right, you do.”  She crossed her arms and wore a playfully smug smile.
    With a warm laugh, Zerki regarded Taryn and asked, “Are you alright?”   She pulled her up to stand.
    Taryn nodded and brushed herself off.  “I’m fine.  Who are you?  What’s going on?”
    “I’m Zerki Ibarra, captain of the Sanguine Shadow .  There’s a lot to explain.”
     

Chapter 04
     
     
     
    Gavin got to his feet and regarded Zerki’s plasma pistol nervously as he brushed himself off.  He glanced toward D’Arro as the ospyrean giant closed on