Avery scanned the area, trying to find Core. She kept her hand pressed against the patch like he’d told her to. She hadn’t understood why he’d given it to her until he’d demonstrated how it worked. Cosmos always made the coolest toys.

Now, she knelt on the ground, invisible to the two men as they slowly ambled closer to her location as they searched for her. They each wore a black knit cap that completely covered their heads, leaving only their eyes clear of the fabric. Their eyes were shielded by clear goggles. She really hoped that they weren’t thermal.

A slight movement caught her attention. She would have missed Core crouching on the limb above the men if she hadn’t known he was somewhere close by. The moment the second man passed under him, Core silently dropped down. His large hands grasped the man’s head and he snapped the mercenary’s neck with a firm twist.

The man’s partner turned with his weapon at the ready. Avery stood up and pulled her hand away from the patch so she would suddenly appear in the man’s peripheral vision. Core reached out and grabbed the end of the soldier’s rifle as he reflexively turned toward Avery. Caught off guard between the two of them, he hesitated. That hesitation gave Core the opportunity to shove the end of the weapon into the enemy’s nose.

Avery heard the crunch of the man’s nose as it shattered. The blow caused the soldier to release his grip on his rifle. Core rotated the weapon and fired a single shot into the man’s chest as he fell to the ground.

Core’s accusing gaze swung to her. “You were supposed to stay concealed,” he growled, stepping over the dead man as he walked toward her.

She grinned and shrugged. “It’s called teamwork. He sensed you were there. I like you much better without any bullet holes in you,” she stated with a pat to his chest.

She saw his lips part and knew he was about to retort with a caustic remark, but her attention was suddenly diverted by a slight whistling sound. She lurched forward and wrapped her arms around Core’s waist, pushing him down to the ground seconds before a ball of fire exploded against the tree where she had been kneeling.

Core rolled and covered her body with his when another firebomb exploded to the left of them. He lifted his head as she exclaimed, “They must have been wearing bodycams. We’ve got to get out of here.”

They got to their feet as smoke and flames roiled in the air. Core reached for her hand, and started to pull her forward when she realized she had dropped the patch.

“Leave it,” Core ordered.

She shook her head. “We may need it. Besides, we can’t leave this kind of technology behind,” she said, twisting around. She grabbed the patch and shoved it in her pocket before picking up the rifle Core had taken from the man. Placing her hand in his again, she motioned with her chin she was ready. “Now we can go.”

Core released a low curse, and Avery bit back her grin. She needed to focus on their escape. They swerved to the right as another burst of flames exploded. The bastards were using napalm laced rounds to insure that the wet timber would burn.

The ground soon began to slope upward. She pulled her hand free of Core’s and slung the rifle’s carrying strap over her shoulder so she could use both hands to help her climb. A steep, narrow track, probably used by wildlife on the island, wound through the thick plants growing among the rocks.

Soon they were above the forest. From here the whole area looked like an inferno. Avery fought the urge to cough as they found cover behind several large boulders. Peering around the rocks, she saw four vehicles lined up on the other side of the woods.

This group of men was larger. Two of the vehicles had cannons mounted to the back. That was what they were using to demolish the forest. She could see several of the men spread out in a formation ready to advance once the fire died down.

She looked at Core when he removed his vest and quickly began pulling off items. It took a second for her to realize what he was assembling. Her eyebrows rose in surprise when less than a minute later, he had a bow and a handful of short but lethal arrows

“Pull four of the buttons from my vest,” he instructed.

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

He nodded in the direction of the vehicles. “If you twist the top of the button to the left, then back to the right, it will activate the explosive inside. I think it only right that if we have to walk, so should they,” he said with a wink.

She laughed softly, and peered over the boulder with a raised eyebrow. Looking back at him, she gave him a skeptical look.

“Do you think you can shoot those that far?” she queried in a doubtful tone, looking at the small arrows.

This time he chuckled. “Laser guided,” he retorted with a wink.

She whistled under her breath. “Cosmos really has been holding back some of the shit he has been learning from your world,” she muttered under her breath.

“On my mark,” Core said with a nod. “Now.”

Avery quickly turned the top of the button left, then right, and held up the powerful explosive she’d activated. Core touched the tip of the arrow to the bomb. A strong magnet pulled the device out of her hand and to the arrow’s head. Core aimed the weapon at the first vehicle and released the arrow.

They repeated the process three more times. By the time the last arrow was released, the first vehicle had already exploded. Avery watched in awe as each vehicle lifted up into the air before falling backwards. The men inside and those manning the cannons hadn’t stood a chance. Seconds after the initial explosion, the rest of their munitions inside ignited.

Those fortunate to be far enough away to survive the explosions never heard the whiz of the bullets that cut them down. Avery carefully aimed at the remaining line of men and fired with the skill of a sniper. She paused, adjusted the scope, and peered down to scan the flat plateau. At the far end she could see another vehicle. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Markham standing on the sidelines, watching their systematic elimination of his men.

Avery focused the crosshairs on the man’s chest. Her finger slowly squeezed on the trigger as she held her breath. It would be an impossible shot from this distance, but she had to attempt it. Her finger depressed the trigger, but nothing happened—the chamber was empty.

Avery lowered the rifle, her gaze still locked on Markham until she felt Core’s hand on her arm. Turning to look at him, she saw the same grim determination on his face.

“Now we hunt,” he quietly said.

Five hours later, the four-wheel drive vehicle slid through the narrow entrance of the fortress and came to a stop. Karl ordered the soldier sitting in the back seat to get out of the vehicle. Bradley opened the door and half stepped half fell out onto the ground. Karl dispassionately watched as Bradley stumbled toward the open arch of the entrance. All of his other men were gone—destroyed by the alien and Avery Lennox.

Bradley manually activated the heavy metal gate, and Owens pulled up in front of the stronghold Karl called home. He opened the passenger side door and stepped out of the vehicle.

“Bradley, man the turret,” Karl ordered.

Bradley opened his mouth to reply, then his eyes widened in shock and he fell forward. There was a long thin black shaft protruding from the center of his back.

“Owens, take the turret. Carter, follow me,” Karl snarled, turning to ascend the steps into the fortress.

Carter scanned the area as he cautiously moved up the steps behind him. Karl pushed the massive steel door open and entered. Anger burned deep inside him. He’d been thwarted at each attempt to track down and kill the two of them, his prey.

By the time he made the decision to retreat to a more contained area, half the men who had been with him were already eliminated.

If you can’t find the lion, bring him to you, Markham thought.

The alien and Lennox reminded him of the story of the Tsavo Man-Eaters. This time he would be the bait that would draw them in, and like Patterson, he would be waiting for them.

Karl tucked his rifle under his arm and pulled his gloves off as he strode across the foyer. Carter followed closely behind him. He paused on the first step and turned to the other man.

“Seal the fortress,” Karl ordered.

“Yes, sir,” Carter replied with a curt nod.

Carter double checked the entry doors to make sure they were secure before he disappeared down the corridor to the security room. Karl took the stairs leading up to his office two at a time.

As he strode down the corridor, he thought about everything that had happened since he had released the alien. In less than five hours he was down to three—no, now two men. The alien bastard and Lennox had systematically eliminated each man with surgical precision.

What infuriated him the most was that he should have had the upper hand. This was his sanctuary. He knew the island well, its hazards and the shelters it could provide outside the fortress.

He slipped his hand into his pocket and touched the detonator for the capsule he had implanted in Lennox. As tempting as it was to kill the woman, he refrained from doing it. If he couldn’t kill the bastard, holding Avery Lennox’s life in the palm of his hand might be the only ace he had up his sleeve.

Karl looked up at the painting of his mother as he entered his office. Her mocking gaze stared down at him, heating his blood with hatred. He didn’t bother to close the doors. Either he would escape before the alien and Lennox made it into the fortress or he would kill them once they entered this room.

It seemed only fitting that the hunt should end in this room. This was the last resting place of his kills. He refused to consider the idea that he might not survive this competition.

Walking around his desk, he propped his hunting rifle against the gleaming mahogany. He opened the top drawer and pulled out a remote. Turning, he pointed it at the painting behind him. The painting rotated back into the wall and a series of screens appeared. Each screen depicted a different section of the fortress—both inside and out.

His gaze focused on the empty turrets. A second screen showed Owens lying lifeless on the ground a few feet from Bradley. A movement near the gate showed Lennox squatting near Bradley’s body before she removed the dead man’s sidearm.

He had underestimated the prim and proper bitch. Watching her efficient and confident movements, he realized now that what he’d taken for elegance and grace was in reality something much deadlier. She was a trained military operative. He recognized the way she had handled herself over the last few hours. Irritation flared inside of him at his miscalculation.

His fingers tapped on his desk as he watched the security cameras. He leaned forward when he saw Carter in the security room, watching the set of monitors there. Karl’s mouth tightened when he saw Carter pick up the satellite phone which would be useless for almost another hour until one of the communication satellites came into range.

“You’ll be dead before anyone arrives,” he commented with a sardonic twist to his lips.

One by one, the cameras on the perimeter went offline. Karl dispassionately watched as Avery Lennox walked up to one of the cameras, stared into it with a smug expression before she lifted the pistol she had taken from Bradley and fired a shot into the center.

“I’m going to enjoy killing that bitch,” Karl reflected.

He rose to his feet. The hunting rifle next to his desk would be of little use in the close confines of the fortress. His gaze lit on several weapons in a display cabinet that would work much more effectively.

Sliding his fingers under the lip of his desk, he pressed the small button hidden there. Thick plates of metal slid down over the windows. Only the dim glow from the security monitor provided any light in the room. That was more than enough time to retrieve the items he needed for what he suspected would be the hunt of his life.

CRI Headquarters: Houston, Texas:

“I have a connection,” Rose called over her shoulder.

“Markham’s cell phone?” Cosmos questioned.

Rose shook her head. “No, but the signal is coming from the island. RITA, can you access it?” she asked.

“I’m working on it, sweetheart. Oh, FRED, you are such a naughty program. We’re in,” RITA announced.

Rose’s upper lip curled in disgust. “I don’t think I want to know that part of his programming. I wish Amelia hadn’t called it a day. She is better at this type of hacking than I am,” she muttered.

“I can request that she come back down. She is only a couple of floors from here,” Cosmos said.

“She isn’t in the building. The signal is fading. We will…. FRED and I were able to upload a small bit of programming, but it will take a while to replicate. I’m not sure how effective it will be. The only potential access was through their security system,” RITA replied.

“Was there any information about Core and Avery?” Cosmos quietly asked.

“I’m sorry, Cosmos. There wasn’t enough time to search their security system,” RITA replied in a mournful tone.

“So, what do we do?” Rose asked, looking up at Cosmos.

He looked at the satellite’s position relative to where they needed it to be. “We wait—and hope that Core and Avery are somewhere safe,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“You know, we’ve got them trapped. We could play it safe and wait for the satellite to pass over, contact Cosmos, and let the cavalry finish this,” Avery dryly announced when Core appeared by her side.

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Where is the fun in that?” he teased.

Avery looked at the two dead men lying in the courtyard. She knew for a fact that Markham and one other man were still in the fortress, but she didn’t know if there was anyone else inside—perhaps a housekeeper or the chef who’d prepared their meals, or a whole battalion he’d kept in reserve. At this point, she considered everyone hostile.

She looked down at her empty sidearm. She’d taken it off the man that she’d killed with Core’s bow and arrow. Cosmos and Terra had outdone themselves this time. She felt like she was in a James Bond movie with all of the amazing gadgets Core had pulled out of his vest and boots over the past several hours. Unfortunately, they were almost out of the fancy gadgets and about to enter the cobra’s den.

“They are sure to have the building sealed,” she commented, looking at the exterior.

He looked at the massive doors. “I have one explosive left,” he said before looking at her. “I will go after Markham. You go after the other soldier.”

She looked down in surprise when he held out another sidearm. She took it, and looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Owens didn’t need it anymore,” he said.

She chuckled. Releasing the magazine, she saw that it had five bullets left. She slid the magazine back into the butt clip and nodded.

“Please be careful. Markham is extremely dangerous. If you get a chance, kill him. You don’t want to play with this one,” she warned.

“Trust me when I say his death will reflect his life,” he vowed.

The expression in his eyes hardened, reminding her of the look on his face before they had gone after Merrick the last time at the cottage. She caressed his cheek. Lifting up onto her toes, she brushed a kiss across his lips.

“Let’s end this,” she said.

Avery stood back and watched as Core pulled the last explosive button from his vest. He twisted it and tossed it at the front doors. They hid behind a low concrete wall, and the explosion shook the ground. She looked up in time to see one of the front doors tumbling down the steps. Gripping her gun tightly, she followed Core up the stairs and through the entrance into the dim interior toward Markham’s last stand.