Free Guerilla by Mel Odom

around and came for him.
    As he ducked aside, Sage thought of trying for his weapons on the RDC, but he knew he’d never reach them. Spotting a tree limb as thick as his arm and a meter in length in the undergrowth, he snatched it up. When the omoro came at him, Sage swung the limb as hard as he could, catching the lizard in its open mouth. Teeth shattered and broke, flashing yellow-­white in the dulled gleam of sunlight streaming through the deep emerald leaves.
    The omoro roared in rage again and started to come around. Knowing he needed a weapon and that he couldn’t continue dodging the creature’s quick strikes, Sage focused on the etess and ran for it, pitting his speed and strength against that of the monster he faced. His hand closed on the hilt just as the omoro swung around at him.
    Instead of backing away from the creature’s attack, which would have been the instinctive response, Sage moved forward. He slapped the clawed leg aside with the sword and vaulted on top of the lizard’s thick body. His boots held against the omoro’s uneven hide and allowed him to step up onto the thing.
    Reacting at once, the omoro tucked and rolled. When it reached its back, the lizard opened it jaws and curled up toward its intended prey.
    Sage tried to ignore the rows of serrated teeth framing the pink gullet, but he couldn’t. They could close on him, and whatever part of him was left inside the omoro would be gone, cut or torn away. Purple blood leaked into the omoro’s mouth from the ruined eye.
    He knew there had to be a brain somewhere in that massive head, but he had no idea how big it was. He also trusted that the creature’s palate was softer than its craggy hide. Lining himself behind the blade in a heartbeat, ignoring the whipping claws for the moment, Sage shoved the etess forward.
    The blade bit into the pink flesh, slowed only for a moment, then rammed on in. The mighty jaws continued closing and Sage yanked his arm back, loath to release his only weapon. Even as fast as he was, he wouldn’t have been able to get clear of potential injury if the omoro hadn’t choked on the blade and the buckets of blood draining into its throat.
    Squalling in renewed fury and pain, the omoro twisted to the side in an effort to get its feet under it. Sage leaped off of the creature, managed to avoid the flailing legs and tail, and scanned his new battlefield to prepare for his foe’s next attack.
    The omoro hacked and coughed blood as it righted itself. It looked around with its one good eye and spotted Sage. It growled as it came forward, much slower than it had moved earlier, and blood poured from its mouth. Two steps later, the omoro shivered all over, froze in place with purple froth dripping from its snout and front legs, and collapsed.
    â€œIs it dead?” Jahup called from behind Sage.
    Sage watched the creature for a moment, saw that it wasn’t moving, and let out a breath. “It had better be.”
    Jahup walked up beside Sage and stood uncertainly, swaying. He held his etess in one hand. “I thought it had me.”
    â€œI thought it had me too.”
    â€œIt should have.”
    â€œThanks for the vote of confidence.”
    â€œI’ve never seen a single man win a fight with an omoro .”
    Sage regarded Jahup with a small grin and a lifted eyebrow. “Maybe I’m not so green in this jungle as you think.”
    Jahup looked back solemnly. “If you kill another in the same way, then I’ll believe it.”
    Sage frowned and felt a little angry and nonplussed, then he spotted the smile Jahup could scarcely hide and knew the scout was baiting him.
    â€œNope,” Sage said as he turned back to the camo sheet and the waiting equipment, “the next one’s yours.”
    0519 Hours Zulu Time
    Under the protective netting, the sunlight was dimmer and the heat was blunted. Two Rapid Deployment Crawlers sat under the trees. Both