Free Ballistic: Icarus Series, Book Two by Aria Michaels

us. Some of them had begun working at the stucco on the outside of the building. Judging by the condition of the exterior, and the fervor with which the beasts worked, it would only be a matter of time before they succeeded in penetrating it.
    “Jake, help me,” Ty groaned.
    He swept his hands across the top of a large metal table sending the boxes that rested there clattering to the floor. He and Jake pulled it away from the wall and dragged it over to the door. Once there, they up-ended it and leaned it against the glass door. It shut out the sight of the hideous creatures but did nothing to silence their attack. The second they lost sight of their prey, the scraping and clicking increased as they redoubled their efforts to get inside.
    “Stack whatever you can find against this door,” I shouted.
    Zander held the door in place, and the rest of us rushed around, dragging crates and boxes over, and piling them precariously against the metal table. Once the door was held in place, Zander finally stepped back and turned to face me. His eyes were tight with worry. A small ring flashed around his pupils, but his eyes were still dark as night at the center.
    “You…okay?” He struggled to speak as he worked to catch his breath. “Not hurt?”
    “No, I’m fine,” I said placing a hand on his shoulder. This time, he resisted the urge to pull away. “What was that?”
    “I don’t know,” Zander said shrugging apologetically as he raked his hair back.
    “Guys, we need to get out of here,” Jake said cutting him short. He ran toward us dragging Christa by her arm. “I don’t know how long that barricade is going to last, but I would rather not stick around and find out.”
     

Chapter 6
     
     
    The First Wave
     
     
     
     
     
    “Where…are we…supposed to go?” Riley asked, wiping at the sweat that dripped into her eyes. She put her hands on her knees and dropped her chin as she struggled to catch her breath.
    “We can’t leave,” Jake said. “Those things are… everywhere. ”
    “Well, we can’t stay here ,” Christa shrieked and ripped her arm from his grasp. “They are going to get through any minute.”
    “What the hell do you suggest then, Christa?” Jake threw his hands in the air.
    “Easy, now,” Ty said attempting to step between them. “I think maybe we all need to just simmer down a bit.”
    “And I’m pretty sure no one asked you what you thought,” Jake said, shooting Ty a look. “I don’t need your help dealing with my brat of a sister. I’ve been doing that a heck of a lot longer than you have.”
    “Don’t you dare talk to him like that,” Christa shouted toeing up into Jake’s face.
    “Shut up,” I yelled silencing all of them. “Let me think.”
    Tim was screaming into the tape that covered his mouth. His chest lunged as he wrenched at his restraints. His head swung violently from side to side and bashed against the back of the chair. His movement was so frantic he had actually managed to scoot the heavy throne a few inches across the floor.
    “Falisha,” Zander nodded in Tim’s direction. She made her way over raising the shotgun as she went.
    “What the hell were those things?” Falisha’s eyes were wide with fear.
    “They looked almost like rats,” Riley said, “but I have never seen rats behave like that.”
    “Those ain’t no rats,” Ty said rubbing at the back of his neck. “They were…different.”
    “Private Nicholas,” I said, clawing my hair back as realization struck. “I’m such an idiot. I should have seen this coming. The pods…the damn things must have hatched !”
    “ That is the final presentation? Perfect.” Eli kicked a nearby planter, and it toppled over.
    Tim spat and sputtered, scraping his face against his shoulder, desperate to remove the duct tape gag we had placed there. The look on his face had gone from contemptuous to terrified as he continued to struggle against the restraints. Tears ran unchecked down his face and