Phantom Game (GhostWalkers 18)

Who knew? Maybe making people feel like they had a target on their backs was one of Jonas’s enhancements.

Crawley sought his internal maps. They had made their way at least another two thousand feet at least down the mountain. The sun had climbed higher. The trees were much closer together now, and the trail was narrow, no more than a deer path, forcing them to keep single file through the heavier brush.

He’s closer, Crawley, Hound reported. Within striking distance. I can take him. I know I can. I just need a little distraction.

Crawley didn’t make the mistake of glancing over his shoulder, although he wanted to. He had no idea how close Jonas actually was. Hound, don’t take chances. He could be setting you up.

I don’t think so. We’re going downhill and you set the pace. He’s traveling at a higher rate of speed. I don’t think he’s that aware yet, but he will be soon. It’s now or never.

Crawley thought it over. If they could kill Jonas, they would have a chance to complete at least the scouting part of their mission. If they were lucky enough, they might even be able to grab Lily and her son.

All right, he agreed, albeit reluctantly. He’d prefer to kill the big bastard himself, but rather someone do it than no one.

Bear, I need you to stumble over the next obstacle in our path. Doesn’t matter what it is, just make it look real. You don’t have to go down either. Just stagger for a minute to draw his attention. I’ll do the rest, Hound instructed.

On it, Bear confirmed.

Fallen tree, not big, just a little small thing we could easily step over, Crawley reported as he came up on it. That terrible dread was back, fingers of fear walking down his spine.

Bear glanced up at the canopy above him and caught the top of his foot on the thin sapling that had been uprooted. He appeared to trip, pitching forward toward Crawley, who was already some distance ahead, seemingly oblivious to the teammate behind him. Bear staggered and nearly went down, arms spreading wide in an effort to keep his balance.

Hound twisted around, going low, driving off the ground with the heels of his feet, rushing Jonas. Only Jonas wasn’t there. Somehow, he’d disappeared, as if he’d become part of a tree trunk, only to suddenly emerge out of it and close a big, shockingly strong fist around Hound’s throat. Something sharp and terrible ripped through Hound’s flesh into his artery.

Hound had never felt anything like the force of that strike or the ferocity of the grip, as if a wild animal had him by the throat. He looked into the eyes of a merciless leopard, not a man. The eyes were yellow, focused wholly on him, a primitive force of nature, intelligent and cunning. Between the rapid blood loss, Jonas’s intimidating hold, and the implacability in those cruel, ruthless eyes staring unwaveringly into his, Hound couldn’t summon either the will or the strength to fight back.

Bear spun around to see Hound held in the air, his feet half a foot off the ground, blood spraying from his neck. He just hung there, staring in shock at the man killing him. Swearing, Bear put on a burst of speed, using his enhanced animal genetics.

No, stand down. Sit on the ground. Don’t engage, Crawley ordered. Bear, stand down.

Bear was in full attack mode, the beast in him seeing red. He let that rage well up and consume him, filling him with the pure enhanced strength, adrenaline and aggression of the polar bear. Nothing could save the puny man killing his friend. Nothing. He was on Jonas fast. The distance was short, and he could run up to twenty-five miles an hour if he needed to for a brief period of time.

Jonas dropped Hound’s body as if it were nothing but trash and whirled around to face Bear, his entire demeanor changing. Where before, he had appeared to resemble a leopard, his skin even appearing to take on a mottled leopard-like camouflage, now he seemed bigger, his skin darker, his eyes pitiless. It didn’t matter. One blow from Bear would tear that fucker in half. One swipe of his fist. That was all it would take. Bear roared a challenge.

To Bear’s astonishment, Jonas answered his challenge with a roar of his own, sounding so much like a grizzly it nearly stopped Bear midrush. The two slammed together, their bodies barreling into one another, fists flying as they grappled like two large bears in a dominance fight.

Bear expected to break bones with his enormous strength. He’d broken men’s spines with one punch of his fist driving right through a body, but he didn’t land a single blow on Jonas. The man was just too fast, freakishly fast, even for an enhanced. When Jonas smashed one of his fists into Bear’s ribs, he felt the bones cave like sticks, leaving him gasping for air.