"It's not Turner." He looked up and froze. Oh God. He could see into the darkened buildings. Hundreds of feral Therians surrounded them, watching them. Dex swallowed hard and backed up near his teammates. It was one thing being told how many Therians lurked in the structures of Greenpoint, and a whole other story seeing them. Much like entering a house you were told was haunted and then finding yourself surrounded by vengeful spirits. He really needed to watch fewer horror movies.
Calvin's voice coming in through his earpiece snapped him out of it. "What is it?"
"They're watching us."
"They always do," Calvin replied, coming to stand beside him. He scanned the area around them. "Let's hope that's all they do."
Dex nodded his agreement. He was pretty sure Calvin wouldn't sound so casual if he could see what Dex did. Letty stopped beside them, her frown aimed at the lion Therian out cold on the ground. She looked up at Dex.
"How'd you know he was coming?"
Before Dex could reply, he heard shuffling somewhere to his right. He turned and glimpsed into the darkness, his heart slamming into his chest.
"Run!" He took off, Calvin and Letty not questioning him. They sped down the debris and dirt-covered road as half a dozen Felid and wolf Therians gave chase. Up ahead, Sloane roared. Hobbs and Cael turned, heading back in their direction. They dashed past Dex, Calvin, and Letty, straight for the Therians chasing them. Dex glanced back long enough to see Cael speed around the Therians, confusing them, trying to trip them up, while Hobbs swatted at them, his razor-sharp claws extended. The two wolf Therians yelped, and dashed off. They weren't going to face off against a tiger Therian.
Dex ran after his teammates into the building they suspected Juarez and Turner were hiding in. Ash and Sloane dove into a small group of charging Therians while Dex, Letty, and Calvin headed for the stairs. He hoped it could take their weight.
Calvin swiped up a big rock as he ran and hurled it at the stairs with all his strength. It bounced off and landed on the bare concrete floor. Letty went first, the stairs creaking under her weight. It held up fine. Calvin followed. Dex paused.
"Move your ass, Daley." Calvin stopped at the top of the stairs, and Dex cursed under his breath. He sensed movement behind him and had no choice but to run up the stairs. Halfway up, his boots went through the hollow concrete of one step. Shit! He had nothing to hold on to, so he flailed. Calvin grabbed one arm and Letty the other. They pulled, groaning and grunting. Dex managed to pull his foot out, and they stopped to catch their breaths at the top. Well, Letty and Calvin did. Calvin eyed him but didn't say a word. Letty on the other hand....
"What the fuck, Dex? What the hell are you carrying?"
"The usual," Dex said, moving past them. "Come on." He wasn't about to get into it now. True, he was carrying just the usual, but his body mass had changed. Despite him looking more or less the same, he was heavier than a Human should be. Thankfully, his teammates let it go for now, and they continued upward until Dex smelled it--kind of like Sloane but different.
"Juarez." Dex turned, his rifle aimed and ready as he slowly made his way down the ruins of what had once been an office building or something similar. The corridor had too many doorways for his liking.
"How do you know?" Letty asked.
"I just do." Dex peeked into one of the rooms. "Clear."
"Dex, it's pitch-black in there. How the hell do you know it's clear?" Calvin hissed.
"Because I do." It might not be the answer his friends wanted to hear, but it was all he was giving them at the moment. "I'll explain later, okay? Right now, we need to--" A high-pitched chirp caught his ear, and he straightened. "Cael." Another distressed chirp and a hiss. Dex turned, and Calvin caught his arm.
"Dex?"
"Cael's in trouble."
"What? How the hell do you know?"
Couldn't they hear him? Dex opened his mouth as a lion's roar echoed through the building. Ash. It was Ash frustrated at not being able to get to Cael.
Calvin released Dex, his eyes wide. "When this is over, you're going to tell us what the hell is going on."
Dex nodded. He couldn't put off telling his team about his mutation much longer. He hated keeping secrets, but more importantly he was afraid he'd inadvertently put one of his teammates in danger because of it. They had a right to know what they were dealing with. Dex had changed, and by default, the way Dex handled himself on callouts was affected. Dex made a break for the stairs they'd come up from. He was careful not to fall through the hole he'd made the first time. As they hurried, they shot darts into anything that moved who wasn't part of their team. Dex's blood boiled at the thought of some bastard hurting his baby brother. His canines grew in, and he could feel his claws piercing his fingertips along with his gloves. It made holding his rifle awkward. Slinging it onto his shoulder, he leaped over the railing and landed gracefully on his feet, his boots kicking up dust around him. Cael chirped and hissed, his bloodied paw up as he limped closer to the wall. Juarez had him cornered.
"You son of a bitch!" Dex ignored the cries of his teammates as he launched himself at Juarez, sending them both rolling across the floor. Several dozen Therians charged from outside, but they were taken down one by one either by Calvin's or Letty's tranq darts or by Hobbs and Sloane. Ash roared from across the room. He was royally pissed off that Turner was keeping him from getting to Cael. The two lion Therians batted at each other with their claws, snapping their jaws on each other's manes in their attempts to sink their fangs into their opponent's neck.
Sloane hissed and battled a tiger Therian; he was pissed. Dex pushed himself to his feet, edging closer to Cael and placing himself between his brother and Juarez, who hissed at him, ears flattened against his head. Dex put his hand to Cael's head, his eyes never leaving Juarez.
"You okay, Chirpy?"
Cael chirped at him angrily, and Dex smiled.
"Good to hear it."
He had to get Cael out of here. Lucky for him, Ash had just beaten the shit out of Turner. Dex almost felt sorry for the guy. Actually, he didn't. The asshole had brought it on himself. Dex could smell them on his brother. It made him feel sick to his stomach. They'd singled Cael out, both attacking him, most likely thinking he'd be the easiest to take down. Fury raged through Dex, and he hissed at Juarez. The jaguar Therian stilled,