She took off in the opposite direction, towards the hangars. The smoke choked her, so she bent down and held the sleeve of her suit over her nose.

Screams and calls for help echoed through the hall, and then a cluster of people raced out of a corridor behind Kala, catching her in their midst. Someone shoved her from behind, and she picked up her pace. Most of the people surrounding her were coated in splashes of blood; one was hysterical, and strange hiccups of laughter broke through her wails as she scratched at her face with bloodied hands. Another was yelling and pushing at his companions, telling them to split up and stop running in a group. A second later, Kala saw why: one of the creatures spilled out of the hallway behind them, dragging its bulk towards them, arms lashing out to grab at the stragglers, its own deflated human host swaying limply on its back.

Kala twisted around, trying to catch a glimpse of Vivian, hoping her companion wasn’t trapped on the creature’s other side. Someone shoved her, and she hit the floor hard, gasping as her lip split and blood flooded her mouth.

One of the black arms shot forward and speared through the chest of a man who had been directly in front of her. He screamed, and Kala shielded her face against the spray of his blood.

She couldn’t think, or even breathe, but she scrambled in her pockets for a weapon. Her hand closed over a hard, cool, round object—her last grenade. She pulled it out, tugged the ring free, and hurled it at the black beast.

Kala didn’t stop to watch where it landed but gained her feet awkwardly, ignoring the pain in her lip and the ache of her knees and palms where the concrete had sliced through her suit. Pressing both hands over her ears, she ran as fast as she could.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The explosion travelled through her like a shockwave. The hollow inside of her chest vibrated, but she managed to keep her feet this time, squinting against the smoke and throwing the weight of her body forward to maintain momentum. The group that had swelled around her dispersed. Some veered off towards the living quarters, others towards the kitchen. She turned left, taking the detour that led to the hangar and the labs. Scorch marks marred the walls, and two bodies lay on the ground. She recognised them as the men she’d given two of the flamethrowers to.

They probably met Stanos while they were trying to escape.

The hallway overlooking the hangar was empty. As the door shut behind her, the sounds of fighting died into gentle background noise. Even an explosion didn’t do much except shake the ground beneath her feet.

She could see the ship Stanos had arrived on, still connected to the extendable walkway. The fighting must have started before the hangar workers could refuel, clean, and settle the ship into its usual docking place. That was good news for her.