“I can’t smell anything,” Valdez said as she walked carefully forward.

Talina’s quetzal sense kicked in. “Careful, people. We’re close. And there’s something . . .”

“Familiar,” Dek finished, testing the air. “But not. It’s . . .”

“Come on,” Talina said as they reached the bottom of the root tangle. “Here’s the game plan. Stay low on the thick roots. Just a feeling, but we shouldn’t be high. Shouldn’t make targets of ourselves.”

“What if it’s some kind of giant scimitar?” Muldare asked as she started to climb, keeping her feet to the thickest of the roots.

“That’s what the boom tubes are for,” Talina told her. “You know where to hit a scimitar?”

“Right in the mouth,” Dek answered as he dialed up the power on his fancy inlaid rifle. “It’s easy. They come at you straight on. When the three blades open, you’ve got a shot right down the gullet.”

“Sounds like you’ve done this before,” Valdez noted.

“Yeah,” Dek sounded nervous. “Well, it worked on the one I killed outside of Two Falls Gap.”

As Muldare reached the highest of the interlaced roots, Talina said, “Briah? Go over the top. Don’t hesitate. And keep low.”

“What are you thinking, Tal?” The marine stopped, just shy of the highest of the meter-thick roots.

“I’m thinking . . .” She made a face. “Just a hunch. Something I can’t put words to.”

“Works for me.” Briah crouched, powered her armor, and leaped over the top. A moment later, she called. “Clear. Good footing. Got another of those slug things. I’m working my way down.”

Dek looked at Tal, who nodded. He got a good grip on his rifle and scrambled over the top in three rapid steps.

“Go ahead,” Valdez told her. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Talina took a breath, muscles electric as she followed in Dek’s footsteps, cleared the highest root, and found her footing on the other side. Then she scrambled down, following where Dek pointed.

Valdez was next, stopping just above where Talina perched on one of the barrel-thick roots. These big ones didn’t wiggle around like the smaller ones, though she could feel it writhing beneath her feet.

And then she got a look at the root flat before her.

“Guess we’ve found my marines,” Valdez said from above.

Chapter 59

  59