He scanned up the hill and saw King pause. “Don’t stop,” Knight said. “Don’t stop!”

The lead insect cleared the brush at the top of the hill and lunged into the air, its two forelimbs ready to strike. Knight held his breath as King turned around positioning his face right in front of the outstretching limbs.

*   *   *

AS KING AND Bowers reached the top of the hill, King stopped and told Bowers to head for the ruins. It was a straight shot, downhill. Bowers should have no trouble making it, King thought, unless he falls again.

He turned around to see how close the mantises were and found two dagger-lined limbs opening up to embrace him. With a violent, bloody death only a few inches and a fraction of a second away, King did the only thing he could: closed his eyes.

The sound didn’t register until after the event took place, but King heard a close, wet sucking sound followed by a distant thunderclap as a single round was fired.

King was struck hard and knocked to the ground, but his head was still intact and the attack did not continue. He scrambled up and found a headless mantis at his feet. King saw gore sprayed across the palace wall and traced an imaginary bullet trajectory back across the base to where a security tower stood.

King knew of only one man who could hit a moving target from that distance.

Knight.

A glint of light from the tower flashed a message in rapid-fire Morse code: run.

King obeyed as the brush near the top of the hill shook with the approach of the remaining mantis. His feet carried him swiftly down the hill. So swift, in fact, that he caught up to Bowers and maintained a healthy distance from the mantis. He could hear the distant sniper rifle shots being fired by Knight, but had no idea if he was hitting his target. So when they reached the bottom of the hill, which ended at a football field–sized stretch of desert sand, King gave Bowers a shove and urged him to move faster.

As they crossed the sand, King looked back and saw the mantis exit the protection of the hillside brush. A round immediately struck one side and burst out the other. The mantis staggered, but then took flight, following an erratic flight path that was impossible to predict.

As they approached the edge of the ruins, King said, “Head for the back. There are two people inside that can help. Just keep moving until you find them.”

Bowers looked at King, his eyes wide with fear. “Why are you telling me all of this? Tick on dick, remember?”

“Because we’re splitting up,” King shouted.