Apocalypse Soldier by William Massa

was on.
    Men ran from the stables, weapons ready. Talon spun around and swept the area with the AK-47, mowing down the first group to be foolish enough to come after him. The soldiers were thrown backward, tattooing the wooden walls red. The life in their surprised gazes dimmed while the burning wrecks flared nearby, painting the night the color of spilled blood.  
    Talon pulled on Nicole’s arm, urging her to hurry. He tried not to dwell too much on what he’d seen in her eyes when he first stepped up to the ritual circle. They had barely traded a glance much less spoken a word since then. There would be time for chitchat later. Nicole still seemed to be in control of her faculties, and as long as there was hope, he would try his hardest to keep her safe.  
    They dashed away from the horse farm as Amon’s powerful voice barked sharp orders and headlights speared the night. They reached the barbed wire where Talon had entered the property and darted into the sagebrush beyond. They were only a few minutes away from the jeep. His mind raced ahead. According to the map he’d studied earlier, the private airport was thirty miles away. It would be a literal race with the devil to see who reached the airfield first.  
    Just another day in the field…
    The fence erupted as hell came down around them, and Talon flung Nicole to the ground. For a moment they didn’t move as bullets buzzed overhead. As soon as there was a lull in the shooting, Talon returned fire. He aimed low, hitting the legs of the incoming enemy. The men crumpled, their yells and curses music to Talon’s ears.  
    Knowing that reinforcements were on the way, he sprung to his feet and pulled Nicole along. Without looking back, they sprinted through the darkness, the stench of cordite and burning gasoline following them. Behind them, trucks and motorcycles revved to life, and they picked up their pace.  
    When they arrived at the jeep, Talon ripped the door open and Nicole wordlessly got in. As soon as the door snapped shut behind her, Talon got in on the driver side. Turning the ignition key, he scanned his rear view mirror. Headlights were approaching as the pursuit vehicles caught up with them. So much for having a head start. He pulled the screaming jeep from the gulley and headed for the freeway—an army led by a human monster hot on their tail.

C HAPTER F OURTEEN

    THE FIRST GREY fingers of dawn backlit the mountains, the desert still cool.  
    Talon mashed the gas pedal, driving way above the speed limit. The fanatics following him weren’t playing by any rules of the road, and being pulled over for a speeding ticket had become the least of his worries. He saw a procession of vehicles breaking over the horizon, rapidly gaining on them, their taillights streaked along the desert road. Talon counted five bikes, two pick-up trucks, one van and one Hummer.  
    His cell phone chirped, and he scanned the incoming text from Casca. Talon had sent a message a few minutes earlier informing him that Nicole was safe and they were headed to the airfield. Casca’s response confirmed that the Learjet would be ready. Reassuring news. The big question was whether they’d reach the airfield before the cult caught up with them.
    Talon turned to his passenger. There was raw terror in Nicole’s eyes.Dried blood and mud caked her drawn and haunted features. What had happened in the barn? Based on what he’d witnessed in the stables he feared the worst. Were the seven demons already inside her?
    “Who are you?” she asked, speaking for the first time since he’d pulled her from the barn.  
    “The guy who is going to keep you safe from these fanatics.”  
    She kept studying him, her intense scrutiny making him uncomfortable. For the last few months, he’d operated in the shadows, hunting his enemies without being seen or heard until it was too late. Striking like a phantom, delivering death. His ability to blend in and become invisible had been honed during