Truehearts & The Escape From Pirate Moon by Jake Macklem (ebook audio reader TXT) 📕

under her and ran. There was a scraping sound behind her. I don’t want to be fish food!

Leaping she spun in the air to face the gaping jaws and thousands of teeth. She landed on her back and braced the butt of the spear against the ground. The leviathan arched and came down, impaling its long jaws on her spear, gouts of foul-smelling ichor poured over her, hot on her face. Ace rolled away, desperately trying to clear the creature’s thrashing body.

The ground vibrated and rumbled under her as she pulled herself across the ground. The screeches seemed as though they were chasing her. Breathing heavily, she risked a glance over her shoulder while she crawled. Her spear had penetrated through the lower jaw and into the upper parts of the creature’s long crocodile-like mouth, like a strange piercing. The creature could only open its jaws so far before being forced to stop by the spear’s shaft and the pain. In frustration, the creature rolled over along the shore. Slamming its jaws into the ground, the spear broke free, shattering the haft.

Its focus once again fell on Ace. I don’t want to be fish food!

A rock hit it on the face. Then another. It shook its head as yet another chunk slammed it on the ear. The beast turned and thrashed its way back into the water.

Cam’s strong grip helped her to her feet and he half carried her up the slope toward the cliff wall. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Ace smiled as they passed a shiny glint in the dirt. She picked up the metal point of her spear. Must have broken off when it was rolling around. “This thing has been so handy,” she said as they continued walking.

Cam just stared at her, then a moment later gave a peculiar chuckle.

“So, do you feel as lucky as I do to be alive?” Ace asked.

Cam nodded. “Yes.” He stared at her.

“Your pack! Where is it?” Ace asked exasperated.

“Bottom of that lake.” Cam motioned over his shoulder.

She stopped. His metal… it's all gone. “We can go get it, Cowboy!”

He had the strangest look on his face when he turned back. “You really are crazy, aren’t you? Ain’t nobody making it back out of that lake.” He continued walking. “It’s only by the Will of the Verse we’re still here.”

I can make it. Below them, the lake’s once smooth surface was replaced with the froth of purple Not-buffalo blood from the churning of the leviathans gorging themselves. Nope. He’s right. It’s gone.

He chose to save me instead of getting his pack. Rage boiled in her as she followed after him. “Hey! Did you let your pack sink to save me?”

Cam kept walking to the cliff.

“Hey! Answer me!”

Cam spun around. “What else could I have done?”

“Get your family off Earth!”

“And let you pay for it by getting eaten?” Behind him, the surviving members of the three-legged Not-buffalo herd were walking up a path toward the top of the Plateau.

It’s what I would have done. “Yes. You should have accomplished the mission.” She stopped in front of him shaking.

“Getting off this damn moon is the mission, Red!”

“What about your family?” She fought back the tears.

“We’ll find another way.” Cam put his hand on her shoulder. “Maybe you can help.”

A moment later they sat against the cliff. Cam surveyed the shore. “I lost most of my gear,” he said. “All I have left is my rifle, knife, and armor. Hell, I don’t even have my helmet.” He chewed his lip in frustrated contemplation.

“I still have this.” Ace held up her trusty metal spike. Her mouth went dry and she felt faint. “How are we going to find the pickup zone without the GSS?”

Cam reached to his waist and lifted the device. “Well, of course, I have that. But I gotcha didn’t I?”

Ace felt the smile spread across her lips. “You are a real meathead.”

He looked over the Not-buffalo. “We’re gonna have to go up the path after the herd.

“Didn’t you say it was dangerous to travel next to the herd because of predators? I think that theory might have been right,” she snarked.

“I don’t have ropes or harnesses, let alone pitons to scale the side of this thing. You very well might be able to free climb it, but I ain’t as stupid as I once was, so…” Cam pointed to the worn path less than four hundred meters away. “That’s my way up.”

In the back of her mind, she heard Commander Diaz: “Accomplish the mission. Any means necessary.”

Break his neck. Take the surveyor and rifle. Climb to the top of the plateau. Reach the pickup zone. Extract. Commandeer ship. Report to Command. It all played out in her mind’s eye in a moment. It won’t be hard.

No! Ace shook her head, breaking herself from her thoughts. From her training. I’m not going to be that person anymore.

Cam looked from the herd and back to her. “You okay?”

He’s a good man. Maybe the best I’ve ever met. Mick wouldn’t think he was a sucker. He’d consider himself lucky to know him. And an honor to be his friend.

“Yeah.” Ace smiled. “I think I’m going to be. So… The path up is over there.”

  21: Cam

Cam led the way up the path, his sweat clinging to him in the humid air. He glanced behind to make sure Ace was still behind him. She was, but even watching her he could not connect her movements to any noise.

Climbing the steep path was much more exhausting and time-consuming than he thought it would be. The herd had made it look easy, but some of the obstacles were three meters high.

As he looked out over the reservoir that they had drifted across through the night, he