Manu (Hell Squad #16) Read online

  “Suck it up, Kim,” Hemi said. “It’s good for you to get out of your geek lab occasionally.”

  Noah snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. “I like my lab.”

  “I appreciate you guys coming.” Tane looked at Noah, then at Manu.

  Manu shrugged. “We didn’t help much.”

  This had been a recon mission. A few weeks back, the berserkers had discovered a strange alien device—a black octagon—hidden in a submerged dome off Botany Bay. No one knew what the hell it was, just that the Gizzida were trying to keep it a secret, and in all likelihood, it was a weapon. A weapon to wipe out the last surviving pockets of humanity.

  Problem was, since that mission, the aliens had moved the fucking octagon and no one knew where it was.

  “That black glass certainly looked Gizzida to me,” Manu said.

  They’d just investigated a site in the Blue Mountains, where the Enclave drones had picked up an area where the trees had all been flattened by…something. In the center of it, had been black glass and the twisted, burned remains of something that looked and smelled Gizzida.

  Manu, who now ran the armory and firing range, had come to offer his weapons expertise. Noah, who was a genius with all things electronic, had come to help as well.

  A sense of unease moved through Manu. He was pretty certain what they’d seen in the mountains had been a test site. The aliens had tested something ugly.

  They had the remains of whatever the hell it was in a strong box in the back of the Hawk. Manu and Noah would get to work analyzing it when they got back.

  What they hadn’t expected was to find themselves face to face with three alien ptero ships intent on taking them down.

  “Those pteros didn’t know what hit them,” Levi called out.

  Manu smiled and cracked his knuckles. Of course, all three pteros were now steaming piles of ruin. Damn, it felt so good to be back out on a Hawk. A burn of anger and resentment cut through him, heavily layered with grief.

  He loved working at the firing range. He had a good team, and when he wasn’t busy maintaining weapons, he was studying the aliens’ toys and tinkering with his own weapon designs.

  But it wasn’t the same as being out here, taking down the aliens. No matter how much he might wish things were different, he wasn’t a berserker anymore.

  “Manu, you are the shit on that turret,” Ash added.

  Manu lifted his chin. Except he knew someone even better than him. His thoughts went back a few weeks. To when he’d taken a ragtag group of volunteers out to provide support to the berserkers on the deadly dome mission.

  He’d stood in a Hawk beside a certain head of Enclave security and watched her work the autoturret like a virtuoso.

  Captain Kate Scott, of the fit body, poised face, and huge blue eyes. She screamed sensible, tough, and dedicated to her job. Except for her lips. Manu smiled. The woman had full lips that were made for sin.

  “Manu?”

  He blinked and saw Tane studying him. He cleared his throat. “Yeah.”

  “What were you thinking about?”

  “Taking down aliens.”

  Tane tilted his head, one of his dreadlocks falling over his broad shoulder. “No, you weren’t.”

  Damn, sometimes it was annoying having brothers who knew him so well.

  “Welcome home, gents,” Finn Erickson called out from the cockpit.

  Manu glanced out the window and saw a field of green grass ahead. Below it, was the Enclave—home to several hundred humans trying to survive this alien apocalypse.

  Hemi dropped into a seat. “Home. That means a hot shower, a beer, and my woman.”

  As the others laughed, Manu looked at the check-plate floor. His gut hardened. He was happy to be home, even if he was missing the woman part of Hemi’s equation, but a part of him didn’t want to get off the Hawk. A part of him wanted to savor this moment.

  But as he always did, he shook off the feeling. He had an important job to do at the Enclave and he was sure as hell going to do it to the best of his ability.

  Chapter Two

  Manu strode into the firing range, still in his armor, his heavy carbine slung over his shoulder. He needed to shower and change, but he wanted to check on his team first.

  He strode through an adjoining door, past his office and into the back room.

  A young man was hunched over one of the benches, absorbed in his work. Two long benches filled the room. Weapons in various states of repair were laid out on the shiny surface. Some were fully assembled, some in pieces while being overhauled.

  Racks lined the walls, and all of them were loaded with carbines, laser pistols, combat knives, grenades, and more. All weapons that had been scavenged, salvaged, and recovered.

  “You’re back, boss,” Alex called out. “How’d it go?”

  “Shot down some alien pteros, and brought back some alien glass, and who knows what else, to examine.”

  Alex nodded. “Cool.”

  Manu leaned over the bench, checking out the weapon Alex was cleaning. “Don’t forget the cartridge slot grooves. Give ’em a little extra elbow grease.”

  Alex smiled. “You got it, Manu. Can’t believe how much I’m learning from you.”

  Manu grunted. The Enclave had been well-stocked when they’d arrived here, but with the squads out there fighting every day, they were always running low on things. In the corner of the room, a 3D printer was chugging away, making some replacement parts.

  He was doing his best to keep the weapons in top-notch form for the squads. No way in hell his brothers or the other soldiers would go down because of defective weapons.

  “Keep working on those carbines, Alex. I’ll check in with you later.”

  The man gave him a salute, and Manu walked through the door into the firing range. Several of the long lanes were currently occupied.

  Big, broad Roth Masters, the leader of Squad Nine, was in one lane firing a carbine. Each laser discharge hit the target dead center. His woman, Avery, was in the next lane with a pistol, and Squad Nine’s second, Mac, was busy firing a shotgun. The boom of the weapon reverberated through the space.

  The trio finished firing, and all three pulled their targets up to check. Avery pumped a hand into the air with a grin. Manu watched Roth yank his woman in for a hard kiss while Mac shook her head and laughed.

  Life went on. Even when aliens were trying to end it.

  Turning away from the trio, Manu moved through the firing range, scanning the area and checking on his employees. He liked running a tight ship. As he walked, his left leg throbbed.

  He’d clearly overdone it today. A painful reminder of why he wasn’t a berserker anymore.

  And never would be again.

  He gritted his teeth, the ugly memories of that brutal mission rising. It had happened right before they’d been forced to abandon Blue Mountain Base.

  As he walked, he could feel where his prosthetic met the skin of his thigh. The high-tech alloy leg was grafted onto his own. His brothers had disobeyed orders and scavenged the best prosthetic they could find, but he wouldn’t again leap from a Hawk quadcopter or run into a battle.

  Not unless things were completely fucked and there were no soldiers left to fight.

  He forced himself to look around the range, taking in the lanes and the weapons. His new job was important, too. He knew that, even if he did still feel a tiny seed of resentment that he wasn’t out there with his squad, fighting and protecting his brothers’ backs.

  Manu relaxed his hands. He never let that tiny seed take root. Keeping the soldiers in weapons was a damn important job, and he was going to fucking do it well.

  At the end of the day, he’d lost some skin and bone. Others had lost far more, including their lives and everything that had mattered to them. He had a high-tech prosthetic, could function well, and still had a purpose. Life went on. You adapted, pivoted, and rolled with the punches.

  There was a sharp bang as the door to the firing r
ange slammed open.

  He turned his head and saw a tall woman striding in, a carbine clutched in each hand.

  Manu watched and let himself savor the little spike he felt in his pulse. Captain Kate Scott could certainly make his day more interesting.

  He rarely saw her smile, and he’d never heard her laugh. He wondered just what it would take to have her tip that head back and laugh. Although, truth be told, that wasn’t the only reaction he’d like to get from her.

  “What kind of shoddy work are you doing down here, Rahia?” Her face was tight.

  He raised his eyebrows. He was used to her cool expressions and composed replies. “Good afternoon to you, too, Captain.”

  She pulled in a breath, then shoved one of the carbines at his chest. “When I’m out on patrol, I don’t need defective weapons.”

  “Defective?” He took the carbine, glancing down at it.

  She held out the other one. “Both failed on patrol.”

  Manu frowned. He could see the laser cartridges were offline. “Let me take a look—”

  Kate slammed her hands on her hips. “I do not need to be facing down raptors with a weapon that doesn’t work.”

  Manu felt another spike in his blood. “Did a raptor climb up your ass while you were out there?”

  Her eyes widened. “You did not just say that.”

  “Cool it, Kate. Let me get to the bottom of this.” He lifted the carbines, ejecting the cartridges. He walked over to his desk at the back of the range, touched his comp, and pulled up the records of the weapons.

  “I had a new team member with me. A young woman who’s put her life in my hands.”

  Ah, now Manu was getting why the usually unflappable captain was riled. “These were in perfect working order when they were checked out.”

  She straightened, her brow creasing.

  “What the hell did you do to them?” he asked.

  Her gaze narrowed. “Nothing. Kendra’s flickered and went out. Mine followed a few minutes later.”

  She was standing close to him, and at this distance, Manu could smell her. Damn, she smelled good. Like soap and carbon fiber. This close, he could see her hair was thick and shiny, brushing her strong jawline. And she had that lush mouth that was so at odds with her personality. Lips that gave a man ideas.

  “I’ll investigate,” he told her. “And I’ll have my guys pull these apart and check all the other carbines, as well.”

  She visibly tried to relax. “Good. I don’t want this happening again.”

  He grabbed her arm and felt her muscles tense under his fingers. “Said I’d do it and I will.”

  “It should never have happened in the first place.”

  “Yeah, I get that, and I said I’ll find out what happened. What’s gotten into you?”

  Her lips flattened and she tried to pull away. “Nothing. I’m just angry.”

  “The cool, composed Captain Scott angry? First time for everything, I guess.”

  She gave the slightest flinch, then rounded on him. “I want to ensure my team members stay safe. I won’t have them injured in the field because you’re down here sitting on your ass and not doing your job right.”

  Now, it was Manu’s turn to stiffen. “Because with a bum leg, I’m incapable of doing anything, right?”

  Her face changed, eyes widening. “That’s not what I—”

  Bad feelings churned in his gut. He turned away from her. “I’ll update you once I know more.”

  “Rahia.” Her voice had changed.

  “I said I’d update you when I know more.”

  She took a step closer. “I see you’re in armor, so I’m guessing you’ve been out with the berserkers for something.”

  “They dust me off and let me out sometimes,” he bit out.

  Her face softened. “You miss it.”

  God. He crossed his arms over his chest. He didn’t want to dissect this with her.

  She blew out a breath. “I was on that mission with you, remember? When we went in to help your brothers and their squad. I know what you can do.”

  Fuck. He’d taken out his frustration on her. He scraped a hand through his hair. “Kate—”

  “Let me know about the carbines.” With that, she spun and strode out.

  Manu muttered another curse. That went well.

  Kate marched out of the firing range and down the corridor. As soon as she’d turned a corner, she stopped and leaned her back against the wall. She let her head thud against the concrete and closed her eyes. God.

  Her body was on fire. She felt like fire ants were crawling over her skin. She loosened the top button of her shirt. She’d never felt like this before.

  All because of him.

  Behind her closed lids, she instantly pictured Manu. Big. Muscled. Strong. His skin was dark-bronze, and he had a hint of an interesting Maori-style tattoo peeking out from under his sleeve.

  She’d had an okay, if uninspired, sex life before the invasion. Sure, it hadn’t been frequent, but she’d never really had a strong sex drive. She’d never felt so…hot and bothered before.

  Opening her eyes, she stared blindly at the wall. Why him? Okay, his strength was attractive. His skills were undeniable. His smile…

  Ahh. She was losing her mind. Kate pushed away from the wall and set off down the corridor again. She was Kate Scott. Dependable. Steady. She didn’t go off half-cocked, and especially not because of a man. She wasn’t a hormone-driven twenty-something.

  Except, because she was so busy trying to hide how she was feeling, she’d nearly ripped Manu’s head off over the carbines. She shook her head. She had work to do.

  After a meeting with Niko, the civilian leader of the Enclave, who she liked and respected, Kate found herself in the gym, watching her team train. She had quite a few new recruits and she put them through rigorous training before she let them out in the field.

  She watched a man and woman race up the climbing wall, cataloging their strengths and weaknesses—strong legs, weak upper body strength, good balance, excellent strategy. They reminded her so strongly of some of the young soldiers she’d trained in the Army.

  Soldiers who’d bled out in the sand in a Middle Eastern desert.

  Her gut cramped, her vision blurring. For a second, she felt the sweat sliding down her back under her fatigues, blinding sun in her eyes, and the screams of her dying people in her ears.

  “Kate?”

  The male voice snapped her back to the Enclave gym. She stared blindly at Miles, her second-in-command. He was watching her carefully, his tank top soaked in sweat. He was a few years younger than her, with a head of blond hair and perpetual stubble on his strong jaw. He was also solid and dependable.

  “Sorry. Lost in my thoughts.”

  “Not pleasant ones.”

  She didn’t share. She was the boss, and she had to ensure her people knew she was steady, strong, someone they could lean on and trust. “Just want to make sure these recruits have the skills they need to do the job.” And stay alive.

  Miles grinned. “You know they curse your training programs behind your back.”

  She nodded. “Good.”

  Kate had never cared about being liked or being sociable. She’d take tough but fair. And she’d take all her people having the skills they needed to thrive at their jobs.

  “Okay, everyone, to the weights,” she called out. “I have a circuit set up.”

  There were good-natured groans and Kate hid a smile. Instead, she stared at them until everyone snapped to attention and grabbed some weights.

  Again, she watched them move through the stations, making notes in her head. People who needed a little extra training. Some who were ready to head out on patrol.

  She heaved out a breath. Frustration was still eating at her from her encounter with Manu. She eyed the treadmills. After she was finished with her team, she might run this edgy feeling off.

  She looked back to her people. “Okay, everyone. That’s it. Good work. Head
out and hit the showers.”

  They herded past her, and she listened to their laughter and conversation. After their showers, they’d head to the dining room. Most people at the Enclave would be there, spending time with their families and friends. Blowing off steam, feeling that sense of connection.

  Her jaw clenched tight. She had a date with a treadmill.

  But running mindless kilometers on the treadmill until she was drenched with sweat still didn’t do the trick. The unfamiliar edginess was still riding her. She took a quick shower and headed back to her office.

  As soon as she entered her space, she saw the carbine resting on her desk. A note sat beside it.

  She stared at the bold masculine script and her pulse spiked.

  Your carbine. Minor issue with the program. Now re-aligned. M

  Kate dropped into her chair and snatched the note up. She stroked a finger over the letters.

  Huffing out a breath, she finally admitted to herself that she was attracted to Manu Rahia.

  She’d watched him for weeks down at the firing range. Hell, the chance to see him was one of the reasons she went down there so much. Once again, her skin felt tight and hot. She leaned back in her chair. It wasn’t really him, she tried to convince herself. It was just that she’d been alone a long time. It’d been so long since someone had touched her.

  She blew out a breath. She couldn’t let sexual frustration be a problem. She just needed to find a way to shake this tension, and then Manu would simply be a work colleague, like all the others. She needed to solve this issue like every other challenge she’d come up against.

  There was a knock at her door and she looked up.

  A freshly showered Miles stood in her doorway. He lifted a brow. “Coming for a beer?”

  She managed a smile, although it felt like a grimace. “I have some work—”

  “No, Kate.” The man shook his head. “You almost always avoid team drinks. In case you missed it, we’re in the middle of an alien invasion. A cohesive team is important, and you don’t have to be ‘stoic Kate’ all the time.”

  The name hit a little too close to her nickname in the Army. Stone Heart Scott. No one said it to her face, but she’d heard the whispers. She’d always shrugged it off before, but now, it felt like salt in a wound she didn’t know she had.