I took the lead, scanning the sky for incoming missiles. If the perimeter defences were programmed to protect the inner island too, we were in a whole heap of trouble.

Our own footsteps pounded along the timber dock as we charged into the fight. More soldiers appeared at the top of the steps and opened fire. My holy shield was already active, turning away their bullets while the others sheltered behind me. Cody snapped off a few expert shots at my side, killing three of the men. Their brothers-in-arms hastily retreated back up to the concrete wall. More arrived, and they strafed the dock from their elevated position, spitting up chips of wood.

“To hell with this!” Cris yelled, throwing her hands at the protected figures.

A slash appeared in the air above their heads, parting as if someone was tearing at the seams of reality. Forks of purple lightning crackled within the eye-shaped core, and suddenly the group of soldiers were torn from their cover as if they were on unseen leashes, yanked taut. Their guns clattered to the ground as the arcane rift mashed them all together. It was a sight to behold as the energy treated their bodies like a dough being kneaded. The shattering bones were almost as loud as the screams of agony which cut off one by one. With a sucking sound, the spell’s breach closed, dropping the mangled corpses back to the ground.

“Whoa!” I gasped. The spell description mentioned a combination of damage, but the power of it in reality was jaw-dropping.

We reached the steps, ready for the next wave of mercenaries.

“They’re running!” yelled Cris as we climbed up to the road above.

Taking shelter by the thick wall used by the soldiers, we scanned the surrounding buildings and wider area. There was nobody waiting in any of the windows that overlooked us. We were alone for now.

The rapidly retreating icons on my map confirmed her theory. “What does that mean? Are they regrouping?”

“They don’t seem to be doing much regrouping,” said Cody, his eyes flicking over the map.

“I’d say they’ve seen our power and want no part of it,” said Cris. “They know what we’ve already done to get here. Can you blame them for choosing to save their asses?”

Lake’s nasal whine burst from a speaker nearby, replacing the dirge of the alarm. “Where are you going? Kill them! Earn your money you pathetic fucks!”

“Someone needs a lesson in employee management,” I chuckled at his fear. The harsh barb turned no one back to his cause. If anything, they ran faster away from our position. I couldn’t believe our luck.

“What now?” asked Ramell, double checking his rifle.

“I guess we move into the island and find Lake,” I replied, standing cautiously. We’d had far too much luck already. I worried it was due to run out. When nothing happened to me, the others rose too.

The alarm hadn’t resumed after the tech-nerd’s outburst and I was grateful for the silence which quickly came to an end. The speakers crackled as Lake came back to the mic. “I don’t know who you are or why you’re doing this, but you get to meet my real friends. The ones that won’t run. The same goes for you cowardly fucks. You’re food too! Nom nom nom!” He broke off into crazed laughter before ending the transmission.

Lady Luck had snuck up from behind and battered me with a Billy club. “It looks like we’re going to meet some phase 3s,” I groaned.

“Then let’s use the time it takes Lake to rustle them up to cover some ground,” declared Cody, leading us between the administration buildings and away from the dock.

The industrial adaptations to the complex gave way to the original, leisure structures. The lawns were still watered and pristine, marking a distinct change from the sterile grey of the dock. The communal pools were surrounded by empty loungers, towels draped across the head of the recliners. For who? No clue. Perhaps the fleeing soldiers before they turned tail, or the kidnapped scientists if they were given leave for good behaviour. The arch-covered pathways to the hotel that we ran down were swept and clean. It was as if we were in another place entirely, which wasn’t far from the truth. This had been built for the rich and powerful. A place of beauty and respite.

In the distance, something shrieked. Then somethings. A lot of them. Whatever was after us was now loose on the island and Cody urged us onward.

Our path took us past the main lobby of the redundant hotel. It was as resplendent as I’d expected, created for the super-wealthy.

“Mark,” Sun cautioned, pulling me to a stop.

Enemy markers were closing in on us from around the sides of the hotel. I bustled everyone toward the lobby doors as the first dinosaur charged round the corner fifty feet away.

“Fuck a duck,” I groaned at the sight.

Name – Velociraptor (Altered) (Phase 3)

Description – The next step on the illogical path to creating the most advanced predators the world has ever known. Genetically enhanced with greater body mass, all while being integrated with the latest in cybernetic technology. God help us all.

Weakness – Unknown

Resistances - Unknown

Immunities – Unknown

I couldn’t tell where the mechanical ended and the real creature began. It was like a Termiraptor, or would Velocinator have been a better name? Most of its body and limbs were encased in a similar material to the protective composite that shielded their control centres. Patches of green and pink showed here and there, mostly around the cavernous mouth of the monster. It carried dual bars, showing the yellow of armour alongside the red of life.

“At least it doesn’t have miniguns,” I said as another of its misbegotten kin arrived.

Sun dragged me through the open doors and we ran past the marble reception desk toward the lifts. The narrow space gave us a defensible position, with two sets of doors to each side, and another set of doors leading to the communal stairwell.

“We hold here for now,” I ordered. “We need to know what we’re up against.”

Cody joined me at the front of our party. “Piercing or snare?”

“Damage first, mate,” I said and he threw out a pair of traps that scratched the lobby tiles as they skidded across the surface.

With the creatures already within range, they immediately popped and fired off their wicked darts at the raptors as they burst through the glass doors. The projectiles glanced off their armour, disappearing into the distance.

“Snares?” offered Cody.

I’d already lobbed my web grenade and it exploded in their faces. Much to my dismay, they had enough strength to tear through their gossamer shroud. Their steps were laboured, but the webbing still ripped as they advanced.

“Enough!” snapped Sun, striding out to meet them.

The armour might’ve been resistant to bullet and blade, but it didn’t cover their entire neck. The screaming face of Sar’Ozan hacked straight through, leaving the stumps sparking and bleeding on the white blanket. I checked the gory wounds and saw more metal and wiring incorporated within the structure of their necks. This time I did pity the creatures. It was one thing to be brought back from extinction as you had once been. It was quite another to have your entire being corrupted by the arrogance of science, all to make you more efficient at killing.

Through the missing doors, the familiar chatter of gunfire and screaming erupted across the island as the soldiers were chased down and devoured. Those people I didn’t pity. They would’ve killed us for money.

Cody laid out a pair of snare traps on the dust of my crumbled webbing as more red dots closed in. I positioned Spidey on top of the desk, ready to help immobilise the raptors. Fen and Red appeared at our sides, and I wondered how much they could realistically do against the foe we faced.

Another trio of the vile amalgamation of meat and machine charged into view. Spidey fired a stream of thick web at the entrance, causing the first through to stumble and fall. The others bounded over his thrashing form, triggering the snare traps. A cocoon of strong netting exploded upwards, wrapping itself around the raptors. Fen and Red darted forward, snapping and tearing at the struggling dinosaurs. Only Fen’s searing aura caused any damage as the scant patches of scale stared to sizzle.

“Get them back into your packs,” I yelled over the noisy cries. “These things are too strong.”

They did as I asked and I pulled Spidey back into my pack just in time. The raptor he’d caught had torn free of the sticky threads and leaped across the lobby. It crashed over the empty desk, taking the computers and out of date brochures with it. Sun was on top form, killing the two ensnared raptors and shuffling backwards to re-join our line. I slipped forward myself as the downed creature hopped back up onto the counter. Cody fired off a pulse of his proficient hunter skill, revealing the obvious fact that its unarmoured mouth was a weak spot. It hissed at me, so I jammed by sword down its throat. Gagging on the metal, it jumped back sluggishly, but the toxin wasn’t capable of completely paralysing the raptor due to its level and genetics. Cody and the Campbell brothers finished it off with a concentrated burst of fire. The bullets tore through the bloodied froth spewing from its coughing mouth and destroyed the creature’s spinal column.

“Are we staying here or have we seen enough?” asked Cris as a lot more icons closed in.

“Let’s head up. Unless he releases the Pteranodons from their aviary, we can come up with a plan on the roof.”

“Stairs or elevators?” asked Kordell.

“With how much Lake controls, I don’t want that fucker pulling the plug while we’re dangling between the ninth and tenth floors.”

“Sound plan, brother,” said Ramell, heading for the stairs.

While everyone ran, I deposited a few spare tons of cathedral to block the lift area. Spinning around, I gave chase, catching up with them on the third floor. The staircase was just as plush as the rest of the hotel, with thick carpets and golden banister rails. A glass skylight far above gave us a column of daylight to climb by.

Reaching the top, we found the roof door doubled as an emergency exit. One press of the locking bar had us out in the fresh air again. Whatever resistance the soldiers were offering had ended, as the only sounds to be heard were the shrieks and hissing of the phase 3s.

I got a funny inkling in the pit of my stomach and ran over to the steel fire escape nearby. The fuckers were already at the seventh floor, climbing slowly. I cast smite, and my holy energy seared through the thin metal almost all the way to the ground. Several of those on the higher floors jumped clear to avoid the pain, breaking and dying on the veranda below. The rest of the unsupported frame twisted away and crashed through a row of white gazebos, taking the dinosaurs with it.

“Check for other escapes! There might be others.”

There were. Three more, hidden by the vast air conditioning units and elevator motor housings. Cody laid explosive traps on two of them, and Sun went all choppy-choppy on the final one, lopping off two floors worth of frame with her monstrous greataxe. Unless the raptors could fly, they would struggle to make it up to us. We had a few moments to take a breather.

I gathered everyone near the glass skylight that topped the stairs. Before I could utter a word, two explosions rocked the building and made us all stagger. We were off like a shot, slowing as we neared the rising smoke of Cody’s devices. I peeked over, and there was nothing left beyond the eighth floor. Sections of the concrete render and brickwork had blown out, along with several of the raptors who were now just red stains on the beige stone below. The steel frame was just a twisted mess, hanging precariously from the face of the wall.

We were cut off, but that also meant we were safe.

More of the raptors were emerging from cover, gathering below.

“They’re surrounding us,” warned Cris.

“Better that than having to fight them all on the ground,” I replied.

No one had an argument with that.