Read Matt Archer: Redemption for Free Online

right hand man, Master Sergeant Murphy, called out positions, while watching Ramirez’s back. He looked up as I ran by and gave me a grim nod.
    Since they had things well in hand, I plowed further in. Will and Parker were up against a pack of three, dancing as beaks clacked together just inches from their heads. The ground here was soft, churned up by boots and talons, and Parker was having a hard time keeping his footing. He twisted too fast to slash at one of the Freak’s necks, and slipped.
    My heart shot into my throat, thinking he was done for, but he rolled away right before the thing slammed a talon into his chest. I closed in while the other wielders had them preoccupied and ran right up the back of the nearest monster. Two hard slashes and the Freak crumpled underneath me. I jumped off, landing in a crouch behind Will. The monster he was fighting swung out a wing and flung me away. I tumbled a good fifteen feet before slamming down hard on my back. Gasping for air, I crawled back to my feet as Will slashed the thing across the breast bone. He was showered in dark green blood, but the Freak collapsed. Parker finished his off a split-second later.
    At the other end of the park, a tank boomed and another Freak rained down in pieces. Assuming there weren’t more of them somewhere, we were finally making real progress. Only eight left.
    “Which way?” I asked them. Three monsters circled the Potomac, but if they didn’t stay in ordnance range, there wasn’t much we could do with them. The other five were down with damaged wings, but tearing apart anyone who came close.
    “Pick one and go,” Parker said, running for the nearest Freak.
    I nudged Will and pointed at a pair who were harassing the Humvees where Dorland’s grenade team had set up. We took off.
    It seemed Jorge and Ramirez had gotten the memo, too, because they broke free of their support teams and went after the nearest monster.
    Now it was me and my Freak. It squawked angrily as I approached, using its wing to scoop up a huge pile of dirt and grass. I hit the ground on my belly just before it threw its load, and debris sailed over my head in a massive cloud. Before it could try that again, I charged, using the nearest Humvee as a launch point.
    I ignored the stares of disbelief from the soldiers in the vehicle as I leapt onto the Humvee’s hood in one bound. One more jump and I flew at the beast head on.
    It opened its beak wide and raised its wings, but Tink gave me an extra boost, sending me over its head. As I soared by, I stabbed it in the eye. It shrieked and scrambled back.
    I hit the ground hard and rolled, turning to take a second pass from underneath. While it danced in pain, rubbing its head on the grass, I scurried under its legs and finished it. Getting out from underneath before it dropped was dicey, but I crawled free just in time.
    Done with mine, I turned to see if anyone needed help. Ordnance had gone quiet, so I assumed we had it under control, but better to check.
    Will was riding his monster as it tried to take off with only one wing. The other had been cut off. He let out a war whoop and slammed his blade into its skull. One more down.
    Ramirez was still busy, but Jorge was getting to his feet next to a dead Freak. That was three.
    And Parker was …
    My pulse stuttered. Parker’s Freak was dead, but he wasn’t there.
    “Parker?” I called, hoping he was with the other soldiers, directing an attack on the monsters still in the air. “Captain Parker!”
    Jorge’s head snapped up and he scanned the sky, then pointed. Bile scalded my throat as I stared that direction.
    Parker was caught in the talons of the largest Freak. The other two flying with it were barely staying airborne; their wing membranes were in shreds. But the big one was nearly intact.
    And it had our wielder.
    “No!” He was sixty, seventy feet in the air. If we shot at the monsters, they’d drop him. What should I do? What could I do?
    Wait, there was one