The Black Hawk pulled away from the creature, not in full retreat, but with enough urgency that everyone inside understood the situation had changed.
The pilot eased the controls and brought the helicopter into a wide orbit around the clearing. The aircraft leaned into the turn, rotors chopping through the air while the forest rolled beneath them in a thick blanket of green and broken shadows. They kept their altitude high enough to stay out of reach, but no one inside the cabin felt safe.
Marcus kept one hand braced against the frame while his eyes stayed locked on the thing below.
"Keep us moving," he said. "Don't give it a fixed target."
"Copy that," the pilot answered.
The Black Hawk continued circling. Its movement was steady, but the tension inside the aircraft remained heavy. The M134s on both sides were quiet now, their barrels still warm after emptying everything they had into the monster. The smell of gun oil, hot metal, and spent casings lingered inside the cabin.
