Shade spun and bounded back down the stairs, racing out the door, shot a look over her shoulder, and saw the F-16, high out over the water.

  She saw the plume of smoke and fire as the F-16’s Hellfire missile launched, flew, then veered unstoppably toward the lighthouse.

  Shade reached the flattened SUV and spotted Malik half in an abandoned CHP car. Cruz was in the backseat. Shade jumped into the passenger seat and began to de-morph as the Hellfire, with an enormous crack-BOOM!, annihilated the Piedras Blancas lighthouse, turning it into flying rubble.

Monster Chapter 16