by Piper Stone
I realized we might have a chance at getting out of here and it wasn’t going to be through the front door.
She didn’t whimper or even argue with my direction, dressing within seconds and grabbing one of the duffle bags we’d brought into the hell hole.
“Where is the journal?” I asked as I jerked two of the guns from the other bag, checking the ammunition before shoving one of the weapons into my waistband. When she said nothing, I realized that the fucking thing had been left in the laboratory.
“I’m sorry. In the lab where I left it on the table, but I’ll get it,” she commented, immediately heading for the door.
I grabbed her by the arm, yanking her backward. “That isn’t going to happen. You’re going to do no such thing.” My directions were disrupted by another loud boom, this time one of the heavy metal ceiling planks crashing down on top of the bed.
She yelped, crowding against me and taking deep breaths.
I pushed her back, my grip still firmly planted around her arm. “Take one of the weapons but you are staying right beside me. This entire place is going to come down. We’re grabbing the damn journal then getting the fuck out of here.” Why the hell were they torching the place if the end game was locating the group of scientists? After shoving a light stick into her hand, I refused to take no for an answer, merely grabbing the bag and proceeding to take long strides down the hallway. The entire facility was creaking, metal shifting to the point I didn’t think the shell would hold more than a few minutes, tops.
Whatever the assholes were blasting the facility with certainly had immediate effects. I’d never seen any weapons of mass destruction during my incarceration with the Zatans, but I knew the bastards certainly wouldn’t have colonized the planet without having weapons of protection. The king was far too important to them.
I heard her rapid footsteps behind me but turned to make certain I wasn’t wrong. Her pensive face held an eerie glow in the stark shadows, but there was no fear in her eyes.
Only determination.
She curled her upper lip, her footsteps becoming quicker. I had to give the girl credit. She was a fighter. Anything less and we wouldn’t have a chance in hell at getting out of here. I had no way of knowing if we were surrounded, but in my initial search I’d been able to locate a second entrance, one that went underground. That was likely the way the others had been able to escape and with any luck, would be our one ticket out of the place.
If we had any luck remaining.
I rounded the corner and hearing a different set of creaking sounds, I yanked one of the weapons into my hand, dragging her against the wall. After taking a deep breath, I held the light in front of me, shaking my head in an effort to keep her quiet. Another rumble was followed by a loud crash. Our time was running short and the damn journal was important.
The possibility of it getting into enemy hands was unacceptable.
I eased into the room, shining the stick in both directions. Everything seemed to be exactly the way we’d left it. I moved further inside, sweeping the weapon from side to side before walking closer to the steel table. The moment I realized the book wasn’t where she’d thought, I heard a scuffling sound. My instincts still intact, I turned rapidly to the left, ready to fire.
What the fuck?
The Zatan creature was still alive, the journal nestled in one arm. In the other he held what appeared to be some kind of a torch device. He stared at me and I could see his pupils were dilated. Strings of a bluish green fluid ran down both sides of his face, the color of the Zatans’ blood.
He’d been dead. I’d checked for a pulse. How in the hell could this be happening?
He swayed back and forth, dragging his misshapen tongue across his cracked lips. There was still purpose in his eyes, as if still under Zatan command.
“Give me the damn book,” I said, snarling.
The sound he emitted was one I’d never forget but I knew his mind was intact. He had no intention of allowing the journal to fall into anyone’s hands.
I took several steps closer, eyeing the torch cradled in his hand with caution. I’d seen one of them in action and I had a feeling that was exactly what the previous inhabitants had used in their efforts to destroy evidence.
He backed away, his gait slow and unsteady. How in the hell had the creature even survived? I took another two steps until he held up the torch, his finger on the trigger device.
“Just give me the damn book,” I stated, this time my tone far more demanding.
A slight shake of his head meant he fully understood what the hell I was requesting. When his finger twitched, I knew I had no choice. I lunged forward, tackling him to the floor, shocked that his grip on the device remained firm. I knew that the Zatans had similar skeletal and organ features to our species. What the beast had already endured should have killed him by now.
As we rolled, I grabbed for the device, trying desperately to pry it from his fingers.
Another rumble was longer than the ones before, a boom too close for comfort. A portion of the ceiling caved in, falling within a few feet.
Somehow the asshole managed to get the upper hand, a forceful kick sending me flying several yards away. I hit the wall with a hard thud, the wind knocked out of me. When I heard another sound, it was a whoosh as the torch was being lit.
I threw out my arms, scrambling to get to my feet. “No!”
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The sound reverberated throughout the room, only it wasn’t the noise coming from bombs or other explosives, but a single laser gun firing three times.
I jerked my head, staring at the doorway where Katarina stood, the weapon I’d given her locked in both hands, as the alien crumpled on the floor.
“Fuck.” I took three deep breaths before managing to stand, jogging toward the creature and kicking the canister out of his hand. As I bent down, checking for any kind of a pulse, I glanced into her stunned face. “He’s dead now. Nice shooting, little human.”
Her body began to shake, her mouth going slack.
Whoosh!
Another section of the ceiling caved in, sending debris in every direction while the entire facility shook from the force. I snagged the journal in one hand, the torch device in the other, shoving both into one of the bags. “Don’t you let go of my hand.” I gave her no time to think about the action she’d taken, likely saving both our lives.
As we raced down the corridor, everything seemed to be caving in around us. Walls, ceilings, even the floor was breaking apart. My heart raced, adrenaline pumping hard and we had one chance in on million to get to the escape tunnel.
Go. Go. Go!
A rush of fire came from several directions, hot enough that within seconds the steel began to melt, the air poisonous from whatever gases had been used.
She stumbled behind me, coughing and wheezing as I jerked her hand. Nodding, she struggled to get to her feet, trying to keep the pace.
I rounded another bend, moving to a second corridor. Thick smoke had begun to fill the facility, making focusing on anything difficult at best, the light stick only highlighting one or two feet in front of us. The swirl was unyielding, burning my eyes. I only prayed to God I was going in the right direction. Any misstep and we were dead.
Another bend, another corridor, the smoke acrid, metal dripping from various steel columns, coming down like acid rain.
She whimpered, going down hard this time, her moans of intense pain and her coughing indicating she had difficulty breathing.
Fuck. Fuck!
I gathered her into my arms, tossing her over my shoulder, the bag she’d carried on the other. If I was right, the door leading to the tunnel was just up ahead.
But if I was wrong...
I stumbled as I neared what I hoped was the entrance, the light stick doing almost nothing. I heard the sound of another explosion, the rush of fire coming in our direction. All I could do was feel for the latch, my fingers stiff.
Her whimper held more agony,
her body limp.
Just hold on, baby. Hold on.
I wasn’t a praying man. I’d never bothered to appreciate the concept of religion, but on this day, I did just that. Seconds later, my fingers found the metal latch. I yanked once.
Nothing.
Twice.
It didn’t budge.
A roar sounded to my right. I twisted in the direction until I was able to see what we were facing. A bank of flames was rolling in our direction, ready to consume everything in its wake. Please, God, if you’re there, don’t fail me now.
Using every last ounce of strength I had, I ripped at the opening device, the hard creaking the sweetest sound in the world. I counted off the seconds as I opened the heavy metal door, yet everything was in slow motion.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four...
I slammed the door maybe a split second before the fireball was upon us, taking two careful steps backward and away from the unit. The harsh rattling, wind unlike anything I’d ever heard blew by. More rumbles. Several other smaller explosions.
“Oh,” Katarina whimpered.
“We’re okay. We’re going to be fine.” There was no conviction in my voice. I continued to take deep breaths until I no longer wheezed.
When the fire didn’t find its way inside, I slowly turned, holding up the light stick.
Everything was as I’d seen before. The immediate area reminded me of a bunker, metal shelves holding various items like food and water. There were other light sources, as well as a few rounds of ammo. The inhabitants had planned for either disaster or a takeover event. What in the hell was really going on here?
She moaned, her hand brushing across my back. “Xander. What... happened? Where are we?”
I eased her onto her feet, making certain she was able to stand on her own. She was pale and clammy but from what I could tell uninjured in the blast. “A bunker. There must be another exit out of here.”
“What?” Her hand was shaking as she raked it through her hair, managing to turn in a full circle. “The scientists... did... escape, didn’t they?” She coughed several times, forced to bend over, her body shaking.
“Take it easy. Escape would be my best guess. Now, maybe we know why. They were sitting ducks out here.” I was beginning to think we were dealing with another force of some kind. I kept my hand on her arm until she was able to resume standing. “You all right?”
“Yeah, as much as I can be.” She scanned the room again, jumping when she heard a significant boom.
“It’s all right. We’re safe in here at least for now.”
“You knew about this place all along, didn’t you?”
“Let’s just say that I made certain we could get the fuck out of here if necessary, although I haven’t explored where the passageway leads. At this point, it doesn’t really matter. Only way out.” I walked toward the shelves, examining what had been left behind. While much of the supplies had been picked clean, there was enough food and water for at least a few days.
Wherever the hell we were going.
I could tell she was watching me, her heated gaze somehow penetrating the dense air. I found a type of lantern, flicking the switch and taking a deep breath as light flooded the area. I finally glanced in her direction, cognizant of the terror remaining in her eyes. “What you did back there was damn good.”
“I killed a man. There’s nothing good about that.”
“You eliminated one of our enemies and I assure you that he had no intentions of allowing us to leave with or without the journal. You did what you had to do. Truth is, I’m thankful for that.”
She folded her arms, hissing and looking away. “I’m not a killer, Xander. I’m not like you. My world doesn’t involve violence.”
I was surprised that her accusations bothered me in any manner.
“This is your world now, Katarina. The sooner you realize that, the happier you’re going to be.”
“Happy?” she hissed as she took two steps forward, her gait remaining unsteady. “Do you think that I’ll ever be happy again? I just killed some beast who came back to life after being treated like some animal. That alien should have been dead a long time ago. We have no idea if we can get out of here and someone is trying to kill us. How do you expect me to even think about anything but death and destruction?” She took another two steps, more determined.
I studied her face, the dirt and soot covering almost every inch, her hair disheveled, strings falling into her eyes. Still, she was without a doubt the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.
I tossed the bags onto the floor, closing the distance and pulling the shirt from my pants. She jerked back, her breath skipping. I tilted my head, lifting a single eyebrow before using the material to wipe her face.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Katarina. You need to learn to trust me. I’m all you got.”
Hearing her moan was gut-wrenching. She was right. We had no way of knowing whether or not we could get out of here. The thought was daunting as fuck.
“Trust doesn’t come easy.”
That much I knew.
“I’m fine. Just leave me alone for a little while. Okay?” Katarina’s voice was small, almost helpless but the woman was certainly a force to be reckoned with, stronger than even she understood.
“We’ll gather some things, have some food then head out. That should give time for whoever bombed the facility to move on. There isn’t going to be anything left. That much I know.”
“Why would the Zatans burn it down? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“No, it doesn’t. Not at all.” I had several ideas, none of which I wanted to let on just yet, not until I knew for certain.
She brushed soot from her clothes then proceeded to walk the room, gathering various supplies, darting glances in my direction every so often. After placing them on the small steel table positioned near the storage unit, she studied the exterior of the room. “There’s no way out of here. We’re trapped.”
“There’s a way.”
“Why did you keep this from me?”
“I didn’t want you to get any bright ideas.”
She shook her head several times. “Bastard.”
The truth is, I was terrified I’d lose her, the thought having never left my mind.
I moved toward the shelves, sifting through what was left of the supplies, still aware of the rumbles and creaks, although the door was holding well enough. If the people or beings responsible searched through the rubble, they’d be able to find the door. I knew we couldn’t rest for long. I tossed one of the food bars in her direction, giving her a stern nod. “Eat. Don’t argue with me. We both need our strength.”
Thirty minutes later we had as much as we could carry. My earlier search had been fruitful, finding a set of stairs leading to nowhere or maybe toward salvation.
We headed beneath the planet’s surface, the lantern highlighting the crude passageway, rocks capable of caving in at any second.
This was the second time in a single day I said a silent prayer. Maybe the monster inside was finally coming to terms that he would die on this planet.
Without retribution.
I snarled at the thought as I unlatched the secret doorway, swinging the lantern just inside.
Hell, no. I hadn’t been trained by the best to give up without a fight. I’d made the promise to the general for a reason. I would find a way back to Earth.
And there would be hell to pay.
Chapter Twelve
Katarina
Danger.
There would always be a level of danger on this planet. I was sick of the concept, nearly destroyed from everything that had occurred over the last two days. We trudged on, moving over rocks and through the slop of mud and water in our effort to find a way out of hell. The explosions, fires, and near-death experience had left me weak, not only in my body but in my heart and soul as well.
I’d not only faced the fact the world as I k
new had been ripped apart, I realized just how fallible I was as a human. No matter what the Zatans had promised, there was no way off this planet, no way to get back home.
The game had been just that, our gullibility something they were no doubt laughing at as they kept track of our useless efforts. I would never forget the king’s conceited face as he assigned me to the warrior named Thor. As if he’d already known the outcome.
As if he’d handpicked me for some disgusting reason.
To mate?
That was bullshit.
To run away like a caged animal?
More likely.
To find my father for him?
The thought wasn’t far from my mind. Were the experiments I’d performed the very reason I’d been dragged here? I rubbed dripping mud from my forehead, realizing that my work had mirrored my father’s to a certain degree. If what Xander had told me was true, the Zatans could have learned exactly what I was working on. The only question remained was as to why it was so important.
Earth was merely a bone hanging from a dangling thread, yanked from the famished dogs underneath. The Zatans were indeed our enemy, but I began to wonder whether the secretive military operation truly had any understanding as to why. They’d obviously ignored Xander’s warnings. Maybe they chose to. We had to find my father, if he was alive. Not only our life but perhaps the lives of millions of inhabitants on Earth depended on it.
Although even accomplishing that incredible feat wouldn’t change much. We were facing an uphill battle with every step.
Hours had gone by, or so I believed. My legs ached, and my arms were scratched from falling against the sharp rocks more than once in our endeavor. And still there was little more than darkness for as far as the eye could see.
Xander had been patient, nurturing as he guided me through the twists and turns of the passage. We were both shocked that the passageways even existed, let alone their good condition. We’d seen no heavy equipment and had no understanding of how a team of scientists had been able to accomplish such a feat.
Unless the inhabitants weren’t human after all.
Anything was possible. We could be headed into another trap, another part of a vicious game that the Zatans seemed to enjoy. But we pressed on.
