Mr. Weaver had come into the house after her, but turned back around to bark orders at his men outside.
“Keep the crowd back, and don’t let anyone in here!” Mr. Weaver shouted.
She heard the footfalls of his heavy boots as he walked over to stand beside her, shaking his head.
“What in the devil could have done this?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” Miranda lied, hoping her gut instinct about what had killed the two people was wrong.
“Frag me,” Mr. Weaver suddenly muttered, pointing at the far wall of the room. “Take a look at that.”
Miranda managed to tear her gaze away from the corpses and looked at the wall across from where they stood. The letters of her name were painted on it in a wet red that could only be the blood of the people lying at their feet.
* * * * *
Chapter 40
Anna, Mr. Weaver, Miranda, Joe, and Lee gathered in Anna’s office. Mr. Weaver’s security personnel were still busy in the streets outside, restoring order. Anna was clearly shaken by the gruesome and unexpected turn of events. There hadn’t been a murder on Tanatos IV like what had happened tonight since she and Miranda were teenagers. It brought back memories of much darker times.
“How did this happen?” Anna demanded of Mr. Weaver.
Mr. Weaver shrugged. “We’re doing all we can to prevent panic out there. Quite a few got a look at the carnage inside the house before we were able to get there and seal it off. There’s not much we can do to stop the rumors from growing and spreading until we release an official statement of some kind.”
“And what in the devil are we supposed to say?” Anna shot back at him. “‘Sorry folks, it looks like Harold’s Colony has its own resident monster again?’”
“Let’s not jump the gun, here,” Mr. Weaver cautioned her. “The deaths were gruesome, sure, but that doesn’t mean they were the work of a monster.”
“But they were…” Miranda admitted. Everyone’s eyes turned to her.
“What?” Anna spun to face her childhood friend. “How can you know that for sure?”
“Anna, I told you when you took us in that we’d bring trouble with us,” Miranda reminded her. “I was pretty fragging clear about that.”
“I’m well aware of Earth Gov being after you, Miranda,” Anna said. “Everyone on this planet knows, for frag’s sake. I don’t see what that has to do with this, though.”
“Earth Gov isn’t the only thing after us, Anna,” Miranda said.
Anna stared at Miranda, waiting for more.
“Our last few jobs…” Miranda started. “My crew has been attacked by something. We don’t know what it is, or why it’s after us…but there’s something out there that wants us dead besides Earth Gov, and whatever it is, it isn’t human. We’ve fought it twice before and failed to kill it.”
“And you’re just telling me this now?” Anna raged, though Miranda could see she was trying to control her temper.
“I’m sorry, Anna,” Miranda said sincerely. “There’s no way we could have known it would come after us here. I mean, frag it, Earth Gov, for all their resources, still don’t seem to know we’re here. How could we know that thing would find us here?”
“You still should have warned us.”
“I did,” Miranda countered. “As best as I could, anyway.”
“Look,” Mr. Weaver cut in, “what matters now is finding this thing and stopping it before anyone else dies. You and your people are professional monster hunters, aren’t you? This should be old hat for you.”
“Normally it would be,” Joe said. “This thing, though…”
“It knows us.” Lee grunted. “And you can dang well bet it’ll be ready for anything we do in terms of going after it. This monster wants us to come after it. Don’t you see? These two people were just the beginning. A message, if you will, to let us know it’s here, and it’s ready for us.”
“That’s why it wrote your name on the wall, then,” Mr. Weaver said to Miranda.
“You’re seriously telling me you don’t have any idea why this thing is after you?” Anna demanded.
Miranda shook her head sadly. “We don’t, Anna. I’m sorry. If you want, we can gather up our gear and be off Tanatos IV in a matter of hours.”
“That’s not what I’m saying, Miranda.” Anna frowned. “All of us here owe you. We’re not going to just kick you out. There’s nowhere else for you to run, and you know it. But we have to stop this thing before it kills again, so start telling us what we can do to prevent that.”
“We can start by doubling our normal security measures,” Mr. Weaver suggested.
Anna laughed darkly. “I’d say we need to more than double them.”
“Point taken.” Mr. Weaver nodded. “I’ll assign four of my men to patrol the streets every night. In addition, we’ll increase the number of civilian guards on the colony’s walls.”
“That’s a good start, but it won’t be enough,” Miranda said. “This thing is more dangerous than anything my crew and I have ever run into before. I’ll have Brook start running continuous scans from Strider. Like I said, we’ve fought this thing before, and she’ll know what to look for this time around. If we see it coming, we should be able to engage it before it kills anyone else.”
“So much for our vacation,” Lee grumped from where he sat on the couch in Anna’s office. He was still drunk, but sobering up quickly.
“Lee!” Miranda snapped at him.
The old man shrugged and got up, staggering as he did so. “I’ll get my rifle.”
“You’ll sit right back down,” Miranda ordered him. “You’re in no shape to do anything right now, and you know it.”
Lee sat down, throwing his hands up in a gesture of surrender, but said nothing more.
“I don’t like Brook being on the ship alone, Boss,” Joe said.
“We’re going to need you on the streets, Joe,” Miranda said. “Mr. Weaver can post a pair of guards at Strider, though.”
Mr. Weaver gawked at Miranda in her gleaming armor. “I don’t have much manpower to go around, and you know that.”
“I know, but the ship and its sensors are going to play a big part in seeing that thing coming. Protecting it has to be a priority,” Miranda told him. “If we’re going to deal with this thing for you, I’m going to need your help protecting my people while we do it.”
“Fair enough.” Mr. Weaver nodded. “I’ll get some guys over there right now.”
Mr. Weaver started barking orders over his comm as he stepped out of Anna’s office.
“What else can we do?” Anna asked.
“Not much,” Joe sighed. “It’s going to be pretty much a waiting game at this point, unless we somehow catch a break by picking up something on the ship’s sensors that tells us where it is.”
“Then let’s hope we do,” Anna huffed, turning her head to glare at Miranda despite herself. “This is on me, not you, Miranda, but I need that thing stopped before the blood of anyone else is on my hands. Do I make myself clear?”
“Crystal.” Miranda nodded.
* * * * *
Chapter 41
Brook sat in the pilot compartment of Strider. She had the ship’s sensors scanning every inch of Tanatos IV for any sign of the black ship they encountered on Nix V. The black ship had a very distinctive energy signature, and that gave her some hope of finding it, but she also knew just how advanced it was. The thing had tech beyond even that of Earth Gov’s core worlds. If it was cloaked and didn’t want to be found, the odds of her locating it were slim to none.
She missed Joe but knew Miranda needed him with her. It wasn’t his job to babysit her aboard the ship. Mr. Weaver had assigned two of his people to guard Strider. One of them was a woman named Shan, who continuously fiddled with the blade of the dagger she carried. Shan had three more daggers sheathed on her belt, along with numerous others placed in easy-to-reach spots all over her, and an old Earth shotgun strapped onto her back.
Every hour like clockwork, either Shan or Earl entered the ship to check on her. They spent the rest of their time standing around Strider, making sure no one without clearance approached it. Miranda had laid down the law that only the members of their crew and Mr. Weaver were allowed onboard.
The day had passed slowly without much to show for it. Brook’s continued scans turned up nothing regarding the presence of the black ship, and she had grown more and more frustrated with each hour that ticked by. Nightfall was closing in fast. Brook shut down her scans of the planet and began to realign all Strider’s sensors on the area around and inside Harold’s Colony. Just as the black ship had its own distinct energy signature, so did the monster itself. Concentrating all the ship’s sensors like she was increased her chances of seeing the monster coming if it made another move on the colony tonight. When she was finished with the sensors, Brook tested out the comlink she and the others of Miranda’s crew shared.
“Joe? Are you out there?” Brook asked over the comlink.
“Reading you loud and clear, Pretty Lady,” Joe’s voice answered her.
“Watch it, mister,” Brook mock-warned the sniper. “This is an official channel.”
“And I am officially smitten with you.” Joe laughed.
“I mean it, Joe,” Brook said.
“Roger that,” Joe answered, the tone of his voice changing and becoming all business.
“Are you guys in position?” Brook asked.
“The old man is on the streets with Miranda and Mr. Weaver’s people,” Joe confirmed. “And I’ve got eyes on them.”
Brook glanced at the data coming in from Strider’s sensors. It told her that Joe was on the wall that surrounded Harold’s Colony, set up in a sniper tower that had been hastily assembled during the day. The colony had always kept a wall about it for protection—most colonies of its type did. However, the planet of Tanatos IV wasn’t exactly teeming with threats, so there had been no need of such a tower until today. The tower wasn’t much to speak of, but Joe had assured her it was safe and would do its job. Its height not only gave Joe a wider field of view of the fields outside the colony, but it allowed him to see most of the streets inside the wall as well. Joe looked to have settled in for a long night of waiting, just as she had.
Miranda and the others moved about the streets. Both Miranda and Lee were alone in the sections they patrolled. They were close enough to come running if the other needed help, but being spread out as they were offered what they hoped were tempting targets to the monster if it came during the night. In addition to them, Mr. Weaver walked the streets with two of his guards. Brook hoped it would be enough. The monster seemed to be at home in the darkness, though, and she knew the thing had played them badly before.
Brook remotely accessed The Brute’s systems, bringing its sensors online, too, and tied them into Strider’s. The Brute’s sensors paled in comparison to the upgrades she’d had done on Strider’s during their time on Moore Colony, but every little bit helped, and she wasn’t about to turn down any edge she could get.
* * * * *
Chapter 42
“Do ya believe this crap?” Bob Smith grumbled, chewing loudly on the wad of tobacco he held in his mouth. In his hands was as an Old Earth double-barreled shotgun loaded with explosive slugs. The weapon was far from top of the line, but it was the best he had been able to get out of the armory. Harold’s Colony didn’t exactly stockpile modern weaponry. Most of Mr. Weaver’s personnel were armed with privately-owned weapons. Smith hadn’t owned anything more than a pistol, and that wasn’t going to cut it, given what they were facing.
“Smith,” Mr. Weaver said, scowling at him, “keep it to yourself. We’re all freezing our butts off out here, and complaining about it isn’t going to do any of us any good.”
Bob shot Jessup a sharp look. The older man shrugged as if to say Mr. Weaver was right.
“How do we even know that thing is coming?” Bob asked both of them. “Who’s to say it didn’t already get its fill killing that couple last night?”
“That couple…” Jessup growled. “For frag’s sake, Bob, show some respect and at least use their names.”
Bob grunted. “They’re dead, Jessup. Ain’t nothing I say gonna matter to them.”
“That’s enough,” Mr. Weaver warned them both sternly.
The trio of men fell silent, eyes searching the shadows of the street they were on for any signs that the monster might be lurking within them. Bob was ticked off about drawing the short straw and being forced to wander the streets. A cold front had swept in from the mountains, and a chill was in the night air. He tugged his jacket tighter about him with one hand while keeping a firm grip on his shotgun with the other. All he could do was bear it. It was his job, after all.
Bob had joined up with the security force of the colony because it was a dang sight easier than working in the fields. He lacked the technical know how to do anything else. Of course, when he had signed up, there hadn’t been a monster on Tanatos IV in years. Bob would never admit it to anyone, certainly not Jessup or Mr. Weaver, but he was utterly creeped out by the whole mess, and blowing off stream complaining was his method of dealing with the fear he felt.
The three of them rounded a corner in the street and kept walking. Moving helped Bob stay warm. His temper flared as Mr. Weaver brought them to a halt in the center of the street they had just moved onto. He could tell something was up but didn’t know what.
The monster came out of nowhere. It hit them so fast that no one, not even Mr. Weaver, had time to react. Bursting from the shadows at impossible speed, the monster plowed into them, knocking them all from their feet. Bob’s shoulder smacked onto the street as he tried to break his fall. Mr. Weaver rolled with the monster’s impact, already back up and into a firing position. Jessup was the unlucky one among them. The monster’s claws tore out his throat as it passed through their ranks. He lay on the street, body twitching, as spurts of red exploded from what was left of his neck.
Bob’s eyes went wide with horror at the sight of Jessup. He heard Mr. Weaver’s machine gun roar to life. A stream of fully automatic rounds slammed into the monster’s back where it had come to a stop. The bullets ripped at the flesh beneath the dense, brown hair covering the thing’s body. They had been warned to expect a monster that was composed of coherent darkness, not a flesh and blood thing that stood nearly ten feet tall, with thick muscles that rippled as it moved.
The monster howled in pain and fury as Mr. Weaver’s bullets shredded the flesh of its back. Whirling about, the monster charged them again. Its eyes glowed a feral red in the dimness of the street lights. Razor-like teeth glistened as its lips parted in an angry snarl. Mr. Weaver’s weapon clicked empty. With no time to reload, Mr. Weaver flung it aside, going for the pistol holstered on his hip. It slid free just as the monster reached him. Mr. Weaver had the weapon halfway up when the monster grabbed his arm. Bob heard Mr. Weaver’s bones snap as he screamed. The pistol went flying out of his grasp to clatter onto the street nearby. Bob knew he had to do something. If Mr. Weaver died, it would be down to just him and the monster, and those were losing odds for sure.
Scrambling to his feet, Bob took aim at the monster. Both barrels of his shotgun thundered as he emptied them into it. The heavy explosive slugs caught the monster dead center in its chest. Black blood flew as their impact sent the monster reeling away from Mr. Weaver.
“Sir!” Bob yelled, but Mr. Weaver wasn’t listening. The man was focused entirely on the monster, watching the creature as it regained its footing an
d got ready to spring at him again.
Bob snapped open the barrels of his shotgun, shoving fresh shells inside them. Mr. Weaver dove for the pistol that had been knocked from his grasp. His right arm hung useless and crushed at his side as he snatched up the weapon in his left hand. He spun around to face the monster, firing a trio of rounds at its head. Two of them missed the monster entirely. The third punched into its forehead, snapping its head back atop its neck. Bob was amazed that Mr. Weaver had scored a hit at all. Under the same circumstances, he knew he couldn’t have. The bullet bloodied the monster’s forehead, but didn’t pierce its skull. The bone there was too thick for such a light weapon.
“This is Weaver! We have engaged the monster!” Bob heard him shout over his comm.
Those were Mr. Weaver’s last words. Mr. Weaver managed two more shots at the monster before it closed the distance between them and sank the claws of its right hand into him. Mr. Weaver collapsed to his knees in front of the monster, staring up at it. The creature finished him with a punch that shattered his skull.
Bob realized he had stopped breathing and sucked in a massive breath. His skin was slicked with sweat born of fear. His trembling hands kept the barrels of his shotgun leveled at the monster as it stood over Mr. Weaver’s body. More out of a fierce desperation to stay alive than courage, Bob squeezed his shotgun’s trigger. The weapon bucked in his hands as it thundered. The shotgun’s blast tore through the air where the monster had been standing, but it was no longer there. The monster had thrown itself to the side just in time to dodge his shot. Bob screamed as one of the monster’s hands closed around the barrels of his shotgun, crushing them from the pressure of its grip. He let go of the shotgun, backpedaling away from the monster. After only a few steps, Bob swung about and broke into a full-out run.
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