As they entered the clearing, he was glad to see neither carnivorous plant nor mulks. When he heard a sigh of relief, Tom glanced at Jules to see she too had apparently been thinking the same thing.
“What do you have, Doc?” he asked by way of greeting and acknowledged Nik with a tilt of his chin.
Steven glanced at Captain Curran, who nodded encouragingly. Showing them the screen of his slate, he tapped one of the rectangles there. “The graves appear to be empty. There is evidence of biological and carbon-based material, but it is trace amounts.”
“Gone?” Tom exclaimed, glancing at Jules. “As in decayed?” Surely, they wouldn't have called him here for bits and dust.
“No,” Kim shook his head. “I saw no evidence of it. They're just gone or… looted.” Sounded better than body-snatched.
“So, are you saying there's no remains in them?” Jules shot Tom a look that spoke volumes. No bodies?
Just as Steven opened his mouth to reply, a blood-curdling scream rent the air, startling even Tom. Before he could even raise Derick, his link came alive with the chaos of a situation going to hell.
XXII
Underground
Herded into the main pyramid for safety, Hanae Akiyama listened like the others to the shouts and calls. She was relieved to hear when one of the Sharks standing guard reported that everyone was back safe. Glancing at Mahmud, Hanae could see she wasn't the only one relieved.
Within minutes, they were released, and she and Mahmud joined the squints filing out of the pyramid once more to continue their work.
“…probably killed all of them. Fucking jarheads. I'm sure they'll burn the carcasses or something. Won't even listen to us scientists.”
“We could ask, Dr. Thomas,” said a quiet voice. Both voices were behind Hanae and she recognized them instantly.
“I didn't ask you, did I? Besides, neither of us are built like Captain Long Legs, so he's not gonna listen to us,” the voice said with snide arrogance.
Hanae glanced at Mahmud, who was shaking his head, lips pressed tightly in anger. She didn't blame him. Dr. Rachel Thomas was not a friend of many in Olivia's team. Especially Sanjit, her assistant. In fact, Hanae was certain Olivia had kept the bitch on solely because she was one of the best entomologists. Even before the Exodus, Rachel Thomas was considered an expert in her field.
And the bitch never let anyone forget it. As if they could, with the woman shoving her opinion into everyone's research and work. With the world gone to hell, Hanae couldn't believe anyone could retain such a petty and bitter personality.
“Dr. Thomas.” Hanae announced each word sharply as she spun on a heel, ponytail snaking around on her shoulders. Smiling tightly, she took a step forward. “When you're done insulting and passing rumours on of what's left of humanity, I believe you have work to do.” Giving her a sharp nod, Hanae turned on her heel once more and shoved her way through the crowd.
* * *
When Mahmud joined her a few minutes later at their workstation, Hanae's face was still stormy. Not for the first time, he refrained from telling her how camera-friendly her pretty, Asian features were. Earlier, she would have rolled her eyes at him. Now? She'd probably shank him with a pipette.
“So,” he began, taking his place across the worktable from her. “I hope we build a BIG wall when we finally set up a colony. One of the Sharks had pics on their slate.”
He'd been a film student back when there had been an entertainment industry. Now, he'd found purpose in falling back on his biology minor. While he mourned not being the new Spielberg, Tarantino or Capello, he made a pretty good assistant and he liked working for Hanae.
“I never want to meet those things face to face.”
“You survived Dr. Thomas face to face, I'm sure you'd survive them,” Hanae grumbled, frowning at the small specimen jar in her hand. “This thing was purple when we got called in, right?” she asked, thrusting it at him.
Squinting at the now orange contents, Mahmud nodded, just as perplexed as she was. “I didn't add anything to it. Did you?”
“No.” Hanae shook her head and set the jar down as she glanced up. “Where's our Shark? Abrams?”
“Anderson. I don't know, I'll go look for him. Maybe they forgot about us in the chaos.”
“Okay. But hurry. I don't want to get him in trouble.” Turning back to the portable spectrometer behind her, Hanae went to work on analysing the water froth in the jar. After a second, she was humming to herself.
Yep, that was his sign. Mahmud only smiled at her back and went to find the Shark.
* * *
Parking herself on a small camp chair to study the results of the orange froth, Hanae set her slate on her lap and pulled the hair elastic from her pony tail. Looking at the information scrolling by, she absently pulled her hair back into a ponytail and secured it. The calcite content of the water was off the charts and so was the selenium content. Interesting. There was another substance, something that wasn't on the known periodic table.
Holy monkies! Hanae blinked. Three hundred some odd known elements on the periodic table and she'd just discovered a new one. A. New. Element. Hanaekomium? Ew…God no….
Something shook the vegetation in front of her and she looked up in reflex. Nothing. In the distance, she could hear Mahmud's voice, so this wasn't him. Was it a naf? The large plant in front of her shook once more. Spooked now, Hanae stepped back when something huge shot out of the ground in a rain of dirt and greenery.
When her brain registered the creature, Hanae screamed.
* * *
“So where are you from?”
Mahmud glanced back at Remy, his answer interrupted by a horrified scream he recognized immediately. “Hanae!!!” he yelled, breaking into a run towards their worksite with Remy hot on his heels.
* * *
Was it wimpy of him to go find Tammy after everything that happened? Like a kid seeking out his blanket, Luke headed for Tammy's workstation beside one of the smaller pyramids. Still a little shaken from his encounter with the mulk, Luke had difficulty concentrating. He needed to see Tammy because she knew how to help him focus, like she'd done in the months before he learned of Derick's survival.
He'd call her Baby Sister and she'd call him Dumb-ass and all would be right again.
As an exobiologist, she was probably gathering everything from soil specimens to plant mould. Or as Luke put it, elbows deep in plant and insect goop. Maybe even have it smeared across her nose. Heading down the cleared path, Luke spotted her and her Shark escort.
“Hey!” he called out, grinning.
“Luke!” Tammy beamed, arms going up for a hug. Luke had to laugh when mud landed on the Shark's cheek and he paused before wiping it off. “Glad to see you're in one piece. I was worried!”
“I'm too tough to kill,” he grinned looking down at her.
“Riiiight.” Tammy rolled her eyes before turning to the soldier. “Luke, this is Private Evan Chu.”
“Hey man,” Luke jutted his chin out in greeting. Chu nodded in return before heading off to stand a few feet away. Grinning at Tammy, Luke wiped mud off her cheek. “I just wanted to catch up. We haven't seen much of each other since we got here.” He would never admit, even to Tammy, she was kind of like his stuffed Glo-Worm from his toddler days.
Grinning, Tammy hurried back around her table, eager to show him what she'd been working on. “You have been busy,” she began, beaming at him in pride. Did he know how proud she was of him? Taking charge of the scientists like he was born to it? “Evan has been keeping an eye on me.”
“My pleasure, Dr. Adelaide.”
Doctor Adelaide? Luke turned to face Tammy, only to find her smiling doe-eyed at the Shark. “Uh huh,” he replied after a moment, narrowing his gaze at the Private. He suddenly felt protective of his friend…who was still staring at Chu. “So, you were saying…?” Luke waved a hand in front of her and pointed to the table. He'd grill Derick about Chu later. Maybe ask his brother to assign
someone else if this Shark turned out to be a trouser snake. Yeah.
“Hey what?” Tammy blinked at him owlishly and then looked at his hands. “Hey, if you have nothing to do, grab that specimen case. I've got bugs to collect.”
“More like bug poop,” Luke fired back, grabbing the case she indicated. No, this wasn't his idea of fun, but he was taking a break from work. “You have me for twenty minutes and then I have a date with a transponder.”
“That sounds like a personal thing!” Tammy smirked over her shoulder at him.
Suddenly, something large erupted out of the brush in front of Tammy and when the dust cleared, Luke found himself staring at the most terrifying thing he'd ever seen. Held up by four spindly but powerful legs, its tubular body was covered in dark, leathery flesh. There seemed to be no distinction between its body and head, resembling a worm on legs. Where a head should have been, were a mass of tentacles surrounding a maw of glistening, razor-sharp teeth.
“Luke, what…”
“GET DOWN!!” Chu shouted from behind them, a plasma bolt zipping over Luke's head so close he felt the heat.
The thing undulated to the left, dodging the bolt and let out a high-pitched hiss that made Luke clap his hands over his ears. The beast lunged forward, snapping its upper limbs around Tammy's slender body and yanking her off her feet. “Tammy!!!!” Luke yelled.
“HEY!” Chu shouted over Tammy's screams, pushing past Luke with his machete out. Swinging at one of the limbs, the private didn't stop when one was flung off in a spray of liquid.
With a squeal, the monster shoved at Chu with a powerful leg, sending him flying back against a tree. As Luke watched in horror, flesh curled back from its mouth as its neck rolled back. Suddenly, its head shot forward, expelling a gelatinous ball of something that slapped over Chu's entire face with a wet squelch.
“TAMMY!” Luke shouted as Chu started to scream and claw at the gunk on his face. Shit!! Snatching up the man's discarded machete, Luke ran forward, slashing at the limb reaching desperately for him. “Take my hand!!” Their fingers had just touched when something slammed into Luke so hard he fell backwards.
The pain was immediate and crippling, sending Luke into screams of his own as a clawed tentacle gashed him open again. Clamping a hand over his bleeding leg, he looked up just in time to see the creature… and Tammy… disappear into the dirt before her screams stopped echoing against the pyramid walls.
“TAAMMYY!!!!”
* * *
Lance Corporal Cori Harwood was on her way to relieve Private Chu for a break when distraught screams of panic cut through the air. Realizing they were coming from the direction she was going, Cori broke into a run. A minute later, she skidded into the clearing just in time to hear Rickman's agonized wail for Dr. Adelaide. Both Chu and Luke were down and there was so much fucking blood all over the younger Rickman.
Cursing, Cori ran forward to Luke, tapping her link. “This is Harwood! Grid 8, Bravo Two! Luke and Chu are down, I need Mayday!!!” she called, not bothering to check on Chu. Not that she was a medical expert, but she knew the release of death in the air. It was too late for the private.
Grimly, Cori dropped to the ground beside Luke. Slapping a hand over the gushing leg wound, she dug out the mini first aid kit secured in a cargo pocket. It wasn't much, gauze, some tape and an alcohol swab but it would do. Snatching the gauze, she piled it on top if the wound.
“Luke, where's the squint?” she asked, patting Luke's jaw with a bloody hand to get his attention. When he didn't answer, she cursed. He was going into shock. With the link still open, she hailed the others. “Gunny! The squint's missing!”
Luke's eyes seemed to roll back in his head and Cori caught his chin. “Hey…”
“She's gone…” Luke said hoarsely, eyes locking on the last spot he'd seen his friend. She'd been so scared, so aware of what was about to happen. “She's… It took her. That… thing… I let it take her!!” he said, trying to shove the Shark off him.
“We'll find her!” Cori stopped short of promising because it just wasn't something she could do. She grabbed his flailing hand and pressed it against his chest. “Which way?” she asked as she heard people approaching.
“Down there. Down…” Luke's voice broke. “It took her into the ground. I think that's where it came from. I couldn't stop it, I couldn't stop it from taking her…!”
* * *
Luke… Derick's gut churned into his throat as he turned automatically for that section. “M…” His voice broke like he was twelve. “Mayday…Tom…”
“On my way, Gunny!!” Maya's reply was strained and punctuated with grunts as she ran for Harwood's location.
“Go!” Tom's acknowledgement over the link shot Derick forward into a run, racing for his brother's location.
* * *
Arriving on the heels of Maya, Derick stopped short as she dropped to her knees at Luke's side. Joining her on Luke's other side, he grabbed one of his flailing arms. “Luke!”
“Gunny, I need him still!” Maya barked, shoving at the large gunnery sergeant with one hand. “You're in my light!”
With Luke being seen to, Cori turned her attention to her friend, Evan's body. Squatting beside him, she meant to close his eyes when she realized it was too goddamn late for even that.
“Oh fuck…” she whispered. Chu's face was gone. Just… gone. Down to bloody, bloody bone. No eyebrows, no eyelids and barely any flesh on the bridge of his nose. Just a macabre grimace and his eyes…Jesus.
What she'd thought were his dark eyes were gaping, bloody holes full of gelatinous goo.
“Jesus, Evan…” she whispered and shouldered off her kit to start taking care of the body.
* * *
At his brother's voice, Luke finally looked away from the spot where Tammy had disappeared. “Derick!” he said wildly, half-pleading with none of his usually cocky demeanour. “You have to find her! It took her into the ground! I couldn't stop it from taking her! You have to go after her!” he begged, ignoring Mayday's orders to be still.
There was only freshly turned earth where Luke was pointing. No hole or opening of any sort. What did he mean? Took her into the ground? Was that even possible? Maybe it ran off and Luke was delirious. “Harwood, see if you can find a trail,” Derick ordered over a shoulder as he ran a hand through Luke's hair. “We'll find her, I promise. Mayday?”
“He's going shocky,” Maya answered, checking the bandage secured around his leg. “I need to get him back to base camp and I need the shock packs from the Med Station.”
“There won't be a path, Der!” Luke grabbed his brother's harness as Derick lifted Luke to his feet. Mayday slipped under his other arm, but Luke wasn't paying attention. “It took her into the ground like some of kind of trapdoor spider!”
“Okay, we'll look. I prom…” Derick was cut short when Tom's voice came through the link in his ear.
“Derick! Something just snatched Hanae Akiyama! I want everyone back at the camp immediately for a roll call.”
Derick exchanged a look with Maya, who looked as concerned as he felt. “Dr. Adelaide was taken as well. Luke's injured, we're bringing him back. Mayday needs a shock pack from the Firefly. Jazz, get someone on that ASAP,” he ordered, hearing the various Sharks acknowledging the return to base call. “Harwood?”
“Yeah, Gunny?” Cori had just shouldered Evan's rifle and tucked his sidearm away into her kit.
“Belay my last and cover our six.”
XXIII
It
In the hour since he'd called the emergency muster, Tom was again impressed with what his Sharks were capable of. Not one argument, one complaint (or it was kept quiet). Not so on the Squint side. That lot, he was ready to shoot. However, anyone bitching was quickly shut up by a look from Jules that could have peeled paint. Jesus, he didn't want to be on the receiving end of that glare. Ever.
Deciding to let her handle the expedition team, he went back to his plans and sent out three teams of Sha
rks. One with Harwood to retrieve Private Chu's body, a second with Jackson to recon the site where Dr. Akiyama was taken and lastly, he'd sent Derick with a team to the Firefly, to start stripping off what hull plating they could salvage. Orphan Annie was still on the roof, ready to cut anything and everything down.
In the meantime, Mayday made use of one of the rooms off the main temple chamber, setting up a makeshift infirmary. The room wasn't very big, but it afforded the injured some peace and quiet. Right now, it was just Luke and the room (and Mayday's guard dog ownership of it) that kept pitying eyes off him and gave him the privacy to deal with his grief. Derick had told him what the young doctor meant to Luke and it twisted Tom's gut knowing he'd lost the girl he'd adopted as his baby sister.
His chest tightened and for a moment, Tom was back in a burning passageway staring at Lisa as plasma ignited the very air around her. Blinking back the burning in his eyes, Tom shook his head. Lisa hadn't been a sister to him, she'd been a lover. Fuck, this was not the time mate, Pod's voice chided him.
He had more important things to deal with.
“What's the verdict, Mayday?” he asked, glancing over where Luke lay on a cot facing the wall. The vibe coming off the younger Rickman screamed 'leave me the fuck alone!'
Looking up, Maya glanced at Luke and then gestured at the hallways beyond the room. Tom got the message and headed there first. Behind him, he heard the audible snap of the case she was repacking, before she joined him a second later.
“He is as well as can be expected, Major.” She sighed and ran a hand over her thickly braided hair. “Nothing vital was hit, although the leg wound was pretty deep. I'm more worried about his state of mind. He won't speak or respond and he's refusing painkillers.”
Bugger, Tom knew all about that state, didn't he? Hell, he had a waterfront plot there, overlooking Grog Creek and Wasted Dam. “Can I have a word with him?” he glanced at Luke through the open doorway.
“I'll give you some privacy, sir,” Maya nodded, pointing towards the main temple room. “You know where to find me.”
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