But I have to do it for Avrell. If he’s right, this cure could save us all.
Julie’s flashlight cuts through the darkness, but only barely. I twist this way and that, trying to see through the gloom to spot the monster before he finds us.
“Keep close to me. If you see it, shoot it. Don’t hesitate. If he charges, run like the motherfucking wind and don’t look back.”
“What about you?” I ask.
“I’m going to do the same, don’t you worry.” She pauses, holding up her free hand. “Did you hear that?” she asks.
I tilt my head and listen closely. The amplified sound of snorting and claws pawing at the ground filters through my suit’s headphones. The beast is near.
Julie mimes for me to be quiet as we inch closer to the hatch that leads to the outdoors. Her light flashes over the ground and I stop her with a hand on her arm. There are tracks the size of lions leading from the hatch into the shadows.
My palms begin to sweat inside my minnasuit. We alter our path to follow the tracks. Every sliver of darkness feels like it’s the monster about to leap out and attack, every sound rattles me to the bone. Julie stalks forward like a marauder, however, and I cling close to her side so as not to get left behind. Being lost in these pitch-black tunnels with a monster on my tail isn’t a scenario I’d like to spend much time thinking about.
The howl comes again, this time closer. The sound licks down the length of my spine and curdles in the pit of my stomach. There are side rooms off this tunnel. It must be in one of them, watching, waiting. Looking for something to eat, somewhere to hide away from the aliens that had been chasing it.
It could have come into the prison like the first one had. Come in and eaten any one of us if it caught us unawares.
We can’t let that happen.
I won’t let it happen.
I tap Julie on the shoulder and motion that we should split up and search the side rooms. Being the badass that she is, she doesn’t question me and nods, taking the rooms on the left side. I take a deep, steadying breath, but it doesn’t soothe my nerves.
The first room holds equipment of some sort and is small enough for me to flash my light over its contents and move on to the next. This one is bigger, requiring that I go inside and peer around giant stacks of boxes to make sure it isn’t hiding behind one of them. I’ve cleared half the room when I hear it.
The snuffling, grunting sound.
The beast.
It’s in the room with me.
My heart drops to my feet and I consider running. Running and running until my legs give out from exhaustion, but I hold firm. This is for Avrell and the others. They deserve to live. I have to do this for them.
I thought he was silly calling me his mate. He barely knows me and when he was healthy, he could hardly stand to be in the same room with me and vice versa. But maybe he wasn’t.
Maybe, he was meant for me.
And I for him.
I only want the chance to find out.
Gritting my teeth, I continue my survey of the room, going from stack to stack, my heart tripping each time. Then, there’s a howl. One that is so close, I can smell its fetid scent through my suit. Sweat and rotting meat.
It’s on the other side of the stack. I can hear it grunting and clawing at the ground again. I’ll only have one chance to make a shot and I can’t miss.
I have to do this.
For Avrell.
6
Avrell
Three Solars Until Kevins Arrive…
They’ve been gone a long time. So long it makes me wonder if they’ll even return. Did they perish? Did the creatures kill them? Pain lances through me at that thought. Losing Zoe would mean the end for me. If I can’t have her, what’s the point of living?
I try to move from the bed, but I’m too weak. It’s imperative that I make it to the control room to view the cameras. But I don’t know that I could bear seeing her unmoving form on the screen. If I saw a beast feeding on her, I’d take a blade to my throat because it would be my fault.
I sent her away.
I did this.
My body aches, but I don’t think it’s from The Rades. It’s from the prospect of losing my mate. I’m absolutely certain she’s mine. There’s no way she can’t be. I feel it in my bones. The way it pulses through my heart. How it rattles inside my nog.
Mine.
And my mate isn’t a precious thing.
She’s fiery and volatile and tougher than zutametal.