Meanwhile, on the other side of the complex Goat was leading Dani and Reaper around the other way. They were all to meet back at the airlock.

Dani found it hard to be between the guys. She had to be aware of where she was pointing her weapon. She had heard too many stories of guys getting lazy and accidentally shooting a fellow soldier in the field. She was NOT going to make that mistake.

Goat felt himself slip into his "zone". It was when he felt the world go quiet around him and he could sense things that he could not see. It was so dark that even the flashlight on his weapon barely broke through the pitch black ahead of him.

Unfortunately, he was so focused on the staircase in front of him he failed to notice the canister at the top of the stairs. His boot hit it just a moment before he realized his mistake.

But it was too late. The canister tipped over and went tumbling down the stairs.

"God-dammit," He cursed. The word slipping out before he could stop it. Until fairly recently he had not worried about swearing. He had spoken without thinking. But ever since that day in the jungle he had promised himself he would change. To prove that he would change, everytime he said the Lord's name in vain, he would cut a cross into her forearm. He grabbed his knife, from inside of his boot, and took it out, roughly.

"Goat?" Dani was behind him, looking at the knife, afraid of what was going to happen next. "What are you doing?"

He finished his cross, and looked up at her. "I…I took his name in vain."

She frowned. What was she suppose to say to that? He was very deeply into religion and you couldn't stop him. "Have you seen Reaps?"

"No. Why? Any reason?"

"Heh. No, just wanted to make sure everyone was okay. Is there any problem with that?"

Goat put his knife, back into his right boot. "No. No problem." He turned around and there was Reaper.

"Let's keep going." He was cut off by a sound down the hallway, in the genetics room.

------------------

"Destroyer, Naktura five minutes is up. Lets go."

Destroyer help 'Tura up, and gave her a, one handed hug. "Everything is gonna be alright."

"Yeah. That's what everyone says. I guess as long as your here." She winked, as the taller soldier.

"Guess so." He gave a big smile. Destroyer wasn't one to usually smile, but he couldn't help it.

"We heard something in Genetics," Reaper's voice came over the comm, "We're re-entering."

"That's affirmative Reaper," Sarge replied.

Dani followed Reaper and Goat back into the Genetics lab. Immediately the smell made her almost take a step back. It smelled of blood and death.

"Looks like we missed the party," Reaper joked quietly.

"We were just here." Goat whispered urgently, "What happened to all the animals?"

Dani looked around, horrified by what she saw. Blood and guts were everywhere. On the walls, on the floor, hanging from the bent and broken cages. She could feel the bile rise up her throat, but determined, she fought it back down. She didn't get sick coming through the Ark, she wasn't about to get sick now.

Reaper led the way through the lab. He had seen too many things in his life to be easily shocked, but he had to admit something about this situation disturbed him.

He barely had time to complete that thought when he heard something coming from across the room. With a swift turn he had his gun aimed right at the sound. It appeared to be one of the scientists. Whoever it was, was wearing a white lab coat. He lowered his weapon to a less threatening position, trusting both in his trained reflexes and that Goat and Dani would cover him if there was trouble.

Dani had turned so that her back was to the men. She could see the man in the white lab coat over her shoulder. She bumped Goat slightly with her shoulder so that he knew she was there and so that he also knew she was not facing the current situation. She knew she had nothing to worry about. The same as she would not let anything happen to them, they would not let anything happen to her. It was a trust that had taken a long time to build, but it was something they had to have going into situations like this.

"Sir, RRTS, we're here to help." He spoke in a low tone, not wanting to startle the man. But, strangely, the man barely glanced at them. He seemed not to care that they were there. Had he lost his mind like Dr. Carmack? "Sir, are you ok?"

The man whipped around, holding a lab rat. Before they could react he had shoved the rat's head in his mouth and bit it off.

"Oookaay," Reaper drawled. This man was even more whacked out than Dr. Carmack.

After devouring the rat, the man with the white lab coat, grabbed a knife next to him. He grunted, and look ready to Sarge.

"No. No! Sir put the weapon down."

The man gave a snarl, and started to charge. But at the same time; Goat, Dani, and Reaper started to fire their weapons at him. After a few bullets, through his chest, he was done, as fell onto the cage, that he grabbed the rat from.

"CONTACT REPORT!" Sarge barked into his comm.

"We found another one of the scientist. He rushed us, crazy just like Carmack."
"Can you ID him?"

"We got a Dr. Olsen. You we bag him, and tag him?"

"Negative, continue your search."

"You see Sarge. I told you something was here."

"No Naktura, you said something was studying us. Stalking us."

She took a step closer to Sarge. "Do you not get this? That thing was studying; Reaper, Goat, and Dani."

"What are you talking about? Do you need to switch places with someone? Want to go in the lab with Sam, and Duke cam come out, and help us? Or switch with Mac? Has Portman got to you?"

"Jesus. Why isn't anyone listening to me?" She turned to Destroyer. "Des, you believe me, right?"

"I don't know, Maybe you need to sit out for a while. I think Portman got into your head."

"I'm not crazy. You aren't listening. Fine I'll go with another group." She walked off down the hall, and took a sharp turn.

"NAKTURA"

Of course she heard him, but she was so pissed, she refused to answer. What group would she go with? Perhaps with Mac? After all he always wants to be a part of the battle. "EEEKKK"

Destroyer was next to her in a heartbeat. "What is it?"

"I saw something!" She gasped. "Something was staring at me! Destroyer, you have to believe me. I saw something!"

Destroyer said nothing, his eyes searching the darkness. He saw nothing, but trusted that Naktura wouldn't make anything up.

"There's nothing there now." He commented softly. "Come on, don't let the Sarge get to you. Stay with us. Don't be walk'n around on your own here."

Naktura was going to argue, but when she looked up at Destroyer she could see the concern in his eyes. So she just nodded and turned to follow him back. She'd change places later, when it was safer.

Back in the genetics lab Dani took one last look at the scientist. She could feel a cold chill run through her. What was going on here?

"Look at him Reaper," She whispered to the man standing next to her as he checked his weapon. "He looks like he's been dead for days."

Reaper looked at the scientist and then at her, "Well, he's really dead now."

She glanced at him to see if he was joking.

He was. He gave her a quick, reassuring wink, "Come on, we gotta keep moving."

Slowly he and Goat moved towards the door. Dani wasn't sure she was ready for what was on the other side of it, but she followed their lead.

The doors opened and Goat and Reaper stepped through, sweeping each side of the hallway.

Suddenly there was a sound behind her. Like something big falling over. She spun around and started firing. Immediately Reaper and Goat were on each side of her firing with her.

"Go, go, go!" Reaper started shouting at Dani as they then took to chasing the creature through the lab.

"Contact report!" Sarge shouted at them through the comm.

Goat and Dani got to the other door at the same time and swung out, clearing each side of the hallway. Reaper ran between them, chasing after the creature.

"We're chasing something!" Reaper replied to Sarge.

"What do you mean something?" Sarge demanded.

"Something big!" He replied as they all ran down the hallway. Reaper stopped at the corner to get coverage from Dani and Goat, "Not human!"

"God-dammit, give me a confirmation on what you see Reaper!" Sarge's voice rose even higher.

As they rounded the corner they could see a floor grating had been pulled up.

"It's in the sewer." Reaper spoke up, "All units, all units, southeast corridor near the med lab."