Chapter Ten:

"What have you done?"

Tom watched in horror as Pope knelt down and scooped up Sky into his arms. He froze in step as Pope walked past him. Blood was running down Sky's face and arm, and rage coursed through Tom's veins. He didn't have to shoot her. He didn't have to kill her. What was he thinking? It wasn't her fault that she was what she was. They did that to her just like what they did to him.

"Tom." Weaver stood behind him, sensing his anger. "Tom." He reached for Tom's shoulder, but Tom pulled away, bent on following Pope.

Anne was right behind Pope. She tried to look at Sky, but Pope kept moving. He carried her back into the medic lab that was set up. He lied her gently down onto a table, and then Anne was able to assess what was done. And she looked up at Pope with tears in her eyes.

"Pope!" Tom grabbed him and slammed him into a wall. "Damn you," he spat.

"Tom," Anne said.

"What have you done, Pope?"

"Tom."

"What?" He glared at Anne.

"She's alive." Tom didn't release Pope from his grip. "She's wounded, but she's alive." Tom glared at Pope. "Let him go."

"Tom, do what she says." Weaver was now hovering near Sky, staring at the bullet hole in her left shoulder. "Tom…"

"I heard you the first time." He let go of Pope. "Why did you shoot her?"

"To keep her from escaping again." Pope straightened himself up and pushed past Tom. "I wasn't going to kill her."

"You had me fooled," Tom snarled. "I saw that gun pointed at her head."

"Well, I moved my aim just when I fired. Besides, we can use her."

"Use her?"

"Tom, take it easy." Weaver approached Pope. "How do you suggest we use her?"

"She saw something. Right before I shot her, she saw something, and it scared the hell out of her. It scared her so bad that her nose started to bleed." Pope looked from Weaver to Tom. "The watch towers?"

"What about them," Weaver asked.

"They're not watch towers. According to Sky, they're beacons."

"Beacons?"

"Yeah, doc, beacons." Pope glared at Tom. "Those damn aliens are calling for reinforcements, and if we don't do something soon, this war is lost." Anne approached them. "How is she?"

"She'll live, no thanks to you." Pope shrugged. "She's in a lot of pain. I don't know if it's from the bullet or whatever else she went through. What was she doing before you shot her?"

"I don't know. Meditating." Tom shook his head at Pope's answer. "Well, if you don't like that answer, you can kiss my ass."

"Weaver, put me back in charge." Pope laughed. "You think that's funny? You're a loose cannon. You don't know what the hell you are doing. At least, I know what to do." Pope turned his back on him. "Fine, Pope. Walk away. That's what you do best. Just walk away."

Pain surged through Tom. He stumbled back, nearly falling over. Weaver grabbed him, trying to keep him steady. Tears stung his eyes, and he tried to speak. But all he could do was stare at Pope, who now held Rick in his hands.

"This is why you can't be put back in charge."

"Rick, move away." Rick tried to break free from Pope's grasp, but Pope held him still. "Rick here was eavesdropping on us. It seems to be a new fad, but he's proving my point. You go out into the field, Tom, and this is what happens to you. You're a liability, and so is she. But, at least, Sky can prove useful."

"Pope, let him go." Weaver moved Tom over to Anne, who helped him toward a chair. "Now."

"Whatever you say, sir." Pope pushed Rick toward the door. "Don't let me catch you eavesdropping again." He pointed a finger at the boy. "Now, get out of here." He watched Rick leave the room.

"You're really something, you know that?"

"I was just proving a point. He can't be part of the mission."

"That's not your place to make that decision, Pope. Now, get out of this room before I can't restrain myself anymore."

"You going to hit me, Weaver? Take your best shot."

Somebody struck Pope from behind. Pope fell to his knees. He slowly stood up and rubbed his chin. He turned around to face his attacker and was surprised to see Hal ready in a fighting stance for him, and he laughed. The boy was certainly becoming a man.

"Get away from my father," Hal said. "Now, before I hit you again."

"You got a good fist, kid." Pope moved past him, still rubbing his chin. "Your father, however, is not as good as you." He left the room.

"What did he mean by that?"

"Couldn't tell you, Hal." Weaver returned to Tom, but he seemed better. "You okay?"

"He's a loose cannon, Weaver."

"I know, Tom, but he's right. You can't join the mission. You can't fight."

"Yes, I can." Tom struggled to his feet, still unsteady. "I can help."

"No, you can't. I'm sorry." Weaver touched his shoulder and then moved away. "Anne, how's Sky?"

"Ask her yourself. She's awake."

Pain coursed through Sky. Her left arm was bloody, weak. Anne urged her to lie down, but she wanted to sit up. Her head throbbed, and she could still feel that alien's hand touching her mind. And a small stream of blood raced down her nose. "It attacked me," she whispered.

"What did?" Weaver stood over her. "What did you see?"

"The aliens. Not the skitters, but the other ones. They knew that I was spying on them, so they attacked me." She closed her eyes as a tear escaped. "I'm their enemy now."

"But you're not our enemy." She looked at Weaver. "Tell me what you know."

"It's what Pope said. Those watch towers are beacons, and they're calling home. But they won't be skitters. They don't need skitters when the harnessed kids are turning into them." Sky looked at Tom for a moment. "We can't let them finish those towers. If those aliens come here, then Pope is right. We lose. It's over."

"Then, we can't let that happen," Hal said. "Let's blow those towers up."

"Those towers are in every major city, Hal." Weaver rubbed his chin. "We need a coordinated attack. We need to know that it's just not us out there. We move up the mission. We go now to the cities, underground, and to surveil their actions. As soon as we know their timetable and when they plan on calling home, then we'll have to attack."

"Let me help," Tom said. "Please, Weaver. Let me help. Let me go underground. They know me."

"And if the skitters are there?"

"Then, he won't be alone." Hal stood beside his father. "I got his back."

"I should go," Sky said. "They know me. They can trust me. You can trust me."

"Tell me something, Sky. How did you contact the aliens?" Weaver watched her slowly point to the second quill on her back. He slowly touched it and felt its heat. "So, that's how you did it. The third quill was a weapon. What's the first one?"

"I don't know." Sky shuddered at the thought. "I don't want to know."

"Well, if that statement doesn't make me uncomfortable, I don't know what does." He stared at those around him. "Anne, you need to get that bullet out of her arm. Tom…" He looked from Tom to Hal. "You have a go. Take Hal, Dai, and Anthony. Any problems, and I mean any. You get your ass back here pronto."

"Yes, sir." Tom and Hal started to leave the room. "Weaver?"

"Yeah, Tom?"

"What about Pope?"

"He's got surveillance duty."

"And you?" He noticed an uncertain look on Weaver's face as he glanced at Sky. "Weaver?"

"Don't worry about me, Tom. Worry about yourself." He watched Hal lead Tom out of the room. "Anne?"

"Yes, sir?" He looked at her when she said that. "What?"

"Let me know when our patient is fully recovered." He glanced at Sky again. "We need to have a long talk."

Sky didn't like that statement very much. She couldn't blame Weaver, though. She was a liability, and so was Tom. But she was far more dangerous. She could still feel that hum coursing through her second quill, but now she wondered about the first one. Was it a weapon, or was it something far more worse?