Chapter 25: Black Diamond
After losing herself in another kiss, Claire withdrew her arms and spoke.
"K-mart is on that ship." Alice nodded gravely in response, and the redhead continued with conviction. "I have to go after her – I have to go after them all."
The taller woman brushed away a lock of hair that had fallen over Claire's face.
"We'll go together. Once the UPV is ready we'll leave." There was nothing else they could do to prepare for the rescue, so Alice changed the subject. "So are you up for a shower?"
Claire did want to stay with the brunette, but the same blood that was running through her veins poured in another and she was drawn to its call.
"Actually, I'd like to go see Chris."
"If you're sure..." The brunette raised an eyebrow impishly.
"Oh don't worry, I have every intention of taking advantage of that shower," the younger woman approached Alice to whisper in her ear, "and you." She kissed her the brunette chastely on the cheek, and turned to leave.
"Hold on. Before you go -" Alice left her statement unfinished as she grabbed her pack and undid the zipper. She fished through its contents, and Claire heard the distinct sound of shifting coins.
"Do you have money in there?"
"Quarters," Alice answered.
"Quarters?"
"It's a hobby," the taller woman explained.
"Ok. I mean some people collect stamps so-"
"I don't collect them," Alice retorted feigning insult. She pulled out a red shotgun slug and unfolded the closed plastic to show her companion that, instead of shot, the interior was filled with quarters.
"Oh," Claire responded.
Alice set the slug aside and went back to her original intention. She withdrew a pitch-black Berretta 90two. She'd picked the gun up in Russia; at first, she hadn't thought the semiautomatic was anything special, but as she handled the weapon she became aware of its excellent design. It was a custom build highlighted by the craftsman's signature: an imprinted drawing of a diamond on the handle. She held it up to Claire by the barrel, grip out.
"I'm assuming you remember how to use it," Alice said.
The redhead took the gun in hand and proceeded to show Alice exactly what she remembered. She pushed the magazine release and caught the falling clip deftly with her free hand. The container was maxed out with 9mm bullets, so she slid it back in, switched off the safety, and pulled back the hammer as she aimed the weapon at the cell entrance. Claire held the pose firm for a moment; then in a graceful motion reset the hammer and let the gun fall to her side.
"Good," Alice commented, "just keep an eye out for Luther ok?" She gave the redhead a couple more loaded magazines, seventeen rounds each, as well as a holster to be placed on her belt.
Claire took the items and put each in their respective place as she spoke. "I'll be fine; besides, now I have you and Chris to watch my back. I'll see you when you're done with your shower?"
Alice nodded, "Of course."
The redhead smiled with content and exited the cell. Alice watched her go. The gentle sway of her slender hips was accented beautifully by the new pistol at her side.
It's probably a good thing I'm taking a cold shower, the brunette thought as she left for the shower-block.
Alice entered the block and was thrilled to see numerous large pedestals with shower faucets lining the walls. The eastern section of the area was devoted to space for the inmate's discarded clothes and covered racks of towels. She went to the nearest faucet and turned the knob. The pipes creaked and groaned until a steady flow of water emerged from the rusting spigot.
The brunette held out her hand and smiled as the water drenched her skin. The chill of it began to numb her fingertips so she pulled her arm back and began to undress. She only got as far as removing her gun holster and placing it on the low, outward ring of an adjacent pedestal when a frequency, other than that of the failing water, vibrated her eardrums.
Alice immediately extracted a revolver from her abandoned holster, and aimed it in the direction of the noise. Her life had been saved by paranoia more than once, so she approached the offending towel rack with caution. When she was close enough she brought her empty hand up and threw back the curtain hanging from the frame. The exposed Wendell pitched up his hands in obvious surrender.
"Hey now, take it easy," the balding man pleaded.
The brunette was instantly furious, and she motioned him to move away from the rack with her firearm. "Move it."
Hands still raised, Wendell complied and said, "I'm just going to be on my way now." The spy tried to edge along one of the walls away from the gun wielding brunette, but she grabbed him by the shirt collar and couldn't keep herself from jamming the weapon under his chin. For a second she contemplated ending the pervert's life, but she was strangely confident that he would get what he deserved. Bastards like him – always did.
She let the man go, but kept the revolver trained on him, "get outta my sight."
Wendell took half a step when his eyes shifted to look behind Alice. The brunette turned abruptly, and was face to face with a creature she had never encountered before. The undead's mouth was ajar, and extending from the mangled orifice was four oily forceps that opened like a flower. Its electric blue eyes addressed her with hunger. She aimed straight for the converging point of the tentacles and didn't hesitate in pulling the trigger. The bullet entered the fiend's mouth, and blew out the back of his head in a bloody display of firepower. The creature dropped to the ground, and Wendell turned to flee, but was intercepted by another rotting undead.
Wendell's scream was muffled by the beast's forceps as they latched onto his face. His facial bones were snapped like toothpicks; even the sound was the same. Before Alice could make the conscious decision to help him, another of the modified undead ran at her. She emptied a round into its forehead, killing it, as Wendell was dragged away. The brunette turned just in time to see the man's feet eclipse the hole in a floor as he was pulled down.
Alice scanned the area for more danger, but all was still. She walked up to the hole in the tiled floor, and crouched down next to it. The chasm was just big enough for a person, gradually sloped down, and even though she looked – she couldn't see its end. From the pit the sting of warm methane burned her nostrils, so she stood and went back to the pedestals.
Well, so much for that shower, Alice thought as she grabbed her leather holster.