AN: Confusion, chaos and a whole lot of crazy! On top of that a cliffhanger. It will make sense I promise. If any of my readers have ever been in the military or even are police officers, and have seen a conflict you will understand the style of that last chapter. For many who have seen combat the memories of the fight are rarely linear. You remember the events in a sort of rolodex in random order. Things don't connect immediately and the events that you went through tend to come and go. But after awhile it all comes back and you get to make sense of it. With that in mind try and reread the last chapter and put yourself in that way of thinking.
Chapter: 21 The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday.
The power was out completely; the only source of light coming from the occasional backup source or sparking equipment. Somewhere in the inky gloom Marcus could hear water splashing.
"What's the move Marcus?" Boomer's deep voice rumbled from behind him.
They had settled in the hallways outside of the sterile rooms they had found Matthew and his sister in for almost twenty minutes. The violent sounds of gunfire and screaming had died down….. to Marcus the eerie silence that followed was far worse.
"We stick to the plan; make our way back to the entrance."
"You remember the way?" Sarah squeaked from her position next to Matt. In the rush of the chaos they had opted to leave him and his sister in their beds for the time being.
"Not in this dark….but I can remember that it was pretty straight forward."
He hoped.
"Well there isn't any point in just sitting here in the dark. Let's go before security stumbles onto us." Derrick growled.
The big man hoisted matt over his shoulder with a grunt and moved towards the end of the corridor.
Marcus lifted Lisa carefully into his arms and followed after the bulky shadow.
This is going to suck.
Slowly, silently she moved through the dark. She was comfortable in the shadows; one with the gloom that separated most species; made them vulnerable and afraid. Soft controlled footfalls, absolute silence.
Sha-shui made her way through one portal after another slowly scanning each new environment. Her breath came slowly, each muscle contraction controlled and precise. She recounted everything that had happened up to this point. The oomans were completely unaware of her intrusion; many had walked right past her, never aware that death was so close. She lurked deeper into the ooman facility, following the subtle scent of her sister. The area was so sterile that Kjuhte's scent was easy to pick up. Then suddenly everything went awry. There were several explosions and the power failed. Armed oomans ran around in the shadow yelling and screaming, while others in white clothing ran for the exits.
What have you done sister?
One fact was clear; if any of these pauk-de oomans had harmed her they would pay dearly.
One room after another passed and as she crept closer towards the center of this place; the damage became more apparent. Scorch marks pocked the wall, equipment sparked and sputtered, and the occasional limp form of an ooman appeared in her mask lenses. Crumbled against a wall or sprawled on the floor missing heads and limbs. She had even found one still alive, lying against an overturned table, the poor creature trying to hold his innards in the large gash that split his belly open. She had quietly given him peace before moving on. All signs of her, apparently, enraged sister.
The carnage worried the huntress as she continued on. Though all Yautja were subject to volatile tempers, an unfortunate leftover of their more primal ancient genetics, Kjuhte was always very collected even when agitated. She could not remember once where her hunt sister had let her emotions get the better of her.
Except when it came to Matthew.
The fear that something might have happened to the ooman male and his younger sibling spurred Sha-shui forward. She needed to find them all if she could. She feared what Kjuhte would do if she had found the ooman injured….or worse dead.
Rushing through the dark hall the big huntress cared little when she sent an armed guard or terrified scientist sprawling against the wall. They were a blur as she focused everything into finding her sister, every fiber of her being geared towards locating the familiar smell or any hint of any of the oomans that entered this damned facility. She was so distracted by her mission that she didn't notice the large shadow that loomed in front of her until it was almost too late. The bulky mass grunted as it slammed into her midsection and fell backwards. It was holding something that fell to the floor with a heavy thud. She switched her vision mode and nearly squealed with excitement at the sight.
"Boomer you okay?"
Marcus had to fight the urge to laugh out loud at the man's cursing. Even under the stressful situation it was hilarious when the big guy ran into something, the pitch black made it impossible to determine what exactly that something was.
"Yea Yeah…and fuck you too!" his friend growled in the darkness.
"Marcus we need a new plan; we'll never make it outta here like this." Sarah's shaking voice came from the dark to his left. "and I need to get to where I can see them…I can't help for shit in this."
Marcus sighed and shifted the weight of Lisa in his arms.
"I know….we just gotta keep moving." In truth he was beginning to think they had bitten off more than they could chew. The plan had been good and they seemed to be making progress. But whatever else was happening had thrown it all out of the window. Now he was just grasping at straws….but he had to remain motivated and keep them moving.
Fear was contagious.
"It would seem you need assistance Mar..cus."
The group froze at the deep rumbling, but clearly feminine, voice. Marcus wasn't sure if he should laugh or cry….. He knew that voice.
How in the hell am I going to explain this one?
"Perhaps you would like some help from a…."pretty girl"…" The voice purred.
Marcus squeaked as something stroked his rear.
"Sha this is a piss poor time for payback don't you think?" he growled.
The alien responded with a thrumming chuckle.
"Agreed little male."
Unintentionally his back stiffened.
What does she mean by little?
"Marcus…what the hell is going on and who the hell is that?" Derrick whispered from the gloom.
He knew he should have said something but he hadn't known how to go about it. The small alien group had insisted on being left out as much as possible; but had offered their help if was needed. Marcus just hadn't counted on them actually being needed to this extent. Now he was standing in the dark surrounded by inky black, talking with the alien female whom he had promised to keep quiet about.
"Backup."
The answer sounded decidedly stupid.
"You didn't mention we would have help." Derrick questioned sounding suspicious.
"They wanted to remain as anonymous as possible. Knowledge of their help would not go over well; if Yutani found out."
As he kept talking Marcus just felt more stupid.
"I know I should have said something but I figured ya'll would prefer to remain as separate from this possible."
Derrick's sigh sounded like a bull exhaling.
"You mean, besides being cut off from the exit in the pitch black under the Bering fucking sea, leaving us out of your plans so we wouldn't get in trouble right?...yeah I'm feeling real separate from this whole bullshit affair. How about you Sarah you feelin' real separated and safe from this shit?"
"I have to admit I'm not feeling all that cozy and snuggly right now." Sarah answered dryly
"And how come this "friend" of yours has night vision gear and we're stuck fumbling around like a buncha virgin teenagers in their parent's basement?"
"Derrick!...I'm sorry okay. I'm winging it here man! Matthew never left us in the lurch; I wasn't about leave him. Remember….rangers don't leave a man behind….ever!"
Marcus was getting desperate; he could feel his heart racing and the darkness just seemed to keep closing in on them. He felt like he might have a panic attack if they didn't get this moving again.
"I don't…I don't know what to do…alright."
A solid thump echoed in the dark.
"OW! WHAT THE HELL!" Derrick yelped.
"You should be more respectful male." Sha growled in the dark.
"If you weren't a women lurking in the dark; I would knock the shit outta you for that." The big man growled.
A deep rumble answered him.
"I would welcome that challenge little squishy male." Sha purred.
"Squishy!...Squishy!...she just called me squishy!"
Sarah chuckled. "Well you have put on some weight big guy."
Marcus could imagine the man's face right about now; gaping like a fish out of water and turning beet red.
"Well ain't this some sweet shit." A strange accented voice replied instead.
Suddenly the small group was blinded by multiple flood lights. Marcus threw his hand up to shield his gloom soaked eyes. He noticed that Sha was still cloaked, or whatever the hell it was they did to disappear, and hoped that the group of armed men hadn't noticed the slight shimmer moving towards the wall.
"I have to admit lads this has all been very entertaining but it's time to end the games; you have something that belongs to us. I would greatly appreciate if you returned it."
A slender man with slicked back hair stepped into the lights. Marcus had never seen him before but by the looks he wasn't a flunky. His eyes were always moving, taking measures of everything. His hands hung lightly by his sides, but appeared ready to move instantly.
"Fuck you!...and your voice is annoying."
Marcus groaned at Derrick's response.
Nice going dumbass!
The creepy man just smiled and nodded to his men. The small group he was with were no slouches either. Well armed and disciplined they moved quickly and quietly to surround them, their H&K 45 sub machine guns aimed low.
Not to kill, but to cripple.
Marcus didn't like were this was going. They wanted to detain them and take Matt back; that would end badly.
"When we get everything settled; you're going to tell me how you managed to get this far. And believe me when I say you will tell me everything." The accent man stated flatly. "Take them."
The small group tensed ready to fight. What happened next they would debate for years to come. It happened so quickly that nobody in the hall knew what was happening. One second a uniformed man was reaching to disarm Derrick; the next he was flying across the corridor and slamming into the bulkhead. The loud wet crunch of his skull crushing was the only sound for a brief moment.
"Oh fuck me." Marcus whispered.
Then chaos erupted.
The remaining men began firing their weapons; at the same time the small group of rescuers dropped behind a cluttered pile of tables and steel transport cases. For a few brief moments of crazy the two groups traded fire. The guards had taken cover around the corners of a T section of the corridor. Now it was a stalemate.
Derrick fired a few rounds blindly around his corner.
"Be careful "boomer" you might hit Sha."
Derrick glanced around the corner.
"She isn't there…wait…where the hell is she?"
Marcus grinned sheepishly.
"She has way more than just night vision."
The big man just gaped at him.
"Okay two questions. One what do we do? And two is she single?"
"I have no idea and you don't stand a chance in hell with her."
Marcus couldn't make out much in the dancing lights of the guards flashlights and he sure as hell wasn't going back the way they had just come. All and all it looked like they were fucked. Suddenly boomer stopped take pop shots and stared behind them. Turning slowly Marcus shut his eyes and groaned. The creeper with greasy hair had managed to double back and used another corridor to circle them. Now he stood with his nine millimeter pointed point blank at Matthew's head.
"Okay…let's go through this again…drop your weapons and stand down or…I blow his fucking head off."
He never blinked, never raised his voice. He reminded Marcus of a viper just sitting and waiting patiently before striking violently and with devastating consequences…..special forces…or a serial killer one of the two.
The two men slowly let their guns drop to the floor and put their hands on their heads.
"Just take it easy man." Sarah pleaded
The following moments would be something that the young woman would never forget. It started form deep within the dark bowels of the facility and grew and swelled. A sound that none of them but one had never heard before. It echoed from the cold walls and filled all of the little spaces.
A deep pitiful cry mixed with a bellowing roar.
"Go to your males little one." A voice told her from nowhere.
Odd blue electricity crackled and sizzled; unveiling the form of a massive "person". Her skin was dark and scaly in appearance and she wore the oddest looking gear. Her face covered by an archaic and cold mask.
"Go now little one." The creature growled.
The sleazy looking man stared at the creature before him.
"She was right. You are real." He whispered in awe.
"Yes ooman…and for that knowledge and the crimes you have committed here; you will face your reckoning."
The roar punctuated her statement….it was coming closer and fast.
"Many will die this hunt….Paya forgive us."
AN: I just want to say that I am so sorry for this delay. With job and pregnant wife I have been simply overwhelmed. I'm hoping to kick it back into gear and wake myself up. I just haven't had the steam to work on this. But I am still here and I'm still writing. I hope that you will stay with me my friends.