General Disclaimer: I still don't own the Roughnecks, and I probably never will own them. Sony and Foundation? I still want Carl for Christmas! ^____^ Natasha Davis, the pain in the ass that she is, belongs to me. Anyone want her? Didn't think so. (Tasha: HA! You're stuck with me!)
Rescue Me?
Tasha walked quietly down the tunnels. Her radio had been damaged in the fight, but it was still operational. Well, just barely.
"Lt. Razak," she whispered," this is Pvt. Davis. If you can hear me, state your position." She waited for what seemed like hours for a response. She growled. "Fine," she said," I'll find out my way. It pays to be a telepath."
She closed her eyes tightly. Seeing with her mind's eye, she searched for Gossard. Once she found him, she entered his mind and used his eyes to see the map on the Marauder's screen. Her head began to pound as she tried to make the images clear. Small beads of sweat dripped down her face. West...then north. She was about to use a psychic call to tell Gossard to stop when she was cut off. A bright flash of violet-blue light blinded her for a few minutes. She fell to her knees, breathing heavily.
'What the hell just happened?'
Tasha sat in the darkness for a moment to gather her thoughts. She had used psychic eye numerous times and had never experienced anything like that before. Something had stopped her from contacting Gossard. Or rather, someone had stopped her. She had never had trouble getting a clear image. Someone didn't want her to find the Roughnecks. She sneered and stood up once her vision had cleared.
**Who is out there?**
No response. She kept sending out her psychic call, hoping to draw out her pursuer. A Warrior charged down the tunnel at her when her back was turned. She grabbed its lower jaw with her left hand and snapped it off. It was the same method she had used on the surface to deal with the Kamikazes and Warriors on the surface. It had been an effective means of attack, but it did nothing to stop the Plasmas from destroying the only rescue ship in the area. She quietly recalled her mixed feelings about the deaths of the Fleet squad that had been piloting the ship when it exploded. She had almost lost her never and her head to the body of a diving Kamikaze. She looked down at the twitching body of the Warrior. Tasha then wiped some green slime from her power suit.
"Gross." She hated wearing Bug guts almost as much as she hated wearing the bulky power suits. She rolled her eyes and sighed as she walked on.
*******
Rico sighed. The Bugs were still and silent. their protective circle around their prisoners remained tight and unbroken. Hours had passed since Rico had opened his eyes to the sight of the Warriors that surrounded them. Things had been even more uncomfortable since then.
'Well, Carl,' thought Rico, 'if ever we needed you, now's the time. You could fry these bugs in a split second.' He looked around the cavern. "Why don they just bring out the Brain and get it over with? I hate just sitting here waiting to die!"
"Maybe they're just doing this so we'll crack," said Dizzy. She had woken up an hour before. And with a splitting headache, no less. She wasn't in a very good mood. Dizzy shot Rico a look that evidently meant to shut him up; he ignored it.
Doc offered up his theory. "Maybe we aren't what the Brain really wants? Maybe we're just the bait."
Rico cursed and stood up, shouting, "Come on out here, you swollen tick! Come on an get me!" He grabbed a rock and threw it at the circle of Warriors; they scattered and hissed but did not attack. Rico mumble obscenties under his breath and sat down angrily.
"Rico, please just calm down," cried Higgins. "It does no good for any of us for you to carry on like that!"
"Yeah," said Dizzy, "and besides, Razak wouldn't leave half his squad behind. I'll bet he's on his way to get us right now!"
"I hope so, Dizz," said Rico, bowing his head low. Although he felt the situation was hopeless, he knew that Razak hadn't let them down before. He would come and rescue them. Rico sighed heavily, suddenly feeling like a helpless child cornered by a mad dog. He looked around at the circle of Warriors again and frowned.
If Razak did come, would there be anything left to rescue?
*******
It took several hours of searching for Tasha to catch sight of Razak and the Marauders. Since the floor of the tunnel was made of stone, there had been no footprints for her to follow. Even the heavy Marauders didn't leave tracks. Her only advantage had been that the tunnels were completely clear; no Bugs, not even dead ones, had been in her way. She decided it was best to get closer to her squad before the Warriors on the surface came after her or more came out of hiding. She tried her radio again. Nothing. Again; still no reply. She started to run down the tunnel, hoping to catch them. She tripped over a loose rock and hit the ground hard, knocking the wind out of her. She cursed when she looked up. The Ruoghnecks were gone.
"Damn..."
She sat still for a moment, trying to catch her breath. She was completely exhausted and her body felt as if it were being ripped apart. She flexed her left hand; it felt strange, almost numb. She closed her eyes and growled.
'Fucking S.I.C.O.N. bastards,' she thought. She clicked on her homing beacon; she hadn't wanted to. She wasn't the one who needed rescuing. Perhaps she felt it would stall Razak and the others. She needed all the time she could get. She had to reach Rico and the others first...
A sharp pain erupted in her side; clutching her stomach, she began to cough up blood into her helmet. Andother sudden flash of violet-blue sent her into convulsions, writhing on the floor of the Bug tunnel.
Some wounds never heal...Some people...never die.
**Damn you! Why won't you die?!**
No reply.
**I know who you are! Answer me!!**
Several moments passed...
***You cannot have him...***
Tasha, still partially blinded, grinned. **That's what you think...old friend.**
*******
"Lt. Razak," said Gossard quietly, "another homing beacon just popped up on the screen."
"Where?"
"About forty meters behind us...It's Davis, sir. She's alive!"
Razak stopped, a hard look in his eyes. He looked behind him and sighed. "We can't go back now. She's on her own. She knew the risks when she enlisted! We keep moving!"
"Sir, I can be down there and back in ten minutes, tops. You and the Sarge can take the Marauders and...*"
"Negative on that, Corporal," said Razak. "Rico and the others are our top priority."
"Sir..." Gossard sighed and looked away. He hated having to abandon Tasha once again. She could be dying for all they knew. If he could get to her, maybe they cuold get her some help. He looked back at Razak. "Sir?"
Razak shook his head and sighed, "I'm going to regret this. Five minutes, Gossard. No more, no less."
"Yes, sir!" Gossard climbed out of his Marauder and jumped to the floor of the tunnel. Razak handed him his Morita and extra ammo clips.
"I want you both back alive, preferably intact. You get me soldier?"
"Sir! Yes, sir!" Gossard saluted and loaded both guns. With a nod back to his Lieutenant, he ran down the tunnel. Brutto shook his head and stared as Gossard vanished around a corner.
"Jeff's gone mental, sir..."
Razak nodded and sighed, "Let's get moving. Rico and the others are not far."
*******
Higgins was sitting away from the group, looking at his camera. The time that appeared on the screen was 5:30 AM, Sunday. He sighed and set up his camera on a flat rock nearby. He cleared his throat and pressed record.
"Day 33 of the Mars Campaign. It has been nearly six hours since my comrades and I had been captured. I can't believe we're still alive. The Warrior Bugs here -our jailers- keep a close eye on us. They're apparently saving us for the Brain--*"
"Shut up, Bobby!" Dizzy gave Higgins a nastly look and tossed a small rock in his general direction. "Just shut up! You make it sound as if we're already dead!"
Rico stood up and walked over to Dizzy; their captors hissed. "Dizz, give him a break. e's just doing his job." He gave Higgins a cold, hard stare and walked away. The young repoter took up his camera and set it down next to him.
Doc shook his head; out of all the captive troopers, he seemed to be the only one not going stir crazy. He had kept calm and in control the entire six hours since his capture. He wondered how long it would last. He watched as Dizzy sat away from the rest of them. She groaned and put her hand to her head. He raised an eyebrow. "Headache?"
"Yeah..."
He stood up and walked over to her. "Most likely from the fall. Head trauma or maybe even a concussion. I can give you some painkillers, but try not to fall alseep again. You might not wake up this time."
"Eh, who can sleep with giant Bugs watching your every move? It's too creepy." She spat at the Warriors as Doc administered the painkillers. The bugs screeched but did nothing.
Suddenly, a great rumbling was heard from that large entrance into the cavern. The floor of the cavern trembled. A giant black shadow loomed above them from the entrance.
It had come.
****
A/N: BUM BUM BUUUMMMM....dramatic reverb. Who is this unknown "old friend" who keeps trying to stop Tasha? Why does she want to get to Rico first? Why no Carl in this chapter?! Until next time! Live forever, Apes and Apettes!