"That direction." Blue pointed through the tropical trees, the brush covering the sand at their feet. "He stands out like a beacon. It's close." The shark mutant shivered, tremors evident. The rifle in his hand rattled metallically in sympathy. "I'm not gonna be able to get much closer without flopping over onto the ground, Ms. Fox. I won't be of much use to you from here on out."
"Call me Shalimar," Shalimar murmured for the millionth time. She tilted her head up, testing the air. "You're right. He's close, and he's hurting. The sweat is pouring off of him. He's feverish." She sniffed again, and frowned. "Many people around him, and I smell gunpowder, which means that they're armed. I also smell Morrison. What's she doing here?" Shalimar sniffed again, the scents of the area telling her a bedtime story that she really didn't like: this was another site where shark mutants had been assaulted. One scent seemed familiar; she turned to Blue. "They recently took another shark mutant right here on the ground in front of us, Blue, that shark mutant by the name of Danzig."
Blue frowned. "When?"
Shalimar inhaled, searching for the diffuse odor molecules. "Yesterday, I think."
"Before the sniping incident?"
That came out of the blue. Shalimar blinked. "Probably. After all this time I can't be certain. Why?"
"Let's just say that Eric Danzig hasn't been one of our most stable mutations." Blue unlimbered his radio. "Yo, boss. Come in."
"Private? I thought you were on radio silence."
"No time. Listen, Danzig got slutted, probably yesterday or so. I told him to take it deep, but you know how he is. And now Ms. Fox found his scent up here. I'm kinda concerned, boss."
"Right. Thanks for telling me, Private. I'll take care of it." Vanderworthy clicked off the communication channel.
Shalimar looked at Blue balefully. "What was that all about?"
Blue looked sheepish. "We may have found our sniper. Like the lieutenant said, we'll take care of it. We take care of our own."
"Right. Before or after he shoots Brennan?"
"He's not here, is he?" Blue asked innocently. "We'll find him, Ms. Fox. You can count on that. Danzig's a good fish."
"Right," Shalimar all but snarled. But Blue was correct, no matter whether Danzig was the sniper or not, the shark mutant wasn't in the vicinity and Brennan and a few dozen well-armed black marketers were. Priorities, girl! She came to a decision and turned to the non-coms beside her who had followed like moths after a blazing flame. "You. Take a dozen men and circle to the right. You, take another dozen to the left. The rest of you prepare for a frontal assault in ten minutes, on my signal."
"We'll kill the hostage," the non-com objected.
"Not if I can help it."
"Miss, you can't go in there—"
"The hell I can't." Shalimar's eyes yellowed. She bared her teeth. The non-com gulped, suddenly understanding that the sweet and innocent little thing crouched next to him was as dangerous as any shark mutant. He gulped again. These mutant types were dangerous! "Ten minutes. Then open fire."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The water was no longer cold. His teeth weren't chattering any more, and his thoughts were wandering. In his more lucid moments, Jesse realized that hypothermia was setting in. What a relief; it meant that soon he could give up the fight to keep his head above water and slip away into the watery depths. Better to drown than to become shark bait. He'd seen something large and lethal in the murky waters below. It hadn't paid attention to him, but Jesse had no doubt that there were more in the vicinity and getting chomped into bits sounded infinitely more painful than inhaling a couple lungs' worth of water.
He drifted. Water splashed over his head.
"Jesse? Jesse, can you hear me?" The sound gurgled as it came out of his comm. link.
Yeah, but talking with a mouth full of sea spray ain't gonna happen, Adam.
"Jesse, come in! Dammit, Jesse, answer me!"
Kinda busy dying here, Adam. Talk to you next Tuesday.
Something seized him by the arm. Jesse felt a momentary alarm: damn. Shark bait after all. Oh, well; at least it'll be quick. I hope.
"You," said an angry voice in his ear. Jesse would have jumped in surprise if he could have mustered the energy. Right now the only thing keeping his head above water was the sandpaper covered hand under his shoulder.
Yeah, me. You were expecting someone else?
"You were the one shielding that damn electrical mutie. I would've nailed him if you hadn't gotten in the way."
Hope you weren't expecting me to respond to that statement. I'm only doing questions right now. I can groan, if you'd like.
"Not so brave when you don't have a shark stick, are you?"
Not doing brave, either. That's for next week's episode.
Something large bumped him. Through blurred vision Jesse could just make out a large and stream-lined mammal. It appeared to be a shark mutant, but under the circumstances Jesse wasn't going to guarantee it. Not until he could persuade more than three brains cells to work at the same time.
"That could have been your arm, lubber."
I'm only half-appreciating the adrenaline that's kicking in right now. It's waking me up, but awake is not necessarily good. Jesse's sight cleared: Danzig, one of the shark mutants, was circling him in slow, lazy, and angry tight rings. The shark mutant bumped him again, this time from underneath. Jesse felt teeth scrape along his leg.
"If you're going to kill me, do and get it over with," he croaked. A wave splashed over his head, and he took an involuntary mouthful, choking.
"What'samatter, you don't like getting played with?" The sarcasm was heavy. "You like playing with us. You like slutting us, like feeling us up, don't you, lubber? Not so brave now that you don't have Mr. Shark Stick Mutant nearby to save your sorry ass."
Oh, shit. The pieces fell into place. "You're the one who took a shot at Brennan."
"Would'a had 'im, too, if you hadn't gotten in the way, lubber." Danzig bumped him again from behind. He spoke coldly into Jesse's ear. "Gonna make you beg for me to kill you. Gonna play with you just like you played with me, lubber. Gonna make you scream."
I'd rather be hypothermic, if you don't mind.
A sharp watery swat across his thighs came too close for comfort; Jesse doubled over in the water in sudden pain. Danzig was making his intentions clear: revenge for being slutted by the black marketers. Never mind that the shark mutant had gotten his people mixed up. Now there are two of us out here not thinking clearly. Adrenaline flooded into Jesse, driving his mind into full throttle.
Good thing, too. Good timing. Danzig was coming in for a pre-emptory strike, aimed right at Jesse's briefs, teeth open and gleaming and hungry. And thoroughly pissed. Aiming for revenge for being slutted. With very good aim.
"Shit!" Jesse yelled, and massed.
Power of a shark's jaw versus diamond hard density. It was a near thing.
Jesse won; Danzig pulled away, cracked shark teeth floating down through the water between them, snarling.
But it didn't matter. Jesse had won the bout and lost the battle. His heavy density state had the buoyancy of concrete. He sank.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Get this man to my clinic immediately! Are you a complete, blithering idiot, bringing him here in this condition?"
Through the fog in his headBrennan could hear an angry voice. It wasn't shouting but it was pissed as hell—and female. Not too many female voices on this rock. Wasn't Shalimar. Brennan got the feeling that he should recognize the owner of the voice, that he had heard it somewhere, and recently.
"Not a chance." This time it was Caruthers. Cold and calculating and in charge. Should have known that it was Caruthers in charge of the local black market. Seemed the type. Too bad Brennan made the discovery too late. Sooner would have been better; say, like before getting shot. "This man is an electrical elemental. We need him for defense."
"As I told you before, he doesn't have enough power to do more than give the sharkies a tingle. Don't you listen, Caruthers?"
"That's not what the sharkies say, doctor." Caruthers went heavy on the sarcasm. "They're petrified of him. Which is a damn good thing right now, or haven't you noticed the base going up in flames? Bayliss is looking to haul my ass in, and believe me, if he catches me you're going down, too. How else would I have known about slutting the sharkies?"
Brennan forced his eyes open. Morrison was confronting Caruthers in front of him in the cave, their outlines indistinct in the dusk. There was no mistaking the anger radiating from each one. Morrison's arms were waving, and Caruthers looked about ready to deck her.
"Listen, Caruthers." Morrison kept her voice low and deadly. "You either get that man to my clinic, or he will die within the hour. Look at him! He's burning up with fever! Don't you even have a blanket to throw over him?"
"We're a little busy right now to be thinking of tucking a damn mutant into beddy-bye," Caruthers growled. "Do what you have to do, but keep him alive and out of Bayliss's hands. We lose Shark Stick Guy, and the sharkies will wipe us out. Which means that you won't get to spend that lovely Swiss bank account, doctor."
Ah, thought Brennan, another piece of the puzzle drops into place. No wonder Morrison didn't tell Adam about the slutting until she had to. Nice little income on the side, I see. Wish I'd found out sooner. Little late now. One hour till I croak, you said, doctor? Let's see if I can prove you wrong. Brennan tried to roll over, to ease the ache in his back. It didn't work. Okay, sixty-one minutes will be enough to prove you wrong. I'll settle for that. Adam, Shalimar, Jesse, where are you? Could really use a hand right about now. Got some information that you'll want. Come and get it.
"I can handle Bayliss," Morrison insisted, "and I can handle Adam Kane. But we'll lose everything if this mutant dies. We'll lose control of the sharks."
"No, we—dammit, what are you—?"
A struggle. Brennan could barely see it in the dark. Morrison went for Caruthers' gun but too slow. Despite being out of shape, Caruthers was still a trained military man. He grabbed Morrison's wrist, nearly crushing it, and back-handed the woman into a heap on the floor. She cried out as she collapsed.
"Perry! George!" Caruthers called two black marketers over. "Tie her up. Dr. Morrison has just decided which side she's on, and it isn't ours." He glanced over at Brennan.
Wish I had enough electrons to rub together.
"Put her next to the mutie. She's so worried about him, she can watch him breathe here in the cave. And give him some water," Caruthers added irritably. "Don't want him dying on us. I have a use for him."