The community grave had been abandoned since Zeke's death, but now half of the survivors surrounded the site. Shazza stood to one side, a good distance from the others, nervously pacing the earth. Imam stood with Fry, securing her harness to the safety line. Without knowing what had taken Zeke, Fry wanted to make sure there was a chance to pull out Brisais and herself-should anything wrong. she looked over Imam to where Johns stood with Brisais. The Mimic's hands were secured behind her back while Johns secured her to the main line. The hood covered her face, concealing much, but Fry could see that Brisais was not enjoying the sun. Her lips were parted and cracked, and her breathing could be heard several feet away. Fry wondered what would become of her if they didn't find water. Johns may be down one prisoner.
Johns grabbed Brisais by the neck and walked her toward Fry and Imam. "All set?"
Imam nodded. "We are ready."
Johns nodded and took the cable from Imam. He tied Fry and Brisais together, giving them ten feet of leeway between the two.
"Forgive me for asking, but why are we acting on the words of a man who has taken many lives?" Imam asked, taking up the main line from the ground.
"Fry's orders." Johns answered nonchalantly.
Fry looked up at Imam. "We didn't find any evidence on Riddick. The shiv he had was clean-"
"Could've licked it clean." Johns pointed out.
Jack grimaced at the thought.
Fry gave Johns a pointed glare but kept going. "He also said to look closer in the hole."
"Guys leading you into a trap." Johns said.
Fry turned to Johns. "Wasn't that your excuse to bring her along?" she nodded her head at Brisais.
Johns chuckled. "You got that right. Let's get this over with." He pushed Brisais down into the grave. "Sais goes first. If there's anything in there, she'll sense it first, and with any luck it'll go for her and not you." His hand went to his belt, where the restraint control was, and released the cuff hold over Brisais' hands.
Johns words were a far cry from comforting and his treatment of Brisais was even more appalling. A criminal she may be, but Fry had yet to see her try anything to harm the survivors. At the moment, Fry was more concerned about Riddick than she was about Brisais. Fry dropped into the grave and walked to the tunnel entrance. Brisais knelt on the opposite side, staring down into the hole. Fry watched the mimic closely, if she didn't know any better, she'd say that Brisais did not want to go into the tunnel.
"Ready?" Fry asked.
For the first time, Brisais met Fry's gaze. Fry found herself staring into the purest shade of violet she'd ever seen. And cold. Fry resisted the urge to shiver as Brisais answered. "Do I have a choice?" she asked. Her voice held an edge with every word.
Without waiting for a response, Brisais crawled into the tunnel first. Fry waited until the line between then grew tight before following her into the dark tunnel. Brisais crawled through the tunnel, letting her senses guide her. She could smell the earth mixed with blood, fresh blood. Her hands pressed against the cool earth, catching the feeling of bloody clumps of earth; a trail of blood leading deeper into the tunnel. A shiver ran up her spine as she crawled further into the tunnel. Behind her, Fry followed. Not directly behind her, but far enough where she was a target herself. Poor woman had no idea what she was heading into, but then again, neither did Brisais.
The tunnel came to an opening just a few feet ahead of them. Brisais could see small streams of light pouring out ahead of her. She crawled out of the tunnel, emerging in the large, underground caver. She stood up and took in the cave. It was dark, save for the small peaks of like pouring in from above. Her eyes narrowed as she peered at her dark surroundings. Her senses were going crazy, warning her, telling her to retreat. It was nearly overwhelming how strong the pull was. There was something inside the cavern, something big.
The ground shifted behind Brisais as Fry crawled out behind her. Without taking her eyes from their surroundings, Brisais knelt down beside Fry and pulled her out the final stretch. Fry stood up, lifting the light with her. she took in the sight of the pillars.
"They're hallow." She whispered.
The silence was ended by a strange clicking sound echoing through the cavern. Fry turned quickly, catching Brisais in her light. The mimic's entire stance had shifted. She crouched low to the ground at complete attention. Her head moved in all directions, as if she couldn't pinpoint the source of the sounds. Fry shined her light across the ground, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was inside the cave.
CLICKETY-CLICK...CLICKETY-CLICK.
Fry turned again as the sound came from her left. Her light shinned along her line of sight, catching something in the rim of its sphere, just at the base of the pinnacle. Fry paused, momentarily forgetting the danger. She moved closer to the base, kneeling in the cool dirt. Adjusting her light at the pinnacles base, Fry blanched at the discovery. It was one of Zeke's boots, bloodied, and detached from the rest of him.
CLICKETY-CLICK...CLICKETY-CLICK.
With lightening speed, something snatched the boot away, dragging it deeper into the cave. Fry jumped, dropping her light. She crawled back toward Brisais, who was still beneath the light of the pinnacle. Brisais grabbed Fry by the arm and pulled her behind her, shielding her from the danger-or at least, that was the plan.
"Can you see anything?" Fry asked. Without her light, it was even harder to see what was happening inside the cave.
Brisais shook her head. "Nothing but Shadows."
Whatever was in there, it was fast. Very fast, in fact. It was nearly everyone at once. In Fry's knowledge, nothing could move that fast...unless, there was more than one of them. "We need to get out of here."
Brisais didn't need to be told twice. "Stay right behind me." She took a single step forward, just at the edge of the pinnacle light. The dirt scraped around her boots, sending another spur of clicks through the air. They were everywhere at once, circling around them, causing her senses to nearly go into overload. Brisais released a low, threatening growl. There were moments, while she had been on the run, where she had found herself in a similar circumstance. Proving that you were a threat, was a way to avoid a confrontation, lower number or not. Unfortunately, this was not a circumstance where her action provided a desired outcome.
CLICKETY-CLICK...CLICKETY-CLICK. CLICKETY-CLICK...CLICKETY-CLICK.
If anything, it only seemed to increase their interest in the two of them. Brisais let her nail extend from their beds. The time out of the sun was doing wonders for her physical health. And if these creature didn't back off, she was going to need every ounce of energy to keep Fry alive just long enough to escape the cave. Her own life wasn't much of a bargaining chip, not with Johns waiting for her outside. At least this way, she'd die fighting, and saving someone who was worth saving. Brisais took another stepped toward the cave entrance.
Fry grabbed her arm quickly. "No." she hissed, motioning toward the cave.
Brisais looked closely and caught sight of a shadow moving along the cave entrance. Son of a bitch had blocked their only way out. Brisais stepped back into the light, pushing Fry to the pinnacle. She looked over her shoulder, up into the pinnacle. Fry had said they were hallow, maybe they were enough for them to climb through?
"Go! Climb!" Brisais ordered, pushing Fry up the pinnacle.
Fry turned around and grabbed hold of the wall. She set her foot up on the structure and pushed herself up. She grabbed the wall of the pinnacle and climbed. With her feet against the wall and her back pressed against the opposite end, Fry slowly climbed up into the pinnacle. Brisais followed behind her, climbing just a few feet below Fry.
Suddenly the rope went taught. With a strong pull, Fry slid down the pinnacle, crashing into feet slid down the walls, trying to keep herself above the shadows, but whatever was pulling her was strong. Stronger than she expected. Brisais dug her limbs into the walls. Dirt scraped down from her position. She could feel the tension in Fry's rope as she came down onto her. Brisais clenched her teeth tightly.
"Here!" Fry called out. "We're in here!" Her foot slid further down the wall beside Brisais.
Brisais climbed higher up the dirt wall, bracing Fry above her. The lines tension grew even more, digging against her leg. "Keep shouting."
"Please! Can you here me?" Fry dug her elbows into the wall. "Here! We're inside!"
Brisais looked down below them, into the darkness of the cavern. She could see shadows moving around the circle of light. Tails, shaped heads, limbs, but nothing in deeply detailed. They moved around with great speed and determination; to feed. If she could but sever Fry's tether they would be fine. But with both of them trying to maintain themselves within the pinnacle, neither one could sever it without risking their safety.
Suddenly the wall above Fry's head, exploded in a burst of dirt and dust. Fry jumped in surprise, nearly loosing her footing entirely. Sunlight burst through the hole, shinning directly into Brisais' eyes. She cringed at the immediate heat blaring into her unprotected face. Several hand reached into the hole, searching blindly. Fry grabbed one of the hands and was immediately pulled toward the opening.
"Give me your god damn hand." Johns ordered. He pulled Fry by the wrist and wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her from the pinnacle.
Brisais came out behind her with the help of Imam. The man was not a wary of her as Johns was. He led her away form the pinnacle, drawing up her hood to shield her from the sun light.
"Are you alright?" Imam asked.
Brisais looked up from beneath her hood and nodded slowly.
Imam turned his attention to Fry. "Are you alright?"
"I heard you Fry." Jack called. "I heard you first."
"You're alright." Johns repeated. "You're alright."
Fry stood some twenty feet from the pinnacle, bent over the ground, heavily breathing. What resolve she had had within the pinnacle had diminished once she had been pulled away.
"Did you find Zeke?" Shazza asked. Begged, was more appropriate.
Fry managed to regain her composure. "Fuck! I'm so fucking stupid." She straightened up. "I don't know what the fuck is in there. Whatever it is, it got Zeke and it nearly got-us!"
Suddenly Fry was ripped back toward the pinnacle. She was jerked violently, throwing her body onto the earth and dragged toward the hole. Johns and Imam lunged for Fry, in an attempt to stop her, but neither one were fast enough. Brisais lunged for the cable and raked her claws over it. The tendons severed themselves with ease, detaching themselves from the harness. As they sped into the darkness of the pinnacle, the tendons of the harness cable racked over Brisais cheek, slicing several small lacerations into the skin. The cable vanished into the pinnacle as the crew stood on the surface. The seconds of silence following the cables disappearance was broken by the familiar excited sound of clicking from within the pinnacle. Still of the ground, Brisais exhaled deeply and turned her head toward the others. Fry was still on the ground, looking directly at Brisais.
The magnets in her restraints engaged almost immediately, but at the moment, Brisais couldn't' care less about them. Even as Johns hauled her to her feet and shoved her toward the ship remains, all she truly found herself caring for, was being as far from those fucking monsters as she could possibly get. On this planet, she wasn't a threat anymore. Fry's face had shown her that much.
I'M ALIVE! Sorry for the MASSIVE gap between updates. my muse is a fickle one.