Chapter 5
We took it to a cave, usually used as a storage place. It was about two feet tall, and small. The entrance was a small hole. I gently shoved it into the small space, and settled outside.
I dreamed of Mel, as I do every time I sleep. It was the memory of our first night, the first night we met. My mind skipped ahead to the last kiss we ever had. Me begging her to stay, and kissing her. Then her leaving. I wake up, and I'm crying. I wipe the tears away. A plate of food for it lays next to me. I pick it up, and lean into the cave, scraping it near to her. It sat up, and I froze, an angry look on my face. It stared at me for a moment, studying my glare, then realized what I was giving her. It lunged towards the bottle of water. I put a disgusted look on my face that it didn't see, and pulled out of the cave. When it finished, I heard it slide the empty tray towards the entrance. I leaned forward, and snatched it out of the way.
"Thank you," It croaked. I bit my lip and turned away. I sat and listened to the silence. It didn't make another sound. Then Brandt, Kyle and Ian walked up.
"Ah. Here you are," Kyle said smiling. He often reminded me of a snake. A loud one.
"We're not going to allow this, Jared." Said Ian, the calmer more sensible one of the two. But I still hated them both right now. I stayed silent. "We've all lost somebody–heck, we've all lost everybody. But this is ridiculous." Said Ian, seemingly with humor. I didn't laugh.
"If you won't let Doc have it, then it's got to die," Kyle added, his voice a growl. I glared pointedly at him.
"You can't keep it prisoner here," Ian continued. "Eventually, it will escape and we'll all be exposed." I nearly scoffed. It would never find the way out of here. Ever. I stepping in front of the opening of the cell, protectively. I had won the argument in the main cavern, and I would win this one.
"Don't make this difficult, Jared," Brandt spoke up. "It has to be done."
"We don't want to hurt you, Jared. We're all brothers here. But we will if you make us." There was no bluff in Kyle's tone. "Move aside." I stood still. I was planning, preparing my next move.
"Jared… please," Ian said. Then I stuck. I lunged at Kyle, hitting him in the stomach as hard as I could. He bent over, wheezing. I backed into the wall, balling my fists.
"No!" Sounded Mel's voice. It scrambled out of it's cave. By now, Kyle had recovered. It planted itself between me and Kyle. Why the heck would it protect me? I asked myself. Then Kyle shoved it hard away. I lunged for it, and before it hit the ground, I caught it's wrist. When I realized what I had done I dropped it's wrist as though it was poisonous. It stood staring at me for a moment. That was meant for Mel I thought sadly.
"Get back in there," I roared at it. It didn't move.
"I'm what you want," It said directly to Kyle. "Leave him alone." No one said anything for a long second.
"Tricky bugger," Ian finally muttered, eyes wide with horror. It's protecting me.
"I said get back in there," I hissed. It turned partway towards me.
"It's not your duty to protect me at your own expense." It said. I grimaced. It's just tying to make me feel for it. I raised a hand to push it back into the cell. It stepped away, towards Kyle. Ian grabbed it's arms and pinned them behind it.
"Get your hands off her!" I screamed, running at Ian. Kyle caught me and spun me around into a wrestling hold, forcing my neck forward. Brandt grabbed one of my thrashing arms.
"Don't hurt him!" It screeched. I almost screamed at it to shut up. My free elbow rammed into Kyle's stomach. Kyle gasped and lost his grip. I then twisted away from my attackers and then lunged back, my fist connecting with Kyle's nose. Dark red blood spattered the wall and the lamp. I almost smiled.
"Finish it, Ian!" Kyle yelled. He put his head down and hurtled into me, throwing me into Brandt.
"No!" It and I cried at the same moment. Ian dropped it's arms, and his hands wrapped around it's throat, choking off it's air. It clawed at his hands. He gripped it tighter, dragging it's feet off the floor. Then I saw Jeb. Click, click.
"Kyle, Ian, Brandt–back off!" Jeb barked. No one moved–just it's hands, still clawing, and it's feet, twitching in the air. I suddenly darted under Kyle's motionless arm and sprang at Ian. It winced away, thinking I was aiming for it. But instead I hit Ian hard in the face. He howled,his hands going up to his face, and dropped it. I retreated after an angry glance in it's direction and went to stand at Jeb's elbow.
You're guests here, boys, and don't forget it," Jeb growled. "I told you not to go looking for the girl. She's my guest, too, for the moment, and I don't take kindly to any of my guests killing any of the others."
"Jeb," Ian moaned above it, his voice muffled by the hand held to his mouth. "Jeb. This is insane."
"What's your plan?" Kyle demanded. His face was smeared with blood, a violent, macabre sight. But there was no evidence of pain in his voice, only controlled and simmering anger. "We have a right to know. We have to decide whether this place is safe or if it's time to move on. So… how long will you keep this thing as your pet? What will you do with it when you're finished playing God? All of us deserve to know the answers to these questions." Silence.
"Don't have your answers, Kyle," Jeb said. "It's not up to me." We all stared at him in confusion.
"Not up to you?" Kyle finally echoed, still disbelieving. "Who, then? If you're thinking of putting it to a vote, that's already been done. Ian, Brandt, and I are the duly designated appointees of the result."
Jeb shook his head–a tight movement that never took his eyes off the man in front of him. "It's not up for a vote. This is still my house."
"Who, then?" Kyle shouted. Jeb's eyes finally flickered–to my face, and then back to Kyle.
"It's Jared's decision." He said. Everyone stared at me.I gaped at Jeb, just as astonished as the rest, and then my teeth ground together with an audible sound. I threw a glare of pure hate in it's direction.
"Jared?" Kyle asked, facing Jeb again. "That makes no sense!" He was not in control of himself now, almost spluttering in rage. "He's more biased than anyone else! Why? How can he be rational about this?"
"Jeb, I don't…" I muttered, looking down.
"She's your responsibility, Jared," Jeb said in a firm voice. "I'll help you out, of course, if there's any more trouble like this, and with keeping track of her and all that. But when it comes to making decisions, that's all yours." He raised one hand when Kyle tried to protest again. "Look at it this way, Kyle. If somebody found your Jodi on a raid and brought her back here, would you want me or Doc or a vote deciding what we did with her?"
"Jodi is dead," Kyle hissed, blood spraying off his lips. He glared at it just as I just had.
"Well, if her body wandered in here, it would still be up to you. Would you want it any other way?"
"The majority –"
"My house, my rules," Jeb interrupted harshly. "No more discussion on this. No more votes. No more execution attempts. You three spread the word–this is how it works from now on. New rule."
"Another one?" Ian muttered under his breath.
Jeb ignored him. "If, unlikely as it may be, somehow this ever happens again, whoever the body belongs to makes the call." Jeb poked the barrel of the gun toward Kyle, then jerked it a few inches toward the hall behind him. "Get out of here. I don't want to see you anywhere around this place again. You let everyone know that this corridor is off-limits. No one's got any reason for being here except Jared, and if I catch someone skulking around, I'm asking questions second. You got that? Move. Now." He jabbed the gun at Kyle again. I couldn't help but suppress a smile. The alien just gaped as the attackers stalked away. I was facing Jeb now, one hand held out in front of me, palm up, fingers curled limply. I was glad to have won the fight but...
Now that the others were gone, their bodies slumped into a looser stance. Jeb was even grinning under his thick beard, as though he'd enjoyed the standoff at gunpoint. Strange man.
"Please don't put this on me, Jeb," I said. "Kyle is right about one thing–I can't make a rational decision."
"No one said you had to decide this second. She's not going anywhere." Jeb glanced down at it, still grinning. "Not after all the trouble she took to get here. You've got plenty of time to think it through." She? I thought.
"There's nothing to think through. Melanie is dead. But I can't–I can't–Jeb, I can't just…" My voice shook.
"Don't think about it, then," Jeb told me. "Maybe you'll figure something out later. Give it some time."
"What are we going to do with it? We can't keep watch on it round the clock." I asked incredulously. Jeb shook his head.
"That's exactly what we're going to have to do for a while. Things will calm down. Even Kyle can't preserve a murderous rage for more than a few weeks." I thought of the operations. We needed to keep trying, and not on Mel's body.
"A few weeks? We can't afford to play guard down here for a few weeks. We have other things-"
"I know, I know." Jeb sighed. "I'll figure something out."
"And that's only half the problem." I looked down at it. Anger flowed through me. "Where do we keep it? It's not like we have a cell block." I didn't want to keep Mel's body in this cramped place. Jeb smiled down at it.
"You're not going to give us any trouble, now, are you?" It stared at him.
"Jeb," I muttered, upset.
"Oh, don't worry about her. First of all, we'll keep an eye on her. Secondly, she'd never be able to find her way out of here–she'd wander around lost until she ran into somebody. Which leads us to number three: she's not that stupid." He raised one thick white eyebrow at it. "You're not going to go looking for Kyle or the rest of them, are you? I don't think any of them are very fond of you." I glared at Jeb, at his chatty tone.
"I wish you wouldn't talk to it like that," I muttered, angry.
"I was raised in a politer time, kid. I can't help myself." Jeb put one hand on Jared's arm, patting lightly. "Look, you've had a full night. Let me take the next watch here. Get some sleep." I was about to protest, but then I looked at it, and glared.
"Whatever you want, Jeb. And… I don't–I won't accept responsibility for this thing. Kill it if you think that's best." I didn't want that to happen, but it was best.
It flinched. I scowled at my reaction, then turned his back abruptly and walked the same way the others had gone.