Chapter 18

The Company

Adrien came to the edge of the mountain. Below him was a drop-off, about a 45-degree angle, maybe sharper. He was panting, his uniform soaked in sweat. He and what was left of his men had sprinted through the extreme terrain of these woods.

The CIA had tasked them to capture this alien hunter, but all attempts had failed. Spectacularly, in fact. The latest attempt had killed two of his men and forced the survivors to flee. Adrien's new plan was just to get to the nearby town.

Now, they were cornered with only one option left. "I can't do it Captain!" Donnelly was practically in tears. The youngest of the unit.

"Chris, I'm not going to lie, it's gonna hurt like hell, but it beats getting your spine ripped out," Adrien tried to reassure him. He thought back to a quote his wife once told him in regards to his proposal to her. 'You can't keep living on the edge! One day, you have to just jump!'. She had accepted right after that.

"On three…" Adrien began. But then a flash of blue light followed by an explosion interrupted him. "THREE!" He exclaimed and they all jumped.

The slope was sandy, but filled with rocks and debris. A few times they got airborne and even smacked into trees. The big boulders hurt pretty bad, too.

By the time they reached the bottom, they were all cut up and bloody; though they had been before that, too.

"Captain! Help!" Donnelly screamed. One of his straps had gotten caught on a root, and he was just dangling there helplessly on the slope.

"Hang on, I'm coming to get'cha!" Adrien called. Before he could go any farther however, the kid was impaled by a two-forked spear, causing him to scream in pain. He had seen this before. It was some sort of speargun the alien had.

"Move!" Adrien ordered the retreat.

"But Captain–!" Kowalski protested.

"He's dead! There's nothing we can do!"

They ran, and suddenly he wasn't in Afghanistan. He was in an apartment lobby, and Katja – or rather, what was left of her – was hanging from the ceiling by her feet from a rope. Her eyes were blank and sightless, and her neck was slit, the draining blood pooling on the floor.

To his growing horror, he could see her bones through huge holes in her flesh.

That was when he noticed the flash in the darkness. The hunter's eyes. Or rather, the visor of his helmet's eyeholes. Flashing electronically. Then there was the sound of metal grinding metal…

Adrien cracked his eyes open. He thought his nightmares had disappeared when he had joined the CIA. But now they were happening again, and they included a new topic. A Russian redhead.

He turned on his side and found Alexei staring at him, unblinking and creepy.

"Stop it," Adrien snarled, putting his hand over the kid's face and shoving him back to give himself some breathing room. Alexei squealed as he was flipped off the bed.

How had he ended up partnered with Alexei, anyway?

Oh, right. His lottery system.

He closed his eyes for a couple of seconds to allow his heart to stop racing.

When he opened them, he saw Katja sitting on a chair next to Petrov, her watch shift partner. Petrov was busy smirking vindictively at Alexei, who was rubbing his arm after his fall; but Katja was staring inquisitively at Adrien.

"What?" Adrien protested. "He was right in my face."

"He was right in your face because you were thrashing around and woke him up. Everything all right?"

No, everything wasn't all right. He'd done exactly what he had told Katja not to do. He hadn't even known it was happening, but he'd become personally invested in her fate, and it was now starting to affect the control he'd built up over the last few months. Why was he invested in her? Because of a misplaced sense of guilt, he decided. He felt he had betrayed his men, and he had betrayed her.

No, that wasn't the only reason.

Crap.

"I'm fine. Tell the kid to remain on his side of the bed, or he's going to stay on the floor next time."

After a quick breakfast, as everyone was putting on their armor and gear, Katja watched Adrien closely.

He seemed fine currently; but he hadn't been earlier when he'd woken up in a panic with sweat on his face. And any time she'd tried chatting with him afterwards, he'd answered in one-word sentences only.

Katja knew that it had to be resolved before they attempted to travel, so she pulled Adrien aside, into the study.

"Adrien," she said, "before we go any further, before we're in the hunter's crosshairs again, I need you to be honest with me. What's the Valium for? Why do you have it?"

He nonchalantly sauntered away from her and sat on the desk, picking up a bronze figurine of a horse and soldier. "Do you think guys back in, like, the eighteen-hundreds had to fight these aliens? I mean, how has our planet not been overrun?"

"Adrien," she prompted. "I've given you the courtesy of asking you this privately. Don't make me ask later, in front of everyone else. Please, just answer me."

"Jesus, it's just a very light dose to help with my back, when it's bad. What's the big deal? You weigh a lot less than me; that's why it knocked you off your feet."

Katja folded her arms and looked at him with disappointment. It seemed that their interactions were always one step forward, and twelve back. If one of them was calm, the other was bound to be mad. "I thought maybe you'd trust me by now, Adrien. I'm not asking this to humiliate you or mock you. If there's a problem, I just want to help you."

"Oh, hell. You sound just like Chloe, you know that?" he asked angrily, tossing the figurine to the rug. "Fine, fine. They also prescribed it because it helps with my anxiety attacks. Happy?"

Without flinching, Katja waited until he'd calmed a bit. "I kind of suspected that. It's fine. It's nothing to be ashamed of. And you haven't frozen up on me yet." Privately, however, she found it insane that they had sent him out here in these circumstances. Unless his backstabbing boss had been counting on him to crack and fail the mission.

"But you're afraid I will," he shot back. "Aren't you? That's why you're asking me this. I don't need your pity, lady. I can handle it."

Clearly, she'd struck a nerve that was still raw and painful. This was the angriest he'd ever been with her, that she could recall. But she stood upright and firm, refusing to recoil from him. "I didn't ask this because I was worried about whether you could handle it. I asked to see if you trusted me enough to tell me the truth. Honestly, that worries me much more."

"So sorry I failed your little test," he growled. "Get out of my way. We have a train to catch."

With that, he shoved past her and threw open the study door, leaving Katja to look at the wall helplessly and hope he could get his stress under control long enough to make it to the depot safely with them.

Vai'dqouulth woke in his high perch on a tree branch, stretching his limbs and recalling the previous day's events.

The humans had not left the building whatsoever yesterday. That in itself was not a surprise, given the confrontation they'd had with him previously. But, when night had fallen and Vai'dqouulth had decided to take action, he'd found they were all ensconced in a single room.

That was an issue. Not only could they have proven difficult to fight when clustered in that manner, the computer would also be at risk from falling bodies or weapon discharges. As much as it had frustrated him, he'd decided to wait them out. They could not stay in there forever, and they both knew it.

Wiggling his mandibles, Vai'dqouulth dropped to the snowy ground. By now, they would be awake and out of the room, perhaps eating. After a peaceful night, their guard would be lowered.

He prowled up the long staircase with featherlight steps, readying his blades. He would start with the veteran male, Adrien. He was the most likely to be dangerous, considering his familiarity with the Yautja. Then–

Vai'dqouulth, now just outside their dwelling, stopped suddenly.

Something was wrong.

He heard no movement, and he could not smell them clearly; just remnant traces.

No!

They were gone! He'd slept right through their departure like a pup in a nursery!

Clicking furiously, he pushed open the entrance door and looked inside the residence. Sure enough, the dwelling was empty.

He held in a furious roar, choosing instead to search the area. It was unlikely, but possible, that they'd left the computer behind to lighten the burdensome packs that they carried.

Fortune was not with him. He tore the rooms apart, looking, but could not find the device. And now the humans had a head start.

With a soft growl, Vai'dqouulth concentrated, working again to distinguish the female's scent.

There it was.

He would track them down, and end this.

The air was much colder than yesterday, Adrien noted as the group traveled along the gravel road, which was now layered in a crust of snow. What surprised him was the hunter hadn't ambushed them this morning. Their guard would have been down, and it would have been unexpected.

It's what he would've done, if the roles were reversed.

"We have to get off of this road, now," Katja whispered as they drew nearer to the base remnants.

Alexei asked her a question.

"Yes, the road does go all the way to the depot. But I want to give the nest a wide berth, and there's a good chance Weyland might be using the roads as well. We'll circle around the base and use the map from there. We will keep the road within a half-klick, though, in case one of us gets separated or lost."

She looked to Adrien for endorsement on the decision. More of her 'wanting him to trust her' psychological bullshit.

"Whatever you say."

She seemed exasperated by his cavalier response, but he told himself he didn't care. "She's not your friend. She's not. She's barely your ally. Just because she made a bunch of promises about getting you out of the country doesn't mean she'll keep her word."

Only, he knew very well she hadn't lied to him yet.

Didn't matter, because even if she was sincere, it was outside her power. She was just middle management. Like him.

They moved in a large arc around the serpent nest, tensely and quietly. Adrien was afraid of running into perimeter guards; but it was either too early, or the Queen was still recovering with her brood after the massive battle yesterday.

Alexei breathed a sigh of relief once the base was behind them.

"Don't get too confident, moron," said Adrien. "The hunter can't be far behind us."

Huh. Speak of the scaled devil, where was he?

"Adrien, take point with Petrov," said Katja, after the American had begun yet another argument with Alexei. She didn't understand how they could bicker so much when Adrien didn't even know what the kid was saying.

Adrien, for his part, didn't offer an argument; he just moved to the front of the pack and kept marching.

She wondered how offended he'd be if she suggested he take some of his Valium once they were on the train. Something was obviously upsetting him.

Ahead of them, amid the trees, Katja suddenly saw a flash of bright color. Adrien and Petrov must have seen it, too, because they both lifted their rifles and trained them on the movement.

Katja readied her own gun, and Zaitsev did the same. They all crept forward; except Alexei, who was staring at the treetops.

"Don't move," Adrien called out, and the figure stopped.

It was a woman, in her early to mid-thirties, wearing a ski suit. She was armed. She was also the most beautiful person Katja had seen outside of a film or magazine.

Her makeup was perfect, her brown hair glossy and loose around her shoulders, and she even managed to make the hideous yellow Weyland ski suit look good. Katja felt like a dumpster fire in comparison just looking at her.

"Uh-oh, you got me," said the woman to Adrien, raising her hands. She sounded more amused than afraid. "A fellow American, hmm? You're certainly a handsome find."

"You mercenaries will do anything for a quick 'buck', won't you?" Adrien shot back.

"Sorry; were you already snagged by Red over there?" the woman hummed; her disappointment evident.

"Her? No way. I just don't do corporate skanks," he said, gesturing to the Weyland logo on the back of the woman's suit.

"Hey, now. I might be here to make money; but as I always say, pleasure before business," the woman cheerfully said as Adrien and Petrov approached her cautiously.

"Adrien, Petrov, keep your guns on her," Katja instructed as she, Zaitsev and Alexei also moved closer.

"She's so gorgeous," sighed Alexei. "Like Angelia Jolie. Can you tell her I said so? Oh! Tell her she's hotter than the bottom of my laptop!"

Katja grunted. "I am not flirting for you," she told him in Russian. "And lucky for you, too. No woman's gonna like that line."

Then, to the mercenary, Katja said, "Keep your hands in the air, Ma'am, and tell me who you are."

The woman tossed her head and replied breezily. "Hi, honey. You're in charge, hmm? I love to see it. I'm Jade. Jade Smith. I'm with Weyland. What's your name?" The 'Smith' part was a red flag. It had to be a fake last name.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" Katja asked, ignoring the question. "Where's the rest of your group?"

"I'm scouting. All by my lonesome, I pinky swear."

"Drop your gun," said Petrov, now just out of her reach, "and any other weapons you have. No games."

"Oh, you are a big Russian boy, aren't you?" Jade asked, eyeing him happily as she set her gun on the ground. She then stepped forward and squeezed his bicep. "I wouldn't mind some games. Not at all."

"Christ, it's like having Hornet here all over again…" Katja heard Adrien mutter.

Katja felt a sudden surge of irritation as she watched Jade. Did she have to… paw at Petrov like that when their lives were in critical danger?

She didn't notice her annoyance was reflected on her face until Jade looked over and smiled.

"I'm sorry, is this one special to you? Naughty girl. You're supposed to be his superior. Oh well, my mistake. Guess I'll have to pick someone else." She let go of Petrov and raised her arms again.

"Me," Alexei whispered. "Me!"

"You don't know how lucky you are, honey," continued Jade to Katja, "working with good-looking guys who actually believe in personal hygiene. Do you have any idea what it's like to travel with a pack of disgusting mercenaries for weeks, in cramped quarters? It's not fun, let me tell you."

By now, Katja could tell Jade was trying to talk her way out of answering questions. Just like Adrien had at first. Well, it wasn't going to work.

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!" Alexei suddenly shouted in English.

Once again, Alexei was the center of attention for all the wrong reasons. Finally, the mercenary said, "Jade, sweetie. Jade. Not Scarlett."

"Alexei, what was that?" Katja demanded impatiently.

"It was the only romance movie I could think of! I panicked!" he said in Russian.

Shaking her head, Katja looked at Jade again. Adrien and Petrov were still holding the woman at gunpoint.

"Can I put my arms down now?" Jade requested. "They're getting tired."

"Fine," said Katja. "But tell me right now: Where did Weyland set up base?" She really didn't want to run into more of them on the way to the depot. "How many, in total, of your people were deployed here? Was it just the three helicopters, or–"

"Calm down, honey, calm down. The base is south of here. And yeah, we outnumber you, but there aren't as many of us as you probably think. Alright?"

Assuming Jade was being truthful, Katja was relieved by the information. The depot was further east, and they would likely miss the Weyland camp entirely. "What's your primary objective here?" She already knew, but was interested in what Jade might say.

"The aliens. I'm guessing you already met them? We're supposed to capture some alive. And we're looking for their nest." Placing her hands on her hips, Jade gave a little pout. "They're not very cooperative."

"We've noticed," Zaitsev said.

Katja wondered if Weyland knew about the hunter or not. Also, why would they need to find the whole nest just for a few serpents? From her experience, they didn't stay there exclusively.

A horrible thought occurred to her. What if they were trying to acquire the Queen?

That's when the snapping of twigs had everyone swinging their guns up in response to the noise. Ten men, all Weyland contractors, emerged from the brush.

The lead man was obvious. He was shorter, a little on the heavy side, messy brown hair with some curl to it, and a goatee.

Katja had seen the eyes of cold-blooded killers before, and they still had something behind them. This man… his eyes looked completely devoid of emotion. Usually, she instinctively knew how to approach someone new. This person, she didn't have a clue, and something about him was setting off every warning signal in her body.

"Someone wanna talk to me?" he demanded in a thick accent. American eastern seaboard, the northern half, if Katja had to guess. His demeanor suggested boredom of the whole situation, despite the tension and the guns.

"I could ask you the same thing. Weyland has no jurisdiction in Russia," Katja spoke up.

"I'm here on joint US and Russian government approval," the man recited. Again, the tedium was evident. Reaching into a pouch, he produced a piece of paper and handed it to Katja.

She grabbed it and read it quickly. Sure enough, the papers contained signed government permissions. The real question was whether they were fake.

"The same governments that Weyland bribed to get here? That piece of paper ain't worth the ink you used to print it," Adrien jumped in. "Don't believe him, Katja."

"Adrien Piece, right?" The man smiled, and it chilled Katja to the bone.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" Adrien shot back.

"Your boss said you might have survived. I'm impressed. Sounds like the odds were against you," the man continued.

"Yeah? You can tell Bob to go to hell. Whoever you are," Adrien stated.

"I'm John Slater, the chief administrator of this area, and you are trespassing on Weyland-Yutani's property," Slater said, his face going deathly neutral.

"Our communications are down. As far as I'm concerned until I hear from my superiors, you are the one trespassing," Katja said firmly.

"And who are you?" Slater asked dismissively.

"Consider me the government," Katja answered.

"That must make you former Captain Jekaterina Mikhailov," Slater pointed to her.

"Show-off," Adrien muttered at his perfect pronunciation.

"As of a few days ago, you and your unit were labeled missing in action, presumed killed in action. You no longer have authority," Slater smiled again. "In fact, you no longer exist."

Katja was taken aback, but she wasn't sure if he was lying. She could read nothing on this man.

"And you have no authority over the Russian army," Petrov spoke up, "or its officers."

"Lieutenant Maksim Petrov, right? Your parents are deep in debt with one of Weyland's credit unions," Slater observed. "I'd watch what you say, unless you want to make things worse for them."

Petrov's eyes flared with anger.

"Let it go, man," Adrien said, holding Petrov back, much to Katja's relief.

"We'll circle back to that. For now, I'd like to know where the hunter is at," Slater ordered.

Adrien knew what Slater wanted, but there was no way he was going to acknowledge the hunter's existence. If he had to choose a side between the hunter and Weyland, the hunter won.

"Think all the deer hunters evacuated, Slater," Adrien mocked.

Slater chuckled and paced back and forth a bit. "Weyland gave me an acquisition list. They were very specific. Now your boss, Bob, is telling me that one is out here. I know you know what I am talking about," Slater said, his nasty smile falling at the end of the sentence. "I want to know where it is."

"As you can see by the way he treated me, Bob is less than truthful. Probably overpromised for a bigger paycheck," Adrien smarted in return.

"Doesn't matter, because we certainly wouldn't cave to the demands of murders like yourself," Katja jumped in. Slater's gaze again shifted to Katja.

" 'Murders', huh? I get it. You have some sort of personal problem with Weyland. You think you know me, think you know what I've done," Slater droned. "Truth is, you should be more concerned about the company you keep." He gestured to Adrien.

"No way I'm worse than you, pal," Adrien countered.

"I read your file. You killed your men," Slater stated flatly.

"That's a drastic oversimplification. It was a tough call," Katja blurted; and at that moment, Adrien wanted to tell her to shut up.

"I even read the parts the censors didn't want me to," Slater cocked an eyebrow before giving a smirk.

Adrien felt his heart skip a beat.

"Why don't you tell them what you did after you incapacitated that hunter? Or did you tell them you killed it?" Slater prompted.

"Shut up," Adrien hissed.

"And we call them the monsters," Slater mused.

"Shut up," Adrien ordered again

"I wonder what their people think about you," Slater continued.

"I said shut the hell up!" Adrien shouted.

Without warning, Jade grabbed Alexei, took his knife from his vest, and held it to his throat, slowly backing toward the mercenary group.