Girl Vs (Sinister Skies Book 1)

by Xela Culletto

  Chapter 32

  Practically panting, I gazed at the profusion of bodies surrounding me. The silence that now filled the cavern was unnerving. The battle, echoing off the rocky walls, had been thunderous, but now, except for my gasps for breath, all was quiet.

  My back was throbbing, burning. During the fight the injury had somehow been forgotten, but was now emphatically reminding me of its existence. Peering through the dimness, I searched for something I could use to bind the cut, but stopped short when I found myself gazing down at Tristen’s body.

  It would be terrible to leave him lying there, alone among strangers. At the very least take a memento of some kind, I told myself. To bury.

  A blue woven bracelet encircled his wrist, and I gently pried it off and placed on my own. Then I noticed the long-sleeved flannel shirt he had on over his t-shirt. Removing that from him as well, I brought it around my back and tied the sleeves around my stomach, hoping the cloth would help stop the bleeding.

  There was nothing, though, to help with the pain. It was so fierce I couldn’t fathom how it hadn’t hindered me during the fight. It was all I could do to not slump over and pray unconsciousness would take me.

  But of course I hadn’t singlehandedly slain a dozen enemies just to fall down again. I needed to escape this graveyard.

  The Vela had pressed its claws into the panel on the wall—that was what had closed the exit.

  Grabbing one of the discarded flashlights, I searched around Tristen’s body. The dismembered claws he’d cut from the alien were lying a few feet away. I snatched them and hastened to the panel. Armed with a flashlight, I found it much easier to maneuver around the scattered bodies without tripping.

  The rectangular gel was a deep green, almost black, and looked solid. It gave way easily though, as I pressed the severed claws into it.

  Nothing happened. No beeps, no lights, no openings of large gateways. The technology probably only worked with living creatures. Great. Shining the flashlight at the alien bodies, trying my best to not look at the human bodies, I searched for any sign of alien life, but everything was still and quiet.

  It was possible there was another exit, back through the corridors. I toyed with the idea of wandering through them, but decided that would be a last resort. My terrible sense of direction was not going to do me any favors in the dark, sinuous hallways.

  I began looking for packs that had been abandoned, and after a thorough hunt involving a lot of tiptoeing around and hopping over the deceased, found two. One had musty clothes in it, including a pair of worn tennis shoes that just happened to be my size. The other was full of goodies: water bottles, fruit, batteries, and, blessedly, a full bottle of Tylenol. I downed three capsules, without bothering to swallow them with water. Munching on a pear and then an apple, the meal seemed loud enough to wake the dead. Which could have been handy, if all I really needed was one living alien to open the gate.

  The Captain must’ve been laughing about now, probably getting the report that I’d failed. How could Vanessa have done this? She’d made it no mystery that she didn’t like me, but going so far as to shoot me? She’d decided I was a threat to her, and now she wasn’t wrong.

  What a shame that Tristen had come so close to escaping, only to fall in the last few yards. I couldn’t wrap my mind around why he’d stayed behind. Mostly all I’d been was bad-tempered. And now he was dead and I was alive.

  Stupid boy.

  Maybe he’d really meant what he’d said before, about not having a reason to live. Had stayed behind because he was genuinely suicidal. I doubted it though; he’d been so roused by the idea of possible escape. If he hadn’t cared about surviving, the notion wouldn’t have intrigued him so much.

  Which meant he’d sacrificed himself on my behalf.

  I hated the thought.

  People wanting to kill me, that I could wrap my mind around. But a person who would die for me? Especially one I barely knew? It was too much.

  Fatigue hit me like a wave. The painkillers had dulled the burning sensation on my back, and the relief was enough that I thought I could actually rest without wanting to die.

  And so, right there in the middle of bloody corpses, and still losing my own, I laid down on the hard ground. Keeping the flashlight on and using my arm as a pillow, I faded away.

  I didn’t know how long I slept, but when I awoke, it was to a muted scratching sound. Something was clawing away at a hard surface. Something little.

  Pointing the flashlight toward the noise, it landed on a grotesque Vela corpse. Its vacant eyes, staring right at me, were enough to unsettle the most seasoned fighter. It was obviously dead, but the sound coming from it was no illusion.

  I took a step toward it, but paused when I heard the same sound coming from my right. Another lifeless corpse was generating the same noise. Then all at once, what had started as a miniscule scratching sound came from all around. Everywhere I turned the static noise was spawning from inside the alien bodies, reverberating off the rocky enclosure.

  Running toward the closest with a raised knife, I kicked at the carcass to turn it over. The scratching was coming from inside its abdomen. I cut into it, thick blood seeping down, to reveal a perfectly smooth almond-shaped mass. It was dark gray, and plainly the source of the noise.

  Steeling myself, I picked it up. Movement and vibrations were coming from inside, as if it was…

  I dropped it, gasping in revulsion.

  If I was right, this cavern was about to be filled with little baby aliens.

  The scratchings became louder and every alien body my flashlight touched was beginning to jostle a little.

  Trying to push down the horror that permeated through my gut, I took a deep breath of blood-scented air.

  Think, Rhyan.

  Tiny little aliens couldn’t be too difficult to handle, right? Judging by the size of the egg, they could only be seven or eight inches. Running a hand through my blood-splattered hair, it dawned on me that this was what I needed. Hadn’t I just been wishing for a living subject?

  I picked up the egg again, which now convulsed rapidly, and carried it to the wall panel. I placed it on the ground, and gripped the flashlight under my chin. Holding my breath, I pressed the tip of the knife gently into the egg. It had the texture of thin leather. Blue liquid seeped along the long, shallow slit I made. Inside was a perfect miniature replica of the monsters I’d become so accustomed to killing.

  It waggled its head around, big eyes turning from the flashlight beam. I really didn’t want to touch it, but there really was no choice.

  Scooping my hand gently around it, trying hard not to think about the sticky warmth of the egg’s inner juices, I pulled it out.

  It had perfect little claws the size of a tack. Grasping at these, I pressed them into the green gel.

  Nothing happened for one heartbreaking moment.

  Then the gateway began to open.

  Chapter 33

  Wasting no time, I grabbed the pack of supplies, as well as an extra knife, and scurried out. Judging by the cold air, it was the dead of night. Even so, compared to the darkness I’d left behind, the world seemed almost radiant. Sprinting at top speed away from the horror-filled chamber, I filled my lungs with cleansing, blood-free air.

  Without slowing, I glanced back and saw the gateway still gaping wide. It was fixed into the base of a jagged cliff and the dirt road I was running on led to straight to it. I wondered if soon there would be little newborn aliens chasing me.

  A few minutes into my run, I felt a wet slap from Tristen’s shirt, my makeshift compress, on on my leg. Breathing hard, I untied the shirt’s sleeves from my stomach and pulled it off. It was saturated. I’d thought the lightheadedness was from the thick stench in the cavern, but blood loss was undoubtedly the real cause. If I didn’t slow down, I would bleed out much faster.

  It was almost more painful to walk—every instinct urged me to run as fast as I could. But after a few moments my breathing eased and m
y heart rate slowed and the bleeding lessened.

  The trees were thicker than they’d been back near the cavern, and the dirt road began to curve toward the right.

  So, now what?

  I’d escaped—that had been my main goal. I hadn’t considered what might be next. Head out on my own? Go back to the city? How would I even find it? I had no idea where I might be.

  The night was quiet—no breeze blew, no crickets chirped. High in the blackness, the moon was a perfect crescent.

  A sudden memory burst into my mind: the Fourth of July at my grandma’s house. Zach really wanting to hold a sparkler, but not quite working up the courage; Dad, dripping watermelon juice on his white t-shirt; Grandma and I sitting on lawn chairs, watching the fireworks explode under a crescent moon.

  It was almost impossible to believe this was the same moon as that night.

  Everything had changed. Me as much as anything. The girl who had sat relaxing with her family that night was almost unrecognizable now, thanks to the Vela.

  The Vela—perhaps I’d inadvertently discovered the reason they were willing to endanger their lives so recklessly. Maybe there was no risk, because they were born again only hours after dying, a reincarnation thing. Maybe their consciousness passed into the egg and they never even really died. I’d certainly never stuck around after killing one, just to see what would happen. I doubted anyone did. It would be useful information though, for a war….

  Stopping in the middle of the road I opened the pack, rummaged around until I found the painkillers and swallowed a few more. Then, choosing a tall, strong tree, I began climbing. Even before I reached the top, the glow of city lights came into view. They weren’t even that far; the distance could probably be covered in a day.

  I was in desperate need of medical care, I owed the Captain a visit, and Vanessa had some karma coming. Claire, too, would be waiting for me. Of my limited options, going back to the city made the most sense.

  Besides, they had my horse.

  Chapter 34

  As the night dissolved, I tried hard to fix the location of the city lights in my mind. Once they vanished, finding my way was going to be troublesome. I could stop for the day and wait, but I was in far too much pain. The sooner I arrived, the sooner I would get my hands on something better than Tylenol. Stitches would be good too. And a pillow. Oh, and a toothbrush—my teeth felt like they were growing fur. Some pizza….

  Obviously, waiting around wasn’t going to happen.

  The city’s glow faded into nothing and I was on my own.

  The air was already warm and I began dreading the afternoon heat that would be inescapable. Things could have been worse, though. Thanks to the packs I’d poached from the cavern, I had food, clothes, water, and weapons. At least I wasn’t completely helpless.

  Progress was slow. I couldn’t see it, but if the wound on my back looked half as bad as it felt, it was downright gruesome. I’d abandoned the dirt road hours before, since it had veered away from the city, and could now only hope I was going the right way.

  Bitter thoughts of the Captain and Vanessa kept me going. If anyone had ever deserved retribution, it was those two. They were the reason I was now stranded, wounded, and exhausted.

  My feet began to ache, and my thoughts turned to Lucky. I wondered if he missed me. Probably not as much as I missed him; at least he had friends of his own species.

  The sun climbed higher and I decided to take a lunch break. A large boulder underneath a shade tree presented itself and became an impromptu picnic site. After guzzling at least a pint of water, I peeled a soft banana, wondering where the aliens had gotten it. The grocery stores were long depleted and bananas didn’t grow locally. Maybe they’d enslaved a bunch of people and made them grow fruit. Maybe they loved bananas so much, it was the reason they’d crossed the galaxy and taken over the world.

  Maybe I’d been in the heat too long.

  I’d been right to dread the afternoon sun—the temperature was likely nearing three digits. There was a battered blue baseball cap in the pack, so I put it on and pulled my long hair through the back, hoping it would help cool my neck.

  Just as I was about to resume my trek, a motion caught the corner of my eye. Pulling the knife out, I flattened myself against a tree and focused intently at the movement. It was a ways away, but undeniably a person. As the figure drew nearer, I was shocked to realize I recognized it.

  “Kalisha?” I stepped away from the tree.

  She shrieked and grabbed for the gun at her hip, but froze when she saw me.

  “Rhyan?”

  “What are you doing out here?”

  “I thought you were dead!” she said, ignoring my question. “Vanessa said you were injured and didn’t make it out.”

  “I didn’t make it out—not until yesterday. Vanessa shot me.”

  “She shot you? Where?” Her hand dropped from the holster, and she looked me over intently.

  “My shoulder. But that’s not really the problem. I got stabbed, in my back.”

  “Lemme see.”

  I turned my back to her and pulled my shirt up. She drew in a sharp breath.

  “Oh, Rhyan. That’s bad. You gotta get that taken care of right away.”

  “What do you think I’m doing?”

  “Well, not going back to the city, if that’s what you think. You’re at least two miles off course.”

  My heart sank. Two miles felt like twenty in my current condition. I hated to ask for help, but it was either that or wander around like a fool.

  “Can you take me?”

  “Um…” She hesitated a long moment; the query was obviously an inconvenience. “I was actually just leaving.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s a kinda long story.”

  “You could tell me on the way back,” I hinted.

  Conflicting thoughts ran across her face. Finally she said, “Okay. I’ll take you back. But first things first.”

  She removed the pack she was carrying from her back and foraged inside until she pulled out a first aid kit. Pulling out some white gauze she instructed me to lift my shirt again and then proceeded to wrap the clean dressing around my stomach and over the cut. After tying it off, she pulled out a small canister and dropped two small pills into my hand.

  “Take those. They’ll help fight the infection you have comin’ on.”

  I did as she said, grateful to have some help. With a deep sigh, she turned around and began walking. I scrambled to catch up.

  “How far is it?” I asked.

  “Not that far. We’ll get there tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?” The disappointment in my voice was obvious.

  “You ain’t exactly winnin’ any races today,” she replied, slowing a little to match pace with me.

  “Why were you leaving?”

  She sighed again before answering.

  “It’s the Captain. He’s…well he’s not doin’ right.”

  “Why? What happened?”

  There was a long pause before she answered.

  “He’s tryin’ to kill people. And before you say I’m bein’ overdramatic, just listen. He sent us on that fool mission aimin’ for us to fail. He wanted the rescue crew to fail too. He was hopin’ we’d all die.”

  Even though the same thought had run through my mind, it was difficult to swallow.

  “But why? What would he have to gain from it?”

  “I dunno. But I went to go see him, an’ I overheard him talkin’ to someone on the radio—sayin’ about how the plan had to be changed since we all came back.”

  “That doesn’t necessarily mean—“

  “He also said he was gonna have to arrange for another mission. One that we for sure wouldn’t come back from.”

  “You heard him say that?”

  She nodded. “And then I got my stuff and left. If the Captain’s cracked and wants to start killin’ people, I ain’t gonna wait around for it to happen.”

  I hesitated. Kalisha ha
d no reason to lie about any of this, but it was still hard to believe. Not that I thought the Captain was above killing—I just couldn’t think of any possible motive for it.

  “So you’re just going to drop me off and turn around again?” I asked, wincing as I took a large step over a fallen tree.

  “No choice, really. Doesn’t matter if the Captain has gone crazy, you gotta get to a hospital.”

  “Well… thanks,” I replied. “I appreciate the help.”

  “It’s okay. You’re too good a fighter to let die out here, and it’s not like there’s anywhere I gotta be anyway.”

  I smiled inwardly. Maybe Lucky wasn’t the only one who had friends.

  Chapter 35

  The rest of the day was spent plodding along at a maddeningly slow pace underneath a boiling sun. Kalisha’s never-ending patience helped me clear obstacles, wade across a river, and rewrap more gauze each time it filled with blood. As dusk began to settle in, I argued to keep going through the night, but she wasn’t having it.

  “The nurses ain’t gonna thank me if I drop you off half dead. Do them—and yourself—a favor and get some rest.”

  So, frustrated at pretty much everything, I tried to mold some clothes into a semblance of a pillow and laid down on the hard dirt. Kalisha insisted on keeping watch, saying she was fully rested from the night before. I doubted that, but sleep would come easier if I wasn’t worried about being ambushed, so I didn’t argue.

  And sleep I did. I must’ve been too spent even to dream because the next thing I knew the sun was rising. Kalisha was sitting on a small mound several yards away with her back to me. I sat up and began brushing dust off. My muscles were sore and my mouth was dry, but Kalisha was right—I did feel a little better.

  Rummaging around for something to drink, a movement caught the corner of my eye. Kalisha was standing a few yards away on a small mound, gun drawn. Aiming to the right, she fired a shot, which echoed off the nearby rocks. I turned to look at her target and saw an alien slump over, hopefully dead. It was a good thirty yards away and almost concealed in the brush.