Below

by Kaitlyn O'Connor

  She swallowed with some difficulty. “We still have the containment. We could retrieve it, use it to transport everyone.”

  Raphael sighed. “It was specially designed for the ship that brought us. You know as well as I do that the odds are astronomical that it would fit in the hold of another ship, even assuming they would be willing to jettison their cargo to accommodate us. And what is the likelihood that the ship would be equipped with a pulley system that would work to hoist it? If you think I want to accept this, you’re mistaken. I’d like nothing more than to go with you.”

  Victoria sighed and turned over. “I don’t want to talk about it. I want you to make love to me until I can’t think of anything at all.”

  * * * *

  The Kaymons attacked again just before dawn. They were caught off guard, for this time the creatures found their way through the ventilation system. A half a dozen managed to slip in before the motion censors went off and Quinton, Caroline and Sylvia were struck down as they ran from their sleeping quarters.

  Roach managed to shoot Brown in the leg with the laser rifle before the last of the Kaymons were brought down. Roach threw his rifle down when he saw what he’d done and rushed to see how seriously he’d injured his coworker, whereupon Brown did his utmost to choke the life out of him.

  When Tuttle and Albert finally managed to separate the two, both men were in need of medical attention.

  Gasping, as much from the adrenaline rush as the expenditure of energy, Victoria rushed to the monitors, watching closely until she was certain the surviving Kaymons had retreated from the general area. “Let’s move it! Now people!” she yelled at the group that had been hand picked to outfit the CAT.

  Grabbing up weapons and equipment, everyone raced for the door, paused to check the stairwell, and then pounded down the stairs. They arrived at the lowest level somewhat winded, checked it cautiously, and waited while Victoria checked with Barbara to make certain the Kaymons were still in retreat.

  At the all clear, the cover was lifted from the access pool and they dove, swimming toward the mines, where the CAT had been parked. Victoria had reckoned without the effects the water would have on their speed. It took them nearly twice as long to outfit the CAT as she’d calculated.

  She kept a close watch of the time, alternating by checking the long range sensors.

  Raphael swam to her, gripping her arms. We’re ready. Donna and Carol have volunteered to go with me and Xavier. Don’t fight me on this, Victoria. You’re needed here.

  Victoria studied him a long moment and finally nodded. She looked at her watch. They’re liable to be swarming again before you’re done. Be careful.

  He pressed his lips to hers briefly. I’ll see you when I get back, he said when he pulled away.

  She nodded, watching as he and the others climbed into the CAT and started it up. When the CAT had vanished in the murky depths, she called the workers together and returned to the habitat to pace and wait.

  Minutes ticked into hours. Victoria kept glancing at her watch, wondering if they’d reached the site in the time calculated, and then, if they had managed to set the charges in the time they’d calculated. Periodically, she checked the video feed and the censors. Finally, she realized she was making everyone jittery with her display of nerves and retreated into her quarters.

  The projected time of detonation came and went. Victoria discovered that she’d chewed her nails down to the quick and began pacing again.

  Suddenly, all hell broke loose. A noise, like a deep moan echoed hollowly through the habitat. It shivered. In a moment, the faint waver had become hard shaking and every proximity monitor went wild.

  Victoria snatched the door open and raced into the rec room. The video feed from beneath the habitat showed billowing clouds of silt. Tumbling through it, Victoria could see a dozen or more Kaymons. “They were too late,” she said as the proximity censors topside let out a sharp cry of warning. Dimly, she saw the outline of the CAT as it rolled to a halt beneath the habitat. “Stay put,” she muttered. “Just stay put.”

  To her horror, she saw the doors opening.

  “Shit! They’re coming in! I need four people, now!” She yelled, grabbing up her rifle and heading for the door without waiting to see who would follow.

  Reaching the access level, she started hauling on the wench to lift the top from the access pool. As soon as it had risen a foot, Raphael, Donna, Carol, and Xavier squeezed through and rolled from the lip of the pool. She released the wench and grabbed her rifle up. “The sensors are going crazy. They must be everywhere,” she said as she turned and led the way back to the stairwell.

  Raphael fell into step beside her, then pushed ahead of her, grasping the door first and pulling it open. They scanned the stairwell and started up. They were nearing the third level when they heard the distinct sound of a door opening.

  “Hello the habitat!”

  Victoria exchanged a glance with Raphael, hardly daring to believe someone had come for them. “We’re here!” she yelled. “Coming up!”

  “Make it fast! There’s a hell of a storm blowing up here! We need to get off this rig before the ship’s damaged by flying debris.”

  “We’ve got wounded,” she yelled back. “Give us ten!”

  She pounded on the door of the officer’s level when she reached it. “Our ride’s arrived,” she said when the door opened and Brown looked at her in surprise. “Grab a stretcher. Let’s get these people up there.”

  Brown grinned. “I think I can make it under my own steam ... even if I have to crawl.”

  Victoria grinned back at him, feeling giddy with relief. “I’ll give you a hand. You might crawl too slow to suit them.”

  The wind snatched the door from her grip when she opened it onto the lower deck, slamming it back against the wall. She staggered, almost falling with Brown. Regaining their balance, they leaned into the wind and struggled to climb the exposed stairs that led to the upper deck.

  Finally, they reached the upper deck, however, and staggered toward the open bay doors of the ship that awaited them. Victoria was on the gang plank before she recognized it. Looking around, and then up, she met Captain Huggin’s gaze. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

  He smiled wryly. “I hope you can properly appreciate the fact that I just threw away a forty year career,” he said as she came even with him.

  She studied him a long moment. “We’ll see. After I get through with them, you might find they’re anxious to do the right thing.”

  His brows rose, but he dismissed whatever questions rose to mind. “We need to get everyone in here as quickly as we can. We’re not going to be able to take off if the wind gets much harder.

  Victoria nodded and released Brown. Turning, she waved the others up, urging them to hurry. Roach brushed past her and kept going. Tuttle scrambled up the gangplank behind him, nearly falling twice. Behind her, Clarence and his kitchen help struggled to make their way into the hold, leaning against the pelting wind.

  It was then that Victoria discovered none of the injured had been brought up. Raphael, Xavier and Barbara stood near the stairwell, watching, but unmoving. She stared at Raphael with a mixture of surprise and anger. Placing her hands around her mouth, she shouted at him to bring the injured.

  Captain Huggins gripped her shoulder. “We can’t bring them.”

  She glanced at him. “You’re out of your fucking mind if you think I’m leaving any of my people on this hell hole of a planet!” she said furiously.

  “We can’t take them! We don’t have the containment!”

  “We’ll retrieve it!” Victoria said furiously.

  “We can’t! Not in this.” He paused, saw she wouldn’t listen and added, “I’m under orders not to bring them off planet for any reason,” he said angrily. “If I did, you can be damn sure we’d never make it back to any port.”

  “They won’t know if you don’t tell them,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “Victoria!”<
br />
  She turned, saw that Raphael had come to stand behind her. “Bring everyone up. We’re leaving.”

  He shook his head slowly, smiling faintly. “I know you think you can do anything, but you can’t fight this.”

  “I’m not leaving you!”

  “No. You’re being taken away,” he said and pulled her close, pressing his lips to hers. Victoria threw her arm around his neck, holding him tightly.

  “We can do this,” she said. “I’ve got the weapon I need.”

  He caressed her cheek, touched her neck. Something shot through her, like a static charge. It was the last thing she remembered as darkness claimed her.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Victoria felt herself shaking. She frowned, then realized that she was being shaken. With an effort, she opened her eyes. Brown was standing over her.

  She blinked. “Where am I?”

  “We’re on the ship. Leaving our people, that’s where we are. What’re you going to do about it?”

  Victoria jackknifed into a sitting position. The sudden motion made her head swim. “What the hell was I hit with?”

  “Damned if I know. Raphael touched you on the neck and the next thing I know, you’re falling into a limp pile in his arms. Captain Huggins dragged you up the gang plank and pulled it.”

  Victoria got up. “I need a weapon. How long was I out?”

  Brown produced two pistols, handing her one of them. “Too long.”

  Huggins glanced around when Brown and Victoria entered the cockpit, then returned his attention to the controls. “I’m sorry, Anderson. I would’ve done something if I could, but my hands are tied.” His heart skipped a beat when a cold, round metal object settled on his temple. He didn’t have to look to know what it was.

  “I’m sorry, too, Huggins. I want you to know I will deeply regret splattering your brains all over Grant over there, but I’ll do it anyway if you don’t turn this ship around .... right now.”

  Huggins slid a sideways glance at her. “You’re bluffing.”

  “Are you willing to bet your life on it?”

  “You’re not qualified to pilot this ship.”

  “You really think I’m going to worry about a little thing like a license after I’ve murdered you?”

  He paled. “What I meant was, you don’t know how.”

  “I’m a fast learner. But I don’t have a lot of patience right now. I’m going to give you to the count of five.”

  Huggins hesitated.

  “One.”

  “All right!”

  “You’re going to set it down right where you dropped the containment.”

  He threw her a startled glance. “That’s over the water. I can’t hold it there in this weather!”

  “I’ve got confidence in you.” She turned to Brown. “I’m going below to get everything situated. Let me know when to open the bay. If either of these two try anything, shoot them.” She thought about it several moments. “On second thought, I believe I’ll take Grant with me. She might decide to play with the transmitter.”

  Grant threw a frightened look in her direction. “I won’t. I swear I won’t.”

  “She’s my navigator. I need her.”

  “You’ll get by without her,” Victoria said, grabbing a fistful of Grant’s tunic and hauling her out of the seat.

  “You’ll get life for this,” Huggins muttered.

  Victoria ignored him, shoving Grant toward the exit. They headed for the brig once they’d gained the corridor. Victoria shoved Grant into a cell and locked it.

  “We came back for you!” Grant yelled.

  Victoria studied her a moment, then moved closer. “We lost three people because you and Huggins abandoned us on that rock, knowing something had wiped out the entire crew that was supposed to be there to meet us,” she said through gritted teeth. “Do you honestly think I believe you came back out of the goodness of your hearts? You came back because we were bouncing that distress signal across the universe and you got to worrying that your boss might not cover your ass if we were rescued and got the chance to tell what happened. In fact, you realized that the company would most likely throw you to the wolves as the perfect scapegoat.”

  Grant’s eyes widened. She licked her lips. “That wasn’t it! We realized you were in real trouble.”

  Victoria gave her a look. “How far did you get before it occurred to you that we ‘were in real trouble’?”

  Grant looked away. As Victoria opened the door to leave, she said, “You’re not going to get away with this.”

  Victoria patted her chest. “I believe, in my heart, that I will.”

  * * * *

  The storm had abated somewhat Victoria saw when she opened the bay doors. Whitecaps still peaked in excess of six feet, but the wind was not gusting nearly as hard as it had been. Victoria hit the com unit. “Brown?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m going down to hook up. Tell him to hold it steady.”

  “Are you going to be able to handle it by yourself?” Tuttle asked worriedly.

  Victoria glanced down at the waves. “I’ll manage. Just watch the wench.”

  Tuttle gave her a thumbs up. “See you when you get back.”

  Victoria nodded, grabbed the heavy chain and held tightly while Tuttle lowered her. As she reached the water, she expelled the air from her lungs and began breathing through her artificial gill without even thinking about it.

  She spotted the containment less than four meters from where she touched down. That was one thing she could say for Huggins. He was a hell of a pilot, with a memory like an elephant. She cupped her hands around the com unit. “Found it. Give me some slack.”

  The words were garbled because of the water. She had to repeat the words over and over, slowly, tugging on the chain before, finally, Tuttle gave her the slack she needed.

  She was securing the last chain when she became aware that she was no longer alone. Grabbing her rifle, she whirled.

  Raphael tread water near by. Surrounding him were the other miners.

  We came back to retrieve the injured.

  Victoria stared at him a long moment and finally gestured toward the containment with the rifle. I came back for my people. Get in ... now. Or I’ll throw the lot of you in the brig for insubordination.

  Epilogue

  Victoria sighed. Dropping her chin to her hand, she stared dreamily out of the porthole at the view. The company had been right about some things, but not everything. Raphael had continued to mature, not at an accelerated rate, and not to a degree where he was less human than sea creature. But he was a beautiful merman and sometimes when she studied him, or when she looked at her beautiful castle in the sea, she felt as if she was living a fairy tale.

  A tap on the other side of the glass brought her out of her state of meditation. She blinked and then smiled at the two faces on the other side of the glass.

  I thought you were working?

  I am ... was. I finished.

  Good, because Dante is hungry and I think he’s going to start eating me if you don’t feed him soon.

  Victoria laughed. You should bring him in then. It’s time for his nap anyway.

  She was waiting for them when they emerged from the access pool. Raphael handed her the wailing infant and climbed out. She tossed him a towel and wrapped her son in one, crooning to him as she climbed the stairs to their apartment. She was curled up in the middle of the bed with the baby at her breast when Raphael reached the second floor.

  He studied her for a long moment and finally strode across the room and climbed on the bed as well, sprawling on his side behind her and propping his head in his hand. He stroked the baby’s cheek.

  Dante frowned, his hand waving a little wildly. Finally, he gripped Raphael’s finger. Raphael chuckled.

  “Shhh!” Victoria admonished him. “He’s almost asleep.”

  Raphael retrieved his finger and sat up. Pulling her back against him, he lowered his head and sucked a love bite
on the side of her neck. Victoria closed her eyes, savoring his nearness. “Where is it?” he whispered in her ear.

  She gave him a look, but pointed toward the ceiling. Taking the hint, he left her and went up to her studio.

  She joined him when she’d settled the baby. “What do you think?”

  He held out a hand to her and pulled her into his arms. “Aren’t you tired of doing me?”

  Victoria let out a gurgle of laughter and turned in his arms, putting her arms around his neck. “Not yet. Maybe in a hundred years.”

  He reddened slightly. “I meant the sculpture.”

  “I know what you meant,” she said, still chuckling. “And the answer is, no. And neither are my customers. They love the figurines I do of you. Of course, I’m not stupid enough to think they buy them because they’re so good. They buy them because they can’t have you.”

  Raphael’s blush deepened, but he smiled, shaking his head. “Your sculptures are beautiful. That’s why they buy them. And we don’t need the money ... What’re you going to call this one?”

  Victoria turned to study the figure. It depicted a merman seated on an outcropping of coral, studying the face of the child in his arms, his magnificent tail fin curled around the base of the outcropping for balance. “The merman and his son.”