A few minutes later, the hall was filled with the stench of burning flesh and the only thing left of Grey was a blackened and smoldering lump.
“Daly,” she said quietly in the silence that followed. “What happened?”
“Cohen went to check the head in Danforth’s quarters, he was turning to leave when Grey jumped out of the shower stall and started tearing him to pieces,” Daly said in subdued tones.
“Christ,” McNeely said, shaking his head.
Malory suddenly stiffened. “I told you two in the hall,” she said in alarm. “Who else was with you?”
“Percy,” Daly said in dawning horror. “God, he was right beside me firing at Grey.”
Reynolds snatched the radio from his belt. “Percy?”
Malory grabbed hers as well. “Alvarez?”
“Go ahead.”
“Is Percy in there with you?”
“Negative.”
“Percy, respond,” Reynolds yelled into his radio.
“Fuck!” Malory screamed, throwing her radio into the wall where it shattered and fell to the floor.
“Commander,” Reynolds said quietly, lowering his radio as his eyes focused over her shoulder.
“What!” she snapped and he gestured behind her with a nod of his head.
“Gimme a fuckin’ break,” McNeely whispered.
Malory turned to see Cohen pulling himself out of Danforth’s quarters using only the stump of his left arm, his other appendages in tatters or missing altogether. Blood flowed freely from his wounds, complicating his efforts to travel and creating a grisly path on the floor. Even as he tried to slink away he was ravenously feeding on what she nauseatingly recognized as one of his own severed hands. She wanted to cry. Instead, her face hardened.
“Terrel,” she said coldly. “Burn it. Then burn whatever he left behind in Danforth’s quarters.”
“Aye, skipper,” Terrel said grimly, advancing determinedly down the hallway.
“DeSoto, Hanson, back him up,” she ordered and they followed in Terrel’s wake.
“I want all of the remains collected and thrown into the incinerator, including Ballenger’s and that alien we found,” she said, leaning her back against the wall and sliding down to sit on the floor. “I also want Hanson equipped with a flamethrower and I want a shotgun. A big goddamn shotgun.”
———
Corky spent the next three hours on the border of hysterics. She had chewed all of her fingernails down to nubs and the urgent need of her bladder only added to her agitation. After the loud and very close gun battle that had taken place earlier, there had been no word other than a hushed radio conversation that Alvarez had engaged in. Overhearing a snippet of Malory’s voice had calmed her considerably but as the time dragged on with no word, her fears had reclaimed their hold on her.
She was more than a little surprised at how completely reluctant emotion for the Commander had transformed so thoroughly into an all consuming need. The very thought of losing Malory scared her to the very core of her being and any reservations she had possessed only a few days before, had effectively evaporated.
The quick rattle of Alvarez’s radio startled her and about a minute later the soldiers again entered the mess. Her eyes tracked to the smallest one that sported a head of flaming red hair and she breathed a sigh of relief. Malory’s shirt was soaked through in several places and even from a distance, Corky could tell she was exhausted. She smiled in response when blue eyes searched for her anxiously and then filled with relief.
Malory strode to the center of the room and sat down tiredly in her previous spot. “A perimeter has been established. The central complex has been cleared and the North and South fire doors have been sealed and reinforced with a weld. I have guards posted at each one. This means we don’t have to camp in here and can return to our quarters,” she reported indifferently. “However, pick a partner because you’re bunking up two to a room tonight and for the foreseeable future. No one is be alone from this point forward. I know most of you need to use the facilities and I’ll let you go in a minute. There are few things you have to know.”
She sighed and took a deep breath. “At this time, Dr. Grey is dead as is Airman Cohen. PO’s Percy and Coy are now missing.”
She let them mumble amongst themselves for a moment. “We believe that Grey was originally infected by an alien intruder and then passed this intruder on to Coy. We suspect Percy to either be infected as well or dead.”
“What kind of intruder is it, Commander?” Clovis asked.
“Worms,” she said quietly.
“Excuse me?”
“Worms,” she repeated loudly. “Dr. Grey was infested with them. Now, we have no idea what they do to you if you become infected but apparently, you develop super-human strength and an appetite for your own kind. Grey tore Cohen to pieces with his bare hands and took unimaginable damage to his body before we were able to put him down. It also appears that whatever happens to you once you become infected, diminished intelligence is not a side effect.”
A thoughtful silence.
“So what’s our plan of action?” Lenard asked.
“Search and destroy,” Malory said determinedly. “We can’t evacuate and we have almost four months before leaving becomes a possibility. We’re stuck here and until the threat is eliminated, none of us are safe.”
“What about communications?” Clovis asked.
“Communications are down and I’m not sending anyone to the silo until I know they’ll be able to come back. The complex is under computer lockdown. This means the vacuum doors to Operations and Mechanical have been sealed as have all other doors to areas deemed of importance. This means you better hope either I or Mr. McNeely survive or none of you are going anywhere.”
A few minutes of rumbles and Malory stood from her seat. “Choose a roommate fellas and see to your needs. Dinner will be at 2100 hours, attendance is mandatory and I want a list provided to Mr. McNeely as to who you are bunking with,” she ordered and strode over to confer in whispers with her men.
A short time later she looked up. “Dr. Rivers, pack a bag. You’re with me,” she called out with a wave and waited until Corky came forward before leading her out of the room.
Corky grabbed her hand as soon as the doors closed behind them. “Are you alright?” she asked anxiously.
“Yeah,” she answered, bringing Corky’s hand to her mouth for a kiss. “How are you doing?”
“Scared,” Corky admitted.
“You got the easy part,” Malory said quietly.
“Was it really bad?” Corky asked reluctantly, not sure if she really wanted an answer.
“It was unspeakable.”
Corky chewed on the words thoughtfully, taking comfort in the hand that grasped hers. She remained silent until they entered Malory’s quarters and she let out an urgent squeak, her body giving her an ultimatum. Letting go of Malory’s hand, she ran across the room frantically unbuttoning her pants and hastily plopped down on the toilet. She moaned climatically in relief.
Malory closed the door and laughed in amusement. “Would you listen to that?” she chuckled. “I’m surprised you’re not launching yourself into the air.”
Corky ignored her completely, concentrating on her moment of profoundly liberated bliss.
Malory grinned and propped her shotgun up against the wall and unslung the rifle from her back to keep it company. It was followed by a belt of shells and a bandolier of magazines. When she was done unburdening herself, she sat down on the cot and began to unlace her boots, her nose wrinkling.
“God, I stink,” she said in disgust.
Corky emerged from her euphoria. “Are we gonna be okay, Malory?”
“I think so,” she answered softly.
“You need to know so,” Corky said grimly from her throne. “I can’t lose you. I won’t lose you.”
Malory looked at her fondly. “Somebody loves me,” she sang childishly.
Corky rolled her eyes. �
�Malory, this is serious.”
“You don’t need to tell me that,” she said gravely.
“Then tell me we’re going to be okay.”
“I can’t tell you that because I don’t know. But I can tell you that I’m going to do my best,” she said solemnly. “You’re my world, Corky. I wish I could show everyone that.”
“Your best is good enough for me,” Corky whispered. “I never thought I would hear myself say this, but I can’t imagine life without you.”
Malory beamed a bright smile. “I shall try and bask in those words and pretend they weren’t spoken to me while you sat upon the pot.”
Corky giggled. “I guess I could’ve chosen a more romantic location,” she admitted.
“Wanna take a shower with me?” Malory asked hopefully.
“Yes.”
Malory rose to her feet and stripped off her stinky shirt. “Let’s ride.”
———
Corky breathed deeply of the clean scent emanating from the warm body below hers. Despite the situation, the only thing she could concentrate on was how content she felt lying on top of her snoring lover. Malory lay flat on her belly, having collapsed onto the cot as soon as she finished her shower and had fallen asleep within minutes.
Corky turned slightly so she could cock an elbow to support her head and softly connected the freckles on Malory’s back with a fingertip. When she was finished, she lifted a long strand of still-damp red hair and brushed through it gently with her fingers. She marveled at the depth of her feelings for a woman she had recently hated beyond compare. Malory had become a drug she was hopelessly addicted to and like any addict, she yearned to possess a constant line to her supply.
She placed a small kiss on her shoulder and traced a lingering trail down her spine, changing course as she reached the end to delicately squeeze an exposed cheek. Her hand ran itself inquisitively over the back of recently shaved legs and found them luxuriant to the touch. Unable to resist, she let her hand fall between the slightly parted legs and brought it up slowly until she met an exotically warm resistance.
Malory’s breath hitched slightly and Corky paused to assure herself that her lover was still asleep. Once certain, she explored and teased deftly until she was able to enter her, freezing when the snores were interrupted by a small sigh. A grin came to her face as Malory shifted slightly in her slumber, unconsciously parting her legs further apart.
Wickedly wondering how far she could go before waking her, she began to stroke her gently. Her excitement growing as Malory’s became obvious, she withdrew and teased at her playfully.
A low moan was a prelude to blue eyes snapping open in surprise and Corky went stock still, suddenly caught in the act.
Malory cleared her throat. “Enjoying yourself?” she asked sleepily.
“Uhm… yeah,” Corky admitted guiltily.
“Don’t let me interrupt,” she mumbled.
“I’m sorry, I know you’re tired,” she said bashfully. “I just wanted to feel you.”
“You can have me anytime you want. Don’t be sorry.”
“Even if you’re asleep?” Corky asked playfully.
“Of course,” Malory said around a small yawn. “I belong to you.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Then I want you,” she said cravingly.
Malory raised her hips and brought herself to her knees, spreading her legs as far as the cot would allow. “Do anything you like, Corky,” she whispered.
“God, Malory,” Corky said amorously, her eyes riveted on the endowment before her. “When you give yourself like that I soak myself.”
“I’m not giving anything you don’t already own,” she offered submissively.
Corky inched forward to center herself, placing hands on supple hips in preparation. “I love you, Malory,” she said earnestly.
“I love you, too,” Malory gasped, pressing her face into her pillow pleasurably as Corky began to explore.
———
Dinner was uneventful, the mood very quiet and subdued. A corporeal undercurrent of unease permeating the room. The monotony only broken when Lenard and Watkins approached at the end of the meal.
“Commander?” Lenard said.
Malory looked up from her plate and gestured for the men to sit down next to McNeely and Reynolds. “What’s up?”
“Uhm…” Watkins started hesitantly. “We’d like to be issued weapons.”
Malory stared at them. “At the moment, that’s out of the question,” she said firmly.
“May I ask why?” Watkins countered.
“Because our enemy looks exactly like us and could be any one of us,” Malory explained tersely. “I won’t create a bigger problem then we already have. Besides, if you encounter one of these things you can empty a weapon into it dozens of times and not even slow it down.”
“You apparently killed Grey,” Watkins pointed out.
Malory had to clamp down on an angry response. “Yes, we did,” she said calmly. “With seven people firing automatic rifles at precise targets. Grey didn’t have a head or legs below the knees, yet he still kept coming. Terrel had to incinerate him with a flamethrower to finish him.”
“God,” Corky gasped from beside her.
“Yes,” she agreed quietly. “So unless you want to use the gun on yourself, issuing you one at this time would pretty much be a useless gesture.”
The two men sat silently, considering her words. “Alright,” Lenard agreed finally. “I see your point. What’s our plan then?”
She took a deep breath. “Tomorrow morning, everybody spends the day in the mess while a group of us break the weld on the South door and either confirm the area clear or eliminate Percy and Coy.”
“That’s a lot of area to cover,” Watkins said thoughtfully.
“Yes, it is,” she agreed. “A lot of it is close quarters and we can’t afford to lose anyone else to death or infection.”
“Is there anyway we can help?” Lenard offered.
“The best way to help would be to do exactly as we ask,” she said not unkindly. “Stay in groups and don’t let anyone stray.”
Lenard nodded his consent. “Alright. Are we sure the doors can’t be breached?”
“We couldn’t dent those doors with a grenade,” Reynolds said solemnly.
Malory rose from her seat. “On that note, I’m going to call it a night. Are you ready, Dr. Rivers?”
“Yes,” Corky answered, coming to her feet.
McNeely watched them go, waiting prudently until they left the room to speak. “Chief, who volunteered?”
“Alvarez.”
“Tell him to keep it quiet,” McNeely advised. “She’ll hand him his ass if she catches him watching over her.”
Reynolds chuckled. “He knows.”
———
Corky dumped her bag of clothes on the floor and flopped into Malory’s chair. “Do you think anyone realized I was wearing one of your shirts?” she asked curiously.
“Nah,” Malory scoffed as she seated herself on the end of her bunk and yawned tiredly.
“I’m glad we went to get some of my things,” Corky said. “I don’t think I’ve ever gone a full day in my life without wearing underwear.”
“Actually,” Malory considered. “I kinda like the way my pants ride up on me.”
Corky giggled.
Malory chuckled and yawned again. “God, I’m tired.”
A blush. “Sorry,” Corky said bashfully.
“Gee, and I thought I was a horny toad,” Malory teased.
“Shut up,” Corky demanded playfully.
Malory stood and closed the distance between them, reaching out a hand to gently cup the doctor’s cheek. “Don’t ever be sorry,” she said warmly, leaning forward to kiss her softly.
“Don’t you leave me,” Corky whispered when she withdrew.
“Never,” she said somberly, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. “Now come to bed, it�
��s gonna be a long day tomorrow.”
05/10/02 - 0800 hours
Malory entered the mess the next morning and immediately signaled for McNeely as Corky sauntered away to grab a tray for breakfast.
“Commander,” McNeely said quietly, gesturing for her to step aside with him.
She followed him to an isolated corner, bracing for news that she knew she didn’t want to hear.
“There are six people missing and they don’t respond to radio calls,” he said quietly.
“What the fuck?” she hissed angrily. “Why wasn’t I informed immediately?”
“I only found out a few minutes ago and I didn’t want to start a panic,” he explained calmly.
She reigned in a fit of temper. “Who?”
“Jones and Gregory from the kitchen staff. Danforth, Garret, Blair, and Laroux.”
“Who else knows?”
“People are beginning to suspect but for now just me, you, and Alvarez.”
“Who’s on the doors?”
“Reynolds and Ring.”
“Get them back here now,” she ordered and then yelled out. “Get situated in the middle of the room, we’ve got trouble.”
McNeely barked into his radio to order the men back.
“What’s going on, Commander?” Clovis asked.
“Gather in the middle of the room and stay away from the doors,” she yelled authoritatively.
“Reynolds and Ring coming in,” McNeely yelled out in warning and a second later they burst into the room..
“Pull some of the appliances out of the kitchen to block the east door, move it people!” she barked. “DeSoto, Hanson, you’re outside the west door, go!”
The men scrambled into a flurry of activity, most of them running into the kitchen.
“Once the door is blockaded, everyone move to that side of the room,” she commanded.
“Commander,” Lenard said. “Everyone isn’t here yet.”
“Everyone not present is now part of the problem,” she stated angrily, stepping to the side as some of the men struggled by with an enormous stainless steel freezer.
Once they had the east door effectively blockaded, she checked her rifle. “Those with flame units hang back. Those with rifles concentrate on the head and legs, Understood?”
Icehole Page 17