Hell's Own

by T S Weaver

  Jakob wanted to argue, but the older man was the only member of the military with them, and Bloodlaw knew what she was doing. Didn’t she? He didn’t ask but nodded to let the Navy pilot know he agreed.

  “You’ll stay with me,” Salla insisted, her face calm despite the situation. “Can’t take point if you don’t know the way to go.”

  Jakob smiled. It didn’t matter who they faced, what dangers lay ahead, Salla would never allow them to treat her as a child. Lessons he needed to take to heart. Physical age didn’t matter, he was taking the role of an adult, leading and working with Salla and Harvard. Offering suggestions, keeping the others safe, and, like Salla, he was prepared to fight. Age no longer played a part in how he reacted. He had his own life ahead of him, one he planned on living to the fullest extent, but that meant he had to survive whatever was headed their way.

  Noise. Gunfire rang out behind him. Jakob turned before he could prevent the reaction.

  “Stay alert and keep focused on moving forward,” Harvard instructed. “Watching over your shoulder will only slow us down.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “Could have fooled me.” The older man grunted and kept close to Salla. “Which way?”

  “Here, we need to move this part of the wall, then we can slip through into the tunnel.” Salla gestured to a vast expanse of blank wall. “Should be a way of opening it here.” She ran one hand over the smooth rock, her brow furrowed. “It has to be around here... got it.” She pressed in, two fingers digging into the wall as it moved beneath her touch. Dust rolled down from the top of the rock formation, a low whine and the grey expanse opened at a snail’s pace.

  They would make it out. No matter what, he had to believe they’d all make it out of here in one piece.

  Stone fired, using the rifle instead of his sidearm, his gaze fixed on the opening. The Marines and the two civilians all shot at the same time. Flachettes struck targets, but the energy weapons did more damage. Either way, bodies fell, and more came to take their place. He didn’t need to switch weapons, the rifle an energy weapon which allowed him to cause more damage than the standard weapons customarily used within the confines of a ship, or dome. He didn’t need to be careful here. He simply needed to kill as many of the damn things as possible.

  Wings snapped out to either side of one of the aliens as it dropped down, landing on its hind limbs, mouth open in a snarl that bared fangs. No suits, no sign of the thin covering he’d witnessed earlier, or Lawbook had mentioned.

  Ugly buggers.

  Teeth, claws, scales, wings. Whatever they were, he knew one thing.

  He’d kill every last one of them if he had to.

  Energy bolts sliced through the air, striking the winged alien. Each blow knocked it back a step. Liquid oozed from its chest and neck, and still, it didn’t fall. It hissed, the sound carried through the cavern, confirming oxygen remained in the tunnel. A shriek followed sounds carried through the chamber as the crack overhead spilled out three more winged aliens. With more behind them. A never-ending line of aliens, each one ready to strike out at the humans defending their hiding place until the last rifle ran out of energy.

  And they had enough energy mags to last a long time.

  He smiled as the first winged creature fell under a barrage of fire and shifted his attention to the next target.

  16

  “They’re not stopping,” Lackey called out. “Sergeant, there’s too many of them.”

  “Keep firing, and keep calm,” she replied without looking at the man. Each new alien arrival only added to the chaos. The crack remained small enough to prevent a full-scale attack, and it was the only thing in their favor. She kept firing, picking a target and double tapping before she began her search for the next one, always aware of the previous mark in case it continued to move. She fired and made sure they went down and moved on. It was up to the others to be sure they did the same with their own shots.

  Shapes fell from the crack in the ceiling, one landing on top of another as they continued to enter the cavern. The numbers increased at a slow, steady pace instead of the rush of attackers they would otherwise have faced. Yet they knocked each other to the floor with how they landed, turning to snap at their companions, especially those with wings if they were hit by one without wings. She filed the information away for another time as she picked out the next target. Sergeant Cora Bloodlaw fired, again and again, aware of the others around her. The Marines. Her Marines. All fighting, willing to keep shooting until they were overrun and had no means of escaping.

  “We can’t keep this up,” declared Ready. “We’ve got to back up.”

  “Not yet.” She snapped. “We’re going to give the kids as much time as we can. Hold position until I saw otherwise.”

  “Sergeant’s right. We break position now, and they’ll gain ground. We’re holding our own. Don’t need to move.” The reassurance came from the one source she’d never expected. Stone.

  They could do this. Hold the line. “We move when I say, not before.”

  “You’re going to get us all killed,” Ready snapped. “Sergeant, we’re outnumbered.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know. And if you keep whining like a wet behind the ears officer who thinks his experience is worth something, I’ll kill you myself.”

  A cry. A voice she recognized. One of her own people. She wanted to look to check on the man, but it wasn’t possible. Not with the numbers attacking them, the creatures which continued to approach them. Bolts of energy. She’d seen that from the start. Their weapons weren’t designed to protect a dome or a ship. The bolts of energy enough to damage walls, buildings, and now people.

  “Walker’s hit,” Lackey called out.

  “Cover him.” She didn’t shift her attention away from the aliens. She couldn’t. Whatever happened, she had to keep her focus on the attackers. Each new squeeze of the trigger resulted in an alien body jerking from the impact. “We can’t give them time to get their balance once they land.” The winged aliens were recovering from the drop faster than the ones without wings. “Aim for the wings if you can’t hit anything else.” Delicate compared to the other parts of their body’s.

  Keep firing.

  They had to keep firing.

  No matter what.

  Jakob glanced back over his shoulder. Shots. The distinctive noise of bolts slicing through the air before they struck their intended targets.

  “Don’t look back, it won’t help.” Keevar grabbed his arm and kept them both moving. “The Marines wouldn’t want us involved.”

  “I can use a rifle.”

  “We all can, but they’re trained to do something we aren’t. Stand.” Keevar released his grip on Jakob. “Don’t know about you but I’d be scared shitless back there.”

  He didn’t argue. Jakob took a deep breath and kept pace with the men and women behind him, his steps keeping him close to Salla and Harvard. “Salla, how much farther?”

  “Half a klick before we take the split,” Salla called back.

  A loud rumble rolled through the passageway, shaking the ground beneath his feet. He stumbled, one hand smacked a wall as his left knee struck the floor. Pain, bright and burning, shot through his leg. A dozen cries of protest rang out behind him. Salla twisted, holding the datapad close, protecting it as she struck a wall. Dust filled the air. Small pieces broke away from the walls, ceiling, and floor.

  He scrambled to protect his face from the rain of dirt.

  It was going to collapse. The entire tunnel would collapse on him. On them.

  They weren’t going to make it.

  Stone growled, the sound vibrating in the back of his throat. His focus moving from one target to the next, always tracking more than one alien at a time. They fell, beneath the barrage of shots, but still kept coming. Like insects swarming from a hive or mound, they continued to appear, creatures out of nightmares with wings, strange limbs, and weapons he’d never seen before this day. Sweat beaded and dripped int
o his eyes beneath the mask, and he blinked it away. Bastards kept coming, no matter how many he killed or injured enough, so they didn’t claw their way back up, the numbers continued to grow.

  As did the number of bodies.

  Bodies.

  The word flashed through his mind; his shots still finding targets.

  An explosion ripped through the ceiling, tossing dust and debris into the cavern. He flinched and dropped down, one hand covering his face. Around him, the Marines did the same, protecting themselves as best they could. He clung to his rifle, aware it was the one thing which had the chance of keeping him alive. Dead he’d do nothing. Alive he’d collect the money Salla offered, and he could barter this story for drinks until the end of his days. That alone was worth fighting for.

  “Shit, don’t let them past us.”

  Lawbook?

  He twisted, shaking off the dirt, clearing his mask with a swipe of hand as he looked up. The crack had widened. The small trickle of aliens now turned from a dripping tap to a full shower.

  “Well, fuck.”

  “We’re not going to make it,” said Ready, his voice trembling.

  “Yes, we are. We’re not giving up. We’re Marines. We fight as Marines. We don’t run away like scared children.” Lawbook pushed to her feet, firing as she moved. “Fight and die. Or run and die. Your choice, but I know which one I’m choosing.”

  “You’re one stubborn bitch, Lawbook.” He grinned, though he didn’t turn to look at her as he moved to her side, firing, picking targets along the way.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “It was meant as one.” Marine or not, he’d fight with her and share the occasional drink with her. This was a woman he could respect. “Where the hell are these things coming from?”

  “Same ship they arrived in, I assume.” Her voice ragged, a hitch behind the words. “We’ve still got this. This is all about time. We have to do is keep them back from the kids a little longer.”

  He wanted to agree with her, but the ability to speak vanished as a sharp pain struck him in the stomach. He gasped, stumbling back onto his ass, one hand pressed against his now aching body.

  Now I’m screwed.

  He moved with her, fighting, picking out targets with the skill she’d associate with a Marine. The other two civilians, Liam and Virgil, fought with equal ability. It didn’t matter what they had been before this attack, at this point, the three civilians were a part of her Marines. Men she’d fight and if need be, die with. Cora grinned, teeth bared, jaw tight as she fought. Bolts of energy struck the enemy, often before the aliens had a chance to fire back. But the widening crack changed the odds.

  More aliens. Far more than she wanted to face, but she wouldn’t run. No matter the cost, she wouldn’t damn well run.

  Her limbs ached, joints throbbed, each time the ground shook it only added to the pain, aggravating bruised flesh, but she didn’t stop, nor did Stone or the rest of her people.

  Stone cried out and fell back on his ass, one hand pressed against the core of his body. She moved, without thinking, placing herself in front of the now downed man. It made sense, she was the nearest one to him as she took a stance over his body, standing across his ankles, feet parted enough to allow him to move if required. “How bad?”

  “Don’t know. Bloody hurts.”

  Walker and now Stone. They weren’t getting out of this. “Get to the tunnel, go. Follow the kids. You and Walker, if you can both move.”

  “Not leaving,” Stone grunted.

  Stubborn man. “Your choice, asshole.”

  “Ah, tell me how you really feel.” He coughed and shifted back, the sound of his heels dragging on the ground enough to let her know what he was doing.

  The crack, now a full-blown entrance spilled ten aliens, or more at a time, into the cavern. Outnumbered. Outgunned would follow soon enough, but the kids had a chance to escape, find a place to hold up and be safe from the aliens until someone else came to help them. There had to be a way of closing off the gaps, reducing the chances of the beasts following them.

  “Start backing up toward the tunnel. Three covering, the rest helping with the injured. Virgil, help Stone. Ready, take Walker.” Leaving herself, Lackey, and Liam to cover the retreating men and their injured companions. Her mind raced. There had to be a way to block the attackers from following them. From getting to the civilians. Her gaze lifted to the gap in the cavern. How long had they been working on the hole to get to them? They’d avoided setting off any early alarms, perhaps by blocking the signals?

  No time to think about it now.

  Stone grunted as Virgil helped him to his feet.

  “We’ve got to bring the rest of the ceiling down.” The answer hit her a second before she spoke. “Get everyone back to the tunnel.” They could do this. Buy the kids more time, but only if they brought the cavern in on itself, shutting off all the tunnels long enough to buy time to reach a safe hold. “Move. Now!”

  “Salla?” Jakob pushed himself free of the debris. Others moved behind him, and the rest of civilians shook off the dirt and dust. He glanced up and checked the tunnel. Cracks. Small ones, debris, small pebbles clung to hair and clothing, but no one appeared to be hurt beyond bumps and bruises. “Salla? Harvard?”

  “Here.” The man replied as he pulled Salla to her feet. “We’re fine. Everyone in one piece?”

  A couple replied, but most grunted or started to move toward Salla.

  “We’re good, don’t think anyone was seriously hurt. A few bumps and scratches. Nothing more.” Jakob replied.

  Echoes of the fight rippled through the corridor, growing distant as the group hurried toward the hope of salvation. He glanced back and did a quick headcount. He couldn’t see them all, but enough to be sure the majority of the group remained intact. If there were severe injuries, no one alerted him to the fact.

  Salla flashed a weak smile, her face marked with dirt. A small series of scratches marred her neck, but he couldn’t see any other sign of damage.

  “We need to hurry.” Salla checked her datapad and picked up the pace, her steps slapped against the floor in a rapid tempo. “Run, before the rest of the corridor falls in on us.” It was all she needed to say to hurry the rest of the group along.

  Time had no meaning as they traveled. The lights they carried enough to allow them the chance to see where they were going. Small cracks and movement of rock showed the tunnel had suffered from the last shake, damage which grew less noticeable the longer they jogged through the semi-darkness.

  Salla turned a corner and stopped a dozen paces later, her gaze moving over the expanse of rock in front of them. “No, this shouldn’t be here. Damnit. I know this shouldn’t be here.” She lifted the datapad. “I don’t understand. It’s right here, there should be a tunnel splitting off in two directions, but there’s nothing.”

  Jakob stared at the wall. Rugged, not smoothed out by the tools used to create the corridors. No, this was the natural appearance of the rock wall.

  They were trapped.

  Stone hurt. Each breath triggered waves of pain up from his abdomen and into his ribs. He groaned but refused to lean on Virgil. “I can bloody walk,” he snapped.

  “Sure you can, but it’s easier with help.” Virgil tightened his grip on Stone. “She wants to bring the whole place in.”

  “Might be an idea.” Yeah. He could see where she was going with the idea. Block the main cavern, kill a mess of aliens, and buy time to escape. “Might take some of us out with the insect demons.”

  “Insect demons?”

  “What else would you call them?”

  “Dead.”

  He grinned. “I think I could grow to like you, Virgil.”

  “Mutual.” Virgil set him down three meters into the tunnel. “Check yourself out, I’ll be up front with the rest of them.” He gestured to Walker as Ready set him down next to Stone. “Might want to give the young’un a look over, if you’re up to it. Ready, they’re
going to want you up with the Sergeant.”

  The young one. The description fitted Walker. “I’ll be able to fight soon enough.” But it wouldn’t prevent him from checking in on Walker. “Go, I’ve got this.”

  Walker’s eyes remained closed, his face pale. Stone reached to check a pulse and found himself relieved when the man’s pulse throbbed beneath his fingers. “Good, you’re still alive. I won’t have to kick your ass for dying without permission.” Except he didn’t hold a rank in this unity. Still, it had been the right thing to say. His eyes narrowed on the wounded man. How bad was it though? Blood sluggishly pulsed from Walker’s left shoulder. “Not good.” He grumbled as he pulled the small med scanner from a pocket. It wasn’t as advanced as the one Lawbook had used on the Gunny, but enough to do what he needed. “Well, shit, kid. You’ve got a mess in there.” One he couldn’t fix now. A few things to ease the pain, but that was it. He wasn’t a healer, had little more than the basics, first aid, but nothing more. And because of that lack, Walker might die.

  Eyes opened, a shudder ran through the Marine. “Stone?” A whispered word, but he heard it clear enough.

  “Here. You don’t need to move around. Not now. Give your body time to adapt.”

  “Hurts.”

  “Shoulder is in pieces. You’ve turned it into a jigsaw. You’ll need a medic to patch you up.” If they ever found one or caught up with the survivors. The kids had found several medical kits, and if there were even one person who knew their way around the human body, then Walker would have a chance.

  “Figured.”

  Shots rang out. The noise of battle as the rest of the Marines took position in the entrance of the tunnel. Bolts slammed through the air over his head, and he ducked in. “Keep your head down. Can’t guarantee the bolts won’t find you if you try and sit up. You don’t need another injury on top of the first. Unless you want to be greedy and build up more scars to impress the women back on Earth.”