Time/Date Error (Damned of the 2/19th-Book Six) - Done

Out of a Dark Puddle

Primary Generator Room
Sub-Basement
2/19th SWG Barracks
2/19th Special Weapons Group Area
Secure Area, Alfenwehr
West Germany
28 October, 1987
0345

I could see the lizard looking at me through Stillwater's ruined eye and suppressed a shiver. Inhuman. Calculating. Ruthless. I briefly wondered how much of Stillwater's legendary ruthlessness was driven by that cold calculating creature that was staring at me. I turned away slowly, walking to the door. I could feel him behind me, a cold, almost malevolent presence behind me. The salt in my pant's pocket felt heavy and cold, but I ignored the feeling.

...follow me, half-dead, and we will sweep away our foes...

The thought, cold and slick, ran through my brain, and I pushed it away. One thing that Special Weapons had taught me was that some weapons should only be used when there was no other resort. And I'd seen what the thing was capable of. I'd rather have the living Stillwater with me.

I turned at the door, staring at the handles.

I could restore heat and power to the entire barracks. I knew where the food stores were locked. If nothing else, I could open the War Fighter Tunnels and break into the food in there. From what Tough Guy had told me, that they were out of food was... wait...

"Stillwater, do you think you can get us around to the Near Stairwell, the South Stairwell?" I asked, a sinking feeling in my stomach.

They'd been over a week without food and hadn't hit the ration stockpiles.

I watched his thought process move through his head. I could tell he had a plan by the way the thing staring out of that red eye shifted attention, and I counted to eight before he slowly nodded.

"All right. I'll follow," I told him. Again, an eight count before he slowly nodded. He moved forward and pulled open the door, moving into the small hallway that led to the stairs that would take us back up to the War Stocks Room.

The hallways was cold enough that the frost had covered all of the available surfaces with a thick layer. In some places it was thick enough to have converted to bluish/white ice. Stillwater was still blowing a light stream of condensation in contrast to the large cloud that billowed out in front of my face.

The cold had destroyed the chemlights I had been using faster than than the hours they should have lasted, but there was good enough light coming from it that I could still easily follow Stillwater out. I'd tucked it into the narrow loops of my LBE, part of it in hope that if we attracted any weapons fire they'd shoot me right in the Kevlar rather than in my face.

I kind of liked my face. It was cute, even with the scar on my cheek.

The door closed behind me, just a quiet 'wuff' as the hydraulic cylinder kicked in and kept it from slamming shut.

The sound still made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

One of the doors had no marking, just a stencil that read "NO ENTRY" and I stopped and thumped on it with my gloved fist. "Does this go anywhere that will help?"

Stillwater turned and looked at it, staring at it for a long moment, before finally shaking his head.

"Why?" I asked.

He just shook his head again.

"Is it too dangerous right now?" I guessed. He nodded at that and I nodded back. "All right, I'll follow you then. Nevermind this room."

When we entered that short stairwell up to the War Stocks Storage I still wondered what was behind that door. I'd seen fear in that red eye of his. I wondered what could scare that reptile that lived at the base of his skull, then decided that whatever it was, I didn't want to know.