Isolation & Fear (Damned of the 2/19th Book Seven)

Never Alone

2/19th Barracks
2/19th Special Weapons Group Area
Secure Area
Alfenwehr, Western Germany
TIME/DATE STAMP ERROR
!!WARNING!!
CRITICAL SYSTEMS DAMAGE
!!WARNING!!

The kiss wasn't one of those TV ones. No exploring tongues, no savage mashing of our faces together. Just a light pressure on my lips, her hand cradling my head. I kept my eyes open, staring at her face, as she closed her eyes and made a pleased sound in her throat. Outside the room someone shouted and boots thundered down the hallway. She opened her lips slightly, grazing mine with her tongue, then shut them tight.

I knew it had less to do with attraction and more to do with almost two weeks since she had started up the mountain.

Still, I kissed back, gently, my left hand on her hip. More boots ran down the hallway, and someone shouted something that I could almost understand, but I refused to listen to. I squeezed her hip, feeling hard Army muscle under the sweet softness of a healthy woman.

After a moment she broke the kiss, leaning back. Her brown eyes were soft as she sat down in the chair and looked at me.

"God, I needed that," she said, then blushed and giggled.

"No kidding," I said, grinning.

"Don't do that," She said, "It ruins the mood."

I nodded, knowing she was only half joking.

She slumped down slightly. "It's been bad in the barracks. Lights keep going out, temperature fluctuations, and worse."

That moment chose for someone to start screaming in agony, and it sounded like their boots were slamming against the tile floor as they kicked. The sound grew closer to my door.

"Is it like this every winter?" She asked me.

"Sometimes it's worse," I told her. She didn't ask how, just nodded. "How bad are the barracks?"

She got up, walking over to my desk, and grabbed a clipboard. I could see graph paper on it, that I normally used for maps for Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, and she sat down. Outside the room it sounded like someone was kicking in doors.

Probably me.

"First floor is a loss. No heat, ice on most surfaces, discontinuities in doors and appearance. I've written it off unless there is no other choice," She said. She flipped the paper. "The Mag Offices are all right, so far. Near Hammerhead Hall has frost on the walls, but no major discontinuity. Fat Hammerhead Hall has heat, light, and no frost, although there are audio discontinuity."

Someone chose that moment to rattle the door. I notice she winced.

"Third Floor, the offices are all right. They're locked, no major cold damage. The Lobotomy Ward and the far section are covered in frost, with lighting issues," She told me. I nodded at that. "Fourth and Fifth floors are No-Man's Land. Heavy icing. Evidence of fighting. Blood frozen in the ice. Light and sound discontinuities, variable structural damage."

She tapped the graph paper. "Near and Middle Stairwell are accessable, the Far Stairwell is a death trap. Middle Stairwell is unusable above Hammerhead Hall. Orderly Room and Supply Rooms look fine, but stay dark. Chemlights fail within 120 seconds."

When she looked at me I shrugged. Outside the window someone began screaming as if they were being chased. After a moment the sound trailed away. I noticed that she waited until the screaming stopped to keep talking.

"The War Stocks Room? Well, I just throw a flare to either side of me and sprint for the door to check the fuel levels," She admitted. She looked at me. "Don't laugh, but I think there's something down there."