Dark Blood

Chapter 9

Stumbling again, Kara brushed the sand from her hands and cursed her sneakers. Couldn't they have been built for beaches, too? There are no goddamn mountains in Florida! Why would they sell only hiking sneakers?

They had been running for what felt like a hour along the shore, the beach to their left, what remained of civilization on the right. They had started seeing less and less housing and streetlights, meaning they were heading into undeveloped Florida wilderness. Along the way, the group had stayed low, using whatever coverage was available. Dunes, sand banks, grass, lifeguard stations, palm trees, driftwood, debris, even discarded cooler and umbrellas. Kara had felt absurd at one point, hunkering down behind an open pink flamingo icebox with OrangeCrush and Diet Pepsi still inside while the men scouted the beach ahead. The flamingos even had straw hats and sunglasses on. It was terrible. Well, when you're surrounded by anxious marine guys with big guns following the trail of dangerous aliens, I suppose anything works.

Up ahead, Kara could see the men slowing and grouping up, so she hurried over to where Stevens hid. Thankfully, it was behind some shrubbery and not a vomit-worthy icebox. She huffed, blowing a strand of sweaty hair out of her face.

"Are we close?" she whispered.

He handed her his binoculars and pointed forward, muttering a quiet, "Mm-hmm."

She twisted herself around and peered through the lenses at a massive facility. "Holy shit..." The place, though just barely taller than the resort they were at, made up for it's small stature with its imposing nature. Layer upon layer of barbed wire fencing, roads dotted with checkpoints and lookouts, and thick walls with walkways that she assumed guards patrolled 24/7. However, tonight, there was no one. All the numerous spotlights that would be continuously burning were out, leaving the area cold and dark. The place was dead.

Kara scanned over the base of the facility, looking for a way in but found none. She moved her gaze up the side of the building. No windows, cracks, or crevices. It was sealed tight.

She handed the binoculars back to Stevens. "So, how are we getting in?"

"I sent some of my guys on recon," he said. "We'll figure that out when they get back."

He held up a hand and shook his head, seemingly reading her mind. "It's too risky to go in the way the Xenos do. There will probable be unwanted traffic, and we want to stay undetected for as long as possible."

Fair point. Come on, girl. Think straight. Kara sighed and settled against the base of a palm tree. "Your guys better hurry up."

Closing her eyes, she tried settling her rapid heart rate. Yeah, she was scared. Scared for her family and for all the other people who were taken. Scared that she and these Colonial Marines won't be able to save them in time. That they'll all die before they even come close to success. Or victory. Or whatever the hell you call it in this situation.

She exhaled a shaky breath. Her knee was bouncing erratically with all her anxiety, and she had to put the pistol down so she wouldn't pull the trigger by accident. The safety was on, but even so. Just for reassurance. Her nerves were on such high alert that she Kara felt as if one wrong twig snap would send her rocketing up into the air with her ass on fire. She groaned, rubbing her face and holding her head in her hands. Her temples were pounding and she felt winded, as if she was being dangled over the crest of a rollercoaster, awaiting the final plummet. Her limbs were numb and tingly with fear and worry. She felt nothing around her, above her, or beneath her, despite her butt being firmly planted to the ground. She was alone in her own little void. The sensation was terrible.

"Sir!"

The whisper was like a gunshot to Kara. Her breath hitched in her throat and she scrambled for her pistol.

"Whoa, easy there," Stephens placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, then at the recon guy next to him. "What did you find?"

"Their main route is through the air ducts on the roof," he said, speaking more to Stephens than to her. "We saw a few scuttling around up there, so getting close to the building is out of the question."

Kara groaned quietly, feeling herself sinking back to the ground with dread. Her family was running out of time, and they were stuck outside.

"But," her heart jumped. "There's a small supply shed that hides an alternate escape route from the facility. We checked inside and kept tabs on it, and nothing came in or out. I think that's our best option."

"Let's go!" Kara was on her feet in an instant, but Stephens grabbed her wrist and yanked her back down.

"You better cool it right now," he growled through gritted teeth. "If those fuckers see us we're dead meat, and so is your family. You stay low and follow me, or you stay out here. What's it gonna be?"

Get ahold of yourself, Kara. He's right.

She sighed. "I'm sorry. I promise I'll do nothing but be your little shadow."

His gaze softened and he released her wrist. "It's alright, kid. I know you're on edge but try to keep it together, ok? For your family."

She nodded, her gaze flickering back to the shadow-infested facility. I'm coming for you.

After a bit more sneaking and scurrying, the group found themselves quietly descending a small flight of metal stairs into a cool cement tunnel. They closed the door behind them, plunging them into near darkness broken only by their shoulder lights. Kara stayed as close to Stephens as she could without treading on his heels. Blood was rushing in her ears and to say she was terrified was the understatement of the century. The smallest creaking of the men's leather gloves was enough to make her jump at this point.

The tunnel curved slightly left, then slightly right, then they faced another set of metal stairs. Thankfully the door at the top was still intact and looked untampered with. The men flanked the stairs and the sides of the tunnel, guns trained at the door. Stephens signaled for one of the guys to go up and open the door while Kara peered apprehensively around his shoulder.

Her mind started getting the best of her again, and she started envisioning what would happen within the next thirty seconds. He gets halfway up the stairs, the door shatters to pieces, and screaming demons from Hell rain down upon them. Or, he gets to the top, goes to open the door, a hand bursts through the door to grab him, and screaming demons from Hell rain down upon them. Or, they open the door and...

Click.

Nothing. The handle turns and door swings open silently. Nothing waiting to rain down upon them. Just cold, dead silence and faint white light. Kara released a shaky breath. Goddamn imagination got her nerves on fire again. Stephens looked back at her and made eye contact, using an imaginary key to lock his lips. The move was subtle, but the message was intensely terrifying. Not a sound, or else we're fucked. Kara nodded and copied his gesture, even going as far as to throw the key over her shoulder. Might as well. Stephens gave her a small smile before turning around and quietly advancing up the stairs and into the facility. Kara followed close behind, gun drawn, eyes peeled, and armpits sweaty.

Holy hell, she thought to herself. What the fuck did I get myself into?