Baked, Boiled or Fried
Part E
When the possibility of death is near, the urge to mate
becomes almost overwhelming. I knew that from experience.
I opened the door to my room and stepped in. Jim was right
behind me. The odor of sex hung in the air, faint, but still there, and I could
feel my dick get half-hard in recollection.
//Jim had sucked me
to a mind-blowing orgasm, had curled his tongue around my dick in a final
caress, and I'd collapsed backward onto my bed, absolutely, completely, totally
boneless. He had given a huff of a laugh, and I'd cracked open an eye and
watched him. He'd risen to his feet and rolled me over onto my belly.
//My cheek had been
flat against the rough cloth of the blanket. Jim petted my ass cheeks, and I'd
basked and hummed in sated pleasure.
//Jim had set my
knees, spread wide, on the edge of the bed and hoisted up my hips, and first
he'd worked a couple of lubricated fingers up my ass, crossing and re-crossing
my prostate, working to relax me, although I was already so relaxed I was on the
verge of melting, but he kept at it until I was mindless and begging, his name a
litany on my lips.
//He'd withdrawn his
fingers, lined his dick up with my asshole, and he'd eased it into me when what
I'd wanted… what I wanted...//
Jim took a step toward me. I swallowed and ran my tongue
over my lips, and he gave me another one of those smiles. It took a supreme act
of will to keep the moan behind my teeth, knowing that this time I *would*
melt into a puddle at his feet.
"Let's get you out of that bloody shirt, Chief."
He began unbuttoning it. "Do you know, I nearly had a heart attack when I
saw all that blood. Then I suddenly realized it wasn't yours. I'm sorry Dr.
Stern was hurt, but I was so relieved you weren't." He pushed it off my
shoulders.
"I could tell the minute you knew it wasn't my
blood." The blood on my shirt had seeped through my undershirt to my skin.
I stared at the mess in distaste, grabbed the hem, and yanked it up and over my
head.
"Oh, babe!"
Red tinged my arm and chest. "He bled so much,
Jim." I used a clean, dry part of my undershirt to wipe it off, then
dropped it to the floor. "Oh, damn. I just remembered. I've got no clean
clothes."
"What about this?" Jim took the shirt I'd draped
over the back of my chair and started to hand it to me.
"Uh… " It was the shirt I'd worn the other day,
when I'd met him. I was stunned to realize it had been just the other day. We'd
gone to dinner, had drinks afterwards, and then had each other on the front seat
of Henri Brown's borrowed Corvair. The front of this shirt had dried come on it.
I wondered it he could…
His nose twitched.
Of course he could!
He held the shirt by the shoulders, a slow smile lighting
his face. "Come on, Chief."
I smiled back at him, turned my back, and slid my arms into
the sleeves. He eased it up over my shoulders, and his arms came around to
embrace me. His cheek was rough with his morning beard, and the sensation
against the side of my neck as his lips grazed over it had me rubbing my ass
shamelessly against the dick I could feel hardening against my crack.
Jim's hand molded over my erection, then went lower to cup
my balls. "I want to fuck you, Blair. I want to be buried so deep inside
you that when we're done you'll feel me with every step you take."
"Yes," I whimpered. How was it he could draw such
sounds from me so effortlessly? No one else had ever had that ability.
"Have we got enough time?"
"If you do it fast and rough, we should have a couple
of minutes to spare." My hands were already at my fly, undoing the button
and yanking down the zipper. I shoved my pants and undershorts down to my ankles
and spread my legs as far as the constricting material would allow. What could I
lean on? The bed was too far, the chair was too… Fuck it, I bent over and
braced my hands on my knees. "You ready, hot shot?"
Jim groaned. "God, you've got a sweet ass,
Blair." A glance showed me that he'd got the jar of Vaseline. He freed his
dick and lubricated it. A drop of pre come clung to the tip, and I licked my
lips again, wanting to taste him. He gripped his shaft and came up behind me,
and I dropped my head. The heat of his dick was scorching as he rubbed in up and
down my crack, teasing my hole.
"Jim!"
He finally gave me what I wanted, shoving in with one
smooth thrust. His arm was around my waist, holding me snugly in place, and he
began a fast, rhythmic pounding. "No mercy, Chief."
"No. No mercy. Fuck me!"
I couldn't masturbate myself. At the rate Jim was driving
his dick in and out of my ass, if I removed a hand from a knee, he'd send us
both sprawling across the floor.
He worried my earlobe with his teeth, dragged his tongue
over it, and then slid his tongue into my ear.
He pulled back just enough to growl in my ear, "I can smell how
close you are to coming, Blair." He wrapped a hand slick with Vaseline
around my dick and began jerking me off. "I can *feel* how close you are!"
He moved his other hand from my waist to my chest, pushing
aside the open halves of my shirt, and his fingers grew busy toying with my
nipples, first one, then the other, pinching, squeezing, scraping his thumbnail
over them, and I gasped and began to shake, shooting gout after gout of come
into his hand.
"Yes!" Jim's arm dropped to my waist and pulled
me even more firmly against his groin, and I could feel the heat of his semen as
he spilled himself into my back passage.
We were both panting heavily as aftershocks rippled through
us. Jim licked and nuzzled the side of my neck, his breath a warm wash over the
moist path his tongue had left.
"Are you serious about leaving here, babe?" His
voice was muffled in my ear. He was softening. Carefully he disengaged us, and I
shivered again from the sensation.
I straightened with a groan. "I'm serious, Jim."
He stood there, completely dressed, only his dick exposed.
He'd taken me like that. A flash of heat went through me at the thought of how
we must have looked as he thoroughly ravaged me.
He lapped at the come in his palm, as fastidious as a cat,
smiling at the almost inaudible sound I made.
A trickle of come ran down the inside of my thigh. Jim
handed me a handkerchief, and when I was done with it, he took it back and wiped
himself off.
"Then how about moving in with me until you find
another job?"
"And when I find another job?"
"Stay with me." The words were casual.
"For how long, Jim?" I didn’t want to get all
girl-y on him, but I needed to know if he saw what we had together in the same
light.
He tucked himself away, did up his trousers, then pulled
mine up, leaving them unzipped as he buttoned my shirt. "I'd like to try it
for a week."
"A *week*?"
His head was down as he concentrated on tucking my shirt
into my pants and zipping my fly. "For starters. From there we can go on to
a year, two years, three years, the rest of our lives…"
I caught his chin in my fingers and raised his head. Oh,
that smile. "You were teasing me? You…"
He kissed whatever I was going to say off my lips. I sighed
into his mouth, looped my arms around his neck, and leaned my weight against
him. His hand was possessive on the curve of my ass.
I pulled away reluctantly. "Simon is going to be
waiting."
"We've got a couple of minutes to spare, Chief, but
you're right, we'd better get going."
We left my room, and I led the way to Simon's office.
"Jim. What's the military going to think?"
"I can get a place off-base. As long as we're
discreet, there shouldn't be a problem."
"Okay." I could hope. Maybe there would come a
day when we'd be able to live together as lovers openly.
****
We walked into
Simon's office, and he looked at his watch and shook his head, grinning around
his cigar. "Right on time!"
"Of course. Was there any reason why we wouldn't
be?" I asked innocuously.
"Blair, you've got whisker burn and a love bite on
your neck, and I don't need to be one of your sentinels to be able to see it's
recent."
I couldn't prevent myself from reaching up to touch the
spot where Jim had bit me. It stung slightly. Jim gave me one of those smiles
and buttoned the collar of my shirt, then pulled it up until it covered my neck
to my chin and gazed at Simon.
"Don't you think we have more pressing matters than
the state of Blair's neck?" His tone was cool, and I remembered reading
about the protective qualities of a sentinel, especially toward his guide, the
man or woman who helped him control his senses. Could *I* be Jim's guide? I temporarily lost track of the conversation, the
smile on my face most likely fatuous.
With an effort, I brought my attention back to the present.
"Simon, you'll have your men keep watch on the
greenhouse? Both doors, two hour shifts?"
"They've been doing that, Jim, but with the way that
wind is blowing, it must be like seventy-five below out there. They can't last
more than twenty minutes."
My lover was about to respond to that when,
"Jim!"
We all looked toward the door.
"Ken."
"Bob said you were looking for me." A flush ran
from his chin to his hairline. "I was just… uh… just catching some
zzz's, Cap."
"Where's Eddie?"
"Right here, Cap. I was catching some zzz's too."
"Right." It was obvious that Jim didn't believe
him. I wondered what his senses were picking up. "Get back to the radio
room and see what you can do about boosting the power. We're having no luck
getting messages out, and what's coming in from General Fogarty may suit
Carrington, but it doesn't make me happy."
"I'm already there." Dykes vanished from the
doorway.
Ken looked after him, and I would have sworn the expression
on his face was infatuated.
Joel poked his head in. "Jim, I just remembered. Our
flight suits are still in the mess hall. And they're damp."
He sighed. "Okay, let's go get 'em and bring them to
our quarters. We'll spread them out and hope they dry soon."
"Jim, I'm pulling my men in. There will just be the
interior guard."
"Okay, that makes sense." Jim rubbed his hand
over the back of his neck. "Thanks, Simon."
"Then I think I'll go see if Dr. Stern needs more
blood. He isn't one of those bigots who thinks a black man's blood isn't as red
as a white man's. I'll see you later."
"Right."
Simon headed toward the corridor that led to the
greenhouse. I watched him stride off, then turned back to my lover.
"Mind if I go with you, Jim?"
"Not at all, Chief. I'd kind of like to keep you
close. If *you* don't mind?" We began walking toward the mess hall.
Taggart and Erickson were already a few yards ahead of us.
"Are you kidding? If we didn't have all this trouble
with our Man from Mars, I'd … uh…" I glanced at his men, but they were
preoccupied, talking about the move of the Chicago White Sox spring training
camp from
"You were saying, Chief?"
"Huh? Oh." I smiled to myself. "I'd lure you
to my room, lock you in with me, and keep you there all night."
"Just all night, Chief?"
"Jim, we're in the
"Well, that makes another thing the
"'Another' thing?"
"It's got you here, Chief."
I nearly tripped over my feet. That was the most romantic
thing anyone had ever said to me.
****
We picked up the damp flight suits and were heading for
Jim's quarters. "Getting a little untidy there, aren't we, Chief?"
"I don't follow you, Jim." I was piecing
something together in my mind, and I had no idea what he was talking about.
He nodded toward my waist, and I looked down, expecting to
see I'd forgotten to do up my fly. Instead, my shirt tail was hanging out. I
shrugged. "It's a little stiff to wear next to my skin," I obfuscated,
making a point of meeting his eyes and keeping my breathing normal. I had no
intention of telling him what was hidden by my shirt. "You know how that
can be." I gave him my most charming smile, flirted with my eyelashes, and
stroked my fingertip over his chest.
Jim's eyes grew hot. He tugged a curl loose from its tie
and brought it to his face. He seemed to accept my explanation as reasonable. I
blew out a surreptitious breath.
Footsteps came pounding up from behind us, fast. My lover
appeared unconcerned, but it still took a conscious act for me to not quite jump
out of my skin before I saw that it was Connor who hurried on by.
"Hold on a tic, Taggart."
"What, Connor? Afraid of the boogey man?"
"Not a chance, mate. I used to be married to
him." She adjusted her camera over her shoulder, ignoring his stunned
expression. "I want an interview with the man who worked UXB in
"UXB, Jim?" I whispered.
"Unexploded bomb, Chief. Joel was part of an elite
bomb squad, for six months, as Connor said."
"C'mon, Taggart, tell. What happened?" she
pressed.
He glared at her, then stalked into the quarters the fliers
had been assigned.
"I will get the story from him, y'know."
"Let it be, Connor."
She looked Jim over with interest. I wanted to shove her
away from my lover, but she was a reporter, and if she learned how things stood
between Jim and me and made a story out of it, it could cost him his commission.
Jim's return look was detached, and after a minute, Connor
gave a small laugh, hunched a shoulder, and went after Taggart.
"I hope she doesn't push it. Joel doesn't like talking
about that time. He lost his partner, a woman he was coming to care for. I flew
over to
Jim followed the other two into the room. I stood in the
doorway watching him. What a great guy I had chosen to fall in love with.
"Hey, Jim, Bob and Danny found some coat trees! We can
hang our flight gear over them. They'll dry much better that way." Erickson
was suiting action to words.
MacAuliff and Barnes were sitting side by side on one of
the cots. Jim studied Erickson, but if he was searching for signs of jealousy,
he didn't seem to find them. "Sounds good to me."
Erickson went to the cot. "Shove over, you two."
He sat so that Barnes was in the middle, like a piece of bologna in a sandwich.
The expression on Jim's face suddenly became that of a man
who had found the light switch. And then it hit me too. The couple had become a
threesome. I swallowed a laugh.
Jim arched his brow at me. "Come on, Chief, get a move
on! Let's get that suit dried out!" He draped his flight suit over one of
the coat trees. "Y'know, something's been nagging at me, and I just
realized what it was."
"You gonna enlighten us, Cap?"
"Remember I said that Thing's arm was caught in the
door when we tried to slam it shut?"
"Yeah. What about it?"
"It was the arm the dogs had torn off."
"Are you sure?" "I never heard of anything
like that!" "Oh, my god!" "That's impossible!"
"Not impossible. Not if it's a vegetable," I
asserted. "And y'know, Jim, now that I think of it, *that's* got to
be why you didn't know it was right there, behind the greenhouse door.
Vegetables don't have much of an odor unless they're rotting. They don't
breathe, not as we do. There's no heartbeat either. If it was just standing
there, waiting, there would be no way for you to know that."
"That's great, that's just peachy-keen!" Taggart
took an impatient turn around the room. "Okay, fine. It's a vegetable. What
do we do with a vegetable?"
"Bake it." It was Connor who came up with the
answer. She met each man's eyes and shrugged. "That's what my old mum used
to do with veggies. Bake it, boil it, stew it, fry it."
"Yeah," Jim said. He was staring at the can that
held the kerosene that fueled the stove in the center of the room.
"Yeah."
Taggart saw where his eyes were and enlightenment dawned on
his dark face. "I'm pretty sure I saw a flare gun in the footlocker by my
bunk. We can use it to ignite the fuel. This way we don't need to get too close
to those knives that Thing calls fingers." He went into the other room and
flicked on the light switch. We could hear him rummaging around. "Got
it!"
MacAuliff and Erickson bounced to their feet and went to
the lockers at the foot of their cots. "Us, too!" They displayed the
flare guns they found triumphantly.
"We'll need cans, Jim. We can fill them with kerosene
and douse that Thing from different angles."
"Here's one!" Barnes pulled it from under one of
the cots. The walk to the lavatory could be long and cold in the middle of the
night.
"Okay, now let's make sure everyone else is aware of
what we're planning. We don't know where it's going to strike or how much time
we've got, so let's get moving, people!"
****
"Jim, we left the axes in the mess hall. I'll go back
and get 'em."
"Thanks, Joel."
"We'll need some extra fire extinguishers, too. The
last thing we need is the fire getting out of control." I walked toward the
door.
"Okay, Chief."
The tone of Jim's voice had me glancing back over my
shoulder just as he smiled at me, and I barely missed walking into the
doorframe. "Uh… be right back."
I headed for a storeroom where I knew the spare fire
extinguishers were kept.
"Sandburg."
"Yes, Lieutenant?"
Taggart gestured for me to keep going, and he fell into
step beside me.
"I've been watching you and Jim."
"Oh?" I made my face blank. Was he going to warn
me off, tell me to keep away from his captain? Was he going to try to beat the
shit out of me because I was homosexual?
"I want you to know that Jim Ellison is more than just
my captain; he's also my friend. He's not only saved my life, he's also pulled
my bacon out of the fire more times than I want to think about."
"Yes?" Where was this leading to?
"I saw how miserable Jim was with his ex-wife. I don't
like the idea of him fucking another man… He is fucking you, isn't he? I mean,
the thought of you fucking him… Don't tell me, please."
"Does it matter that much?" He looked miserable,
and I sighed. "Jim fucks me."
"I knew it. Jim would never…"
"Lieutenant Taggart, did you have a reason for wanting
to discuss my love life?"
"Oh, sorry. What I started to say was that I haven't
seen Jim this happy in a very long time. So, if it makes him happy to fuck
another guy… uh… Well, I guess it's okay."
"Thank you so much." My sarcasm went right over
his head.
"But you see, if you're going to be… um… *involved*
with Jim, there's something I want you to be aware of."
"You're making me nervous, Lieutenant. Does he have a
social disease? Does he turn into a wolf under a full moon? Is he a
card-carrying Communist?"
Taggart considered the last so ridiculously ludicrous he
ignored it completely.
"Okay, here it is. Sometimes Jim will… act a little
strange. He'll stand there staring off into space, like he's lost in some kind
of trance or something."
"I understand."
"You do?" He scratched his hand. "I'll be
damned if I do!"
I did understand. Sir Richard Burton had mentioned that
sometimes a sentinel's senses would overload, and he would lose all track of the
here and now. "Do you mind if I ask why you're telling me this?"
"When this Thing comes in, Jim's gonna go after it
swinging. If he trances, he'll be dead." He offered me the flare gun he'd
brought from the other room. "I don't want him dead. You'll see to
it."
I took the flare gun, then raised my shirt tail out of the
way, revealing one of Lee's spare cleavers. "I'll see to it. I won't let
him trance, and I won't let that Thing hurt him. Now go get the axes."
****
We were as ready as we were going to be.
"You sure you can use that thing?" Erickson asked
Barnes.
Barnes had one of the flare guns. He licked his thumb, ran
it over the sights and peered over it, and attempted a grin. "I've seen
Gary Cooper in Sergeant York."
Erickson was fidgeting with the can of kerosene he held.
"Is Eddie gonna be okay in the radio room?"
"There're no windows and only the one door.
"Is he sure?" MacAuliff was fidgeting as well.
Jim frowned at him. "What's with you two all of a
sudden?"
MacAuliff opened his mouth to answer.
Tick. Tick.
His mouth snapped shut, and we all turned to stare at his
Geiger counter, which had flickered to life.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
"Okay." Had Jim's mouth gone as dry as mine?
"Show time. Connor…"
She held up her camera. "I know enough to stay out of
a firefight, Ellison, but I will get a picture."
"Blair…"
I had been notifying everyone via the intercomm that our
guest was loose and roaming the station. "I'll stay out of the way, but I
won't huddle in a corner, Jim."
Ticktickticktickticktick.
"I don't want you hurt." He was gripping an axe
in his hands.
"I could say the same thing, John Wayne. Can you hear
anything?"
He paused, concentrating, and swallowed. "Footsteps,
Chief. They don't sound human."
The breath I drew in didn't steady me as much as I'd hoped.
I licked my lips and nodded.
"The Geiger counter's reached the top, Cap!"
"Kill the lights, Chief."
I had no sooner pressed the switch then the door to the
adjoining room burst open.
The Thing stood in the doorway, backlit by the light
Taggart had left on. Its head swung from left to right, as if it was locating
each of us. I was thankful I couldn't see its eyes.
Its hands with those fingers like knives clenched, and I
shivered and raised the flare gun I had as the Thing stepped clear of the door.
Two steps, three steps into the room, and Erickson threw
the first barrage of the flammable liquid. The Thing shook its head furiously
and let out that sound Barnes and Jim had both described.
MacAuliff's aim was as good, and more kerosene drenched the
Thing.
Barnes extended his arm, and the muzzle of the flare gun
flashed light as the first cartridge was discharged. It struck the Thing,
igniting the kerosene and bursting into flames.
The sound it made changed to a bellow that was filled with
thwarted fury, and it swung blindly. Barnes threw himself out of the way just in
time, falling backward over one of the cots, letting out a small cry of pain,
distracting Erickson.
I took aim, but Connor was standing in the way, her camera
before her face. The Thing took a step toward her.
"NOOOO!" Taggart howled. He leaped forward,
swinging his axe with deadly intent.
"Back off! Give me a shot! *Give me a shot*!"
The Thing caught him across the chest with a blow from its
arm, and Taggart went flying across the room, his shirt starting to smolder.
MacAuliff was the only one throwing kerosene on the Thing
now. The fire blazed, but that didn't stop it. And it was heading for Jim. Its
arms were outstretched, the fingers slightly curved, ready to slice my lover to
ribbons.
My concentration zeroed in on my lover and the adversary
who was stalking him, and I shut out everyone else in the room. I took a step
forward and to the side, raised the flare gun, and fired straight at those
hate-filled eyes.
The sound it made was like nothing I'd ever heard before, a
shriek, a bellow, a scream. It clutched at its face, whirled and ran for the
door. I grinned and pulled the cleaver from my belt. It was going to smash into
the door and knock itself stupid, and then I was going to chop it into Man from
Mars crudités.
Only the door gave way before it, and it escaped into the
storm.
****
Jim and I rushed to the door, which lay canted at an angle
on the snow previous, milder storms had deposited. Wind and snow swirled,
blowing into our faces, making it difficult to breathe and almost impossible to
see.
"Look at this!" Jim shouted to be heard above the
wind. He touched first the hinges that should have kept the door in place, and
then the lock, taking care not to cut his fingers on the razor-sharp edges.
The hinges and the bolt were sliced clear through. I felt
sick.
"You mean it was planning an escape route?"
Taggart demanded hoarsely. He staggered to his feet "It's a fucking
vegetable! How is that possible?"
"That vegetable built a space ship and managed to
cross the millions of miles of space between Mars and Earth."
"Give me a hand with this, Chief," Jim grunted,
and we angled the door into the room, then struggled against the wind to get it
propped in place. "Someone get the lights!"
Connor flipped the light switch, and we got a look at the
destruction. "Fuck a duck."
"Well, we've learned one thing, that fire can hurt
it."
"But not much, judging by the way it took off. And
it's cost us. Just look at this!"
The condition of the room was depressing. Soot and smoke
and the reek of kerosene pressed down on us like a weight. The crackle of flames
was a low counterpoint to the sound of the wind whistling in around the edges of
the door.
MacAuliff was making little headway with his fire
extinguisher. There was too much kerosene over every surface. I grabbed an
extinguisher and went to work helping him put out the numerous small blazes.
Taggart growled in frustration. "Get your picture,
Connor?"
The reporter was beside him with a blanket, patting out his
smoldering shirt. "You put yourself between me and that Thing, Joel. Thank
you." Her words were matter-of-fact, but I detected a faint quiver in her
voice. She coughed. "Damn smoke. You hot shots were all in the way. The one
clear chance I had to get a picture of that Thing was just before I tripped and
went ass over teakettle over the cot. I probably wound up with a picture of the
ceiling and my feet."
The door from the corridor burst open, and Dr. Chapman,
Simon, and
"Everyone in one piece?" Simon questioned around
the cigar between his lips.
There was a moan from the other end of the room.
"Dr. Chapman, help me, please!" Erickson had an
arm around Barnes' waist and was supporting him to his feet. Barnes' right arm
hung limply. "Danny's arm is broken!"
"I'm okay." Barnes was talking to MacAuliff. He
tried to smile, but it was more like a grimace. "What gets me mad is that
Thing didn't do it; I busted it falling over the bunk!"
"Get him to sick bay, Lieutenant Erickson. My wife has
been preparing for injuries, she'll see to his arm."
Erickson and MacAuliff exchanged glances but said nothing.
"Lieutenant Taggart, are you badly burned?"
"No, Dr. Chapman. First degree burns mostly, I think.
My chest hair is singed a bit, but the worst casualty is my shirt; it's gonna
need a decent burial. I liked this shirt," he mourned.
"Go down to sick bay too, please. Esther has some
salve that will soothe that burn, and she should have something you can wear, as
well."
"C'mon, mate. I'll give you a hand." Connor slid
an arm around Taggart's waist.
"I'm hurt worse than I think, aren't I?"
"Why d'ya say that, Joel?"
"You're being nice to me. The only reason I can see
you being nice to me is because I'm dying."
Connor pulled away from him. "You're an asshole,
Taggart." She bent and caught up the strap of her camera and stalked out of
the room.
Nobody said a word.
"Me and my big mouth." Taggart stared after her,
something like regret on his face. He sighed and followed Erickson and Barnes
out of the room.
The fat-bellied stove had been knocked over, a stream of
kerosene meandering away from where it lay, almost as if it was drawn toward a
tiny flame. I splashed a stream of CO2 from the extinguisher across its path,
halting further destruction.
Simon and his two men split up and were examining the room.
Bedding was charred. Black streaks ran up the walls.
Jim started to sway. The smell of burning kerosene,
blankets, wood, was getting to him.
Fortunately there was too much going on for anyone to pay
any attention to us. I dropped the extinguisher and was at his side immediately.
"Listen to my voice, Jim. Dial your senses down." I stroked his arm
and continued to speak softly, and finally he focused on me.
"I'm better, Chief. Thanks." His cheeks were
still a little pale, and I remained beside him.
"Redding," Simon barked, "check the other
room."
"Gotcha, Simon." In a matter of minutes he came
back out, looking anxious. "There's a hole in the wall that butts on the
same corridor that leads to the greenhouse. The wood was cut through, then put
back in place like a piece from a jigsaw puzzle."
"How did you spot it?"
"Sawdust. It's all over the floor."
"How could that be possible?" Simon growled.
"Take a look at the hinges of this door, Simon. Sliced
through like they were made of paper. Dr. Stern told me the bolt to the
greenhouse door was in the same condition."
"Let me see that!" Simon's mouth was a grim line.
It became grimmer as he studied the door. "God*damn*!"
"I want all of us out of here now."
"Just a second. I had two men keeping guard in that
corridor!" Simon went to the intercomm. "
The intercomm sat mute.
Jim turned to Simon, who was looking more disturbed with
each passing second that brought no response. "I'm sorry, Captain
Banks."
Simon scrubbed his face. "Jesus. Can this get any
worse?"
"Look, this room is a total wash. I want access
blocked off," Jim ordered.
"What's the point?" one of the men groused.
"It can cut right through the walls!"
"So you want to make it easier for that Thing to get
in, Stone?" Simon waited to see if there were any further comments.
The men moved it.
Simon pulled the cigar from his mouth. "I have to
check on Raleigh and Winston."
"Simon…"
"*They're my
men*! I have to know…" His mouth twisted, and he strode out.
"Bob, see if any of our gear survived, then get out of
here. I'm going after Banks." Jim was gone before I could tell him to be
careful.
"Uh… Dr. Sandburg, would you mind taking
these?" MacAuliff had gathered up jackets and caps. "The flight suits
have all sustained damage; they're useless." He shifted from one foot to
the other. "I'm worried about Eddie. Eddie Dykes, our radio man. The radio
room isn't that far from here. He'd be an easy target for that Thing. And
"You may have a point, Sergeant. Why don't you go see
how Lieutenant Dykes is holding up? And
He gave a huff of laughter and started toward the door.
"Thanks, Dr. Sandburg."
There was something…
"Just a second."
He paused in the doorway. "Yes?"
"Your breath!"
His hand flew up to cover his mouth, and his cheeks turned
red. "I'm sorry. I… uh… Geez, Doc, you know what come-breath can be
like!"
My jaw dropped. MacAuliff had sucked someone off? For half
a second I was distracted, wondering if it had been Erickson or Barnes, and then
I licked my lips, wondering what Jim would taste like.
I'd make for damn sure I found out later.
"Doc?"
I snapped my mouth shut and glowered at the crew chief.
"No, you dope! Look!" I blew a breath into the air. It was a white
plume.
"Yeah, so?" His puzzlement only lasted a few
seconds. "Oh, shit, no!"
"Oh, shit, yes. The heat's off. I've got to find
Jim."
"I've got to get Eddie!" He grabbed two of the
flight jackets from me and headed for the radio room.
I raced down the corridor that led to the greenhouse,
slowing as I got closer to the junction. Simon and Jim were standing there,
tension in every line of their bodies. The guards…
There was a trail of blood starting in the middle of the
corridor and apparently stopping at the door to the greenhouse. Odds were too
good it continued past the door.
"Raleigh and Winston?" I asked through dry lips.
Simon shook his head, pinched the bridge of his nose,
pressed his fingers over his eyes. "This is all I found."
"Dammit." I knew the men vaguely. They did their
jobs, kept to themselves, and didn't bother the Eskimo women. Simon would give
them occasional weekend passes to fly down to
"Worse than the fact we've lost two more men to that
Thing?"
"I'm sorry, Simon, but yeah. The…"
"Jim! Jim!" Erickson came running down the
corridor, skidding in the blood as he tried to come to a halt. "The heat's
off in sick bay."
Simon's head whipped around, and he pinned me with a
questioning gaze. "Talk to me, Sandburg!"
"The heat's off period."
"Goddammit!" He flung down his cigar. "Can't
we catch a break at all? What are the chances the fucking pipes would choose *now*
to freeze?"
"You couldn't have run out of fuel?" Jim asked.
"No. We had an oil drop last week. *Dammit*.
I'll have to send someone outside to check the pipeline…"
"And they'll run right into Plug Ugly."
Simon's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Of course, that
makes perfect sense. I send some poor schnook out there, and that Thing has more
food for its babies." He shivered.
"How long will these walls retain heat?"
"Not long enough." I nodded toward a thermometer
on the wall. "It's about 40 degrees now. In a matter of minutes it will be
down to 20. From there…" I started to shrug, but it turned into a massive
shudder.
Jim took the flight jackets from my arms and dropped them
on a nearby stack of crates. I looked down at them stupidly; I hadn't even
realized I still carried them. He picked one up and put it around my shoulders.
"Mine, Chief." The jacket? Me? Either way he was
correct. I slid my arms into the sleeves, liking the fact that it was my lover's
jacket that would be keeping me warm. "What about you, Jim."
"I'm naturally hot-blooded." His mouth quirked in
a grin.
"I'll go back to my room and get my parka."
"Don't be too long." His hands were on the
collar, and he gave me a little shake. "I'll worry."
I leaned toward him, my eyes on his mouth. His lips parted,
and I could feel the warmth of his breath wash over my face. I touched my tongue
to my lips, wishing they were his lips, and raised my eyes to his. They burned
hot.
"Where's Bob?" Erickson grabbed his jacket,
interrupting the moment.
"He went to check on Lieutenant Dykes." I stepped
back. "Later," I murmured so only Jim would hear me.
"Yes." His assent was as soft, but I could read
it on his lips.
Erickson zipped his jacket, edgy with nerves. "I'm
going to bring them both back here, okay? And… uh…
"Fine, Ken." Jim spoke absently, his focus on the
surrounding corridors. "Is there any other heat source available,
Simon?"
"Yeah. Some of the equipment needs to be run by
electricity. And the only place where that Thing won't be able to cut off the
supply is the generator room."
"We'd better get everyone there. Babe, get going and
meet me there, okay?"
Simon didn't appear to notice the endearment, not that I
would have much cared at that point. The probability of death hung too closely
over us.
I left my lover and the head of security with their heads
together, making plans.
****
There was always a background of noise in any polar camp:
pipes rattling as oil was fed through them to the furnaces that heated the
station; machinery humming; people talking, arguing, walking from personal
quarters to mess hall to lab; the movement of the air as they went about their
daily business. The subtle and not-so-subtle sounds of everyday life, so
familiar they became unnoticeable, but always there.
Until suddenly they weren't.
Now there was silence, as if even the air cowered from what
we had to face.
I'd been in too much of a rush to get to my room, other
things on my mind, but now my nerves had become jittery. I peered into shadows,
afraid, more afraid than I had ever been in my life, of what might be lurking in
them.
My parka was zipped to my chin. I wore fur-lined gloves,
and I'd found an extra pair that I hoped would fit Jim. Under my arm I carried
his flight jacket, and I hurried.
The temperature seemed to have dropped even more, and I was
concerned about how his skin would react to the harsh chill.
I began to hear the sound of hammers echoing in the
corridors, and I wondered what had been decided in my absence.
I came around the corner and jolted to a stop. MacAuliff
was hugging Erickson and Dykes. "You two be careful, or I'll blister your
asses!" he growled softly. "You know how much you mean to me!"
Dykes turned his face and caressed the shorter man's lips.
"We know, Bob-o. You mean just as much to us. What about Barnes?"
"Danny's interested." I could hear the pleasure
in MacAuliff's voice. "He's done a little experimenting, but nothing beyond
hand- or blow-jobs. That's how he wound up here. His family got wind of it and
had him shipped to the North Pole."
"We all know how that can be. But dammit, he's a sweet
kid!"
"I think you're right. After this is all over, he's
gonna want a change of scenery, and his busted wing gives him the perfect
excuse. He said he'll come back with us."
MacAuliff pulled Dykes' face down for a deeper kiss, then
reached for Erickson and repeated the action. His hands tightened on their
necks, and their arms tightened around him and each other.
It seemed the couple that had become a threesome was
actually a foursome!
"Be careful." It was raw begging.
"That's a promise!" "It works both ways,
Bob!"
"Yeah. Now get going before Jim comes looking for us.
I think he already suspects there's something between Ken, me, and Danny."
MacAuliff released the two men, and stepped back.
"No one ever said the Cap wasn't sharp as a
tack!"
I backed away silently, ran to the opposite end of the
corridor, turned and walked back, whistling between my teeth.
"Hi, Dr. Sandburg." Erickson strode toward me,
his step assured. His mouth was puffy.
"Lieutenant."
"Kisses sweeter than wine?"
"Huh?" What the hell was he talking about?
"That song you're whistling."
"Oh." My cheeks felt hot. "Uh… You're
keeping watch down this corridor?"
"Yeah." He let it go. "Hopefully the Geiger
counter will warn us before that Thing gets too close."
"You've got one?" I hadn't noticed before.
"Yeah. Captain Ellison made sure we all did. He's a
good guy, the Cap." Erickson seemed to want to talk. "We've been with
him since just after the War, you know. Best captain a guy could want."
"Yes. He seems very… um… competent."
"The thing is, he needs someone to make him happy.
Even if it isn't who we originally thought would make him happy."
"Oh. Uh…" Was he giving me his blessing?
"How do the other men feel about it?"
"We talked about it, and we're all in agreement. Our
captain needs to settle down. See if you can talk him into someplace warm, where
we don't have to wear fur-lined underwear. Although…" He gave himself a
shake. "I'd better get moving. We flipped a coin. Eddie has the corridor
that leads to the mess hall. We've got a bet going which way that Thing will
come in."
"Oh, yeah? And what do you think?"
"I think it will get smart and go home. Nah, I'm just
kidding." He grew serious. "I'm hoping it comes this way."
"Feeling gung ho, Lieutenant?"
"No. If you want the truth, I'm scared shitless. But
Eddie's the youngest of our crew. If any of us has to face that Thing, I'd
rather it was me." He looked uncomfortable. "And I'll be goddammed if
I know why I just told you that."
//Because you care so much about him, and you are
worried,// I could have said.
"Because you've been together since just after the
war. Guarding someone's back, having someone guard yours, makes for a very
strong bond of… friendship."
"Yeah. Yeah, that's right!" He relaxed, oblivious
to my hesitation before the word 'friendship'. "Well, banzai, Doc." He
gave a jaunty salute and proceeded on his way, whistling.
A lump formed in my throat when I recognized what he was
whistling.
You'll Never Walk
Alone.
****
As I approached the junction of the corridor, the banging
of a hammer became louder, along with swearing as someone's finger was mashed.
"Hey, Doc." MacAuliff pulled his thumb out of his
mouth and forced a smile; he was alone, and I assumed he had sent Dykes on his
way to keep watch over the corridor that led to the mess hall. "Hold on a
second. I'll walk back to the generator room with you as soon as I get this last
fucking nail in."
"We've got to come up with some other way to destroy
this Thing, otherwise we'll wind up burning the station down around our ears,
and I hate to tell you this, Sergeant, but I think Plug Ugly deals better with
the cold than we do."
"I think you're right, Doc. Captain Ellison and
Captain Banks have something in mind."
"Something to do with this fencing wire you're nailing
to the walls?"
"Yeah. Though I'll tell you, it beats hell out of me
what all those rolls of cattle fencing were doing at a research station at the
North Pole."
"You're in the military, Mac. Ever know the government
to work in a logical manner?"
"You may be right, Doc." He grinned.
"Anyway, the only way for the Thing to get to the generator room
is…"
"Through this corridor or the one from the mess hall.
I passed Lieutenant Erickson."
MacAuliff nodded again. "Eddie's keeping watch at the
other one. As soon as the Geiger counters start clicking, we'll pull them back.
We've got a special surprise for our guest." His eyes were cold. "See
these lengths of fencing up on the ceiling? They're under the wooden walk as
well. Wire's been spliced into the cable that runs to the generator." He
pointed to where it was stapled to wooden supports.
"Our generator can crank out up to a thousand volts of
electricity."
"Yeah. Either way Plug Ugly comes at us, we'll juice
him. He's gonna get one helluva hotfoot, and that'll teach him to fuck with
Earthlings! Okay, I'm done here. Let's go."
****
"Thanks, Chief!" Jim accepted the return of his
flight jacket. Someone had loaned him a sweater, and it helped some, but even
with his senses dialed way down I could see how the cold was affecting him. He
slid his arms into the sleeves and zipped the jacket, and gradually the tremors
that shook his body eased. I looked toward the generator room, torn between
staying with my lover and making sure my friends were safe, at least for the
moment. "Go on, Blair." Jim squeezed my arm, then gave me a small,
encouraging push.
Except for Jim and his men, and of course, Megan Connor,
everyone in the station was crammed into the generator room. The air was close,
smelling of humanity. They were wearing all the outer gear they could get their
hands on, and there was an ebb and flow of movement as they stamped their feet
in place and tried to keep warm.
"Well, at least we'll be generating some body
heat," someone joked feebly.
In a far corner, Mrs. Chapman was hovering over Dr. Stern,
and she was looking extremely concerned. I went to join her.
"I don't like this, Blair." Her voice was very
quiet. She was of the belief that just because a person wasn't conscious didn't
mean he couldn't still hear what was going on around him. "Josef's
temperature has spiked again."
"An infection?"
"A massive infection. I'm afraid it's become systemic.
With the diagnostic tools available here, it's impossible for me to tell if it's
viral or bacterial. If we can destroy this Thing, and if this storm lets up, and
if we can get him back to civilization… "
"Too many 'ifs'."
"Yes. But the fact of the matter is he'll stand a much
better chance in a hospital in the States."
"Hell."
"On the plus side, Carolyn Plummer's with us once
more."
"What happened?" My lover's ex-wife was sitting
up, plucking nervously at the blanket that was tucked around her. She was
wearing that flashy ski jacket.
"What do you remember?"
"I went to talk to Jimmy. The light in the storeroom
was out; it was so dark. Something struck at me…" She touched the bandage
on her temple. "I don't remember anything else."
"You hit your head, and you've been unconscious."
"But… I don't understand. This doesn't look like
sick bay. What are we doing in this room, with all these people?"
"The Thing that attacked you is out there, and we
intend to stop it. This is the safest place for us."
"Thing? What thing?"
"'Thing' with a capital T, Miss Plummer. That's right,
you've missed the latest developments with Super Carrot." She looked
confused, and I tried to keep the tartness out of my voice. "Our
interplanetary visitor." She still looked blank. "The Thing in the
block of ice."
"But it was frozen!"
"Not any more."
"Where's Jimmy?"
Mrs. Chapman answered her. "Captain Ellison is
organizing the men to fight off this Thing."
She was starting to sound quavery. "I want…"
I opened my mouth to snap she couldn't have Jim, he was
mine, then shut it. She was hurt, and this was hardly the place for a
confrontation.
Carolyn Plummer's eyes welled up with tears. "I want
Sam," she said in a tiny voice.
*Sam*?
There was a hand on my shoulder. "Blair."
"Yes, Dr. Chapman?"
"If you'll come with me?"
I followed him out of the generator room to a small
storeroom nearby where all the electrical equipment was kept. He handed me three
pairs of rubber boots. "What...?"
"So *they*
won't get a hotfoot."
"Shit. I didn't even think of that!" I dropped
the boots and pulled on a pair that would fit over my size 8 1/2s.
"No, I imagine you've had a few other things on your
mind. It wouldn't help if I asked you to remain in the generator room with the
rest of us?"
"No." I started to walk out of the storeroom.
"Blair, about what's been going on; please don't hold
this against Arthur." Dr. Chapman sighed when he saw the stubborn twist of
my mouth. "He isn't thinking clearly. I'm a scientist, and even I can't
fathom his thought-processes sometimes. And yes, I know you're a scientist too,
but I have more years under my belt than you do!"
"So we're supposed to let this go by because he
doesn't think like normal people?"
"You know how little sleep he can get by on. He's had
even less this past week." He could tell from my expression that I wasn't
about to relent. Abruptly he changed the subject. "Simon's told me that
when this is over you'll be leaving."
"Yes. I would have told you myself, but…"
"But you had other things on your mind," he
repeated.
"Jim. Captain Ellison." I could feel my cheeks
flush, and he gave a rueful smile.
"Esther and I could both see there was something
there. We knew it would happen someday. We're happy for you, Blair."
"Then you don't mind that I'll be leaving here?"
"We'll miss you, son, but we've suspected for some
time now that this wasn't the place for you, not in the long run. Here now,
what's wrong?"
"Nothing. Something in my eye, is all." I had
never been called 'son.' Not even by Naomi. "I'm sorry, Dr. Chapman. I just
… I'm sorry…" I suddenly found myself wrapped in a bear-hug.
His big hands rubbed my back comfortingly. "It's all
right."
"Am I interrupting something?" Jim stood in the
doorway, and I didn't need to have sentinel senses in order to tell something
was seriously disturbing him.
"Jim, what's wrong?" I was out of Dr. Chapman's
paternal embrace and across the room to my lover without a second thought. Jim
reached out as if to touch my face, then bunched his fingers and dropped his
hand to his side. His expression was fierce, and I felt the need to hold him.
Dr. Chapman laughed softly. "Blair." I stopped
and looked back at him. He came to us, took my hand, took Jim's, and placed them
palm to palm. "Take care of each other." He stooped and picked up the
boots. "Be happy."
We were alone in the storeroom. "He just gave us his
blessing!" Jim was looking pole-axed.
"Yes, I think he did." And I took the moment to
pull Jim's mouth down to mine and kiss him thoroughly.
****
"So, tell me what you think you're doing, Chief."
Disheveled curls had spilled around my face. "Hmmm?
Tying my hair out of the way." Jim's restless fingers had freed it from the
tie that usually kept it confined at the base of my neck.
He ran his thumb over my lower lip, teasing it open, and I
touched it with the tip of my tongue. "The boots, Chief."
"Oh. They're to prevent electrocution. Dr. Chapman's
brought a few other pairs for whoever's going to be out in the corridor. Here's
a pair for you."
"Thanks. I understand about preventing electrocution.
What I meant was why are you wearing the boots?"
"I'm going to be out there… Don't you shake your
head at me, tough guy! I will, too, be out there! Who else will know to watch
your back?"
"I don't want you in danger, Chief. If that Thing gets
past us…"
"Listen to me very, very carefully, because I do not
intend to repeat myself. If that Thing gets past you it's because you'll be
dead."
"You'll be safer in the generator room, Blair."
"Nowhere in the station is safe with that Thing running loose. D'you think I want to live without you? I'll be damned if I die in a matchbox of a room instead of at your side. Now shut up, kiss me once more, and let's go show this Thing what happens when you fuck with humans."
End Part E
