CHAPTER 24

“Get Hope to the shuttle,” Jian barked.

Hope felt a hand on her arm and glanced back.  Zuver had followed her out.

“ Come with me,” he said.

Mel and the other two scientists were arming up with spare devil blasters.  Hope wished she had a devil blaster.

“Go!” Jian bellowed.  “I can’t worry about you.”

Hope jumped.  She and Zuver ran to the GALCOM shuttle.  She stopped inside, fear paralyzing her a moment.  Where would they hide?

The rear of the shuttle had an alcove for supplies.

“C’mon!” she said.

Fear pushed at her back as she ran to the alcove.

The alcove was three feet wide.  The sides were partitioned.  Not much protection if the aliens came in here, but better than the seats.

Zuver found a toolbox and opened it.  He handed Hope a big wrench.  He took a hammer.

Hope hefted the wrench.  It’d do.  The 49ers weren’t going to take her without getting whacked.

As they dropped down behind the partition, the first shots rang out.

#

Jian watched the line of 49ers approaching.  They were smart.  They’d known to wait until Kangjun’s orbit had carried the ship past.

And they’d brought more people.  At least three to one.

She pitched her voice so all her people could hear her.  “Aim at the biggest part of the body.  Shoot to kill.”

Maybe, with luck, they could make the 49ers turn tail and run.

She hunkered down next to Lewis.  The scientist was sprawled in an ungainly position on the sand, but had her eyes on the aliens.  Mel was on the other side.

One of the aliens raised his rifle.

“Fire!” Jian called.

Blue blazed out of the devil blasters with a sharp report.

The flaming rounds struck the first group of 49ers, dropping them to the ground.

The 49ers behind scattered.

And still came.

Sweat ran into Jian’s eyes.

“Don’t let them get close!” she yelled.

A blast from Mel toppled one alien into his buddy.

Jian squeezed off a round.  The round zipped past a 49er’s arm.  Dust rose up where it hit the sand.

Damn.

The 49ers dropped to their knees, firing before they aimed.

A bullet whizzed over Jian’s head.

Lewis fired back, hitting the alien in the shoulder.  It fell over.

Another one took its place, pressing forward.

Mel: “They trying to get around behind us.”

Damn it.  They didn’t have enough people to cover their camp.

#

Hope crouched in the alcove, sweating, needing to pee, and every muscle locked tight.  Zuver pressed close to her, gripping his hammer so hard his knuckles had turned white.

Neither dared breathe

Bang!

Something hit the doorframe.

Like a gun butt.

Hope shook her head.  Pressed a finger to her lips.

If it was one of their people, they’d call out.

Sweat trickled down her spine.

It itched.

Footsteps.

One.

Two.

Three.

Not boots.

A sticky, shuffling.  Tentacles.

The aliens were in here.

Filed under: Writing in Public Tagged: GALCOM Universe