“They couldn’t leave. Weren’t allowed to.”
“How do you know this?”
“I could just… sense it. Can’t explain, but the moment we came in contact with them, I felt sorrow. I felt the misery of their souls,” York told.
“Because of what is in the cave?”
“Yeah, they knew exactly what was there, and were petrified of it.”
“Sergeant, why do you think they let you go?”
“You’ve asked that before.”
“You never answered.”
“I believe they let me go to prove a point. To show who is in charge, maybe. Or perhaps they wanted you to do exactly what you’re doing.”
“What’s that?”
“Sending in more men.”
She hadn’t thought of this. “Why did the villagers tell you? You said it was a boy that pointed the cave out?”
“Yeah, young kid. Same look of fear. Just pointed, did so until he got our attention. Kept at it until we left, too. It was odd. Like he was a statue or something.”
“But why?”
“I think… I think they wanted our help. I think the boy, the villagers, they want out.”
“Or for us to do our job, and exterminate the creatures,” Elizabeth suggested.
“Yeah, or that,” York said with a grin.
79
Jeff Rivers rubbed his face, underneath his left eye swollen. His right ear rang, his jaw a bit stiff. Mattered not, though. Came with the territory in his world.
Tap. Tap.
He stood impatient, waiting for her to answer.
Tap. Tap.
“Hold on a sec…”
Tap.
“Yes, can I help you?” Elizabeth said, door flinging open. Her eyes widened as she stared at him.
“Hey, Lizzy, how’s it going?” Rivers said with a wide grin.
She slapped him hard across the face.
“What was that for?” Rivers asked.
“That’s for causing me drama. You’ve pissed off damn near everyone on this base, and you haven’t been here a day yet. What the fuck is wrong with you, Jeff?” Elizabeth said.
“Who’s pissed at me?” Rivers questioned.
“General Kline, some Major, and pretty much all the Delta guys.”
Rivers laughed.
She slapped him again, this time harder.
“Ouch! Will you stop that?”
“There’s nothing funny about this,” she declared, hands on hips. She raised one, brushing a strand of brown hair away from her eyes, smoothing back her frayed pony-tail.
Rivers loved it when she did that.
“Listen, I can’t help some Major is pissed, okay. Just showing up for duty is all. You’re the one who called me here.”
“Not to cause trouble. I’m not here to babysit you. And look at you! Is that a bruise? Did you get into a fight?”
“I’d call it more of an altercation.”
“With whom?” she asked, her face angry.
“Um, the Delta guys,” Rivers admitted.
“Let me guess, Sergeant Clements?” she asked.
“Yeah, him… Thompson, Jefferson, Marcus, and that Hernandez guy too.”
“Oh, really? So, pretty much your entire team?”
“Not Dale. Wouldn’t fight him,” Rivers said.
“I don’t need you pissing off everyone, and I especially don’t need you starting fights.”
“Who started it?”
“You did. What’d you call him? Country Fuck?”
“Hey, he called me Hollywood.”
“Now stop this shit right now!” she said loudly, nearly shouting.
Rivers smiled wide, taking a moment to look her over, to remember the gentle features behind that vicious tone, that angry face. He couldn’t help but feel something erotic about her anger. They always had the best sex when angry.
“How ya been, Lizzy?” he asked, tilting his head, reaching his fingers to gently graze her face.
She slapped him again, even harder.
“Damn, will you stop?” he said, snatching his hand back and rubbing his face. “Can’t you see I got punched there?”
“That’s for leaving without saying bye, you asshole,” Elizabeth said.
“Hey, it’s not my fault. I had to go.”
“You up and left without telling me. You went eight months without contact. Explain that, you asshole!”
“Lizzy, you know my job. You have the clearance… you know what I was doing. Shit, my gig was nearly over when I got the message to fly to this shithole. To be honest, I like the jungle a bit better.”
“You could have said bye,” Elizabeth replied. For a moment, her eyes filled with tears. But she withheld them, kept them in.
“Lizzy, I… I know. I’d say sorry but you wouldn’t believe it was sincere.”
“I don’t want a sorry, I want to know why.”
“Listen, we had our ups and downs. You know how it was. Two peas from the same pod and all. I just… I just couldn’t face it. Couldn’t deal with it, so I just left. I’m sorry, I really am, Lizzy.”
“It doesn’t matter…” she lied.
“Besides, I’m the one who should be pissed,” he offered.
“Say again? How do you figure?”
“I was pulled from a big op. I was close, Lizzy. Real close. Then pulled? Take me from my team and fly me here?”
Elizabeth sighed, cracking the door a bit more, allowing Rives into her quarters.
Rivers could see she was in her nightgown. He peeked down to get a look. Elizabeth pulled her top closed, glaring.
“Jeff, this one’s bad.”
“Can’t be worse than some of the others. Not my first rodeo,” Rivers replied.
“Much worse. This one has Zulu clearance. Pulled you here because I need you here.”
“Why?”
“’Cause you’re that good. Yeah, I’ll admit it,” she said.
“What’s the real reason, Lizzy,” he asked.
She sighed again, saying, “You’re the only one I can trust on this, Jeff.”
“Well, that’s sweet,” he said, sarcasm in his voice. “I call bullshit, though. You wanted me here and you found a good excuse.”
“That’s not true,” she replied, though the look in her eyes gave it away. She missed him. She couldn’t help it, though she’d not admit it.
“Listen, we have a job to do, so let’s keep this professional,” she said, standing straight.
“Since when have we done that?”
“I’m serious, Jeff. This one is dangerous. I need you aware.”
“I’m ready to go in,” Rivers replied. “Hooah, and all that shit.” Rivers waited a moment, looking her over, remembering their times together. He knew she was thinking the same. He just knew it. The past eight months had caused the bad times to fade, for him at least. Little did he know, as each day passed, Elizabeth had grown to despise him more and more.
Elizabeth was as beautiful as ever. Still fit, still active, still a hard-ass bitch who got shit done. There wasn’t a woman in the world like her, and if she didn’t piss him off so much, he could possibly marry her.
“Look,” Rivers began, “I’m here and I’m serious. What’s this all about? You seem… well, not yourself.”
“Because I’m not sure we can stop… whatever this is.”
“Have some faith, honey pie,” he said with a smile. He patted his AK-47, still attached as if part of him. “The real question is, why go in?”
“Had York not told us of their breeding, we might not have. But if the numbers are close to what he estimates, we’ll have a major problem.”
“Lizzy, I heard super-soldiers and science mumbo jumbo. Guess it’s hard to wrap my mind around it. For everyone. Know why? ’Cause it’s unbelievable.”
“It’s all true,” she stated.
“Fair enough. I can think outside the box. We talking Groom Lake and alien sort of stuff or what?”