Rochelle, blank-faced, nodded. ‘Yea. First Mark. Then Chris followed him.’
‘But why? What was so important that Mark had to go out there alone?’
‘I think he said something about going to the bathroom,’ said Rochelle in the same unconcerned tone of voice.
‘Oh, that’s just great,' he exclaimed. ‘I might as well just talk to myself from now on. I tell you all how goddam dangerous that thing is and Mark then calmly goes off to take a leak. I give up.’ He sat down heavily on the bunk and slumped forward dejectedly.
‘Careful,’ warned Linda. She was sorting out the supplies they’d brought back and had placed the large bottle of sulphuric acid that Paul had found on the floor beside the bunk.
‘How long have they been gone?’ he asked Rochelle.
She frowned. ‘I don’t know. Not long.’ Then she lay back on her bunk and closed her eyes. Paul looked at her with exasperation. She was out of it. She had been ever since her experience with the creature. The tough, hard-bitten Rochelle of old had gone. She’d pulled up the drawbridge and retreated into some deep mental cellar. Not that he blamed her- he felt like crawling into somewhere safe and womb-like himself.
‘I don’t like it,’ said Linda. ‘First Alex goes off by himself, now Mark and Chris. And Alex still hasn’t returned.
Paul took a deep breath. ‘I think we can write Alex off. I’m pretty certain that thing must have him by now.’ Then he stiffened as he heard a noise outside. He motioned to Linda to hand him his M16…
There was a tap at the door. ‘Hey, Chris, Ro… It’s me. Open up.’
It was Mark. Paul got up, still holding the gun, and unlocked the door.
As soon as Mark came in it was obvious that something was wrong with him. He wore a dreamy, contented smile and acted as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
‘Oh, hi guys,’ he said. Then he looked around and asked, ‘Where’s Chris?’
‘She’s not with you?’ asked Paul.
‘Me? No. I haven’t seen her since I left here.’ He sat down in a chair, still wearing the dazed grin.
‘You didn’t see Alex either?’
‘Nope.’
‘Or any sign of the creature?’ persisted Paul.
‘No. No one…’
Paul raised the barrel of the M16 and pointed it at Mark’s head. ‘ Unless you can prove to me you haven’t been taken over by that thing within thirty seconds I’m going to blow your head off.’
Mark’s grin grew wider. ‘Hey, man, stop pissing around.’
Paul pulled the trigger. The gun sounded very loud in the confines of the cabin. Mark screamed as the bullet burned a furrow along the side of his head, taking off the top of his right ear as it passed.
‘The next one will be in the centre of your forehead,’ said Paul calmly.
Mark clutched at at his ruined ear. Blood trickled down the side of his face. The smile had gone now. Behind him in the wall there was a small, smoking crater. ‘Jesus, are you crazy?’
‘You’ve got about fifteen seconds left.’ Without looking at Linda Paul told her, ‘Get the flame-thrower ready. Light the burner the way I showed you. As soon as I shoot him we’ll burn the body before it has time to change.’
‘I’m not that thing!’ screamed Mark. ‘I swear it! I’m me\ For Christ’s sake believe me, Paul!’
‘No. I don’t believe you,’ said Paul coldly. ‘The real Mark wouldn’t have sat here so unconcerned about being told that Chris was out there on her own. The real Mark would have been all anxious and worried. He would have gone right out again to find her instead of sitting there with a stupid grin on his face.’ He shook his head. ‘Time’s up.’ ‘No wait! Don’t shoot!’ He raised his hands in front of his face. ‘It’s because of the shit I just took! I just had a fix — I was high, Paul, I was highl’
Paul had been about to squeeze the trigger again but he hesitated. ‘What are you talking about? What fix?’
Frantically, Mark pulled up his sleeves and showed his inner forearms to Paul. There were lots of old needle marks on both of them, most of them scarred over, but some were fresh. And one, surrounded by a bruise, was still weeping blood. Paul stared at them in confusion. ‘What.?’ he began.
‘Heroin, Paul. It’s heroin. Alex had it. Christ, don’t shoot!’ Mark said quickly. ‘I’m an addict. I have been for months. You said yourself I’ve been looking sick. That’s the reason. You got to believe me.’ He turned to Rochelle. ‘I’m telling the truth, aren’t I Ro? You tell him, Ro, please.'
Paul lowered the gun and looked at Rochelle. She was lying on the bunk and watching them so calmly that she could have been watching a soap opera on TV. Eventually she said blandly, ‘Yeah. It’s true.’
Mark then told Paul and Linda the whole story about the deal he had with Alex to smuggle heroin as well as hashish into Britain. When he had finished Paul said quietly, ‘Perhaps I should have shot you after all. You know how I feel about heroin. Not only that but you exposed Linda and me to an amazing amount of risk. If we’d have been caught by the Customs we’d have got between ten and fifteen years for something we knew nothing about. I suppose then you’d have said how sorry you were.’
Mark made an anguished sound. ‘Hell, I am sorry Paul. But you don’t know what it’s like being hooked this way. I couldn’t say no to Alex. I had to do what he said.’
‘Yeah, sure you did,’ said Paul wearily. He got to his feet. ‘Come on, you and I are going to look for Chris. You’d just better hope it’s not too late to save her.’ He turned to Linda. ‘Do you mind staying here with Ro?’
Linda frowned. ‘Can’t we both come with you?’
‘I don’t think I can walk very far,’ said Rochelle, with unusual promptness. ‘I get dizzy when I stand up.’
‘I think it’s best she stays in bed,’ said Paul. ‘We’ll try not to be long. And I’ll leave the flame thrower with you. I’ll pick up the other one now, along with the rest of the stuff. Just make sure everything is blocked up. You’ll be quite safe.’
‘Well, okay,’ said Linda dubiously. She didn’t want to be separated from Paul. She had the strong feeling that something bad was going to happen if they weren’t together.
He saw her anxiety and came over and kissed her. ‘Hey, cheer up. Everything’s going to be okay.’
Neither of them noticed the ghost of a smile on Rochelle’s lips as she watched them from the bunk.
Thirteen
‘Damn,’ muttered Linda.
The lights had been getting appreciatively dimmer during the last few minutes and now suddenly they’d gone out altogether. That meant the emergency generator had run out of fuel now as well. It also meant that the others were stumbling around out there in the dark, which wasn’t a pleasant thought. Or had Paul taken one of the flashlights with him? She couldn’t remember.
She began to feel around for her own flashlight which she’d got ready as soon as the lights had begun to dim. As she did so she became aware of strange sounds emanating from the direction of Rochelle’s bunk. It sounded as if she was having a convulsion, ‘Ro!’ she cried, ‘what’s the matter? Are you alright?’
There was no answer but the disturbing sounds continued. She found the flashlight and switched it on. Rochelle was lying with her face against the wall but her body was jerking and shuddering under the blanket. Alarmed, Linda stood up and was about to go to her when Rochelle turned towards her.