The few memories that he kept from reanimation back then were very similar to what he felt now. The same cold insensitivity and panic fear of not being able to feel your own skin. No sense of cold or stinging. Even the strong hands of the colossal chief nurse, shaking his shoulders, felt like gentle caresses. “Do you think he’s in pain?”
“I doubt it, I completely drugged him with pain-killers, so he must hardly realize where he is.”
“He has lost a lot of blood and needs to go to a hospital. Infusions, an urgent operation…”
Alan was gradually coming out of the haze and could distinguish Marcela’s voice.
She was so exquisitely beautiful and he wanted very much to tell it to her. He had craved for it ever since he saw her.
“March, you are awesome… I love you…” he lisped.
“Here, now he is talking deliriously. He is drugged and stabilized now, but if we don’t take him to a hospital, he will soon be in a coma.”
Alan thought that her voice was like a Shakespearean sonnet, kind, gentle, filled with love.
“Alan, Alan, wake up! How are you feeling? Does it hurt somewhere?” This was the not so gentle Major’s voice.
“Yes, yes, I’m okay. Nothing hurts, I’m just a bit dizzy. Where am I? What happened? I can’t remember anything.”
“You suffered an accident during the attack, Alan, you are seriously hurt. You need a doctor.” His head felt heavy again and he drifted into uneasy sleep.
“So… gentlemen, our situation is quite grave”, Norman said.
He was standing in front of them with a torn uniform and bandaged head, all dirty with blood and sand. His face was grim and smeared, just his big eyes were flashing with their typical daring flame. Now he was more responsible for them than ever before. There was no way he could let them down.
The rest were sitting on the remains of the furniture with dropped heads and blurred eyes.
“I guess it couldn’t be any worse” Michael said. He didn’t look at all well with his split eyebrow and a bandaged left hand. He felt like this was the worst hangover in his life, but with his usual light smile tried to encourage them. “We could be dead, but I guess death is preferable to hangover.”
“Only the five of us are left, plus Alan and Ivanov, who are in the biological hall. The Russian is better now, luckily, we have about ten liters of frozen blood and we started infusions. I believe he will be fully restored in a couple of days. However, Alan is in bad state and needs an urgent operation. Otherwise he will die. As you know, his left leg was torn away and his condition deteriorates by the hour. Colonel Ivanov will answer before a court martial for his actions. I have solid proof that he tried to sabotage our mission from the start and I will hold him responsible for the death of several people. However, he cannot be denied the strength and courage, since he managed to kill with bare hands Marcela’s double.”
“Bless him for killing me” Marcela said. She shivered at the very thought of those creatures.
“He lost a lot of blood but is stable at the moment and can even walk. And since I have no men to spare for his guarding, I locked him with handcuffs to the bed, so that he would not escape.”
“But, Major, this is not humane” Marcela protested. “He is my patient and as such he is innocent till proven otherwise. Let your tribunals and judges put him on trial later, but while he is under my observation, I insist for him to be free.”
“Impossible!” the Major replied firmly.
“Can I make a suggestion, Sir”, the Lieutenant interjected surprisingly. “Maybe the lady is right… to a certain extent. The physical power and the tactic skills of the Colonel might be useful in this critical moment, Sir.”
“He is right, of course. Ivanov is a formidable force” Michael said.
“Please, Major”, Marcela said, employing the gentlest note in her voice. “Let me go and unlock him. The man suffers, he has lost at least two liters of blood and would hardly be able to hurt someone in near future.”
“Okay, but he stays under the direct observation of the Lieutenant”, Norman agreed.
“And how is the situation with communications, Major?” Michael asked.
“As a consequence of the attack we’ve lost all connection with the rest of the world. We have power for ten hours more and no food, except for a few packs of crackers. Water is altogether thirteen liters.”
Marcela looked through the small round window. Dawn was coming outside and the smoldering remains of the Base could be seen. The smoke mingled with sand and the storm was carrying it away in the sky.
“The dormitories are completely destroyed, as is the munition warehouse. We have no weapons with the exception of my pistol and two automatic M4, for which we have almost no bullets.”
“What about the SUVs?” Hans asked.
The latest events had marked his face as well. He looked exhausted, pale, dirty and a little thinner – all features that were unusual for him. The feverish worry in his eyes made his round face look somehow younger. His shirt was cramped and was a pitiful reminder of his perfect attire from a couple of days ago. The jacket was missing and the white handkerchief, with which he constantly wiped his sweaty forehead, now looked like a dirty rag.
“One is completely destroyed, the fire has left only its metal carcass, the other one is with cut tires and cannot be ignited. I have to check it and see what I can do with it”, Norman said.
“I can help you, Major, I know a bit about trucks”, Michael proposed.
“How many of these suckers are left? As far as we know, they were exactly as many as us, right?” Marcela asked and looked at the others.
“Yes, correct”, Hans replied. “Our total number in the Base was fifteen, wasn’t it, Major?”
“That’s right, six soldiers, the Sergeant, the Lieutenant, myself and you, the scientists. Plus, of course the two Russians. Fifteen altogether.”
“Okay, we found Greg dead, and two more had disappeared without a trace? What were their names?”
“John and Taylor, yes. We declared them missing, but they were probably killed with Greg. They were both patrolling around the Base. Two of the soldiers died in the first explosion and the other two – in the attack through the roof. We found the Sergeant’s body by the watchtower and Sergey was shot by Mikey’s double.”
“Fuck, that’s totally crazy” Michael said in a sad voice, imagining a creature, that looked like him, doing something so awful.
“So… We killed two of them in the roof attack, two more escaped… right?” Hans was counting in his head. “March’s double was eliminated by Ivanov and those of the dead soldiers should have already disintegrated according to my computation.”
“You mean they do not exist anymore? They are dead, aren’t they?” Marcela needed to be sure that they are now free of those particular monsters.
“Yes, you’ll never see them again.”
“Thank God” she said, making a cross in the Orthodox manner, finishing with her right hand over her heart.
“So, we are five, not counting the two wounded men in the infirmary. The doubles are also five: mine, Alan’s, Ivanov’s, Norman’s and the Lieutenant’s. That’s it, we have five vermin creatures to kill.”
“If we are focused and keep together, we might be able to finish them”, the Major said.
“May I make a suggestion, Sir”, Babyface surprisingly spoke again. He did not seem anymore so much the pedantic military person. “Let’s group in two teams in view of safety. Me and you will be responsible for each of the teams, Sir.”
“Actually, this is a brilliant idea, Lieutenant.”