Darren Wearmouth - Critical Dawn

“Because you’re a dick who has no respect for life.”

Gregor scowled and bit his fist. “The shuttle’s arrived. There won’t be another run until tomorrow morning. If there is another run. You heard what Layla said.”

A sickly-looking rabbit with greasy fur shuffled between the rock and tree. Time was against all native species. The shuttle would be gone in less than an hour.

Gregor stood, placed his rifle on the rock, and held his arms out.

Charlie looked around the tree. He placed his rifle on the ground and stepped out.

They stood twenty yards apart. Charlie walked to his side. Gregor moved to keep an equal distance until they were ten yards away from their weapons.

Charlie rolled up the sleeves of his camouflage shirt. Gregor took off his watch. They started circling a large rock, staring at each other.

“Why did you kill Pippa?” Charlie said.

“It wasn’t me. I swear on my mother’s grave.”

“Your mother was a whore. Stop lying. Why did you do it?”

Gregor winced. He’d slit throats for lesser comments. “I killed the man who did it yesterday morning. You, on the other hand, killed my cousin.”

“He was collateral damage. I blew up a croatoan building. If you lot didn’t have your tongues stuck up the croatoans’ shit pipes, unlike us survivors—”

“Stop right there. You won’t get a rise out of me. I did what I needed to keep my team alive. Those humans, livestock, they’re bred for food. They didn’t have a previous life like you or me. I only went after people who attacked my operation.”

Charlie shook his head, maintaining his cold stare. “You think it’s acceptable? Do you? I mean, deep down in your commie soul?”

“I’m not a commie, and the ice age froze my soul. We’re never going to agree, so let’s get this plan out of the way and meet back here.”

“You know I’m not coming back, Gregor. Whenever I think about Pippa, I can’t help seeing your ugly face. Do you think that’s the last thing I want to see up there?” Charlie pointed to the sky.

Gregor stopped and reached for his pocket. Charlie stopped opposite and narrowed his eyes.

They walked toward each other. Gregor produced the blue bead necklace and held it toward Charlie. “Here. I think you’ll want this for your journey.”

Charlie paused. Looked down. He snatched the necklace from Gregor’s hand and briefly closed his eyes. “If you lay a finger on Denver after I’ve gone…”

“We’ll go our separate ways. You have my word on it. From now on, my enemy’s enemy is my friend.”

Charlie started walking back toward his rifle. “Let’s do this.”

Making their way back to the group, Gregor kept a healthy distance between himself and Charlie. A suspension in hostilities was all they needed. They were never going to be friends. There was too much water under the bridge.

Four people squatted against trees when he approached. Layla frantically gestured him over when she saw Gregor coming. He quickened his pace and crouched next to her. Charlie stooped on her other side. They briefly glanced at each other, then Layla.

“How’d it go?” Gregor said.

“They’re starting work right away. Alex is going to stall the croatoans,” Layla said. She looked at Charlie. “Vlad will help you in the warehouse. He’s going to put some equipment in a container for you. An alien rifle and some oxygen equipment.”

“What about the farm? Any step-up in security since yesterday?” Gregor said.

“Some reinforcements came down on a shuttle last night. Just the usual ones, nothing like that thing we saw in Ridgway. Besides Augustus asking them to pressurize the breeding lab, it’s been business as usual.”

“Breeding lab. You fucking people,” Charlie said. “Can we rely on them?”

“Augustus’s message put a rocket up their asses. It doesn’t take a genius to work out why he wants to do it.”

Gregor raised his eyebrows. “Because they’re changing Earth into the middle box?”

“What’s he babbling about?” Charlie said. He looked at Gregor and slowly said, “They’re doing it because that ship is gonna complete the terraforming process.”

“I know that,” Gregor said. “I was referring to a scientific experiment. Something that’s probably way above your head.”

“Look above my head,” Charlie said. “There’s two ships that want to kill us.”

Layla grabbed Gregor’s sweatered arm and twisted. She did the same with Charlie’s shirt. “Knock it off. The pair of you. Charlie, there isn’t much time; move to the back of the meat-processing building.”

“We’re both committed; don’t worry about that,” Charlie said. “How will I know the difference between Alex and Vlad?”

“Alex is a woman,” Gregor said. “You might’ve met Vlad before. I’m not sure.”

Denver moved over and joined the huddle. “Well? Are we ready to go?”

“We?” Charlie said. “There is no we . I’m doing this on my own. You’ve always known it.”

“I’m coming to make sure you get into that container. Once Gregor attacks, I’ll come in from the other side. Add to the confusion.” Denver glanced at Gregor. “Are you okay with that?”

Gregor raised his left shoulder and pursed his lips. “Fine with me. I’ll bring the other three in.” He looked at Ben and Maria. Both held their respective weapons and peered through the trees. Hardly Special Forces, but it’d do.

Charlie walked over to Maria and said something in her ear. She watched him walk away with a genuine look of sorrow, holding out an arm toward him before letting it drop.

As Charlie passed him, Gregor held out his hand. “Good luck.”

Charlie stopped, looked into Gregor’s eyes, firmly shook his hand, and slowly nodded.

Charlie and Denver sprinted around the farm facility’s perimeter, keeping to the shadows. Through the trees, they saw the one called Alex stalling a couple of croatoans by the shuttle. They were expecting the next load of meat and root and weren’t happy about the delay.

“It’s coming,” Alex said, raising her voice and talking slowly as though that would get through to the increasingly agitated croatoan. It raised its hand to the shuttle and nodded its head, indicating that it needed loading.

Charlie clutched the bomb case to his chest and duck walked to the edge of what Gregor had told him was the meat-processing building. For a moment, Charlie doubted himself, wondered if this wasn’t some sick, elaborate plan on Gregor’s part, but even if it was, it still represented an opportunity to get on that shuttle. Even if he had to kill every last alien and fly the damned thing up there himself.

Denver took a quick glance around the edge of the building. “We’re clear,” he said, his body pressed against the building, the alien rifle in his hands across his chest. “They’ve gone back to the shuttle. Alex is making her way to the other side of the unit. Are you really sure this is the only way?” Denver asked, looking directly into Charlie’s eyes.

“You know it is.” It really wasn’t the time to get into another discussion. He understood his son’s hesitation, but this was personal. He wanted to do this. Needed to do this. So much had happened since the day the aliens rose out of the ground. So many people close to him were cruelly killed as nothing more than inconvenient insects.

A shadow passed overhead, sucking the light away from the farm compound, bringing with it a chill and a stirring of wind. The new alien craft made the mother ship look like a speck in comparison.

He shook his head and mumbled, “What if it’s not enough?”