Ben Hammott: Salvage

The Hunter gazed down at the human below and then at the human beside it when it felt him move. The obvious pain and fear registered in the human’s eyes caused it no concern, but its hand reaching for the weapon moved it to action. A single talon dragged across the human’s throat ended the threat. It slipped its fingers from the dead human’s mouth and gently laid the weapon down before it moved forward and peered over the edge.

Fitch reached the end of the container, but there was still no sign of Cooper. He lent his head nearer the mic and anxiously whispered, “Cooper, where are you?”

The Hunter leaned over the side of the container and drew back a claw to swipe and kill.

As Fitch pondered what he should do, he stepped farther into the room.

The Hunter’s claw swiped nothing but air.

Fitch felt the breeze waft past his cheek and turned. The shock of seeing the monster squeezed his finger resting on the trigger. Bullets ricocheted harmlessly off the container. Fitch turned and ran. The Hunter jumped to the floor and gave chase. Without stopping, Fitch aimed the weapon behind and fired a few panicked shots at the monster. A lucky bullet stuck its leg; it was only a graze but the impact sent the Hunter stumbling to the ground. Fitch reached the door as the Hunter recovered and ran for him. He opened the door, stepped through and pulled it shut. A claw appeared around the edge of the door and yanked it from his grasp. The Hunter growled at him savagely. Fitch fled along the corridor.

Miller reached the bottom of the enclosed staircase first and saw the Hunter by the door. As his gunfire echoed through the cavernous room and bullets pinged off the metal walls around it, the Hunter bounded through the opening.

Miller, Sawyer and Patterson rushed across the room in pursuit.

Fitch shot a glance behind as he rushed up a staircase and saw the monster arrive at the bottom. He dashed along the corridor at the top and when someone stepped into the corridor, shouted, “Get back in the room and close the door.”

The puzzlement that had creased crewman Davis’s face when the man shouted at him changed to fear when he glimpsed the monster. He disappeared back into his room and the door clanged shut.

Years sat staring at a computer screen had taken their toll on Fitch. Panting heavily, he regretted his lax fitness training when he realized he wouldn’t be able to keep ahead of the monster for much longer. He passed the first door leading into the galley and glanced through the window panels that formed the top half of the galley wall. Some of the crew sat at tables eating and chatting casually. A man with a forkful of food halfway to his mouth looked at Fitch and on recognizing him, nodded. A shocked yell brought the various conversations to an end and faces swiveled to the monster in the corridor. The monster’s footsteps pounding on the floor grew swiftly closer. To avoid the agonizing death that was about to be upon him, Fitch dodged into the second galley door and shouted, “RUN!”

Chairs tipped, tables screeched across the tiles and plates, food and cutlery crashed to the floor as a mad dash ensued for the far door.

The Hunter swiped out a claw at Fitch as it skidded past, but only succeed in raking claws across the doorframe and breaking off a talon. It changed direction as it skidded and headed for the opening as shots rang out.

Miller, Patterson and Sawyer rushed up the stairs and along the corridor.

When Colbert thought he had a good shot at the monster racing ahead, he raised the rifle and pulled the trigger. His two shots missed when the Hunter unexpectedly skidded to a halt and dived into the galley. When people poured into the corridor he knew he had missed his chance.

To avoid the path of scattered and fallen chairs that blocked his route to the far door, Fitch jumped onto the first of the long line of tables positioned against the corridor wall and rushed along them.

The Hunter entered and ignored the humans scrambling from the room; it needed to catch the one with the weapon. Its plan to hide and emerge when land was reached had failed, but it had noticed very few of the humans had weapons, so if it could kill those that did, perhaps the remaining humans would leave it alone. If they didn’t it would have to kill them all. It jumped onto the table and bounded after the human with the weapon.

Fitch stared ahead at the doorway jammed with people and then behind at the monster that would soon have him in its clutches. He shot out the next window and dived through. The rifle strap caught on a shard of glass protruding from the frame and pulled the weapon from his grasp. He struck the wall and collapsed to the floor.

As soon as the human jumped through the window, the Hunter dived through the nearest pane of glass.

As Fitch climbed to his feet, the Hunter appeared in an explosion of glass and smashed into the wall. He glanced at the people filling the corridor behind and knew he couldn’t lead the monster towards them. He rushed at the Hunter as it tumbled to the floor and jumped over it. His feet hit the floor running.

The Hunter glanced at the people running away and noticed the armed men pushing through the throng. It wouldn’t stand a chance within the confines of the corridor. It climbed to its feet and rushed after the running human.

Thomson sat at his desk in his cabin with a glass of brandy in one hand, a lit cigar curling thick pungent smoke in the other and a satisfied smile on his lips. Life was good. He was about to take another puff of the fine cigar when distant gunshots halted it a hairsbreadth from his lips. His head spun to the door. “Russians!”

The cigar was dropped in the ashtray and the glass slammed on the desk. He rose from the comfortable padded chair, crossed to his wall safe, dialed the combination and pulled out his pistol. He released the safety, pumped a bullet into the chamber and strode from the room.

As the container ship grew closer, Jack wondered how he was going to land on the heaving vessel that rocked and rolled just as erratically as the Russian vessel. One thing he did know was that it would be a rough landing.

“Buckle up tight folks―it’s going to be a bumpy ride.”

“I’m used to your bad piloting,” said Richard.

“Nice to see you again also, Richard, and you still owe me a new airplane.”

Richard snorted. “Blow me.”

Jack maneuvered the helicopter above the deck and timing his descent with the falling of the ship, he lowered the craft in the area between empty container stacks set around the edges of the ship as a wall to protect the valuable alien spaceships. As the helicopter approached the deck, a strong gust swept it to the side. It smashed into a container and dropped. The rotors sheared off and shot through the air as the helicopter crashed to the ground and settled on damaged skids.

Jack glanced worriedly at his passengers. “All okay?”

Lucy nodded.

“I think so,” said Jane, unbuckling her harness.

“That’s the last time I get in a vehicle Jack’s in control of,” stated Richard, adamantly.

Jack glared at him. “I hope that’s a promise, because the only time I crash is when you’re a passenger. You’re a damn jinx.”

“Well I definitely wasn’t to blame this time.”

“So you admit you were before?”

Richard smiled at Jack. “I’m admitting nothing.”

“Now, now, boys, we are all safe, so no harm’s done,” said Jane.

“Tell that to Admiral Thomson when he sees what I’ve done to his helicopter.”

They exited the mangled craft and looked around the deck that rolled and heaved with each wave striking the large vessel.