“I’ll organize a search, sir,” he said. “We need to locate the other access points too.” Maxwell gave a humourless smile. “Though I reckon if there was another way in, we’d know about it already.”

  The soldier gave out instructions and in less than a minute, the mission personnel were in pairs and given directions. Grisham was with Corporal Fine and the two of them headed west from the control room, before taking the passage south.

  Around the turning Grisham had noted earlier, they came to a door. Its access panel was offline just like everything else. Opening the door revealed steps leading down. These steps were even narrower than the ones which had led from the cargo shuttle station below and they vanished into the gloom. A single handrail was the only means of support.

  Grisham stared into the depths and felt relief that he’d never suffered any kind of phobia, because this stairwell alone would have tested several different fears.

  “My helmet sensor is telling me there’s a breeze coming up,” said Fine. She made an exaggerated sniffing sound. “But it’s not bringing any smell, so those corpses weren’t stashed down here.”

  Grisham couldn’t smell anything either. He started the descent, keeping a firm grip on the rail. The average Kijol – male and female both - was a few inches taller than the average human male and slightly narrower across the shoulders. That meant these steps weren’t especially difficult to manage, though Grisham couldn’t for the life of him imagine why the alien scumbags hadn’t simply installed airlifts.

  The thought made him return to his earlier wonderings about whether these perimeter batteries were fitted with old tech. It was possible they’d been brought in as assembled units from a different world where they were no longer needed and installed here on Ovintus.

  “We’re going to lose comms to the other mission personnel soon, sir,” said Corporal Fine. “The link strength to Corporal Barkley’s booster pack is down to eight percent.”

  Grisham wasn’t happy about the thought of losing comms, but it was important to explore the battery with haste.

  The steps went on and on. Eventually, and after a single switchback, they came to an end almost directly beneath the entry point to the stairwell. Grisham glanced behind, already thinking of the return climb.

  From the bottom of the stairs, a short passage led south to another of the lever-operated doors. The door was open a crack and the breeze was more noticeable here. Grisham checked the comms signal strength on his HUD and the reading was at zero percent. If he and Fine ran into corpses or aliens down here, they’d be on their own.

  Cautiously, Grisham pushed the door until it was two-thirds open. A large space lay beyond. He entered with Fine only a pace behind, and the two of them shone their lights around. The ceiling was way overhead and the walls north, south and east were featureless grey. West was different. When Grisham shone his light in that direction, it caught a reflection about forty metres from where he was standing near the entrance.

  “What’s that?” he asked, walking cautiously that way.

  “Glass,” said Fine. “Or something like it.”

  The sights clicked into place. A huge window – ten metres wide by six high and with a lower edge one metre from the floor - occupied a substantial area of the western wall. Grisham approached. The room beyond was in darkness. He stopped a metre from the window – he doubted it was made of glass, but it was a word everyone understood – and shone his light through.

  “Missiles,” he said, staring at the row of vertically standing cylinders which were clamped into a conveyor against the far western wall, about twenty metres from where he was standing.

  “They’re big,” said Fine. “No wonder it only took one to disable the Marauder.”

  “Air defences are no use if they’re ineffective,” said Grisham. “Fifteen or twenty of these batteries could do serious damage to an attacking fleet.”

  He counted eight missiles on the conveyor and the northmost weapon was only a few metres from a huge cylindrical tube, which Grisham knew was the launcher. A trio of rotating clamps would grab the missile when it was needed and ram it into place.

  “There’s a door over here, sir,” said Fine, gesturing to the north wall, not far from where it met the eastern one.

  “I saw it,” said Grisham.

  Before he headed for the door, he stepped right up to the glass. The window was about a metre thick and, when he tapped on it with his knuckles, it gave off almost no sound.

  “Let’s find out what’s through here,” he said, heading to the north door.

  Grisham lifted the handles and then pulled. The door opened and he gazed into a corridor that continued about twenty metres north, before ending at another door, this one in the western wall. A second window – ten metres long and only a metre in height – offered a view into the same missile loading area.

  When he shone his light through, Grisham saw yet another door, not far from the launch cylinder. He guessed this might link to a passage accessed via the door at the end of this current corridor. The next passage was also fitted with a window.

  “Looks like our path is leading us in there,” said Grisham, tapping a fingertip on the glass.

  “I don’t reckon we’ll find the switchover mechanism in the loading area, sir,” said Fine.

  “Maybe we’ll gain access to another part of the battery,” said Grisham. He continued staring but couldn’t see any more doors. However, the southern wall of the loading area was too far for his light to reach, so he wasn’t certain.

  “Those missiles got in there somehow, sir,” said Fine.

  Grisham understood her meaning and turned his head. Fine looked outwardly calm, but he didn’t know her well enough to detect the signs that would indicate she was on edge.

  “Let’s take a look through that door,” Grisham said, pointing to the end of the passage. “It might lead to somewhere we aren’t expecting.” He glanced through the window. “We won’t go into the bay. Not with just the two of us.”

  Striding to the end of the passage, he stopped at the door. Taking a breath, he lifted the handles and then shouldered the door open. The new passage went west like he’d expected and he saw an access door in the south wall, leading into the loading area. Opposite that door was another, heading to a place unknown.

  “We should take a look through that north door,” said Grisham, indicating with his rifle.

  Fine’s reluctance was clear. “Maybe we should stay low, sir,” she said. “So we can’t be seen from the bay.”

  “Suits me, Corporal,” said Grisham. He was feeling apprehensive himself, but that was no reason to abandon the search.

  Dropping to all fours, Grisham crawled towards the far end of the corridor. The lower edge of the window was a metre high and by staying close to the wall, he was sure that nothing in the bay could see him unless it was purposefully looking for individuals crawling along the passage.

  Halfway towards the end doors and still beneath the window, Grisham heard a thump. He froze.

  “Shit,” said Fine. “Something just hit the window.”

  Grisham knew what had made the noise. He and Fine had been discovered. Slowly, he raised his head, just enough that he could see over the lower edge of the window.

  An alien was standing on the far side, huge, threatening, and motionless. Grisham saw the creature’s face. It was oval shaped and the worst part about it was that it had no features whatsoever. And yet, even though it lacked eyes, it knew he was there.

  For the first time in many years, Grisham understood the real meaning of fear.

  TWENTY-FOUR

  Grisham felt like a noose was around his neck and an invisible hand was pulling the rope. If he didn’t stand, he would choke. He rose to his feet. Shame at his fear brought with it an anger that made the blood pulse in his temples. Grisham stared up at the alien.

  For long moments, the creature didn’t move. Then, it raised one if its enormously long arms, drew it back and thundered its fist into the window, producing another thumping sound. The alien’s knuckles were broad and Grisham saw yellow talons.

  The creature didn’t strike the glass again. A line appeared in the centre of the alien’s blank face, stretching nearly from one side to the other. The mouth opened, wider and wider, revealing inch-long yellow fangs that looked sharp as razors. Worst of all, the sides of that cavernous mouth were upturned in an evil smile.

  “Ah shit,” said Corporal Fine.

  The alien closed its mouth and its face became once more featureless. Slowly and deliberately, it turned its head towards the door at the end of the corridor and then turned back so it was once more facing Grisham and Fine. At that moment, Grisham felt with certainty he was going to die.

  Regardless, he wasn’t about to give up his life without a fight. Grisham’s years of combat experience came to the fore.

  “We have to make a run for the stairs, Corporal,” he said. “They’re narrow – maybe too narrow for this thing to follow us at full speed.”

  “We’ll lead it to the others, sir.”

  “The alien is inside this battery, Corporal. It won’t leave until it’s done. Ready?”

  “Ready.”

  “Go.”

  The two of them sprinted for the nearby door. As soon as they moved, the alien did likewise, and it accelerated for the loading area door with an explosive burst of muscular power.

  Grisham and Fine entered the passage leading to the room at the bottom of the stairwell. The door ahead was still open and they ran for it. Grisham heard the loading bay door thud into the wall as it was hurled open.

  “Maybe this will slow that asshole down,” said Fine, pulling a grenade from its side clip, arming it and flicking it behind her.

  Grisham didn’t turn. Two paces behind Fine, he entered the room joining the stairs. The soles of his combat boots squealed as he changed direction towards the stairwell entrance and he heard the grenade explode in the passage. The two of them dashed through the door and Fine dropped another grenade in the short corridor leading to the steps.

  Corporal Fine went up and Grisham followed. The stairs were as narrow as he remembered and he hoped they’d be enough to slow the alien.

  “Take this, sir,” said Fine. She stretched an arm out behind and her hand was holding a grenade. “You might be able to judge it better.”

  Grisham took the grenade and held it tight. He heard a dense thumping noise behind and he half-turned. The beam from his suit helmet lit up the wall, but its periphery didn’t extend to the bottom of the steps. Even so, Grisham sensed the alien coming after him. He and Fine had made rapid progress, driven by adrenaline, but maintaining this pace all the way to the top would be a struggle – assuming the pursuing creature didn’t rip them to shreds beforehand.

  Arming the grenade, Grisham did another half-turn. The creature was still in pursuit and he could see it now, maybe thirty metres behind. He couldn’t tell if it was gaining on him, but the narrowness of the stairwell was definitely slowing it down. It seemed to surge upwards in bursts and he could hear its shoulders scraping the walls. Grisham threw the grenade behind him and it exploded three seconds later, producing a shockwave that his combat suit absorbed. He didn’t know if the detonation injured the alien, but from the continued scraping sounds, it wasn’t dead.

  “Another grenade,” panted Grisham. His legs were feeling the strain. He’d been running from the start of the mission all the way till now and it was taking its toll. The fear of being torn to shreds was enough to keep him going. Grisham didn’t slow, nor did Corporal Fine ahead of him.

  “Grenade,” she panted in return, handing him another explosive like a baton change in reverse. “Two left after that one.”

  Grisham armed the grenade and threw it. The blast followed and, sure enough, the alien wasn’t slowed. He cursed, wondering if his aim was bad or if this enemy was just so tough that it could survive anything less than a proximity rocket blast.

  “Another grenade.”

  “Here,” said Fine.

  This time, Grisham fumbled and the grenade fell onto the steps. “Damnit! Another.”

  “Last one,” said Fine.

  Grisham didn’t fumble again. He performed another half-turn, which was the best he could do without slowing or tripping. The alien was closing in on him – he guessed it was twenty-five metres behind, rather than thirty.

  “Where’s the switchback?” he gasped. Corporal Fine was slim, but she still prevented Grisham from seeing too far ahead.

  “Ahead. Somewhere.”

  Shit.

  Grisham knew that if he held onto the last grenade any longer, the alien would be too close for him to safely throw the explosive. He armed the device and flicked it behind. The third blast wasn’t enough to stop the alien, though when Grisham did another half-turn, he saw that his opponent’s chest and head were alight. However injured the creature might be, it didn’t give up the pursuit.

  “Switchback,” said Fine.

  The two of them turned on the short landing and resumed their climb. Grisham’s strength was ebbing, but his determination was not. He gritted his teeth and ordered his weakening muscles to carry him to the top of the damn stairs.

  A short distance up the second flight, Grisham looked once more. The alien was closer – he guessed it was no more than twenty metres from catching him. It no longer burned with plasma fire, but Grisham caught sight of the smoke it was trailing. He was sure it was hurt, but it was clearly intending to continue this chase to the end.

  At that moment, Grisham hated the alien with an intensity he’d never known before. The hatred gave him strength and his legs drove him upwards.

  “Sergeant, need help,” said Corporal Fine on the open channel. She’d evidently kept her wits about her and had noticed the re-formed comms link to Barkley’s booster pack. “Steps. Alien coming. Too tight for explosives.”

  “Understood,” said Maxwell. “We’re coming to assist.”

  Knowing that help was on its way was a great relief, though Grisham couldn’t imagine how the soldiers would be able to cut down the pursuing alien before it killed him and Fine. He tried not to think about the mechanics and focused on reaching the top of the steps. The scraping, slithering sound of his enemy’s approach was louder now and Grisham sensed it on his heels.

  Suddenly, the lights came on. A narrow strip in the stairwell ceiling glowed cold blue, though Grisham still couldn’t see far past Corporal Fine. He didn’t want to look back but he turned his head anyway. The alien was no more than fifteen metres behind and its blank face was directed his way.

  “I can see. The top,” said Fine. She sounded like she was running on empty.

  “How far?” asked Grisham.

  “Seventy metres.”

  A voice came on the comms. “On my command, stay left,” said Sergeant Maxwell. “That means your left.”

  Private Vaughan is going to fire down the stairwell, thought Grisham.

  “There’s no room,” he panted.

  “You have to do what I say, sir,” said Maxwell. “On my command,” he repeated.

  Grisham had climbed enough of these steps to know that even if he pressed himself hard against one wall – slowing his ascent in the process – the resulting gap wouldn’t be much more than twelve inches. He swore inwardly and told himself to trust in Vaughan’s aim. Death by gauss slug wouldn’t be any more final than death to alien talons.

  “Corporal Fine, you’re fifty metres from the top,” said Maxwell.

  Grisham’s reserves were nearly spent.

  “Thirty metres.”

  By now, Grisham wanted more than anything to hear the drone of Vaughan’s repeater. “Do it,” he gasped.

  “Twenty metres,” said Maxwell. “Now, stay left.”

  Grisham did what he could to make room. The scraping of the alien’s approach seemed like it was right in his ears and he no longer dared turn. Bullets suddenly flashed past him in a waist-level torrent that was no more than two or three inches from the right-hand wall and their passing distorted the air.

  Four steps ahead, Corporal Fine made it to the top and she vanished around the corner. Grisham saw other figures there, waiting for him. Private Vaughan was sitting awkwardly on the top step and had managed to brace himself and his gun so that he could fire downwards. Given the recoil from an XR gun, Grisham thought it a testament to the soldier’s strength and skill that he’d managed to fire so accurately along the wall.

  Vaughan’s gun cut out and, in what was clearly a prearranged move, Sergeant Maxwell hauled the man away from the doorway. Grisham didn’t slow and he emerged onto the landing. It was crowded here and he went left, before stopping. He spun, with his gun ready, just in time to see Maxwell shoulder charge the door shut. Private Vaughan had gained his feet and he hurled himself bodily at the door, his hands grabbing at the levers.

  Although his strength was almost gone, Grisham moved to assist. He was just in time to see Maxwell plant his hand on the access panel for the door. The green light turned red.

  “Done,” said Maxwell.

  Grisham leaned forward and put his hands on his knees as he fought for breath. Private Lyles pulled him gently towards the control room. He found a seat at one of the consoles, next to Corporal Fine and dropped into it. Deneuve and Lopez were sitting at the adjacent console, while Lieutenant Adler hovered nearby.

  For a time, Grisham could hardly speak and hardly think. He heard Deneuve muttering something about the Kijol hardware taking an age to boot. A few seconds later, Grisham looked up at Fine. She managed a smile.

  “I didn’t think I could run so fast,” she said.

  “And never again,” said Grisham. He saw Maxwell nearby. “That was good work on those stairs. And from Private Vaughan. Thank you.”

  “This battery must be on an independent security network, else that door wouldn’t have locked,” said Maxwell. “We got lucky.”

  “For the first time in a while,” said Grisham.

  “Those aliens on Xaros had a security breaker, sir,” said Maxwell. “If the one that followed you also has a breaker, we’re in trouble.”