Prey

"So," said Wilkins, "if we're all abductees, then what's the purpose of this whole affair? To take us forever or something?"

"Near as I can figure," said Julia, "they want to cross-breed us with members of their race. An alien-human hybrid."

"How clichZ," said Wilkins. "That's been done to death already. Couldn't they figure out something original?

Julia laughed. "Good to see you've still got your sense of humor, Wilkins. We might need some more of it before too long."

"Glad to oblige."

Julia bumped into another piece of machinery. "Dammit."

Mick's voice came from across the room. "I found a panel on the wall. There are buttons and stuff. I'll give them a try."

Julia found a corner and started working her way down another wall. "So, anyway, Kendall there even arranged for me to be placed in charge of this expedition. Can you believe that?"

"Piece of shit," said Wilkins. "I'd like to kill that fucker with my bare hands. I get a shot at him-"

"You'll have to wait in line," said Mick. "I want a piece of him, too."

"You guys play after I get my turn," said Julia. "I got shafted the worst. Kendall says the aliens wanted to use me to crossbreed some new strain of them. This one is part-human, alien, and dinosaur."

"Dinosaur?"

"Yeah. That's what they did to Nung."

"Shit," said Wilkins. "That's right. I remember seeing them do something horrible to him. What was it, limbs or something like that?"

Julia pushed away the visual reminders flooding her mind. "Yeah, something like that."

"How the hell are we going to save him?" asked Wilkins.

"One thing at a time," said Julia. "Let's get you squared away first. How you coming on that panel, Mick?"

"Nothing. None of them seem to work."

"Great." Julia felt her way down the wall toward another corner. How big was this room? There had to be some sort of light switch in here somewhere.

Her fingers stumbled across another panel. "Got another one here."

Mick's voice sounded closer to her now. He must have felt his way over toward her. "Where are you?"

"Sounds like you're close."

"You feel this?"

She felt his fingers brush hers. "Hey.'

"Hey yourself. I found some clothes and a pistol."

"Clothes are good," said Julia. She started pulling them on and then Mick pressed the pistol into her hand.

"Keep it under your shirt, okay?"

"Okay."

"Uh…" Wilkins cleared his throat. "If you guys are done getting all cozy over there, I'd appreciate some light on the subject."

"Sorry," said Julia. She pushed Mick's hand away and felt the knobs. One of them seemed larger than the rest. "Got one. Hang on."

She pushed it.

Dim light spilled into the room. But not enough to see clearly.

"Maybe it's adjustable," said Mick. "try turning it."

"Okay."

Julia turned the knob.

And heard Mick gasp.

"Holy Jesus."

She turned. She could already hear Wilkins moaning.

"Mother of God, no…"

In the middle of the room, Wilkins lay on a gurney.

Half of him, anyway.

27

"Jesus Christ."

Wilkins voice sounded small, the fear evident to Julia as she watched him mutter it over and over again, looking down at his upper torso, arms, and little else. An extensive series of tubes ran out of him and into various machines around the gurney.

Mick came over and shook his head. "I don't know what to tell you. You ought to be dead."

"Thanks a lot."

"Sorry. It's just that, well, shit, this is pretty fucked up. They took pretty much everything except your arms."

Wilkins sighed. "Guess this explains why I couldn't feel my legs, huh?"

Julia's eyes stung. Of all the people to do this to, why Wilkins? She thought about what a dedicated family man he was, about how much he lived for and loved his wife and children. He didn't deserve this.

Mick looked up at Julia. "We got Kendall to thank for this as well?"

"Apparently."

Mick nodded. Julia watched his eyes take on that faraway stare again and she knew Kendall was as good as dead the moment Mick caught sight of him. She couldn't blame Mick at all.

"So, what are we going to do about this, boss?"

Julia shook her head. "I wish I had something good to tell you, Wilkins. Fact is, I don't have the slightest clue."

Wilkins looked at Mick. "At least she doesn't try to bullshit about stuff she doesn't know about."

"She's always impressed me as being very self-aware," said Mick. "But unfortunately, she's right. We can't transport you like this. Even if we had necessary machines to keep you going, there's no way we could guarantee your safety."

Wilkins frowned. "These things are probably keeping me alive, huh?"

"Looks that way."

"But why? Why would they do this and then leave me here?"

Julia turned. Had she heard something?

Mick shook his head. "I don't know."

Julia looked at him. She felt pretty sure that they were going to do something similar to Wilkins as they'd done to Nung. Some type of horrible transplant that would no doubt strip Wilkins of the very last vestiges of his humanity.

He'd become a monster.

"Well, obviously, they aren't finished with me." Wilkins tried to grin. "Guess that means I'm at least sticking around for the near future."