Prey

The entire top of the mountain seemed to lift off slightly. Julia could see the ship now, shrugging off tons of rock and snow as it lifted out of its carefully designed hiding place.

"They're leaving."

The ship tilted, exposing its circular body laden with lights. It seemed to pulse and the underside of it glowed a deep red.

Julia could see smoke. "Did the grenades work?"

Mick frowned. "Doesn't look like it."

"You think they see us?"

"I don't know," said Mick. "I hope they're more preoccupied with getting that thing out of here."

A deeper shade of black smoke poured out of the underside. Then the craft tilted again sharply the other way.

"Oh shit," said Mick. "Drive this thing fast!"

The ship veered toward them. Was it chasing them? Julia thought there'd be a rush of lasers hitting the ground near them at any second.

Then she heard another deep explosion.

Mick looked back.

"Damn."

The ship veered again and slammed into the base of the mountain. A giant fireball lifted off the ground and spread out fast.

"Shit!"

A wall of flame seemed to rush at them. Julia could see it coming in the rearview mirror. She urged the Snowcat to go faster.

Faster!

Please!

The flames fell over them. Julia could feel the heat spreading over the cab.

And then they receded just as fast.

And disappeared somewhere behind them.

Julia glanced in the rearview mirror again and sighed.

Beside her Mick exhaled. "That was close."

"Too close."

And in the rearview mirror, Julia could see a hulking black mass of metal burning at the base of the mountains. And all that was left of the alien craft seemed to be exploding and melting and disappearing even as the Snowcat took them further away from the hell they'd been a part of.

33

Even after they'd covered miles, Julia could still see the black smoke drifting skyward toward the new bank of clouds that would inevitably bring more snow down on them later tonight.

Mick, sitting next to her, shook his head. "I didn't think I was going to make it out of there alive."

"I felt that way earlier."

"Guess I'm trying to say thanks."

"We're even."

He laid a hand on her knee. Julia liked the sensation of having it there. "I owe you my life."

"This trip took a helluva lot more lives than it should have." She shook her head. "I don't even have the first idea how I'm going to explain all of this when we get home. They'll never believe me."

"I'll back you up," said Mick.

She looked at him. "How can you do that? You as much admitted that you're attached to some super secret outfit. How can you do something like backing up my testimony? Won't that expose you for what you are?"

"Yeah. It will."

Julia sighed. "I can't ask you to do that."

"I've been thinking a lot about my career anyway," said Mick. "You know, lying on that steel table gives you a lot of moments of pause. Anyway, maybe it's time I looked into doing something else."

"Like what?"

He grinned. "I don't know. 'Alien killer' doesn't exactly translate well into job skills that normal people can use to land a good job."

"Guess not."

"I've got my twenty years in the service. And the government will pension me off well to pay for my silence. I guess I wouldn't have to find a grueling corporate job. I mean, I could probably move anywhere I wanted to.'

"What would you do with all that free time, though?"

He shrugged. "I could get a part-time job. Maybe work in something nice and stress-free. Like a bookstore."

"You're going to work in a bookstore?"

"Maybe."

Julia smiled. "Now there's an image."

Mick frowned. "I'll have you know I majored in classical English literature for my master's degree."

"You have a master's?"

"Yeah."

"I'm suitably impressed."

Mick tapped the window. "Thought I was all about guns and explosives, didn't you?"

"I'd be lying if I said no."

He laughed. "At least you're honest."

Julia concentrated on driving for a moment before turning to Mick again. "So. This bookstore. Where would it happen to be?"

Mick shook his head. "I have absolutely no idea."

"You're not making much sense, Mick."

He looked at her. "Any bookstores near where you live?"

"Well, sure, there are-" She stopped and looked at him. Mick's smile spread even further across his face. "Mick-"

"I just thought that maybe, you know…"

"Yeah?"

"Well…yeah."

Julia smiled now, feeling the warmth spread across her body. She tapped the steering wheel. "I wish this thing could move faster."

"Me, too."

They both laughed and whittled away the rest of the trip until at long last the research station finally came into view.

"There it is."

"Home sweet home," said Mick. "Cripes, the thing looks buried under a ton of snow."

"Maybe they got more here?"

Mick frowned. "Take us a while to shovel that out, but maybe we can at least dig a hole to the door. That way we can get inside and work the radio. Get a plane down here as soon as possible."

"You think they'll fly in?"

Mick nodded. "I think I might be able to exert some pressure on them to do just that. A top-secret clearance ought to be good for something."