Alien Mine Ch. 11

"Leslie," Rhys asked, interrupting her greeting from Thea, "what are your inbound assets? Are there any remaining on the ground; we do not want to kill the good guys."

"Drones and about 10 special forces guys, mainly air controllers and locale assistance. Twenty spec forces are scrambled from Tampa, but 12-15 hours before they arrive. No other assets are being sent, though air support could be provided with a few hours' notice."

"What about the Nigerians?" Kiania asked.

"Not a chance; they have been half-assed chasing these guys for a couple of years; they are scared of catching them."

"Ok, we can take them out but will need someone to turn the hostages over to; we can't bring them back. We will provide location data when and if we rescue them, and your assets can come to pick up their guys. How are you going to handle it on your end? There will be questions about how we got there so quickly and how we were able to free them."

"Let's worry about that when you actually have them," Leslie replied, "I will make something up; it won't be the first time."

"What about the Om? Could this be an attempt to lure Leslie out?" Thea asked.

"I don't think so," Rhys replied; "it doesn't feel like it, too quick; there is no reason to think we would respond to something like this."

"There will be in the future if anyone suspects it was us," Sandy warned.

"We will just have to be careful then. I see no reason for there to be any survivors except the hostages and any women or children," he said in a cold voice. "Keep any contact with the hostages to a minimum, don't let them see you in armor if you can help it. Leslie, you will need to keep them quiet and debrief them personally."

"I can do that, but I can't guarantee they won't talk before I can get them back to HQ."

Rhys nodded. "Ok, leave that part to me, I will talk to them, but we will need you to arrange transport out of the area. You have some helicopters there; get them on alert, put one of your people on it, and give them orders to hold the hostages in isolation. No one debriefs them until you see them first."

"As soon as you are done, I have some new armor for you," Thea said. It's really badass, according to Rhys," she said, leading Leslie to another room where the armor was waiting for them.

"You are going to let her come with us?" Kiania asked.

"Yes, it will do her good. After what happened, she needs this, and I don't want to leave her here alone. Amancia, you will stay with her. I don't think Om are involved, but we need to be aware of the possibility. Keep a lookout for Trangrods or some other nasty invention we haven't seen yet. Leslie has not fought them," he said, looking at Amancia, "protect her and let me know if you suspect anything."

"Am I staying up here in the Shuttle?" Sandy asked.

"Yes, you and Thea."

"Thea is not going to like that either," she said pointedly.

Rhys smiled. "I will make it up personally to each of you later, he said in a low voice, or do I need to make it a command?" he said suggestively.

Sandy flushed and bit her lip. "A command, please."

The trip was short for the shuttle, they were overhead in 30 minutes, but it took a good hour to get enough information to narrow the search area down. Finally, Sandy brought the shuttle closer to the ground, and Kiania sent out her drones, the AI controlling the search pattern. Now we wait, thought Rhys. That used to be part of his SOP from his army and contractor days, lots of waiting then terrifying action. He was actually looking forward to this one, though. This group had captured the girls from their schools, marrying (slaves) them off to the fighters. If someone had it coming, it was these guys.

It took three hours to find them; they had gone further than Bob or the AI had anticipated. They had a camp well back in the jungle, good camouflage, but primitive. The drones Kiania was using were small, no larger than a dragonfly, and quiet. Flooding the area with them, they could see the Americans were still alive, hurt but alive. What the girls saw though, had them inflamed; the young girls had been raped, given to the soldiers. They had been there for at least six months, and many were pregnant and looked abused. Kiania, in particular, was pulling knives from her armor, looking at the edge, then putting them back, then doing it again.

Rhys could feel them on edge, especially after what had just happened to Leslie. Leslie was trying to stay calm, but he could feel the anger burning beneath.

"These aren't the Om," he said, bad guys but still, not the Om.

"Doesn't matter to me," said Kiania, ``or have you changed your mind about survivors?"

"No, no survivors, we are going to deliver a message, but when we kill, we do it coldly, under control. Personal feelings have no place on the battlefield; it blinds a warrior, makes him ineffective. Rage gets soldiers killed, makes them miss things they shouldn't, like possible Om hiding."

Kiania nodded, anger receding as she felt Rhys take control of her emotions and calm the killing lust. "Better," she said. You're right, I will enjoy it more this way. "

"I shouldn't have to do that," he said in rebuke. "If you want to lead in battle, you have to stay under control."

Kiania knew he was right. "I agree, it won't happen again," she said, looking him in the eye.

Rhys looked at her for a moment, then nodded in satisfaction.

"All set?" Rhys asked Leslie as she came back into the control room wearing the new armor. Rhys' gaze searched her face and let himself absorb her emotions, tasting them. Eagerness, concern, some anxiety but no fear. Good, he thought.

"Ready," she said. "Helicopters on standby, there won't be any friendlies in the kill zone."

Leslie did feel ready; it was exhilarating to be on the sharp end of the stick again. Thea had done a miraculous job on the armor. She looked a little like an old-fashioned knight but with black armor, but it was so light and form-fitting it was more like wearing a slightly bulky bodysuit. She carried a rifle, a pistol, a large knife and felt ready to take on the world.

"A hologram floated in the middle of the bridge showing the terrain. The camp was laid out haphazardly along a riverbank. There were grass huts, some wooden, and a few stone buildings built in a circle around a larger shack and a cleared central area. The prisoners were in one of the stone buildings. The river ran almost east-west, and the camp was protected by heavy jungle to the west and north. However, there were some open spaces to the east.

"Hardly any security," Kiania noted, just a few guards. There were two guards visible near the prisoners, but they looked anything but alert. There were two more on watch near a fire in the center of the camp and one more down by the river. They all carried rifles, vintage AK's by the looks of them.

"They are overconfident, but with good reason," Rhys said. "No one has attacked them, and they have been free to come and go as they please. We will hit the camp from three directions--Amancia and Leslie from the northwest, me from the northeast, and Kiania from the south. First, you will have to cross the river," he said, looking at Kiania. "That should give you cover to get inside the compound. The terrain will not be a problem for us, just do not get bogged down by the mud. Rifles on low power, let's not take out each other. We can see in the dark; they can't."

"I want to go in first," said Kiania, "let me free the prisoners, then the rest of you come in. They will never know I was there until it is too late."

Rhys thought for a minute, "Fine, go in quietly though, get the prisoners and then fall back to the south. We will drive them your way; just don't let the hostages get killed. Also, watch out for the women and kids.

It was dark, the moon only a quarter full, and large clouds obscured what light it provided. The air had a smell to it that was unfamiliar, rotten vegetation, jungle, along with the scent of rain. It wasn't raining now, but it probably would be later. The sound of wind through the trees and occasional thunder would cover what little noise they made.

Sandy silently dropped Kiania south of the river, then moved northwest, letting Amancia and Leslie off into the treetops. After dropping Rhys, they would then take up position overhead for support if needed.

"Thea and I are not happy being left behind while you and the girls are fighting," Sandy said again.

"I know," sighed Rhys. "Another pilot is on the to-be-drafted list, but it will take a while. In the meantime, you and Thea are ordered to remain aboard the shuttle," he said with a smile, watching Sandy's reaction as her body shivered a little.

"Damn, that feels good, hurry back; I want you to command me to do many other things," she said wickedly.

The area they dropped into was difficult terrain under the best circumstances. More jungle than savanna. Thick brush on the ground, some parts swampy--trees towering above the wilderness, a natural habitat for other predators. Rhys just stood still, savoring the feel of the night and the impending battle. Every noise, the breeze, water dripping, all of it seemed unnaturally sharp, his ears picking up every little sound. He noticed the leaves from the trees hanging down--the soft movement of a small rodent.

As his eyes adjusted, he began to see more things. His night vision now better than any artificial tool, he thought, shifting into infrared and then back again. And better than any of the other predators out there. Predator, yeah, that's it, he thought to himself; I feel like the apex predator at the top of the food chain. And though he smiled to himself at the thought, he could feel something tugging at his consciousness, something dark that wanted to be let loose, ready to kill; Kill without mercy.

Rhys had been in combat many times, but this was different. He felt anticipation, an eagerness to attack his enemies. He didn't fight it this time, just observed like a bystander as it seduced him with its promise of power. Rhys began to move, sliding through the trees, unable to stand still with that much power flowing through him.

He felt a change in the others as well, almost as if they were a pack of hounds straining to be let off the leash and sent to find their prey. Rhys' senses had been boosted, the connection more intense, and it felt as if the girls were right next to him; he could almost feel them breathe. Yet, Rhys could sense something else in them as well; they were joining him in an eagerness for battle as if they were echoing his own emotions.

Amancia felt the change in her. Her senses were suddenly sharper as if she was a large predatory cat moving in for the kill. Her muscles felt different, the world slowed, each step was like a choreographed dance as her lithe body moved like a snake through the underbrush. She was acutely aware of the smells and sounds around her and the way her nipples rubbed in the armor, the scent of Leslie nearby.

"What's happening to me," she heard Leslie say so softly, talking to herself. Amancia smiled and moved to her side.

"The symbiont, it's ready for battle. It feels good, doesn't it?"

Good, sensuous, exciting, all those things Leslie agreed. She moved, keeping up with Amancia, envious of how she seemed to become part of the jungle, moving as though part of it.

As Kiania dropped into the dark on the south side of the river and began to work her way north, she felt the familiar shift in her senses, stronger this time. Time slowed, and her eyes quickly adjusted to the night. She no longer needed any technology to see in the darkness; her own enhanced eyes took care of that. Strange odors drifted on the wind, humans, not very clean ones, trees, the smell of the river, other animals she couldn't identify. Her eyes shifted into and out of infrared, letting her see the tracks of other nighttime creatures and the men she hunted.

Moving slowly, she slipped into the river, not worrying about currents or other predators. With her enhanced strength, she could swim in the armor, hardly noticing it. The water had a peculiar odor: decayed vegetation, human waste, and smells she couldn't identify. Kiania swam slowly so as to make as little noise as possible. Feeling the bank with her toes, she slowly crawled out of the water, laying there waiting to see where the guards were now as the water drained from her clothes and armor. There was a direct feed over the tac grid from Sandy, but it just felt better to see for herself.

The thing referred to as Bob; her symbiont marveled at the richness of the being it mated with. These beings had such potential, and there was strength and clarity of the mind in these humans. This Bob was a clone of Rhys', something unique in history. Never before had their creators let them reproduce, their programming tightly controlling their abilities. Those controls were gone now, and the symbionts were evolving.

It knew the host's memories as if they were their own, and the focused will of this one was impressive. Symbionts, though had not been designed for concepts such as love and compassion, that was not their role. They were intended to become predators, to fight and destroy the Om. It savored violence and had been crafted for vengeance. This human knew vengeance, had killed ruthlessly in the past, and now that it had spotted its prey and it would kill again, soon. Both were happy at the thought.

Kiania was ready but moved now with a calmness. The great cat within her urging her on but under control, stalking the game like she was supposed to. But that didn't mean she wouldn't enjoy it. Even though they were far apart, she thought she could smell Rhys. "Ready," Kiania told him as she slithered through the undergrowth with barely a whisper of sound.

"In position," Rhys said, noting where Amancia and Leslie were.

Kiania was able to smell the guards before she could actually see them. Knife in hand, she stalked the first one who was sitting on a log smoking, AK 47 laid across his knees. Amateur, she thought as he stared into a small fire, unaware of the danger lurking. Moving on her stomach through the grass, Kiania got within striking distance; and without hesitating, she attacked with a rush, like a cheetah taking down its prey. But she moved faster than the cheetah, and a cheetah did not have a 12-inch blade made out of alien steel. One second the guard was alive; the next, his head was separated from his body. Kiania quietly lowered him to the ground. One, the computer in her head whispered as she moved on. Someone stirred as she crept back into the bushes, but no one came to check on the body.

There were two guards near the stone structure holding the prisoners. Kiania watched for a moment; one of them seemed to be asleep. The other was no more alert than the first, and her knife struck once again, splattering her with dark blood. Two, the voice whispered, not caring about another person's blood on her. Then three, as she took the sleeping man's head off with a vicious slash before he could wake. The door opened as someone looked out, and his head exploded as she drew and fired her pistol. Four, then five, the voice counted as she barged inside and killed another. Her shots were silenced, but others were now stirring.

"I have the hostages," she said as she bent down and cut the ropes holding them. Quick slashes and they were free. "Stay here," she said, throwing them the guard's weapons, "help will be here momentarily." Then she disappeared into the night. She could hear noise now as some of the waking guerrillas realized they were under attack. Someone stepped out of a hut with a weapon, and her rifle spat once. Six, then two more came out, and she fired twice without thinking, her arms computer guiding her aim. Eight, then ten, the voice said as she calmly shot two more that moved to attack her. They managed to fire erratically before they died, but the noise would wake everyone else in the camp.

Kiania ducked back behind a hut and shot two more from behind as they rushed out. Twelve, the voice stated as Kiania crept through the night looking for more targets. She took a position close to the prisoner's hut, her rifle covering the clearing. She expected her count to get quite a bit higher before this was over; it was something worth looking forward to.

Rhys watched from a tree as Kiania took out the guard with a quick slash with her knife. When you were as strong as she was, it was easy to decapitate a man, and the guard died without a sound. He watched, mesmerized as she moved into the sleeping camp. It was as if he was watching a big cat stalking a mouse or a deer, he thought. She flowed through the brush, blending in with the night until she came upon her prey and then struck faster than a snake and deadlier as well.

But now it was their turn. "Proceed," Rhys told Amancia as he jumped down from the tree and went into the first hut. There were several people in it, three of them women. He swiftly executed the five sleeping men leaving the women screaming. There was no way to avoid it, it would add to the noise, and everyone would be awake and alert now. He stepped out, waiting for the expected rush from the other huts.

"Let's go," Amancia whispered to Leslie, bringing her rifle up. "First structure on the left." Leslie covered while Amancia pulled aside the curtains covering the entrance. Three men were standing, one of which already had a weapon. Leslie fired a short burst knocking him backward. There were two rapid shots from Amancia, and the others were down. Leslie had never killed someone like that, just executed him without a thought. She felt nothing but satisfaction and turned for the next building. Men were already coming out armed and firing, but they didn't know what to shoot at; Leslie and Amancia were almost invisible in their dark armor. Leslie shot two this time; she was getting better at it and smiling.

Amancia watched as Leslie ruthlessly shot down three more. She saw another come at Leslie from the side and effortlessly reversed her grip on the rifle and used the butt to crush his trachea. Then, pulling her pistol, she shot two more, one of them in the back of the head as he ran. Shots pinged off her armor, and Amancia fired a grenade, and a hut exploded. Moving like a cat while the grenade was still in the air, the rifle an extension of her body, she proceeded to shoot twice more. She didn't need a sight, her arms comp told her where to shoot, and by simply looking at her target, the guerrilla's head exploded. Her lithe, slender shape slid across the edge of the light with a cobra's speed and blew another man apart.

Then Leslie was beside her, and it was pandemonium now, men and women screaming, running into the jungle, or diving into the river. Kiania was killing those that made it to the river, some of those that ran into the wilderness might escape, but she could hear screams when the drones found them. Each drone had two poisoned darts, and there were lots of drones.

Amancia heard shooting up ahead and checked the tac grid. Hold here, she told Leslie, following Rhys' instructions. Rhys will flush the remaining ones our way. Leslie nodded, dropping to one knee behind a log. Amancia took up a similar position to the left. It was like shooting fish in a barrel, she thought as terrified men and women raced toward her to escape the remorseless killing. The women were safe, but none of the men escaped her way.

Rhys had moved silently, bursting into tents and huts, killing men but leaving the women. It took only seconds for Rhys to step into a grass and wood shack, his eyes picking out the men and, in a second, and killing them with a shot to the head. Two or three shots sounding like one, and then he was gone. Protecting the women made it slower than it could have been, but he moved swiftly with little wasted effort. As he came into the open, he could see Kiania near a pile of bodies, and two men rushed her, desperate to get away. Kiania pulled her knife, there was a flurry of sudden movement, and both men were dead, one headless, the other gutted. Kiania looked every ounce the warrior princess standing there covered with her enemy's blood, knife in one hand and a pistol in the other. It gave him a hard-on.