Survivors

Despite Joe’s confidence they all had a restless night and none of them slept very well. The bulk of the remaining day was spent mooching around the base. Time dragged even more than usual. Luke and Joe started to get on each other’s nerves so Holly took Joe off for a walk, but even away from Luke Joe’s mood didn’t seem to be improving much. After a while Holly couldn’t stand his moaning and sighing any longer and asked him, somewhat testily “What the hell is up with you today?”

“Nothing”

“Joe,” she replied with exaggerated patience “We have been together now for far too long and been through far too much for you to try and fob me off like that. So you might as well just tell me because I will get it out of you in the end. I know something’s wrong and I know it’s not just the evac, so what is it?”

“It’s Jack!”

“What’s Jack”

“He annoys me”

“Why does he annoy you?” There was a big pause. “Joe?”

“Because you like him and he likes you. Because you’re gorgeous and beautiful and he’s all grown up, with his big white teeth, and he’s so macho and clever and… I’m not” he blurted out.

Holly didn’t say anything, she was a little stunned by Joe’s outburst but she was also trying to make a choice. Should she be annoyed at how silly he was being and storm off affronted by his lack of faith in her. Or should she be amused and touched that he felt insecure enough to need her reassurance. She decided to choose the latter.

“Oh Joe” she said “You know I love you don’t you”

“Yeah but” began Joe.

“No buts” interrupted Holly “Yes I like Jack but only because he’s kind and ... Well... Nice”

“He’s not that nice!”

“Oh I don’t know... Now you come to mention it” said Holly starting to grin.

Joe was about to explode but cottoned on that she was pulling his leg.

“Oi!” He grinned back “Careful”.

“Give me a kiss” said Holly now beaming at him.

“Oh if you insist”

They spent the rest of the afternoon just walking, holding hands and chatting. About five thirty they went back to find Jack and Luke.

“Are you ready for the off then?” asked Jack.

“Oh I think so” said Joe grinning broadly at him in a way that Jack found slightly disconcerting.

“Are you okay?” asked Jack quizzically.

“Never been better” said Joe smiling at Jack and then giving Holly an ear to ear toothy grin.

“Let’s go then…” said Luke who’d seen the grin and had made an educated guess about what it meant “Before I throw up!”

They picked up the kit and made their way to the exit.

“Shall we lock up?” aJoe.

“Seriously?” said Luke incredulously.

“Yeah a little stupid really” said Joe “But just in case..” He locked the door and put the key under a nearby rock.

Holly and Joe turned into giant panthers while Luke morphed into an eagle. Jack climbed onto Joe’s back and they set off towards the rendezvous site.

They had been travelling for about an hour when Luke, who was circling high above them, suddenly shrieked. Jack leapt off Joe’s back and stared up into the sky. Holly and Joe were also staring up, using their eagle sight to try and see what was going on. It became pretty obvious pretty quickly that Luke was coming down, coming down fast. He half landed, half crashed into the ground right in the middle of them.

“What is it?” Demanded Jack “Is it the Aliens?”

Luke barely registered that Jack had spoken. He turned to Holly and Joe.

“It’s Darius and Big Mamma” he blurted out.

“What!?” They both gasped.

“I’ve just seen Darius and Big Mamma!”

“Where?”

“On the road about two miles to the west of us. There’s a load of slave workers, about a hundred of them being herded down the road. They’re being guarded by about ten Aliens, some in the front and some in the back and a couple on each side”.

“Woah there! Back up a bit. Who are Darius and Big Mamma?” asked Jack.

“They’re people we used to live with at the camp” replied Holly.

“If we fly in really hard and fast” went on Luke totally ignoring the fact that Jack had even spoken “I reckon we could ...”

“Now hang on” interrupted Jack more forcibly. “You can’t seriously be thinking about going to rescue them! What about the helicopters! They could be at the evac site in less than half an hour and we’ve still got a good way to go”.

“But all we have to do is...”

“No!” Said Jack emphatically “No you can’t!”

“What the hell are you talking about” yelled Luke “You can’t seriously be proposing that we leave them there are you!?!”

“That is exactly what I am suggesting. If you go after them we will miss the helicopters , we won’t get to the island and we will probably get a whole load of people killed for absolutely nothing.”

“They’re our friends, their like family, we can’t just leave them” said Joe.

“How do you even know it’s them?” asked Jack.

“Because I saw them!” bellowed Luke.

“You saw them! People you haven’t seen for months and months, at what was at least a thousand yards. You think you saw some people who probably look completely different after a long spell of Alien hospitality. Not only did you see them you recognised them! I don’t think so.”

As quick as a flash Luke’s arm turned into a massive pincer. He shot it out and grabbed Jack by the neck. Jack found himself unexpectedly lifted off the ground. His hands scrabbled ineffectually at the pincer trying to pull the two claws apart to release the pressure on his throat. He was totally unable to speak. His face was already puffing and beginning to turn red.

“Be very careful what you say next” hissed Luke “Be very careful.”

“Luke stop it” screamed Holly “Let him go.”

Luke hesitated for a moment before loosening his grip. Jack dropped to the floor wheezing and coughing. He gingerly rubbed his swollen throat.

“You can do whatever you want!” stormed Luke “But I’m going after them, and I will bring them back!”

“Back to where, back to what?” Gasped Jack. “Even if we get to the choppers we can’t get a hundred people on board! If we don’t get them on the choppers we can’t take them back to the base. You can bet the Aliens will find that within a month. We know they’re closing in. So I say again, bring than back to where and to what?”

Luke was about to reply when Holly shushed them.

“Listen!” She said “Listen to me for a moment! Jack we can’t just leave Darius and Mamma behind, and Luke we can’t bring all those people with us, so as far as I can see there is only one thing we can do. We get Darius and Mamma now, then at some point we come back for anyone else from the camp when we can”

“That’s still insane!” said Jack.

“Insane or not” said Luke “I’m getting them out.”

He turned to Joe and put his hand on his shoulder.

“Joe, I’m going to ask you to help me. I know I’ve no right to ask but I’m going to ask anyway. Will you help me?”

“What do you want me to do?” Joe replied without any hesitation.

“We fly at full speed, really low and really fast. We swoop in, you grab Mamma and I grab Darius and we are gone before the Aliens know what’s happened.”

“You are absolutely mad!” Shouted Jack “That’s the stupidest thing I have ever heard.”

“You know what” replied Luke “I don’t give a damn what you think. You don’t even get a say!”

“What about me?” asked Holly What do I do?”.

“You get to go with Jack to meet the choppers just like we agreed. That way everyone’s happy” said Luke. He then smiled at Holly in what he hoped was a reassuring way. “We’ll be with you before you know it.”

“You can’t ...” started Jack.

“I’ve told you, you don’t get a say!” yelled Luke “Besides there’s no time to argue. Joe and I are going to the road. I suggest that you get to the pick-up point of you’ll miss your lift.”

“But...” Jack tried again.

“The longer you stay arguing the less chance there is of any of us getting out of this alive. So shut-up and get going. Joe, are you ready.” Joe nodded “Then let’s go.”

With that they both leapt into the air and shot off towards the west.

“You’d better get on” said Holly gesturing towards her back as she changed back into panther form. “We’ve got some helicopters to meet.”