Before Ontarii could respond, the other female had slid her arm around her double’s neck and squeezed, moving back a few inches so that the knife no longer touched his skin.
Ontarii flushed yellow, unable to control his anger and frustration. He slammed his hand into the creature’s wrist over and over, but it would not drop the knife.
“Let go of your weapon,” the captain said, squeezing her twin’s throat tighter. “Let it go!”
The thing in front of him smiled, an evil, cruel smile. Then its arm extended somehow so that the knife was back at Ontarii’s chest. It slashed, the knife slitting open his skin and causing him to gasp in pain.
“You bitch!” The captain grabbed her wrist with her other arm, increasing the power of the hold around her double’s neck. At this point, the female being choked should have been losing strength. Her face should have been changing colors, and her breath should have been wheezing in and out.
Instead, there was absolutely no reaction. Just a sinister smile.
Ontarii knew what to do.
Faster than a flash, he grabbed the captain’s arms and unwound them from the creature's neck, flinging her backward after forcing her to release her grip. Captain Brooklyn fell to the floor of the bridge, a look of angry betrayal painting her features.
Ontarii ignored the look. He had no time to comfort the female now. Instead, he grabbed the creature in front of him. His powerful hands slid around its neck and with all his might he jerked its head around.
For one terrifying moment he doubted himself. If he’d made the wrong choice, the human’s neck would snap like brittle coral in his grasp.
But it didn’t. The head just turned and turned, until he was facing the back of its head.
“Holy crap!” The woman on the floor was scooting backward, clearly unnerved by the sight of her own twin with its head twisted a hundred-eighty degrees around.
Having ascertained that he was dealing with a Hareema infiltrator, Ontarii moved his grip so that his arm was encircling its neck, elbow under its chin. Then, using all the strength he could muster, he pulled upward hard.
There was a keening sound, coming from the creature beneath him, he assumed. He could feel its neck begin to stretch, like an Earthling confection called salt-water taffy he’d once tasted. As soon as it started to give, he jerked harder, pulling with everything inside of him.
Suddenly the head popped off of the thing, the connection between head and body turning into a red goo. He could feel the thing vibrating in his hands, and he turned it around so he could see its face.
“You might have won this round,” it said, its evil eyes glinting golden. “But you won’t win the war.”
Then the head fell apart, becoming jelly and joining the body on the floor. One moment it looked like a human female, the next it was a pool of red slime.
Faster than lightning, the pool solidified into a gelatinous mass and scrambled forward. It beat against the bridge door and then liquefied itself again. In a few seconds, it had managed to squeeze itself through the miniscule crack beneath the door. Then it was gone without leaving a trace.
“Unbelievable,” Captain Brooklyn whispered from the floor.
Ontarii moved to her side, going down on his knees to face her.
Her hands were shaking as she extended one toward his chest.
“You’re hurt,” she said, her voice low.
Ontarii shrugged. “I’ll be fine. How are you?”
The captain gave a shaky laugh. “Scared shitless. That was disgusting.”
Ontarii pulled the woman into his arms and tucked her head under his chin as he held her tightly. “I’m sorry that you had to see that.”
“No. Don’t apologize. Thank you for saving my life.”
Cupping her head in his hands, he turned her face up toward his. “I would do anything to make sure you were safe. I would fight any creature, kill anything I had to, if it threatened your life.”
Her beautiful golden eyes filled with tears.
“I’m sorry I mistrusted you. I couldn’t be sure. I was so afraid after we found Mike’s body that you’d been replaced by an enemy plant.” She laughed, but it was a bitter sound. “Instead, Iwas replaced, and you still figured out which one was me. How?”
Ontarii gave her a small smile. “Because you’re smarter and braver than them. She was nothing like you.”
