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Chapter 15

Dallin coughed androlled onto his side. Everything hurt. He tried to sit up, but grunted as pain shot up his thigh.

He attempted to move his leg, but nothing happened. It took his confused brain a minute to process that he was pinned under a large chunk of fallen rock.

His vision was blurry and blood trickled down his face from a wound on his head.

He shuddered as his hand went to the injection site on his arm. He’d been given a huge dose of Siblet poison, and could already feel it creeping through him and making his limbs shake.

Rock grated together, and a space appeared by the entrance. A Siblet looked in at him. “He’s still alive, Captain.”

Dallin growled. Why couldn’t the Siblet just fucking die?

More of the rock was moved before Captain Ghal entered the room. He had blood on his face and looked mad as hell. “You did this.”

Dallin grunted. “I warned you that you were living on borrowed time. You should have listened to me.”

“This won’t stop us. We can still make the poison.”

“You might while you have mineral reserves, but when you need more salnite, there’s nothing left. And I doubt all the assholes who’ve ordered a batch of the poison will be happy when they learn their order won’t arrive. They might want their money back. Or better still, your head, for taking payment and then not delivering the goods. It’s unlikely your clients are the stand-up kind of aliens who’ll give you leeway when things go wrong.”

“We’ll find a solution. And we’ve found the rest of your crew. They’re dead,” Captain Ghal said.

“Screw you. I know you’re lying. There’s no one else here.” Dallin chuckled. “It must really piss you off to know a single Apexian brought down your entire mine.”

Captain Ghal whacked him across the face with the back of his hand. “You’ll pay for this.”

Dallin simply chuckled again. The Siblet operation was screwed, and they could do what they like to him now he’d achieved his goal.

His heart gave an unhappy thud. He hadn’t achieved everything he wanted out of life. He was just starting to believe in a future with Sloane, and that was gone. But this was a sacrifice worth making. The Siblets’ plans were in chaos. His crew knew how to create an antidote for the poison, and everyone would soon know exactly what the Siblet had planned to do. They were so fucked.

“You’re a dead alien,” Captain Ghal said. “The amount of poison I pumped into you means you won’t last the hour. It’s a new potency we’ve been working on, and you’re our first Apexian subject. How does it feel to know you’re about to die?”

“I should ask you the same thing.”

“No, we haven’t failed. And I have no plans to die.”

Dallin glanced around and lifted one shoulder. “If this mine doesn’t kill you, your enemies will.”

Captain Ghal slammed his fist into Dallin’s face. “You don’t deserve to die from our poison. Let the beasts have him.” He strode to the entrance and left the room.

Beasts? Of course, the Siblet would have some of their monstrosities on site.

“Don’t go trying to escape. I’ve got a surprise for you.” The guard smirked at him, then vanished.

A few moments later, two huge mutant beasts entered the room. They looked like large bears with long fangs and metal spikes jutting out of their spines.

Dallin struggled to get out from under the rubble, but it was no good. Even if he could move, it felt like his leg was broken, and he was drained from all the energy transfers he’d given Sloane. He doubted he could fight a kitten, let alone these giant mutant creatures.

The bear creatures skulked closer, snarling at him.

Dallin closed his eyes and thought of Sloane.

The ground thudded beneath his feet, then there was a growl as something slammed into a wall.

He opened his eyes to see Brutus biting down on the neck of one of the mutant beasts.

A few seconds later, Sloane appeared in an oversized jacket and breathing mask, and fired a shot at the other beast.