Ignite, p.8
Ignite, page 8
“Backdoor,” Mack said, barely even panting. “Follow me.”
Mack jumped on the other bike, and they rushed away, Austin following him through back aisles to the customer service area. Mack got off his bike there to open the fire exit door, and then they were outside, where dusk was in full swing. They both biked as fast as they could, and when Austin looked over his shoulder, he spotted a spider attempting a pursuit for a little bit before giving up. It was good to know they couldn’t outrun a bike.
They rode hard until they left Rapid City behind them, darkness setting in now, and then Mack finally slowed down. It was about time, because Austin was flat out of breath, his lungs wheezing, and it took him a minute or two to be able to speak again. His muscles were screaming with fatigue, his right arm throbbing from all the throwing, but his legs were killing him as well. It was disheartening to realize what six months in the camp had done to him, since he’d been in perfect shape when he’d gotten arrested.
“Thank you,” he told Mack, still panting, as they biked on at a much slower pace. “That was brilliant.”
“You’re welcome,” Mack said. “I’ve scientifically concluded those spider thingies can’t swim. I watched their electronics short-circuit in the water. That’s something to remember.”
That was good to know. “They also can’t outrun a bike,” Austin said. “One tried to pursue us but couldn’t keep up.”
Mack hummed in agreement.
“Did you get a look at how they attacked people? I heard a woman say something about being stabbed, but I wasn’t close enough to see what happened.” He swallowed back the bile that rose in his throat at the memory of the dead bodies he’d seen. “There sure were enough bodies in there,” he added softly.
“I saw,” Mack said, his voice filled with sadness as well. “I didn’t see what happened either, but I did perform a quick check of a thirty-something guy I came across. I couldn’t see any blood or marks on him, and he was wearing T-shirts and shorts. Whatever they used to stab him with, it wasn’t big or bloody.”
Austin considered that as he peddled, straining his eyes to see the road in front of him. “Maybe they used a needle or something similar?”
“Yeah, that thought went through my head as well. Maybe a fast-acting poison? From the way the bodies looked, they died almost instantly. There was no sign of a struggle, and their eyes were still open.”
Austin shivered. “I know. Fucking creepy.”
They biked on till they reached the edge of the forest. It was completely dark now, the moon barely giving them enough light to see. “Should we bring the bikes?” Austin asked.
Mack looked as indecisive as he did. “What good are two bikes going to do us if there’s three of us? Besides, if we want to stay off the main roads, biking is gonna get hard. We’re not exactly experienced mountain bikers.”
“Good point.” Austin parked his bike against a big tree. “Maybe someone else can find them and use them.”
It took them about half an hour to get back to the tree where Tan was hiding, walking with as little light as possible, not wanting to draw any attention to themselves.
“Tan,” Austin called out softly. “Are you awake, babe?”
“Oh my god, you guys are finally back,” Tan’s tear-filled voice said. “I thought you were dead.”
##
It took a while before Tan managed to calm himself down. Or maybe he should say before Austin and Mack managed to calm him down. He’d been worried sick about them. When dusk had fallen and they still hadn’t returned, he’d assumed the worst. All he could think of as he sat strapped to that tree were those spider bots attacking them. He’d all but given up hope they would return when he’d finally saw a flashlight make its way toward him. Even then, he hadn’t been sure it was really them until Austin had called out.
They had gently lowered him, then all the stuff. It was clear something had happened, but Austin said they would talk about it tomorrow. Tan knew he didn’t want to worry him, and he appreciated it, even if it did make him frustrated with himself all over again for being so weak.
Mack insisted they hike a little further as to not make it too easy for others to find them. Tan didn’t mind the bit of exercise after sitting in that tree for hours, but even after a few minutes, his fatigue from the long trek earlier that day settled back in. He managed the short hike deeper into the woods, but by the time they pitched their tent and crawled into the sleeping bag, he was exhausted all over again.
There was little fuss and tension this time, no jokes about Mack relieving himself. They simply stripped down to their boxers and crawled into the bag. Tan spooned with Austin this time, needing to feel his strong arms around him, and Austin pulled him close and kissed his head. “Let’s get some sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow,” he said.
Tan slept like the dead, a deep sleep devoid of the nightmares he so often had. He woke up a little groggy, but warm and comfortable, still nestled in Austin’s arms. His warm breath tickled his neck and shoulder, and Tan snuggled a little closer. His butt encountered Austin’s cock, which was way past a semi.
“Good morning, babe,” Austin said softly near his ear. “Did you sleep well?”
“Mmm. I did. You?”
“Like a baby.”
God, Tan loved the sensation of being held like this. It wasn’t hard to figure out why, not even for him, and he never even finished high school. But right now, he didn’t care about that. He was just gonna enjoy feeling safe, if even for a moment.
“Are you gonna stop wriggling your butt anytime soon?” Austin’s amused voice spoke up.
“Is it bothering you?” Tan teased.
“I wouldn’t exactly call it bothering, more like challenging. You need to let up soon, babe, or you and I will have a situation on our hands. And you know what I said about us not being able to afford the luxury of coming in our pants.”
God, he loved Austin. The guy was so steady, so calm, even in a situation like this. He was a rock, unflappable, solid. He was the best friend Tan had ever had, the only real friend who had never wanted anything else from him but friendship.
“Do you want me to take care of that for you?” he asked on impulse. “I’d be happy to get a little morning protein in.”
Austin’s body tightened before he relaxed again. He pressed another one of those soft kisses in Tan’s hair. “Thank you for the offer, babe, but you know I don’t want that from you.”
It was the same answer Austin had given him every single time he’d proposed something more between them. The guy was either completely not into him, or he had a moral code that was so far beyond Tan’s comprehension he would never understand it.
He looked up to find Mack studying them with curiosity, a faint blush pinking his cheeks. He was so stinking cute. “Good morning, sweetie,” Tan said.
“Good morning,” Mack replied softly.
“Can I interest you in a morning blow job?” Tan asked.
He wasn’t exactly sure why he asked him that. Maybe because Austin’s rejection had stung, even if it was nothing new and exactly what he had expected. That didn’t mean he liked to be turned down, especially not when he offered something he knew would be epic. There weren’t a lot of things he was good at in life, but blow jobs were one thing he excelled in.
Behind him, Austin gasped and the sound mingled with Mack’s quick intake of breath.
“Tan!” Austin said, his voice filled with something Tan couldn’t identify, but he clearly wasn’t happy with Tan’s proposal.
“What?” he said. “You turned me down. Does that mean I can’t offer it to anyone else? Like, if you can’t have me no one else can?”
It came out snappier than he had intended, and Austin’s body tensed again before he managed to control himself. “You know that’s nowhere near the truth. I just don’t think you should be proposing shit like that between the three of us. It will only muddy the waters.”
Tan pushed against Austin’s arms, and he was released immediately. “Maybe you should let Mack decide that for himself, hmm? I know you’re a control freak, but you’re not the boss of me. Or him,” he said as he crawled out of the sleeping bag.
Austin and Mack sat up, Mack’s blush even deeper than before.
“So, what do you say, sweetie? Can I interest you in a little morning pick me up?” Tan asked Mack.
He watched the guy’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed, then Mack wiped his hands on the sleeping bag before he answered Tan. “I’m… Thank you for the offer, I guess, because it’s really nice of you to offer, but I don’t think… I’m not really comfortable with this, and I don’t want to cause problems.”
Even though rationally Tan knew Mack would say no, it still hit him that he was rejected again. “Your loss. Just remember that the two of you don’t exactly have a whole lot of other options right now, so you may want to be a little friendlier to the only guy who’s going to get you laid.”
“Tan!” Austin said again, this time with more force and a hell of a lot more emotion in it.
It brought immediate remorse and his shoulders crumpled. “I’m sorry,” he said quickly, feeling his throat tighten. “I’m just tired and scared, and I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Tears burned in his eyes, and he wiped them away with an angry gesture. Why did he always have to fuck up everything that was good in his life? Austin was the one true friend he really had, and he could sense a developing friendship between him and Mack as well. Why did he have to bring sex into the equation? When had sex become his crutch?
The answer to that question was something he didn’t want to face, not right now. “I’m sorry,” he said again.
Austin’s arms wrapped around him from behind. “It’s okay,” Austin said. “None of us are ourselves right now. It’s a lot to take in, everything that’s happening.”
Tan nodded, then leaned back in Austin’s strong embrace. “Thank you.”
After a few more seconds, Austin let go of him. “Let’s make some breakfast and we’ll tell you exactly what happened because Mack and I had quite the scare at Walmart yesterday.”
Tan stole a quick glance at Mack, wanting to make sure they were okay. Mack was studying him but when Tan met his eyes, he gave a hesitant smile Tan interpreted as a sign he wasn’t upset. Good. Mack was a sweetheart, and Tan would hate for him to get angry with him for being stupid.
They crawled out of the tent, as Mack didn’t want to risk setting something on fire by cooking inside, he explained. It was starting to warm up outside, the skies blue as ever, as if nothing had happened. It was weird and yet strangely comforting to eat oatmeal for breakfast together, Mack carefully heating up water on the little heater that he’d taken from the Walmart. Tan wasn’t usually a fan of oatmeal, but he couldn’t deny it filled your stomach, especially with the little bit of sugar and nuts Mack had added.
“The sugar won’t last long, but it will help us get used to the taste,” he said apologetically.
As they ate, Mack and Austin shared their tale of encountering those spider bots, keeping their voices low. Tan shivered at the mention of people dying, and his blood ran cold when he realized how close a call it had been.
“What do we do now?” he whispered when they were done. “Now that we know they’re out to kill people, where do we go?”
Even the thought of an up close and personal encounter with one of those spiders scared the shit out of him. He lacked the fast, creative thinking Mack and Austin shared, which made him feel like the weakest link in their trio all over again.
“I don’t know,” Austin said. “We may be safer here in the woods, but only for now, because once the winter weather starts, we’ll be freezing to death. It’s just that we have no information whatsoever about who these creatures are and what they want. We don’t know if our government still exists, hell, if our country still exists. For all we know, the whole world could be burning, and we are in the dark. We need information, but I have no idea where to get it.”
Mack looked thoughtful, tapping the nail of his right index finger against his front teeth. “If you were an alien race and you wanted to conquer the world, how would you go about it?” he asked.
Tan frowned. “Is that a rhetorical question?”
“No,” Mack said. “I’m serious. Let’s put ourselves in their shoes. What would be our plan of attack if we wanted to conquer the world and had superior technology?”
Austin leaned back against the tree behind him, folding his arms behind his head. “That depends on what the ulterior motive is for wanting to conquer Earth. If you’re out to destroy all inhabitants, a couple of well-placed nuclear weapons in densely populated areas will do the trick for the most part.”
“It would also make the planet uninhabitable,” Mack said. “The nuclear fallout would be basically forever. What would that net them? I mean, the earth would be empty of humans, but useless. Unless they’re immune to the effects of radiation, but that’s highly unlikely.”
Austin nodded. “I agree. So there has to be another reason why they’re attacking Earth. What are the usual motives to declare war on another country?”
Tan was happy he could contribute to the discussion for once, having paid attention in school to history, since it was one of the few subjects he liked. “Aside from religion, there’s power, natural resources, and expansion of their borders. Like, Hitler started the Second World War because he wanted a bigger empire for the German race, which he considered superior.”
Mack and Austin looked at him as if they saw water burning, and Tan shrugged. “I’m not entirely stupid, you know?” he said.
Austin’s shock transformed into a frown. “I never said you were stupid, and I’ve never even thought that. Stop tearing yourself down, babe.”
Tan shrugged again. “It’s true that this is one of the first times I’ve been able to contribute anything, right?”
Painful silence ensued, confirming his statement. It hurt that even his best friend didn’t think Tan had much to offer to their trio. Sex, that was all he’d ever been good for, and it was the one thing Austin refused from him. Why was he even friends with Tan in the first place? There were days when Tan legit wondered about that.
“So,” Mack said, clearly wanting to change the topic, and Tan let it go. “Which one of those would apply to aliens? I can’t imagine them crossing the galaxy to spread their religion, can you?”
“If their religion is anything like conservative Christianity, I can absolutely see that happening,” Tan said, unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice. “It wouldn’t be the first time horrible atrocities have been committed in the name of God, and probably not the last time either.”
Mack sent him a sad look. “Touché.”
“True. But if the goal was spreading their gospel, whatever that could be, would they start killing people right away?” Austin said.
Tan raised an eyebrow. “Have you ever heard of the Crusades?” he said.
Austin’s lips curved up in a smile. “You’re on a roll. Yes, theoretically you could be right, but can we agree it’s not the most likely reason?”
“My vote is for either natural resources or to take over the earth and inhabit it with their own species,” Mack said. “They’re from another planet, so our money doesn’t mean anything to them. Gold, silver, maybe even iron or copper, those could be things they’d be interested in. We have no idea if those materials even exist on their planet, so they could be worth millions to them.”
“In both cases, they would have no reason to destroy Earth, right?” Austin asked.
Tan let that scenario run through his head. It didn’t sound impossible at all, once you got past the concept that life existed on other planets. He said, “No, just the people.”
“Okay, as gruesome as this may sound, let’s assume for a moment we’re right that their intention is to preserve the earth but to kill all humans. How would you go about that? Hitler used concentration camps, but that would take decades to do for all of Earth’s inhabitants,” Austin said.
“I can’t see them killing humans one by one with those spider bots,” Mack said. “They would have to unleash an army of those things to get anywhere anytime fast.”
Tan suppressed a shudder at the idea of millions of those spider things. Humans would be absolutely defenseless.
“No, if you want to kill people fast and you don’t want to use weapons of mass destruction, spreading a deadly disease would be the easiest way,” Mack said.
He said it so matter-of-factly that it took a few seconds before Tan realized the veracity of that statement. “Like the Spanish flu,” Tan said. “That killed more people after the First World War than the actual war did.”
Austin’s head jerked toward him in surprise, probably because he wasn’t used to Tan being the one to sprout knowledge and facts.
Mack nodded. “Yes, exactly like that. They could use a biological agent that’s highly contagious and that few people are resistant to, like Ebola, malaria, or even hepatitis C. The earth’s population would be decimated in a few weeks’ time.”
“My god,” Austin gasped. “That would be a genocide on a scale the earth has never seen. Their species would have to be particularly cruel to execute that.”
“Well,” Mack said, looking thoughtful. “I doubt these aliens, whoever they are, crossed the galaxy and spent a lot of time, energy, and money to do things half-assed. They’re here for a reason, and my guess is they’ve been planning this for some time. I think we’re better off assuming the worst.”
They sat in silence for a while, and Tan saw his own fears reflected on the faces of the other two. How could they even begin to escape an enemy whose capabilities they didn’t know? How could they survive if they didn’t know what they were facing? He was tempted to just crawl back into the tent and go back to sleep, in the hopes that it would all turn out to be a horrible nightmare when he woke up.
