Star Child

Twenty-Two - No More Games

The air was heavy and somber as the men stood in a semi-circle around the crematorium box. They watched as their colleague, their friend, was reduced to ashes. Orange light flickered across their faces through the viewing window that gave a partial view of Carlos's corpse. Meanwhile, Landon, recovering from a concussion and broken arm, sat in a chair while the others stood around him.

Kade, Dennis, Richard, Charles, and Landon had said their goodbyes upon retrieving his body. One of their own had been taken out so easily...the mission had to continue and none of them knew who could be next.

As soon as the vital signs in Carlos's beacon flatlined, Richard and Dennis flew to the surface of New Vegas. They collected the body and a barely conscious Landon almost mutely. It took a few hours in med-bay before Landon was able to string a few sentences together to explain Carlos's death. His words were:

"That bastard predator deboned him like a fresh caught halibut."

To put it lightly, everyone was in shock. When Landon was more put together, he told the story in greater detail. She'd been alone. He and Carlos thought it would be easy pickings, but then, when she was all but caught, the Predator appeared, like Ashaki was acting as bait. That was his only explanation, and they fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.

Humans and Predators rarely survived each other, and the database was frustratingly small on their interactions at all. The only instance Charles found of a human woman and a predator surviving together was a case of a Predator escaping a facility with a human woman as his captive. The Company had mostly redacted the important part of the documents they found even remotely useful. They could request access, but would likely be denied, and Dr. Traeger wouldn't help either. She would shout their heads off and hang up.

"All bets are off. We hit the fucking alien with everything we got. We bring Ashaki Sawyer in. No sympathy!" Kade said in an angry growl. He turned to eye everyone in the room, his gaze full of wrath.

"You knew what we were getting into, Kade!" Exclaimed Dennis. "I warned you!"

He was in Kade's face within two steps, anger twisting his own face. His dark eyes narrowed as he glared down at the Kade. Dennis was much bigger than Kade in size and width, a fact he abused to intimidate his superior. Animosity towards Kade had grown over the last few weeks until their trust had fractured. Carlos's death was the final straw.

He was the comedic relief of the crew, always cracking jokes and lightening the atmosphere. The bastard would never get to take his girlfriend on a vacation after all. Dennis hadn't been close with Carlos but Jesus Christ, they were mercenaries, not blood sacrifices. The man had been a good man and good co-worker. Already the crew could feel his absence.

It was Richard who took Dennis's side.

"Kade, he's right. We can't lose another man...." he stepped forward, his voice soft and his hands up in a placating manner. "We should bail."

"If we fail to bring her in because of this Predator, it's on all of us and you know how The Company takes failure!" hissed Kade.

"It's not my failure. It's yours!" Dennis jabbed Kade in the chest with a finger.

"Fuck you, Dennis! Stop being a whiny, scared little bitch and do your fucking job! We knew there was a chance this was going to happen! This isn't a picnic. It never was!!"

"I do not need to be belittled!" Dennis raised his voice, prompting Richard to attempt to pull him away as he further encroached on Kade's personal space. The man fought against his pull, "There's a reason people like me aren't in horror movies! We're not fucking idiots and run right at the Big Bad!"