The Final Bounty--Dark Bounty Part 2

Predator and Prey

The procession passed through the aft door of the hangar bay and entered the corridor that led to the hyperdrive room on the lowest level. This corridor was like every other passage in the ship, run-down and neglected: the same rust-colored walls, the same rickety grates, and the same malfunctioning lights. To their left just as they entered was the transport. Its door was open, revealing the unlit lift.

Noes still led the way, followed by Cotrel, Cheedo, Terrah, and then Videsse. As Videsse passed through the door, she made sure to shut the seizing door behind them. Terrah shuddered at the thought but did not say anything.

"Just up here," Noes called back, "and we'll be at the engine room."

After a few more steps, Cheedo stopped suddenly in front of Terrah.

"What's the matter?" Terrah asked as she halted.

Cheedo pointed to Noes, who had also stopped. "When our watchman stops, I stop."

Noes was at attention, his whistler blaster raised and aiming into the darkness. "Shine a light up here!" he yelled back with a cracking voice. "I heard something."

"You're hearing things," Cotrel snapped. "We left the hound behind us. How could it be up here?"

"Don't know, but I know what I heard," Noes replied.

Videsse made her way up the line behind Noes and lit the corridor with her antenna lamp. There was nothing but an empty hall with the engine room door ten meters away.

"What was it that you heard?" Videsse asked.

"I thought it was that exhale sound. You know," Noes said in a low voice. His blaster shook slightly.

The hall became completely silent as everyone listened. There was nothing; not a sound of breathing nor a footfall. Terrah could only hear a dull rhythmic beating in her head. Their lamp beams moved from the corridor in front of them to behind and back to the front; nothing.

"Maybe it was nothing," Noes said as his blaster relaxed a bit. "Maybe we should keep moving." He started forward cautiously.

"Wait," Videsse called out, putting her hand on his shoulder.

He made a step forward onto the next grate, which shifted under his feet. A savage huff issued from beneath him. Videsse leapt back. Noes head dropped to look down in fear; but before he could do anything, the floor grate caved in, two massive claws gripped his leg, and his blaster bolts ricocheted off the wall. Noes was sucked into the floor, his body gone. His shrill screams filled the air with icy echoes off the walls.

Cheedo and Cotrel had already started to flee back the way they came. Videsse, stunned, stood inert for a moment; then, regaining her sense, she pulled out a grenade and lobbed it into the open floor.

"Let's go, Ohara!" Terrah called to her.

Videsse turned on her heels and followed. The grenade explosion shook the corridor, causing some of the other grates to pop and crash down with an echoing riot. There was a roar underneath. The next grate nearest Videsse shifted in a loud clang as the hound hit it from below, then the next grate and the next, picking up speed as it headed toward the fleeing prey.

"It's coming," Videsse yelled to Terrah as they ran. "Guess grenades don't work either!"

Cheedo reached the closed hangar door first, but it spasmed as he tried to open it. He looked back to the others running toward him, and then jumped into the lift. It was dead. He opened the top hatch and quickly disappeared into it.