yanked back.
Then, soft familiar fur. He
didn’t know what part of Cody he’d grabbed. “On duty! On duty!”
He hauled backwards, falling as
she suddenly moved to his side. Pushing back, he slid toward the boarding door
and slammed into the wall.
“No!” He’d gotten turned
around. Which way was the door? Cody would know. “Outside! Cody, outside.”
The extinguisher shuddered in
his hand and twisted away. Half crawling, he followed his dog.
His right calf went hot with
pain. A flash of anguish painted his brain and a detached part thought, This
must be what ‘white’ means.
Yelling, Penn kicked with his
free leg. He struck something unyielding. He kicked again.
The thing loosened its grip on
his leg. Penn jerked free, feeling his flesh rend on the thing’s teeth.
Falling, he felt the airlock threshold under his knees. The altar bell chimed
as he crossed. Penn let go of Cody’s harness to push himself up.
Cody barked. Her voice was hard
and savage.
Penn slapped the door sensor.
An eternity passed before it hissed shut. With a dull thud, it impacted on the
thing. And then the damn safety made the door slide open. Cody’s claws scraped
the floor as she lunged toward the opening.
“Cody, stay!”
Penn threw himself on her and
tried to get between Cody and the door. He slapped again at the control. She
squirmed to get past him, snapping at the thing. “No! Fool dog!” He scrabbled
to grab her by the scruff and threw her away from the door.
Teeth scraped his shoulder as he
turned with the throw. Penn spun, shoving with both arms against a surface that
was covered in bone and bristle.
Behind him, Cody yelped as she
struck the far side of the airlock’s wall. With strength he didn’t know he had,
Penn yelled, “On duty. Stay! STAY!”
The inner door of the airlock
hissed shut, sealing off the smell of corpses, musk lion and the salty tang of
Madison.
Penn swayed for a moment,
expecting the thing to still be in front of him. He heard nothing but the wind
from outside. He reached for the airlock door and slid his hand down the
unyielding surface.
“My God.” With a trembling
hand, Penn wiped the sweat and blood from his face. “Cody. Cody, we’re safe.”
Penn steadied himself against
the wall and sank to a crouch. “Come here you wonderful dog.”
He waited for the tick, tick,
tick of her claws to come to him. The wind dried the sweat on his back,
chilling him. “Cody?”
He swallowed, remembering the
yelp she had made when she’d hit the wall. “Cody, come here lady.” Penn crawled
forward, patting the floor with his hand.
Her claws ticked on the steel,
moving away from him.
“Cody? Where you going?” Penn
held his hand out, beckoning her.
She backed away again, leather
harness creaking. Maybe she wanted him to get out of the airlock. Penn pushed
to his feet and stepped forward, reaching for her harness.
Cody ran.
Outside, her claws scraped
against the boarding ramp as she almost slid down it. Careening forward, Penn
chased her. He didn’t know what was behind them but, if it was enough to scare
Cody, he would be dead if he stayed.
At the bottom of the ramp, he
fell, knees mashing through the moss to the rocks beneath. The wind filled his
hearing and he strained for some hint of Cody. To his right, a faint creak of
leather skipped through the space in the breeze. Penn got to his feet and
staggered toward it. He cursed every time his weight came down on his right
foot. It threatened to fold under him.
“Cody?”
She huffed, not a bark, but a
warning. She was more to his left. He followed the sound, sniffing.
“What’s the matter, lady?” He
inhaled deeply, trying to catch a whiff of where she was. The stench of the
thing burned his nostrils. His bowels contracted as slow understanding seeped
down. She was afraid of him. He smelled like the thing and he had hit her.
Kicked her even. No wonder she wouldn’t come. He’d told her to stay away from
him.
The ground gave way.
Then, soft familiar fur. He
didn’t know what part of Cody he’d grabbed. “On duty! On duty!”
He hauled backwards, falling as
she suddenly moved to his side. Pushing back, he slid toward the boarding door
and slammed into the wall.
“No!” He’d gotten turned
around. Which way was the door? Cody would know. “Outside! Cody, outside.”
The extinguisher shuddered in
his hand and twisted away. Half crawling, he followed his dog.
His right calf went hot with
pain. A flash of anguish painted his brain and a detached part thought, This
must be what ‘white’ means.
Yelling, Penn kicked with his
free leg. He struck something unyielding. He kicked again.
The thing loosened its grip on
his leg. Penn jerked free, feeling his flesh rend on the thing’s teeth.
Falling, he felt the airlock threshold under his knees. The altar bell chimed
as he crossed. Penn let go of Cody’s harness to push himself up.
Cody barked. Her voice was hard
and savage.
Penn slapped the door sensor.
An eternity passed before it hissed shut. With a dull thud, it impacted on the
thing. And then the damn safety made the door slide open. Cody’s claws scraped
the floor as she lunged toward the opening.
“Cody, stay!”
Penn threw himself on her and
tried to get between Cody and the door. He slapped again at the control. She
squirmed to get past him, snapping at the thing. “No! Fool dog!” He scrabbled
to grab her by the scruff and threw her away from the door.
Teeth scraped his shoulder as he
turned with the throw. Penn spun, shoving with both arms against a surface that
was covered in bone and bristle.
Behind him, Cody yelped as she
struck the far side of the airlock’s wall. With strength he didn’t know he had,
Penn yelled, “On duty. Stay! STAY!”
The inner door of the airlock
hissed shut, sealing off the smell of corpses, musk lion and the salty tang of
Madison.
Penn swayed for a moment,
expecting the thing to still be in front of him. He heard nothing but the wind
from outside. He reached for the airlock door and slid his hand down the
unyielding surface.
“My God.” With a trembling
hand, Penn wiped the sweat and blood from his face. “Cody. Cody, we’re safe.”
Penn steadied himself against
the wall and sank to a crouch. “Come here you wonderful dog.”
He waited for the tick, tick,
tick of her claws to come to him. The wind dried the sweat on his back,
chilling him. “Cody?”
He swallowed, remembering the
yelp she had made when she’d hit the wall. “Cody, come here lady.” Penn crawled
forward, patting the floor with his hand.
Her claws ticked on the steel,
moving away from him.
“Cody? Where you going?” Penn
held his hand out, beckoning her.
She backed away again, leather
harness creaking. Maybe she wanted him to get out of the airlock. Penn pushed
to his feet and stepped forward, reaching for her harness.
Cody ran.
Outside, her claws scraped
against the boarding ramp as she almost slid down it. Careening forward, Penn
chased her. He didn’t know what was behind them but, if it was enough to scare
Cody, he would be dead if he stayed.
At the bottom of the ramp, he
fell, knees mashing through the moss to the rocks beneath. The wind filled his
hearing and he strained for some hint of Cody. To his right, a faint creak of
leather skipped through the space in the breeze. Penn got to his feet and
staggered toward it. He cursed every time his weight came down on his right
foot. It threatened to fold under him.
“Cody?”
She huffed, not a bark, but a
warning. She was more to his left. He followed the sound, sniffing.
“What’s the matter, lady?” He
inhaled deeply, trying to catch a whiff of where she was. The stench of the
thing burned his nostrils. His bowels contracted as slow understanding seeped
down. She was afraid of him. He smelled like the thing and he had hit her.
Kicked her even. No wonder she wouldn’t come. He’d told her to stay away from
him.
The ground gave way.
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