"Look at what this damned thing
did to her,” the commando in front of me replied. “It's holding
her
mouth open and tongue in place with thin spikes." That would explain the serious pain I was in. "And something's running down her throat,” the commando added on further inspection. “Savages,” he muttered angrily. “Hold on,” he addressed me, “this is going to suck." He ran his finger around the edge of the silver oval on my mouth. I heard a small click and a sudden release from the pain. As the commando pulled the oval free, I felt him removing the tube from my throat. Pain surged up my throat as he pulled more and more of the yellowish tube free. It seemed to continue endlessly. Finally, feeling the end catch at the back of my throat, the commando pulled it free and tossed it away. My head fell forward again as I retched. I felt the darkness drawing me in further and further as I stared at the red mess I had just created on my shirt, pants, and the floor in front of me. Pulling a pair of bolt cutters from a bag strapped to his back, the commando set about freeing me as his partner fired into the warehouse. “We have company,” he advised as he pulled the trigger again. "Shit,” the commando replied. He started to work faster. "Toby,” I breathed, “and Karl."
The commando didn't reply.
"My friends,” I stammered wearily, “help them. Please..." As the cuffs were cut, my body fell forward and spilled out of the chair. I hit the concrete with a smack sending reverberations of pain down my entire body. Swinging around the chair, the commando dropped down and scooped me into his arms. He slung me over his shoulder with ease; I hung limp, unable to complain.
"Time to go!” the commando shouted.
Pulling a grenade from his belt, his partner nodded. Yanking the pin, he rolled it underhand like a bowler and stood behind the doorframe. The commando carrying me did the same. Lifting my head, I watched another alien just make it to the door as the explosion hit. A fireball ripped through the door incinerating the shrieking alien and the Troll right behind it. Not waiting for the smoke to clear, the commandos charged out of the door and into the warehouse. I could hear the compressed sound of their P90s firing, but it sounded distant, as if I were listening at the end of a tunnel. My body was jostled as they avoided more attackers on their escape route. A stream of blood was seeping from the holes in my temple and the back of my neck. As it ran down over my face, I watched it creating a nearly solid trail of crimson behind us. I couldn't hold on any longer. I closed my eyes. Chapter I opened my eyes but found only darkness, yet I felt better. The pain in my hand and shoulder was
mouth open and tongue in place with thin spikes." That would explain the serious pain I was in. "And something's running down her throat,” the commando added on further inspection. “Savages,” he muttered angrily. “Hold on,” he addressed me, “this is going to suck." He ran his finger around the edge of the silver oval on my mouth. I heard a small click and a sudden release from the pain. As the commando pulled the oval free, I felt him removing the tube from my throat. Pain surged up my throat as he pulled more and more of the yellowish tube free. It seemed to continue endlessly. Finally, feeling the end catch at the back of my throat, the commando pulled it free and tossed it away. My head fell forward again as I retched. I felt the darkness drawing me in further and further as I stared at the red mess I had just created on my shirt, pants, and the floor in front of me. Pulling a pair of bolt cutters from a bag strapped to his back, the commando set about freeing me as his partner fired into the warehouse. “We have company,” he advised as he pulled the trigger again. "Shit,” the commando replied. He started to work faster. "Toby,” I breathed, “and Karl."
The commando didn't reply.
"My friends,” I stammered wearily, “help them. Please..." As the cuffs were cut, my body fell forward and spilled out of the chair. I hit the concrete with a smack sending reverberations of pain down my entire body. Swinging around the chair, the commando dropped down and scooped me into his arms. He slung me over his shoulder with ease; I hung limp, unable to complain.
"Time to go!” the commando shouted.
Pulling a grenade from his belt, his partner nodded. Yanking the pin, he rolled it underhand like a bowler and stood behind the doorframe. The commando carrying me did the same. Lifting my head, I watched another alien just make it to the door as the explosion hit. A fireball ripped through the door incinerating the shrieking alien and the Troll right behind it. Not waiting for the smoke to clear, the commandos charged out of the door and into the warehouse. I could hear the compressed sound of their P90s firing, but it sounded distant, as if I were listening at the end of a tunnel. My body was jostled as they avoided more attackers on their escape route. A stream of blood was seeping from the holes in my temple and the back of my neck. As it ran down over my face, I watched it creating a nearly solid trail of crimson behind us. I couldn't hold on any longer. I closed my eyes. Chapter I opened my eyes but found only darkness, yet I felt better. The pain in my hand and shoulder was