The Alien

Red reached into her pouch. She pulled out the charges.

-Standard issue, she whispered, bringing them to life. Five second fuse. Don't blow your fingers off.

Frankie took them, giving them real weight.

-I know how to handle high explosives, he said.

-Good, she replied. Because that thing is closing in.

The yellow eyes blinked in the undergrowth. A twig snapped. The Beast was heavy. Armored.

Frankie pointed to a hollow log rotting near the fence line. A natural choke point.

-We funnel it there, he ordered. I'll draw its fire. You plant the charges in the log. When it passes, boom!

Red smirked.

-I love a loud noise, she said.

She moved quietly, slipping into the shadows and flanking the enemy position. Frankie stood his ground. He scuffed his boot on the dirt, making noise. Making himself the target.

The bushes rustled. The hiss came again, louder this time.

-Over here, ugly, Frankie taunted.

The shadow lunged.

Frankie rolled. He hit the dirt.

-Now!, he shouted.

Red threw the charges.

-Fire in the hole!

They covered their heads.

-Boom!, they yelled in unison.

A shockwave of heat and shrapnel. The log disintegrated. The Beast screeched.

Then silence. Smoke curled around them.

Frankie looked up. Red was already on her feet. She walked toward the crater confidently.

She stopped in front of empty space. To Frankie, looking from the ground, she was towering over a defeated enemy.

-Look at it, she spat. Crawling like a worm.

She crouched down. She grabbed a handful of air, the alien’s collar, and yanked it up.

-Who sent you?, she demanded. Her voice was ice. Was it the Corporation? Or are you just a scavenger?

Silence from the prisoner.

Red slapped the air.

-Talk!, she screamed.

Frankie watched her, adrenaline pumping.

Red leaned in close to the invisible face.

-You tell your masters, she whispered. You tell them this planet belongs to us. You tell them Barbarella sent you back in pieces.

She stood up. She dusted off her hands.

-It’s not talking, she said, turning to Frankie. But it got the message.

Frankie stood up. He brushed the dirt off his pants.

-Remind me never to cross you, he said.

Red adjusted her glasses.

-Oh, Frankie, she purred. You're not on my list. Yet.