Space Above and Beyond - #4 The Enemy - Dina Anastasio by Dina Anastasio

Author:Dina Anastasio
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2013-11-08T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

They didn't speak as they made their way back through the tunnel and out into the night. They tiptoed through the minefield, picking their way through the fog that swirled around their feet, inching toward their ship.

They were almost there when the beam of light shot out of the ground.

"What the—?" Shane cried, jumping back and spinning around.

"A mine!" Wang shouted.

Shane moved sideways and found Cooper and the others. "Who's on it?" she cried.

"It's you, Shane," Wang whispered. "Don't move. Do you have a mirror?"

"To fix my hair before I shred to pieces, Wang? Why would I want a mirror now?"

Nathan moved closer to Shane and tried to calm her. "We can deflect the beam of light, Shane," he said gently. "We can move the light so that it's not on you."

"My left thigh pocket."

Wang reached into her pocket, pulled out the mirror and crouched down. He moved the mirror to a 180 degree angle, changed his mind, moved it to another angle, and groaned.

"What are you doing?"

Wang moved the mirror around the beam of light. "I'm trying to find the right angle," he explained. "If the mirror's at a right angle, it sends the beam down, not up. Right?"

"How should I know?" asked Shane, her voice small and shaky. "Aren't you through yet? Please. It's getting darker. "

"Shane," Nathan said. "Stay with us. You need to be here. When Paul says 'Now,' you go. Okay?"

"Okay."

Below her, Wang was bending closer to the mine at her feet. He moved the mirror into position, his hand shaking. Closer. Closer. Until the mirror was almost on top of the mine.

Then, suddenly, he stopped, tensed, and began to scream. "Get it outta there! Get it out!"

"What is it?" shouted Nathan.

"Cockroach! Inside my helmet! Get it out! Get it out, please!"

Nathan grabbed the mirror from Wang and positioned it. When it was over the mine, he looked up at Shane.

"Go!" he cried.

Shane took a step away from the mine and turned toward the ship. As if the mines were linked together in some strange way, lights began shooting up everywhere. Blinding lights of X-ray intensity hit them no matter where they moved.

Nathan was the only one who managed to dodge the lights. They found Shane and brought her down and seconds later hit the others.

"Get back to the ship!" Nathan shouted.

Shane scrambled to her feet and began to run, hard. Sweat streamed down her face, and her eyes were wild with terror as she raced toward the ship. The others stayed with her, managing, somehow, to avoid the other mines until they reached the ship and pushed through the outer airlock door.

But at the last moment, Nathan wavered. That unseen girl's strange cry stopped him—and kept him outside.

"Get in here, Nathan!" Cooper shouted, dragging him into the ship.

"Let me go!" Nathan protested. "I've gotta go back out there! I've gotta help her!"

But Cooper was too fast for him. He slammed the outer door. An instant later he started to tremble. The space between the outer and inner doors was tiny.

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