Hour Of Darkness

CH 24 - "The Gorge"

24...The Gorge...

Her head was spinning. Or was it the room? If it hadn't been for the sniper's arms holding her up, she would be laying on the floor. His arm was no longer around her throat, he was actually holding her, hugging her to him. She didn't understand it, but at this moment she didn't understand anything. Her mind couldn't process what she was seeing. She squeezed her eyes shut as the spinning intensified and she felt her legs weakening as dizziness overwhelmed her. The sniper's arms tightened around her, keeping her on her feet. Why didn't he just let her fall to the floor?

“Huh?” She heard Orlando's voice through the hazy fog. It had a self satisfied tone to it. “Do you see now? Do you see?”

“Knock it off.” It was the sniper speaking now, his voice low and dangerous, so much so that a new shudder rippled through her.

“Excuse me?” Orlando said quietly, a cold, hard edge to his voice. “You work for me or have you forgotten? You don't give the orders.”

Clarice didn't know what was going on between the sniper and Orlando, and she didn't care. She opened her eyes slowly. The room was still spinning but it was gradually slowing down. Her eyes began to clear and Jonathon came into focus. She stared at him, at the exposed alien skin. The thin filmy outer layer must meld somehow with his true skin to create the illusion of human skin. But when she touched him...it felt so real.

“Yeah? Well not anymore.” The sniper lowered Clarice to the sofa then straightened up, his weapon still gripped firmly in his hand. “I quit.”

Orlando glared at the sniper. “You were paid to do a job.” He said coldly. “And that job isn't finished yet.”

“You paid me to kill her.” The sniper spoke low and calm, but with a deadly tone. “When you altered the plan, my job ended. You can have your money back.”

“I don't want the fucking money back.” Orlando hissed. Clarice could feel his eyes boring into her as she sagged against the back of the sofa, just a couple feet away from Jonathon. “I want you to kill her after all.”

Clarice heard the words but she couldn't react. She could only stare at Jonathon. He seemed to barely be breathing. He almost looked dead. The thought stabbed her through with fear. She tried to speak his name but her throat felt swollen, thick. The word couldn't find its way out. Jonathon kept his face turned away. Clarice wanted to reach out to him but her hands wouldn't obey. Was she frightened of him now? Repulsed? One of her hands rested against her stomach. She waited for the revulsion to hit her with the reality that the baby growing inside her wasn't entirely human. But it never came. She barely heard the other men's voices until Orlando spoke the words that filled her with terror.

“I don't need her.” He told the sniper. “I only need the baby...and I can cut that out of her.”

Clarice's head snapped around. Orlando was serious. And by the wild look in his eyes, insane as well. She looked back at Jonathon, panic swelling in her like a rising tidal wave. Jonathon's head had turned towards her a bit and the alien eye stared back at her, the black spears pulsing against the gold, resonating a deep fear. A single word exploded through her head.

Run.

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Hunter stared at Orlando with horror and disgust. “You twisted motherfucker.” He breathed out slow.

“Shoot her.” Orlando said without a shred of human emotion. Hunter had to wonder who here was the real monster.

Hunter shook his head slowly. “No.”