ExtremeCircumstances (2 page)

Gates’ hand stopped and Julian’s heart froze. Unless, of
course, he got caught watching. The warm desire that hummed in the pit of his
stomach suddenly felt heavy as dread began to seep into his blood. Julian’s
eyes rose slowly over the man’s body until he reached Gates’ face. Sure enough,
Gates was staring at him with an inquisitive look. “Can I help you with
something?”

That was a loaded question. One that had him thinking about
sucking Gates off again. As the image popped into his head, Julian felt his
face heat with a blush. “Um… No. I’m sorry. I just heard the noise and came to
investigate.” Julian stumbled on his own feet as he tried to back up into the
brush once more.

Gates took his hand off his cock but his rigid erection
still stood front and center. “Well, this is certainly awkward.” The faint
smile on Gates’ face made the statement light—almost a joke.

But Julian couldn’t bring himself to smile back. Nothing
about this was light to him. Horny and embarrassed didn’t make for a good
combination. Especially not when hiking through a hot-as-hell jungle for the
foreseeable future with a man he couldn’t stop staring at. A man he couldn’t
keep staring at. Not in that way. He had to focus. If things were ever going to
be normal he had to get through this moment with Gates. “Nah, it’s not
awkward.” Julian hoped the lie sounded believable.

“Like hell it’s not. You’re practically tripping over
yourself trying to escape.”

Okay, so maybe he wasn’t as good a liar as he’d thought. But
he hoped he’d be able to keep the real source of his embarrassment a secret
from Gates. The last thing he needed was for his commander to know he’d been
checking him out. “I’m sorry, sir. I was just a little startled. That’s all.”

“You and me both.” Gates sat down on the rock shelf before
sliding into the pond. “I was just trying to work off some stress before the
fun starts again tomorrow.” It made sense but Gates’ voice sounded a little
unsure. It was as if he was nervous about what tomorrow might bring. And for
the first time Julian wondered if he wasn’t the only one on this mission faking
it. Instead of making him concerned, though, the thought comforted him. He might
not be alone. And if the commander was nervous, Julian might just be closer to
normal that he originally suspected.

“I get it. It’s only been one day and I’m already antsy as
hell. Every valley we hike through could be an ambush and every hill we crest
could be a trap.”

Gates stood in the chest-deep water and studied him for a
moment. “I’m glad you’re aware of the risks. Missions on unfamiliar planets
always carry an inherent danger. A little fear is a smart thing. But you can’t
let your fears get the better of you. You were chosen for this mission because
you’re the best.”

It sounded rehearsed enough that Julian wondered how often
Gates told himself the same words of comfort. “Back at ya, Commander.” Julian
winked at Gates. If life with his perfectionistic father had given him nothing
else, it was the ability to read people and situations. Which turned out to be
a pretty useful talent at times.

Gates’ rich laugher swelled through Julian and warmed him to
his toes. “I see what you did there. Turned my words back on me.”

“Knew you were a smart one,” Julian said with a smile of his
own.

“You know what, rookie, I’m glad they put you on this
mission. I think you’ll fit in with the rest of us just fine.”

The weight of the mission came rushing back to him at Gates’
praise. If only Julian was as certain. “Thanks. I didn’t really know what to
expect with my first mission.” He ran his fingers through his hair as he took a
deep breath. “I mean, I know I said I knew what I was getting into when I
signed up for all this back on the shuttle but…” He couldn’t bring himself to
finish the sentence.

“But you were trying to fit in.” Gates nodded. “Everybody
else appears to have their shit together so you don’t want to be the odd man
out?”

“Something like that.”

“First missions are hard. Second missions too. It takes some
time to adjust. But we’ve all been where you are.”

Julian snorted in disbelief. He couldn’t imagine Gates ever
being where he currently was—filled with indecision and self-doubt.

“You don’t believe me? Okay. Let me see if I can convince
you.” Gates paused for a second. “For me it was the intensity that ate at me.
Everything was so immediate. And I couldn’t let things go. I had to react—to
everything.”

That was one way to describe it. Maybe Gates had gone through
some of what Julian was. “Yeah. Kind of like being thrown into an ocean and
told to swim. But as soon as you take your first stroke, they tie your hands.
You know, just for fun.” Julian’s gaze snapped back to Gates. “Don’t get me
wrong, I appreciate everything they did for me. But it would’ve been nice to
know the drawbacks.” The doctors had told him he’d be faster, smarter and would
heal quicker. But none of them had told him that with the extra speed came
extra adrenaline or that the accelerated healing meant enduring days of
agonizing pain.

Gates laughed as he nodded. “It gets easier to deal with.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“It does. You expect the positives, so you can’t see them as
well as you do the negatives that you weren’t told about. But that eases with
time. Things will eventually level out.”

Emotion tightened his throat. “Thanks. It’s nice to talk to
someone who’s been through it.”

“Being modified is one of those things a person can’t
understand until he’s lived it. But now you’re with soldiers who’ve experienced
what you’re going through. You should talk to them.”

Uncomfortable with the idea, Julian shuffled his feet.

“Talk to the men,” Gates repeated with a smile. “Sure
they’ll tease a little. But really, what family doesn’t give each other a hard
time every now and then?”

He found it difficult to believe Gates’ men cared about him.
They’d just met him. Maybe after a few missions, sure. He could see them
growing to think of each other as family after they’d been through some rough
times together. But just because he was modified? He doubted it. Still, he
couldn’t tell Gates that. “I’ll give it some thought.”

“Do that.”

“Regardless, I appreciate you talking to me.”

“If our little chat has helped then I’m glad you found me.
Regardless of the circumstances.”

Julian chuckled and shook his head. “And on that note, I’d
better get back so I can try to get some shuteye. Oh, and Hicks is looking for
you.”

“I’m glad he didn’t find me.” Gates got out of the pond and
Julian had to look away to avoid the temptation to stare at Gates’ toned body.
“He’d never let me live down that little scene you walked in on.”

“He gives the men someone to laugh with.”

“True, but I’d prefer they not be laughing at me.”

Julian could relate to that.

As the commander dressed, Julian thought about starting his
walk back to the camp. He could use some alone time to recover and get control
over his body’s reaction to a naked Gates. But he resisted the urge. He liked
Gates. And not just because he felt an attraction toward him. Gates had taken
an embarrassing moment for both of them and had risen above it. More than that,
he’d turned an event that could’ve become a wall between them and made it into
a bridge. And Julian didn’t want to rush off and undo that.

When Gates was dressed, they made their way back to the camp
together. The men teased Gates a bit about getting lost and needing the new guy
to help him find his way back but Gates took it well. He laughed it off and
then thanked Julian for his help before walking toward his tent.

“Don’t forget your netting.” Julian tossed a pack toward
Gates.

“Because you wouldn’t want that baby-smooth skin of yours to
get a blemish, now would you?” Lieutenant Marx teased.

Gates quirked an eyebrow in response but didn’t laugh. “No.
And neither do you. Everybody uses the netting and that’s an order.”

“Because Commander Gates has the best-looking squadron in
the military.” Hicks struck a pose that was equal parts pinup and comedy.

“Got that right. You screw up that pretty face of yours and
you’ll be with another squadron so fast you’ll get whiplash.” Gates finally
smiled just before he retreated into his tent with his netting.

After the commander left, the group started to break up and
settle in for the night. Julian found his own tent to be snug and the netting
confining. Even as exhausted as he was, he just couldn’t overcome the
discomfort. Especially when his mind brought up the image of Gates’ naked body.

It was all too easy to imagine what Gates’ skin would feel
like under Julian’s tongue. His chest would be firm and his nipples coarse with
a light sprinkling of hair. And his abs would ripple under Julian’s mouth as he
kissed and licked his way down them. Gates would run his fingers through
Julian’s hair and try to direct him lower, toward his erect cock. But Julian
would make him wait. Julian would take his time appreciating Gates’ body. When
he finally made his way to Gates’ cock he would lick him slowly from the root
to the tip.

Julian slid his hand down his pants and gripped his cock as
he imagined the scene. He was already hard and he hissed with pleasure at the
feel of the strong hold. In his mind it was Gates jacking him off as he took
Gates’ cock deep into his mouth.

Pressure built in him. The ball of desire in the pit of his
stomach grew until it filled him. Sweat beaded on his brow and his heart raced
as his release coiled deep inside his gut. He only needed a moment more to find
his climax and then hopefully fall into a relaxed sleep.

A scream filled the night and stilled his hand. He hadn’t
let out the call. Not even in his state of hunger. So who had? Another shout of
pain rang though the camp and replaced the desire pumping through his blood
with adrenaline. He had to help. Now. By the time the next shout echoed around
him, Julian had fastened his pants and freed himself from the netting. He left
the relative security of his tent before leveling his weapon in front of him
and then he made his way toward the sounds of terror. He wasn’t the first one
there though. A group of men surrounded a shredded tent and two bodies writhing
on the ground. Julian couldn’t make out who or what had attacked the soldier
but he could tell that the soldier was losing.

One burst of a laser weapon flashed through the darkness and
the attacker sagged on top of the soldier. “Where the fuck is my medic?” Gates
put his weapon back in his holster before rushing over to the bloody scene. He
rolled the beast off Demetrio and then moved to his man. His fingers swept over
Demetrio’s neck in what Julian could only guess was a search for a pulse.

“Here, sir.” The medic, Homer, knelt next to Gates in a
puddle of Demetrio’s blood and began his own exam. Even from where he stood,
Julian could see that Demetrio had a large gash that traveled from his neck to
his navel. Whenever the medic would move the man, Demetrio’s internal organs
would show through the tear. Even if they had a hospital the odds wouldn’t be
in the soldier’s favor. Out here in a jungle with only emergency supplies? A
miracle wouldn’t even be enough to save the man.

“What the fuck is it?” At Marx’s words, all attention except
the medic’s shifted from the doomed soldier to the hostile that’d attacked him.

“It looks like some mix between reptile and man.” Gates
barely glanced at the animal before his focus returned to Demetrio.

Julian wished he could be as cavalier about the hybrid lying
on the jungle floor. He couldn’t stop staring at it as his brain raced to find
some sort of explanation. But there was none to be had. The animal did indeed
have the mouth and scales of a reptile but the arms, legs and torso of a man.
And no matter how long Julian examined it, it just didn’t add up. “Is it a
native species?” He’d never heard of an alien life form that fit the particular
description of the beast in front of him but that didn’t mean none existed.

“Doubt it. I’ve been on most of the inhabited planets in
this system. Never seen the likes of him.” As Gates made the statement Julian
felt bile rise in his throat. “Whatever he was, though, he’s dead now.”

“As is Demetrio,” the medic said.

Julian’s stomach cramped painfully as he started to heave.
He was going to vomit. He scrambled out of the group and into the nearest
bushes before he lost his supper.

What had he gotten himself into? It didn’t seem as if all
the modifications in the world were going to protect him if he could be
attacked by some hybrid as he slept. There wasn’t even safety in numbers in
that case. They hadn’t been any help to Demetrio as the man was being
slaughtered in his own bed.

It was only their first day on this planet and they were
already down one man.

There were only nineteen of them left.

Gates stumbled out of his tent at first light. His eyes were
gritty and his head pounded as though he’d drank too much alcohol the night
before. But his hangover was of the emotional kind. And there was no cure for
it.

After the other men had buried Demetrio’s body and the body
of the animal that’d attacked him they’d called it a night. But Gates had spent
most of the evening tossing and turning. He couldn’t get the sight of Demetrio
being slaughtered out of his mind. Of all the missions he’d led over the years,
none had gotten off to such a horrible start. He’d lost men before. Things
happened. But never on the first day and never in such a gruesome manner. Call
him superstitious but it didn’t bode well for the rest of the mission.

He stretched to loosen his muscles and then folded his
netting before joining the other men at the fire. None of them looked any
better than he imagined he did. And several of them looked downright surly.
Which meant he needed to rally the troops. “Last night we lost a good man. And
I can understand if you want a day off. You probably don’t want to go hiking
through the brush after the night we had just so we can be one day closer to
the goal.” Several of the men grumbled at his words in acknowledgment but he
cut them off before their grunts could become intelligent arguments. “But I’ll
tell you what I don’t want. I don’t want to be on this forsaken planet any
longer than we absolutely have to be.”

Several of the men looked up at him as he spoke and he took
that as encouragement to continue. “I don’t want to hang around here, staring
at that spot where we witnessed it happening.” He pointed at the ground that
was still dark with Demetrio’s blood. “And I most certainly don’t want to be
sitting around just waiting for the next animal to attack. I want to finish
this mission and get off this rock.”

Most of the men were nodding. But several were too busy
scratching at their forearms and legs to pay attention to him. He guessed
they’d forgotten to wrap back up in the netting after the burial. Not that he
could really blame them. With everything they were dealing with after watching
one of their own die, netting seemed rather unimportant.

Everybody dealt with their grief in their own way. For some,
loss made them want to cling to the other living people around them and seize
the day. But for others, death set them to drift. They internalized the loss
and wanted to isolate themselves from everyone around them. He was one of the
earlier types. But he couldn’t force his men to be like him. He could, however,
do everything in his power to snap them out of it as quickly as possible.

“So let’s grab some food, break camp and put this piece of
land as far behind us as possible.”

Julian nodded before going to grab the rations. Some would
argue that the boy could pull it together so fast because he was new and hadn’t
been close to Demetrio but Gates had witnessed Julian’s horror and shock the
night before. He’d been just as rattled as the rest of the men. So the only
thing Gates would attribute the man’s eagerness to was competence. He’d been
through the ordeal with them, helped them bury one of the team and now he was
ready to see this mission through. Gates admired that. And he was grateful that
when the men saw Julian trying to do the job of three, the rest of them seemed
to snap into action. Before long they’d finished their morning chores and had
the camp broken down. It was going to be another long day of marching but they
would indeed put some distance between them and this cursed piece of land.

They headed out due west and made pretty good time. When
they stopped for lunch, though, several of the men’s need to itch seemed to be
reaching the point of distraction. And apparently Gates wasn’t the only one to
notice.

“There’s some salve in the medical kits if you want to give
it a shot.” Julian picked up one of the tubes and held it out to the group of
men.

Langster snatched up the tube and then walked into the
jungle. “Thanks, man.” He returned a few minutes later and handed the tube off
to the next man waiting. There were four in total who used the salve before
they sat down to eat their rations.

“Whatever snacked on me left a mark. Damn. I’ve never seen
bites swell so much in such a short time.”

Homer looked up from his food at the comment. “Can I take a
look? You might need a histamine blocker along with the itch relief.”

“Sure, Doc.”

Homer made his way over to them as Langster pulled the
collar of his shirt back a little to reveal a swollen spot on his shoulder.

“That is strange.” Homer pressed gently on the spot and
Langster pulled back with a hiss.

“Damn. You could at least give a man a little warning. That
hurts like hell.”

The medic pulled his hand away. “Are all the bites as tender
as this one?”

“I didn’t exactly poke at them, but yeah. I think so.”

“I can give you a painkiller for now but I think we should
drain them when we make camp tonight.”

Langster’s face paled noticeably. “There are at least ten
bites on my back alone.”

“It looks as though they’re infected. If we don’t drain
them—”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” Langster held up his hand and shook
his head as he spoke. They’d all seen what happened after infection set in. On
such a remote planet with limited medical facilities it would be gruesome.
Gates shuddered at the thought.

Homer examined the other three men and found two of them
were in the same situation as Langster. The third one seemed to have gotten off
easy. Itching seemed to be the worst of his issues.

After they’d eaten and gotten all the supplies stowed away
they set off once more. Gates hated that his men were miserable and in pain but
draining the bites was going to take time. And they didn’t have any to
sacrifice. At least not during the day. It was hard enough to see where they
were going with the canopy blocking out most of the light. But the night
brought with it a blanket of blackness that would make travel impossible. And
each step they took brought them one step closer to reaching the goal and going
home. His men were tough. They’d make it.

Only four hours later, though, the three men were having
chills and muscle cramps that slowed the group down to a virtual crawl. As soon
as they came upon a relatively clear spot Gates declared it camp and quickly
got the medic set up. The medical facility consisted of a blanket thrown across
the ground with only a bed of palm leaves under it to act as a cushion but it
was the best they could do.

The circumstances might have been less than ideal but Homer
was one of the best medics in the military. Gates had insisted upon him when
he’d been assigned the mission. If the military was going to send him and his
men marching into the unknown, Gates was going to have the best team at his
back.

“Huh…” With a syringe in one hand, Homer used the other to
press on one of the swollen masses. Langster yelped and jumped a little under
the touch.

“What the fuck, Doc?”

“Sorry. Let me take care of that.” Homer gave Langster a
shot of a local anesthetic before he looked up at Gates. “These were
fluid-filled when I checked them earlier. Now they feel almost solid.”

Gates’ stomach turned anxiously at the statement. Langster
had stripped down to his cargo pants before lying down to be examined, which
gave them a clear view of the swollen bites scattered over his body. “What does
that mean?” Gates wasn’t sure he wanted to know but he had to ask.

“No idea.” Homer put the syringe down before holding his hand
out to Gates. “Hand me my laser scalpel, though, and we’ll find out.”

After Gates handed him the requested instrument, Homer
pressed a button and the small laser hummed to life. Gates wasn’t focused on
the glow of the scalpel though. Instead his gaze was fixed on the swollen mass
on Langster’s shoulder. “Is that moving?” The skin seemed to be quivering.

Homer cleared his throat. “You might want to take a step
back, Commander.” Homer slipped on a protective face mask before touching the
scalpel to Langster’s skin. As the laser cut through the skin, wisps of seared
flesh stung Gates’ nasal passages. But his focus was on Langster as hundreds of
tiny spiderlike insects erupted from the incision. They swarmed down Langster’s
back, leaving fresh pinpricks of red as they bit at his skin.

“Fuck!” Langster jumped up and began trying to brush the
bugs off but they clung to him. All Gates could do was watch in terrified
fascination as one of the pockets on his back erupted into a new swarm of
spiders. There were so many of them. And only two of the pockets had been
ruptured. How many of the little spiders were still buried in the soldier’s
body? The thought made him break out in a cold sweat of fear.

The feel of a nozzle being placed in his hands shook him out
of his stunned paralysis. “A fine mist over his body should freeze the spiders.
It’ll damage his skin and hurt like hell so be prepared. He’s not going to like
it but he heals quickly and this is the only shot we’ve got of killing the
bugs.” With that, Homer grabbed his own canister of nitrogen and then began to
spray the liquid on Langster’s back.

Bile rose in the back of Gates’ throat as Langster’s shrieks
of agony quieted to mews of pain before silencing altogether. By the time Homer
had killed all the spiders crawling over his body, Langster was unconscious on
the jungle floor. Gates counted at least eight pockets of spiders that still
remained embedded in his skin. And who knew how many were on the man’s legs?

Gates had lost his battle against his tears some time ago.
He’d shed so many of them that his sleeve was already wet from repeatedly
brushing them aside as he worked. But now he was close to losing his fight
against the need to vomit. He turned around to find every member of his
squadron staring at him. Pain and abject horror were easily identifiable in
their expressions. “I couldn’t… I don’t…” He had to pull it together and be the
leader his men needed. But he didn’t remember how. His mind had become an
endless loop of agony.

“He’s not going to make it, Commander.”

Gates whipped around to face Homer as everything came back
into focus. “No. He has to make it.” After everything they’d subjected him to,
Langster had to survive.

“His muscles are starting to spasm and become rigid. My best
guess is the spiders had some sort of paralyzing toxin in their bite.”

“He’s modified, god damn it. He’ll heal.” Gates’ heart raced
with fear and anger as he spoke.

“Not from this. There were too many of them.” Homer put his
fingers back on Langster’s neck to check his pulse. “Their poison is
overwhelming him. It’s only a matter of time before the toxin makes its way to
his heart.”

Langster moaned as his body convulsed. When he’d stilled
again he opened his eyes and looked up at Gates. “Please, Commander. End it.”

“No.” He couldn’t. He wouldn’t.

“Hurts so bad.” A single tear slid from his eye down his
cheek. “I can feel them moving. Crawling just beneath the skin, looking for a
way out.”

Sorrow and guilt swept through him and cooled his anger. His
man was hurt. And he wouldn’t recover. Gates couldn’t possibly do what needed
to be done but he couldn’t pass the job off to anyone else.

Gates took a deep breath as he pulled his weapon out of its
holster. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s in the job description.” Langster smiled
softly. “Make it a clean shot.”

Gates waited for Homer to take a step back and then pulled
the trigger. Langster’s body jerked one last time and then remained still. The
medic knelt down next to him and checked for a pulse but then backed up again.

“He’s gone.” Homer stood and crossed the clearing to
retrieve the blanket so he could wrap Langster’s body in it. “He’ll need to be
burned. We can’t risk having the other spiders hatch.” Homer took a step closer
toward Gates before adding, “And we need to talk about what we’re going to do
about the two other infected men.”

Gates glanced up, his gaze catching the two men Homer was
talking about. They were both staring at Langster’s body in abject horror. “The
only thing we need to discuss is how long it’s going to take you to find a
cure.”

“I don’t think it’s possible.”

“Good thing you don’t get paid for your thoughts then,
right?”

He needed some space and time to collect himself but he had
a job to do. “Jones and Brown. Homer here is going to figure out a way to get
those bugs out of you. As of this moment, that’s his sole assignment.” His gaze
swung around to the other men staring at him as a cold numbness filled him. “If
any of you bother him for anything less than a severed appendage, I’ll
personally see to it that you’re demoted to a sanitation squadron.” He doubted
any of the men would bother the medic even without the threat but he still
locked gazes with each of them just so they could see the determination in his
eyes. “I’m not losing any more men today. Am I clear?”

“Yes sir,” echoed through the jungle around him.

“Good. While Homer is examining Jones and Brown, Marx and
Julian are going to help me build a fire.” It might be a shitty thing to do but
Marx and Julian were the newest men on his team. They got the job simply
because Gates refused to make those closest to Langster set up his funeral
pyre. Still, when the others started to clear the ground and set large stones
to keep the fire contained, he didn’t send them away.

The logs were chosen and carried into the center of the ring
where they were laid out into a single layer. After they placed Langster’s body
onto the platform they added another layer of wood and an accelerant before
Gates lit it on fire. With each pop and sizzle of the fire he imagined the
spiders still entombed in Langster’s body burning to death. There was no
evidence the bugs felt pain but he hoped they did. He hoped they felt each
agonizing second of their existence as their exoskeletons caught light and
melted off their bodies.