PHOENIX
Michael Biehn Archive


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Author's Chapter Notes:
By Leslie
Joe wasn't sure where they were, or which way they should go, but he knew they had to get going, he picked a direction that seemed to head away from the creature, pushed Gracie ahead of him and they moved...fast.

The duct they were now in didn't seem to have any turn offs so Joe hoped that they were going in the right direction. If not...they would have to go all the way back to a main junction. They crawled on.

After two more turns and a long straight stretch they reached a grill, looking through they could see that the duct ended in an outlet... directly out into the desert. Now, all they had to do was get the cover off and get away before the creature or any of Jarron's men found them.

Then they heard it -- the sound of distant screams coming through the duct. The creature must have encountered the guards that were chasing them. Well, at least now they would only have to worry about the creature. The grill popped off and Joe jumped down the six foot drop to the ground and reached up to help Gracie out.

Once she was out he looked around, the sun was setting, but they were surrounded by miles and miles of desert. They might be all right overnight but tomorrow would be another hot day and they had no supplies...no water.

They would have to find a car. Joe ran towards the side of the main building, looked around the corner and spotted several vehicles. He checked and couldn't see or hear anyone nearby, tested the air and couldn't sense the creature anywhere close so they headed across the still hot asphalt towards the nearest car.

The doors were locked so he simply used a convenient rock to smash the window, once inside he reached under the dash and grabbed the bundle of wires, glad once again for his misspent youth.

As the engine caught he heard someone yell as the door to the building opened, he put the car in gear and floored it, wishing as he did so that he'd been able to disable the other vehicles.

Then again, the creature didn't need any transportation.

As they pulled out of the lot, the shout turned into a scream as the creature rushed out of the building.




About seven miles away, heading in the opposite direction was an old, beat up Land Rover. They had been driving all afternoon since gettng the vehicle and knew that they were getting close, Monica was driving and Helen was checking the map.

"It looks like it's just a few miles ahead on this road." Helen said as they hit yet another rough stretch of road, and it was a road even if it hadn't been paved or patched for years. Monica nodded, her shoulders tense, all she could do now was drive and hope that they weren't too late.

Suddenly there was a vehicle heading directly towards them, and it was going about as fast as they were, that is way too fast for the condition of the road.

"Please let it be them..." Monica thought as the car careened towards them.

They approached so fast that the cars had passed each other, nearly colliding on the narrow road, before recognition dawned...both cars slammed on their brakes and began to back up.

The met a moment later, Helen jumping from the car almost before it was stopped, Gracie following moments later, the two meeting in a tearful hug. Monica and Joe only moments behind, sharing a relieved moment also. But time was not on their side, as Joe pulled back from Monica, preparing to get them back into a one or both vehicles, Gracie pulled back from Helen.

"It's coming." she cried as Joe felt the same tingling. The creature was coming.

They piled into the Land Rover, it was old, and had to be turned around, but was full of supplies and would not be reported as stolen, within moments they were speeding away, bouncing along the rutted road.

They could still feel the creature behind them but it seemed to be slowing down some, the tingling less intense.

Was there a limit to its speed? Or was there something else slowing the creature down. Gracie turned to Joe, "I think it's getting tired."

Joe kept his eyes on the road but let his senses stretch a bit. It did feel weaker, not just farther away, but like it was actually growing weaker.

"Do you think the men there hurt it?" Gracie asked, unsure in her childlike way if she liked the thought of the men hurting the creature but also knowing that if something didn't stop it then they were in great danger.

"I don't know, Gracie." Joe replied, "but we have to hope that something can stop it because it wants the Reds, and the Reds are in us."




Chtickic finished subduing the men that tried to stop him in the corrider and turned in a circle, extending his senses, looking for the man or the girl; they were there just a little while ago but now they were gone. He reached out farther and caught a tiny sensation. Moving quickly he headed in the correct direction.

He reached the portal that opened onto the dry land over which he'd traveled so get here. Yes, they were out there. He pushed through and found another man, and across the flat area outside, a metal vehicle was speeding away...and they were both inside. He plowed outside, crushing the yelling man in the process and began to chase the moving target...again.

He hadn't gone far when he realized that he was slowing, the bodily fluids that he had absorbed from the men in the building had revitalized him somewhat but his body was just too dry. His strength was draining away faster and faster and the vehicle with the man and the child was racing away. He pushed on, not wanting to be yet another failure but knew that his time was running out.




They drove on, heading north, not by any plan, just because it was away from the creature. Before long the sun was completely down. The car moving in a dark landscape. They reached the main road, grateful for the end of the rutted track but they were still out in the middle of nowhere...being chased by an alien creature that they knew virtually nothing about.

It was close to midnight and neither Joe nor Gracie had felt the presence of the creature for a couple hours. Joe had turned the wheel over to Monica at the last gas stop, his energy running low. They ate sandwiches as they drove, stopping only for gas and necessities but they needed a plan, they couldn't just keep driving indefinitely.

They needed to figure out a way to stop the creature. As long as it could track them, even the best hiding place would be useless. They needed information about something that no one knew anything about. It was connected to the Reds...was it possible that they could use the Reds to find out about the creature?

They would have to stop soon, it was late and they were all running on empty.
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