Alien Tango

you?”
    “I was, but that was the biggest I could handle alone. My clothes look like yours normally do.”
    “They smell much worse than mine ever do.”
    “So we let you believe.”
    I was about to say something scathing, when I saw Martini and Michael heading toward us, carrying the largest alligator in, I guessed, existence. It was much more pissed than the other one had been and was struggling with clear intent to at least maim, if not kill. Even in a crouch, though, they had it fairly well under control.
    “The door,” Martini hissed. “Like now!” Okay, maybe not all that much under control.
    I flung it open again. “BIGGER ALLIGATOR IN THE HOUSE!” They flung Gigantagator in, and Christopher slammed the door again.
    “I just want to say that I hate your plans.” Martini leaned against the wall. “And as they go, this one was both the grossest and the most dangerous to life and limb, and, yes, I’m including when we took down Mephistopheles and all the others.”
    “Not to mention the wonderful odor we’re now all carrying,” Michael said.
    “Hopefully there’s something in the medical kits for it,” Martini said. “I don’t want to smell like swamp for the next day and a half.”
    “Oh, stop whining.” I risked a look up. “Oh, wow. You guys have to see this.”
    I had no idea where Gower was, but ACE was on the case. All the hostages were floating up near the ceiling in what looked like two big, protective bubbles. This left those with the guns and the alligators alone on the floor.
    Hitting a moving target is not as easy as it looks in the movies, and hitting a moving target when you’re running for your life is even harder. I looked more closely and could see small, protective bubbles around the alligators. How sweet, ACE had heeded my “don’t harm the ’gators” directive.
    “Anyone have any hyperjuice left? Or should we just stun the creeps with your aromas and fashion-forward outfits?”
    “I do,” Gower said, as he appeared next to us. “My God, what’s that smell?”
    “Hilarious.” Martini glared at him. “Where the hell were you?”
    “We’ve got the two they sent to capture us knocked out and tied up in the break room, and Brian’s guarding them, Glock at the ready.”
    “Good. ACE is doing an awesome job with the hostages. But I want to get the guns away from the creeps, just in case.”
    Gower nodded. “Happy to.” The door opened and closed so fast I only saw it because I was looking for it. I was alone in the hall, however, just me and some puddles of stinky swamp water. No Glock in my hand anymore, either, meaning one of the men, Martini most likely, had taken it, probably to keep me out of the action. Well, the heck with that.
    I could see guns flying through the air and landing in someone’s hands. When I didn’t see any more guns in human creep hands, I opened the door.
    To see the smaller alligator right there, mouth open, sharing its displeasure with me. It was through the door before I could slam it, and I decided that I’d run track for years for a reason.
    I leaped back, so its jaws just missed me, and then I spun and ran. It was after me, and I remembered that these puppies could move when they wanted to. And this one wanted to. “Alien hater!” I shouted at it as I skidded around a corner.
    It kept on coming, and I kept on running. I’d never been great with distance, but it’s amazing how much stamina pissed-off nature on the hoof snapping at your heels can give you. I didn’t have just an alligator after me, I had the Flash of ’gators after me.
    I rounded more corners, and Alliflash kept up with me. When did these things get tired? Ever? I kept on running, but I had no idea where I was in the maze. I just prayed I didn’t hit a dead end.
    No sooner prayed for than denied. I rounded a corner and there was nothing but a door at the end. I tried to open it, but it was locked.
    I heard voices. “Hey! Let us out!”
    “Hey, let me IN!”
    No use, door was locked from the outside, apparently, and I didn’t have a key. I turned around. Alliflash was approaching, slowly now, and it looked really pleased. Okay, I’d been a hurdler. I could do this. And I had to do it right away, or I wouldn’t have enough room to get my speed up.
    I took a deep breath and then ran right toward it. I was the rare hurdler who had a perfect four-step, which meant I’d learned to lead with either leg. So it wouldn’t matter where I pushed off from,