Alien vs. Alien

their chances of survival weren’t good.
    I ran for the tidal basin. It wasn’t too far away from where I was, and I had the smoke trail from the jets to follow. Heard the crashes before I reached the water; they’d hit close together.
    Jeff could swim almost as fast as he could run. ӀAnd we’d run on top of the water today, we’d gone so fast. So I didn’t slow down when I reached the tidal basin, I sped up.
    Both jets were in the water and on fire. How I didn’t bother to question. The way our luck ran, one or both were going to explode. With my guys in there. My feet barely touched the water I was moving so fast.
    Had to come to a screeching halt because I’d reached the downed jets. One canopy was off, and there was no pilot inside. The other was still on.
    Ripped it off as if it were tissue paper, to see Chip Walker inside. He was bleeding from a variety of areas, including his head.
    I couldn’t unlock the restraints. So I pulled them out. Grabbed Walker as carefully as I could. I was back at the high level of rage where everything worked just the way I wanted it to. Walker was light as a feather, and I took off toward the Jefferson Memorial. Put him down gently and scanned for my other pilot.
    I didn’t see anyone in the water. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t in there. Took my purse off and left it with Walker, just in case. Then I ran on the water again, around the edge and then crisscrossing so that I could see every part. No one.
    Ran back to the jets and searched around them. Took a deep breath and dove under. I was moving so fast that I was able to swim around the wreckage without issue. Which was good. Because I found him, pinned under a jet.
    I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but I shoved the jet off, grabbed my guy, and hauled him to the surface. It was Matt Hughes, and he looked worse than Walker. Put him into the carry position and ran like hell for where I’d left Walker.
    Laid Hughes next to him as the jets exploded. I didn’t even turn around. Hughes needed mouth-to-mouth, but I had to slow down to do it or I’d kill him. If he wasn’t already dead.
    “Excuse me,” a man said softly.
    I looked up. An older couple was nearby. “You need to get to safety.”
    The man looked around. “My dear, safety is an illusion.” He had an accent, but I was too distraught to figure out where that meant they were from. “But you look as though you need help.”
    “Can you do CPR?”
    “Yes.” The man spoke to his wife in their native tongue. She nodded, knelt down next to Hughes, and started the pressing and blowing process.
    The man knelt down next to Walker. “He is unconscious. I don’t believe CPR will help.”
    More people crept out of the Memorial. Somehow, nothing was really hitting over here, though I didn’t expect that to last.
    “Help me get them inside,” the man with Walker said to them.
    My purse was still next to Walker, and I put it back over my neck while I dug my phone out and called the one person I knew would be able to handle this situation.
    “Kitty, where are you?” Tito asked. He was shouting, and I could tell he was somewhere close by.
    “Hughes and Walker are down, and they both look worse than bad. Ӏ We’re at the Jefferson Memorial. Some good Samaritans are trying to help us. I need you here, right now.”
    “Gates aren’t working.”
    “Then tell me where you are.”
    “In front of the Washington Monument.”
    “Stay there.” I looked at the man as I dropped my phone into my purse. “Please get them inside. I’ll be right back.”
    I took off running. Ran on top of the water again. It was the straightest line to where Tito was.
    There were fewer people out now. I hated myself for it, but I didn’t run around the dead bodies. I hurdled them, but I didn’t avoid them.
    I was going so fast I sailed under supersoldier feet and past superbeings that moved as if they were standing still. It took only seconds to reach Tito.
    Grabbed him and ran back the same way. I’d worry about him throwing up once we were there. Ran across the water, managed to stop before we ran past the Jefferson Memorial.
    “Wow,” Tito said.
    “You’re not throwing up.”
    “Nope. I’ve been experimenting with an antinausea serum in my off time. I took it before you sent us off with Colonel Franklin, when it looked like we might see action. Seems to be working.”
    “Extremely glad your Super-Dramamine is a success because Hughes and Walker don’t look like