Part 24 (1/2)

'What did I tell you,' Joiks spat. Frog finally let herself go limp in his grip. She looked exhausted. Now she was just fighting against the tears that still forced their way out of her.

Ben turned to Tovel. 'Ain't there something in your box of tricks you can give to her?'

'Yeah, Tovel?' Roba joined in. He seemed to have changed his tune. 'We can stop this thing, right?'

'It is a sickness,' the Doctor said, nodding. 'Whereas your leader and Shade have had impurities driven from their bodies, Frog is becoming contaminated in some way.' His voice wavered: 'I am sure we can reverse the process.'

'You don't sound so sure to me,' Roba said, letting go of Frog's ankles.

Joiks sagged under Frog's full weight, almost lost his balance. He shook his head. 'Reckon the only cure for her's right there in Creben's hand.'

For a long, long second, Creben looked down at his gun.

Before he could do another thing, Tovel swiped it from his grip. It skittered across the floor.

'You can forget about using that,' he said flatly.

'What gives, Tovel?' Joiks hissed. 'You marshal now, stretcher-bearer?'

Tovel gave a cheerless smile. 'Well, I don't know, Joiks, are you?'

Roba nodded back at Haunt's p.r.o.ne form on the force mattress. 'Someone better be.'

'I should take command,' said Creben stepping forward.

'How'd you figure that, brain boy?' snapped Joiks.

'I graduated to Elite training faster than any of you,' Creben said simply.

'So you got less field experience than any of us,' Roba pointed out.

'What else you got?'

'Gentlemen, please,' the Doctor said heavily. 'Listen to yourselves. Divisive forces are at work here. They seek to spread terror... will you fight amongst yourselves, or will you pit your wits against these forces and defeat them?'

'Do I have to kill you, old man?' Joiks asked like it was a serious question. 'Is that what it's gonna take to keep your mouth shut?'

Tovel stepped in quickly. 'If he opened it to yawn he'd be speaking more sense than you, Joiks. You're not in the Incendiaries now, you got witnesses, OK? So let Frog go.' go.'

Ben stood beside Tovel. 'You heard him.'

'Hey, good for you, Tovel.' Joiks laughed mockingly. 'You got shorty's vote. I bet the little girl will be in your gang too!'

'That's enough.'

It was a long way from Haunt's usual bellow, but it arrested everyone like a gunshot. She was facing them on her knees. She looked like death, pale and clammy, both hands were clamped against her side. She swayed slightly, but her gaze was defiantly steadfast. The looks on the soldiers' faces were all identical - like rowdy children caught red-faced and red-handed up to no good.

'Listen to me,' she said. 'No one is killing anybody. We are a team. One unit.'

'One unit?' Joiks spluttered. 'Denni and Lindey, dead. Shel off his head, Shade with his face cracked open, Frog not even human no more... We're in pieces! Don't you see that?'

'I know what I see.' Haunt's eyes locked on to his own.

'Someone so scared he can't even think. Can't even start to think this all out. You know, you're funny, Joiks. You want to quit, is that it? Go back to the s.h.i.+p and go home? Well guess what...' She gasped suddenly, doubled up in pain. Everyone waited for the pain to subside, watched expectantly, in an uncomfortable, funereal silence. It was like waiting for the last words of someone about to die.

'You're all each other's got,' Haunt ground out at last.

'Tovel, you're a good pilot. Turn this thing around. Before...

Before...'

Haunt's eyes closed and she slumped forwards across the mattress.

When no one else moved, Polly scrambled over to help her back into a lying position. Haunt's forehead was scorching hot. She seemed short of breath, panting like she was going to be sick. The lump below her rib cage was distended so far the skin was white now under the pressure, seeping a clear fluid.

Polly felt all eyes on her. 'Oh G.o.d,' she said. 'I think she's going to die.'

Frog picked her moment well. When she stamped down hard on Joiks's foot she caught him completely by surprise.

His shriek of pain died when she jabbed an elbow back into his stomach, turned, and punched him so hard he almost flew backwards, cras.h.i.+ng into one of the consoles. He lay still at its base, his eyes closed. Roba lunged for her but Frog ducked past him, sprinting for the doorway.

She never made it. Tovel raised his gun and fired. With a high-pitched electronic squawk, Frog went down hard on the floor.

'You killed her!' Polly yelled. Haunt started and stirred, her bloodshot eyes flickered open for a second. Then she sank back.

'I only stunned her,' Tovel retorted. 'Now if everyone will just calm down so we can think think... Roba, bring Frog over here.

Creben, see to Joiks.'

Polly watched a murderous expression flit across Creben's face at the instruction before he turned to obey.

Roba scooped up Frog from the floor, but he held her away from his body, like he didn't want to catch whatever it was she had. Tovel pulled out one of the magic sweets from his pocket and threw it down beside Polly. She jumped as it instantly snapped into another full size mattress.

Roba dumped Frog down on it. 'Getting like a regular sick bay in here,' he grumbled.

Tovel eyed the unconscious Joiks as Creben dragged him past by his feet. 'More like a creche,' he muttered.

'Doctor,' Polly gasped. 'Come quickly.'

Ben came too. He wrinkled his nose. 'Cor, dear, what's all that!'

A brown milky fluid was oozing from the lump in Haunt's side.