Overton forced his gaze away and scanned the tunnel for contacts. There wasn’t time to mourn Finley. Not with Dr. Winston and Jamie waiting. He didn’t even want to think about what would happen if one of these creatures caught them.

“Move out, Bouma.”

He took off running back down the tunnel, but Bouma stood frozen in place. He stared at his friend and the beast that had claimed his life.

“No one fucking told me I’d be fighting goddamned alien monsters when I signed the dotted line,” he said. He stood there for what felt like ages before forcing himself to move. He took a last look at Finley’s corpse and whispered, “Sorry, man, but maybe you actually lucked out.”

Sophie scuffled along the side of the tracks with one hand on Overton’s shoulder and the other gripping Jamie’s little hand tightly. There was no need to tell the girl to close her eyes as they came upon Finley’s corpse; the darkness of the tunnel ensured she didn’t see the gruesome scene.

Through Sophie’s visor she saw it all—the terrifying corpse of the alien, whose skull was leaking a river of goo, Finley’s headless body, and finally his helmet, which had strips of esophagus and flesh still attached to it.

Her stomach lurched and she gagged. The taste of regurgitated sausage overwhelmed her, and she was forced to brace herself against the wall.

“Are we almost to the safe place?” Jamie asked in a hushed whisper.

Sophie sucked in some filtered air and blinked the cloudiness from her vision. “Yes, we’re almost there,” she said.

“Keep moving,” Overton ordered.

Jamie latched herself around Sophie’s waist. “I don’t like the dark.”

“Dr. Winston, keep her quiet,” Overton barked.

Sophie ran her armored fingers through the girl’s locks and glanced at Finley’s body one more time before continuing on down the tunnel.

Heel to toe. One step at a time.

The distance between their location and the entrance to the Biosphere was hard to judge. The green glow of her night vision made everything look like a video game.

She pressed on. Every step brought her closer to finding Emanuel.

A few feet ahead she could see that the tunnel curved slightly to the right. Overton had already halted, trying to gain an angle on the turn. She craned her neck and saw Bouma was still behind them.

“The entrance to the facility is right around this corner,” Overton whispered into the com. He stole a quick glance around the granite wall and eyed the passage.

“It’s clear. Stay tight.”

Sophie felt a lump forming in her throat. She gripped Jamie’s hand tighter and followed the sergeant, stepping carefully over the train tracks.