Slimer

‘You’ve got about fifteen seconds left.’ Without looking at Linda Paul told her, ‘Get the flame-thrower ready. Light the burner the way I showed you. As soon as I shoot him we’ll burn the body before it has time to change.’

‘I’m not that thing!’ screamed Mark. ‘I swear it! I’m me For Christ’s sake believe me, Paul!’

‘No. I don’t believe you,’ said Paul coldly. ‘The real Mark wouldn’t have sat here so unconcerned about being told that Chris was out there on her own. The real Mark would have been all anxious and worried. He would have gone right out again to find her instead of sitting there with a stupid grin on his face.’ He shook his head. ‘Time’s up.’ ‘No wait! Don’t shoot!’ He raised his hands in front of his face. ‘It’s because of the shit I just took! I just had a fix — I was high, Paul, I was highl’

Paul had been about to squeeze the trigger again but he hesitated. ‘What are you talking about? What fix?’

Frantically, Mark pulled up his sleeves and showed his inner forearms to Paul. There were lots of old needle marks on both of them, most of them scarred over, but some were fresh. And one, surrounded by a bruise, was still weeping blood. Paul stared at them in confusion. ‘What.?’ he began.

‘Heroin, Paul. It’s heroin. Alex had it. Christ, don’t shoot!’ Mark said quickly. ‘I’m an addict. I have been for months. You said yourself I’ve been looking sick. That’s the reason. You got to believe me.’ He turned to Rochelle. ‘I’m telling the truth, aren’t I Ro? You tell him, Ro, please.'

Paul lowered the gun and looked at Rochelle. She was lying on the bunk and watching them so calmly that she could have been watching a soap opera on TV. Eventually she said blandly, ‘Yeah. It’s true.’

Mark then told Paul and Linda the whole story about the deal he had with Alex to smuggle heroin as well as hashish into Britain. When he had finished Paul said quietly, ‘Perhaps I should have shot you after all. You know how I feel about heroin. Not only that but you exposed Linda and me to an amazing amount of risk. If we’d have been caught by the Customs we’d have got between ten and fifteen years for something we knew nothing about. I suppose then you’d have said how sorry you were.’

Mark made an anguished sound. ‘Hell, I am sorry Paul. But you don’t know what it’s like being hooked this way. I couldn’t say no to Alex. I had to do what he said.’

‘Yeah, sure you did,’ said Paul wearily. He got to his feet. ‘Come on, you and I are going to look for Chris. You’d just better hope it’s not too late to save her.’ He turned to Linda. ‘Do you mind staying here with Ro?’

Linda frowned. ‘Can’t we both come with you?’

‘I don’t think I can walk very far,’ said Rochelle, with unusual promptness. ‘I get dizzy when I stand up.’

‘I think it’s best she stays in bed,’ said Paul. ‘We’ll try not to be long. And I’ll leave the flame thrower with you. I’ll pick up the other one now, along with the rest of the stuff. Just make sure everything is blocked up. You’ll be quite safe.’

‘Well, okay,’ said Linda dubiously. She didn’t want to be separated from Paul. She had the strong feeling that something bad was going to happen if they weren’t together.

He saw her anxiety and came over and kissed her. ‘Hey, cheer up. Everything’s going to be okay.’

Neither of them noticed the ghost of a smile on Rochelle’s lips as she watched them from the bunk.

Thirteen

‘Damn,’ muttered Linda.

The lights had been getting appreciatively dimmer during the last few minutes and now suddenly they’d gone out altogether. That meant the emergency generator had run out of fuel now as well. It also meant that the others were stumbling around out there in the dark, which wasn’t a pleasant thought. Or had Paul taken one of the flashlights with him? She couldn’t remember.

She began to feel around for her own flashlight which she’d got ready as soon as the lights had begun to dim. As she did so she became aware of strange sounds emanating from the direction of Rochelle’s bunk. It sounded as if she was having a convulsion, ‘Ro!’ she cried, ‘what’s the matter? Are you alright?’

There was no answer but the disturbing sounds continued. She found the flashlight and switched it on. Rochelle was lying with her face against the wall but her body was jerking and shuddering under the blanket. Alarmed, Linda stood up and was about to go to her when Rochelle turned towards her.

Linda froze. There, clearly visible in the beam of the torch, was Alex.

He flung off the blanket and sat up. Parts of Rochelle’s clothing were still attached to him but even as Linda watched they melted into his skin and disappeared, like drops of water evaporating on a hot pavement.

By the time he swung his legs round off the bunk he was completely naked and she could see an erection of gigantic proportions extending out from his crotch. It resembled a child’s arm.

‘Hi, Linda. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,’ he said, in a voice that sounded as if it was coming from a blocked drain.

With a tremendous effort of will she forced herself to stay calm. She knew if she panicked she was finished. ‘Hello Alex,’ she said. ‘I can’t say I’m pleased to see you. Where did you spring from?’ But she already knew the answer to that. He’d been here all the time. As Rochelle. She wondered when the thing had got to her. And what about Chris?

He stood up, an ugly sneer on his face. She saw he was taller than before. Bigger. She couldn’t help glancing at his penis, fascinated and repelled at the same time. ‘Pretty impressive, huh?’ he asked, gloating.

‘You always were a big prick, Alex. Now you’re an even bigger one.’

He began to advance on her. ‘You can’t fool me,’ he said. ‘Under that tough talk you’re scared shitless.’ She backed away. ‘Don’t come any closer, Alex. I’m warning you.’

He grinned. ‘Yeah. Warning me of what, bitch? You’re helpless and you know it.’

She edged to one side, trying to keep as much space between them as possible. What could she do? Her mind raced. She weighed up her chances of making a rush for the door. Would she have time to unlock it and open it before he got to her? No. No way.

She kept talking, stalling for time. ‘When did you — it — take Ro, Alex? When Mark and Chris left her alone awhile ago?’

He grimaced. ‘Other way round. She got taken first. Then she took me.'' A look of sick fear passed across his face, as if he was remembering something almost too horrible to contemplate, then the sneer reappeared. ‘You want to talk to her? She’s around here someplace. Having fucking hysterics… She hasn’t adapted like I have…’ He sniggered.

‘Sure. I’d like to talk to her,’ said Linda, still continuing to edge sideways away from him. Anything to delay the inevitable.

Suddenly Rochelle’s voice filled the room. ‘Linda, Linda? Is that you? Help me, Linda! HELP ME!’ The voice became a scream then turned into a scared whimpering that sounded so heart-rending that Linda wanted to cry too.

‘Help me, Linda… I want to go home… help me…’ the voice sobbed.

Her scalp tingling with the horror of it all Linda said hoarsely, ‘I’ll help you, Ro. We’ll get you to a hospital. You’ll be alright. But Ro, you’ve got to keep Alex away. Can you do that? Just for a little while at least? Can you?’

‘No she can’t, bitch,' said Alex. He was back.

Linda’s bowels turned to water. She couldn’t take much more of this. She had to do something. They were still circling each other but Alex was getting closer all the time. It wouldn’t be long before…

She remembered the flame-thrower. But that was useless. She’d have to light the burner first. There was no chance of having enough time. Perhaps she could grab one of the guns? But where