Zombies Vs Aliens: Respawn

Chapter 17.2

Easy on the eyes, not the brightest bulb. I sighed through my nose, watching Kit skate close to a conniption fit. Pressed against the wall, his chest heaving in quick pants, mouth opening and closing like a carp on land. His eyes flit over me, cycling over and over. Any second now his pupils will start spinning like tops. At least our jailers weren't barreling down on us. Either they hadn't heard the squeal of tearing metal or they were utterly confident this cell would continue to hold us.

"So," I said, grimacing at the audible crunch from my straightening fingers. "you're alive, I take it?"

Fish mouth snapped shut. By golly, I think he caught on to my discomfort. "What the hell are you?"

Scratch that idea. At least he looked more curious than terrified. The fact I wasn't launching through the wall trying to eat his brains probably helped. Though answering his question would be tricky.

"Uh, would you believe reformed zombie?"

The inquisitive arch of his brow crumpled into a squiggle of incredulity. "Pull the other one."

Brighter than I thought. To be honest, I wasn't terribly eloquent when I woke up like this either. It stands to reason an actual human would have a hard time comprehending a talking, thinking zombie. It took Fred laying down the verbal whammy to finally make me accept what I was. There was my solution.

I had to pull a Fred.

"I'm what happens when a common zombie nibbles on alien gray matter," I paused, waiting for it to sink it. "Okay, so it was really purple, but that's not the point."

"Wait, wait, stop, just hold on a sec." Kit peeled away from the way, nibbling on his thumb nail as he paced the short length of his cell, squinting at me through the hole. "You're like this because you ate alien brains?"

"Yes."

He turned toward me, crossing his arms over his chest. He was certainly fit. I shook my head. Well those thoughts were coming out of left field, which I absolutely didn't need.

"Are you feeling hungry?" He asked, his throat flexing as he swallowed.

"What? No! That's the trick, I don't do humans anymore. In fact I travel with one," I winced slightly at the mention of Wolf Girl. "Did you hear a young girl in here?"

Kit visibly relaxed, shaking his head. "Heard a female, but it was a woman judging by the mouth on her."

"Yeah, that would be Princess," I said, sidling up to our improvised window. "When did they nab you? How long have you been here?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, appearing a bit sheepish. "About a day. I was on a routine inspection run, looking for out of the ordinary activity. Got out of my truck to check a couple buildings when this ship materialized out of nowhere. I got out a partial distress call on my radio before they knocked me out."

"A day?" I asked, prodding the edges of the hole. Maybe I could make it bigger. My fingers crackled against one another. Maybe not. Kit's time line put him in Surwich either right before or right after our first trek into the town. If only we had seen him first. Was the fort that close or was this the missing occupant of the way station? "Were you in the cabin? The last initials in the log book were C. M."

"Well, yes, um," he made a half hearted salute. "Lt. Chris Marlowe, at your service, miss. Though everyone calls me Kit. Do you have a name?"

In all the hubbub I neglected to give the poor guy my damn name. "Li," I mumbled, testing the mobility of my broken fingers. The movement appeared normal but they made that alarming crackle sound and sent little darts of pain up my arm. Pain, I was feeling real pain. What spectacular timing. I could sense Kit studying me.