5Saving Ben
Chapter Two
The first thing he noticed was a deep humming but it wasn't a normal type of hum like you hear coming from a refrigerator, it was a hum that travelled through you. A hum that felt alive.
Ben dared to peek open his eyes and found that he was alone, led on the floor in a room that was clearly not his tent but reminded him more of the place in which he had been harnessed. He found that flashes of what had happened before he was taken were coming back to him. He could remember moving rock and hearing something but he was tired and couldn't pick it out clearly. When he finally heard the noise of the Skitters and the Mechs it was too late and a glance of Jimmy's shoulder told him instantly that they were in trouble.
Jimmy was knocked unconscious by the arm of a Mech which Ben clocked as unusual before he surged forward to try to defend his best friend. His attempts were in vain however as two Skitters had come up on either side of him and forced something over his mouth. He had blacked out and couldn't remember anything more.
Deciding that he didn't want to wait around, Ben got to his feet and stealthily moved to what he assumed was the door. Just as he reached it, the panel hissed open and Ben was forced to take a step back as two Skitters practically jumped on him.
They were fast but Ben was faster. He had been training for close to four months in the best ways to kill the aliens and with his advanced abilities he was easily capable of shoving his arm into the mouth of the first Skitter that approached and promptly squeezed the material that constituted their soft spot with little regard or hesitation. It slumped to the floor, silent and unmoving only three seconds after it had initially entered the room.
The second one was a little harder to kill because it seemed a little more prepared after watching what happened to its friend. Ben made a lunge forward, aiming for the creatures mouth but it quickly scuttled out of the way and left Ben to try to recover his balance.
He rapidly regained his footing and this time made a false move towards the Skitter and when it moved, he adjusted his shot with the speed that only a harnessed child can achieve and got his arms around its neck.
In a show of brute strength he pulled at the flesh and hard shell in his grip and ripped the Skitter's head from its body, letting the alien fall to the ground.
Without wasting a second to catch his breath he ran out into the hallway and started attempting to navigate the maze in front of him. It wasn't long before he realised that all the similar looking hallways were blending into one and he was getting lost. There weren't even any distinguishing features in the red panelled walls that could help him find the way out.
Eventually he leaned against the wall in an effort to come up with a plan but the distinctive sound of Skitters made him take off in a run in the opposite direction.
Just as he was about to lose hope, he spotted a rounder panel in the wall in front of him and guessing that it might be a door, he threw himself at it.
Luckily it automatically opened when he got close and closed again behind him. The teenager started to worry about what would happen if the Skitters decided to search this room but before he realised it, a light grey mist was slowly sinking down on him from some sort of spout placed high on the wall. He ran to the door but it was immovable this time and he understood suddenly that he had been trapped as he rammed his shoulder repeatedly against the unyielding panel.
Before long the mist had filled the entire room and Ben had no choice to breath it in.
Then everything went dark again.
The ride back to camp was silent for the four fighters and for the two Mason men it was filled with a tragic sadness. It was abundantly clear that it would be impossible for them to get Ben back from that structure. Not only would they have to fight their way up there, they would then have to find Ben and get them all out safely. It was a hopeless task.
Weaver was awaiting them on their return expecting to be informed of the situation but Tom was struggling to find his voice. Luckily Maggie spoke up for them.
"We followed the tracks to an alien structure over Wilmington and we are sure that's were they've taken Ben." Maggie summed up succinctly and it was immediately obvious that Weaver understood the difficulty of the task before them.
He took a deep breath and then put his hand on Tom's shoulder to comfort the taller man. "Tom I am so sorry..." Weaver trailed off but at his words Tom instantly looked up with an intense fire in his eyes.
"We're not leaving him there Captain." Tom stated defiantly and in his periphery he saw supportive nods from the people surrounding him.
"Tom, we don't have time to wait here, so close to a structure, for you to come up with a plan and then save Ben. We need to get to Charleston post haste and now the route is clear I see no reason why we shouldn't pull out tonight." It was clear in Weaver's tone that he wasn't trying to be cruel he was just doing what he thought was best for the 2nd Mass as a whole and his tone was stern. His decision was final.
"Permission to stay behind Captain and catch up to you when I can?" Tom asked, determined that he wouldn't leave his son behind. If it came down to it and Weaver refused to give him permission then the oldest Mason planned to disobey orders and leave the 2nd Mass if necessary. His family would always come first.
Weaver looked away and took a few seconds to weigh up his options. He had known Tom for a while now and realised that if he denied the man permission that wouldn't stop him but it would mean that the 2nd Mass would lose him and he didn't want that.
Taking a few steps closer, Weaver spoke in a lower voice and said to Tom, "I warn you now Mason that this is a suicide mission." He paused a few seconds to let his words sink in and then continued, "That being said I give you permission to go save your son and if they decide, I will give these three permission to join you too but no more than that. I can't spare you many fighters Tom."
Tom let a small smile of gratitude light up his face as he shook Weaver's hand in thanks and then led his team out of the tent. He didn't even need to verbally ask to know that Hal, Maggie and Dai would go with him, now it was just a matter of deciding what they were going to do.
Hal passed the binoculars to his blonde partner and tried to keep the exasperated look off his face however it was getting increasingly difficult with the hours passing and no signs of weakness emerging in the structure or the routine of its occupants.
It was getting dark now meaning that if they couldn't get some new information soon they should probably head back to camp. Weaver had agreed to stay one more day to give the team some chance but didn't want to delay the 2nd Mass by too long. That meant they had one night of planning somewhere safe before they really had to make their move.
Tom and Dai made their way over to Hal and Maggie as Maggie lowered her binoculars and Hal asked, "Have you guys had any luck?"
"Nothing yet." Dai replied as he and Tom dropped themselves down on the mud bank next to their younger counterparts.
"OK, well I guess we will head back to camp and..." Tom automatically stopped talking when he heard a branch snap in the trees off to the side of them and four guns were aimed in that direction, awaiting any further movement.
The last thing they expected to see was a child walking out of the trees with the stiff mannerisms that were customary of the harnessed. She was just a little girl, with red hair and she couldn't have been older than seven years old.
"I just want to talk to you, would you please lower your weapons?" The girl asked very politely but with no emotion on her face.
With only a moments hesitation, Tom nodded for the group to lower their weapons but not drop them completely. Once her demands had been met the undeniable sound of a Skitter moving towards them could be heard and the group of fighters itched to raise their weapons in the direction of the sound but one look from Tom had them holding their positions.
In the darkness they could make out the shape of a Skitter appear just on the edge of the tree line next to the little girl who spoke up again. "Tom Mason, I have wished to talk to you since I first learned of your importance to the overlords."
Taking a brave step closer Tom asked, "And why is that?"
If a Skitter could smile Tom got the feeling it would have at the bravery he was showing. Instead it responded, "My people were once not unlike the children of your species Tom, we were controlled just as they are but unlike them some of us have managed to overcome the control."
The group cast glances at each other at the story the Skitter was unravelling as it was quite unbelievable but the alien continued to talk, "We hate what they did to us and we have formed a resistance...I am the leader of that resistance."
"Why should I believe that? Why should I trust you?" Tom asked disbelievingly. It was a nice idea that maybe humans weren't alone in the fight but it seemed more likely to simply be another trap.
"Because I am the only one who can help you get Ben back." The alien stated simply and although the child that he was using could show no emotion in her voice, the words almost sounded smug. It was like the Skitter knew that he had Tom right where he wanted him.
"Why would you want to help us save Ben?" Tom questioned, running a hand through his hair as he started to realise that he may have no other option but to follow the creature in front of him.
"We have a certain interest in the boy for our own purposes, nothing you need to..."
The girl's voice started to reply but the end of her sentence was drowned out when Tom shouted, "Damn it if you want us to go along with this you damn well better tell me what you want with my son!"
His anger was palpable and was filling up the small clearing they were in and that Hal started to worry whether his dad may just shoot the so called rebellion leader before he had a chance to help them get to Ben. To ensure that his father didn't do anything rash, he took a step forward and laid a calming hand on Tom's arm and it seemed to work as most of the tension drained from his shoulders.
"Ben is...special. He is something the overlords didn't count on when they started to use the harness technology and he may be the key to our resistance efforts." The Skitter explained slowly as if unwilling to disclose the information. "Now you may chose to believe me or you can find your own way into the structure but I can guarantee that you will not survive any attempt you make by yourselves."
Tom hated the feeling of being powerless but he really didn't have a choice.
"What do you want us to do?"
"I don't like this Dad." Hal stated worriedly just inside the perimeter of the camp when they got back. The Skitter had explained the plan to them and although all kinds of warning bells were going off in the Professor's mind, he realised he had to risk it for his boy.
But that didn't mean the others had to risk it too.
Before they parted ways he called Maggie and Dai back to where he and Hal were standing and declared, "This could be a trap." He looked each member of the group in the eyes to make sure they understood that before carrying on, "I can't ask you to follow me up there and I won't ask you. I will go up there by myself and if it turns out to be a trap then we have minimised the loss to the 2nd Mass and you three can think of another way to save Ben." The proposal showed how much he cared for them and they could all tell that he was being sincere.
Hal, Maggie and Dai shared a look before Hal stepped forward and said, "Dad you are insane if you think I would let you go up there by yourself. My little brother is up there and I will help you save him or die trying...I'm with you."
Tom grabbed his eldest son and pulled him into a rough hug, pleased and proud that he had someone to stand by him at times like this. When the two men separated, Maggie took a step closer and couldn't quite make eye contact as she said, "I love Ben like he was my own brother and there is no way I wouldn't go up there for him with you guys...I'm in too."
Tom let off another smile in appreciation of what his team was doing and he put an arm around Maggie's shoulder in gratitude for her willingness to sacrifice herself for his family.
Finally they turned to Dai who looked into the brown eyes of the man he would say was his best friend and murmured, "Damn you Mason, I'll follow you to the gates of hell and back and that is just what this mission is. I'd hate to miss the opportunity to see what the inside of one of those things looks like." Tom smiled at the light hearted way Dai had said he was coming with them and nodded his acceptance.
Once they had all pledged to go on the possible suicide mission the following night, Hal, Maggie and Dai went to catch some sleep and Tom went to fill in Weaver on what had been happening. It was big news after all because if the Skitter hadn't been lying then the war against the aliens may have just reached a pivotal turning point.
He found the Captain straight away and reported on everything that had happened and watched the disbelief spread across Dan's face that he imagined had been on his own about an hour previously.
"Well, I'll be damned Tom if that isn't one hell of a far fetched story." Weaver said, sitting back in his chair and readjusting his cap.
"I know and I'm still not sure if I believe it but its the only viable option I have to save Ben." Tom exclaimed, mirroring his commanding officer's position unconsciously.
"You know what you're doing?" Weaver finally asked after a few solid minutes of silence in which the older man was clearly thinking it all through.
"Yes Sir." Tom answered though neither man believed his answer. His uncertainty was written all across his face but Weaver didn't point it out and just let the Professor leave.
Just before he disappeared from sight however, Weaver called out, "Be careful Tom."
Tom simply nodded not knowing if he would be able to keep himself, Ben or his team safe the following night. All he knew what that he had to try because he couldn't let his boy stay trapped up there, possibly being tortured as he was, without doing everything he could to stop it.
The next time Ben woke up he was in a different room but it only differed in the fact that it had a hard table made of the same material as the walls in the middle of it and he was currently lying on it.
He had clearly been moved from the room he attempted to seek refuge in but whoever had moved him was no longer around. He attempted to get up but found that he couldn't move from being flat on his stomach and soon identified straps tightened across his body, making him immobile.
A few experimental tugs against his bindings proved futile as even with his superior strength he found it impossible to loosen them. He wasn't forced to wait long on his own however as only a few minutes after he regained consciousness, a door out of his sight hissed open and a Skitter made its way into the room.
That was when he noticed another thing that the new room had that the old room didn't.
There were dozens of long, black pipes on the roof which seemed to move of their accord leading Ben to conclude that they were not actually pipes. They also appeared to be made of some type of flesh which immediately had Ben thinking of the harness and had him scrambling even harder to get out of the straps.
Unfortunately his efforts were in vain and all at once the things that Ben thought could only be described as tentacles, moved towards him at some unknown signal from the Skitter. They attached themselves to various parts of his body and suddenly he felt a blindingly sharp pain.
He screamed but it didn't dismay the tentacles from burrowing deeper into his body and it didn't seem to bother the Skitter who simply left and let the other creatures in the room, continue their business.
The relief from pain that came when the tentacles seemed to lie still within his body was short lived when something seemed to be travelling down them from the roof and into his body. It felt like rushing water was being poured through his veins whilst simultaneously a fire was scorching his bones but whilst being painful and a highly uncomfortable sensation, Ben was able to refrain from screaming out.
He couldn't be sure how long the process lasted for but when the tentacles removed themselves, causing the same pain they had on entry, Ben felt so exhausted that he instantly blacked out, knowing that there was no need to hold onto consciousness any more as the tentacles were disappearing into the roof.
Only a few moments after Ben had closed his eyes, he was out cold and so didn't notice when the same Skitter from earlier came back in and started cutting into his body.
"Tom!" A feminine voice called from behind Tom as he swung his rifle onto his back.
He turned to see Anne walking towards him with the same look on her face that Rebecca had used to get when he had done something wrong.
"Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?" A playful glint in her eye told him that he wasn't really in trouble because they both knew perfectly well that he would never leave without saying goodbye to her and Matt first.
"I wouldn't dream of it." Tom stated with a smile that he usually only reserved for his boys but Anne was an exception to that.
When she got close enough they pulled each other into a hug that neither really want to break but finally necessity dictated that they must. With a final peck on the lips, Anne whispered, "Be safe Tom and come back to us."
"I'll try." Tom replied because he couldn't promise that he would come back only that he would try his best to. Anne rested her hand on his cheek for a moment before making her way back to the medical bus as Tom watched her go.
When Anne was out of sight, Tom took off through the camp in search of Matt. It didn't take Tom long to find the location of his youngest son because Matt still hadn't dropped the frustrating habit of hanging out with Pope, no matter how much it annoyed his father.
True to his guess, Matt was sat with a toolbox in his lap, occasionally passing demanded items to Pope as the man worked on the engine of one of the military vehicles.
Just as Weaver had said, the 2nd Mass were pulling out in a few hours but if everything went smoothly, then Tom and his team would get Ben back that night and it would only be a short walk for the five of them to rejoin the group. The impending deadline was probably the reason why Pope reacted to Tom's presence with a little more frustration than usual.
"What are you doing here Professor? Shouldn't you be chasing after your alien son?" Pope asked bitingly without turning his attention away from the engine he was working on.
The thought that he might die that night was the reason why Tom was a little more patient with the criminal than he usually was as well as the fact that he didn't like Matt to see him get angry.
"Just came to say goodbye to Matt." Tom explained, not really paying the other man much attention but turning all of his focus to his youngest son who put the toolbox down and came running into his arms.
Tom was well prepared to catch him and savoured the hug as he always did before he went on a mission that might mean he wasn't coming home.
"Can't I get any of that action?" Hal asked coming up from behind his father and brother and turning the embrace into a group hug. Tom happily drew back one arm from Matt so he could wrap it around Hal.
"Well isn't that sickening." Pope drawled as he contemplated throwing a spanner at them but thought better of it. He wouldn't mind hitting any of the older Mason's but he was growing fond of the littlest one and wouldn't want him hurt in the crossfire.
Tom ignored him but broke off the hug anyway because it was time for them to go. He got down on his knees once Matt was back on his feet and scuffed his hair affectionately. "You be good OK Matt, Anne will look after you and hopefully we will be meeting back up with you tomorrow." Tom stated with the optimism he knew the little boy needed to hear.
"Will you have Ben with you." Matt asked hopefully.
"We will." Hal promised when Tom paused only slightly. Tom just didn't want to make any promises to his children that he couldn't keep. He couldn't promise to bring Ben back because he wasn't even sure he could bring himself and his team back.
"We'll see you soon." Tom settled for saying because it was optimistic not a lie and kissed the top of Matt's head once before he left with Hal.
"This has got to be a trap or he would be here by now." Dai warned quietly as they stood in the trees they had seen the Skitter leader come out of the previous day.
"We need to wait him out, what other choice do we have?" Hal whispered back from behind the tree next to the Asian man.
Dai had no reply so Hal assumed he had made his point but Maggie whispering, "Look!" from behind him had them all turning around to see the Skitter and the little girl from the previous day, slowly making their way towards them.
There was a lot more light than there was the day before because the Skitter got closer to the humans than it had previously and that was how Tom was able to pick out the feature that was indistinguishable from the distance they had seen the Skitter at before.
His one red eye.
Tom lunged before either the humans or the alien could react and he managed to make contact with his tormentor but was quickly pushed off by one of its many legs. He went flying into a tree and Hal and Maggie went to help him up whilst Dai kept his gun trained on the creature.
"Are you OK Dad?" Hal asked in a panic as he helped the older man to his feet.
"No, that thing was the one that tortured me on the ship during the summer!" Tom practically yelled and tried to dive for the red eyed Skitter again but the two teenagers were just about able to hold him back.
"Please Tom let me explain that what I did on that ship was necessary so that my allegiances were not cast into suspicion and I took no pleasure from your pain." The leader explained through the little girl he had brought with him.
The Professor was struggling to contain his anger but again realised with some frustration that he had no choice but to follow this Skitter onto an alien structure to save his son regardless of what the creature may have done in the past.
He glanced at Hal and Maggie to show them that he wouldn't attempt to attack the Skitter again and they released him but stayed close just in case. "Lets just do this." Tom declared shortly.
The Skitter seemed to nod which was strange to witness as it was an all too human thing to do.
"First we must wait for some of the rebels under my command to arrive." The red eyed skitter announced and suddenly the four humans felt very uncomfortable.
"Why do we need any more of you with us?" Hal asked with suspicion.
"It is unbelievable that one of my species would be able to successfully capture and transport the four of you to the structure." The alien elaborated and even though it made logical sense it still didn't make any of the team feel any better about the situation. What human would feel comfortable at the prospect of being surrounded by Skitters?
They didn't have to wait long until branches started to snap from all directions and three more Skitters appeared from out of the trees. It went against every instinct Tom had not to pull out his gun and start firing but he had to show self control no matter how difficult the current situation was. He took a deep breathe of the fresh, cold night air and let his rifle hang calmly at his side.
Tom noticed that Hal had started smiling which was incredibly odd but his confusion was soon cleared up when his eldest son said to the red eyed Skitter,
"Take us to your leader."