AvP: Sacrifice

AvP: Sacrifice
Rated: M
Chapter Two:
The wind whipped into the caves, harassing the small groups huddled in their sleeping bags. Lex had tucked her duffel in with her and had advised the others to do so as well, so the wind wouldn't steal their packs. Whether any one had heeded her advice wasn't entirely important to her. If they ignored her instructions now, they'd regret it later. At least her trembling companion hadn't.
Melvin had shoved himself as far into the cavity as he could, the curve of his back cradled against the arched shape of the rock wall. His thick sleeping bag cocooned him to right under his nose and he seemed to be hugging his luggage. Unlike on the plane, he stayed wide awake.
Lex faced him, positioned close to him for warmth as the storm jostled them. She could see that he stared wide eyed, not at her, but at the forest that cracked, creaked, and rustled behind her as the fingers of the tempest raked through the trees.
Lex wanted to tell him to just go to sleep, though she had a feeling that it would do no good, even if she did manage to successfully yell it over the storm. When they'd selected their cave, Melvin had actually tried to pitch his little one man tent inside of it. When Lex had told him to roll it back up because they were going to sleep on the ground, he'd looked appalled and shocked.
The spoiled and pampered were Lex's least favorite customers. They seemed to whine and gripe about every little thing. Thus far Melvin was listening to her, albeit grudgingly. It was only a matter of time before he, too, flung himself on the ground and began to pout.
Well, she wasn't going to miss out on much needed sleep just because the storm made him uncomfortable. Rolling away from him, Lex closed her eyes and, from years of experience, fell instantly into a deep sleep.

Though Lex skillfully managed to block out the ravaging sounds of the storm around her, she grossly misjudged just how tired she really was and was disappointed when some one shook her shoulder to wake her.
"Miss Woods!" The feminine voice said.
Lex squinted at the bright sunlight that belied the night's harsh weather as she sat up and winced at the soreness of her muscles. Rolling her shoulder, she looked past the blond woman who crouched before her at the clear blue skies and frowned.
"What time is it?" She asked.
Rachel glanced at the digital watch strapped to her wrist and offered an abashed smile," Little after eight."
Making a sound of obvious annoyance, Lex ripped at the zipper that enclosed her and struggled out of her sleeping bag.
"Why didn't someone wake me earlier?" She demanded angrily. Lex had intended for them to get started at four a.m. so they could reach the tombs by noon. Now they wouldn't be getting there until the evening.
"I'm sorry," the smaller woman apologized sincerely, positioning herself at the opposite end of Lex's sleeping bag to help her roll it up," We were all really tired this morning. None of us managed to get any sleep until the storm calmed down some."
Still huffing to herself, Lex snapped the bands around the tightly rolled bag and turned toward her pack where she froze.
Against the back of the cave was a dark green, thick sleeping bag lying open and exposing the pillowed top and bulging black duffel, but no Melvin. A quick survey of the camp revealed that, while the others were either packing or eating meal bars, Melvin was no where to be seen.
Raising her eyes skyward, she sighed heavily. Someone up there must have been having a good, long laugh at her this morning. This was going to be a very long expedition if Melvin made a habit of taking off alone. Irritation bubbled in her stomach as she closed her eyes and willed herself to sound calm as she spoke to Rachel again.
"Where is Mr. Rickman?" She ground out.
"Well, I'm not entirely sure," Rachel replied," He was all ready gone when I woke up."
"He said he was going to explore early this morning."
The two women turned to face the owner of the grumbling voice. He was a short, stocky man with a red face and a permanent scowl. His arms were as thick as tree trunks and his hands were calloused. Possibly in his thirties, though it was hard to tell with the way he seemed to scrunch up his round face, he kept his hair so closely cropped that the pale skin underneath stood out against the red of his face. The man was certainly odd looking for an archaeologist, but it took all types, Lex supposed.
Kevin or Karl, Lex couldn't remember his name, but she was sure it began with a 'K', continued to scowl at her, she frowned back, folding her arms over her chest.
"And you let him leave the camp alone after I said to stay in pairs?" She asked.
The thick man stared levelly at her, his expression unwaveringly hard, though Lex wondered if that was simply his normal expression. His massive shoulder seemed to make a short twitching movement that she could only guess was a shrug and he looked away in disinterest.
"He wanted to look around," He said blankly as if the statement defended his actions, or lack thereof.
"Well, just..." Lex sighed as she irritably tied her hair back, letting her cheekbone length bangs hang at the side of her face," You make sure every one finishes packing and is ready to go."
If the man was listening, she wasn't sure. He turned without a response and walked away.
Rachel was biting her lip beside Lex and waiting for instruction.
"Lets put away Mr. Rickman's things. Then you and I will go look for him. It's unlikely that he got far with the way he passes out every few minutes at anything out of the ordinary," Lex joked, though she half wondered if she'd find his unconscious body somewhere and have to drag him back. The thought made her wince.
Rachel laughed and nodded, but defended him," Yeah, but it's not his fault, you know. He's new to this, but he's really not that bad. I've seen worse."
"Could have fooled me," Lex commented as the two began to roll Melvin's sleeping bag.

The moisture in the air was heavy. Though the temperature was cool, according to the wrist compass Lex wore, which also relayed the time and had an internal thermometer, both women were sweating after only a few minutes of brisk walking.
Water droplets clung to the lush shrubbery around them and puddles of the night's rain gathered in multiple spots, tempting the passerby to splash into the shallow murky depths. And, perhaps if Lex hadn't been annoyed at the trouble Melvin was all ready causing so soon in their expedition, she may have tried it. However, she barely spared a glance.
Heavy high topped boots sank into the soft mud and sloshed through the small ponds of water as both women moved quickly through the trees, scanning for the missing man.
They hiked in circles around the camp, slowly expanding the width as they called out for Melvin. Rachel cupped her hands over her mouth as she repeated her fellow archaeologist's name, but Lex's dark eyes squinted and skimmed the smaller bushes and plants.
She could by no means call herself a great tracker, but she knew a thing or two. Her profession called for it. She was responsible for other people's lives. She had to at least have mediocre tracking skills because someone always wandered off. The basics called for her to scan for broken branches or fresh leaves torn from the limb from a passerby brushing past.
The mud would make it easier.
Very few animal tracks marred the smooth, brown surface. Still, it was a while before Lex finally spotted a disturbance and it was the mud that helped her, after all. Sharp dips and chutes betrayed the runaway scientist, digging and marring the dark expanse in a way that almost offended the beauty of the otherwise perfectly placate jungle.
Messy foot steps. As if Melvin had slipped and stumbled through the sticky mud in his walk. However, the tracks only disappeared onto a patch of grass, which was harder to see the direction he'd taken.
Lex led Rachel to the green mesh of grass and leaned close, trying to pretend that she knew what she was seeing, but if there was a footprint hiding somewhere in the patch, it was hiding very well. She had better luck the 'Where's Waldo' books she used to pour herself into as a child. She'd imagine herself walking through the ever massive crowds of people as she examined each on for the bottle cap glasses and trademark red and white striped shirt.
Now, she narrowed her eyes, willing the blades of grass to flatten and twist in a way that she could use it as a clue for finding the missing scientist. It didn't relent to her burning stare.
Rachel shifted behind her, pausing her insistent calling so that Lex could concentrate on examining their surroundings for any sign of a wandering Melvin Rickman. The man was sweet, but oh so ignorant. She knew that much the instant she'd met the guy. Fresh out of college, he'd had some glamorous illusion that archaeologist's lives were full of adventure. He was like a kid pretending to be a spy. And that was just it. He was playing pretend.
Rachel's work was never boring, in her opinion, but it was a lot of work that not only involved getting down and dirty, but strong analytical and critical skills. Melvin honestly didn't seem like the type who'd survive for long. He seemed like he was expecting an Indiana Jones-esque kind of profession.
It was a pretty distorted dream for someone his age.
Still, Rachel had to give him some credit. He absorbed and retained information like a sponge, so his child-like view of what an archaeologist was could be overlooked. Usually.
However, if the look on Lex's face as she turned her head left and right in search for the man was any indication of her own feelings about the situation, Rachel was pretty sure that he wouldn't be so easily forgiven this time. The dark haired woman sighed and rose from the grass.
"Miss Harper! Miss Woods!" Came a familiar male voice that made Lex's expression darken," you wouldn't believe the species of..."
As Lex turned sharply on her heel and marched towards the man emerging from some brush clutching various small vials containing what appeared to be plant samples, Melvin Rickman trailed off. He blinked from Rachel, who was wincing slightly and shaking her head discreetly at him, to Lex who looked like she wanted to snap his neck. He swallowed as the excitement he'd felt building in his stomach disappeared instantly.
Brows furrowed and frown creasing the corners of her mouth, Lex narrowed dark eyes at the vials, then the man. She didn't say anything, though, as he squirmed a little.
"I was just..." He tried to explain, but she waved a hand.
"I don't care what you were trying to do. I specifically said that no one was to wander off alone," Lex replied, secretly proud of how calm her voice sounded.
"I didn't go far..." Melvin defended.
"You don't have to. Other than the wild animals and poisonous plants and insects, this jungle is completely remote. You get lost in here, even if I decide to call in the National Guard, you may never be found," Lex interrupted, prodding his chest once," I will not say it again. Do not go anywhere alone. This is not a game."
"I'm sorry," Melvin said, guiltily lowering his eyes as he busied himself with slipping the vials into little slots on the front of a beige colored vest he wore over his darker green wind breaker. Each little glass vial fit perfectly into the tiny compartments that he'd had made especially for them. He'd been rather excited when he decided to go on this trip and had spent almost a year preparing.
Lex nodded, seeming to accept his apology and gestured for him to follow Rachel, who was already turning away to head back, sensing that the scolding was over. Melvin scurried after the blond, slipping a little in the same goopy mud Lex had been examining minutes before.
Lex shook her head and sighed to herself. It was just her luck.
She suddenly recalled the flight to the antarctic circle when she'd talked to the Chemical Engineer Charles Bishop Weyland had hired. He'd been flitty and talkative. Far more excited and full of energy than the rest of the crew hired. He'd eagerly taken pictures of everything, including the point of safe return, which still made her chuckle a little to herself, despite how much the man before her reminded her of him.
Back then she would have had patience for someone like Melvin Rickman. Heck, he would have felt like a relief next to the stiff no nonsense Kevin or Karl guy. However, the incident she hated to remember had caused her to harden and now, she wished that Melvin could be more like the gruff man. At least if he ever wandered off, she wouldn't have to worry about him fainting randomly somewhere. He was large enough that he could probably even hold his own against almost anything the jungle had within it's darkest corners.
Lex traced a finger over her chin in thought and stared after the retreating backs of Rachel and Melvin. Eyes half lidded, she seemed to have fallen into the movie-like memory replaying her group's track into the ancient Aztec Temple. She could almost feel the icy air biting at the inside of her lungs as she pictured one of the drooling aliens towering over her. It's saliva clear and hot dripped onto her face, landing just under her eye and sliding down her cheek. It had snarled and hissed, seeming to revel in the waves of fear emanating thickly from her.
Then there was the massive hunter who'd make the grumpy Kevin/Karl look like a weak little whelp. Though a year had passed, she could still see the mottled yellow skin wrapped tightly over well trained muscles. The first time she'd seen his face had been more shocking than frightening. The first thing she'd seen was the angry row of teeth opening and the mandibles covering them spreading in a bone rattling roar that had seemed like a test of her wits. As she'd stood her ground, though and examined the rest of his face, the high set forehead and the sunken sockets where amber eyes blinked calculatingly at her, he'd fallen silent. The sudden gentle clicking trill of the hunter's voice sounded so real and vivid that Lex jerked out of her reverie and looked wildly around as if expecting to see him right in front of her.
Her heart pounded in her throat as she twisted her head around in a panicked search for the creature that quite obviously was not there. Her body gave a little shudder of disbelief, though, still expecting the armor clad hunter to step out from the shadows cast by trees and bushes that surrounded her.
There was no alien. There was no hunter. Her memory was simply far too vivid, she reminded herself.
This was Africa. The tombs she was leading this group through had been explored before and no one had reported anything about any vicious aliens with acid for blood nor any terrifying armed hunters. It was simply a well preserved, newly discovered burial chamber that could not have a nightmarish two thousand year old queen alien living inside waiting to infect her group with her parasitic children.
Lex swallowed thickly, hating the intuition that argued with her logical reasoning.
Ignoring the instinct insistently prodding the back of her mind that was suggesting that something dangerous was lurking nearby, the woman followed the two archaeologists back to the camp without looking back.