The Crocodile's Jaws: An Alice in Deadland Adventure (Alice, No.7) by Mainak Dhar
Authors: Mainak Dhar
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We planned to get off our boat
here and look on foot. One of the other teams had seen a building north of
here, and we were going to check that out.'
Something in what the man said caught Alice's attention.
'Who are 'they'? Who gave you the order to come here?'
The man looked at her, and she saw that he was afraid of
something even more than he was of her.
'The men from the Crocodile. They told us what they wanted,
and we cannot refuse them.'
A few minutes later, Alice was back in Cheshire's
settlement. Their prisoner was still outside, guarded by Bunny Ears and the
other Biters. Alice had not wanted him to see where the settlement was, and
surrounded by Biters, he was so terrified that there was little question of him
attempting an escape.
'Cheshire, I have seen a settlement slaughtered for these
pills. If they are after them, they will come again, and while you are
prepared, there are only a handful of you and you don't want to be put under a
siege with all the kids here. That can end only one way.'
Abid began to protest.
'We have weapons and ammo, and we have our booby traps. We
can hold out.'
Alice turned towards him.
'You may well hold off one wave, and if you're lucky, a
couple more. Then your booby traps are finished. You shoot down another wave of
attackers. Then another. Then what happens? You're not up against some bandits
looking for random targets. Someone's guiding them, someone they all feel
compelled to obey, and they will keep coming. All it would take is a few men
with long guns who know what they're doing and a handful of cannon fodder like
the idiot we captured and your settlement would fall in a day. Then what
happens to the kids? I've seen a settlement where they killed every single
person—young and old, male and female. If you sit here and wait for them to hit
you, it's a matter of time before you're all dead. You know that as well as I
do.'
Abid looked down. Alice had been brutally honest, but she
had also been right. Cheshire looked at his men and he saw the same feeling
reflected in their eyes.
'Alice, what do you want to do?'
'We find this factory and we find out what they want so
badly in these pills.'
***
Alice and Cheshire had been cycling for just over half an
hour when they saw the abandoned factory. A board lay shattered by its side,
proclaiming the name of an old British pharmaceutical company that was now long
forgotten. Their captive sat behind Alice. Alice had overridden much protest
from Bunny Ears, who wanted to come with her. She had asked him to deploy the
Biters in the bushes around the settlement to guard against any more intruders.
They left the bikes outside and entered the factory through
rusted gates lying on the ground. As Cheshire went in, Alice scanned the area,
her rifle at her shoulder, but soon it was apparent that there was nobody here,
and probably had not been for years. The man they had captured was behind her,
and as Cheshire began rummaging through the boxes scattered around the factory
floor, the man spasmed and fell to the ground. He stiffened and the veins on
his neck and arms bulged and his back arched as the man moaned in agony.
'What is happening to him?'
Cheshire looked at the man in silence.
'I had suspected it when I saw his eyes and the marks on his
arms and torso. He's hooked onto some drug and is having withdrawal symptoms.
Come on, there's nothing we can do for him.'
Alice walked inside the factory, seeing little but empty
boxes and the occasional empty bottle. Large sections of the factory were
blackened, and at some point over the years, a fire had ravaged the building.
Whatever the factory had once contained had long been looted or destroyed in
the fire.
Cheshire kicked away an empty box, sending it skittering across
the floor. The box revealed a trap door on the factory floor. Alice tugged on
the rusty chains that held it closed and opened it. As they crawled down the
rickety stairs, Cheshire took out an old flashlight.
here and look on foot. One of the other teams had seen a building north of
here, and we were going to check that out.'
Something in what the man said caught Alice's attention.
'Who are 'they'? Who gave you the order to come here?'
The man looked at her, and she saw that he was afraid of
something even more than he was of her.
'The men from the Crocodile. They told us what they wanted,
and we cannot refuse them.'
A few minutes later, Alice was back in Cheshire's
settlement. Their prisoner was still outside, guarded by Bunny Ears and the
other Biters. Alice had not wanted him to see where the settlement was, and
surrounded by Biters, he was so terrified that there was little question of him
attempting an escape.
'Cheshire, I have seen a settlement slaughtered for these
pills. If they are after them, they will come again, and while you are
prepared, there are only a handful of you and you don't want to be put under a
siege with all the kids here. That can end only one way.'
Abid began to protest.
'We have weapons and ammo, and we have our booby traps. We
can hold out.'
Alice turned towards him.
'You may well hold off one wave, and if you're lucky, a
couple more. Then your booby traps are finished. You shoot down another wave of
attackers. Then another. Then what happens? You're not up against some bandits
looking for random targets. Someone's guiding them, someone they all feel
compelled to obey, and they will keep coming. All it would take is a few men
with long guns who know what they're doing and a handful of cannon fodder like
the idiot we captured and your settlement would fall in a day. Then what
happens to the kids? I've seen a settlement where they killed every single
person—young and old, male and female. If you sit here and wait for them to hit
you, it's a matter of time before you're all dead. You know that as well as I
do.'
Abid looked down. Alice had been brutally honest, but she
had also been right. Cheshire looked at his men and he saw the same feeling
reflected in their eyes.
'Alice, what do you want to do?'
'We find this factory and we find out what they want so
badly in these pills.'
***
Alice and Cheshire had been cycling for just over half an
hour when they saw the abandoned factory. A board lay shattered by its side,
proclaiming the name of an old British pharmaceutical company that was now long
forgotten. Their captive sat behind Alice. Alice had overridden much protest
from Bunny Ears, who wanted to come with her. She had asked him to deploy the
Biters in the bushes around the settlement to guard against any more intruders.
They left the bikes outside and entered the factory through
rusted gates lying on the ground. As Cheshire went in, Alice scanned the area,
her rifle at her shoulder, but soon it was apparent that there was nobody here,
and probably had not been for years. The man they had captured was behind her,
and as Cheshire began rummaging through the boxes scattered around the factory
floor, the man spasmed and fell to the ground. He stiffened and the veins on
his neck and arms bulged and his back arched as the man moaned in agony.
'What is happening to him?'
Cheshire looked at the man in silence.
'I had suspected it when I saw his eyes and the marks on his
arms and torso. He's hooked onto some drug and is having withdrawal symptoms.
Come on, there's nothing we can do for him.'
Alice walked inside the factory, seeing little but empty
boxes and the occasional empty bottle. Large sections of the factory were
blackened, and at some point over the years, a fire had ravaged the building.
Whatever the factory had once contained had long been looted or destroyed in
the fire.
Cheshire kicked away an empty box, sending it skittering across
the floor. The box revealed a trap door on the factory floor. Alice tugged on
the rusty chains that held it closed and opened it. As they crawled down the
rickety stairs, Cheshire took out an old flashlight.
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