Chapter Fifty-Five.

When the elevator returned, Nessie and the imps got inside.

"Are you sure you don't want us to go with you?" Sun asked.

"You need to wait for Jerry and West. I know exactly where Rimmer is. There were no creatures left on subbasement 5 when I was down there, so I should be safe. Wolfie took care of them all."

Sun raised an eyebrow. "Wolfie? That giant wolf?"

"Long story, I'll tell you when I get back," Nessie said as the doors closed. Then she vocally called out the floor she wanted, and the lift began to descend. As it did, she checked on the imp bitten by the spider. It burned with fever and was panting.

The other three imps climbed up Nessie's legs to check on their family member. They chirped with obvious concern.

"I know. You're worried. But Jerry will be back with the medicine. It'll all be okay. We're going to get Rimmer and Wolfie, and by the time we come back Jerry will have the anti-venom. It's going to be fine, I promise."

As her words faded, Nessie wondered who they were truly for, the imps or herself.

When the elevator finally reached subbasement 5, Nessie braced herself in case anything jumped at her. But the corridor was empty.

Nessie sprinted down the hallway. When she reached the correct cell, she found Rimmer face-down in a puddle of vomit.

Wolfie was nowhere to be found.

She immediately knelt next to Rimmer, feeling for a pulse in his neck. He had one, but it was slow and weak.

"Rimmer! Wake up!"

It took all of her effort to turn the heavily-muscled guard onto his back.

"Rimmer!"

She shook him, then slapped his face.

He didn't move.

"Wolfie!" she called.

The werewolf didn't answer.

Standing up, Nessie grabbed Rimmer's wrist and tried to pull him toward the cell exit. After two minutes of extraordinary effort, she hadn't even moved him a meter.

It was no use. She couldn't do this alone.

But maybe, if she got Sun and Andy, they could help.

Nessie dropped Rimmer's arm and turned to face the exit- -which was blocked by a giant, wiggling praying mantis.

She screamed just as the creature lunged.

Chapter Fifty-Six.

"Attention any survivors," Andy said into the intercom. "The elevators now work. You have five minutes to evacuate before we're all buried in here. Uh, good luck to you. And if any monsters are, uh, listening, I'm lying."

Andy checked his watch again.

4:55...

4:54...

4:53...

West, Jerry, Rimmer, and Nessie hadn't shown up yet.

"We're cutting this close," he told Sun.

"We always do."

He supposed she was right. They were almost late to their own wedding. But it had managed to work out. Everything always managed to work out for them.

So why do I feel like this time, it isn't going to?

"I was thinking," Andy said, sitting next to his new bride and taking her hand. "After this is over, we go someplace where no one knows us. Some little town where we can disappear. We can even change our names. You open up a small vet practice. I tutor kids in foreign languages. The government never bothers us again with any demon bullshit, and we live happily ever after."

"New names, huh?"

"That's probably the way to go."

Sun smiled. "What should my new name be, dear husband?"

"I was thinking Honey. Because your skin is the color of honey, and you're so sweet."

"I like it. And for you... .Scooter"

Andy's face pinched. "Scooter? That's a little redneck."

"I dig rednecks," Sun said. "They get me hot."

"Scooter it is. Last name?"

"How about something really plain. Johnson-Smith."

"Johnson Smith is that catalog company that advertised in the back of comic books. They sold fake rubber vomit and whoopee cushions."

"That's perfect."

Andy mulled it over. "Honey and Scooter Johnson-Smith. It sort of works."

Sun stared deep into his eyes. Hers became glassy, and a tear trailed down her cheek. "I love you, Scooter Johnson-Smith. No matter what happens, I'll love you forever."

Andy wiped away her tear with his thumb. "Don't cry yet, honey. We've still got four minutes left."

Then he held her, closing his eyes, living in the moment, feeling a surge of happiness so profound he couldn't stop smiling.

If this is all there is left to my life, I'm okay with it.

Then Sun began to scream.

Andy turned around and saw- Jesus, what the hell is that?

Part spider, part scorpion, part snake hair head thing. And its face, crammed full of fangs...

"Dr. Gornman," Andy said, recognizing the face.

Then her snake hair struck out and bit him in the neck.

Chapter Fifty-Seven.

General Kane was close to insane with agony.

Every time he died, Bub brought him back and continued to torture him. Kane figured he barely resembled a human being by this point. But he had one eye left-Bub knew he needed that to shut off the countdown-and he saw that there was only two minutes remaining until the Omega Protocol began.

I'm old school infantry. Fought in two wars. Survived three marriages. They don't come any tougher than me. I can last two more minutes.

Bub broke something else on Kane, but the General scarcely noticed. Everything hurt so bad, there wasn't much more Bub could do to him.

"You foooooooool!" the demon raged. "You think you only have to last twooooo mooooooore minutes? If youuuuuuu don't stop the countdown, I'll keeeeeeeeeeeep you alive for yeaaaaaaaaaars!"

Bub continued to mutilate the general, went too far, and Kane died once more.

He was revived with thirty seconds left.

"I'll fix youuuuuu. Take awaaaaaaaaaay the pain. You can beeeeeee young again. Immortaaaaaaal. Lead my army."

"The code..." Kane said. "I'll give you the code..."

"Yessssssssssssssssssssss?"

"It's a password."

"Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss?"

"Capital F. Small u. Small c. Small k. Capital Y. Small o. Small u. Then an exclamation point."

Bub's eyes narrowed and he screeched, just as wet cement began to rain down on them both.

It was the most beautiful thing General Kane had ever seen.

And it was quickly followed by the second most beautiful thing General Kane had ever seen. Standing in the doorway was the man from Manx.

"Looks like your plans for world domination have come to an end, Bub-lad."

"Liiiight beareeeerrr!" the demon hissed.

"I'm here to do something I should have done forty thousand years ago," Lucas said, rolling up his sleeves. "I'm going to kill yer, you dirty little bleeder."

"Kick his ass," General Kane said, a final smile crossing his mangled face.

Then he died for the very last time.

Chapter Fifty-Eight.

The giant mantis swayed, then pounced next to Nessie.

Well... half of it did, anyway. The other half was in Wolfie's mouth. He shook it back and forth like an enormous, disgusting chew toy.

"Wolfie! You need to help me with Rimmer. You need to carry him to the elevator."

Wolfie sat down and cocked his massive head to one side, ears pricking up.

Then cement began to sluice down through the ceiling slot.