He forced a smile as sweet as hers.
“Yes,” he said, opening his arms.
She flew to him. They kissed long and deep. He locked his ankles behind her knees. She worked the Velcro of his shirt. He pressed his cock against her pelvis. She moaned. He caressed her neck as her tongue probed his ear. Her breath was hot.
He jammed his thumbs into her throat, choking off her scream.
They tumbled around the blister, their backs scraping the door, their elbows butting the dome. She kicked her feet and pounded his sides with her fists. But his thumbs dug into the ribbing of her trachea and his mouth sucked out her last puff of breath.
He slammed her head against the bulkhead for good measure. “Lying bitch!”
Carla Sue’s eyes were wide open. Her perfect lips formed a perfect, soundless O. Two splotches of angry red gathered where his thumbs had closed off her windpipe.
Lance looped one of her arms through a handhold so she would not float around the blister. He peeked out the door. No one was in the tunnel. He slipped out and cracked the access door. The Mars module was empty. A supply canister protruded from a cubbyhole beneath a nearby workstation. It was empty except for the inflatable bladders used to cushion its contents during lift-off. He deflated the bladders and guided the canister into the blister.
Carla Sue’s T-shirt had floated up to her shoulders. Lance folded her legs, pressed her thighs against her breasts, then pulled the T-shirt over her knees to lock her in fetal position. As he stuffed her into the canister, her neck bent at an impossible angle. He was overwhelmed by a momentary sense of deja vu, then he shook his head and closed the latch.
He never had murdered anyone before. At least, he didn’t think he had.
At 0800 hours the next morning, Dan was in his office talking to Tom Henderson over a secured comin link.
“As normal as can be expected,” he said in answer to Henderson’s opening and most obvious question. “How about with you?”
“Been fielding a slew of phone calls from CNN,” said Henderson. “In particular from a guy named Ed Yablon. He’s Weiss’s bureau chief.”
“I’m sure you can handle it,” said Dan. “How’s Constellation coming?”
“On the pad at Kennedy. Still will take two, maybe three days before she’s cleared for launch. One good break, the weather looks like it will cooperate.”
Thank heaven for small favors, thought Dan.
“All the personal communications for the Trikon people are piling up here,” Henderson said. “My people think you ought to let the incoming messages through.”
Dan shook his head. “If I do then they’ll start pressuring to send down their replies. No deal.”
“Some stuff for your crew members, too. Including the medical officer.”
Hesitating a moment, Dan grudgingly answered, “Okay, I guess you can send that through. Nothing else, though.”
“Okay.”
Before either Dan or Henderson could say another word, an alarm buzzer sounded in the command module.
“—the hell is that?” said Henderson.
Dan did not answer. He flew into the command and control center. A warning light on the life-support instrument panel flashed yellow, indicating that the oxygen supply in the atmospheric mix was nearing a dangerously low level. Dan tapped the blinking button and the angry buzz of the alarm switched off. But the yellow light still flashed balefully.
“Freddy!” he shouted.
No one answered.
Dan launched himself to the infirmary and banged on Lorraine’s door. She had a European tech inside with her; they both looked more curious than apprehensive.
“Was that an alarm we heard?” she asked, with a slightly puzzled smile.
“You seen Freddy anywhere?”
Lorraine’s smile evaporated. “No. Why?”
“What about Lance or Stanley?”
“Haven’t seen them either.”
“Thanks. No big deal. Sorry.”
Dan sailed back to his office, where Henderson’s image waited on the screen.
“Minor problem, Tom. A crewman forgot to replace an oxygen cylinder. I’ll do it myself. You have anything else?”
“Not now. If I do, I’ll holler.”
“Rog,” said Dan as he cut the comm link.
He went directly to the logistics module without searching for any of his crewman. It was unlike Freddy to ignore an order, especially one so vital to the station’s life support. But then again, the conditions on the station had been abnormal. Anything could get lost in the shuffle. I’ve got to get this tin can running efficiently again, Dan growled to himself.