The alien landed on him, grappling with him as it knocked him to the floor. The thing was far heavier than it looked, two hundred pounds at least, its...sharp claws tearing at his BDU and glancing off his armor plating. He found himself on the floor with the alien on top of him, scrabbling at his belly with its taloned toes like a cat trying to disembowel its prey. Fortunately, there was too much armor and gear in the way, and its claws couldn’t penetrate. He tried to aim his plasma rifle at its. Wasn't I supposed to be the deliberate numbers man? Then again — have I ever been myself since Myriam betrayed me?Betrayal — such a big word to use after all this time.My thoughts went to that utterly strange night in Dallas, again. I had let her in, but I had refused to let her explain. She had tried so hard to do so during the dry spells between her teary outbursts, but I smugly denied her the opportunity to tell me — to explain herself, as she said. I knew she would lie anyway. Just look. So yeh bat last month ki hi hai. Mein apne ek khaas friend ki shaadi mein shaamil hone k liye mohali gya. Uski shaadi 14 dec ki thi and mein 12 dec ko uske ghar pahunch gya. Sabse mila and shadi wale ghar mein apko toh pata hi hai kitne kaam hote hai. So kaam karte shaam hogyi. Mere frnd( govind ) ko kuch kaam k liye apne dad k sath bahr jana pada and usne mujhe uske relative ko bus stand se lane ki duty lgadi. Mein jaise hi car leke wahan bus stand pahuncha and unke relative ko call lgayi toh. "That was a great party!" She paused. "Idon't really remember much about it, though."That was that, then."So did it hurt? The piercing?" Gemma continued after a while."It didn't really hurt with the actual piecing. Well, it did for a second.But a little bit after ...! Yesterday was really bad," Mandy answered. "Icould hardly talk. But it's fine today." Really?" Gemma sounded surprised. "Well, good for you." Mandy was gettingthe impression Gemma disapproved.The practice went well. Gemma wasn't.