Trey and Dennings hit the stairs at roughly the same time weapons drawn.

Trey had trouble believing the chaos that was unfolding before him.

Several of Dennings's men were already down.

The rest were locked in a frantic firefight with each other.

One man landed close to Trey's feet, and as he looked on with horror, the man clawed that his leg hissing with hate.

A starfish-like parasite attached to the side of his bleeding face.

It all fell into place now.

The two dead men locked upstairs in eternal combat.

They're infected, he screamed into Denning's ear.

They're infected with a parasite!

To Denning's credit, he did not hesitate,

"'but barked orders to the men at Denning's back,

"'who quickly joined the firefight turning the tide,

"'cutting down their former comrades with brutal efficiency.

"'At last, the roar of gunfire subsided,

"'the air heavy with the smell of blood and sulfur.

"'Corpel Lee came forward, a nasty gash across his forehead.

Jesus, Commander, he pawed at Dannings' survival suit.

There was something in the shadows, some kind of hunched wet thing, and they caught a glimpse

of it before it threw those things into the room.

First I thought they were some kind of starfish, then they began to scuttle across the room.

Jesus, they were so fast.

...