Scream

You were right -- your only response is to scream, the sound echoing down the narrow hall. The lizard lunges at you and you stumble back, but it manages to clamp a cold, scaly hand over your mouth and shove you back against the wall. It leans against you, pinning you with its body, and you can feel hard, rippling muscles beneath its T-shirt. It leans its face close to yours, close enough you can see the tiny, individual scales that cover its skin. Its mouth opens and a black, forked tongue snakes out, flicking the air beside your ear.

"I can smell your fear," the lizard says. "Calm yourself, human. I said I won't hurt you, but I can't let you draw attention to us. Our mission is too important. It relaxes its grip on your mouth. "If I let you go, will you be quiet?"