although he knew Moore was not looking at things the same as he was
“You got it,” Moore said as he stood up to leave.
“He still seems like a kid,” Bishop said to Weston after Moore had gone.
“He is. I mean, he still acts the same way now, as he did before all of this happened. I’m glad of that. It’s nice to have a reminder of the innocence lost.” Weston said, his thoughts reflecting on former times. Then he looked Bishop in the eyes, “Look after him. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to him.”
“Don’t worry.”
“You keep telling me that, but it doesn’t really help you know.”
Bishop’s smile was so wide that it became infectious. Weston was at ease for the moment, but that was once again replaced by the concern he had for the people who had become his family, and the responsibility he placed on himself for their well-being. He had a quiet childhood, a loving family, and a successful career. That was all gone. Although these people had become his family now, there was a difference. They looked to him for stability and direction whenever something presented itself they could not handle on their own. He, on the other hand, had no one he could turn to. Through no fault of his own, he carried the weight of responsibility for each and every member of their community. It was a matter of life and death.
Forty-one men suited up in the staging area. They loaded down both four and six wheeled battery operated vehicles with everything they could carry in addition to the soldiers. They would leave as soon as visibility allowed. The stories had circulated that a group of MuTerra killed several of their people while on patrol. They were going out to bring order to that part of their region. Wallace had no trouble soliciting the help he needed. There was the excitement, common before an operation, felt once again by those who had been dormant for so long. The previous night was filled with hours of preparation. Not that it was an intricate operation, but safety concerns and the limitations of their protective gear had to be considered.
To ensure communications could be maintained, they would drop off one man, at a halfway point, who was responsible for relaying transmissions from the team, to the mountain. Jim Forrest would be their operations officer. The few other staff working in the facility offered what help they could. They were scientists, but the excitement of the activity infected them as well.
Each man knew not only his role, but also the role of every other member. They had one chance to accomplish what they needed in the time necessary, and they were not going to fail. They lost friends, and they were not about to let the savages get away with it. Only Wallace knew that they would remain to occupy the valley once they reached their objective. He decided it would be counterproductive to have any additional fears play on the minds of his men. He had enough trouble maintaining control of his own. He thought it best to present that part of the mission as a fait accompli.
“Alright,” Wallace said to get everyone’s attention, “Let’s suit up. We leave in five minutes.” He walked over to Jim Forrest. “We’ll establish contact with you when we drop off our relay, then again right before we engage.”
“I’ll be waiting. Good luck,” Forrest said offering his hand.
“Thanks,” Wallace said before putting on his headgear.
They opened the outer doors while the remaining staff went behind the closed doors of their protected working areas. They filed out in a single line until the last man secured the doors. It was an overcast and cloudy day but not one indicative of rain. Aside from the few who were on the first raid, this was the first time they had seen the outside since before they were locked inside the mountain. They each experienced their own feelings about that as they went. They had time for reflection now, but soon they would have to focus on the mission.
ELEVEN
They left early the next day after a full breakfast. Moore was hesitant about eating until Bishop reasoned with him that he would need whatever nutrition he could get, and that it was better to have something to ’bring up,’ rather than nothing. True to his word, they were no more than two miles outside of the valley when Moore expelled most of what he had eaten that morning. They swung out to the east as they went. Bishop did not want a chance meeting between them, and any military force already on its way to Mezzo. By mid-day, they covered a considerable distance. Once Moore recovered from his sickness, he had no trouble keeping pace with Bishop. To their left, the mountain peaks could be seen reaching as far as the dark gloom, which cast its shadow everywhere outside of the valley. To their right, the open country was only disturbed by an occasional mesa standing as if in defiance of the land surrounding it.
They maintained their distance from the mountain range as they moved through the tall grass of the plains, and at times, followed the trail hidden inside of dry streambeds. They talked little, and that was fine with Bishop as he had a lot on his mind. The settlers were taking a chance on his course of action back in the valley, but he saw no other way to ensure their survival. He only hoped rationality would rule the day. His success in his own operation would have an impact as well.
As the evening approached, and the meager light, which penetrated the cloud layer abated, they searched for a place to make camp for the night. Even though there were no indications of rain, making camp in a ravine was a bad idea. They decided to take to the higher ground offered by a collection of moderately sized wild grass mounds. When they reached the middle of them Bishop stopped in his tracks, and Moore uttered his first words of the past several hours.
“Holy shit! It’s a rock wolf,” he said as he stood still, too frightened to move.
“Just take it easy Moore,” Bishop said trying to calm his companion.
The wolf looked at Bishop and he returned its gaze. There was no hostility evident, and Bishop instinctively knew this was the same wolf. “Whaddya say boy? It’s been a while.”
The wolf turned his head slightly as Bishop spoke. He looked briefly at the other man and could smell the fear. He did not warrant any attention. Fear to a wolf was weakness. Weakness had no use. He sat on his haunches still looking at Bishop.
“Well boy, we’re gonna stay here tonight. If you want to, you can as well.”
“Are you nuts?” Moore asked in shocked surprise. “I give him a minute until he decides he’s hungry and we’re his dinner.”
“No. We know each other,” Bishop said as he put down his staff, and removed the pack of supplies from his back. “Just stay close to me and don’t make any sudden or threatening moves. I think he’ll be alright.”
Moore wished he could be as sure, but he did notice that the wolf just watched Bishop as he went about his business. He heard the story that Bishop let a rock wolf out of one of their traps, the alpha male no less, but until now, he did not believe it. He stayed close to Bishop as he went about his business, while keeping a constant eye on the imposing animal.
“He won’t do anything to you. My guess is, we came close to his home and he came out to see who we were.”
“I’ve never heard of anybody meeting one this close, and live to tell about it,” Moore said still nervous.
“Moore, do me a favor.”
“Yeah?”
“Would you calm down, I can smell your adrenaline myself. If he hasn’t attacked us yet, he isn’t going to. Just go about your business, and try to ignore him.”
Moore finally took his eyes from the beast, “Ignore him? How in the hell do you expect me to ignore that,” he said pointing to the wolf.
Bishop smiled, “Just try, okay?”
It was an uneasy time for Moore as they set up camp. The wolf remained where he was, and watched the two men while they worked. When it came time to eat, Moore suggested he give the wolf some food to show he was friendly.
“I wouldn’t do that. I don’t think he would much care for what we have, and he is more than capable of
