store, he notices other objects on the shelves. They may also contain food, he thinks picking up a round, metallic object. There isn’t any smell from this and it’s harder than the other objects but he drops it on the ground like the bag. It hits the floor with a thud. He brings his foot down hard on the object and howls with the sharp pain. Picking the object up, he sees that it is still whole.
He slams the object on the ground. Looking again, Michael notices it is dented but not broken. He throws it down again. And again. The object breaks open slightly spilling a small amount of liquid on the ground. A more appealing scent rises and he bends down to sniff the little pool. It’s still not like prey or as sweet. It has more of a sour smell but it is closer to the odor of prey than the objects in the bag. He licks at the liquid and is pleasantly surprised by the taste. It evokes a deeper hunger and he knows that this will sate his appetite more.
He picks up the metallic object and walks over to one of the outside concrete walls. Throwing the can against the wall, it finally breaks open spilling its contents against the wall and onto the floor. Chunks of something are in the liquid. He cautiously picks up one of the chunks and sniffs at it before putting it in his mouth. This is tastier than the other food. It’s still not quite like prey but he knows he has found more food. He spends the night going through the shelves breaking one object after another. Some of the objects have very offensive odors and he knows instinctively that they are not food. One of the larger objects, not as hard as the metallic one but more so than the bag, breaks open. The scent that emanates from the liquid that spills out has a sharp odor that actually causes pain to his nose when he sniffs at it and causes his eyes to water.
The night passes with Michael testing object after object. He has found another food source in case the nightly hunt comes up empty. He opens himself to the others to send the images of the objects on the shelves and associates it with food. Feeling sated and contented, he shuts himself off again and walks back to his lair to rest the day away.
Greg and I climb back down meeting up with Robert and McCafferty. I quickly relay the information we found. Our time is short so I can only give a brief synopsis.
“Do you think we can get in, sir?” McCafferty asks anxiously.
“I think we have a plan but we need to get back. We’ll also have to fly back to Kirtland to see if we can find some equipment. If we can get in to see about your parents, we will,” I answer patting her on the shoulder. McCafferty nods in understanding.
“I’m not sure Lynn would like your definition of a plan, Jack,” Greg comments.
“Yeah, most likely not. Okay, let’s call it more of an idea,” I say.
We make our way back in the same fashion as our arrival with the sun lowering in the sky. The heat becomes even more oppressive as we draw near Horace’s position. I radio our progress letting her know when we are near so we’re not shot coming in.
Meeting up with the others, I give the same synopsis promising to brief more when we arrive back at the aircraft. We mount up and crawl our way back the way we came. The trip is still conducted slowly as we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves. If the group in the prison knows others are about, especially armed ones, they may beef up their defenses.
Following the reverse of our route, we make it back to the freeway heading back to Canon AFB. At the town we had to battle our way around, I stop at the fringe of where we can visually see it. I do not really want a repeat episode so we take a large detour through the fields. The day is moving on with the sun settling more into the west. If we had more time, I would venture around slowly so as not to kick up a line of dust but time is one thing that is not really afforded to us right now. We move off the road and sweep further to the south than our previous route. I have Greg and Horace take stations to the side and behind; hidden in the dust from the distant town. Denton replaced Henderson on the top gun and he keeps an eye around us, concentrating on the town but he reports the area clear.
We hook up with the highway again on the far side and make our way to Canon AFB. The sun is just above the horizon when we drive onto the ramp. We are sweaty, dirty, and exhausted. This day seems like three and it’s good to be back. I would love a shower but we’ll have to settle for using the rest of the day to eat and take turns sponge bathing in the aircraft. Miguel arrives with another group shortly after and I let him know what we are planning.
“We won’t be leaving for a few more days,” I tell him.
“Whenever you’re ready. We’ve lasted this long, I expect we can last a few days longer,” Miguel says in response. “I’m not a fan of gangs muscling others around. I could gather up a few of my amigos and help.”
“I don’t really think additional numbers is the answer, but thanks. If I thought we could take the place with numbers, I’d fly back and pick up the other teams,” I reply.
We spend the rest of what is left of the day eating and taking said sponge baths. Wiping the grime from the day is refreshing but it isn’t a total cleaning. I was once used to going days without showers but I was also younger then. It’s kind of like camping. Sleeping on the ground is no problem when you’re young but nothing beats an air mattress when you get older. I would often contemplate taking a small air mattress on missions but I didn’t want the added weight. A few pounds after hours and days of humping matters. The horizon covers half of the sun in a gorgeous sunset of reds, oranges, and purples and then, after loitering for a moment, it sinks quickly below as if dropped. Miguel and his group leave and we button up for the night.
She rises from her slumber, warm and content yet eager for the nightly hunt. Looking at the others huddled together, she feels pleased with her pack and their ability to find food in the area. It’s been getting scarcer but with their increased pack size, they’ve been able to track down enough to sate them each night. She rubs her belly as if touching her young one growing within. She isn’t showing yet but neither are the other females in her pack. Soon, she will and so will they. Soon she will not be able to run with the hunt and will need the others to bring her food for a short time. Until then though, she will enjoy the thrill.
Several males, which are huddled around her, stir with the coming of the night. The former pack leaders vie for her attention and the position closest to her during their sleep. She hasn’t allowed any one of them to catch her attention as she has the pack and her young one to think of. She doesn’t want them fighting amongst themselves either and has been able to keep that in check so far. She rises and heads down to the lower level and outside to empty her night’s waste. She has made each of them empty outside rather than pollute their comfortable lair.
The night is clear but with a chill in the air. Colder times are coming but she feels their lair will keep them warm and dry. She sniffs the air searching for the scent of food. There are a few hints of prey in the area and she waits until the others join her outside. She then leads them on one of the trails leading into the woods nearby. Finding some food within the wooded expanse, she follows other scents to where the two-legged ones once lived. The hard ground under her feet is not as soft as within the trails of the forest but she only notices it as an afterthought as she has picked up a strong scent.
She stops suddenly. Images fill her mind. Sent by one as strong as or stronger than her. She knows the sender is a distance away but she has not felt anything like it before. The other one that tickled her mind many nights ago is still fresh but that one was different. That one was one of the two-legged and this one is of her own kind. The images are of food and the strange objects found in some of the dark buildings.
She feels drawn to the one sending the images. Not drawn in the same way as to the two-legged one. For that one, she feels an intrigue she can’t shake. No, this pull is because this one is as aware, if not more so, than she is. She knows his exact location but also knows he is distant. The others in her pack halt in response to her confusion wondering why she has stopped. They can sense the other’s awareness and images as well but they are on the hunt and are not nearly as intrigued as she. They do note the images of food being presented however but aren’t sure how to proceed. They turn to her.
The awareness of the other vanishes. She shakes her head and directs them back to the hunt. She will check out this new food another night. She will also ponder this other strong one. After the hunt, she will think about it.
The teams gather around as best as possible in the confined cargo compartment. We have sealed up the windows to prevent any light leaking out and have the interior cargo lights on. It’s more like a locker room inside but it’s a far sight better smelling than what we had earlier today. I give a more detailed description of what we saw watching McCafferty’s face fall with each item both Greg and I mention. If there were only five or so inside, we
