'My name is Willis,' came the answer but he would not look Trevor in the eye.
'We’re not your enemies, Willis. We’re human, just like you.'
Reverend Johnny jumped in, 'We are searching for some of our friends. They were supposed to come here a few days ago. Do you know of whom we speak?'
Willis glanced at his brethren nervously but anyone he looked to averted their eyes.
'Go ahead,' Stone encouraged and made a conscious effort to ensure his M4 carbine pointed down. 'One of them would have been a blonde woman.'
Willis’ nerves did not dissipate.
'Listen here,' Shepherd gave it a shot 'They would've been like us. They would've come on foot. There were four of them.'
This time Willis understood. He spoke through a mouth holding maybe six teeth, 'Yes I know who you mean. They came here a few days ago. The others were waiting for them.'
Trevor glanced to Shep and Johnny and then asked, 'What others? Do you mean aliens? Look, if you're honest with me I can help you. Food, illness won’t be problems any more.'
The detainees murmured in approval.
Willis answered, 'Last week a group of people came here. They were soldiers, I think. They had guns. They were not pleasant, not at all. They hit Charles here for speaking his mind to them.' Willis nodded toward a teenager who bore the remains of a nasty bruise on his cheek. 'They changed their clothes to look like us. Then your friends came and they captured them; took them away.'
'Took them away? Where?'
'To the north. Yes, to the forest to the north. They came from there; they took your friends that way when they left.'
– Trevor left two of Hoth’s soldiers and two K9s at the farm as protection and to arrange the evacuation of the settlers. The balance of his team boarded the Eagle and flew to the north. After thirty-minutes of flight they found a hardwood forest looking withered from the harsh winter but an imposing sea of trees nonetheless. Trevor would find no landing space in its midst. He circled above looking for something…anything.
'Dear Lord, what is that?'
Trevor saw what Johnny saw: a twisted cone-like structure rising from the forest. It could have been a building, but its texture more resembled tree bark. On its black surface he spotted a few scattered twinkles as if from glitter.
'I can't land in that forest, it's too thick. We'll set down at the rim and hike in on foot.'
Johnny did not like that idea. 'A hike? I dare say you are pushing the practical limits of safety in this matter. We should retreat and summon reinforcements.'
Trevor heard what Johnny said but the logic of his suggestion could not match the image of Nina covered in Bore Bugs or in the maw of a Torture-Spider.
'I came here to find out what happened to the Dark Wolves, Reverend. I’m not waiting.' When Johnny glared at him like a disapproving father Trevor unconvincingly added, 'This is recon, not engagement. We’ll call in the troops once we see what we’re up against.'
Stone landed the Eagle at the rim of the forest…
…Trevor left two more of Hoth’s commandos at the ship, including one trained to fly Eagles, with instructions to radio for back up should Trevor’s team not return within two hours.
Reverend Johnny vehemently protested, but in the end put on his gear and marched off with Trevor, Shepherd, Tyr the Elkhound, and a tall soldier from Hoth's group.
They pushed through the lifeless forest of crooked trees, climbed over rocky ridges, and crossed a pair of half-frozen streams. Along the way, morning turned into early afternoon but despite sharp sunbeams slicing through the canopy of jagged branches, the temperature remained below freezing.
Thanks to an early warning from Tyr, the group avoided the prowl of a massive StumpHide as the gargantuan creature crashed through the forest. Fortunately, the monster moved off in pursuit of a white tail doe that happened across its path.
After a twenty-minute hike, they arrived at the strange, cone-shaped structure. It stood nearly eight stories tall on a wide base hundreds of feet around and constructed of tightly-wound cords seemingly made of some kind of metal and another kind of wood.
Surrounding the building-sized object was a ring of pulverized trees apparently burned and stamped leaving no piece larger than a fist and piles of sawdust.
'Please correct me if I am mistaken,' Johnny whispered to Trevor as they observed the thing from the woods. 'But I do not recollect any image such as this in our Hostiles Database.'
Trevor agreed, 'This is new.'
'I am not one who appreciates surprises.'
'Okay, let’s check this out,' Trevor told the others. 'Shep, you two move around the west side. Me and the Rev will go the other way with Tyr. Look for an entrance.'
Shep nodded and the two groups separated, both using the tree line for cover.
Trevor and Johnny completed half their sweep when they spotted a huge archway leading to blackness.
'Well, there we go,' Stone said.
'Very well then,' Johnny placed a hand on Trevor's shoulder. 'We've found the entrance. We have completed our reconnaissance. Time to call for assistance.'
Tyr whined. Just a little.
Trevor translated the message sent to him by the K9: 'He’s caught Nina’s scent.'
He leaned forward but Johnny's grip held firm.
'You must not proceed alone, Trevor. We have been reckless enough today.'
'I didn't come all this way to wait. She could be in there.'
'I do not doubt it. But what good would it do Miss Forest for you to share her fate? I suggest we roust Mr. Shepherd, retrieve additional support from General Hoth's headquarters, and strike with a heavier fist.'
For a second, Trevor considered ignoring his advice and charging inside. Instead, he looked to Tyr and said, 'Go find Shepherd. Lead him back here.'
The Elkhound ran off around the side of the structure, barely making a sound as its body pushed through the dry brush.
Reverend Johnny relaxed and peered toward the entrance. It stood tall, maybe twenty feet high, and led into a wide hall.
'What manner of beast dwells here, I wonder?'
Trevor shook his head as he answered, 'I don't know. Too small an entrance for a Goat-Walker, big enough for a Troll but they don't build nests. Besides, this looks less like an animal's nest and more like a building. Perhaps someone-'
He heard the twig snap but still moved too slow.
Trevor swiveled around into the face of a gun barrel held by a dark-haired woman with green eyes. On her flanks stood four body-armor-wearing men with unrecognizable bullpup style assault weapons affixed with nasty bayonets.
'Drop your weapons. We do not want to hurt you,' the woman insisted.
Indeed, Trevor detected something like pleading in her voice.
Stone and the Reverend kept their M-4 rifles aimed at their attackers.
'Please, drop your weapons,' she repeated. 'Your people — Nina- they’re okay. They’re inside. I’ll take you to them but you have to put down your weapons.'
Trevor looked at his friend then dropped his gun. Johnny followed suit.
The armor-clad soldiers moved in and secured the carbines and side arms from Trevor and Johnny.
'Let's get inside before your pet comes back with help, I don't want to have to shoot any of your people,' the woman said in a tone that sounded one part cocky but another part sincere.
The soldiers ushered Trevor and Johnny inside the large opening. An instant later a thick bulkhead-some kind of dark stone maybe-slid shut over the entrance.
'You’ll want to take your coats off,' the woman suggested as they started along the hall. 'It's hot in here.'
