“Hey at least I’m getting some.”
Colby chuckled and glanced sideways to see Alicia staring. As soon as she saw him look, she faced forward, staring at Kenzo who was saying something to Jessie. Jessie gave him the finger. “Right, everyone listen up,” Kenzo said. “We’ll be dropped off at the corner of Wood Boulevard and Harpst Street, five of us will head up Harpst Street, the other five will go around to the north side.”
“And the other ten? Where is the second truck going?” someone asked.
“They are heading up B Street and will be on the east side of the university. They will split off into two groups of five. The target has been confirmed to be at the university.”
“Seems like an odd place to hang out,” Colby said. “Why there?”
Kenzo looked at him and shrugged. “Do I look like a Magic 8-Ball?”
“Steady now. I just figured you might have been told.”
“Well I wasn’t.” He made his way to the back and stood near Colby. “My father was told where they were. I’m just conveying the information.”
“Just figured that information might have been a little bit more detailed. I like to know what we’re heading into.”
“Feel free to hang back.”
“No, I’ll leave that to your old man.”
He scowled. “You have a problem, take it up with him when you get back.”
“Maybe I will,” Colby replied.
“Guys,” Dylan said, as the truck came to a stop and everyone hopped out the back. From what Colby could see, the university was quiet. No one outside. But that didn’t mean someone wasn’t perched in a window waiting to pick them off. Kenzo jabbed out a finger. “You, you, you, and you two, head that way.” Colby’s group consisted of Dylan, Zeke, Nina and Jessie while Alicia went with Kenzo. Everyone shouldered their rifles and jogged away from the truck.
If he wasn’t mistaken, Kenzo had purposely picked her to go with him as Colby had offered to go with his group but he’d refused.
“Who’s staying with the truck?” Dylan asked.
“It will be fine here,” Kenzo replied.
“Famous last words,” Colby muttered. He scowled at him.
As Colby’s group pressed on up Harpst Street there was a large parking lot off to the left full of stalled cars, and dorm rooms on the right. Most of the windows were smashed. It wasn’t that people had broken in, it was boredom. There was a lack of entertainment. So people went out and raised a little hell.
The campus was huge, spread out over seven hundred acres and nestled in the redwoods with breathtaking views of the bay. Alicia, Kenzo and three others crossed the parking lot heading to the north side. Colby kept an eye on them.
“Something seems strangely off about all of this,” Colby said to Dylan.
“Why?”
His eyes scanned the many windows and rooftops of the campus.
“Twenty of us to bring in seven?”
Dylan shrugged. “They killed a lot of people, Colby. They could return.”
“And how many have we killed to survive?” Colby asked. “Asher was right. Bringing in hostiles is not a good idea. Sure, there have been those who have done nothing and turned out to be contributing members of the community, but it was only a matter of time before some didn’t. And now we have twelve dead and are risking our necks to bring these guys in.”
“It’s not just about bringing them in,” Zeke said. “Jules says they had to have had help. The council wants to know who helped them.”
“So now they’re approving interrogations and torture?”
Zeke laughed. “No one said anything about torture.”
“Oh please, Zeke. If these guys did have help, do you really think they are going to give up a name?”
“What’s the problem?”
Colby shook his head and continued jogging forward. His mind was full of questions, concerns and worries. Was it because the men were still in Humboldt County? What if they’d made it beyond the borders of the county? Was it better just to let them go? Had they even caused the explosion? They wouldn’t know until they captured them. He pushed the thoughts from his mind as they ran toward one of the buildings at the intersection of Harpst and Rossow. On an ordinary day the place would have been bustling with students, campus police and vehicles but now it was empty. Doors on stalled vehicles were left open as if they’d been abandoned in a hurry. All he could hear was the sound of their footsteps, and paperwork blowing across the ground like tumbleweed.
“So what’s the deal with you and Alicia?” Dylan asked sidling up to him.
“No idea.”
“What caused her to move out?”
“We got talking about leaving.”
“The city?”
“The county.”
“But you just got back. Why would you leave?”
He glanced at Dylan and he nodded. He understood. As they came around onto Rossow, Kenzo’s group had made it to the corner where the student business services building was. They motioned to follow them up Sequoia Avenue past the college radio station.
Dylan jogged ahead, trying to catch up. Alicia looked back then pressed on. He had to wonder what was going through her mind. He understood her reasoning for wanting to leave. No one wanted to feel as if they were going to be left behind and his mother hadn’t helped. But couldn’t she have waited a few days?
Both of their groups made their way over to the university library, a massive building that had the doors torn off. Books were on the ground. Pages blowing in the wind. As they turned to head into the building, Colby glanced up to the roof and noticed the men. They were perched on the top, legs dangling over the edge as if admiring the view. There was no sudden movement. The men looked as if they were expecting them.
Colby turned and looked behind him.
No one.
Kenzo lifted his rifle and instructed them to climb down.
But they didn’t move.
On the way back from Crescent City to Eureka, Colby had spoken to the one who’d done all the talking. He went by the name Aaron Reilly. His
