Her voice still sounds harsh and comes out in a croak. Some words break like a child coming into puberty. Communicating in this manner makes her throat sore and feel raw.
“You are not to go there again unless I say so. Especially if there is the noise in the sky. We need to preserve the pack,” Michael says in a hushed but firm tone.
“Then why not destroy them before they do the same to us?” Sandra asks, knowing if that happens then her intent will be to locate and capture the two-legged one that haunts her thoughts.
“We will, but for now, we will pull back and establish our hunting grounds. We will keep the pack safe and whole. You know that the two-legged ones are dangerous,” Michael growls.
“That’s exactly why we need to destroy them,” Sandra snarls.
Sandra feels the tension between them build. She knows what she wants but also knows her pack is much smaller than the gathering Michael has brought together. And knows that Michael can and will call her pack away from her if he needs to. That will leave her helpless with her young one and will ruin her plans of the two-legged one. Sandra also knows that Michael would have no problem killing her if she wasn’t carrying her young one.
“That will happen when we figure out how. And when I say. Now is the time to pull back, preserve the pack, hunt, and plan. We have a safe place and we will keep it that way,” Michael says with another growl.
Grunting her displeasure, Sandra agrees but knows she will plan on her own. For now, she will watch and wait.
* * * * * *
I wake early feeling Lynn sleeping close behind me. The usual morning stupor I usually find myself in when waking vanishes in a moment as my mind registers what the day will bring. I ease up leaving the warmth of the covers for the chill of the interior. My head aches and feels foggy as if it is filled with cotton. I’ve felt this before in confined places with people sleeping. I’ll have to check with Bannerman to see that we are airing this place out during the day and that the ventilation works. Of course, he has a million things on his plate as well. I make a note to see if he needs more help.
Rising so I don’t wake Lynn, I slide on my boots, part the doorway curtain, and step into the building proper. Walking to and leaning on the metal pipe railing that circles the second story, I look over the quiet interior. I nod at Watkins standing across from me. The others of Alpha Team on watch are stationed on both the first and second floor. There aren’t many others up and about this early.
I turn to see Robert and Michelle, engaged in a conversation, near the railing outside of the cubicle they’ve been sharing. It’s apparent from their body language that, while not a heated discussion, they are at least having a serious one. I turn back to the interior giving them a semblance of privacy. They talk for a moment longer and then I hear Robert’s footsteps on the linoleum floor as he walks in my direction. I glance over and notice something close to a glare from Michelle as she looks at me for a second before going back in their room. Robert, with his black fatigues, vest, and M-4 slung across his back, leans on his elbows on the rail next to me.
He lets out a heavy sigh. “Trouble?” I ask.
“Nah. She’s just a little pissed that I keep going out with you. She wants me to stay here with her,” he answers.
“So that must be the twin laser beams she shot at me. She has a point you know. You should consider staying here with her,” I say.
“Yeah, well, that’s not going to happen. It’s not that I don’t want to but maybe when this all settles down. Right now, I need to learn and get the experience but she doesn’t want to hear that. After all, old man, someone has to be there when you slow down,” Robert says.
“Settle down? That may not happen in any of our lifetimes. I hope it does though. I’m getting tired,” I reply.
“Do you really think this pace will keep up?” He asks.
“I’m not sure. In some ways, I don’t think we’ve even started. There’s a shitload of night runners out there and we haven’t the slightest notion of what they are capable of,” I answer.
“Michelle isn’t going to like that, just like she doesn’t like the fact that we’re flying off again soon,” he says.
“Well, if it’s any consolation, I’m having the same issue,” I say, hearing the curtain part behind me. Lynn parks herself against the railing on the other side of me.
“What are you two boys talking about?” She asks.
“Nothing much. You know, the weather, the best deodorant to use, that sort of stuff,” I answer.
“Uh, huh…. And I suppose that the fact that Michelle and I aren’t looking forward to you two flying out again soon never came up,” she says.
“How do you do that? Do we really have a teleprompter on our foreheads?” I ask, startled at how she always knows what I’m thinking.
“We have our magical ways,” she replies with a grin. “And to answer, yes you do. And yours, Jack, is bigger than most.”
“You know I love you, right?” I say.
“Yes, I do, and love you too,” she replies. “Jack, there was something on the cameras last night I think you should see.”
“What was it?”
“Just come look at the tape yourself before we head out,” she says.
Robert, Lynn, and I walk downstairs into the control room. She pulls the recording out and starts playing it. She fast forwards until night runners appear on the screen. I watch for a few moments as the replay of what she saw plays.
“Shit! Are they actually casing the walls and looking the place over?” I ask, stunned by what I am seeing.
“That’s what it looks like to me,” Robert answers.
“I was thinking the same thing when I saw it last night,” Lynn responds.
I continue to watch as the small band of night runners look at the walls. Lynn puts in another recording as the ones on screen move off to the side. They appear again and stop. I shiver and a sense of dread comes over me. I know not to underestimate the night runners or anyone else for that matter and didn’t think I had been. The actions I am watching certainly indicate that I may have been. I hope this isn’t a prelude to something and think about taking the AC-130 up tonight.
“We have to clear out the area,” I say, watching a night runner take a run toward the camera and wall.
I continue watching as the explosion from the mine fills the screen and the subsequent night runner reaction. They vanish into the distance after moments of apparently being stunned. Lynn reaches over and hits the stop button but we continue to watch the blank screen for a few more moments. The fact that night runners will, no can, openly observe and surveil doesn’t leave me with a warm feeling. Cold dread creeps up my spine. As with the other packs I’ve observed, this one had an apparent leader. Perhaps it’s the leaders that have the ability? Whatever the case, it seems they have a higher level of intelligence that I wasn’t aware of. Yes, they can open doors and the thought of them being able to escape from the hospital comes to mind. Not that it ever really left.
“I’ll go wake the others,” Lynn says, jarring me from my thoughts.
“Okay, thanks, I’ll meet you outside,” I say.
Robert and I check that the outside is clear and step out to an overcast day. The moisture in the air after so many clear days brings a chill. It’s barely light out and the parking lots are cast in a dim gray. The sun must just be peaking above the mountains but it doesn’t look like we’ll see much of it today. The air is still with not a breeze stirring. The morning fits my mood after watching the video. I was only partially kidding when I told Robert that we may not see a secure peace in our lifetimes. Once again, it feels like we are barely treading water, but we are still alive. Looking at Robert sitting on the curb next to me, resolve sets in. I’ll protect him, Bri, and Lynn to my dying breath. An image of Nic smiling fills my mind and fills me with sadness and longing to see her. Just to see my sweet girl once again. See her smile, hear her voice, and hug her just one more time. God, I miss her. My heart opens up and tears well in my eyes.
“So, what are we going to do?” Robert asks, breaking the silence of the morning.
“Kill every last one of the motherfuckers,” I answer, looking over at him.
“I’m with you on that. But how?” He asks.
