It was well after dawn when the four of us pulled up to the cabin in the ambusher’s pickup.
I could see several guns tracking our movements from the upper windows and the tree line.
When I stopped the truck, I got out carefully, not knowing how itchy the fingers were on those triggers.
Once I was recognized, Melissa came outside carrying her AK47.
“Take care of these ladies,” I told her. “They’ve had a rough time.”
“What about the men that you went after?” she asked quietly.
“All dead,” I said shortly. “Did they bring back the bodies of the team that got ambushed?”
“Yes,” she replied. “Carl and Deke are out digging the graves now.”
I took her in my arms and held her tight. “Damn it, I should never have let them go out without more training.”
She hugged me tight and them pushed away to go tend to the newest members of our band.
I went inside and got out of my bloodstained clothing. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror as I started to undress. With blood on my arms, chest and face, I looked like something from West Hell.
No wonder the women had been scared of me.
After I was cleaned up and dressed, I went out to the gravesite with the rest.
Long after the service was over, I stood there looking at the three fresh graves.
Two men and a woman gone because they hadn’t been prepared enough.
I wouldn’t make that mistake again.
The mood in the cabin was somber and quiet for the next couple of days.
The other teams had returned with enough supplies to last us for a while, and one team had even brought a few head of cattle back with them.
I led another heavily armed party back to where I had rescued Sheila and the others.
We got the horses out of the barn and onto the big 2½-ton truck for the trip back to the cabin.
The horses would be used for mounted patrols. Quieter than a motorcycle or ATV, and they wouldn’t use any of our dwindling supply of gasoline.
I took Melissa back to the cave for a proper good-bye before I made another run back into town.
For all I knew, it might be the last chance I would have to be with her.
Tonight though, we didn’t make love. Melissa seemed to know what I needed more than I did myself, and she just held in me her arms all night long.
In the morning, I felt better than I had in years.
There’s something about the love of a good woman that does wonders for healing a damaged soul.
“Be careful.” Melissa said as I shrugged into my battle harness. “Come back safe.”
“Always,” I said. I gave her a kiss, then fired up my motorcycle and headed back to Billings.
This time I was going to do a recon of Logan International Airport.
I found my way to the airport easily enough, and for once I didn’t see any Changelings along the way.
I left the bike alongside one of the big hangars where I had a clear view and no place nearby for Changelings to lurk.
It was a long and nervous hike to where the private planes were parked. And I was seeing signs that changelings had been there recently. Fresh turds were clearly visible where the Changelings had passed within the last hour or so.
I re-checked the loads in my H&K, and then moved on, trying to look in all directions at once.
Finally I spotted what I had been hoping to find. An old Douglas DC3 sitting on the parking apron by a charter service hangar.
I made my way closer to the plane without being spotted by any of the changelings that I could hear moving around somewhere nearby.
From what I could see on the outside, the plane looked to be in good shape. But the only way to tell if it would start would be to actually get into it and fire it up.
But that would bring every Changeling at the airport on the run, and I was all alone.
Time to go get some help.
I was almost back to the bike when the Changelings found me. Their rank stench was the first clue I had that they were closing in on me.
I turned fast and saw the closest Changeling only a few yards away and coming fast.
I shot for the center of mass, and the creature went sprawling limply.
I flicked on the laser sight on the H&K, and then put a quick burst into each Changeling as the red dot showed on their bodies.
When the subgun ran out of ammunition, there wasn’t time to change magazines.
I dropped it and let it hang from the sling as I drew my .45.
The last Changeling dropped almost within arms reach just as the slide on the .45 locked back.
I dumped the empty magazine and reloaded as fast as I could, then I reloaded the H&K as I moved on toward the bike.
All that noise was sure to bring other Changelings, and I didn’t want to be around when they got there.
As I approached the gate I had come in through, I saw a group of changelings right in the middle of the road. I rolled on the throttle and blew by them doing nearly 90.
I was by them too fast for them to do more than make a futile grab for me as I blazed past.
After that, the rest of the trip home was smooth and uneventful.
Back at the cabin, I sent Tammie to round up the others for a briefing.
Once everyone was gathered in the living room, I laid out my plan.
“There is a plane out at the airport that we can use,” I said. “But getting to it is going to be tricky as hell. There are changelings all over the place, and when we try to start the engines on the plane, the shit is going to hit the fan.” I paused to let them absorb what I had just said. “If the plane does not start, then we’re going to have to fight our way out again. If it does start, we’ll all have to be aboard and secure within a minute, or else the Changelings will tear us apart.”
Deke raised his hand. “I’ll go,” he said. “I can’t fly the plane, but I can keep the Changelings off your back while you get it running.” He gave a chuckle. “Besides, I’m getting bored just hanging around here.”