Chapter 27

I start the hummer back up and get it onto the road. I can still hear her screaming. This is not good.

I check the instrument panel to see how much energy I have and do a weapons check. Everything gives me a green light. I sure wish I had some music to go with the avenging angel part that I was about to play. Wagner or that guy who did Terminator. Was that scary or what.

I make all the appropriate turns and get back to the camp in record time. But the screaming in my mind has stopped long before I even get off the roadway. I hate it when I know what I will find.

I flip on the brights and what I illuminate is a war zone. It looks like the brutes wanted one last try. There is carnage everywhere. Dead brutes in their bear hides, lay about with bloody holes blasted through them. I cast my glance around to see that the only ones who are standing are 7 men. Protecters one and all, in various states of shock and bleak desolation at the destruction they have wrought this night.

I hit the brakes and jump out of the Hummer, immediately I start looking around for Annie. No one stops me, they are all too busy with the rest of the wounded. I finally find her. I pull her out of the pile she is under. She has multiple stab wounds all over and one right through her eye. She died receiving that one.

Holiday has followed me over. Once I have found her body, he drops to his knees and to my shock, starts to wail. The guy must have had it bad. I give her one last hug then lay her back down. I kiss my fingers tips and touch them to her eyes. "Safe travels great warrior, 'til we meet again."

The wind passes by and on it I hear a soft whisper in my ear. 'Til we meet again my friend.' Then the feeling is gone. I look over at Holiday, who has stopped wailing by this time. Reaching over, I brush the tears from his cheeks.

"It does not get any easier." I tell him. I wish I could cry too but that kind of release is gone from me.

"I loved her. We were making plans." His anguish is plain to hear in his voice.

I can only shake my head, I have no pity but I can sympathize with his hurt.

"Chronos, Status." Sabers commanding voice cuts through our grief.

"Everyone safe and sound." I slowly climb to my feet. "All clear on the road coming in." I relay to him.

As I look around, I see that everyone who is still standing has come over to Holiday and me. I hang my head as I turn to face them, the guilt I feel overwhelming me. How could I have missed this. I should have known it was going to happen.

"I got here as fast as I could." I shake my head in shame. "I hate it when things like this happen." I snarl at the ground.

"If you had not insisted on driving everyone tonight, it could have been worse, more dead." Gunga calmly tells me.

"I know." I give him a shy nod of thanks. "I was trying to save everyone."

"And if we had not take all the weapons and ammo out, while making room we would have been under armed." Seth adds, giving his brother a quick grin.

"That there was the ten of us and no wounded, helped." Seattle puts in his two cents.

"What happened?" I finally get to ask.

"Looks like they got everyone who was not dead together and attacked in force. It must have taken them half the night to find every one." Saber answers. He crosses his arms and flexes his muscles. "Everyone is right Chronos, I am not sure we could have done as well if we had civilians to defend or even if having everyone armed would have made a difference."

I look around some more and notice that a couple of the protectors are missing.

"Where are Twain and Mao?" I ask.

Gunga Din shake his head at my question.

"Gone." Gun says. He has a hand held over his side, and is bleeding from a knife wound.

"Gun," Saber sees the wound and points to the parked vehicle. "Get in the Hummer." His voice has lost some strength, like the fight has gone out of him.

Gun grunts but he complies when Gunga Din and Seth help him over to where I parked the thing.

"What kind of clean up do you want?" I ask Saber. He has been standing there flexing his arms in anger.

"Clean up, right." He says bleakly.