Chapter 64

Present – Ben – In the woods

All hell breaks loose in the woods to the East of us. We hear a bunch of howling, grunting and yelling. I sure as hell don't want to know what sort of animal is making all that racket. Stacy and I watch as the para-military news team takes off toward the noise.

I look over at Stacy and say, "Let's move it! This might be our only chance to get into the bunker, grab the gear we need and get the hell out of here before the news team comes back."

We jump up, Bo and Patches run up, we swing up on their backs and hightail it to the bunker...

Present – Stacy – In the woods

I think Ben forgot about my injuries because riding bareback on Patches hurts like hell! But Ben's right and I'm sure as hell not going to complain. My things are in the bunker and I want them. But that damn news crew had better not pawed around in my stuff or I will figure out some way to make them pay.

We get to the bunker, ride the horses into the stable and Ben commands, "Stacy, get the horses saddled up while I grab a bunch of gear."

I remind him, "Ben make sure you grab my pack, I have things in there I need."

The noises in the woods are louder than ever when Ben replies, "Affirmative, let me know when the noises stop because we will need to leave quickly after it gets quiet."

I begin to saddle Patches and bite my lip to keep from laughing at Bo. He's trying to saddle himself and it's funny as hell.

Present – Samantha – In the woods

I sure as hell don't know what all the noise is! It sounds like some animal is hurt or in a big fight. We'd heard the banditos 'accidentally' released all the zoo animals they found when they took over towns, but I didn't believe that because we'd came across zoos where the animals had been shot, roasted and eaten (oh boy did America get upset with that report!).

My reporter's instinct told me somehow the animals escaped, perhaps they were smart enough to do it themselves or perhaps they killed the banditos before they were killed. It didn't matter, if we could document wild animals on the loose in Texas, it would be a great news story.

I want to dash headlong after the story, when Emmanuel (Frank's Brother), who is pushing his all-terrain wheelchair says, "Sam, let the team get there first because we don't know what is happening."

I grin and answer, "Aye, aye big brother."

Frank laughs and declares, "Sam we're not Navy!"

I laugh, "If you're not Navy then why do you like my naval base so much." I giggle as my husband and big brother blush - I love making big, strong soldiers blush.

When we are almost to the noise, there's a bunch of shooting and Emmanuel cautions, "Everybody down on the ground."

The shooting stops, the noise stops but I know better than to get up until Emmanuel orders it. We hear footsteps approaching and ready our weapons, then we hear the passphrase. One of the team runs up, looks at me and states, "I don't know if you should see what we just saw."

I realize he looks more than a little sick (and he's a battle hardened soldier). So I question, "Is it really that bad?"

He nods his head, "I've never seen anything like it in my whole life. It made all of us a little sick."

I think it can't be that bad, besides I am a reporter and it's my job to report. I reply, "Well as much as I may not like it. I'm still a reporter and I have to do my job."

He shakes his head and says, "Don't say you haven't been warned."

Present – Stacy – At the bunker

I get Patches saddled in record time, start on Bo and praise him, "Yes you're a good horse for trying to help but let me finish."

Then I hear what sounds like gunfire then all the noises stop. I yell, "Ben things have become quiet."

He runs into the stable drops two huge saddlebags on the ground and says, "Put this one on Bo because it's the heaviest. I'll be right back with the rest of our things."

I can barely pick up Bo's saddlebags and get them behind his saddle. He grunts when they hit his back and I say, "Sorry about that, you can blame Ben." He nickers and nods his head.