“What happened?” Matt asked as he and Ethan came running in from their respective rooms.
“There are more Augs outside! Don’t let them get away!” Richard yelled. The two men turned and ran out of the house in pursuit while Richard used his rifle as a cane to get back on his feet. A moment later he heard several shots and went out to see if Matt and Ethan were alright.
“We got ’em,” Matt said in a seditious tone.
“There you guys are,” Mitch remarked as he came out of the house seeming unaware of the event.
“Nice of you to join us,” Richard said with a smirk.
“Sorry… what did I miss?” he asked.
“Three Augs came snooping around. I shot one in the house and Matt and Ethan got the other two,” Richard replied.
“I guess we should have posted a guard,” Mitch said with a yawn.
“We will from here on out, but for now I think we should head down to the river and see if we can find a better place to hide until dark,” Richard suggested.
“Do you think we’ll run into any more patrols?” Ethan asked.
“I don’t know, but the closer we get to Great Falls, the greater the risk.
“I’m a little nervous about this mission,” Ethan admitted.
“So am I, but you would have to be a fool not to be worried. Like I said from the very beginning, this is going to be a risky mission with no guarantee of success,” Richard said with a concerned look on his face. The men knew exactly what he meant, the only guarantee was that they might not make it back alive.
Chapter 8
The group was within forty miles of Great Falls by dawn and they decided to camp on the bank of the Sun River in a spot that was heavily overgrown. Richard pulled out the digimap and stared at it as he debated on the best route to the production facility.
“Hey guys, would you mind coming over and taking a look at this?” he asked as he set the map down so everyone could see it.
“What’s up?” Matt questioned.
“We need to decide if it would be better to swing south and cross the Missouri River by the bridge near the small town of Ulm, or attempt to swim across it closer to Great Falls. What would each of you prefer?” Richard asked as he looked over at Matt first.
“I would rather cross at Ulm,” Matt replied.
“What do you think Ethan?”
“I’m not a strong swimmer, so I vote for the bridge,” he responded.
“How about you Mitch?”
“The Missouri River is too wide to safely cross at night. The swirling currents could easily turn one of use around, and without even realizing it, you might end up back on the same side of the river that you started from.”
“Alright, we’ll head south tonight and cross at Ulm,” Richard said as he put the map away. “In the meantime, I’ll take the first watch,” he added.
While Richard kept guard, the men took naps. Everyone seemed restless, tossing and turning repeatedly. Richard wasn’t sure if it was anticipation and nervousness affecting them, or the fact that the river bank offered little comfort compared to the soft beds they had left behind in Simms.
“Why don’t you take a break,” Mitch offered.
“Thanks,” Richard replied as he went over to his pack and retrieved his sleeping bag.
A few hours later when it was nearly dark, Richard woke up, but feigned sleeping when he heard Matt and Ethan whispering about the mission.
“After we destroy the production facility, the Augs will be all over us,” Matt complained. “It’s not like they’re going to let us walk out of there alive.”
“Have a little faith,” Ethan replied. “I’m sure Richard has a plan to get us out of there safely.”
“I don’t think so…this is a one-way trip, and he doesn’t care if we are killed as long as the goal is achieved!” Matt insisted.
“I don’t believe you… Richard and Mitch might give their lives to make sure the mission succeeds, but they won’t jeopardize ours,” Ethan said in a defensive tone.
“Why don’t you ask him how he plans to get us out of there after the attack. Then you’ll see I’m right when he dances around the question without answering,” Matt replied.
“I will,” Ethan said as he walked off.
Richard continued to feign sleep as he thought about what Matt had accused him of. In part it was true, but he thought he had made it perfectly clear that sacrifices might have to be made and lives might be lost. Matt was correct about one thing, Richard would do whatever it took to stop the Augs.
After a few minutes Richard yawned and then rose to his feet pretending that he had just woken up. He felt somewhat defensive, but said nothing to Matt or Ethan since he didn’t want them to know he had been eavesdropping.
“Where’s Mitch?” Richard asked as he looked around.
“I think he needed to use the bathroom,” Ethan replied.
“Okay, when he gets back, let’s head out,” Richard suggested.
A few minutes later Mitch reappeared and quickly put on his pack when he saw everyone else was ready to go. Richard led the way, heading east across the open farmland towards Ulm. When they reached the outskirts of the town Richard stopped and pulled out his binoculars. Unlike Simms, the town was well lit and occupied by Augs.
“What’s the plan?” Ethan asked in a whisper.
“We’re going to have to wait here a bit, there are still several Augs out on the streets,” Richard replied.
“Are they patrols?” Matt asked.
“No, there’re not armed… I think they are just residents.”
“Can you see the bridge?” Ethan asked.
“Yeah, but unfortunately we have to go down the main street to reach it,” Richard said as he watched the last few Augs go into their homes. “Alright, it looks like they have gone in for the night. Tuck your weapons under your packs so they are not in plain view, and we’ll cautiously head for the bridge.” The men walked confidently and in unison as they proceeded into town. Richard hoped that they would be mistaken for Augs if they acted robotic and appeared to be heading somewhere important. When they approached the first residence, they could see an Aug peering out from behind a curtain.
“Don’t look at them,” Richard said in a low voice as they continued straight ahead. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the curtain slowly close and his heart started pounding a little less violently. When they reached the midpoint of the town, several more Augs peered out at them, but they quickly lost interest assuming the men were Augs. With each step their confidence grew until they reached the bridge. The Missouri River was briskly flowing some twenty feet below them, and with less than fifty feet to go, a pair of headlights suddenly appeared on the other side of the road heading straight for the bridge.
“Climb over the railing and hide on the underside!” Richard ordered, hoping they would not been seen by the oncoming vehicle. The men quickly jumped over the guardrail and grabbed hold of the cables that spanned the support girders. The bridge began to shake and vibrate as the vehicle crossed overhead. No sooner than it had crossed, a second vehicle came onto the bridge, followed by yet another. Richard could feel his fingers going numb from the vibration, and then he heard a loud splash in the river below him. In the dim bridge lights, he saw Ethan flailing in the water as the current started to carry him north. Richard instantly let go and plunged into the cold water after him. When he surfaced, he could see Ethan a few yards downstream, struggling to stay afloat.
“Hang on, I’m coming!” Richard yelled, unsure if Ethan could hear him. A moment later Ethan briefly disappeared from sight and when his head bobbed up again, Richard grabbed hold of his shirt.