Terri forced a smile. “Joseph! I’m glad you’re safe. Susan arrived an hour ago along with Bo and some of his braves. They crossed the river up towards the east fork, where the water is pretty shallow this time of year. The first thing she wanted to know was whether I’d seen you.”
Capelli didn’t wait to hear more. He went in search of Susan and found her in the underground meeting room, which had been converted into a makeshift hospital ward. There was no mistaking the look of joy on her face or the warmth of her embrace.
“Joseph!” she said into his shoulder. “Thank God. I’ve been so worried.”
“Me too,” Capelli said earnestly, as he led his wife over to a corner. “I have to leave soon, and I will feel a lot better knowing that you’re safe.”
Susan frowned. “Leave? Why? Where are you going?”
“Blackwell,” Capelli answered grimly.
“Blackwell? The town where we parked the Stalker? It’s crawling with stinks.”
“Exactly,” Capelli replied. “There are enough Chimera stationed there to destroy Tunnel-Through six times over. All I have to do is show them where the tunnel is.”
Susan was silent for a moment. Then she nodded. “That’s brilliant. And I think we can make it work. We’ll go there, get the stinks to follow us, and lead them to Ramsey. And, if we do it fast enough, the Chimera will destroy Tunnel-Through before the reprisals begin.”
“That’s the idea,” Capelli agreed. “Except for one thing. You aren’t coming.”
Susan opened her mouth to speak, but Capelli raised a hand. “I know… You don’t take orders from any man. But there’s an exception to every rule. And I’m asking you to make one now. For me, for little Joe, and for us. Please.”
Susan’s eyes narrowed, then softened a bit. “Okay… But only if you agree to take someone else with you.”
“I will,” Capelli promised. “Plus Rowdy. He’s been cooped up for days.”
“When do you plan to leave?”
“Just before sunrise.”
“Come with me,” Susan said as she took hold of his hand. “We need to tell the mayor, find a volunteer, and collect the gear you’ll need.”
“And I could use a bath,” Capelli added.
“With or without me?”
“I could drown without a lifeguard.”
Susan laughed, and Capelli was reminded of all the little things that made life worth living.
Capelli, Rowdy, and Mike Unver left Haven at 0432. Mayor Locke, Mr. Potter, and other members of the council were present to see them off. “Thank you,” Terri said earnestly. “Thank you very much.” She looked like she was going to cry but managed not to.
Susan did cry, but didn’t say anything other than, “Shoot straight.”
Capelli and Unver were mounted on sturdy horses with a heavily loaded mule in tow. Having racked up only six hours of sleep, Capelli was tired, but painfully aware of how important the mission was and determined to accomplish it. The sky was clear, the stars glittered like diamonds, and there was enough light to see by.
They followed the same path Capelli wanted the stinks to use, only in reverse. The plan was to leave weapons, ammo, and a little bit of food at key locations along the route. That would allow him to travel light, which would be very important, with what could be hundreds of Chimera on his trail. And thanks to Unver’s technical skills, Capelli was equipped to plant some very nasty surprises along the way as well.
With fresh mounts, and Rowdy out front, they made good time at first. But they had to hide when a shuttle appeared off to the west, and each one of the stops took time. Especially since they now had to cache the items left behind. So when the sun neared the western horizon, Capelli and Unver were still a good five miles short of Blackwell.
But that was to be expected. Capelli knew what was coming, and so he was in need of some hot food. Not to mention sleep. So they watered the animals, made camp in among some trees, and cooked a simple dinner.
“So,” Unver began once the canned stew had been served. “What time are we going to get up in the morning?”
“I’m getting up about 0500,” Capelli replied levelly. “But you’ll be at least ten miles east of here by then—because you’re leaving right after dinner.”
Unver frowned. “Like hell I am.”
“Oh, you are,” Capelli replied confidently, as he swallowed a swig of water. “Because if you go with me, both of us are going to die. And I’m not ready to cash it in yet.”
“Who says?” Unver demanded defiantly.
“I say. Look, Mike, no offense, but you’re too damned old for this. And if you come along you’ll slow me down. Then the stinks will kill you and me, and Ramsey will be free to take Haven. Is that what you want?”
“No,” Unver replied reluctantly. “But I promised Susan that I’d stay with you no matter what. She said she’d shoot me if I came back without you.”
Capelli chuckled. “That sounds like her all right. Don’t worry about it. Her bark is worse than her bite. Listen, Mike… It took balls to volunteer for this mission. And you put me right where I need to be. But this is as far as you’re going. So eat up, take those hay burners, and get the hell out of here.”
Unver left forty-five minutes later. And as soon as the schoolteacher was out of sight Capelli broke camp, followed Rowdy west, and found a second place to sleep. That way Unver wouldn’t be able to reveal Capelli’s location if he was captured.
Capelli thought he was alone as he slipped into his sleeping bag, but that wasn’t the case. You don’t trust anyone, do you? the voice inquired.
I trust Susan. And Rowdy.
How about me? Do you trust me?
You don’t exist.
Maybe I do and maybe I don’t, the voice said evasively. But I have a piece of advice for you.
Which is?
When the stinks come after you, run like hell.
Peals of laughter were still echoing through Capelli’s mind when he finally went to sleep.
Capelli awoke earlier than intended. The sun wasn’t up yet, but he could see the stars through foliage above him, and figured it would be a sunny day. But cold. Very cold. Which would burn more energy.
Knowing it would be his last meal for a while, and that he was going to need lots of energy, Capelli forced himself to eat a large breakfast even though his stomach felt queasy. A sensation he had felt many times during the hours prior to combat.
Rowdy, who was feasting on a can of hoarded dog food, showed no such reservations. Of course he had no idea what lay in store for him, and ignorance is bliss.
Once the meal was over, Capelli wrapped his sleeping bag and cookware in a shelter half and hid them up in a tree despite the fact he was unlikely to return. Because he couldn’t afford the extra weight—and it went against his grain to abandon good gear.
Then it was time to fill his canteens from a nearby stream before heading due west. The LAARK was heavy, as were the backup rounds, but critical to his plan. The idea was to send the stinks a message they couldn’t ignore. Then, once they were hooked, it would be time to employ the Marksman. A Magnum completed his armament.
Security around the Blackwell base had been lax when Capelli and Susan passed through. But was that still the case? Capelli hoped so but knew better than to take something like that for granted. So as the sun started to rise, he entered the east side of town. The houses in front of him were silhouetted against a soft glow that came from up ahead.