1
00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:10,679
This podcast may not be suitable for
young listeners. Co named Wild Hut,

2
00:00:10,839 --> 00:00:17,199
Operation Blood Eagle, written by Da
Roberts and read to you by Cameron Buckner.

3
00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:31,559
Chapter six INLCO fifteen hundred hours,
fourteen May Lake Novelope, Argentina.

4
00:00:33,719 --> 00:00:38,560
When Clark had mentioned to Ernesto that
they needed formal clothing because they were invited

5
00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:44,520
to dinner at Lalco, the poor
concierge nearly fainted. He sprang into action

6
00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:49,560
and started making phone calls in rapid
Spanish. Soon an army of tailors and

7
00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:55,119
dressmakers arrived and came to their rooms. While they cleaned up, Clark quietly

8
00:00:55,159 --> 00:00:59,359
sent a text to everyone to find
and destroy the bugs hidden in their rooms.

9
00:00:59,799 --> 00:01:03,719
Agreed that if their host was the
one listening, then they already knew

10
00:01:03,759 --> 00:01:07,519
they were coming. If it wasn't
their host, then they would likely find

11
00:01:07,599 --> 00:01:11,120
out exactly who was listening to them. Clark had a bad feeling that there

12
00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:17,640
were more players on the field than
they were aware of. They were measured

13
00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:21,799
and fitted. Clark saw that they
had brought a wide array of different pre

14
00:01:21,879 --> 00:01:26,840
cut material. Once they selected the
styles that they wanted, the tailors and

15
00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:32,439
the seamstresses set up shop in one
of the hotel's meeting rooms. Within hours,

16
00:01:32,519 --> 00:01:36,879
they had been fitted with custom made
tuxedos in formal dresses for the ladies.

17
00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:42,599
Valkyrie had selected a style that was
elegant and sleek. It was royal

18
00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:46,760
blue with matching stockings and shoes,
and with her hair done, she looked

19
00:01:46,799 --> 00:01:51,079
like she belonged on the pages of
a magazine, not slogging through the mud

20
00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:55,519
with tim Odin. And when she
emerged from the bathroom with her makeup done,

21
00:01:55,599 --> 00:01:59,560
Clark nearly had to pick his jaw
up. You look amazing, he

22
00:01:59,599 --> 00:02:02,760
said, smiling. Thank you,
she said, blushing. You're not hard

23
00:02:02,799 --> 00:02:07,199
on the eyes either. I've never
seen you in a tux before. This

24
00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:10,719
is the first time I've worn one
since the wedding, he said, adjusting

25
00:02:10,759 --> 00:02:15,599
his tie. His tie and cuff
links matched her dress. If everyone else

26
00:02:15,719 --> 00:02:20,280
is ready, said Clark, we
should be getting ready to go. I'd

27
00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:23,439
like to stop by the bar and
grab a drink before we go. I'll

28
00:02:23,439 --> 00:02:28,479
be honest, I'm nervous as hell, why, asked Valkyrie. You've seen

29
00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,439
combat all over the world, You've
been wounded god knows how many times,

30
00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:37,000
and you've been decorated for valor Why
would you be afraid of a dinner party.

31
00:02:38,199 --> 00:02:40,879
This is a battlefield, too,
said Clark. This battle is fought

32
00:02:40,879 --> 00:02:46,879
with etiquette and subterfuge. This isn't
what I'm trained for. And then there's

33
00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:51,520
our host. If he's who we
think he is, well then that changes

34
00:02:51,599 --> 00:02:55,520
everything. She walked over to him, nearly tripping on her heels. God,

35
00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:59,919
she said, chuckling. I can't
remember the last time I wore heel.

36
00:03:00,479 --> 00:03:04,159
I feel so awkward. Well,
you do look amazing, he said.

37
00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:08,800
Almost didn't recognize you. She gave
him a quizzical look, frowning slightly.

38
00:03:09,479 --> 00:03:13,520
So I looked terrible the rest of
the time, she asked, pouting

39
00:03:13,599 --> 00:03:16,680
lightly. That's not what I meant, he said. You're very pretty,

40
00:03:16,719 --> 00:03:22,120
but I'm very married. I try
not to notice. It's tough not to

41
00:03:22,159 --> 00:03:25,039
notice when you walk out of the
bathroom looking like that. Well, thank

42
00:03:25,159 --> 00:03:30,960
you, she said, smiling and
seemingly mollified. So if you weren't married,

43
00:03:30,599 --> 00:03:35,120
then you would still be under my
command, said Clark. It would

44
00:03:35,159 --> 00:03:38,560
not only be against regulations, but
it's generally a bad idea. No matter

45
00:03:38,599 --> 00:03:43,719
how much I wanted to, it's
just inappropriate. I'm sorry, No,

46
00:03:44,159 --> 00:03:46,800
don't be sorry. She said,
that was the answer you should give.

47
00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:51,800
Not only are you married to someone
I consider a friend, but you are

48
00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:55,719
also my boss. But it's nice
to feel appreciated. Well, let's just

49
00:03:55,759 --> 00:04:00,120
say that you are. Let's leave
it at that, he said. Now

50
00:04:00,199 --> 00:04:02,879
let's go to dinner with Hitler and
try not to get killed. She laughed

51
00:04:02,919 --> 00:04:08,599
and shook her head. What if
it's not him, she asked, Well,

52
00:04:08,639 --> 00:04:11,639
then we still know the guy with
the tattoo works for him, he

53
00:04:11,719 --> 00:04:15,840
replied, Even if he turns out
not to be the big h then he's

54
00:04:15,879 --> 00:04:20,040
still in charge of a very dangerous
group of people. Clark sent a group

55
00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:24,160
text that they were ready to go, and they headed out the door.

56
00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:29,480
Gregil joined them in the hallway with
his tuxedo on and his hair braided down

57
00:04:29,519 --> 00:04:33,279
his back. He did not look
comfortable in it. She Old Maiden stepped

58
00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:36,800
out from behind him, and Clark
did a double tape. She was wearing

59
00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:43,639
a dress nearly identical to Valkyries,
only in silver. The other door opened

60
00:04:43,639 --> 00:04:47,959
and Ronestone emerged with Raven on his
arm. She was wearing a slinky red

61
00:04:48,079 --> 00:04:54,319
dress that revealed a long length of
leg and was strapless. She clung to

62
00:04:54,399 --> 00:05:00,639
Ronestone's arm the way an old world
mobster's mole would have. Stone had his

63
00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,439
hair slicked back, he looked more
like a hit man than anything else.

64
00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:09,560
The dark sunglasses he wore completed the
look. How's it look if? He

65
00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:13,360
asked, nodding at Clark, like
you're hired to shoot people from me,

66
00:05:13,759 --> 00:05:17,560
replied Clark, Well, technically I
am, he replied. True enough,

67
00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:20,720
said Clark. Let's get going.
I want to stop by the bar and

68
00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:26,160
grab a drink before we leave.
They headed down the hall and took the

69
00:05:26,199 --> 00:05:30,600
elevator down. Clark didn't want to
risk one of the girls twisting an ankle

70
00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:33,480
on the stairs. Once they hit
the lobby, they stepped out, with

71
00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:38,800
the girls holding onto the arms of
the guys. Clark and Valkyrie were in

72
00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:43,879
the center, with Gregel and Shield
Mudding on his right. Ruonstone and Raven

73
00:05:43,959 --> 00:05:46,879
were on his left, and before
Clark could turn and head for the bar,

74
00:05:47,319 --> 00:05:51,800
they were flagged down by Ernesto.
He smiled broadly as he came over

75
00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:57,560
to them. Ah Senor, Clark
said, Ernesto, your host has sent

76
00:05:57,639 --> 00:06:00,680
a cart to pick you up.
They're waiting out side at the door.

77
00:06:00,399 --> 00:06:04,920
Gracia, Sir Nesto, said Clark, nodding. They headed for the door,

78
00:06:04,959 --> 00:06:10,040
and Clark whispered to Valkyrie. There
early he muttered, so much for

79
00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:15,040
that drink. She just smiled as
Ernsto opened the door for them, and

80
00:06:15,079 --> 00:06:18,480
stepping outside, his jaw nearly dropped
when he saw the pristine nineteen thirty eight

81
00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:25,879
Mercedes Ben seven seventy limousine waiting for
them. A man in a chauffeur's uniform

82
00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:30,160
and hat was standing near the front
of the car. He bowed slightly when

83
00:06:30,199 --> 00:06:33,720
he saw them, and he clicked
his heels together. Ernesto moved ahead of

84
00:06:33,759 --> 00:06:39,240
them and opened the back and held
it for them to climb inside. Clark

85
00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:42,720
glanced in but saw no one waiting
for them, so he held on to

86
00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:46,319
Valkyrie's hand as he helped her into
the car. He entered next, and

87
00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:51,439
the process was repeated. Clark and
Valkyrie sat in the forward facing seat and

88
00:06:51,519 --> 00:06:56,439
slid over so that they could be
joined by Gray Eagle and Shield Maiden.

89
00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:01,519
Runestone and Raven took the rearward facings, sat the driver, closed the door

90
00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:05,160
and walked around the vehicle toward the
front, pausing once to wipe a speck

91
00:07:05,199 --> 00:07:10,920
from the gleaming hood before climbing in
behind the wheel and pressing a button.

92
00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:15,000
A panel opened next to Runestone,
revealing a crystal decanter filled with a dark

93
00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:20,879
amber liquid in four glasses with compliments, said the driver in a thick German

94
00:07:20,959 --> 00:07:27,480
accent. What is it, asked
Clark, Steinheiserbergantia A single malt, said

95
00:07:27,519 --> 00:07:31,560
the driver, aged twenty one years
I think I might kiss this guy,

96
00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:36,800
whispered Runestone, his eyes going wide
open. Thank you. I'll be certain

97
00:07:36,879 --> 00:07:41,560
to thank our host, said Clark. Very good, sir, said the

98
00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:46,399
driver, starting the engine. Clark
noted the engine ran like a Swiss watch,

99
00:07:46,519 --> 00:07:49,920
idling smoothly. The sound proofing of
the vehicle was perfect and you could

100
00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:56,199
only barely hear it running. This
car's amazing, said Valkyrie. What is

101
00:07:56,279 --> 00:08:01,480
this nineteen forty nineteen thirty eight,
corrected the driver. It's purchased from a

102
00:08:01,519 --> 00:08:05,920
private collector who added in a museum
in Belgium. This car was meant to

103
00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:11,639
be driven, not watched from behind
a rope. I agree, said Clark.

104
00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:16,759
It's beautiful. The driver smiled,
clearly proud of the vehicle. Thank

105
00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:20,240
you, sir, he said,
putting the car and gear and pulling away

106
00:08:20,279 --> 00:08:24,879
from the entrance of the hotel.
Runestone handed out the glasses and picked up

107
00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:30,839
the decanter, putting a generous measure
in each of their glasses. Easy on

108
00:08:30,959 --> 00:08:35,559
that, said Clark. We might
want some for the return trip. Drink

109
00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:37,960
as much as you like, said
the driver. I shall make certain it

110
00:08:39,039 --> 00:08:41,679
is replenished for you. Well,
thank you, said Clark. What may

111
00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:46,320
I call you, sir? The
driver seemed genuinely surprised by the question.

112
00:08:46,919 --> 00:08:50,000
You may call me youa kim,
sir, he said, with a nod

113
00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:54,559
of appreciation. Thank you, youoa
kim, said Clark. They all held

114
00:08:54,639 --> 00:09:01,399
up their glasses to momentous occasions and
absent friends, said Clark, absent friends.

115
00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:05,879
They all echoed and clinked their glasses. Clark took a sip and his

116
00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:09,399
eyes almost rolled back in his head. The twenty one year old whiskey.

117
00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:13,360
It went from sweet to smokey to
spicy, and then it ended with a

118
00:09:13,399 --> 00:09:20,720
gentle spice. My god, he
whispered, this is amazing. Gregel nodded

119
00:09:20,759 --> 00:09:26,039
appreciatively, and Runstone just grinned.
The girls all seemed to enjoy the flavor,

120
00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:30,639
but said nothing. Clark took another
sip and settled back against the seat.

121
00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:35,480
Valkyrie leaned beneath his arm and slid
up against him. As they rode,

122
00:09:35,519 --> 00:09:39,279
Clark could see Yoa Kim was being
cautious as he drove slowly, but

123
00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:43,080
was paying attention to everything they did. Valkyrie was right to keep up the

124
00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:48,559
pretense. When she settled against him, he could smell the fragrance of her

125
00:09:48,639 --> 00:09:52,159
hair and perfume she had pulled out
all the stops. He made a mental

126
00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:56,080
note to pick up a couple of
bottles of the perfume to take home to

127
00:09:56,159 --> 00:10:00,679
Amanda. Maybe the shampoo as well. You smell them. Amazing, he

128
00:10:00,759 --> 00:10:03,519
whispered. Thank you, she replied, grinning up at him. Nice of

129
00:10:03,519 --> 00:10:09,759
you to notice. As they turned
onto the highway leading to Enalko, they

130
00:10:09,799 --> 00:10:13,559
were driving along with the lake to
the west. The sun was beginning to

131
00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,639
go down behind the andes, turning
the mountains to golden flames, with the

132
00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:22,600
lake resembling molten gold. The view
was breathtaking. Oh my god, said

133
00:10:22,639 --> 00:10:28,320
Valkyrie. Look at that sunset.
I'm telling you, said Runestowe, this

134
00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:35,039
place is almost paradise. You are
passing what is locally called mirrordor Innalko,

135
00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:39,440
said Jokim, the Inaliko viewpoint.
It is one of the most stunning places

136
00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:45,759
on the entire lake to watch the
sunset well before we leave, said valkyrie.

137
00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:50,039
I want to come here and take
pictures. Clark grinned and nodded in

138
00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:54,159
agreement. Leaning up and kissing Clark
on the neck just below the ear,

139
00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:58,639
Valkyrie whispered quietly enough that no one
else could hear her. I'd like to

140
00:10:58,639 --> 00:11:01,960
come back here, she whispered,
once this problem is solved. I've never

141
00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:07,480
seen a place like this. Clark
nodded and tried to ignore the cold chill

142
00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:11,480
he felt when her lips brushed his
neck and her breath hid his skin.

143
00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:18,399
You're a married man, he kept
repeating inside his head. Moments later,

144
00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:22,519
the sun and lake vanished. As
they entered the thick trees. The road

145
00:11:22,639 --> 00:11:26,240
was cast in darkness since the tall
pines blocked out almost all the remaining sunlight.

146
00:11:28,159 --> 00:11:31,960
Yo Kim flipped the lights on to
bright and it illuminated the road for

147
00:11:31,039 --> 00:11:35,000
a good distance ahead, and Clark
caught a glimpse of eyes shine in the

148
00:11:35,039 --> 00:11:41,519
trees to their right, the opposite
side of the road from analco The eyes

149
00:11:41,519 --> 00:11:45,720
were easily ten feet off the ground, and he watched it blink and stepped

150
00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:48,919
back into the trees, far enough
that the light wouldn't catch it. Gregel's

151
00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:54,000
head snapped up and he began looking
in that direction, and Clark watched him

152
00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:58,080
wrinkling his nose as he tried to
get a scent. There was a look

153
00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:01,720
of frustration on his face. Clark
knew there had to be too many conflicting

154
00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:07,840
sens to catch anything from the outside. Clark looked at him and cocked his

155
00:12:07,919 --> 00:12:13,159
head to the side. Gregel locked
eyes with him and nodded fractionally. Clark's

156
00:12:13,159 --> 00:12:18,600
stomach nodded as he realized what that
meant. Gregel had just sensed the presence

157
00:12:18,679 --> 00:12:22,519
of a creature much like himself.
A large predator was in the deep dark

158
00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:26,360
woods, and Gregel continued to watch
the side of the road, and from

159
00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:31,679
where he was gazing, Clark could
surmise that whatever was out there, it

160
00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:35,480
was keeping pace with the car.
If Gregel senses it, then it was

161
00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:41,879
likely the creature that had sensed him
as well. Fuck, he whispered mentally.

162
00:12:41,919 --> 00:12:48,519
He chastised himself for not bringing a
firearm. He'd expressly forbidden everyone from

163
00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:52,840
carrying weapons. Their host security detail
would just take them, un likely not

164
00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:58,960
return them. Is something wrong,
asked Joakim. No, said Clark,

165
00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:03,320
I just thought I saw something in
the woods. Ah, you likely did,

166
00:13:03,519 --> 00:13:07,679
said Yoakum. There are dangerous predators
in these woods. It is best

167
00:13:07,759 --> 00:13:11,519
not to be wandering into the woods
unless you are prepared to defend yourself.

168
00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:16,440
While we are on the property.
Please stay close to the manhouse. We

169
00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:22,080
wish to ensure your safety. Thank
you, said Clark. I'll keep that

170
00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:28,240
in mind. Slowing down, Yoakum
turned left into the private driveway. To

171
00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:33,320
his surprise, they were waved through
without being stopped. Clark got a good

172
00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:37,120
look at the defenses and they were
extensive. Under a tarp was what had

173
00:13:37,159 --> 00:13:41,240
to be a crew served a machine
gun. The guard shack had a rack

174
00:13:41,279 --> 00:13:46,080
of weapons in one corner, some
of them with grenade launchers. Now it

175
00:13:46,159 --> 00:13:52,320
was getting dark and the security team
was wearing plate carriers and helmets with envgs.

176
00:13:52,279 --> 00:13:56,720
Clark noticed that their weapons were not
the same as they had been during

177
00:13:56,759 --> 00:14:01,279
the day, and they were carrying
much heavier weapons. He recognized a manufacturer

178
00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:05,840
as Heckler and Coke, and the
lowers looked to be HK four seventeens,

179
00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:09,720
but the uppers had a barrel far
too thick to be a seven point sixty

180
00:14:09,759 --> 00:14:16,519
two millimeter round. They looked comparable
to the rifles carried by tiam Odin,

181
00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:20,240
and that meant they had to at
least be a four point fifty eight so

182
00:14:20,399 --> 00:14:24,080
calm or bigger. Glancing at the
others, he was met with slight knots.

183
00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:28,399
They had all noticed the weapons and
gear. Once they passed the gate,

184
00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:33,360
they could see the guard tower that
was well camouflaged. They had missed

185
00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:35,879
it from the road. There were
two guards in it with night vision gear

186
00:14:37,159 --> 00:14:41,120
and heavy machine guns. Clark didn't
know what they were preparing for, but

187
00:14:41,159 --> 00:14:45,919
it had to be something big.
And while the big boar rifles would be

188
00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:50,720
excellent for disabling vehicles, they would
be overkilled on a normal soldier or police

189
00:14:50,759 --> 00:14:56,240
officer. You could easily penetrate body
armor with a much smaller caliber and have

190
00:14:56,279 --> 00:15:01,080
a larger magazine capacity. That didn't
seemed to be concerned with body armor.

191
00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:07,440
They were loaded to inflict heavy damage. The question was on what, And

192
00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:11,919
then he thought of the eye shine
in the woods, and whatever that was,

193
00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:16,559
they were aware of it and were
prepared to defend themselves. The road

194
00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:22,200
to the manor house was overgrown with
trees and completely invisible from the air.

195
00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:26,279
Clark remembered when they flew over in
the plane, he hadn't seen this road.

196
00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:31,600
They passed roving teams that were patrolling
in full battle kit with dogs that

197
00:15:31,759 --> 00:15:37,799
had to be either Borable or some
other breed of mastiff. They were massive

198
00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:43,679
animals with completely black, short furred
coats. Their ears had been bobbed and

199
00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:46,440
the tails removed. They had to
weigh close to two hundred and fifty pounds

200
00:15:46,519 --> 00:15:50,600
or more. They were big enough
that the handlers were all close to six

201
00:15:50,639 --> 00:15:56,080
feet eight inches or bigger with heavy
muscle, and the dogs were tethered with

202
00:15:56,120 --> 00:16:00,320
what looked to be a logging chain. Look at those goddamn dolls, folks,

203
00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:04,120
said Runestone. Those are unique to
this location, said Yo Kim.

204
00:16:04,559 --> 00:16:10,840
They were bred originally from African Brobil
and English massive bloodlines, but they were

205
00:16:10,879 --> 00:16:15,159
bred for their strength and loyalty to
their handlers. They are magnificent animals,

206
00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:19,440
said Gregel. I have a pair
of Borbles back home, said Clark.

207
00:16:19,559 --> 00:16:25,399
They're amazing dogs, smart and loyal. Why do you need so much security

208
00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:30,159
here, asked Valkyrie. I'm afraid
that our lead has many enemies, answered

209
00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:36,360
Jokim. Also, there are dangerous
animals in these woods. I can't imagine

210
00:16:36,399 --> 00:16:40,919
anything dangerous enough to need this much
security, said Braven. It's like a

211
00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:45,519
military base. Jokim didn't comment.
They all saw the lights ahead as they

212
00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:49,320
rounded the bend in the road,
revealing the estate in all its glory.

213
00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:55,320
Several buildings were all built in the
Bavarian style that seemed to flank the large

214
00:16:55,360 --> 00:17:00,960
manor house that was in alco.
The entire estate had a Bavarian log cabin

215
00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:03,839
feel that seemed to make the place
feel like a hunting retreat in the Alps,

216
00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:10,000
not something you would normally find in
the andes of South America. There

217
00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:14,680
were several stylish cars parked beneath a
large car port, and more parked inside

218
00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:18,240
the long garage. Many of them
were museum pieces, like the one they

219
00:17:18,279 --> 00:17:25,359
were riding in. Several vehicles that
were parked nearby looked like humvies. Would

220
00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:30,119
you look at all these old cars, said Runestone. Check out the armored

221
00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:34,039
vehicles, said Clark. If I'm
not mistaken, those are German ampvs.

222
00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:40,680
Ja Kim said nothing. He pulled
beneath the covered porch and stopped directly in

223
00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:44,480
front of the set of double doors. A man dressed in a coat and

224
00:17:44,519 --> 00:17:48,599
tails, opened their door and stood
by while they exited. The men all

225
00:17:48,599 --> 00:17:52,279
exited, first holding the hand of
their ladies, helping them out, and

226
00:17:52,319 --> 00:17:56,480
then taking them on their arms.
If you would follow me, said the

227
00:17:56,559 --> 00:18:02,559
dorman, closing the car door and
turning toward the house. Jokim drove off

228
00:18:02,599 --> 00:18:07,400
without looking back. Wow, whispered
Valkyrie. This is a lot to take

229
00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:11,599
in at once. Clark and Gregel
were glancing in every direction, taking in

230
00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:18,039
the details and identifying security features.
Some cameras were capable of infrared and low

231
00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:23,319
light. They saw motion detectors as
well as thermal sensors. The security here

232
00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:30,039
was very tight. The dormen opened
the door for them and they headed inside,

233
00:18:30,079 --> 00:18:34,119
and Alco lived up to its name. The house was elaborately furnished while

234
00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:40,039
keeping the hunting retreat feel. Inside. There were wood panels on the walls

235
00:18:40,079 --> 00:18:45,079
with an enormous fireplace that was the
centerpiece. There were paintings on the walls

236
00:18:45,079 --> 00:18:48,039
that appeared to be from many of
the great masters. A large dining area

237
00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:53,319
was already set with enough seating for
at least twenty people. They were ushered

238
00:18:53,319 --> 00:18:57,599
into the living area, where large
comfortable chairs were placed around the fire.

239
00:18:59,319 --> 00:19:03,119
There were enough empty seats for all
of them, but many were occupied with

240
00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:07,319
older men and women wearing formal attire. Their host stood as they approached,

241
00:19:07,319 --> 00:19:11,640
and Clark instantly recognized him as the
man from the balcony that he'd seen from

242
00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:18,039
the plane. He also recognized him
from photos taken during World War II.

243
00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:23,839
There was no doubt in his mind
this was Adolf Hitler. The man extended

244
00:19:23,839 --> 00:19:29,480
his hand with a smile. Wilcomen, he said, shaking each of the

245
00:19:29,519 --> 00:19:33,799
men's hands in turn. Thank you, said Clark. We appreciate your kind

246
00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:37,759
offer of hospitality. It is I
who should thank you, said the man.

247
00:19:38,079 --> 00:19:41,920
It is not often that our little
village gets visited by someone flying such

248
00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:47,680
an amazing aircraft. I was astounded
when I saw it fly over. Thank

249
00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:51,640
you for joining us. Ah,
where are my manners? Permit me to

250
00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:57,880
introduce myself. I am Augustus Hindemann. Welcome to my home. Clark did

251
00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:03,400
his best not to react when he
realized that his initials were a. H.

252
00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:07,720
You have a beautiful home, sir, said Clark. Allow me to

253
00:20:07,759 --> 00:20:11,240
introduce myself and my party. I'm
Daniel Clark, and this is my lovely

254
00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:17,480
new bride, Miranda. The gentleman
is William gray Eagle and his wife Samantha.

255
00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:22,480
And this is Santana Alvarez and his
wife Amanda. They were in our

256
00:20:22,519 --> 00:20:26,160
wedding party, so we invited them
along. It's a honeymoon for Miranda and

257
00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:30,200
me and the second honeymoon for them. I got a great deal on the

258
00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:36,680
package. Clark was pleased with himself
for managing to use their names instead of

259
00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:41,519
their code names. Henderman shook their
hands and in turn smiled broadly. Please,

260
00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:47,039
he said, gesturing expansively, join
us by the fire and tell us

261
00:20:47,039 --> 00:20:52,319
about yourselves. They were guided to
large, overstuffed leather chairs that were gathered

262
00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:57,319
in the seating area beside the fire. Henderman began introducing the men and women

263
00:20:57,359 --> 00:21:03,240
that were seated. Didn't catch their
names. He was already running through his

264
00:21:03,319 --> 00:21:07,319
mental records. He was a student
of history, and he knew he'd seen

265
00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:11,519
the face of every man in this
room. It was now confirmed Henryman was

266
00:21:11,599 --> 00:21:19,359
Hitler without the mustache. The others
were Erwin Rommel, Wilhelm Kanaris, Martin

267
00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:26,720
Borman, and Carl Dornetz. He
assumed the women were either their original wives

268
00:21:26,039 --> 00:21:30,319
or ones they had married after the
war. Although all of them had been

269
00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:37,319
reported dead long ago, they were
very much alive. It occurred to Clark

270
00:21:37,359 --> 00:21:40,519
that if the Nazis had known they
were losing the war, it would have

271
00:21:40,559 --> 00:21:45,559
been easy to concoct a believable cover
story for the alleged execution of key officers.

272
00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:49,200
It would be much easier to smuggle
them out of the country if the

273
00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:55,680
Allies already thought they were dead.
Clark glanced over at Gregel, who nodded

274
00:21:55,720 --> 00:22:00,720
imperceptibly. Clark knew that Gregel was
a student of history, especially military history.

275
00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:04,359
If he agreed with him, then
there had to be more than enough

276
00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:10,599
to contact all Father and tell them
what they had discovered. Clark fought internally

277
00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:15,160
to keep his composure, knowing what
they had just walked into. They were

278
00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:19,559
in the South American equivalent of the
Burghoff. If they knew the real purpose

279
00:22:19,759 --> 00:22:25,440
of their presence in Argentina, then
it was highly likely they wouldn't leave this

280
00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:32,079
place alive. They had just walked
into the lions Den unarmed. They made

281
00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:34,799
small talk with the group, but
Clark's mind wasn't really on it. He

282
00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:38,759
was running angles, trying to find
an escape route that might allow them to

283
00:22:38,799 --> 00:22:44,559
survive. They couldn't run for the
lake. The water temperature would kill all

284
00:22:44,599 --> 00:22:48,759
of them other than Gray Eagle in
minutes. The woods were full of patrols

285
00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:53,440
with monster dogs, and then there
was whatever the hell had been watching them

286
00:22:53,559 --> 00:22:59,680
arrive. Clark had find no way
that wouldn't end in their deaths, either

287
00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:03,839
at the hands of the Elements or
by the highly trained security teams. What

288
00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:08,319
do you say, hey, Clark, said Henderman Hitler. Excuse me,

289
00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:12,799
said Clark. I'm afraid I didn't
hear you. I asked if you would

290
00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:17,400
step out onto the deck with me
with a drink and discuss that airplane of

291
00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:22,519
yours. Oh, of course,
said Clark, playing for time. Henderman

292
00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:26,680
slash Hitler nodded at one of the
attending servants and they were both brought a

293
00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:33,160
crystal glass containing a dark amber liquid. Accepting the drink, Clark nodded at

294
00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:37,519
the others and followed Henderman out onto
the deck. The night air was chilly,

295
00:23:37,559 --> 00:23:42,759
but Clark felt himself sweating beneath his
tuxedo. All he could think about

296
00:23:42,799 --> 00:23:47,880
was who was standing beside him and
if he could kill him before being taken

297
00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:52,599
out by security. Taking a sip
of the drink. Clark was taken aback

298
00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:56,160
by how good it was. He
smiled despite himself and took another sip.

299
00:23:56,799 --> 00:24:02,160
It is quite good, joh,
said Hendryman. Very good, said Clark.

300
00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:06,759
It is my favorite, brandy,
said Henderman. Now, shall we

301
00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:11,720
get down to the business at hand? Sure, said Clark, fully expecting

302
00:24:11,759 --> 00:24:15,759
to be seized by the guards and
restrained it any moment. Now, did

303
00:24:15,759 --> 00:24:22,599
you find that amazing aircraft? Asked
Henderman excitedly. Clark was astounded. They

304
00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:27,240
had no idea who he was.
Their cover was intact. Then, who

305
00:24:27,319 --> 00:24:32,759
the hell had planted bugs in their
rooms? His thoughts turned to the group

306
00:24:32,799 --> 00:24:37,599
of Argentine intelligence that had intercepted them
at the airport. There were many factors

307
00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:41,680
at work, and he was having
trouble keeping up with everyone. I want

308
00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:45,519
it in a poker game in Borneo, said Clark, sticking to the story.

309
00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:49,000
It was in pretty rough shape then, but I had at shipt home

310
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:53,799
and restored it. You did that
beautiful job, said Henderman. I would

311
00:24:53,839 --> 00:25:00,920
consider offering five hundred thousand US dollars
just from my brief observation, that is,

312
00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:04,799
assuming the interior is in as good
as shape as the exterior. It's

313
00:25:04,799 --> 00:25:07,640
in great shape, said Clark,
But I don't want to sell her.

314
00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:12,640
She's a one of a kind fine. I doubt I'd ever find another off

315
00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:18,079
that, I am certain, said
Henderman. I will double my offer to

316
00:25:18,279 --> 00:25:22,480
one million. Do not say yes
or no. Consider it for a while.

317
00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:26,000
Let us return to the others and
prepare for dinner. This chief and

318
00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:32,839
kitchen staff should be ready soon.
All right, said Clark. They headed

319
00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:36,839
back inside and closed the French doors
behind them, and when they entered the

320
00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:40,880
room, Clark noticed the piano in
the corner that he hadn't paid attention to

321
00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:45,519
before. Is that a Bossendorf for
grand piano? Asked Clark. You have

322
00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:51,279
an excellent eye, said Henderman.
Do you play? I haven't in a

323
00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:56,519
long time, said Clark, But
those are amazing pieces of craftsmanship. I've

324
00:25:56,519 --> 00:26:00,519
never actually seen one before. The
only ones I've seen were in books.

325
00:26:00,799 --> 00:26:06,119
Motioning for the others to come over, Henderman guided Clark toward the piano.

326
00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:11,279
Please, everyone, said Henderman,
join us head. Clark is going to

327
00:26:11,319 --> 00:26:17,279
play for us. Everyone gathered around
and Clark reluctantly took his seat behind the

328
00:26:17,359 --> 00:26:22,119
keys. He opened the cover reverently
and slowly and taking in the beauty of

329
00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:27,000
the piano. Valkyrie locked eyes with
him and looked surprised. If Clark couldn't

330
00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:32,880
play, Henderman would know something was
up with them. Clark played with the

331
00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:37,119
pedals for a moment before placing his
hands at the keyboard. They all held

332
00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:41,160
their breath in anticipation, unsure of
what was about to happen. As he

333
00:26:41,279 --> 00:26:45,519
slowly began to play. After the
first few beautiful notes, Henderman clasped his

334
00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:51,519
hands together with a look of pure
joy on his face. He'd recognized the

335
00:26:51,599 --> 00:26:59,279
piece With growing confidence and volume,
Clark launched into Richard Wagner's Prelude and Leavistad

336
00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:04,000
from than Unda Essolde. He was
playing with his eyes closed for memory,

337
00:27:04,319 --> 00:27:10,279
and Valkyrie looked shocked as he continued
to play. The other guest of Henderman

338
00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:14,440
stared open mouthed as he played,
and they stood there, transfixed, as

339
00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:18,200
if the music had transported them all
to a distant place. And when he

340
00:27:18,279 --> 00:27:22,359
finished, there was an applause from
the crowd, and even Valkyrie applauded.

341
00:27:22,759 --> 00:27:29,000
Clark smiled at the crowd. Wagner
was my grandfather's favorite, he said,

342
00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:33,799
I learned to play the piano from
him. You play it like a German,

343
00:27:33,039 --> 00:27:38,240
said Henderman, smiling. Excellent.
Clark smiled and started to get up.

344
00:27:38,599 --> 00:27:42,759
Play something else, said Henderman.
Please, it has been far too

345
00:27:42,839 --> 00:27:47,880
long since we've had a wonderful pianist
play for us. Play something, so

346
00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:51,559
we met dance. Well, what
would you like to hear, asked Clark.

347
00:27:52,039 --> 00:27:56,000
Anything you like, said Henderman.
It is just good to hear the

348
00:27:56,079 --> 00:28:00,839
borsind off of played by someone who
knows how. Clark began playing softly in

349
00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:04,960
a minor key, and the Germans
began pairing up to dance to the music.

350
00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:10,480
Hendrman held out his hand to Valkyrie, and since she had no one

351
00:28:10,519 --> 00:28:15,599
else to dance with and neither did
he, she accepted. Clark played the

352
00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:19,119
tune hauntingly slow, and she was
sure that she knew it. It was

353
00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:25,440
tantalizingly close, but she just couldn't
place it. When he finished playing,

354
00:28:25,599 --> 00:28:30,000
they all stopped and applauded again,
and Clark stood up smiling. Dina Is

355
00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:36,359
served announced the butler. Oh your
timingness perfect, said Henderman, and led

356
00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:41,359
them all into the dining room.
They were shown to their seating by the

357
00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:45,440
staff and Clark and Valkyrie were placed
immediately to Henderman's left at the head of

358
00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:51,799
the table, but directly across from
him was Irwin Rommel. Clark met his

359
00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:56,559
gaze and nodded respectfully, and Rommel
studied him for a moment before giving him

360
00:28:56,599 --> 00:29:00,240
a slight nod in the stiff Prussian
style. Lark wanted to blurt out that

361
00:29:00,279 --> 00:29:04,039
he knew who they all were,
just so he could ask questions he was

362
00:29:04,119 --> 00:29:08,079
dying to know how they were all
here and how they were all even alive.

363
00:29:08,799 --> 00:29:12,400
However, he knew doing so would
likely be the death sentence for them

364
00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:18,039
all. What was that song you
were playing, whispered Valkyrie, the second

365
00:29:18,119 --> 00:29:22,119
one striving me crazy. I know, I know that song, Clark smiled

366
00:29:22,119 --> 00:29:26,319
as he leaned closer to her ear. It's Zombie by the Cranberries, he

367
00:29:26,359 --> 00:29:32,519
whispered. Oh my god, she
replied, grinning the irony of dancing to

368
00:29:32,599 --> 00:29:38,400
that song. Hush, he whispered, let's not upset our hosts. As

369
00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:42,680
the servants were bringing out the first
course, a fragrant soup was served,

370
00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:48,319
and Henderman stood and clinked his glass
in Almah of our guest marriage. He

371
00:29:48,359 --> 00:29:53,119
said, I have asked the staff
to prepare a traditional soup for our first

372
00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:57,960
course. That drew around a polite
applause, and people raised their glasses to

373
00:29:59,039 --> 00:30:03,720
Clark and Valkyrie. When everyone had
calmed down, the servants continued to place

374
00:30:03,759 --> 00:30:07,400
the bowls in front of everyone.
So I am given to understand that you

375
00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:11,920
are a pilot, said Rommel,
nodding at Clark. And you flew here

376
00:30:12,079 --> 00:30:18,400
in a vintage World War Two German
airplane. Yes, said Clark. It's

377
00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:22,960
a fully restored Catalina PB y.
Well, everything's restored except for the guns.

378
00:30:23,599 --> 00:30:27,359
That is a remarkable plane, said
Rommel. I once saw one.

379
00:30:27,519 --> 00:30:33,559
I believe it was in Tunisia.
Clark caught himself. He almost asked if

380
00:30:33,559 --> 00:30:37,720
that was in nineteen forty two,
but he thought better of it. Valkyrie

381
00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:41,880
must have sensed it because she squeezed
his leg. I love old planes,

382
00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:45,839
said Clark. I've always wanted to
fly a P fifty one Mustang, but

383
00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:52,079
I doubt I'll ever get the chance
here. Hinderman has a collection of vintage

384
00:30:52,119 --> 00:30:56,960
aircraft from that era, said Rommel. I believe he has a P fifty

385
00:30:56,000 --> 00:31:00,759
one, but his collection consists of
mostly German air aircraft. I do believe

386
00:31:00,799 --> 00:31:06,160
he also has a few meshah Schmidt
be if one O nines. He's quite

387
00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:11,519
the pilot himself, Donka, said
Henderman. I have logged hundreds of hours

388
00:31:11,559 --> 00:31:15,839
in the one O nine. I
have also won eighty monk dogfights against other

389
00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:21,839
pilots. That's an impressive accomplishment,
said Clark. Uk Jaw said Rammel.

390
00:31:22,279 --> 00:31:26,920
But I was never an aircraft man
myself. I prefer ground vehicles specifically.

391
00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:33,400
I've always had a love for tanks, really, said Clark. My grandfather

392
00:31:33,559 --> 00:31:37,480
was a tanker. He was with
Patent in the US Second Corps. Valkyrie

393
00:31:37,519 --> 00:31:41,839
squeezed his leg hard enough that he
glanced at her, and Clark watched a

394
00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:48,279
slight tick at the corner of Rommel's
mouth before he spoke. So was he

395
00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:52,079
on the sherman of the Stuart tank, asked Rammel. He started as a

396
00:31:52,119 --> 00:31:57,440
gunner on a sherman, said Clark, studying Rammel's eyes. After North Africa

397
00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:01,839
he was made a tank command.
When they headed into Sicily, there was

398
00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:07,599
a gleam there, but Clark didn't
sense animosity. If anything, it looked

399
00:32:07,640 --> 00:32:12,359
more like nostalgia. It occurred to
him that Rommel either missed it or looked

400
00:32:12,359 --> 00:32:16,559
forward to doing it again. The
soup is delicious, said Valkyrie, changing

401
00:32:16,599 --> 00:32:22,519
the subject Donka, said Henderman.
It is my mother's recipe from Austria.

402
00:32:23,319 --> 00:32:28,960
There were five more courses served,
each more elaborate than the last. The

403
00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:35,599
dinner's main course was icepin and ended
with a dessert of Dunawild cake. Cake

404
00:32:35,759 --> 00:32:39,079
is amazing, said Valkyrie, tasting
the first bite. It is one of

405
00:32:39,119 --> 00:32:45,680
my favorites, said Henderman. I
enjoyed very much. Once the dishes were

406
00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:49,480
cleared, Clark looked at Henderman and
nodded, thank you. He said,

407
00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:53,519
you went all out on this dinner
to celebrate our wedding deed. Nothing of

408
00:32:53,559 --> 00:32:58,640
it, said Henderman. Any excuse
to dine well is fine with me,

409
00:32:59,359 --> 00:33:01,680
but it was not. I not
completely in your honor. I had other

410
00:33:01,759 --> 00:33:07,200
intentions as well. My guests are
here on other business. I couldnot resist

411
00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:13,279
inviting you for your wedding and in
honor of such an amazing aircraft. Well

412
00:33:13,279 --> 00:33:16,359
regardless, said Clark, Thank you, it was certainly a night I will

413
00:33:16,359 --> 00:33:22,119
never forget. The side door opened
and Clark saw Haints walk in with three

414
00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:28,680
other men, all dressed identically.
They were wearing black military style fatigue pants

415
00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:32,640
and black t shirts under plate carriers. They were carrying a pistol on their

416
00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:37,400
hip, with additional magazines and pouches, and Clark tensed, expecting them to

417
00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:42,839
bring their weapons up and take them
all into custody. Well, he thought,

418
00:33:43,279 --> 00:33:52,799
at least they fed us. First
Chapter seven, Welcoming Party, twenty

419
00:33:52,839 --> 00:33:59,680
one to thirty hours fourteen May and
alco Hine scanned the room for threats before

420
00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:05,240
coming to attention to Henderman's right.
Around the guard's necks hung those large bore

421
00:34:05,519 --> 00:34:10,039
HK rifles that Clark had seen the
gate guards carrying. Clark noticed deep gougers

422
00:34:10,039 --> 00:34:15,239
in Heinz's chest plate. There were
four marks exactly parallel to each other,

423
00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:21,360
and it was easy to recognize them
as claw marks. Heinz noticed. Clark

424
00:34:21,559 --> 00:34:27,960
nodded. My apologies for the interruption, said Heinz. Henderman looked annoyed,

425
00:34:28,039 --> 00:34:31,199
and Clark saw anger in his eyes, but he controlled it enough that could

426
00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:36,559
only barely be heard in his tone. What is it, Commander, Heinz

427
00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:42,400
snapped Henderman. The room seemed to
freeze. Henderman went slightly, but made

428
00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:47,119
no other outward sign. It had
just been confirmed by them Henderman had used

429
00:34:47,119 --> 00:34:52,519
a military rank instead of a civilian
title. Clark pretended not to notice,

430
00:34:52,559 --> 00:34:58,920
but Heinz knew he had. He
locked eyes with Clark and smiled almost imperceptibly.

431
00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:04,559
We had an issue at the main
gate, said Hines. What happened?

432
00:35:05,039 --> 00:35:09,280
Some of the locals charged the gate, said Hines. They were successful.

433
00:35:09,639 --> 00:35:14,679
At least four of them are inside
the perimeter. We sustain casualties.

434
00:35:15,159 --> 00:35:17,559
Becker and Faulkner will be in the
hospital for a few days with some new

435
00:35:17,599 --> 00:35:23,239
scars, but their injuries are not
life threatening. Are there any fatalities?

436
00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:29,920
Nine mind here, said Heinz.
However, they have managed to knock out

437
00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:34,199
the power to the fences, and
the resulting power surge has knocked our entire

438
00:35:34,239 --> 00:35:37,440
camera system offline. We are working
on the systems and hope to have them

439
00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:43,000
back to full capacity within the hour. Are you hurt, said Henderman.

440
00:35:43,559 --> 00:35:46,079
Nine mind hen, said Hines.
We need to get you to a safe

441
00:35:46,079 --> 00:35:51,320
location. The main house is not
safe until we have put down the assault.

442
00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:54,119
All of you are in danger.
We should get to the bunker,

443
00:35:54,199 --> 00:35:59,960
said Henderman, turning back to his
guests. I apologize for the inconvenience,

444
00:36:00,119 --> 00:36:04,480
but the situation requires that we adjourn
to the secure area of the house.

445
00:36:05,519 --> 00:36:08,679
How can I help? Clark hurt
himself, ask He wasn't sure why it

446
00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:14,159
came out. It popped out as
if on its own. He expected to

447
00:36:14,159 --> 00:36:16,480
get dirty looks from the others,
but they all seemed to agree with him.

448
00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:21,639
It was in their nature to help, even if it meant saving the

449
00:36:21,679 --> 00:36:25,719
assembled group. Clark was content keeping
them alive so they could face justice.

450
00:36:27,159 --> 00:36:30,480
The world needed to know the truth. Do any of you have combat tanning,

451
00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:35,519
asked heins We all do, said
Clark. We all met in the

452
00:36:35,559 --> 00:36:40,199
military with your permission, mind,
hen Heines said to Henderman, if you

453
00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:45,119
help with this situation, said Henderman, I shall see to it that you

454
00:36:45,199 --> 00:36:50,440
were rewarded handsomely. We'll need to
change clothes, said Clark. I can

455
00:36:50,519 --> 00:36:52,960
take care of that, said Hines. Let's get them to the bunker and

456
00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:58,920
I'll get you some gear. Guiding
the group to the massive stone fireplace,

457
00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:04,480
Henderman pressed the specific rock and opened
a hidden passage with a staircase leading down.

458
00:37:05,239 --> 00:37:07,400
Once they were all ushered in,
the door was sealed behind them,

459
00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:12,679
and Heinz turned to Clark. You
don't have to do this, he said.

460
00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:16,360
I certainly won't refuse your help,
but this isn't your fight. We're

461
00:37:16,360 --> 00:37:21,880
wasting time, said Clark with a
nod. Hines studied him for a moment

462
00:37:21,920 --> 00:37:25,320
and then nodded respectfully. Follow me, he said, leading them off toward

463
00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:30,400
the west end of the house.
Once there, they all climbed into one

464
00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:34,280
of the armored vehicles, and Hinz
drove them to a large building deeper in

465
00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:37,679
the complex. They hadn't seen it
on their drive in. It looked like

466
00:37:37,719 --> 00:37:44,239
a combination of barracks and armory.
Stopping the vehicle right beside the entrance,

467
00:37:44,360 --> 00:37:49,000
they all ran inside. Hines led
them to a large room that looked like

468
00:37:49,039 --> 00:37:53,079
a supply closet. Tend me your
sizes, he said. As they called

469
00:37:53,119 --> 00:37:57,440
them out. He began throwing boots
and cloths at them, and when he

470
00:37:57,519 --> 00:38:00,559
had them all supplied, he pointed
across the hall. There are locker rooms

471
00:38:00,599 --> 00:38:05,199
over dere, he said, Fraeulein's
on the left. As soon as you

472
00:38:05,239 --> 00:38:09,159
address come to the armory. I'll
have weapons and armor for you. They

473
00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:15,039
hurried across the hall and began changing
quickly. Clark emerged first and ducked into

474
00:38:15,039 --> 00:38:19,719
the armory. Hines was there,
already pulling guns from the racks. Clark

475
00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:22,400
began buckling on the belt and plate
carrier that were placed on the counter.

476
00:38:23,320 --> 00:38:28,599
What weapon do you prefer, asked
Hines. I'll take one of those h

477
00:38:28,679 --> 00:38:32,239
K rifles your men are carrying,
said Clark. Hines pulled one from the

478
00:38:32,320 --> 00:38:36,519
rack and tossed it to him,
and then he grabbed the satchel and tossed

479
00:38:36,559 --> 00:38:40,239
it over as well. That contains
AMMO and magazines for the rifle and a

480
00:38:40,280 --> 00:38:45,639
pistol, said Hines. The pistol
is a heavily modified h K Mark twenty

481
00:38:45,679 --> 00:38:51,400
three, so com it's been rechambered
to take the fifty AE round. The

482
00:38:51,480 --> 00:38:55,880
rifle is chambered in the fifty Beowulf. Holy mother of crap, said Clark,

483
00:38:55,960 --> 00:39:01,039
looking at the pistol. How's it
kick like you Americans say, said

484
00:39:01,079 --> 00:39:07,000
Heinz, like a fucking mule.
Clark was loading his weapons when Valkyrie arrived.

485
00:39:07,519 --> 00:39:14,800
Weapon preference, asked heins sniper,
she replied. Heinz looked quizzically at

486
00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:19,800
Clark, who nodded solemnly. Heines
nodded respectfully at Valkyrie and handed her a

487
00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:25,599
modified HKPSG one. It's rechambered in
four or five eight Winchester magnum. He

488
00:39:25,719 --> 00:39:31,000
said, it's a bit heavier than
the standed PSG one. I'll manage,

489
00:39:31,199 --> 00:39:36,559
said Valkyrie, swinging the rifle up
to her shoulder and checking the optic.

490
00:39:37,079 --> 00:39:38,880
I might need a shot or two
to get the feel of the scope.

491
00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:45,480
Hines looked to Clark. I can
certainly see why you married her. Oh

492
00:39:45,519 --> 00:39:49,400
you have no idea, said Clark. You know I'm standing right here,

493
00:39:49,519 --> 00:39:54,039
she said, winking at Clark.
The others arrived and began quickly getting outfitted.

494
00:39:54,440 --> 00:39:59,360
Weapons were chosen and loaded, and
once they were dying, Heinz gave

495
00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:04,519
them all a radio in an earpiece. These are encrypted, said Hines.

496
00:40:04,719 --> 00:40:07,119
Stick to channel seven. The others
will not hear you if you change.

497
00:40:07,440 --> 00:40:13,039
That would be most unpleasant if you
needed help. What exactly are we facing,

498
00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:17,559
asked Clark. You might find this
unbelievable, or try us, said

499
00:40:17,599 --> 00:40:23,679
Valkyrie. We refer to them as
locals, said Hines. We originally thought

500
00:40:23,719 --> 00:40:29,920
there were werewolves when our security teams
started getting attacked, and at first we

501
00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:34,199
were less heavily armed, and there
were many casualties. We lost a lot

502
00:40:34,239 --> 00:40:37,440
of good men and women before we
got the heavier weapons. Now we can

503
00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:43,800
mostly keep them at bay. So
what are they, asked Clark. Some

504
00:40:43,880 --> 00:40:49,199
sort of weird cat creature, said
Hines. There is a type which resemble

505
00:40:49,519 --> 00:40:54,719
humanoid jaguars, both spotted and black. They are usually around two meters tall.

506
00:40:55,360 --> 00:41:00,760
Others seem to be more of a
saber tooth tiger type the three meter

507
00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:06,599
range. Damn, said Clark.
That's big forget chest shots, said Hines.

508
00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:10,400
They have thick bones, hard to
penetrate without a direct hit. Try

509
00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:15,199
for the head, neck, in
the upper arms and thighs anywhere they are

510
00:41:15,239 --> 00:41:19,840
big arteries. Well, that makes
sense, said Clark, glancing at Valkyrie.

511
00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:24,039
They had all heard the same advice
before, only from Clark. Hines

512
00:41:24,119 --> 00:41:28,960
turned to the group. I'll get
your shooter to a tower and she can

513
00:41:29,079 --> 00:41:30,800
use a s niper perch, and
the rest of us will work as a

514
00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:35,519
patrol team. I'm sorry, but
you will have to take your orders from

515
00:41:35,559 --> 00:41:38,480
me. None of you know this
place as I do. Of course,

516
00:41:38,519 --> 00:41:43,320
said Clark. You're a full commander. You outrank all of us anyway.

517
00:41:44,159 --> 00:41:47,199
Heines nodded at him, but made
a strange face, and Clark realized that

518
00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:52,199
might have been too much. Fortunately, he didn't press the issue. Let's

519
00:41:52,280 --> 00:41:57,639
move, he said, heading for
the door. Hustling out the door,

520
00:41:57,719 --> 00:42:00,400
they could hear gunfire in the distance. It seemed to be coming from the

521
00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:06,239
direction of the main gate. They
could hear rapid German on the radio,

522
00:42:06,400 --> 00:42:08,280
and Clark understood a lot of it, but part of it had to be

523
00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:14,039
in code. He could only guess. Sounds like the gate is under attack,

524
00:42:14,199 --> 00:42:19,159
said Clark. Joh said Hines,
however, that is not our problem.

525
00:42:19,559 --> 00:42:22,119
We are signed to defend the manor
house. Other teams are moving to

526
00:42:22,159 --> 00:42:28,599
reinforce the gate. Diving into the
armored transport, Hines fired up the engine

527
00:42:28,639 --> 00:42:31,920
and raced off back toward the main
part of the compound. As they rounded

528
00:42:31,960 --> 00:42:36,639
a corner, they saw a large
tower with stairs leading up to the top.

529
00:42:37,559 --> 00:42:40,239
This is your stop, said Hines. There shouldn't be anyone up there

530
00:42:40,679 --> 00:42:45,519
cover in the direction of the main
building at the center of the compound.

531
00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:51,000
Valcary nodded and started to get out
of the vehicle. Clark nodded at Raven.

532
00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:53,679
Go with her. He said,
you can be her spotter and help

533
00:42:53,760 --> 00:42:58,119
defend the tower if the creatures come
for you. And if they do,

534
00:42:58,480 --> 00:43:01,000
get on the radio and We'll get
to you as quickly as we can and

535
00:43:01,119 --> 00:43:05,920
hold that tower until we get to
you. Yes, sir, said Raven,

536
00:43:06,039 --> 00:43:09,800
grabbing her gear and baling out with
Valkyrie. Clark watched them climb the

537
00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:15,760
stairs and disappear into the tower before
Hines could drive away. Clark saw them

538
00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:20,239
drop the door into place and secure
it. The tower appeared to be made

539
00:43:20,280 --> 00:43:23,599
of strong enough material that the creatures
shouldn't be able to get inside easily.

540
00:43:24,480 --> 00:43:29,840
Once the tower was here, heinz
hit the gas and they sped off toward

541
00:43:29,880 --> 00:43:34,440
the main compound, sliding to a
stop near the car port. They all

542
00:43:34,480 --> 00:43:37,920
bailed out and brought all their weapons
up. Clark started to bark orders,

543
00:43:37,960 --> 00:43:44,760
but caught himself. Hines nodded fractionally
and then glanced at the others. All

544
00:43:44,920 --> 00:43:47,960
interest is to demain house should be
secure, said Hines. I will take

545
00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:53,360
these tool with me. He gestured
at Runestone and shield Maiden. You two

546
00:43:53,480 --> 00:43:58,639
go around the house and meet us
on the other side, Hines instructed,

547
00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:02,760
gesturing at Clark. Gregel. If
you find an entrance that is not secure,

548
00:44:02,880 --> 00:44:07,840
alert us. We will have to
sweep the entire house, and do

549
00:44:07,960 --> 00:44:12,519
not forget to check the upstairs windows. And the balconies. Gregel nodded,

550
00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:16,800
watch your backs, cautioned Hines,
these creatures are dangerous and highly intelligent.

551
00:44:17,039 --> 00:44:22,920
Now let's move. Clark and Gregel
headed off around the west side of the

552
00:44:22,960 --> 00:44:27,360
house, checking windows and doors.
As they moved, one would check the

553
00:44:27,400 --> 00:44:30,840
window while the other watched their backs, and then they would leap frog to

554
00:44:30,880 --> 00:44:36,360
the next window, always moving and
always scanning their surroundings. As they rounded

555
00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:39,719
the corner, they saw movement ahead. It was a flitting specter among the

556
00:44:39,760 --> 00:44:45,119
shadows. Whatever it was, it
moved fast, and it was moving toward

557
00:44:45,159 --> 00:44:49,480
the back of the house. What
was that, whispered Clark. Smells like

558
00:44:49,519 --> 00:44:52,559
a large cat, replied Gregel.
Be careful. Well, that's the plan,

559
00:44:52,840 --> 00:44:57,159
Clark said, crouching lower as he
approached the edge of the building.

560
00:44:58,159 --> 00:45:00,920
Do you want me to shift forms
and take them on directly, asked Gregel.

561
00:45:01,559 --> 00:45:06,599
No, that's only as an absolute
lash resort, said Clark. That's

562
00:45:06,639 --> 00:45:08,199
an ace in the hole. I
don't want them to know about yet.

563
00:45:09,079 --> 00:45:14,639
If Heinz can turn into another form, whispered Gregel, I should have been

564
00:45:14,679 --> 00:45:17,800
able to smell her, since it
I could not, then maybe there's more

565
00:45:17,880 --> 00:45:22,119
going on here than we were led
to believe, replied Clark, lowering himself

566
00:45:22,159 --> 00:45:27,400
down almost to the ground to peer
around the corner of the house. Just

567
00:45:27,440 --> 00:45:30,960
as he was about to lean out
around the corner, Gregel grabbed his collar

568
00:45:30,000 --> 00:45:35,760
and pulled him back. Using hand
signals, he indicated to Clark that it

569
00:45:35,800 --> 00:45:38,840
was just around the corner, waiting
for him to present a target. Thank

570
00:45:38,880 --> 00:45:45,519
you, said Clark. Gregel prepared
himself, summoning some of the Great Wolf's

571
00:45:45,519 --> 00:45:50,760
great strength and speed. In a
move that was nearly too fast to track,

572
00:45:51,280 --> 00:45:55,199
Gregel swung out into the open with
his weapon already up. Taken aback

573
00:45:55,199 --> 00:46:00,199
by the unexpected speed, he caught
the creatures unprepared before it could move,

574
00:46:00,320 --> 00:46:05,000
He shot it twice, once in
each knee, and it dropped to the

575
00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:08,960
ground, yewling in pain. Clark
stepped out with his weapon up, leveling

576
00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:13,840
it at the creature's head, and
the beast locked his gaze on him,

577
00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:20,599
revealing dark green eyes with strange catlike
pupils. It was massive, with enormous

578
00:46:20,800 --> 00:46:23,840
ten inch teeth that protruded from the
top of its mouth, just like a

579
00:46:23,880 --> 00:46:29,559
smiloton. If it had been standing, it would have been nearly as tall

580
00:46:29,599 --> 00:46:32,840
as graygel In Wolf form. It
had to be close to ten feet tall.

581
00:46:35,079 --> 00:46:38,119
Clark kept his weapon train right on
the beast's forehead, not wavering or

582
00:46:38,159 --> 00:46:44,079
not backing away. The creature looked
at him with intelligence in its eyes,

583
00:46:44,480 --> 00:46:46,639
and in a deep, rumbling growl. The beast let out the sound that

584
00:46:46,760 --> 00:46:52,960
seemed out of place for the structure
of its mouth. Because of the massive

585
00:46:52,039 --> 00:46:57,119
teeth, it couldn't manipulate its mouth
like a human. However, Clark was

586
00:46:57,239 --> 00:47:05,079
certain that he heard a wordy grdia
it rumbled. Gregel looked at Clark quizzically.

587
00:47:05,840 --> 00:47:09,239
Misster at Cordia, repeated Clark.
He's asking for mercy in Spanish.

588
00:47:10,119 --> 00:47:15,239
Why are you here, asked Gregel. The creature looked confused but said nothing.

589
00:47:15,840 --> 00:47:20,719
I don't think he speaks English,
said Clark. They could see the

590
00:47:20,760 --> 00:47:23,960
wounds were nearly healed already, and
the creature would be able to stand soon.

591
00:47:24,639 --> 00:47:29,320
Despite that, he refused to move
with the weapon trained squarely between his

592
00:47:29,400 --> 00:47:32,880
eyes. The creature understood that as
fast as it might be, the bullet

593
00:47:32,880 --> 00:47:37,800
would likely be faster. What should
we do, asked Gregel. I'm not

594
00:47:37,880 --> 00:47:42,559
sure, said Clark, but I'm
not in favor of executing him. I

595
00:47:42,639 --> 00:47:45,840
want to know why he's here.
If Heinz sees him, said Gregel,

596
00:47:45,960 --> 00:47:51,800
he will kill him. Trust me
on this, said Clark. Gregel nodded.

597
00:47:52,840 --> 00:47:55,679
Repeat them, an't they, said
Clark. The beast looked back and

598
00:47:55,719 --> 00:48:00,679
forth between them, unsure of what
to do. Lower your weap, said

599
00:48:00,719 --> 00:48:06,960
Clark reluctantly. Gregel lowered his rifle
while Clark lowered his What did you just

600
00:48:07,000 --> 00:48:10,159
say to him, asked Gregel.
I told him to run away, quickly

601
00:48:10,280 --> 00:48:15,039
replied Clark, still watching the creature
for any sign of an attack. There

602
00:48:15,079 --> 00:48:20,320
was a moment of indecision as the
creature's eyes started back and forth, and

603
00:48:20,360 --> 00:48:23,639
then in an instant it raced for
the trees, and seconds later it was

604
00:48:23,719 --> 00:48:28,880
gone. I hope that doesn't bite
me in the ass, said Clark.

605
00:48:29,320 --> 00:48:34,159
Let's get moving, said Gregel.
They continued along the back of the house

606
00:48:34,159 --> 00:48:37,880
and met up with the others near
the patio where Clark had the drink with

607
00:48:37,960 --> 00:48:42,079
Henderman. And even though it had
only been an hour ago, it felt

608
00:48:42,119 --> 00:48:45,960
like much longer. I heard your
shots, said Hinz, checking the patio

609
00:48:46,119 --> 00:48:51,679
doors and finding them secure. We
saw one of the creatures, said Clark.

610
00:48:52,119 --> 00:48:54,119
Gregel got off a couple of shots
and I think we hit it.

611
00:48:54,760 --> 00:48:58,519
We saw it drop and then get
up and race off into the night.

612
00:48:58,960 --> 00:49:02,440
We found a little blood near the
west wall. Are damn hard to kill,

613
00:49:02,599 --> 00:49:07,239
said Heines. It seems like our
weapons will slow them down, but

614
00:49:07,360 --> 00:49:12,679
killing them is much more difficult it
usually it takes severe blood loss and more

615
00:49:12,719 --> 00:49:16,159
than one headshot. If they're only
wounded, they seem to recover rapidly.

616
00:49:16,840 --> 00:49:21,079
All right, I'll keep that in
mind, said Clark. So the house

617
00:49:21,159 --> 00:49:24,559
is secure, what's next? Heines
held up his hand and began speaking into

618
00:49:24,599 --> 00:49:30,159
his radio. The conversation was not
difficult to follow, even though he was

619
00:49:30,199 --> 00:49:34,199
speaking German. When he was finished, he turned back to the others.

620
00:49:34,679 --> 00:49:38,800
Secure systems are back online, said
Heinz. Throm a camera show the creatures

621
00:49:38,840 --> 00:49:44,440
retreating through a section of the perimeter
fence that they damaged after the power went

622
00:49:44,519 --> 00:49:47,920
out. I believe we are safe
for the moment. Once we're certain they're

623
00:49:47,960 --> 00:49:52,960
all gone, we will send out
repair crews with security detail to fix the

624
00:49:52,039 --> 00:49:57,760
fencing. Well, what's the plan
now, asked Clark. We sweep the

625
00:49:57,880 --> 00:50:01,079
area, said Heines. Just to
be sure. Only a fool would trust

626
00:50:01,119 --> 00:50:07,039
technology when lives are underline. Clark
nodded in agreement. I'll take my group

627
00:50:07,239 --> 00:50:13,280
and search the outlying buildings, said
Heinz to Clark. You take Gray Eagle

628
00:50:13,360 --> 00:50:16,199
and follows the edge of the water
until you hit the trail. Then't follow

629
00:50:16,239 --> 00:50:21,960
it back to the main building.
Listen very carefully, do not go within

630
00:50:22,119 --> 00:50:27,199
six feet at the water's edge.
This is very important. Stay away from

631
00:50:27,239 --> 00:50:30,480
the water. And under no circumstances
are you to go into the water.

632
00:50:31,239 --> 00:50:35,719
If one of the creatures goes in, do not follow it. Do you

633
00:50:35,920 --> 00:50:40,000
understand, Stay clear of the water, said Clark. Got it. Why

634
00:50:42,239 --> 00:50:45,159
it's a long story, said Hines. For your safety, listen to my

635
00:50:45,239 --> 00:50:50,480
warnings. Perhaps when this is over, I can explain in more detail.

636
00:50:51,239 --> 00:50:54,599
Okay, it sounds good. Okay, said Hines. We were rendezvous by

637
00:50:54,599 --> 00:51:00,800
the AMPV copy that said Clark,
turning and heading toward the light. Gregel

638
00:51:00,840 --> 00:51:05,960
fell into step beside him, and
they had their weapons at low ready as

639
00:51:06,000 --> 00:51:08,880
they moved down the open yard toward
the dark water. Why would he warn

640
00:51:08,960 --> 00:51:14,239
us about the lake, asked Gregel. If they control the shark creatures,

641
00:51:14,360 --> 00:51:16,760
said Clark, then you would think
there would be no reason to worry.

642
00:51:17,320 --> 00:51:21,960
Well, maybe they don't control them, said Gregel, keeping his voice slow.

643
00:51:22,880 --> 00:51:24,880
I was sure Heines was one of
them, said Clark. He has

644
00:51:24,880 --> 00:51:30,119
the same tattoo. Something isn't right, said Gregel. There's more going on

645
00:51:30,199 --> 00:51:35,440
here than we know, that's for
certain, said Clark. We're just beginning

646
00:51:35,480 --> 00:51:39,320
to scratch the surface of this whole
thing. Gregel nodded in agreement, but

647
00:51:39,360 --> 00:51:44,000
said nothing. They were getting close
to the edge of the water by now,

648
00:51:44,159 --> 00:51:46,679
and they were on height and alert. Clark could see that the water

649
00:51:46,800 --> 00:51:51,400
was shallow for only a few feet
from the edge, and the bottom dropped

650
00:51:51,440 --> 00:51:55,000
off quickly, making the water seem
as black as a moonless night. As

651
00:51:55,039 --> 00:52:00,119
beautiful as this lake is, said
Clark, I have to keep her minding

652
00:52:00,159 --> 00:52:02,960
myself. It's not much warmer than
the water that killed most of the passengers

653
00:52:04,000 --> 00:52:08,159
in the Titanic. As dangerous as
it is beautiful, replied Gregel. I'm

654
00:52:08,159 --> 00:52:13,239
finding that this place is less and
less inviting. The views are amazing,

655
00:52:13,320 --> 00:52:15,599
though, said Clark, but it
seems like there's a lot to worry about.

656
00:52:16,039 --> 00:52:22,320
I'm definitely taking it off my vacation
list. Something ripped the surface of

657
00:52:22,360 --> 00:52:25,840
the water just a few yards off
shore. Clark didn't get a good look

658
00:52:25,880 --> 00:52:30,559
at it. But it was too
big to be a fish. Clark watched

659
00:52:30,559 --> 00:52:35,360
the ripples moving outward from the spot
in the near perfect circle. Whatever it

660
00:52:35,519 --> 00:52:39,199
was it had crested the surface and
then sank back down in the same spot.

661
00:52:39,519 --> 00:52:44,880
Not typical fish behavior. Stay clear
of the water, said Clark,

662
00:52:44,920 --> 00:52:49,719
nodding. That's a good idea,
agreed Gregel. Do you sense anything,

663
00:52:50,039 --> 00:52:54,360
asked Clark. Another predator, said
Gregel, his face going dark. But

664
00:52:54,440 --> 00:53:00,679
it's like nothing I've ever encountered.
This thing is unnatural. It fits the

665
00:53:00,679 --> 00:53:06,079
theory that they were genetically engineered,
said Clark. They began moving along the

666
00:53:06,159 --> 00:53:09,400
shore of the lake, careful to
stay far away from the water. Fortunately,

667
00:53:09,480 --> 00:53:13,679
there was a rocky beach that ran
along the shore, allowing them to

668
00:53:13,679 --> 00:53:17,440
stay ten feet away from the water
without being in the trees. Clark was

669
00:53:17,480 --> 00:53:22,039
scanning the water while Gregel watched the
trees. As they approached a ben in

670
00:53:22,119 --> 00:53:27,719
the shore, Gregel froze and put
his hand on Clark's shoulder. What Clark

671
00:53:27,800 --> 00:53:32,000
started to say, but was silenced
by a way from Gregel. Clark froze

672
00:53:32,000 --> 00:53:37,639
in mid word and began slowly breathing. Everything around them had gone dead silent,

673
00:53:38,119 --> 00:53:40,920
and Clark felt the hairs on the
back of his neck stand up.

674
00:53:42,599 --> 00:53:47,960
Something was very wrong. Goosebumps began
prickling along his arms and shouldering his rifle,

675
00:53:49,039 --> 00:53:53,559
he brought it into position and quietly
clicked off the safety. Gregel leaned

676
00:53:53,559 --> 00:53:58,039
his head back and began sniffing the
air, and Clark could see he was

677
00:53:58,039 --> 00:54:02,320
fighting to maintain the balance between using
the senses of the great Wolf and unleashing

678
00:54:02,360 --> 00:54:08,079
it entirely. It was taking all
of his concentration to hold the transformation at

679
00:54:08,159 --> 00:54:14,280
bay, and Gregel was so focused
on his sense of smell he almost missed

680
00:54:14,320 --> 00:54:19,920
the rustling in the trees. Clark
noticed it first and brought a rifle around

681
00:54:20,079 --> 00:54:24,920
as six creatures that looked like bipedal
black panthers leaped from the trees. All

682
00:54:25,000 --> 00:54:29,880
of them appeared to be in the
eight to nine foot tall range. One

683
00:54:29,960 --> 00:54:35,199
was leaping directly at Gregel and the
others were surrounding them. Clark opened fire,

684
00:54:35,280 --> 00:54:38,719
putting a three round burst of the
massive fifty beowolf rounds into the chest

685
00:54:38,760 --> 00:54:44,519
of the beast that was heading for
Gregel. It screamed in pain as the

686
00:54:44,559 --> 00:54:50,480
massive rounds punched holes the size of
quarters into its flesh. The force of

687
00:54:50,519 --> 00:54:54,880
the rounds knocked off its trajectory,
causing it to miss Gregel completely. It

688
00:54:54,960 --> 00:54:59,079
hit the ground and tried to roll
onto its feet, but it came to

689
00:54:59,159 --> 00:55:01,840
a stop in the world water up
to its knees, and before it could

690
00:55:01,920 --> 00:55:08,119
react further, a shape erupted from
the water behind it, part shark and

691
00:55:08,280 --> 00:55:14,719
part man, easily standing nine feet
tall. Clark saw the dorsal fin and

692
00:55:14,800 --> 00:55:19,920
gill slits, but the face looked
almost human. The skin was a model

693
00:55:20,119 --> 00:55:24,360
dark gray on top and almost dark
white on the bottom, and hands were

694
00:55:24,400 --> 00:55:30,039
webved and ended with black talons that
sunk into the cat creature's shoulders. And

695
00:55:30,079 --> 00:55:37,079
then the mouth opened impossibly wide,
revealing row upon row of razure sharp teeth

696
00:55:37,719 --> 00:55:42,760
biting deeply into the back of the
creature's neck. The sharp thing launched itself

697
00:55:42,880 --> 00:55:47,800
backward. Clark saw the look of
pure panic in the cat creature's eyes as

698
00:55:47,840 --> 00:55:52,679
it reached helplessly toward the others,
and in an instant there was a massive

699
00:55:52,719 --> 00:56:00,159
splash as the creature was dragged into
the dark depths of Igo Nauelapi, then

700
00:56:00,199 --> 00:56:02,639
to white for several moments, and
Clark could see the shapes of more than

701
00:56:02,679 --> 00:56:07,880
one of the shark men attacking the
cat creature, and then the water stopped

702
00:56:07,960 --> 00:56:12,199
rolling in the surface was left with
only ripples where the creature had stood.

703
00:56:13,360 --> 00:56:16,119
They all stood there and stunned,
silent, staring at the water with a

704
00:56:16,159 --> 00:56:21,920
mixture of shock and fear. Even
the cat creature stared at the spot with

705
00:56:22,119 --> 00:56:27,599
mouths gape and ears laid back.
After the span of several heartbeats, the

706
00:56:27,639 --> 00:56:31,159
shock wore off, and they turned
back to Gregel and Clark. Growling low

707
00:56:31,199 --> 00:56:35,239
in their throats. They made certain
to stay away from the edge of the

708
00:56:35,280 --> 00:56:39,760
water. As they began to crouch
for an attack. Gregel snapped fired and

709
00:56:39,840 --> 00:56:44,760
shot the nearest creature in the forehead
with a single shot from a shrifle.

710
00:56:45,440 --> 00:56:49,679
What would ordinarily have been a fatal
shot only sent blood and fur flying.

711
00:56:50,039 --> 00:56:53,559
As the creature flipped over backward.
They could see the one already beginning to

712
00:56:53,639 --> 00:56:59,360
heal as it hit the ground.
Clark reacted fast enough to put a three

713
00:56:59,440 --> 00:57:04,079
round bird into the throat and upper
chest of another creature. This one went

714
00:57:04,159 --> 00:57:07,039
down, gurgling in its own blood, but they could see the wounds were

715
00:57:07,079 --> 00:57:12,360
going to heal. The rounds they
were using could put the creatures down,

716
00:57:12,719 --> 00:57:16,199
but just couldn't make them stay there. We've got to move, shouted Clark.

717
00:57:16,480 --> 00:57:22,480
We can't put them down. One
of the creatures surged forward and took

718
00:57:22,519 --> 00:57:27,039
Clark to the ground. It was
immediately slashing at his sides and biting at

719
00:57:27,119 --> 00:57:30,119
his face. He was able to
force it back with the forecrip of the

720
00:57:30,199 --> 00:57:36,360
rifle, barely avoiding getting those four
inch long things buried in his throat.

721
00:57:37,079 --> 00:57:39,440
The armor took the worst of the
slashes, but he knew it wasn't going

722
00:57:39,519 --> 00:57:45,360
to protect him much longer. He
yanked the pistol from his holster and he

723
00:57:45,440 --> 00:57:50,519
shoved it into the beast's left armpit
and began pulling the trigger. The powerful

724
00:57:50,599 --> 00:57:54,760
fifty ae hollow points buried deep inside
the bee's chest, ripping and tearing their

725
00:57:54,800 --> 00:58:00,639
way through the soft tissue. After
the fourth round, the bee let out

726
00:58:00,639 --> 00:58:06,239
a gurgling wine and fell off to
Clark's right. Using the beast's momentum,

727
00:58:06,360 --> 00:58:09,199
he kicked it hard enough that it
rolled into the water's edge, and before

728
00:58:09,239 --> 00:58:15,400
the beast could recover enough to stand, two of the shark men exploded from

729
00:58:15,400 --> 00:58:21,159
the water and dragged it, yelling
into the deep dark depths. One of

730
00:58:21,199 --> 00:58:24,400
the creatures leapt at Gregel. Calling
on the power of the Great Wolf.

731
00:58:24,480 --> 00:58:30,400
Gregel shifted his weight and caught the
creature, and while he hadn't shifted form,

732
00:58:30,679 --> 00:58:34,480
he had changed enough to use some
of the incredible strength of the dire

733
00:58:34,679 --> 00:58:38,760
wolf. Twisting. He used the
martial arts grip and throw to send the

734
00:58:38,760 --> 00:58:45,360
creature headfirst into the water well over
its head. Instantly, the water churned

735
00:58:45,400 --> 00:58:49,840
as if it were boiling, turning
into a white froth of violence and death.

736
00:58:50,880 --> 00:58:54,679
The creature emerged briefly, scrambling desperately
to get to the shore. It

737
00:58:54,760 --> 00:59:00,280
was bleeding from numerous cuts and deep
wounds where chunks of flesh had been and

738
00:59:00,280 --> 00:59:05,360
away, and the respite was as
futile as it was brief. The contest

739
00:59:05,480 --> 00:59:07,639
was never in doubt, as two
of the sharp men emerged from the water,

740
00:59:08,039 --> 00:59:13,880
grabbing the beast by both shoulders and
yanking it back into the dark abyss.

741
00:59:15,519 --> 00:59:20,360
The remaining three creatures fanned out,
each wary of getting too close to

742
00:59:20,400 --> 00:59:24,480
the two warriors. Clark used the
opportunity to empty the rest of the pistol

743
00:59:24,519 --> 00:59:29,440
into the chest and neck of the
nearest creature. Run. He shouted,

744
00:59:29,639 --> 00:59:35,760
dropping the magazine from the pistol and
reloading as he ran. Gregil began moving

745
00:59:35,840 --> 00:59:39,360
toward the trail that was only fifty
yards away, and Clark kept pace with

746
00:59:39,480 --> 00:59:45,400
him, each taking turns to fire
at the creatures behind them. In seconds,

747
00:59:45,400 --> 00:59:47,639
the creatures vanished into the darkness of
the trees, but they could hear

748
00:59:47,679 --> 00:59:52,719
them scrambling into the tree tops.
Thunder God to Valkyrie, shouted Clark,

749
00:59:53,079 --> 00:59:58,599
we are inbound to your position from
the west. Three tangos are pursuing from

750
00:59:58,639 --> 01:00:04,239
the treetops, were coming in high. Can you provide cover over Valkyrie copies,

751
01:00:04,280 --> 01:00:08,320
thunder God, said Valkyrie, switching
to thermal. Clark and Gregel ran

752
01:00:08,360 --> 01:00:13,119
as hard as they could, listening
to the sound of the three creatures getting

753
01:00:13,159 --> 01:00:17,519
closer. As the creatures were within
striking distance, the massive report of a

754
01:00:17,559 --> 01:00:22,599
single rifle split the night. They
could hear the zip of the round as

755
01:00:22,599 --> 01:00:25,320
it punched through the canopy of trees, and then there was a slap of

756
01:00:25,400 --> 01:00:30,519
flesh as the big boar round found
its mark. One of the beasts snarled

757
01:00:30,519 --> 01:00:34,519
and fell from the trees, landing
in a heap in front of them.

758
01:00:35,159 --> 01:00:37,679
It had been hit in the side
of the head, and while the wound

759
01:00:37,840 --> 01:00:42,239
was healing, it was going to
take time, and before it could so

760
01:00:42,400 --> 01:00:45,320
much as blink, Clark emptied the
pistol into the beast's face. As he

761
01:00:45,440 --> 01:00:52,159
ran past it. Another boom echoed
across the lake. As Valkyrie fired again,

762
01:00:52,880 --> 01:00:57,280
Another squall emerged from the trees,
but this one didn't fall. They

763
01:00:57,280 --> 01:01:00,519
did, however, stop chasing them
and Clark he loaded as he was running,

764
01:01:00,719 --> 01:01:06,480
and then holstered the pistol As they
burst from the trees. He quickly

765
01:01:06,559 --> 01:01:09,679
reloaded the rifle and pulled the charging
handle, and spinning around, he brought

766
01:01:09,719 --> 01:01:15,280
the rifle up, searching for any
threats. Heins and Runestone and shield Maiden

767
01:01:15,360 --> 01:01:21,239
ran up and brought their weapons to
their shoulders. Viah Ady demanded Heins.

768
01:01:21,559 --> 01:01:23,800
They're in the trees, said Clark. One is down on the trail.

769
01:01:24,039 --> 01:01:28,360
It's not dead, but we fucked
it up pretty bad. It's down for

770
01:01:28,440 --> 01:01:31,559
now. There is more than one
kind of the cat creatures, said Grego,

771
01:01:31,639 --> 01:01:36,960
scanning the trees. Yeah, said
Haines, at least three that we

772
01:01:37,079 --> 01:01:40,159
know of. What the fuck were
those things in the water, shouted Clark.

773
01:01:40,840 --> 01:01:45,800
Well you attacked, asked Heins,
No, replied Clark. They dragged

774
01:01:45,800 --> 01:01:50,800
down three of the cats, though, really, said Haines with an odd

775
01:01:50,800 --> 01:01:54,159
expression on his face. What the
fuck are those things? Demanded Clark.

776
01:01:55,039 --> 01:02:00,559
That is a very long story,
said Haines. One. I am uncertain

777
01:02:00,639 --> 01:02:04,719
if I could even tell you,
at least not here. I have a

778
01:02:04,800 --> 01:02:08,559
lot of questions for you, said
Clark angrily, as do I. Thunder

779
01:02:08,639 --> 01:02:15,440
God, said Hins. Fuck,
whispered Clark, perhaps, said Hines.

780
01:02:15,880 --> 01:02:20,119
We can discuss it once you leave
here tonight. That can meet you at

781
01:02:20,119 --> 01:02:23,760
your hotel later. I think we
both need a strong drink for this conversation.

782
01:02:24,639 --> 01:02:29,639
Until then we will pretend none of
this has happened. They're are far

783
01:02:29,760 --> 01:02:34,239
too many years here for us to
have a private conversation. I look forward

784
01:02:34,280 --> 01:02:38,320
to that drink, said Clark,
perhaps, said Hins, However, you

785
01:02:38,440 --> 01:02:47,400
might not like everything you hear.
Chapter eight, A Bit of Colored Ribbon

786
01:02:49,239 --> 01:02:54,440
twenty three thirty hours, fourteen May. In Alco, Clark and the others

787
01:02:54,440 --> 01:02:59,440
stood in the dining room waiting for
the arrival of Henderman and the others.

788
01:03:00,199 --> 01:03:04,920
They were still wearing the military fatigues
they had been given. They were all

789
01:03:05,000 --> 01:03:09,920
unarmed, having surrendered their weapons to
Heinz when they returned to the main house.

790
01:03:10,360 --> 01:03:15,599
Hines had instructed them to wait there
while he briefed Henderman and brought them

791
01:03:15,599 --> 01:03:19,199
out of the safe room. What
do you think is going to happen next,

792
01:03:19,519 --> 01:03:22,519
asked Valkyrie, looking around the room. Well, will either be shot

793
01:03:22,599 --> 01:03:27,639
or fed again, said Runestone,
grinning. I'm hoping for the food.

794
01:03:28,239 --> 01:03:31,960
EH beats getting shot, agreed Raven. I could eat, said Gregel,

795
01:03:32,000 --> 01:03:37,239
smiling softly. OK. Dare you
are, said Henderman, emerging from the

796
01:03:37,280 --> 01:03:43,679
fireplace and stepping into the dining area. I have been told good things about

797
01:03:43,719 --> 01:03:49,639
you, especially here and Frau Clark
and Hair great Eagle. You are responsible

798
01:03:49,679 --> 01:03:53,199
for the deaths of three of the
creatures and the capture of one. Most

799
01:03:53,239 --> 01:03:59,960
Impressive Clark exchanged glances with Gregel.
Well, we were just doing our park,

800
01:04:00,280 --> 01:04:04,159
said Clark. Nonsense, said Henderman. I would gladly hire all of

801
01:04:04,199 --> 01:04:09,320
you from my security team if you
were interested. Most Impressive. Indeed,

802
01:04:10,480 --> 01:04:14,599
I appreciate the offer, said Clark. But we're on our honeymoon, of

803
01:04:14,760 --> 01:04:19,079
course, said Henderman. You should
enjoy yourselves for the remainder of the honeymoon.

804
01:04:19,679 --> 01:04:24,719
I would only ask that you think
about it during your stay. We

805
01:04:24,840 --> 01:04:30,320
will Clark said, I have a
gift for you, said Henderman. I

806
01:04:30,440 --> 01:04:33,079
was going to give it to you
as a wedding gift before our dinner was

807
01:04:33,079 --> 01:04:39,480
so rudely interrupted. Turning, he
motioned for the servant to bring something over,

808
01:04:39,920 --> 01:04:44,760
and the young man brought a square
object wrapped in white cloth, handing

809
01:04:44,760 --> 01:04:48,320
it to Henderman. He turned and
scurried back to the corner. Henderman took

810
01:04:48,360 --> 01:04:55,320
the package and turned around, smiling
broadly. This is Fazeneu household, said

811
01:04:55,360 --> 01:05:00,320
Henderman, presenting the object to Clark
and Valkyrie. They accept it. It

812
01:05:00,440 --> 01:05:05,960
confused, open it, insisted Henderman. They gently removed the cloth and found

813
01:05:06,000 --> 01:05:10,480
it to be a painting. It
was a landscape portrait of the lake,

814
01:05:10,679 --> 01:05:15,280
painted from the front of Enalco,
most likely from the private balcony. It

815
01:05:15,360 --> 01:05:20,559
was quite good. I have been
painting landscapes for many years, said Henderman.

816
01:05:21,280 --> 01:05:26,639
I have improved much since I first
started. It must be the Argentine

817
01:05:26,719 --> 01:05:31,119
air. Please accept this as my
guilt to your union and to hang in

818
01:05:31,199 --> 01:05:36,480
a place of honor in your home. Clark noted the signature was a broad

819
01:05:36,679 --> 01:05:42,840
sweeping a with a smaller print for
the rest of the Augustus. The age

820
01:05:42,920 --> 01:05:46,239
was in the same broad style with
the remainder of Henderman in small letters.

821
01:05:47,119 --> 01:05:54,119
Clark remembered seeing paintings in a museum
that were allegedly done by Hitler. Other

822
01:05:54,199 --> 01:05:59,320
than the names being different, the
signatures were virtually identical. I'm not sure

823
01:05:59,360 --> 01:06:02,719
what to say, said Clark.
Thank you, said Valkyrie. This will

824
01:06:02,760 --> 01:06:09,360
be put with our other treasured pieces. Clark instantly thought of the wall at

825
01:06:09,400 --> 01:06:13,360
Steve's pub and grub, and he
wondered if he'd let them hang it if

826
01:06:13,440 --> 01:06:17,000
he knew where it came from.
Wundebah, said Henderman, smiling broadly.

827
01:06:18,039 --> 01:06:23,800
Valkyrie carefully re wrapped the painting so
it wouldn't be scratched. Now I have

828
01:06:23,960 --> 01:06:27,880
something else to present, said Henderman. I know that you are not in

829
01:06:27,920 --> 01:06:32,079
the military, nor am I yourlita, but I have something of historical significance

830
01:06:32,119 --> 01:06:39,360
to present you all for your bravery
tonight, Actonge, shouted Heinz. Despite

831
01:06:39,400 --> 01:06:44,440
themselves, they all found themselves snapping
to attention. Henderman held out his hand,

832
01:06:44,719 --> 01:06:49,039
and Heinz handed him a wooden box. These metals are pieces of history,

833
01:06:49,280 --> 01:06:56,039
said Henderman. Awarded for gallantry and
deface of great danger. Tonight,

834
01:06:56,280 --> 01:07:00,480
you and your friends stood in line
with my men against the fold like nothing

835
01:07:00,519 --> 01:07:05,840
you have ever seen. I was
told in detail how you all handled yourselves

836
01:07:05,840 --> 01:07:12,559
and engaged the creatures without hesitation.
You have shown great courage in the protection

837
01:07:12,679 --> 01:07:17,519
of myself and my honored guests.
Clark glanced at Valkyrie and she shrugged,

838
01:07:17,559 --> 01:07:24,719
almost imperceptibly. So in the spirit
of valor, said Henderman, I present

839
01:07:24,880 --> 01:07:30,360
four of you the Iron Cross of
Valor. He hung the iron cross around

840
01:07:30,400 --> 01:07:34,559
the necks of Runestone, Raven,
Shield, Maiden, and Valkyrie. For

841
01:07:34,719 --> 01:07:41,159
bravery above and beyond the call of
duty, said Henderman. I award two

842
01:07:41,199 --> 01:07:45,239
of you the Knight's Cross. He
hung one around Gregel's neck and then around

843
01:07:45,360 --> 01:07:53,480
Clark's. Well done, Henderman said, nodding appreciatively. Clark wasn't sure what

844
01:07:53,599 --> 01:07:57,000
to do. He took it off, and they would likely be shot for

845
01:07:57,079 --> 01:08:01,000
insulting him. If he did anything
except grateful, they would all likely be

846
01:08:01,159 --> 01:08:06,039
seized and killed. He never expected
this to happen and wasn't sure how to

847
01:08:06,119 --> 01:08:11,239
react or feel about it. Now, said Henderman, I have kept you

848
01:08:11,360 --> 01:08:15,639
from your bedchambers on your first night
in this beautiful land far too long.

849
01:08:15,479 --> 01:08:21,239
My driver will return you all to
your hotel. Instructions are already being delivered

850
01:08:21,279 --> 01:08:28,000
to the hotel management that you are
to receive their highest level of accommodation at

851
01:08:28,000 --> 01:08:33,439
my expense. Please enjoy your time
here. Also consider my offer both for

852
01:08:33,560 --> 01:08:40,760
employment and the wonderful aircraft we will, sir, said Clark. Excellent,

853
01:08:41,039 --> 01:08:45,680
said Henderman. I bid you all
good night. Perhaps before your stay is

854
01:08:45,720 --> 01:08:48,720
over, you can return for another
formal dinner. I would welcome the chance

855
01:08:48,800 --> 01:08:53,119
to have you play for us again. Well, I would be delighted,

856
01:08:53,279 --> 01:08:58,600
said Clark, stalling for time.
Ed heins said Henderman. See to it

857
01:08:58,680 --> 01:09:01,840
that I guessed, make it better
to their hotel without issue. Of course,

858
01:09:01,920 --> 01:09:06,279
mine hitter, said Heinz. They
were shown to a changing room,

859
01:09:06,439 --> 01:09:11,439
where they changed back into their formal
wear, and then escorted back to the

860
01:09:11,479 --> 01:09:15,800
Mercedes. Joakim was there waiting to
hold the door for them. Thank you,

861
01:09:15,920 --> 01:09:21,399
Joakim, said Clark, stepping inside. Joachim smiled broadly at the use

862
01:09:21,439 --> 01:09:26,359
of his name, and Clark had
the feeling that most people just ignored him

863
01:09:26,600 --> 01:09:30,199
or treated him like nothing more than
furniture. You are most welcome, mine,

864
01:09:30,279 --> 01:09:35,319
he said Jokim. Once they were
all situated in the car. Jokim

865
01:09:35,520 --> 01:09:42,319
returned to the driver's side and climbed
inside. Heinz climbed into the passenger side.

866
01:09:42,560 --> 01:09:45,439
He changed into black slacks in a
black turtleneck sweater. He had a

867
01:09:45,479 --> 01:09:51,319
pistol in one of the HK rifles
with him. The sleep Mercedes rumbled to

868
01:09:51,399 --> 01:09:57,319
life and the engine idled smoothly.
And putting it gently into gear, Jokim

869
01:09:57,439 --> 01:10:01,279
headed down the road toward the gate. They could see where considerable damage had

870
01:10:01,319 --> 01:10:05,960
been done to some of the facilities
inside the compound. The gate was damaged

871
01:10:05,960 --> 01:10:12,239
but was being repaired as they drove
through without being stopped or questioned. Moments

872
01:10:12,319 --> 01:10:16,439
later, they turned onto the highway
and headed back into town. They rode

873
01:10:16,439 --> 01:10:21,560
in silence as they drove along the
dark road. Hinz watched the edges of

874
01:10:21,640 --> 01:10:26,640
the trees with his hand on the
rifle, but they saw no indication of

875
01:10:26,720 --> 01:10:31,279
movement or danger. The area was
still quiet, but nothing moved or seemed

876
01:10:31,319 --> 01:10:38,159
out of place. It was just
eerily calm. Once they cleared the trees,

877
01:10:38,199 --> 01:10:43,039
they passed Meridor in Nalko and saw
that the lake seemed far more sinister

878
01:10:43,319 --> 01:10:46,319
than it had on the way out
to Analco. Now They knew the secret

879
01:10:46,399 --> 01:10:49,479
of what was hiding in the dark
waters, and it worried them all.

880
01:10:50,279 --> 01:10:55,600
They had no idea how to fight, much less kill these creatures. The

881
01:10:55,640 --> 01:10:59,159
water was their domain. They were
going to have to figure out how to

882
01:10:59,159 --> 01:11:03,840
take the fight to the end without
being completely outmatched. They drove past the

883
01:11:03,920 --> 01:11:09,119
silent village and soon pulled beneath the
carport of the front of the hotel.

884
01:11:10,000 --> 01:11:15,560
Haines placed the weapon on the floorboard
and stepped out. Jokim came around and

885
01:11:15,680 --> 01:11:18,079
opened the door to help them all
out, and once they were all out,

886
01:11:18,279 --> 01:11:23,279
he bowed and clicked his heels together. I hope that your knight was

887
01:11:23,319 --> 01:11:28,680
not completely ruined by the unfortunate incident, said Yokim. Thank you, said

888
01:11:28,680 --> 01:11:31,760
Clark. It was certainly a knight. We will never forget. I will

889
01:11:31,760 --> 01:11:36,880
be accompanying them inside, said Hines
to Jokim, I can find my way

890
01:11:36,960 --> 01:11:42,119
back to Annanko. Owe these people
many drinks to thank them for their help.

891
01:11:42,840 --> 01:11:47,439
Of course, manheur said Yokim.
Heading inside. Clark nodded at Haines.

892
01:11:48,039 --> 01:11:50,680
Meet us in the bar, he
said, I want to go change

893
01:11:50,680 --> 01:11:56,920
into something less formal. Of course, said Haines. They all climbed into

894
01:11:56,960 --> 01:12:00,359
the elevator and returned to their rooms. None of you have to come down

895
01:12:00,399 --> 01:12:04,079
with me, said Clark. I
intend to find out everything I can from

896
01:12:04,119 --> 01:12:09,000
heights. It might look strange if
you're the only one who shows up,

897
01:12:09,039 --> 01:12:13,079
said Valkyrie. I'll go with you. We all will, said Gregel.

898
01:12:13,359 --> 01:12:16,920
I think we all have questions,
okay, said Clark. Get changed and

899
01:12:17,000 --> 01:12:20,720
meet me in the bar as soon
as you can. They all returned to

900
01:12:20,760 --> 01:12:26,039
their rooms, and Valkyrie hided into
the bathroom to change while Clark changed in

901
01:12:26,119 --> 01:12:29,960
the main part of the room.
He put on jeans and a black T

902
01:12:30,159 --> 01:12:34,319
shirt that had said until Valhalla on
the front, with an American flag on

903
01:12:34,359 --> 01:12:39,800
the right sleeve and a logo on
the back of an M four style rifle

904
01:12:40,039 --> 01:12:43,319
set in a pair of boots with
a helmet on top, and a set

905
01:12:43,319 --> 01:12:47,960
of dog tags hanging from the rifle. Valkyrie emerged from the bathroom wearing tight

906
01:12:48,079 --> 01:12:54,039
jeans and tennis shoes and an olive
drabbed T shirt with a distressed American flag

907
01:12:54,119 --> 01:12:58,479
on it. We seriously need to
think about the shirts we wear on undercovered

908
01:12:58,520 --> 01:13:02,600
missions, said Clark. We both
scream American. Well that's what we are,

909
01:13:02,800 --> 01:13:06,760
said Valkyrie grinning. And we've already
established that we were all in the

910
01:13:06,800 --> 01:13:12,359
military. Why not just relax and
wear what we want. That's a good

911
01:13:12,399 --> 01:13:15,760
point, said Clark. Let's go
have a drink with Heins and find out

912
01:13:15,000 --> 01:13:20,359
just what the hell is going on. Slipping his glock conversion into an inside

913
01:13:20,359 --> 01:13:25,359
the waistband holster at the small of
his back, Clark pulled the shirt down

914
01:13:25,359 --> 01:13:29,880
to conceal it. He tucked a
couple of extra magazines in his back pocket,

915
01:13:30,319 --> 01:13:34,079
and Valkyrie slipped her pistol and extra
ammo into her purse. As they

916
01:13:34,119 --> 01:13:39,399
headed down the hallway, Gregel and
Shielman and joined them. They could hear

917
01:13:39,439 --> 01:13:44,159
bedsprings as they passed Runestone in Raven's
room. Well, I guess they'll be

918
01:13:44,239 --> 01:13:47,880
down for a bit, said Clark, shaking his head. They entered the

919
01:13:47,920 --> 01:13:53,000
bar and they found Heins sitting at
one end with a glass in his hands.

920
01:13:53,279 --> 01:13:57,079
I didn't wait, said Heinz,
smiling. Za bontender is off of

921
01:13:57,119 --> 01:14:00,439
the night. The manager told me
to help ourselves. My employer is picking

922
01:14:00,479 --> 01:14:04,680
up the tab. Anyway, Clark
walked behind the bar and searched until he

923
01:14:04,680 --> 01:14:09,640
found a bottle of Irish whiskey.
It wasn't bush Mills, but he wasn't

924
01:14:09,640 --> 01:14:14,000
going to get picky so far from
home. It was Twola more Due,

925
01:14:14,079 --> 01:14:16,920
so he wasn't going to complain too
loudly. It wasn't bush Mills, but

926
01:14:17,119 --> 01:14:20,920
it was good. At least it
wasn't Jamison. If it had been,

927
01:14:21,000 --> 01:14:26,159
he would have probably drank something else. Once they were all seated at the

928
01:14:26,159 --> 01:14:30,720
bar, Clark acted as a bartender, pouring them all generous glasses of whatever

929
01:14:30,760 --> 01:14:35,239
they wanted. Well are the others, asked Heinz. They're indisposed at the

930
01:14:35,279 --> 01:14:41,039
moment, said Clark. Heinz looked
confused for a moment before it dawned on

931
01:14:41,119 --> 01:14:45,439
him. Ah, I see,
he said, I have heard it referred

932
01:14:45,439 --> 01:14:48,279
to as the mattress mambo. Well
that's as delicate a way to put it

933
01:14:48,319 --> 01:14:54,039
as any, I suppose, said
Clark, lifting his glass. Heinz lifted

934
01:14:54,079 --> 01:14:58,720
his glass back. Now do you
want to tell us just what the hell

935
01:14:58,800 --> 01:15:03,279
is going on? Clark, setting
down his now empty glass. I suppose

936
01:15:03,359 --> 01:15:10,680
I could ask the same thing here
thunder God, replied heins I recognize code

937
01:15:10,720 --> 01:15:15,680
names when I hear them. Would
you believe old habits? Asked Clark,

938
01:15:15,800 --> 01:15:19,560
refilling his glass, Heins just looked
at him blankly as he reached for the

939
01:15:19,600 --> 01:15:25,359
bottle of schnapps. I suppose not, said Clark. All right, but

940
01:15:25,439 --> 01:15:30,279
you go first. Heinz took out
an object that looked like a cell phone

941
01:15:30,359 --> 01:15:33,359
until he activated it and set it
on the bar. This will prevent any

942
01:15:33,439 --> 01:15:38,319
listening devices from hearing what we are
about to discuss, he said, nodding.

943
01:15:39,079 --> 01:15:43,960
Clark sipped at his whiskey and waited
for Heinz to begin. The first

944
01:15:44,000 --> 01:15:47,560
thing that concerns me is what exactly
are the Americans doing here in the first

945
01:15:47,600 --> 01:15:53,479
place, said Heins. Your superiors
did a very good job of concealing your

946
01:15:53,560 --> 01:15:58,680
names on the Internet, but they
forgot one very important thing. What's that?

947
01:15:58,920 --> 01:16:02,600
Asked Clark. Well, I find
it interesting that a recipient of the

948
01:16:02,640 --> 01:16:09,479
Congressional Medal of Honor would just vanish
from the internet, said Hines. This

949
01:16:09,640 --> 01:16:15,880
The last entry showed you working for
some small sheeff department in Missouri. That's

950
01:16:15,920 --> 01:16:21,159
obviously a cover. Who do you
work for? Clark frowned and shrugged you

951
01:16:21,279 --> 01:16:26,960
first, he said, sipping his
whisky. Very well, said Hins.

952
01:16:27,399 --> 01:16:32,319
My real name is Oscarbauer. I'm
with the Commando's spitzeilograph to marine. I

953
01:16:32,399 --> 01:16:38,239
was sent here to infiltrate this organization
to help to bring the surviving members of

954
01:16:38,279 --> 01:16:42,279
the Third Right to justice. I
did not expect to find what I did.

955
01:16:42,840 --> 01:16:45,119
It has taken me more than two
years to get this far inside,

956
01:16:45,600 --> 01:16:49,359
and then you show up and just
blindly stumble into what it took me years

957
01:16:49,399 --> 01:16:54,800
to learn. I never would have
thought that simply showing up in a vintage

958
01:16:54,840 --> 01:17:00,920
aircraft would get you so much attention. So they are who we think they

959
01:17:00,960 --> 01:17:04,880
are, said Clark. Yes,
said Hines. You were just awarded the

960
01:17:04,960 --> 01:17:11,520
Knight's Cross by Aintolf Hitler. The
others are his inner circle. Fuck,

961
01:17:11,720 --> 01:17:15,479
said Clark. That just makes my
skin crawl, as it should, said

962
01:17:15,560 --> 01:17:21,039
Hines. Although it's not like you
could tell anyone who would believe you.

963
01:17:21,039 --> 01:17:25,600
You make a good point, said
Clark. So what's the German government going

964
01:17:25,680 --> 01:17:29,840
to do with them? Since they're
protected by a foreign government? Honestly,

965
01:17:30,079 --> 01:17:34,560
said Hines. We were considering simply
letting the Israelis know. Well, that

966
01:17:34,600 --> 01:17:40,359
could get nasty, said Clark.
Or quite nasty, said Hines. How

967
01:17:40,439 --> 01:17:44,359
is it they can be so open
with their activities, asked Valkyrie. I

968
01:17:44,439 --> 01:17:48,680
mean they don't do much to hide. Does it feel untouchable here, said

969
01:17:48,760 --> 01:17:54,279
Hines. They have a big part
of the Argentine government in their pocket,

970
01:17:55,039 --> 01:17:59,880
enough so that the Argentinas will not
move against them openly. They have been

971
01:18:00,000 --> 01:18:03,520
I'm so protected here that they feel
invulnerable. I mean, no one has

972
01:18:03,640 --> 01:18:08,960
been able to get close to them
in almost eighty years. Well, I

973
01:18:09,079 --> 01:18:13,800
plan to change that, said Clark, With just six of you, asked

974
01:18:13,840 --> 01:18:17,520
Heines. Not hardly, said Clark. We didn't come looking for them.

975
01:18:18,039 --> 01:18:21,920
We were sent here because of a
group from a television show that went missing

976
01:18:23,039 --> 01:18:29,479
on the lake. Are you specialized
divers, asked Hines. Well, Alvarez

977
01:18:29,600 --> 01:18:32,239
is, said Clark. He's a
seal. But we're not here to dive.

978
01:18:32,600 --> 01:18:38,039
We're here to confirm the presence of
non human monsters. We've done that

979
01:18:38,159 --> 01:18:42,399
and now the rest of the team
can come in. So you're here for

980
01:18:42,520 --> 01:18:45,359
the attack on the lake, said
Hins, refilling his glass of schnops.

981
01:18:46,119 --> 01:18:50,560
You saw them in more than you
bargained for, y'all, yes, said

982
01:18:50,600 --> 01:18:55,800
Clark, taking a sip of whiskey. We also know there's more than one

983
01:18:55,880 --> 01:19:00,119
kind of cat creature, yes,
said Hines. Well that we know of

984
01:19:00,880 --> 01:19:04,720
one that is very much like a
sab or two tiger, one that resembles

985
01:19:04,720 --> 01:19:10,199
a black panther, and one that
seems like a large, dark tone tiger.

986
01:19:10,680 --> 01:19:13,960
The fourth is smaller than the others. Perhaps stay up, park,

987
01:19:14,039 --> 01:19:17,840
Jaguar. We aren't sure. We've
never been able to take any of them

988
01:19:17,880 --> 01:19:24,720
to study. They seemed to get
up after taking incredible damage. We did

989
01:19:24,800 --> 01:19:28,279
capture one of the panthers once,
but I have no idea what happened to

990
01:19:28,319 --> 01:19:32,800
it. The one you brought down
tonight did not survive. Shit, whispered

991
01:19:32,880 --> 01:19:38,640
Valkyrie. Four. That's not good. We've got our hands full this time.

992
01:19:39,720 --> 01:19:43,279
Why do they want one alive?
Asked Clark, setting his empty glass

993
01:19:43,279 --> 01:19:47,359
on the bar. Valkyrie reached over
and refilled his glass for him while Heine

994
01:19:47,479 --> 01:19:51,760
swirled its snops around in the glass
before drinking it. With a sigh.

995
01:19:51,880 --> 01:19:57,479
He slammed the empty down onto the
bar. One of it for the week

996
01:19:57,560 --> 01:20:01,239
my high project, said Hines,
not looking up. I knew those men.

997
01:20:01,920 --> 01:20:05,159
One was my partner. We were
sitting here at the same time.

998
01:20:05,800 --> 01:20:10,159
Why would they need a cat creature
for the project, asked g Regel.

999
01:20:11,079 --> 01:20:15,960
They took genetic samples and isolated what
allowed the creatures to shift forms, said

1000
01:20:15,000 --> 01:20:20,119
Hines, staring at an empty glass. Zenzy used it to force the change

1001
01:20:20,199 --> 01:20:25,159
onto the wife and how only it
did not work as they had planned.

1002
01:20:25,760 --> 01:20:29,800
They changed, but there was no
controlling them. They all had the cunning

1003
01:20:29,880 --> 01:20:33,520
of men, but all savagery of
a great white shark. So it broke

1004
01:20:33,600 --> 01:20:39,079
free from the containment and the skipped
into the leg three weeks ago. But

1005
01:20:39,199 --> 01:20:43,039
we have to find them and stop
them, said Clark. Can they be

1006
01:20:43,239 --> 01:20:47,479
changed back, asked Heines, his
voice soft. Can they be saved?

1007
01:20:48,399 --> 01:20:53,359
I don't know, said Clark.
That's way above my pay grade. All

1008
01:20:53,399 --> 01:20:57,039
I know is we have to stop
them. If we can subdue one for

1009
01:20:57,159 --> 01:21:00,680
our team scientists to study, maybe
they're might be away. I don't know,

1010
01:21:00,760 --> 01:21:05,479
and I can't promise anything. I
understand, said Hines. Lucas is

1011
01:21:05,520 --> 01:21:10,880
a good friend. We went through
training together, trust me, said Clark.

1012
01:21:10,960 --> 01:21:15,159
I completely understand, not wanting to
give up on your friend. If

1013
01:21:15,199 --> 01:21:17,359
there is a way we will save
him, I don't know if there is

1014
01:21:17,399 --> 01:21:21,920
anything we can do, but we
will try, Donka, said Hines sadly.

1015
01:21:23,359 --> 01:21:26,560
However, whatever you plan to do, I hope that you do it

1016
01:21:26,640 --> 01:21:31,119
soon. Why is that, asked
Valkyrie, because They are planning to attempt

1017
01:21:31,119 --> 01:21:35,600
in the experiment again, said Hines. They believe that they know what went

1018
01:21:35,680 --> 01:21:41,039
wrong with the first group. I've
been selected for the second group. They've

1019
01:21:41,039 --> 01:21:45,760
already begun with a series of shots
to boost our metabolisms, and it's starting

1020
01:21:45,800 --> 01:21:49,439
to work. Ordinarily, this much
snobs would have me stumbling around the room.

1021
01:21:49,880 --> 01:21:54,720
I've already drank most of the entire
bottle and I feel no ill effects.

1022
01:21:55,680 --> 01:22:00,520
Gray Eagle nodded grimly. How do
we fight mutator shark men, asked

1023
01:22:00,520 --> 01:22:05,359
Clark. They'll completely dominate any diver
in the water. We don't stand a

1024
01:22:05,479 --> 01:22:10,560
chance in their element. Can they
come out on to land? They can,

1025
01:22:10,880 --> 01:22:15,319
said Hines. We have attempted to
lure them out without success. They

1026
01:22:15,319 --> 01:22:18,479
are highly intelligent, but I have
little hope that there is any humanity left

1027
01:22:18,600 --> 01:22:23,199
end Zim. They are programmed to
be a team, so they hunt in

1028
01:22:23,239 --> 01:22:28,159
a pack to target enemy forces in
the water and neutralize them. I do

1029
01:22:28,199 --> 01:22:31,000
not doubt that they would be smart
enough to force open an emergency hatch on

1030
01:22:31,039 --> 01:22:35,439
a submarine. However, they would
be too large to enter the hatch,

1031
01:22:36,239 --> 01:22:40,800
not the supply hatch, said Clark. They could fit in there, but

1032
01:22:41,000 --> 01:22:45,960
moving around inside would be virtually impossible. They're too big for the cramped quarters,

1033
01:22:45,319 --> 01:22:48,640
but they really wouldn't need to.
If they could force the hatch open,

1034
01:22:48,960 --> 01:22:53,920
then the sub would flood and it
would sink exactly, said Hines.

1035
01:22:54,119 --> 01:22:58,560
In the water, they are virtually
unstoppable, at least by any means known

1036
01:22:58,640 --> 01:23:02,760
to us. What made them attack
the boat, asked Clark. The only

1037
01:23:02,880 --> 01:23:06,640
thing we can think of is the
sonar, said Hines. They seemed to

1038
01:23:06,680 --> 01:23:12,600
be sensitive to the sound. The
pinging of the sonar largely enraged them.

1039
01:23:13,239 --> 01:23:17,079
Then there were no survivors, said
Valkyrie. Sadly, that part is not

1040
01:23:17,159 --> 01:23:20,760
true, said Hines. I am
full of My men went out to the

1041
01:23:20,880 --> 01:23:27,479
chicken boat in our inflatable attack boats
what your people call zodiacs. We were

1042
01:23:27,560 --> 01:23:30,479
able to pull for us them from
the boat before the way Fa High could

1043
01:23:30,520 --> 01:23:34,600
get to them. We had to
run up onto the shore to keep them

1044
01:23:34,640 --> 01:23:39,840
from getting us. As we fled
the sinking boat, we rescued the female

1045
01:23:39,880 --> 01:23:45,079
host of the show, both cameramen
and one computer technician. Where are they,

1046
01:23:45,319 --> 01:23:49,199
asked Clark. We placed them into
temporary custody, said Hines. We

1047
01:23:49,239 --> 01:23:54,119
couldn't allow them to alert the press
to the presence of the waipa. How

1048
01:23:54,359 --> 01:23:59,680
before we could either capture or eliminate
them. We didn't want the assautists coming

1049
01:23:59,720 --> 01:24:03,279
around. It was almost two days
before we learned that they had managed to

1050
01:24:03,319 --> 01:24:10,159
send images and information back to their
television station. Are they going to release

1051
01:24:10,199 --> 01:24:15,159
them? Asked Valkyrie. I was
told that they would be released, said

1052
01:24:15,239 --> 01:24:18,680
Hines, But it is far more
likely that they would simply disappear. The

1053
01:24:18,720 --> 01:24:24,359
public already believes them dead. Hnderman. Can't risk them talking about what they've

1054
01:24:24,399 --> 01:24:29,399
seen. It could bring a lot
of attention here. Well, that particular

1055
01:24:29,520 --> 01:24:32,239
genie is out of the bottle,
said Clark. The rest of our team

1056
01:24:32,279 --> 01:24:38,560
is already mobilizing. How many in
your team, asked Hines. More than

1057
01:24:38,560 --> 01:24:43,760
one hundred, said Clark, not
including support personnel that will not be easy

1058
01:24:43,800 --> 01:24:46,960
to hide, said Hines. How
do you plan on bringing that many in?

1059
01:24:47,920 --> 01:24:51,840
That will be my boss's decision,
said Clark. We're the advanced team

1060
01:24:53,199 --> 01:24:58,359
what we call this cat team or
the Cryptid Assessment Team. We're the advanced

1061
01:24:58,359 --> 01:25:03,399
team for Team odin the wild Hunt. Your team hunts monsters, asked Hines,

1062
01:25:03,640 --> 01:25:09,439
disbelief in his tone. Yes we
do, said Clark. If I

1063
01:25:09,520 --> 01:25:13,680
hadn't seen the cat creatures with my
own eyes, said Hines, then I

1064
01:25:13,720 --> 01:25:17,199
would have questioned your sanity. I
take it that there are more than these

1065
01:25:17,319 --> 01:25:23,279
monsters out Zell he gestured to the
world around them. Yes, said Greg,

1066
01:25:23,560 --> 01:25:29,840
far more than you realize. As
if facing the reincarnation of the Third

1067
01:25:29,920 --> 01:25:33,319
Reich wasn't bad enough, said Hines, I do appreciate the irony of the

1068
01:25:33,399 --> 01:25:38,520
last remnants of the rich being taken
down by oldin ends the wild hunt.

1069
01:25:38,960 --> 01:25:42,239
All right, I'm in. How
can I help you? Well, it

1070
01:25:42,359 --> 01:25:45,319
is kind of fitting, said Valkyrie. You can get us all the information

1071
01:25:45,439 --> 01:25:49,680
that you can about their activity,
said Clark, plus the strength of their

1072
01:25:49,720 --> 01:25:54,680
forces and placement of their weapons,
and other locations that you know of.

1073
01:25:55,520 --> 01:25:58,600
I want as much intel as you
can give us, and if we're going

1074
01:25:58,640 --> 01:26:01,239
to take them down, we need
to know what we're up against. If

1075
01:26:01,279 --> 01:26:05,479
you're bringing in just over a hundred
fighting men, said Hines, you might

1076
01:26:05,520 --> 01:26:11,319
want to ask for additional troops.
You will be heavily outnumbered. There are

1077
01:26:11,399 --> 01:26:15,520
far more than what you saw at
Nuncle. I think I can do that,

1078
01:26:15,760 --> 01:26:18,520
said Clark. You just get us
the intel. I will have it

1079
01:26:18,560 --> 01:26:23,079
to you by the end of the
day tomorrow, said Hines. Where should

1080
01:26:23,079 --> 01:26:27,039
I send it? Clark gave him
his secure email address, and instead of

1081
01:26:27,039 --> 01:26:30,760
writing it down, Heinz put it
into his device. No one but I

1082
01:26:30,800 --> 01:26:36,039
can get into his phone, said
Heins. Biometric lock. Even my superiors

1083
01:26:36,239 --> 01:26:42,680
in Germany couldn't get into it without
my thumb print or facial recognition. Okay,

1084
01:26:42,880 --> 01:26:45,640
said Clark. You get us that
info. Let me worry about bringing

1085
01:26:45,640 --> 01:26:49,840
in enough troops to make this happen. And how will you get them here?

1086
01:26:50,000 --> 01:26:55,319
Quickly, asked Heins. It's easy, said Clark. Every member of

1087
01:26:55,359 --> 01:26:59,399
the team is airborne qualified. It
looks like the Wild Hunt gets to earn

1088
01:26:59,439 --> 01:27:03,000
their jump. Damn, muttered Gregel. The first jump deployment I've seen with

1089
01:27:03,039 --> 01:27:06,000
the team and I have to miss
it. Looks like I need to make

1090
01:27:06,039 --> 01:27:10,640
a call, said Clark. All
father isn't going to believe this one,

1091
01:27:11,319 --> 01:27:15,960
Asgard won't either, said Valkyrie.
You're telling me that you're going to launch

1092
01:27:15,960 --> 01:27:20,439
a full scale elborne invasion of Patagonia, ask Heinz. It is the quickest

1093
01:27:20,439 --> 01:27:25,199
way to get them here, said
Clark, grinning. I'm with Gregel.

1094
01:27:25,479 --> 01:27:31,439
I'm just sorry that I'm not going
to be jumping with them. Chapter nine,

1095
01:27:31,880 --> 01:27:38,159
Pillow Talk O. Two thirty hours, fifteen May, Lake Naelapi,

1096
01:27:39,960 --> 01:27:43,760
Gray, Eagle, Shield, Maiden, Runestone, and Raven were all in

1097
01:27:43,840 --> 01:27:48,079
Clark and Valkyrie's room. Valkyrie was
waiting with them. Clark was still on

1098
01:27:48,119 --> 01:27:53,920
the roof using the satellite phone,
speaking with Command. He'd been on the

1099
01:27:53,920 --> 01:27:57,880
phone for over an hour. They
were beginning to grow worried when Clark dropped

1100
01:27:57,880 --> 01:28:01,479
back onto the balcony. That went
better than I expected, said Clark.

1101
01:28:01,880 --> 01:28:06,680
What happened, asked Falkyrie. At
first, Asgard was against it, said

1102
01:28:06,720 --> 01:28:12,520
Clark. I was on conference with
Asgard, all father and several others.

1103
01:28:13,119 --> 01:28:15,920
They said that a direct assault on
them wasn't in the purview of the team.

1104
01:28:16,439 --> 01:28:20,359
But after I explained that they created
the shark Men and that they were

1105
01:28:20,439 --> 01:28:25,600
just going to create more, Asgard
went up the food chain. Well,

1106
01:28:25,680 --> 01:28:30,359
how high up the chain? Asked
Gregel. Let's just say he disturbed the

1107
01:28:30,399 --> 01:28:34,159
sleep of a very important person who
lives on Pennsylvania Avenue, said Clark.

1108
01:28:34,720 --> 01:28:39,439
It took a while, but I
explained it again. Then he left the

1109
01:28:39,479 --> 01:28:43,760
conversation for about half an hour.
I'm given to understand that he made a

1110
01:28:43,760 --> 01:28:48,239
couple of high level calls before greenlighting
us. We've got whatever resources we need,

1111
01:28:48,359 --> 01:28:54,079
plus full support of JSOC should we
need it. Also, there are

1112
01:28:54,159 --> 01:28:59,319
numerous arrests being made as we speak
within the Argentine government. Now this is

1113
01:28:59,399 --> 01:29:03,600
the part where it's going to get
interesting. What, asked Valkyrie. Two

1114
01:29:03,640 --> 01:29:08,560
elements of the Hunt are on their
way, said Clark. They're only sending

1115
01:29:08,600 --> 01:29:14,960
two teams, asked Runestone, not
teams, corrected Clark. Elements Alaska has

1116
01:29:15,000 --> 01:29:18,359
been asked to cover the west and
East coast until this thing is finished.

1117
01:29:18,920 --> 01:29:24,800
Both West Coast and Midwest divisions of
the Hunt are dropping in asgard is leading

1118
01:29:24,840 --> 01:29:30,479
this personally, the general is going
to jump, asked Raven. Everyone's going

1119
01:29:30,560 --> 01:29:34,760
to said Clark. They're dropping everything. How are they going to explain this,

1120
01:29:35,119 --> 01:29:42,560
asked Gregel. Special training exercise authorized
by the Argentinian government, said Clark.

1121
01:29:43,000 --> 01:29:46,239
It's being called a rapid deployment exercise
to check the readiness of the military

1122
01:29:46,279 --> 01:29:51,680
to deploy a large force anywhere in
the world with minimal notice. Holy shit,

1123
01:29:51,960 --> 01:29:58,199
said Runestone. Indeed, said Gregel, when do they drop? There's

1124
01:29:58,239 --> 01:30:01,920
a small fleet of C five alex
Sees and see seventeen Globe Masters already on

1125
01:30:01,960 --> 01:30:05,840
their way, said Clark. Best
guess we should see the beginnings of the

1126
01:30:05,920 --> 01:30:12,279
drop near sundown. What about the
cat creatures, asked Valkyrie. We got

1127
01:30:12,399 --> 01:30:15,239
less than sixteen hours to locate them, and they'll task a team to take

1128
01:30:15,279 --> 01:30:19,159
them on, said Clark, unless
we determine we can handle them before their

1129
01:30:19,239 --> 01:30:24,840
arrival. So much forgetting any sleep, said Valkyrie. When do we leave?

1130
01:30:25,600 --> 01:30:28,960
I don't want to go until it's
daylight, said Clark. We didn't

1131
01:30:29,000 --> 01:30:32,159
pack night visions. Only Gregel would
be able to see them coming. That

1132
01:30:32,279 --> 01:30:35,920
means we can grab a few hours
of sleep. I suggest we make the

1133
01:30:35,920 --> 01:30:40,199
most of it. Once the team's
hit the ground, we won't be getting

1134
01:30:40,279 --> 01:30:44,600
much rest. He's right, said
Gregel. We should grab some rack time

1135
01:30:44,640 --> 01:30:49,560
while we have the chance. Everyone
headed back to their respective rooms. Valkyrie

1136
01:30:49,600 --> 01:30:54,520
headed into the bathroom to change,
leaving Clark to slip into a T shirt

1137
01:30:54,560 --> 01:30:59,359
and shorts before she came back out. When she exited the bathroom, he

1138
01:30:59,359 --> 01:31:02,319
headed to his teeth before bed,
and returning a few minutes later, he

1139
01:31:02,319 --> 01:31:06,479
headed for the couch. You know, she said, we're both adults.

1140
01:31:06,840 --> 01:31:12,079
We can sleep in the same bed
without anything going on. I feel bad

1141
01:31:12,079 --> 01:31:15,199
that you would have to sleep on
that couch. It's too short to lay

1142
01:31:15,199 --> 01:31:18,239
down, and it does not look
comfortable. I've slept on worse, he

1143
01:31:18,359 --> 01:31:24,039
said, much worse. I know
you have, she said, we both

1144
01:31:24,119 --> 01:31:28,159
have, but this is different.
We're in a four star hotel. You

1145
01:31:28,199 --> 01:31:31,640
should be comfortable too. Are you
afraid of me? I don't bite,

1146
01:31:31,680 --> 01:31:36,239
and I do shower on occasion.
Clark thought about it for a moment.

1147
01:31:36,960 --> 01:31:42,159
All right, he said, I
guess it won't hurt anything. Valkyrie slid

1148
01:31:42,199 --> 01:31:45,439
over to one side, while Clark
slipped beneath the covers on the other.

1149
01:31:45,079 --> 01:31:49,199
Once his head hit the pillow,
he closed his eyes and stretched. The

1150
01:31:49,239 --> 01:31:54,199
mattress was very comfortable, and the
pillows seemed to cradle his head without any

1151
01:31:54,239 --> 01:31:59,960
pressure. I really can't believe everything
that we've learned and experienced has only been

1152
01:32:00,199 --> 01:32:03,920
in one day, said Valkyrie softly. Yeah, mumbled Clark. It's been

1153
01:32:03,960 --> 01:32:08,920
a long day. I never knew
you could play piano, she said,

1154
01:32:09,039 --> 01:32:12,960
rolling on to her side to face
him. He kept his eyes closed and

1155
01:32:13,000 --> 01:32:16,359
didn't react. I don't play often, he said, I'm out of practice.

1156
01:32:17,199 --> 01:32:21,159
That sounded great to me, she
said, I played songs I remembered.

1157
01:32:21,319 --> 01:32:24,920
He said, there's no way I
could do that for a song I

1158
01:32:24,920 --> 01:32:30,000
haven't played a million times, but
Zombie, she asked, You never struck

1159
01:32:30,039 --> 01:32:33,359
me as a Cranberries fan. I'm
not, he explained. It was my

1160
01:32:33,479 --> 01:32:38,720
sister's favorite song. I played it
because she liked it. You have a

1161
01:32:38,760 --> 01:32:43,000
sister, she asked, you know, he said, opening one eye and

1162
01:32:43,039 --> 01:32:46,399
peering at her. I didn't just
spring from the ground fully formed. I

1163
01:32:46,439 --> 01:32:49,479
have a sister who's a year older
than me, and a brother who's six

1164
01:32:49,560 --> 01:32:55,840
years older. She's a TV news
meteorologist in Saint Louis, and he's a

1165
01:32:55,920 --> 01:32:59,800
dick. He lives in New York. I don't stay in contact with the

1166
01:33:00,000 --> 01:33:03,199
either of them, one by choice
and the other by time. Are they

1167
01:33:03,239 --> 01:33:08,319
married? She asked? Do you
have any nephews or nieces? Why do

1168
01:33:08,359 --> 01:33:12,239
you want to know all this stuff, he asked, because you're a mystery,

1169
01:33:12,399 --> 01:33:15,039
she said. No one on the
team knows much about you. We're

1170
01:33:15,039 --> 01:33:19,960
all taking bets on pieces of your
history. That's like how I receive it,

1171
01:33:20,039 --> 01:33:24,319
he said, laying back. Well, yeah, she said, it's

1172
01:33:24,319 --> 01:33:28,760
classified for some reason. Even with
our clearances on the team, we can't

1173
01:33:28,760 --> 01:33:32,199
read the fall. It's a need
to know information, said Clark. If

1174
01:33:32,239 --> 01:33:35,960
it was pertinent to a mission.
They would tell you, and you won't

1175
01:33:36,000 --> 01:33:41,600
talk about it, she added.
There's a reason for that, said Clark.

1176
01:33:42,079 --> 01:33:45,760
For one, it's classified, and
for another, I don't like to

1177
01:33:45,800 --> 01:33:48,960
think about that day other than to
miss my friends. Oh I'm sorry,

1178
01:33:49,159 --> 01:33:53,680
she said, seeing the pain in
his face. You don't have to talk

1179
01:33:53,720 --> 01:33:58,560
about that. Tell me about your
family, Okay. My sister's married,

1180
01:33:58,720 --> 01:34:03,000
he replied, taking the excuse to
change the subject. She has two kids,

1181
01:34:03,000 --> 01:34:05,800
a boy and a girl. I
try to go see them on the

1182
01:34:05,840 --> 01:34:11,960
holidays. My brother has been divorced
twice. He has no kids. He's

1183
01:34:12,000 --> 01:34:15,680
a jackass hedge fund manager. He
told me going into the military was a

1184
01:34:15,680 --> 01:34:19,279
big waste of time. I told
him it was more honest than what he

1185
01:34:19,359 --> 01:34:25,039
did. I've never screwed anybody out
of their life savings. We're not even

1186
01:34:25,159 --> 01:34:29,159
close. Honestly, he's an asshole
and I don't like being around him.

1187
01:34:30,000 --> 01:34:33,960
What are their names, she asked, Who asked Clark confused? Well,

1188
01:34:34,039 --> 01:34:39,199
all of them, said Valkyrie,
smiling. Good lord, he said,

1189
01:34:39,359 --> 01:34:43,680
opening both eyes. Are you writing
a book about me or something? She

1190
01:34:43,880 --> 01:34:48,119
laughed. My sister's name is Pamela, he said, Pamela Grayson now.

1191
01:34:48,720 --> 01:34:54,199
The kids are Eric and Emily.
Her husband's name is Patrick. He's all

1192
01:34:54,319 --> 01:34:57,359
right. I guess he's kind of
a pansy, but hey, he's good

1193
01:34:57,359 --> 01:35:00,560
to her and the kids. My
brother's name is Philip. He's been a

1194
01:35:00,560 --> 01:35:05,279
dick my entire life, so his
being a hedge fund jackass didn't change anything,

1195
01:35:06,199 --> 01:35:11,319
see, chatted Valkyrie, smiling softly. That wasn't so bad, was

1196
01:35:11,359 --> 01:35:15,159
it? I suppose not, said
Clark. What about you? How did

1197
01:35:15,199 --> 01:35:18,520
you wind up a sniper in the
pgs? I mean you could have been

1198
01:35:18,520 --> 01:35:23,760
a model or an actress or something. Well, I'm an only child,

1199
01:35:23,960 --> 01:35:28,920
she said. My dad retired a
Master sergeant from the Air Force. It's

1200
01:35:28,920 --> 01:35:31,560
the only thing I've wanted to do
since I was a kid. He took

1201
01:35:31,560 --> 01:35:34,159
me hunting a lot when I was
young, and that's when I learned to

1202
01:35:34,199 --> 01:35:38,560
shoot. When I joined the Air
Force, my parents were proud, but

1203
01:35:38,680 --> 01:35:41,720
I know my mom wanted me to
go to college and do something else,

1204
01:35:41,840 --> 01:35:45,840
like modeling or something. But that
wasn't for me, and during training I

1205
01:35:45,880 --> 01:35:50,520
broke every record in my unit for
marksmanship. I enlisted to go into the

1206
01:35:50,560 --> 01:35:54,840
Air Force security, and when word
of my shooting got out, I was

1207
01:35:54,880 --> 01:35:58,680
offered a chance to go to a
pair of rescue school, and I happily

1208
01:35:58,760 --> 01:36:02,079
accepted. I guess you did well, said Clark, based on what I've

1209
01:36:02,119 --> 01:36:06,039
seen. I excelled in shooting,
and I kept up with the men on

1210
01:36:06,079 --> 01:36:11,720
all the courses, she said.
I held my own and graduated with honors.

1211
01:36:12,039 --> 01:36:15,840
And on my first duty assignment to
Afghanistan, my commanding officer decided that

1212
01:36:16,159 --> 01:36:19,760
I was going to be his personal
fuck toy. He called me to his

1213
01:36:19,840 --> 01:36:24,239
quarters and ordered me to get into
his bed, and when I said no,

1214
01:36:24,399 --> 01:36:28,520
he grabbed me and then tried to
rape me. What happened, asked

1215
01:36:28,560 --> 01:36:31,439
Clark, a note of anger in
his tone. I broke his jaw,

1216
01:36:31,800 --> 01:36:35,520
she said. When he called me
to his quarters, I suspected it was

1217
01:36:35,560 --> 01:36:41,279
something like that, so I recorded
the conversation with my phone. When I

1218
01:36:41,319 --> 01:36:45,399
presented that at the court martial,
I ended the career of a full Bird

1219
01:36:45,479 --> 01:36:49,560
colonel and ruined my reputation with the
PJS. I knew then that I had

1220
01:36:49,600 --> 01:36:54,079
to either leave the Air Force or
find another way to serve, and one

1221
01:36:54,079 --> 01:36:58,239
of my senior staff, Brigadier General
Brenda Chambers, gave me the option of

1222
01:36:58,279 --> 01:37:02,000
trying out for this team took it. I was also given a large cash

1223
01:37:02,079 --> 01:37:08,439
settlement to not bring the sexual assault
public. So you're rich, said Clark.

1224
01:37:08,880 --> 01:37:11,279
What did you do with all that
money, if you don't mind me

1225
01:37:11,399 --> 01:37:15,960
asking, I gave a big chunk
of it to the Defense Fund for service

1226
01:37:15,039 --> 01:37:19,199
women who suffered the same thing I
did, said Valkyrie. The rest,

1227
01:37:19,399 --> 01:37:23,960
well, I paid off my parents'
debts so they could live good on dad's

1228
01:37:23,960 --> 01:37:28,479
retirement. The rest, well,
let's just say when I decided to retire,

1229
01:37:29,000 --> 01:37:32,279
I'll have a nice ranch in Montana
to retire to, and my parents

1230
01:37:32,319 --> 01:37:36,279
lived there keeping the place up for
me. I've still got enough tucked away

1231
01:37:36,319 --> 01:37:41,439
that i'll have a nice nest egg
when I retire. That's a smart girl,

1232
01:37:41,520 --> 01:37:44,960
said Clark. Honestly, I'd like
to find that colonel and feed him

1233
01:37:44,960 --> 01:37:48,880
his teeth too late, said Valkyrie. When I told my story, he

1234
01:37:49,000 --> 01:37:53,760
denied it, and when I presented
the video, he asked for a JAG

1235
01:37:53,840 --> 01:37:58,039
officer and refused to say anything else. When it looked like he was going

1236
01:37:58,079 --> 01:38:01,760
to be court martialed, he ate
a bul instead of facing a dishonorable discharge.

1237
01:38:02,399 --> 01:38:08,079
Fucking coward, said Clark. I'm
sorry that happened to you. I'm

1238
01:38:08,079 --> 01:38:11,720
not. She said. It made
me stronger and I won't cower down to

1239
01:38:11,760 --> 01:38:15,000
anyone. Well, good for you, he said. If anyone ever pulls

1240
01:38:15,000 --> 01:38:18,359
that shit, you tell me and
I'll nail their ass to the nearest wall.

1241
01:38:19,439 --> 01:38:24,239
You know, said Valkyrie. Until
I met you, I thought all

1242
01:38:24,359 --> 01:38:29,560
officers were like that. I hated
officers for a long time. When you

1243
01:38:29,600 --> 01:38:32,800
took over, you immediately treated me
like an equal. You've never talked down

1244
01:38:32,840 --> 01:38:35,399
to me or said that. I
did a good job for a woman.

1245
01:38:36,239 --> 01:38:40,840
You do a good job for anyone, said Clark. I used to think

1246
01:38:40,880 --> 01:38:44,359
I was a good shot till I
met you. You're fucking scary with a

1247
01:38:44,439 --> 01:38:48,680
rifle. She blushed and chuckled.
Thank you, she said, See that's

1248
01:38:48,680 --> 01:38:53,680
what I'm talking about. You don't
act like an officer. I was an

1249
01:38:53,680 --> 01:38:57,239
E six staff sergeant when I got
out of the army, he said.

1250
01:38:57,760 --> 01:39:01,680
Saunders pulled some strings and got me
to join the team. He wanted me

1251
01:39:01,720 --> 01:39:05,720
as his executive officer. I don't
know how he made that happen, but

1252
01:39:05,800 --> 01:39:10,359
he did so. In my heart, I'm still just a staff sergeant.

1253
01:39:10,640 --> 01:39:13,800
I take care of my people,
so they'll take care of me. That's

1254
01:39:13,840 --> 01:39:17,880
how it should always work. I
wish more people in leadership positions felt that

1255
01:39:17,920 --> 01:39:21,680
way, said Valkyrie. Well,
I'm sorry you had to go through that,

1256
01:39:21,880 --> 01:39:26,520
said Clark. I would never do
anything like that to you or anyone.

1257
01:39:27,119 --> 01:39:30,399
You have more than proven you deserve
your position with this team. You're

1258
01:39:30,399 --> 01:39:33,479
the best shooter I've ever worked with, and I've worked with some good ones.

1259
01:39:34,239 --> 01:39:38,840
Thank you. She said. We
should try to get some sleep,

1260
01:39:39,000 --> 01:39:42,840
said Clark. We've got a full
day ahead of us, maybe several days.

1261
01:39:43,479 --> 01:39:46,079
Tell me one thing before we doze
off. She said, okay,

1262
01:39:46,199 --> 01:39:51,560
He said, if the situation was
different, she said, hesitantly, would

1263
01:39:51,600 --> 01:39:55,920
you have kissed me? I mean, we've had a couple of moments since

1264
01:39:55,920 --> 01:40:00,079
we got here where I felt like
I wanted you to. Clark took a

1265
01:40:00,119 --> 01:40:03,800
deep breath and slowly let it out. I'm not great at saying things,

1266
01:40:04,000 --> 01:40:08,800
said Clark. I tend to be
too direct for my own goods. Sometimes

1267
01:40:09,439 --> 01:40:13,560
we both know the reasons that we
can't. First off, I'm married.

1268
01:40:14,199 --> 01:40:19,520
Also, there's the entire against regulations
thing. But if the situations were different

1269
01:40:19,720 --> 01:40:25,319
and none of that applied, yes, she whispered. Well I think you're

1270
01:40:25,359 --> 01:40:30,520
beautiful, said Clark, smiling gently. I also find you incredibly intriguing,

1271
01:40:30,039 --> 01:40:35,039
a strange mixture of sensual and deadly
that I find attractive. It's also the

1272
01:40:35,079 --> 01:40:40,239
same mixture that I love about my
wife. She's a fighter just like you,

1273
01:40:40,760 --> 01:40:43,520
and I love her more than I
ever thought I could love anyone.

1274
01:40:44,199 --> 01:40:46,279
Yes, I do find you attractive, and yes I would have tried to

1275
01:40:46,359 --> 01:40:50,319
kiss you if I were single.
But here's the thing. I think kissing

1276
01:40:50,359 --> 01:40:54,680
you would be a big mistake.
If we were in love. There's a

1277
01:40:54,680 --> 01:40:58,039
good chance you might watch me die
through your scope, and I couldn't do

1278
01:40:58,119 --> 01:41:01,239
that to you. We're soldiers.
I can love you, but it must

1279
01:41:01,239 --> 01:41:05,479
be as a sister or best friend. I can't imagine doing it any other

1280
01:41:05,520 --> 01:41:10,239
way without one of us facing the
reality of watching the other one die.

1281
01:41:11,000 --> 01:41:14,680
I saw what that did to Amanda
when I nearly died in a gunfight while

1282
01:41:14,680 --> 01:41:19,399
we were deputies. I can't hurt
anyone like that again. Valkyrie sat in

1283
01:41:19,479 --> 01:41:24,720
silence for a long moment, looking
down at the bed. I have a

1284
01:41:24,760 --> 01:41:30,239
confession to make, she said,
softly. What's that I've been texting your

1285
01:41:30,279 --> 01:41:33,560
wife since we left Fort leonard Wood, she said, looking up mischievously.

1286
01:41:34,680 --> 01:41:40,479
I've even been sneaking pictures of you
when you weren't watching. Clark frowned her.

1287
01:41:41,079 --> 01:41:45,800
What the hell's going on, he
asked. Amanda knew that we were

1288
01:41:45,800 --> 01:41:48,439
going to be playing husband and wife, she said. I wanted her to

1289
01:41:48,479 --> 01:41:53,640
know that nothing would happen between us. Even when I tempted you, nothing

1290
01:41:53,720 --> 01:41:58,640
happened. That was just me being
rotten. I'm sorry. Clark glared at

1291
01:41:58,640 --> 01:42:02,159
her for a moment before smile.
So Amanda knows this, he said,

1292
01:42:02,840 --> 01:42:06,640
Yes, said Valkyrie, grinning.
And if I'd given in to you,

1293
01:42:06,680 --> 01:42:12,880
said Clark. You didn't, said
Valkyrie, which I find incredibly attractive.

1294
01:42:13,439 --> 01:42:15,880
Your sense of honor and code of
ethics. Most men would have been on

1295
01:42:15,960 --> 01:42:20,800
me faster than Raven and Runstone went
at it even without me playing it up.

1296
01:42:21,319 --> 01:42:25,800
I hope you're not mad at me
now, said Clark. I should

1297
01:42:25,800 --> 01:42:29,079
have known you and Amanda would hit
it off. How often do you two

1298
01:42:29,199 --> 01:42:33,239
text all the time? Said Valkyrie. I send her pictures of you whenever

1299
01:42:33,279 --> 01:42:38,119
we take a break or when there
isn't any action. My scope has a

1300
01:42:38,199 --> 01:42:42,399
chord I can attach to my phone. Clark stared at her for a moment

1301
01:42:42,439 --> 01:42:46,520
before shaking his head. God help
us, said Clark, should I start

1302
01:42:46,560 --> 01:42:51,479
referring to you as my wark wife? Now that's funny, said Valkyrie.

1303
01:42:51,520 --> 01:42:57,119
That's exactly what Amanda called me.
When we get clear of this mission,

1304
01:42:57,239 --> 01:43:00,680
said Clark. I want to see
all the picture you've sent her, and

1305
01:43:00,680 --> 01:43:03,159
then the three of us need to
have a chat. I'll barbecue at the

1306
01:43:03,159 --> 01:43:08,039
cabin and we can invite the team
and we can talk there. Oh please,

1307
01:43:08,079 --> 01:43:11,479
don't be mad at her, said
Valkyrie. The flirting part was my

1308
01:43:11,600 --> 01:43:14,800
idea. I've got to say,
when you clean up and wear a tux,

1309
01:43:14,920 --> 01:43:18,279
you're not exactly hard on the eyes. Clark shook his head and put

1310
01:43:18,319 --> 01:43:23,279
his hands behind his head. You
two are going to be the death of

1311
01:43:23,359 --> 01:43:27,520
me, he said. Now let's
get some sleep. You got it,

1312
01:43:27,600 --> 01:43:31,279
boss, she said, grinning and
laying back on her pillow. Clark closed

1313
01:43:31,279 --> 01:43:34,760
his eyes, his thoughts whirling.
He wasn't sure what was going to be

1314
01:43:34,840 --> 01:43:39,560
said in the conversation they were all
going to have, but he needed to

1315
01:43:39,600 --> 01:43:43,640
play it close to the vest.
Neither of them could ever know just how

1316
01:43:43,680 --> 01:43:54,039
close he came to giving. In
chapter ten, six thirty hours, fifteen

1317
01:43:54,199 --> 01:44:00,880
May Lake Nauelape, Valkyrie awoke and
rolled over, placing her on the pillow

1318
01:44:00,920 --> 01:44:03,640
beside her. It took her a
moment to realize that there was nothing there

1319
01:44:03,680 --> 01:44:09,039
and it was still warm. Opening
her eyes, she glanced around the room

1320
01:44:09,079 --> 01:44:14,960
as her vision cleared from sleep.
She didn't see any sign of Clark sitting

1321
01:44:15,039 --> 01:44:16,920
up in the bed. She caught
a glimpse of movement out the corner of

1322
01:44:16,920 --> 01:44:21,399
her eye. The sun wasn't up
yet and the morning looked chilly. The

1323
01:44:21,439 --> 01:44:27,199
movement she'd seen was Clark on the
balcony doing pull ups rapidly. He was

1324
01:44:27,239 --> 01:44:30,920
wearing his workout shorts and tennis shoes, but no shirt. She saw the

1325
01:44:31,000 --> 01:44:35,960
rippling muscles in his back as he
moved. She also saw the network of

1326
01:44:36,000 --> 01:44:41,800
scars and pucker marks that had to
be bullet wounds. He had been doing

1327
01:44:41,840 --> 01:44:45,279
them for a while, because the
sweat that formed on his back was streaming.

1328
01:44:45,359 --> 01:44:48,640
After a few moments, he paused
while in the up position, and

1329
01:44:48,680 --> 01:44:53,520
then kicked his legs back and dropped
from the edge of the roof onto the

1330
01:44:53,560 --> 01:44:57,760
floor of the balcony. He had
noticed her sitting up in bed, and

1331
01:44:57,760 --> 01:45:01,279
he leaned against the railing and looked
out over the dark lake. Their room

1332
01:45:01,359 --> 01:45:05,720
faced west and would give them a
magnificent view of the sunset, but they

1333
01:45:05,720 --> 01:45:12,079
would not be able to watch the
sunrise. Grabbing a towel that was folded

1334
01:45:12,119 --> 01:45:15,479
on the chair beside him, Clark
towled off the sweat from his face and

1335
01:45:15,640 --> 01:45:20,279
moved inside. When he saw Valkyrie
setting up in bed, he smiled,

1336
01:45:20,640 --> 01:45:25,199
Good morning, sunshine, he said, how long have you been up?

1337
01:45:25,399 --> 01:45:29,439
She asked a little while, He
said, I slept out of bed,

1338
01:45:29,479 --> 01:45:32,079
so I wouldn't wake you. I
usually only sleep a couple of hours at

1339
01:45:32,079 --> 01:45:38,159
a time. I just can't seem
to sleep longer than that unless his voice

1340
01:45:38,199 --> 01:45:43,680
trailed off, unless what she asked, well, Amanda has a way of

1341
01:45:43,680 --> 01:45:45,920
making me sleep longer, he said, Let's just leave it at that.

1342
01:45:46,760 --> 01:45:50,880
What way is she began, and
then paused, Okay, okay, I

1343
01:45:50,960 --> 01:45:55,399
get it. I'm going to leave
you to ponder that, said Clark.

1344
01:45:55,640 --> 01:45:59,079
I'm grabbing a shower. I want
us all to get breakfast together before we

1345
01:45:59,159 --> 01:46:01,840
head out today. This might be
the last meal we eat for a bit.

1346
01:46:01,960 --> 01:46:09,079
That isn't an mre ooh, Valkyrie
said, wrinkling her nose. Meals

1347
01:46:09,159 --> 01:46:13,760
refused by everyone. Those are nasty, Yeah, we used to call them

1348
01:46:13,800 --> 01:46:18,199
meals. Ready to excrete said Clark
always thought they were barely edible until I

1349
01:46:18,239 --> 01:46:23,680
saw their reaction to the kids and
the villages of Kandahar. They acted like

1350
01:46:23,760 --> 01:46:26,760
it was the greatest thing in the
world. And when I saw how they

1351
01:46:26,840 --> 01:46:30,119
lived, I understood just how good
we have it here. I was deployed

1352
01:46:30,159 --> 01:46:34,680
to Afghanistan, she said, but
I never left Bogram except to go pull

1353
01:46:34,720 --> 01:46:39,680
out down pilots or to cover an
extraction, and then we were in and

1354
01:46:39,680 --> 01:46:44,079
out on choppers. Other than that, I didn't have much contact with the

1355
01:46:44,119 --> 01:46:48,039
locals. I've flown out of Bogram
several times, he said, glancing at

1356
01:46:48,079 --> 01:46:51,239
the ground. When I was with
Delta, we lived in the field for

1357
01:46:51,319 --> 01:46:56,640
months at a time. I was
assigned to a surveillance team. We'd spent

1358
01:46:56,760 --> 01:47:00,560
weeks and months out in the middle
of nowhere, watching the enemy move and

1359
01:47:00,640 --> 01:47:03,079
relaying it back to the rest of
the unit. That's how I picked up

1360
01:47:03,159 --> 01:47:09,560
Pashtu. Even before Delta, I
did two tours with the fifth Special Forces

1361
01:47:09,560 --> 01:47:14,560
Group in Afghanistan. We were technically
assigned to Fort Cammel, Kentucky, but

1362
01:47:14,680 --> 01:47:17,720
I didn't get to spend much time
there. After my second deployment, I

1363
01:47:17,840 --> 01:47:21,760
was offered a shot at Delta and
I took it. It's a different world

1364
01:47:21,800 --> 01:47:26,840
over there, she said, nodding. Yes, it is, he said,

1365
01:47:27,079 --> 01:47:31,000
turning and heading into the bathroom.
Seconds after he shut the door,

1366
01:47:31,239 --> 01:47:34,760
she heard the shower start up,
and when she heard the door to the

1367
01:47:34,800 --> 01:47:39,319
shower slide shut, she slipped out
of bed and lay on the floor.

1368
01:47:39,880 --> 01:47:44,000
She started with sit ups to take
her mind off of things. She also

1369
01:47:44,119 --> 01:47:47,439
needed to work off some energy,
she found herself looking forward to the action

1370
01:47:47,600 --> 01:47:54,000
that was about to start. It
was something else to focus on. Thirty

1371
01:47:54,039 --> 01:47:58,720
minutes later, they were all gathered
at the hotel restaurant, ordering their breakfast.

1372
01:48:00,000 --> 01:48:02,359
If they were dressed as tourists,
they had already loaded their bags of

1373
01:48:02,399 --> 01:48:08,039
weapons and gear into the suv they
rented. Once they were out of town,

1374
01:48:08,119 --> 01:48:11,880
they would change and head into the
forest to see if Gregel could track

1375
01:48:11,920 --> 01:48:16,399
the cat creatures. What's the plan, hefe asked Rumstone, nodding at Clark.

1376
01:48:17,119 --> 01:48:20,479
Well, I've been thinking about that, said Clark. Just to the

1377
01:48:20,479 --> 01:48:25,880
east of us, as Iago cor
Intso, I think we should rent a

1378
01:48:25,880 --> 01:48:29,399
boat and follow the shoreline to get
closer to the area where we saw the

1379
01:48:29,399 --> 01:48:32,199
creature from the road. Otherwise we're
going to have to make our move within

1380
01:48:32,319 --> 01:48:36,319
view of the town. That's a
good idea, said Valkyrie. We can

1381
01:48:36,359 --> 01:48:41,319
take the boat down the lake much
faster than we can bushwhack through the woods.

1382
01:48:42,119 --> 01:48:45,159
Yep, that's what I was thinking, said Clark. All right,

1383
01:48:45,279 --> 01:48:47,760
said Gregel. I guess we can
just ask the front desk to get us

1384
01:48:47,800 --> 01:48:53,119
a boat. Yeah, make sure
you specify which lake we wanted on,

1385
01:48:53,399 --> 01:48:57,399
said Raven. I don't think it
would do well on the rapids filled river

1386
01:48:57,479 --> 01:49:01,880
that connects to corn Toso and Nauelap. That river would tear most boats apart.

1387
01:49:02,800 --> 01:49:06,000
That's exactly why I think we'll be
safe from the shark men on the

1388
01:49:06,039 --> 01:49:11,159
other lake, said Clark. I
can't see them fighting that river in current

1389
01:49:11,279 --> 01:49:15,920
without being seen by the locals.
I wouldn't assume that, said Rumstone.

1390
01:49:15,960 --> 01:49:18,800
We have no idea what they're capable
of. It might be a piece of

1391
01:49:18,800 --> 01:49:24,039
cake for them to swim upstream.
We can't afford to make any assumptions,

1392
01:49:24,159 --> 01:49:29,199
said Gregel. I can't see them
attacking the boat unless we're pinging with sonar,

1393
01:49:29,399 --> 01:49:32,199
said Valkyrie. I mean that one
boat is the only one we've heard

1394
01:49:32,239 --> 01:49:36,279
of that was reported missing. The
locals go out on both lakes, all

1395
01:49:36,319 --> 01:49:41,880
the time, especially the local fishermen. All right, then, said Clark.

1396
01:49:42,319 --> 01:49:46,319
Fortunately, we won't be packing in
any sonar gear. We're running light

1397
01:49:46,399 --> 01:49:50,479
on gear as it is. Let's
eat and get moving. Clock is running

1398
01:49:50,479 --> 01:49:56,479
and we've got to be ready for
the others to arrive. The waiters arrived

1399
01:49:56,479 --> 01:50:00,119
at the table and began handing out
large plates of breakfast foods. She was

1400
01:50:00,279 --> 01:50:04,199
very pretty, with just a hint
of a tattoo sticking out from beneath her

1401
01:50:04,199 --> 01:50:11,239
sleeves. She set out a large
tray of pastries resembling croissants along with everyone's

1402
01:50:11,399 --> 01:50:15,159
order, and Grego had a large
pile of eggs scrambled with cheese and peppers

1403
01:50:15,199 --> 01:50:20,840
and spicy sausage. He also had
two large steaks on the side. The

1404
01:50:20,880 --> 01:50:26,479
waitress looked at him skeptically as she
placed the two large platters in front of

1405
01:50:26,560 --> 01:50:30,920
him. Good look, sir,
she said, in excellent English. I

1406
01:50:30,960 --> 01:50:33,680
will be surprised if you can eat
all of that instill a walk. I'll

1407
01:50:33,720 --> 01:50:39,000
do my best, said greg On, nodding. What are those pastries,

1408
01:50:39,279 --> 01:50:44,640
asked valkyrie. It's a local breakfast
tradition, said the waitress. They are

1409
01:50:44,680 --> 01:50:48,720
called bascocas it's a pastry with different
fillings. Some are cream filled, some

1410
01:50:48,800 --> 01:50:55,199
have jellied fruit inside. I have
chocolate. They are delicious. I can't

1411
01:50:55,239 --> 01:51:00,800
wait to try them, said Valkyrie. Everyone began eating large portion of breakfasts,

1412
01:51:00,159 --> 01:51:04,479
just not quite as large as Gregel's. Why are you eating so much,

1413
01:51:04,760 --> 01:51:09,920
asked Raven. I'm going to have
to change, said Gregel. I

1414
01:51:10,039 --> 01:51:14,279
burn a lot of calories. Even
if I don't. My metabolism is much

1415
01:51:14,319 --> 01:51:18,159
faster than normal I see, said
Raven. I never really thought about that.

1416
01:51:19,279 --> 01:51:23,840
I think I have a better idea
than the boat, said Valkyrie.

1417
01:51:24,279 --> 01:51:28,079
Why don't we go up in the
plaine. We can use the excuse that

1418
01:51:28,239 --> 01:51:31,840
we're going sight seeing and land on
the lake when we see something. That's

1419
01:51:31,840 --> 01:51:38,600
a great idea, said Clark.
I already had ernesto refuel the plane.

1420
01:51:38,840 --> 01:51:43,399
After they finished eating, Valkyrie tried
one of the pastries and her eyes rolled

1421
01:51:43,439 --> 01:51:46,439
back in her head as she chewed. Oh my god, she whispered,

1422
01:51:46,680 --> 01:51:50,920
these are amazing. What flavor did
you get, asked SHEI old maiden.

1423
01:51:51,000 --> 01:51:56,600
Reaching for one chocolate, said Valkyrie. I'm a chocoholic and I love it.

1424
01:51:57,640 --> 01:52:00,680
Gregel picked one up and took a
bite. His eyes flew wide open,

1425
01:52:00,840 --> 01:52:04,359
and he looked at the rest of
the pastry with one raised eyebrow.

1426
01:52:05,119 --> 01:52:11,680
Raspberry, said Gregel, these are
delicious. Clark waved the waitress over.

1427
01:52:12,159 --> 01:52:15,520
Yes, sir, she said,
Can you get us a couple of large

1428
01:52:15,600 --> 01:52:19,119
orders of picoccis to go please?
He asked, Of course, sir,

1429
01:52:19,359 --> 01:52:25,800
She said, see, they are
quite delicious. A few minutes later they

1430
01:52:25,920 --> 01:52:30,920
left the restaurant with a large white
paper bag. Gregel had shocked the waitress

1431
01:52:30,960 --> 01:52:35,720
by not only finishing his breakfast but
also ate four biscoccos. Great idea of

1432
01:52:35,760 --> 01:52:40,119
bringing more of those with us,
said Valkyrie. We can snack on them

1433
01:52:40,159 --> 01:52:45,359
throughout the day, absolutely, said
Clark. Recovering their bags from the suv,

1434
01:52:45,560 --> 01:52:49,079
they headed for the plane, and
once they had everything packed inside,

1435
01:52:49,119 --> 01:52:55,239
they began double checking the engines for
signs of wear or tampering. While they

1436
01:52:55,279 --> 01:52:59,359
were performing the pre flight, Ernesto
came out to them. Are you leaving

1437
01:52:59,399 --> 01:53:02,279
already? He asked? Oh no, said Clark, smiling. We're going

1438
01:53:02,359 --> 01:53:05,720
to fly over the area to take
pictures. We should be back in a

1439
01:53:05,720 --> 01:53:11,039
few hours. This place is too
beautiful not to take advantage of some aerial

1440
01:53:11,079 --> 01:53:15,039
photography. Oh, of course,
Senor said Ernesto, we will a witch

1441
01:53:15,079 --> 01:53:18,920
your return. Thank you, sir, said Clark. We should be back

1442
01:53:18,960 --> 01:53:26,159
before sundown. Ernesto returned and headed
back toward the hotel, while Clark untied

1443
01:53:26,159 --> 01:53:30,680
the mooring lines and climbed in through
the cockpit hatch. Gregel was already performing

1444
01:53:30,720 --> 01:53:35,640
the pre flight checklist. Clark jumped
into the pilot's seat and helped finish the

1445
01:53:35,760 --> 01:53:41,000
checks, and once they were satisfied
that everything was in order, Clark began

1446
01:53:41,079 --> 01:53:45,920
the startup sequence. There was a
whine as the starter engaged the starboard engine

1447
01:53:46,319 --> 01:53:50,359
and it coughed and then rumbled to
life, slowly spilling up to the correct

1448
01:53:50,439 --> 01:53:56,680
pressure in RPMs. Once it was
running smoothly, Clark fired up the port

1449
01:53:56,800 --> 01:54:01,760
engine. The process repeated, and
soon both engines were rumbling as they idled

1450
01:54:01,920 --> 01:54:08,680
like a dreaming dragon. Pressures look
good, said Gregel, studying the instruments.

1451
01:54:09,279 --> 01:54:14,399
Mister Gregel said Clark, imitating the
voice of a famous starship captain.

1452
01:54:14,720 --> 01:54:18,439
You have the con take us up, I captain, said Gregel, smiling.

1453
01:54:18,960 --> 01:54:24,279
I had one quarter impulse power.
I didn't know you were a sci

1454
01:54:24,279 --> 01:54:28,800
fi fan, said Clark, glancing
over at Gregel. I loved that show

1455
01:54:28,840 --> 01:54:31,720
as a kid. I quit watching
after the series about the space station.

1456
01:54:31,920 --> 01:54:35,840
I never really cared for it after
that. Yeah, I quit watching about

1457
01:54:35,840 --> 01:54:40,359
them too, said Clark. I
still watch it if I catch it on

1458
01:54:40,439 --> 01:54:44,920
television, but when do we ever
have time to watch television? Well,

1459
01:54:44,920 --> 01:54:49,479
that's true, said Gregel, giving
more power to the engines. They began

1460
01:54:49,520 --> 01:54:54,319
gliding away from the shore and out
into the deeper parts of the lake,

1461
01:54:54,760 --> 01:54:59,399
and Clark watched nervously, half expecting
the shark men to attack them at any

1462
01:54:59,439 --> 01:55:03,640
moment, Hey said Clark, yelling
back to the passenger area, break out

1463
01:55:03,680 --> 01:55:06,319
the gear and load the weapons.
I want to be ready if we have

1464
01:55:06,399 --> 01:55:13,239
any unexpected visitors out here. Once
they were about one hundred yards off shore,

1465
01:55:13,319 --> 01:55:17,479
Gregel brought the aircraft around to face
a slight breeze. Clark glanced back

1466
01:55:17,479 --> 01:55:23,279
and saw that everyone was back in
their seats holding their weapons. He nodded

1467
01:55:23,319 --> 01:55:27,039
at Gregel, and he turned back
to face the front as the engines began

1468
01:55:27,159 --> 01:55:30,920
to growl with power. Seconds later, they were racing along the surface of

1469
01:55:30,960 --> 01:55:35,199
the water, gaining speed and generating
lift, and Gregel pulled back on the

1470
01:55:35,239 --> 01:55:41,800
wheel as he adjusted the flaps and
trim the old girl gracefully lifted into the

1471
01:55:41,880 --> 01:55:45,479
air, and the ground quickly fell
away from them. We're airborne, said

1472
01:55:45,520 --> 01:55:49,479
Clark. I'm turning off the no
smoking signs and you are free to move

1473
01:55:49,520 --> 01:55:56,399
about the cabin. Valkyrie slipped into
the cockpit and handed them both their weapons.

1474
01:55:56,880 --> 01:56:00,840
Sliding into the navigator's seat, she
looked around at all the instruments.

1475
01:56:00,439 --> 01:56:04,439
This is a museum piece, she
said. How is it that it's even

1476
01:56:04,479 --> 01:56:10,680
still flying. They made these birds
to last, said Clark. With proper

1477
01:56:10,720 --> 01:56:15,319
maintenance and engine rebuilds, this old
girl could fly until she's over one hundred

1478
01:56:15,319 --> 01:56:21,359
maybe longer. Gregel banked around and
headed northeast toward a Lake Cornoso. Once

1479
01:56:21,399 --> 01:56:26,359
they passed over the village, he
reduced altitude and flew low enough that they

1480
01:56:26,359 --> 01:56:30,800
could make out the details along the
shore. They were looking for any signs

1481
01:56:30,800 --> 01:56:35,399
of movement or indication of where the
creatures might have been. Everything eventually needs

1482
01:56:35,439 --> 01:56:39,640
water, and they hoped that they
would find where they came to drink.

1483
01:56:40,880 --> 01:56:45,000
After flying along the shore for several
minutes, Gregel looked up and tapped Clark

1484
01:56:45,039 --> 01:56:48,119
on the shoulder. Boss, check
that out, said Gregel, pointing.

1485
01:56:49,119 --> 01:56:54,880
Clark turned and looked just ahead the
shore, veered inland and opened into what

1486
01:56:54,960 --> 01:56:59,399
looked like a large bay. You
think it's worth checking out, asked Gregel.

1487
01:57:00,039 --> 01:57:04,119
Definitely, said Clark, reaching for
his binoculars. As they banked into

1488
01:57:04,119 --> 01:57:09,319
the bay, Clark began searching the
tree line for anything that might give away

1489
01:57:09,359 --> 01:57:14,399
its presence. After a few seconds, he paused and began focusing the binoculars.

1490
01:57:15,039 --> 01:57:17,000
I think I've got something, he
said, grinning. What do you

1491
01:57:17,079 --> 01:57:21,600
see, said Gregel. Looks like
a spot where something has been dragged from

1492
01:57:21,600 --> 01:57:26,439
the shore to the trees, said
Clark, pointing to where the spot was.

1493
01:57:27,119 --> 01:57:30,760
Do you want me to land,
said Gregel. Yeah, said Clark.

1494
01:57:30,119 --> 01:57:33,039
Set us down. I think we
may have found a good place to

1495
01:57:33,119 --> 01:57:39,880
start our search. Hopefully you can
pick up their trail. Gregel brought them

1496
01:57:39,920 --> 01:57:44,199
down without an issue and idled up
to the shore, giving it a sudden

1497
01:57:44,239 --> 01:57:48,319
burst of throttle. He beats the
aircraft so it wouldn't float away. Clark

1498
01:57:48,439 --> 01:57:53,520
was up through the cockpit hatch in
seconds, bringing up his AA twelve in

1499
01:57:53,560 --> 01:57:57,600
case something was to rush them from
the trees, and when nothing happened,

1500
01:57:57,640 --> 01:58:02,079
he called back inside. Let's move, he said. They all quickly changed

1501
01:58:02,119 --> 01:58:06,880
into fatigues and strapped on their gear. Clark packed as much AMMO as he

1502
01:58:06,920 --> 01:58:12,319
could carry in his rucksack and then
reached for his blade. Shit, he

1503
01:58:12,399 --> 01:58:16,520
said, I didn't pack my gladyas
I got your boss, said Runestone,

1504
01:58:16,640 --> 01:58:21,960
handing Clark a long blade and a
Kaidak sheath. What's this asked Clark,

1505
01:58:23,159 --> 01:58:27,640
drawing the black curved blade and admiring
it. It's called the Bounty, said

1506
01:58:27,720 --> 01:58:33,720
Runestone. She's almost twenty five inches
of lethal functionality. It's from Scalleywag tactical

1507
01:58:34,119 --> 01:58:39,399
about all my adge weapons from them. I don't want to take your blade,

1508
01:58:39,439 --> 01:58:42,960
said Clark, starting to hand it
back. Don't worries, fa,

1509
01:58:43,239 --> 01:58:46,880
said Runestone. I've got another one, always packed two here. You can

1510
01:58:46,920 --> 01:58:51,000
have one of its little brothers too, and he tossed them a smaller knife

1511
01:58:51,920 --> 01:58:56,880
that's called the Gunner's mate, said
Runestone. It's a thick blade and meant

1512
01:58:56,880 --> 01:59:00,640
for doing some damage. I can
see why you carry these, said Clark.

1513
01:59:01,279 --> 01:59:04,279
If you told me they made an
axe, I might have a new

1514
01:59:04,319 --> 01:59:10,600
favorite brand of blades. Well funny
you should mention that, said Runestone,

1515
01:59:10,600 --> 01:59:15,359
tossing him a black handled axe and
a keyed axe holster. It's called the

1516
01:59:15,399 --> 01:59:19,159
boarding axe. Clark drew it and
admired the cutting edge of the blade.

1517
01:59:19,560 --> 01:59:25,560
It had a wicked downward curve edge
spiked on the back that he envisioned doing

1518
01:59:25,600 --> 01:59:29,479
a lot of damage to an opponent
in a fight. Are you sure you

1519
01:59:29,520 --> 01:59:33,359
don't mind, said Clark, still
admiring the blades, Yeah, said Runestone.

1520
01:59:33,680 --> 01:59:36,319
I mean if you want to keep
them, then add them to the

1521
01:59:36,359 --> 01:59:42,039
expense report. You're holding almost a
grand in cutlery. They're not cheap.

1522
01:59:42,600 --> 01:59:45,399
I think I might do that,
said Clark, clipping the blades in place.

1523
01:59:46,880 --> 01:59:50,239
He put the gunner's mate on his
belt and attached the boarding axe and

1524
01:59:50,279 --> 01:59:54,560
the bounty to the sides of his
pack where he could reach them easily.

1525
01:59:55,159 --> 01:59:59,359
After he double checked his weapons,
he glanced around at the others lock a

1526
01:59:59,439 --> 02:00:03,239
load, he said. If we
encounter hostels, choose your shots carefully.

1527
02:00:03,680 --> 02:00:06,880
The AMMO we have with us is
all we have until the rest of the

1528
02:00:06,960 --> 02:00:13,960
team gets here. Charging handles were
pulled and slides were racked as everyone loaded

1529
02:00:14,039 --> 02:00:18,079
alive round into the chambers of their
weapons. Clark had the drum magazine on

1530
02:00:18,159 --> 02:00:24,000
his AA twelve plus five more in
his pack. If those ran out,

1531
02:00:24,159 --> 02:00:28,000
he was going to have to get
creative. The only other option he would

1532
02:00:28,000 --> 02:00:33,039
have is the fifty GI clock on
his hip and the blades. Valkyrie slung

1533
02:00:33,079 --> 02:00:39,560
her sniper's rifle over her shoulder and
brought the hkun P fifty up, clipping

1534
02:00:39,640 --> 02:00:44,399
it to the single point sling hanging
around her neck. She glanced at Clark

1535
02:00:44,439 --> 02:00:48,000
and gave him a brief smile before
putting on her game face. Grabbing an

1536
02:00:48,000 --> 02:00:51,960
old booney hat from his pack,
Clark placed it on his head and nodded.

1537
02:00:53,680 --> 02:00:57,359
In the immortal words of my hero, Al Bundy, said Clark,

1538
02:00:57,800 --> 02:01:02,399
let's rock. Exiting the plane,
they found themselves on an empty beach that

1539
02:01:02,560 --> 02:01:08,880
was more small rocks than sand.
Gregel looked around, his nose twitching as

1540
02:01:08,920 --> 02:01:14,119
he sniffed the air. The air
was beautiful but eerily quiet. Only the

1541
02:01:14,199 --> 02:01:17,600
gentle breeze through the pines and the
soft lapping water against the shore broke the

1542
02:01:17,640 --> 02:01:23,960
stillness. I don't like this,
boss, whispered Brunstone. It's too goddamn

1543
02:01:24,079 --> 02:01:28,800
quiet. Clark nodded. It was
quiet enough that he could hear the creak

1544
02:01:28,840 --> 02:01:32,000
of the leather gloves that Valkyrie wore
as she tightened her grip on her weapon.

1545
02:01:33,079 --> 02:01:39,000
Clark slowly brought his AA twelve up
against his shoulder and brought it up

1546
02:01:39,000 --> 02:01:43,960
into firing position. Gregel still had
his head back sniffing the air, when

1547
02:01:44,000 --> 02:01:48,079
suddenly his eyes snapped open and his
head came forward. His rifle appeared against

1548
02:01:48,119 --> 02:01:54,159
his shoulder so rapidly it almost looked
like magic. His sights were trained on

1549
02:01:54,239 --> 02:01:58,880
a section of trees almost fifty yards
away, and they didn't waver an inch.

1550
02:01:59,600 --> 02:02:03,079
What do you see, whispered Clark. Not see, said Gregel.

1551
02:02:03,520 --> 02:02:09,640
Since we're being watched by more than
one creature, any idea how many,

1552
02:02:09,920 --> 02:02:14,840
asked Raven. Several, said Gregel. There are too many sins to identify

1553
02:02:14,880 --> 02:02:19,720
individuals. Why aren't they charging us, asked Runestone. I think they're afraid

1554
02:02:19,760 --> 02:02:25,359
of the water, said Clark.
The survivors from the attack last night probably

1555
02:02:25,439 --> 02:02:29,159
told the others get too close to
the water. In your shark jowl,

1556
02:02:30,640 --> 02:02:34,079
A low growl seemed to emanate from
the darkness, which was repeated by several

1557
02:02:34,159 --> 02:02:39,560
others. Clark brought the optic up
to his eye and flipped the safety off

1558
02:02:40,439 --> 02:02:44,039
around him. He could hear the
safeties click off as the others prepared for

1559
02:02:44,119 --> 02:02:48,880
an attack. I think we found
them Boss whispered, runestone or they found

1560
02:02:48,960 --> 02:02:55,479
us, added shield maiden. Gregel
stepped slightly ahead of the others and dropped

1561
02:02:55,479 --> 02:03:00,119
his rifle onto the ground. Stripping
off his body armor and pack, he

1562
02:03:00,199 --> 02:03:04,119
dropped them beside the rifle after removing
his shirt. He glanced over at Clark.

1563
02:03:04,720 --> 02:03:10,760
Get ready, he said. Clark
nodded, and Gregel unzipped the sides

1564
02:03:10,800 --> 02:03:14,520
of his tactical boots and kicked them
off, and when he turned back toward

1565
02:03:14,600 --> 02:03:16,920
the trees, there was a snarl
and a growl that sounded, and it

1566
02:03:17,000 --> 02:03:23,680
echoed across the open water. This
time, Gregel answered the snarl with one

1567
02:03:23,720 --> 02:03:28,720
of his own as he began to
change. He had no more than roared

1568
02:03:28,880 --> 02:03:33,039
when more than a dozen of the
panther like creatures exploded from the trees and

1569
02:03:33,239 --> 02:03:39,520
raced toward them. Gregel was still
shifting form when Clark took aim and shot

1570
02:03:39,560 --> 02:03:44,319
the first one in the chest with
a fletching brown The silver, nitrate and

1571
02:03:44,399 --> 02:03:49,119
magnesium tip punched deep into the creature's
chest before igniting. Shrieking in pain,

1572
02:03:49,159 --> 02:03:55,520
the beasts fell to the ground,
writhing in agony. The others opened fire,

1573
02:03:55,560 --> 02:04:00,760
and the special rounds that the team
used had devastating effect. Creatures had

1574
02:04:00,800 --> 02:04:03,520
been used to the normal rounds used
by the Germans, and they were not

1575
02:04:03,560 --> 02:04:11,279
prepared for tima Odin's modified rounds designated
to fight monsters. Four the creatures fell,

1576
02:04:11,359 --> 02:04:15,760
screaming and dying before they had covered
more than ten yards, and to

1577
02:04:15,840 --> 02:04:20,039
their right, six more exploded from
the trees and raced toward them. Clark

1578
02:04:20,079 --> 02:04:25,640
pivoted to the right and engaged the
creatures. Raven joined him while the others

1579
02:04:25,680 --> 02:04:30,680
engaged in the larger force. As
the beasts raced toward them, Clark and

1580
02:04:30,800 --> 02:04:34,039
Raven managed to kill three of them. The remaining three dove at them.

1581
02:04:35,159 --> 02:04:39,880
One was caught in the air by
greygel and slammed to the ground with enough

1582
02:04:39,960 --> 02:04:44,159
force that they all felt it shake
their legs. The bolt locked back on

1583
02:04:44,319 --> 02:04:48,279
Clark's AA twelve. As the beasts
leaped at him, Raven flipped her weapon

1584
02:04:48,319 --> 02:04:53,640
from semi to auto and put a
long burst into the creature that was bearing

1585
02:04:53,680 --> 02:04:58,199
down on her. The other creature
took Clark to the ground in a flash

1586
02:04:58,239 --> 02:05:02,399
of teeth and claws. Clark managed
to get an AA twelve between him and

1587
02:05:02,439 --> 02:05:06,159
the snapping jaws of the beast,
but he felt the claws, digging into

1588
02:05:06,199 --> 02:05:12,520
his armor, seeking the soft flesh
beneath. Releasing his grip with his right

1589
02:05:12,560 --> 02:05:15,720
hand, he continued to push the
weapon into the beast's face with his left

1590
02:05:15,760 --> 02:05:19,840
hand. His right hand went to
his belt and he grabbed the handle of

1591
02:05:19,880 --> 02:05:24,920
the gunner's mate, and, yanking
it free, he drove it deep into

1592
02:05:24,960 --> 02:05:30,000
the beast's chest, just below its
left arm. He scored three deep steps

1593
02:05:30,039 --> 02:05:34,319
before it pushed away from him,
blood fountaining from its side, and the

1594
02:05:34,319 --> 02:05:38,960
beast put its hand to the wound
and looked at the crimson fluid that was

1595
02:05:39,039 --> 02:05:43,000
now dripping from it, and Clark
could see the wound was healing, but

1596
02:05:43,079 --> 02:05:46,039
it was still losing a lot of
blood. The knife was still protruding from

1597
02:05:46,079 --> 02:05:51,359
the beast's rib cage. Slowly,
it pulled the blade out and tossed it

1598
02:05:51,399 --> 02:05:56,840
aside, growling low at Clark.
There was a gurgling and the growl,

1599
02:05:56,960 --> 02:06:00,119
and he knew he'd hit along.
It might still heell, but it was

1600
02:06:00,159 --> 02:06:03,439
going to take time, and the
wound had to hurt like a bastard.

1601
02:06:04,119 --> 02:06:09,079
Briefly, he considered reaching for his
pistol, but he knew as soon as

1602
02:06:09,119 --> 02:06:13,479
he drew it, the beast would
attack. He also considered that the faster

1603
02:06:13,640 --> 02:06:16,399
they burned through their AMMO, the
sooner they would be all but defenseless.

1604
02:06:17,319 --> 02:06:20,840
It would close the distance quickly,
and he realized he might not have time

1605
02:06:20,880 --> 02:06:25,520
to get off around before it bore
him back to the ground, and the

1606
02:06:25,520 --> 02:06:30,159
creature's ears laid back against his head
and it snarled at him, extending its

1607
02:06:30,239 --> 02:06:33,640
claws from its hand. All right, motherfucker, said Clark, if that's

1608
02:06:33,680 --> 02:06:39,479
how you want it, He reached
back with both hands and pulled the bounty

1609
02:06:39,680 --> 02:06:43,000
and the boarding axe, and with
the axe in his left hand and the

1610
02:06:43,039 --> 02:06:46,159
blade in his right, he shifted
his weight onto the balls of his feet.

1611
02:06:46,680 --> 02:06:50,600
He knew that the attack was going
to come at any moment. In

1612
02:06:50,640 --> 02:06:57,199
a flurry of snarls in speed,
the beast launched itself at him. Clark

1613
02:06:57,239 --> 02:07:00,640
fainted to his left, and the
creature tried to adjust, spinning to his

1614
02:07:00,760 --> 02:07:04,880
right. Clark slashed out with the
axe and blade, and he felt claws

1615
02:07:05,000 --> 02:07:10,359
tear through the fabric on his back
and heard them scrape against his trauma plate.

1616
02:07:11,279 --> 02:07:15,520
His blades drew blood. The axe
cut a deep wound into the beast

1617
02:07:15,680 --> 02:07:19,399
left bicep, and the bounty slashed
a nasty wound into the creature's abdomen.

1618
02:07:20,359 --> 02:07:24,800
Clark rushed at the beast, and
it jumped back to avoid the attack.

1619
02:07:25,319 --> 02:07:29,760
It landed calf deep in water,
and shock appeared on the creature's face.

1620
02:07:30,640 --> 02:07:33,279
Clark knew they were trying to avoid
the water, but didn't expect the sharkmen

1621
02:07:33,359 --> 02:07:39,119
to have followed them into the other
lake, but he was wrong. The

1622
02:07:39,159 --> 02:07:43,920
water exploded behind the panther creature as
it tried to leap away to safety,

1623
02:07:44,319 --> 02:07:47,920
but the sharkman caught it just as
it was clearing the water. In a

1624
02:07:48,000 --> 02:07:53,760
last ditch effort to avoid being dragged
into the water, the beast locked a

1625
02:07:53,880 --> 02:07:59,479
vise like grip on Clark's ankle and
attempted to either pull itself free or drag

1626
02:07:59,560 --> 02:08:03,920
him along with it. Fuck that
snapped, Clark slashing downward with the bounty

1627
02:08:03,960 --> 02:08:09,319
and removing the beast's arm at the
elbow. Clark watched as the beast was

1628
02:08:09,399 --> 02:08:13,479
dragged back into the water, blood
churning in the white foam where it was

1629
02:08:13,560 --> 02:08:18,880
fountaining from a severed arm. In
the span of two heartbeats, the struggle

1630
02:08:20,119 --> 02:08:24,560
was over, and the panther creature
vanished below the surface and didn't come back

1631
02:08:24,640 --> 02:08:28,119
up. The sharks are in this
lake, too, roared Clark, turning

1632
02:08:28,199 --> 02:08:33,119
back to the fight. Stay out
of the water. When he looked back

1633
02:08:33,159 --> 02:08:37,520
at the battle, only three of
the cat creatures were remaining, and they

1634
02:08:37,520 --> 02:08:41,039
were bloodied as they tried to escape
back into the trees. Only one made

1635
02:08:41,039 --> 02:08:46,279
it. Gregel caught one and slammed
into it with the force of a runaway

1636
02:08:46,399 --> 02:08:50,880
semi truck, driving it into the
ground and sinking its teeth into the beast's

1637
02:08:50,960 --> 02:08:56,359
throat in a fountain of blood and
flesh and bone. He tore the beast's

1638
02:08:56,399 --> 02:09:00,800
head off with its teeth, and
Valkyrie had finished the other a quick shot

1639
02:09:00,840 --> 02:09:05,479
to the back of its head.
Clear yelled, Runstone Clear, echoed the

1640
02:09:05,520 --> 02:09:11,399
rest of the crew. Gregel stood
and turned toward them. He was covered

1641
02:09:11,439 --> 02:09:15,600
with blood, and from the look
of him, little of it was his

1642
02:09:15,680 --> 02:09:18,720
own. There was a feral look
in his eyes as he studied them.

1643
02:09:18,720 --> 02:09:22,640
For a moment. Clark thought for
a second that he was going to attack

1644
02:09:22,720 --> 02:09:28,359
them, but realized that his instincts
were up and he had unleashed the wolf.

1645
02:09:28,520 --> 02:09:33,359
Perhaps for the first time in a
long time, Gregel's chest heaved for

1646
02:09:33,439 --> 02:09:37,840
a few moments as he gulped down
air, catching his breath and calming himself

1647
02:09:37,920 --> 02:09:43,720
down, the yellow light in his
eyes faded and he sighed clear. He

1648
02:09:43,760 --> 02:09:50,159
growled. The power of that one
word could be felt in their bones.

1649
02:09:50,600 --> 02:09:54,199
Clark knew it had to be some
type of infrat sound, much like what

1650
02:09:54,319 --> 02:09:58,760
tigers do to their prey before they
attack. He was suddenly extremely glad that

1651
02:10:00,560 --> 02:10:05,479
was on their side. I've got
their set, rumbled Gregel. I can

1652
02:10:05,520 --> 02:10:09,960
track them now. If you can
track them, said Clark, then we

1653
02:10:09,000 --> 02:10:13,359
can locate their home. I don't
want to fight all of them with just

1654
02:10:13,600 --> 02:10:18,199
six of us. We get a
location and then we'll task Team Uller to

1655
02:10:18,319 --> 02:10:22,239
take them out, agreed, said
Gregel. Wait here and I'll follow the

1656
02:10:22,279 --> 02:10:26,920
creature. I'll make sure it doesn't
know I'm there. When I have their

1657
02:10:26,960 --> 02:10:30,399
location, i'll meet you back here
at the plane. To be careful,

1658
02:10:30,520 --> 02:10:35,079
said Clark. Locate them and get
out of there, understood, said Gregel,

1659
02:10:35,199 --> 02:10:39,399
turning and heading into the trees.
What do you want us to do

1660
02:10:39,479 --> 02:10:43,840
with these bodies, asked Runestone.
Toss them in the water, said Clark.

1661
02:10:45,039 --> 02:10:48,439
Just don't get too close. Got
you have, he replied Runstone.

1662
02:10:48,680 --> 02:10:56,359
Feeding time at the aquarium. Click
the video on your screen for the next

1663
02:10:56,399 --> 02:11:03,399
part of this audio book. This
has been co named Wild Hunt Operation Blood

1664
02:11:03,399 --> 02:11:09,279
Eagle. Written by Da Roberts,
read to you by Cameron Buckner. Print

1665
02:11:09,319 --> 02:11:16,239
copyright by Da Roberts. Audio production
copyright by Cameron Buckner. Reproduction of this

1666
02:11:16,399 --> 02:11:22,199
audio is prohibited in any form without
written approval under the US copyright laws.

1667
02:11:22,960 --> 02:11:28,560
Stay tuned to the Dixie Cryptied podcast
for more full length audio books.