GI Joe: Agent Blue Jaye and the Beasts of Lakeside

by John McGregor

It is fall 2018, and Lady Jaye's cousin Ben Hart, is celebrating his twenty-fifth year as an English Professor at Lakeside University. When a student is murdered right in front of him, Ben makes a frantic call to a defunct G.I. Joe emergency line. The person who answers is not who Ben is expecting. As the murders continue, a classic G.I. Joe team, made up of new, retired, and re

Agent Blue Jaye and the Beasts of Lakeside

By John McGregor

Abstract

It is fall 2018, and Lady Jaye's cousin Ben Hart, is celebrating his twenty-fifth year as an English Professor at Lakeside University. When a student is murdered right in front of him, Ben makes a frantic call to a defunct G.I. Joe emergency line. The person who answers is not who Ben is expecting. As the murders continue, a classic G.I. Joe team, made up of new, retired, and realigned, members come to help. Meanwhile, a journalism student at the University also decides to investigate the murders, unknowingly beginning her career as the latest G.I. Joe, Agent Blue Jaye.

Preface

All the names, places, events, and people in this book are fictitious, have been fictionalized, no longer exist, or never existed to begin with. I used my experiences growing up in New England as inspiration along with my lifetime love of all things G.I. Joe. Yo Joe!

This story takes place in 2018, in our real world, taking into account all the Marvel events leading up through issue #155, the Devils Due, and America's Elite series. I am not sure if this is a tangent, offshoot, one-shot, or anything similar. It could even be the start of a new universe. The main thing is I wrote it to be fun and nostalgic. Enjoy!

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my mom, one of the main reasons I am a G.I. Joe fan. May she rest in peace.

PART 1:

AWAKENING

Chapter 1

The sun beamed down on Professor Ben Hart as he walked toward Jamestown Hall, a near 100-year-old brownstone in the center of Lakeside University. Giant thunderheads lay across the blue sky and a cool autumn breeze scattered the leaves across the walkway in a multitude of yellows, oranges, reds, and browns. Ben loved fall in Vermont. The half sunny days, blankets, sweaters, craft beers, hot cider donuts, and fall foliage, brought a familiar layer of comfort he looked forward to all year.

Walking through the renovated ten-foot-high wooden doors of Jamestown Hall, Ben past a large mural which captured vintage photos of collegiate life from decades past. It was Ben's twenty-fifth year as a Professor at the University and he paused to look at the array of pictures which lined both sides of the vestibule. The images depicted a group of students snowshoeing across the quad, boys playing football wearing vintage leather helmets, and well-groomed professors in suits and ties smiling. Thinking about the past twenty-five years he had taught at Lakeside, Ben wondered if there would be any pictures of him ever adorning the walls of the University.

The interior of Jamestown Hall was completely modernized and opened up into a large circular common area with a steel staircase spiraling up to classrooms on the second and third floors. The building was primarily home to the Agricultural and Science departments, and on Wednesdays, Ben taught his American Literature course in a small classroom tucked away in the corner of the basement. While the University had a strong Language Arts department, the larger and more resource centered rooms were designated to the medicine and science classes.

All Ben needed though was a book, some chairs, and students, and he could teach. Plus, on Wednesday's, the Dairy Science Department had their creeme stand open and gave out free vanilla cones. Installed over twenty years ago, the creeme stand was a huge hit, providing fresh ice cream in the classic New England style soft serve.

Cold, fluffy, and smooth, Ben savored his fresh creeme as he entered his small classroom. Three students had already arrived and were working to arrange the desks in a circle. Two of the students were some of the brightest Ben had in years. Both were journalism majors, best friends, and had been in a bunch of his classes since they had arrived at the University four years ago. Since their freshmen year, Ben admired their grit, ability to reflect, take criticism, and improve. They were the kind of students who reaffirmed the reason Ben started teaching in the first place.

Elise Jensen was a tall striking woman with curly blonde hair, two streaks colored in blue which flowed down each side of her head. She always wore elegant, but baggy clothes in multiple gray tones. Jessie Kingsley, Elise's roommate and best friend, was about a foot shorter, with olive skin and long straight light brown hair. Jessie's style was tailored more to the outdoors and she wore all sorts of wampum, quahog earrings, bracelets, bands, and necklaces. Both their styles emulated their confidence, intelligence, humor, and happiness.

More students started to file in, working into their seats, most them coming in carrying delicious creemes. Ben took out the book they were reading and placed it on the small desk in front of him. The class was supposed to have finished the book, and Ben had marked a few passages he wanted to talk about, including one of his favorites. As he flipped through the yellowed, dog-eared pages, his fingers brought him all the way to the last page, to an inscription that he hadn't seen in a long time. Ben had almost completely forgot about the inscription, and the smooth rolling lines of penmanship, so familiar, suddenly brought back a flood of memories.

Ben had given this book as a present to his cousin Alison, who had died thirteen years ago serving overseas in the line of duty. Her team was highly secretive and covert, and Alison went by the code name Lady Jaye. Ben had given her the book right after she returned from her first tour of duty.

Ben and Alison grew up together, and every summer when they were kids, his and her families vacationed in Ocean Town, a small costal village in Maine. During those younger years, Ben and Alison became best friends. Ben remembered a much younger version of himself and his cousin eating Italian subs on the beach, hanging out at a local arcade at nights, and eating pizza and fries on the pier. Ben stared at Alison's inscription which simply read, Thank you so much for this. It saved my life. If you ever need help, please call me. In this life, in the next, and the next, we will always be there for each other. Below the inscription was a series of numbers, which looked like an international phone number.

Tears began to swell in Ben's eyes. At the time he had given Alison the book, she was struggling with the emotions and experiences from serving her first tour overseas. She didn't talk about it too often, but when she did, it was obvious to Ben she had gone through a traumatic experience.

Back then, Ben had just started his masters at Lakeside University and sent her the book simply because it was one of his favorites. The protagonist in the novel was seriously flawed, and at times, embraced those flaws. However, in the end, even though the protagonist knew his world wouldn't change, he found a way to live peacefully.

Their conversation was over thirty years ago but Ben clearly remembered when Alison called and talked with him for hours about the book. She told him after returning from her first tour, she felt a part of her was missing, and feared she would never get it back. She said that the book helped her realize it was ok to be flawed, and that happiness could be found in the simplest of places. Ben remembered her voice clearly when she told him "I wanted to give you the book back, so you could use it when you finally started teaching. Hopefully, more kids will get the same thing I got out of it."

Ben looked up and saw that his students were staring at him with surprise and concern. Class had started ten minutes ago, and his eyes were red and watery.

"Are you ok Professor Ben?" Elise asked.

"Fine, thank you." Ben said and quickly regained his composure.

"Ok, so, I am sure everyone was able to finish the book for class today…" Ben said as he watched the concern on his students' faces immediately disappear. Some appeared like they were ready to discuss what they had learned, others looked like they would do anything not to be called on.

As Ben had hoped, the conversation was lively. The students who finished the book were deeply engaged in the conversation, and even the ones who obviously didn't finish looked interested. Another teaching win Ben thought, mentally patting himself on the back. With ten minutes to go before the end of class, Ben remembered he still wanted to talk about one last thing.

"So, before we head out of the day, I want to ask you this. Do you think this book had a happy ending?" Some students looked to the clock with a longing for the end of class. Elise and Jessie though, thought on the question and responded.

"I think that it did have a happy ending, at least for Dr. Moore." Elise said. "I mean, the whole book he lives in a world where everything and everyone is manipulated. Some of the people in his world though, they aren't just flawed. I mean, some of them have just grown to be...evil. At the end though, I think Dr. Moore realizes that while he is pretty much in the same boat as everyone else, he can still find some sort of peace." Elise said. Ben smiled, and felt the intoxicating feeling he got as a teacher when he was so proud of his students.

"I agree." said Jessie. "For me, the book ends with Dr. Moore in his new bed, right? This bed is something he dreamed about for the entire book. I don't think it is about him having the physical item of the bed itself, but rather, the bed helped him realize that peace can be found in the simplest of places. It kind of makes me want to go to bed actually." Jessie joked. Ben chuckled softly to himself nodding happily. Class had ended. As Ben was getting his things together, Elise and Jessie strode up to his desk.

"Professor Ben, we're having a small party tonight at our apartment and you should totally swing by." Elise smiled. "It's a fall bar-b-que and we will just be hanging out listening to music."

"Party?" Ben asked, his brow raised in curiosity.

"We're starting early, and it should be pretty low key at the beginning. But you should totally come for at least some food and a beer if you want. You do drink beer, right?" Jessie asked jokingly.

"Yes Jessie, I do enjoy a beer every now and then. I have to head home to the family tonight but thank you for the invite." Ben replied with a smile.

"Ok, family man, we get it. But you have to come to at least one of our parties before we graduate, promise? We are the big red brick house with the yellow trim at the bottom of Pine Street." Jessie put her hands squarely on her hips, head cocked, making a funny smile. Elise joined behind her, lightly tapping her foot, waiting for a positive response.

"Yes, I promise, I will come once for a beer." Ben smiled, feeling warmed by the invite.

"Yay! But if you are around tonight, come over!" Elise said and swiftly headed out the door with Jessie right behind.

Ben suddenly found himself alone in the empty basement classroom. The invite to the party caught him off guard like they always did. Elise and Jessie were nice, but he felt odd fraternizing with students, especially at his age. At fifty-three, his mind was still young, but his body had informed him on multiple occasions exactly how old he was. Parties, he figured, were not something his body would advise. Still, he couldn't remember the last time he just got out and let loose.

Ben walked briskly down Pine Street and felt his phone vibrate in his jacket. He removed it and saw his wife's name staring up at him. With a pause, he hit the call button and put the phone to his ear.

"Hey." His wife's voice stated.

"Hi, how was your day?"

"Ehhh. Rhonda was her terrible annoying self and it was super cold in the office. And maintenance won't let us run space heaters, but they run the AC full blast."

"I'm sorry, at least it is warm at home."

"Yeah, I am under a ton of blankets. When do you think you're coming home?"

"Probably later, I have to finish grading some papers and then I was thinking of catching the Sox game at TheRoadside. If that's ok?"

"Yeah that's ok, I can catch up on a show I am watching which will be good. How was your class, did your students read the end of the book?"

"Yes, there was a good group who did finish. It was a really good discussion actually. Anyway, I have to go, but I will text you when I am heading back home ok."

"Ok, drive safe, love you."

"Love you too." Ben said and stopped on the sidewalk as he hung up and put his phone away. Looking up, he saw that he was standing in front of a large brick apartment building with wooden trim painted bright yellow. The apartment building was huge, once an old farm house, now renovated into multiple apartment units. A large porch ran along the right side of the building. A couple of kids were sitting on the railing talking and laughing. Ben recognized one as Jessie from his class. She saw him standing on the sidewalk and waved.

"Yay! You came to the party." Jessie said as she jumped down from the railing running with a goofy grin on her face. She stopped in front of him swaying, a little out of breath. It was obvious she already had a few beers. Jessie held her hand above her head to give Ben a high five. Ben laughed and raised his hand. Jessie smiled and with a jump, high-fived Ben and then turned back toward the apartment building looking at him like he was supposed to follow her.

"Come on, we have to find Elise." Jessie said and took Ben's hand and led him happily into their house. Ben was in a quick panic. He probably shouldn't be at a party, but he did promise Jessie and Elise he would stop by at least once for a beer. It might as well be now Ben thought. One beer, talk to some students, and then off to The Roadsideto watch the game.

Jessie maneuvered Ben around the kids who were standing in the hallway to the back of the apartment. They found Elise in the kitchen holding a tap, standing around a trash can filled with ice and a keg of beer. A few other kids were looking on eagerly. When Elise saw Jessie and Ben, her face lit up with a smile.

"Yeah! Awesome, Professor Ben! You can have the first beer once we figure out how to tap this thing. Jamie is sick, and he usually deals with the keg." Elise turned to Jessie. "Do you know how to do this?"

Jessie shook her head no. Ben looked at Jessie and then at Elise. Even though he was fifty-three, he still knew how to tap a keg. Stepping forward, Ben reached out his hand to take the tap. Both Elise and Jessie stared at each other with surprise. Elise gave Ben the tap and with a few quick movements, he tapped the keg, quickly grabbed a red cup, and started foaming out the first drink.

Once the foam thinned out, he poured himself a drink and took a long pull. Ben looked up to see the kids staring at him in disbelief, like he just manifested the beer out of thin air. Then, after a few seconds of silence, the entire kitchen erupted in a loud, crazy cheer.

Ben was on his third cup when he checked his phone. The Sox were already in the sixth inning and he was nowhere near The Roadside or heading home. He had never left the kitchen since he successfully tapped the keg, and current and former students kept coming up to him and talking. Elise and Jessie joked that he was the life of the party and Ben was feeling a bit magnanimous from all the attention.

Ben put down his drink and excused himself. Feeling he hit his limit, Ben decided he needed some air and stepped out in the backyard. It was a small yard, enclosed by a large hedge that acted as a natural fence. A giant oak tree soared above him. The moon was almost full and cast long shadows onto the grass. It was a cool evening and Ben welcomed the breeze across his face. Ben looked at the moon through the tree. What a moon, Ben thought to himself.

As he stared at the moon through the branches, something moving caught his eye. He couldn't make out what it was, but it appeared to be a large shape sulking deep behind the leaves. Suddenly, the moonlight caught the eyes of whatever it was, and they reflected a green and yellow glow. It then quickly turned its head away. Ben squinted trying to make out what it was.

Was it a person? Or an animal? It was large, and Ben thought there might actually be someone crouching down in the tree. He was about to call out to whoever was perched in the branches when its head turned toward him again and the thing's eyes lit up in a flash of green and yellow. Ben froze where he stood. A curdling sense of fear began to fester in his stomach.

The green eyes disappeared, and Ben strained again to see if he could identify who it was. Suddenly, Ben heard a loud crack and whatever it was jumped to a different branch. Ben flinched and looked to his right. Two other boys who were in the backyard noticed and started calling out up into the branches. The shape shifted its weight and Ben once again saw the green and yellow glow from its eyes. Was it wearing goggles? Ben wondered, as it jumped to a different branch, now directly over the two students.

The next few moments happened in slow motion. Whatever was in the tree dropped down onto one of the boys below. It moved so quickly Ben couldn't make out what it was before the other boy circled around in front of him blocking his view. Ben heard a garbled scream followed by what sounded like a booming roar. It wasn't a human scream, but something more primal. Ben stepped to his left, but whatever had attacked the boy moved like lightning. All Ben saw was a gray blur as it threw the student in the air crashing into the base of the tall hedge fence. The student let out another desperate cry as the shadowy figure jumped clear over the fence and was gone.

The whole ordeal took no more than ten seconds. Ben stood in shock as his mind desperately tried to make sense of the situation. He quickly scanned the yard and focused on the boy sprawled awkwardly at the bottom of the hedge. Instinctually, his legs started running toward the injured student and he collapsed in front of him. It took Ben a moment to take in the scene. The poor boy was lying on his back, looking down in horrific surprise at the state of his body.

There were large slashes across his chest and left leg. It looked unnatural and vivid. Ben started to get dizzy. He removed his belt, tied it around the boy's left leg and pulled tight. The student groaned and convulsed as his chest heaved and started to bleed out.

"Someone call 911!" Ben shouted. Elise and Jessie ran out into the backyard. Elise called 911 while Jessie knelt down and took the boy's hand in hers.

Ben threw his backpack to the ground, took off his jacket, and laid it across the large gashes on his chest. Ben tightened the tourniquet on the boy's leg once more and slowly stood up taking a few steps back not knowing what to do. He looked around and heard Elise telling everyone the ambulance would be there soon. Jessie was kneeling by the boy, still holding his hand tenderly.

The boy stared up helplessly toward the night sky, his eyes reflecting an exasperated expression of confusion and disappointment. Ben scanned the grass, trying to find something, anything that could help. He looked down and saw the contents of his backpack strewn across the lawn. Staring at him was the paperback book from that afternoon's American Literature discussion. A day that started so normal had twisted out of control to a place he could have never predicted.

Suddenly, Ben remembered the inscription Alison wrote in the back of the book. Not just the inscription though, but memories from the conversation they had after she returned from her first tour of duty flooded into his head. At the time, Alison wouldn't elaborate too much, but said her team went up against some sort of new technology and what it did to people terrified her. The only thing about the technology she described was it emulated a green glow that she couldn't get out of her head and kept jolting her awake at nights.

It was the green glow from the eyes of whatever had just attacked the boy that reminded Ben of the conversation he had with Alison over thirty years ago. Ben quickly picked up the book and flipped to the last page with Alison's inscription. If you ever need help, please call me. In this life, in the next, and the next, we will always be there for each other. He quickly scanned the telephone number written under Alison's signature. Ben had no idea if the number was still active or if anyone would pick up, but after remembering the conversation he had with Alison three decades ago, for some reason, he felt he had to reach out.

He grabbed his phone and dialed the number. Ben remembered it was an international number, so he knew after typing in all the numbers it should connect. There were fifteen digits listed, and after he dialed the first ten, the phone automatically started to ring. The line was still working, Ben thought as he heard the phone ring once, twice, then three times. In the middle of the fourth ring, the line clicked, and Ben cocked his head.

"ID number?" A woman's voice calmly but assertively asked. Ben stood still, not knowing what to do. "ID verification please?" The woman's voice asked again more assertively. Ben looked down at the book and read the five remaining numbers aloud into the phone. "One moment." The woman responded. There was a short silence, another click, then another ring.

They're connecting me to someone, Ben realized. Could it be Alison? Is she still alive? For a brief moment, Ben was oblivious to the scene of horror that was playing out around him. For Ben, he was focused on each ring on the other end of the line. Then, in the middle of the next ring, the line clicked. Ben listened intently and heard muffled conversations in the background and some kind of music that he could not make out.

"Hello? Alison? Is that you? Please, it's Ben. Please, I need your help!" Silence followed as Ben held the receiver to his ear. "Please, whoever this is we need help! A boy is dying, please!" Ben shouted into his phone as he listened helplessly into the receiver.

"Who gave you this number?" A low gristly voice demanded. Ben stood straight. Whoever answered wasn't Alison, but there was someone at the other end of the line. Who could it be? Then it hit him. Flint.

"Flint? Is that you? It's Ben." Ben asked. Flint was Alison's husband. Ben hadn't heard from him since Alison's funeral thirteen years ago. "Flint?" Ben asked again.

"Who gave you this number?" The voice asked again. Silence. Ben didn't know what to do. Flint, or whoever was on the other end of the line sounded serious. Ben wondered if he was in trouble for calling the number. Ultimately, Ben decided he had no choice but to tell the truth.

"Alison gave it to me. Flint, is that you? It's Ben. Please." Ben asked in a weak, desperate voice.

The line immediately went dead, and Ben was left listening to a dial tone. He slowly lowered his phone away from his face and sank toward the ground. The EMTs arrived just then and ran past Ben toward the student and knelt down around him. Ben looked at the poor boy's face and watched as his last breaths extinguished slowly in the crisp night air.

Chapter 2

Fake wood paneling lined the walls of the Blood Moon Tavern, situated in a defunct shopping center in downtown Farmingham, Massachusetts. Inside, the pub was adorned with classic beer signs and a wide array of sports memorabilia, evidence of a never-ending love affair with all teams Boston. The bar top was laminated with hundreds of sports cards from teams and eras long past. Retired Warrant Officer Dashiell Faireborn, code name Flint, sat at the far end of the bar, a bottle of beer and a shot resting squarely between the yellowing cards of J. Sitching and A. Tippett.

Flint stared at the small flip phone now resting on the bar. The phone remained silent. Just a few moments earlier, it rang for the first time in over a decade. Flint was taking his time processing everything that happened. He had not heard or seen Ben since Alison's funeral, mainly due to efforts on his part. He quickly threw back the shot and took a long pull from the bottle, continuing to stare at his phone. The barkeep walked up for a refill and looked to Flint with concern. Flint stared back at him with an expression of stoic gloom.

"You ok Sam? You want another?" The barkeep made a gesture, offering another drink. Flint nodded. "Your burger will be ready soon." The bartender said before walking away.

Flint made note of the interaction. The bartender, Josh was his name, was always trying to get him to talk, open up, let loose as he would say. Nice kid, but Flint was not in the position or mental state to begin making friends. He liked things the way they were, quiet and alone. Heading out to watch the Soxand having a few beers was the only social thing he did. In private, he was reserved to reading classics and remembering times when things were different, when people he loved weren't dead.

Now in an instant, Flint felt like his whole world had changed. It was by pure morbid habit he kept Alison's phone in the inner pocket of his worn bomber jacket. "Please, whoever this is, we need help! A boy is dying, please!" Ben had said on the other end of the line.

Flint had immediately recognized Ben's voice, but when Ben mentioned Alison, he didn't know how to respond. Almost thirteen years had passed since he had heard from anyone in Alison's family, let alone someone actually speaking her name.

Flint looked back down at the phone. When he was first recruited to his old team, all recruits were given a phone, number, and a location to memorize in case they ever had to get off the grid or signal for help. A few years before she was killed, Alison shared with him where she kept her phone and the coordinates to her location. She wanted to let him know that if anything ever happened to her, for him to go to that location and wait.

After the funeral, Flint knew she was never coming back, but when he retired for good, he decided to go to her location to be close to her again, however he could. That location turned out to be the Blood Moon Tavern, and after Flint first sat down at the end of the bar years ago, he never left. The place reminded him of Alison, and if she was still alive, Flint imaged her dragging him there to watch games and relax.

Flint looked down at the phone again. It finally rang. But it wasn't Alison who was on the other end of the line, it was her cousin Ben. At some point, Alison must have given Ben the number to her phone. Alison had been dead for thirteen years, so why would he try to call her number now? Regardless of that answer, it was obvious to Flint that Ben was in trouble and was desperately trying to reach out to anyone, even to his long dead cousin.

The urge to help surprised Flint as it rose from the bottom of his gut. Flint knew Alison loved her cousin Ben like a brother, and they even visited him a few times up in Vermont during the early years of his literary fame. While the military was Flint's main focus, Alison would always find him tucked away in a corner of the cafeteria, deeply engrossed in a novel. Books were how Alison got deep inside Flint, through all the layers that had grown around his innocence and purity. It was Alison who gave Flint Ben's collection of short stories. He must have read it over a dozen times.

Flint desperately tried to suppress his current wave of emotion. Reserved to a secluded lifestyle, he avoided scenarios where he could be in a position to help. In a distant life, Flint couldn't imagine not jumping in to assist in any situation, but pain and time had worn down those particular desires.

The barkeep plopped a plate down in front of Flint consisting of a medium rare burger between two pieces of white bread, a small green bag of Owl Potato Chips, and three gherkins. "Dinner is served," said the barkeep, bowing, and slowly walking backward.

"Thanks." Flint responded emotionlessly as he picked up one of the gherkins and snapped off a piece. What should I do? Flint asked himself as he took a bite out of the burger. He looked up at the TV. The Sox were in the top of the eighth, up a couple runs. Alison loved watching the Sox.

He remembered when they would go into the city and walk to the ballpark through the Fens at least twice a summer, maybe more. She would lean in and rest her head on his shoulder out in the sunny centerfield bleachers. Any time there was any action, she would practically rip him out of his seat as she either cheered or sneered the players and umpires. Alison loved a lot of things like the Sox, the military, books, and especially her cousin Ben.

At that moment, Flint realized that Ben was one of the only pieces of Alison he had left. Guilt suddenly crept into Flint's consciousness for not doing more to respond when Ben called. As he finished his burger, Flint thought that even though he was pushing sixty and well past his prime, he had to help.

Picking up the small flip phone, Flint dialed a six-digit code. There was a click, and then another succession of clicks as the line tried to connect.

"Identification number?" A woman's voice asked. Flint spoke the eleven-digit code he was given when he was first recruited. There was a long pause.

"Can you please repeat?" The woman asked. Flint repeated the number again. There was a longer pause and the woman's voice returned to the call. "Verified. One moment please." There was another succession of clicks and then a new female voice came on the line.

"This is Communications Officer Breaker, please restate your identification number." The voice said. Flint was a little annoyed having to restate his ID for a third time.

"I already gave my identification number twice. Also, I worked with Breaker, and he didn't have a female voice." Flint responded. After a long pause the female voice returned.

"I am Breaker's daughter." The voice responded confidently. "Is this really Warrant Officer Flint? Our records state you are retired. How did you get this number?"

"We all get these numbers. They last as long as we do." Flint replied sarcastically. "I am evoking article 687 of the Joe Team Charter, for temporary reinstatement to follow up on a possible enemy threat."

Flint rambled off a series of numbers. He could hear the clicking of a keyboard in the background. "I need access to a vehicle as soon as possible." Flint said and relayed a nearby location quickly hanging up.

If the code he gave was still valid, he knew Breaker's daughter would have no choice but to follow protocol and provide him the resources he needed. Within twenty-four hours though, he would have to report back and answer to whomever was now in charge. Flint motioned to the barkeep who hurried over with a nervous smile.

"Josh, I'd like to settle up." The bartender smiled wide and set the bill down in front of Flint.

"You coming in for the Sox Yanks tomorrow night? Going to be a great series." Josh said leaning over the bar resting on his elbows.

"Actually, I'm heading out of town to help an old friend." Flint replied. At that realization, Flint stood up, gave a slight nod to the bartender, and was out the door on his way to Lakeside, Vermont.

Chapter 3

Jessie sagged into Elise's side staring at the checkered linoleum floor of their kitchen. The keg stood unceremoniously in the corner, and an abandoned game of flip cup was strewn across the table in the center of the room. The walls were painted a bright yellow enhanced by an overhead light lacking its lamp cover. Jessie and Elsie sat next to each other in front of the table. A red cup slowly rocked back and forth in a sticky spill.

Elise's left braid had come unraveled, and Jessie was slowly twirling the piece of hair in her hands. Two police officers were talking to Jason, the other boy who was outside with the student who was killed and lying in her backyard. Jessie slowly raised her head and took in the commotion around her. Jason looked scared as Jessie watched him talk to the police.

She didn't know the boy who was killed. Jason, who was in her Short Form Documentary class had brought him to the party. Jessie thought back to earlier that day when they invited Jason. Now, that memory seemed like it was from another time. The gravity of the situation roared up into Jessie's conscious and she cuddled deep into Elise, unable to fight off the tears. A few minutes later, she sat up in her chair, pulling herself together again.

How is this going to mess me up for the rest of my life? Jessie thought helplessly. She had read and seen enough to know that you just don't walk away from this stuff. It scared her. Everything was still so vivid in her head and she couldn't imagine it ever going away. It probably wouldn't. The weight of all her emotions was suffocating. Jessie closed her eyes and tried her best to focus on something she could control. She reminded herself that she was at Lakeside University because it had a strong journalism program and her passion was to become a successful reporter. Jessie repeated that statement a few times in her head.

Even though she was in a terrible situation, Jessie realized she had an incredible opportunity to document and possibly write about what had happened. Deciding that was the best thing to do, she knew she needed to gain as much information possible about her current situation. Jessie stared at Jason who was currently talking with the police and tried her best to focus on their conversation.

Jessie learned that Jason only recently started hanging out with the boy who was killed. He told the police he met him as he was walking to the party and suggested he join him. Jessie hung her head. She couldn't imagine the guilt that Jason was feeling.

Both policeman turned to the other, their faces sad and sympathetic. Another policeman walked into the room who Jessie immediately recognized as Sheriff Douglas. Sheriff Douglas stood about six-feet tall, medium build, with short brown hair, and walked and talked with the full authority of his title.

"The Sheriff got here quickly," Elise whispered, startling Jessie a bit. Everything they had just experienced had her completely discombobulated. She put her arm around Elise and pulled her a bit closer.

"Do you think they will let us write about this for The Chronicle?" Elise asked Jessie quietly. Jessie was glad that Elise was also thinking about reporting on what had happened. Jessie shrugged at Elise.

"I hope so." Jessie whispered to Elise and turned to the policemen who started bringing the Sheriff up to speed. The victim was named Craig Binder, a medical student at Lakeside. He had no criminal record and like Jason said earlier, came to the party purely on happenstance.

Sheriff Douglas looked empathetically toward Jason as he slumped in his chair. His head shot up with a strained expression as the Sheriff asked him to repeat the events that had unfolded. The pain on Jason's face immediately resonated in Jessie with the realization she was about to relive everything that had just happened. Jessie turned to Elise and saw her pursing her lips nervously, watching the Sheriff and Jason with a look of abandoned sadness.

"Craig and I were in the backyard, just talking when we heard a loud crack from the branches above us. We jumped out of the way thinking something would fall out of the tree, but nothing did. We tried to figure out what it was, but it was already pretty dark, and we couldn't see anything." Jason stated and paused for a moment to regain his composure.

"Then, we heard another crack, but this one was louder and right above us." Jessie saw beads of sweat begin to form on Jason's nose and cheeks. "Then it was on us. It was so fast. It knocked Craig down and threw him into the hedge wall." Jason said and dropped his head again as he trailed off. Jessie watched as the Sheriff shared a concerned, but bewildered look with the other two policemen.

"Who attacked your friend? Did you get a good look at the person who did it?" The Sheriff asked. Jessie saw the Sheriff had put his hand on Jason's shoulder. Jason sighed, keeping his head down.

"It was a mountain lion." Jason said quietly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. He stared at the Sheriff with a distressed look on his face. Jessie felt Elise's grip on her hand tighten and watched as the Sheriff and policemen stood staring at Jason. No one in the room moved.

"A mountain lion?" An expression of doubt now covered the Sheriff's face. "What makes you think it was a mountain lion?"

"Because it was a mountain lion man!" Jessie saw Jason begin to shake as he fought to control his emotions. She realized she was shaking a bit herself.

"Look, I lived out west and I have seen mountain lions before. I know what I saw." Jason trailed off again and slumped back into his chair. The Sheriff looked down at Jason with skepticism. He didn't believe him.

"Catamounts have been declared extinct in Vermont son." The Sheriff stated. There was a short pause. "How much did you have to drink before this happened? Did you take any other controlled substances other than alcohol?" The Sheriff asked. Jason stared at the Sheriff in disbelief and began to shake his head, quietly laughing to himself incredulously.

"No. I don't do any of that junk. I had a few beers but that was it. I know what I saw." Jessie saw Jason's face, and after everything he had said, how he looked, how he reacted, deep down in her gut, she believed he was telling the truth. The Sheriff took a moment to process everything. Then he continued.

"Ok, let's move on. What happened next?" The Sheriff put his hands on his side.

"That was it. After the mountain lion pounced on Craig, it swatted at him and then jumped over the hedge fence." Jason said and sat in the chair looking aimlessly.

Jumped over the hedge fence? Jessie replayed what Jason had said in her head and turned slowly to the window above their kitchen sink that peered out into the backyard. Jessie focused on the hedge, trying her best to avoid the scene of horror that remained sprawled at its base. The hedge had to be at least ten feet tall.

"Then what happened?" The Sheriff asked.

"Then what happened? He was shredded man." Jason's eyes began to grow red and wet. Jessie also felt tears welling up in her eyes as she watched Jason wipe his face and continue. "Professor Ben came up and put his belt around his leg in a tourniquet."

Jessie had completely forgot that Professor Ben was there and had raced in to help. She remembered seeing Professor Ben apply the tourniquet and then he called someone for help on his phone.

Jason then looked toward Elise and Jessie. He pointed right at them. The Sheriff and the other policemen turned and stared at them.

"Elise called 911 and stayed on with them until the paramedics came. Jessie knelt with him and held his hand while he died." Jason put his hands in his head and started sobbing. Jessie realized that she and Elise were also crying, leaning on each other for support. The Sheriff reached down again and put his hand on Jason's shoulder. Leaning over, the Sheriff whispered sympathetically to Jason and then slowly stood up patting Jason's back in brief act of tenderness and compassion. The Sheriff looked toward Elise and Jessie and walked over to where they were seated.

"You called 911?" The Sheriff asked Elise.

"Yes, I told the woman on the other line there was a boy who had been attacked in our backyard. I gave her our address and she asked his condition. "I…" Elise then paused, took a deep breath, and continued.

"I told her that he had huge cuts across his chest and left leg. I told her he looked like he had been stabbed or something." Elise paused again. "She kept telling us to keep pressure on the wounds and talk to him, keep him awake until the paramedics arrived. We did that until the ambulance got there. By then though, he was dead." The Sheriff looked at Elise, carefully studying her face as she responded. Elise was wiping tears off her cheeks.

"Thank you for calling 911. Did either of you see the attacker?" The Sheriff asked. Elise and Jessie shook their heads no.

"We ran out into the backyard after." Elise replied. The Sheriff made a mental note of this and then turned toward Jessie.

"You knelt down and held his hand?" The Sheriff asked Jessie. Jessie looked at the Sheriff and saw from the expression on his face that he was holding back a lot of emotions, trying his best to be professional.

"Yes. He…" Jessie tried but couldn't respond through the mucus building in her throat. She reminded herself to remain calm and built up the courage to continue. "He…was in bad shape. I don't know why I knelt to hold his hand. I just felt like he needed it." Jessie said and looked at the Sheriff.

"Thank you for doing that. It was very brave." The expression on the Sheriff's face revealed he truly meant what he said. Jessie nodded at him. Now it was the Sheriff's turn to take a deep breath. He looked down at his boots and then up at Jessie and Elise.

"Do you remember anything else?" The Sheriff asked. Jessie saw the Sheriff was getting desperate for information. She was still trying to get a grip on the fact that there could be a mountain lion on the loose and that it had just killed someone in her backyard.

"No. We didn't see anything. Again, when we got outside, Jason and Professor Ben were helping him." Jessie said and looked up at the Sheriff.

"Professor Ben?" The Sheriff asked.

One of the policemen walked over to the Sheriff, leaned in and started saying something softly that Jessie couldn't hear. The policeman motioned out the door to the backyard. Jessie looked out the window and saw Professor Ben sitting in one of their green plastic lawn chairs. She felt sad as she saw the Professor's bloodstained clothes. They had asked him to the party and now he had to deal with all this, Jessie thought. But Jessie also saw something different in the expression on the Professor's face that she couldn't pinpoint.

"Thank you for your cooperation." The Sheriff said looking at Elise, Jessie, and Jason. "We will need to bring you down to the station where you'll have to make a formal statement. After any additional questions we may have, you'll be free to go. We'll be back in touch with each of you as our investigation progresses." The Sheriff continued.

"Unfortunately, your apartment is officially a crime scene and we will need to move you out indefinitely as we gather our evidence. Do you have someplace that you can stay for a while?" The Sheriff asked. Jessie and Elise nodded, grateful that she and Elise had a good group of friends to rely on.

"Ok, these officers will make sure you get what you need like clothes, toiletries, anything for the next few weeks possibly. Unfortunately, everything else is now evidence." Jessie was grateful her backpack and computer were locked in the darkroom in the Journalism Department. "Once you get what you need, you'll be given a ride to the station where you can make your statement." The Sheriff concluded and motioned to one of the policemen. The policeman and the Sheriff leaned in to have a quieter, private conversation. Jessie did her best to block out the background noise and listen.

"I am going to talk to the Professor here. That poor boy is in shock. I bet we are dealing with a crazed individual, probably with a long history, maybe someone local. Wouldn't be entirely uncommon unfortunately." The Sheriff stated. Jessie looked at the policeman's face as the Sheriff paused. The officer nodded his head in agreement. However, Jessie noticed a slight hesitation in the officer's expression.

"Sounds good Sheriff. But Sir, do you think? I mean, you hear stories about crazies who raise exotic animals that get loose?" The Sheriff stared at the officer in astonishment.

"Don't you dare talk any more of that crap do you hear me? This was a horrible and traumatic murder and we are going to catch who did this. That boy was in shock and has no idea what he saw." The officer gave a quick nod, turned, and started to head toward Jessie and Elise, motioning them up and out of the kitchen. Jessie turned back one last time to see the Sheriff walk out of their kitchen into the backyard toward Professor Ben.

Chapter 4

Thirty-four years ago

Flint skied through the thick snow down the mountain side and curved in and around a forest of birch, beech, and maple trees. The sun was pouring through the branches, reflecting a glistening gold as Flint, Alison, and their teammate Harlan weaved their way down the slope. It was winter furlough, and Harlan had convinced Flint and Alison to come up to Vermont for some weekend skiing. Alison was raised in Massachusetts and in addition to heading to Maine every summer, would also travel to Vermont in the winter.

Once Alison realized their team's Arctic Specialist was born and raised in Rutland, Harlan and she made an instant connection and would spend many conversations talking about the weather, traffic, vacation spots, and sports, always sports. Flint avoided a cluster of yellow birches and tried his best to keep up behind Alison and Harlan. Harlan was dressed in a white ski jacket with a fur brimmed hood and matching thermal pants. Some of his thick red hair had come loose and was flapping backward in the wind.

Alison was wearing a single piece ski suit colored teal with vibrant pink stripes racing down the sides. She was an excellent skier Flint thought. Smiling to himself, Flint dug his left ski into the snow, flexed his quad and speared his pole into the earth as he lifted himself up and around a tree. Flint looked down the mountain to see Harlan and Alison repeat the same move effortlessly from side to side.

A few moments later, they reached the tree line and glided out into an open field. Even though Flint was wearing goggles, the effect of the sun reflecting off the snow blinded him. Quickly adjusting his line of sight, Flint took in the breathtaking view of the Vermont winter valley. The snow was untouched, and he watched Harlan and Alison cut across the sloping field as the snow-covered pines rose around them. Harlan was right Flint thought, as he watched Alison gracefully carve a long wavy path in the soft powder. This place was beautiful.

The trio of skiers made their way down the field toward a small cabin peacefully waiting at the far corner of the tree line. Flint watched as Harlan casually skidded to a stop in front of the small wooden lodge. Alison then stopped in front of the cabin and started to take off her skis. Flint came in a distant third, his chest heaving from the workout.

"Figured this would be a good place for a lunch break. You guys hungry?" Harlan asked. Flint nodded vigorously and followed in stride behind Alison into the cabin. It was a small cabin, roughly 300 square feet, with a raised loft at the far end above a cast iron stove that Flint assumed supplied both the heat and a place to cook.

A large rifle case adorned the left wall of the cabin, flanked by bookshelves on either side. One shelf was stacked with a variety of reading materials from hunting and fishing guides, to fiction and mystery novels, to a vast number of military history books. The other bookshelf was stacked with preserved goods in glass jars, cooking pots, pans, and mugs.

The right wall of the cabin was decorated with a set of downhill and cross-country skis and poles, two sets of snow shoes, a medium sized hatchet, and what Flint immediately recognized as a brand-new Brown Bear Compound Bow. Below the bow and skis stood a small writing desk, covered in maps of the area, some marked in red. A CB AM/FM radio sat like an oversized paper weight on the pile of papers strewn across the desk.

A love sofa and a recliner sat in the middle of the cabin each facing a low round wooden table. Harlan had started a fire in the stove. Flint smelled burning beech and soon felt the warmth begin to radiate around them. Harlan walked over to the bookshelf and grabbed a French press and a tall brown bag of coffee. He held both up to Alison and Flint grinning.

"You guys are about to have some of the best coffee in the world, better than anything you will find at the supermarket. It's a local company from Vermont, they just started a couple years ago." Harlan said.

Flint watched as Harlan added the coffee grinds to the press, filled the bottom with water, screwed it back together, and rested it on the hot stove. Harlan then grabbed a skillet and took his canteen out of his bag. He poured a generous amount in the pan, the water making a hissing sound as it hit the cast iron.

Flint and Alison watched as Harlan methodically grabbed a jar of beef jerky, canned squash, some brown rice, and expertly stirred them together in the sizzling skillet. As the water began to hydrate the meat and rice, the cabin filled with a savory and earthy aroma. Both Flint and Alison watched the pan eagerly. Harlan grabbed three blue tin mugs and bowls, filled the mugs with steaming coffee, and then spooned the rice dish in each of the bowls. He then placed everything on the table in the center of the room.

Flint and Alison sat down in the love seat, taking the mugs in their hands. Alison cupped hers tight below her chin, slowly taking a sip. Flint took a long pull from his mug. He had never tasted a coffee as rich and bold. Flint took another long drink and then started in on his rice dish. Delicious, he thought surprisingly, originally thinking the preserved food would be tough and dry. Alison moved in to cuddle in close to Flint.

"Thank you." She whispered. "This is perfect." Alison leaned in and gave Flint a long kiss on the cheek, then lovingly kneaded her head into his neck before focusing her attention on her meal. Harlan took up a seat across from them in the recliner, propped his feet up, and began digging into his bowl.

"My house is your house." Harlan said somewhat legibly as he munched down another spoonful. "That is, if you can hike up the mountain and find it." He chuckled as he leaned back in the recliner.

"Does anyone else come up here?" Alison asked, curiously looking around at the furnishings.

"This place has been in my family for generations. A few of my cousins use it during hunting season, but it's pretty much mine in the winters." Harlan said and finished his coffee as he went to grab the French press from the stove. "You guys though, you can come any time you need, and that is a promise ok?" Harlan looked at both of them for some sort of agreement.

"Thank you, Harlan." Alison said, as she moved in closer to Flint, holding him happily and tightly. At that moment Flint didn't want to be anywhere or with anyone else in the world.

Now

Flint stood below the crisp Vermont night sky as the full moon shined down on the sloping field. The small cabin still stood in the same place, fading in and out of the moon shadows. Without snow covering the ground, the cabin looked much smaller than Flint remembered. It was a little after two in the morning and Flint had spent the last hour hiking up the mountain. Slowly, he walked toward the door and turned the knob.

The door was locked, but after a quick inspection, Flint saw that the lock was not complicated. Dropping his backpack, Flint took out a small leather pouch and carefully removed some metal tools and began to work at the key hole. After a few seconds, Flint heard a click, and the door gently opened. A waft of mildew and must greeted him as he walked into the lifeless structure. It was night, but Flint's eyes had adjusted during his hike and he could see the outline of the shelves, the rifle cabinet, stove, and loft. The love seat and chair sat motionless in the center of the room.

"I'm the only one left." Flint whispered aloud in the darkness. He walked toward the end of the cabin to the stove and opened the small steel door on the front. Bent over, Flint grabbed two pieces of firewood and some kindling, and slowly, warmth returned to the cabin. The fire from the stove glowed, creating shadows on the walls of orange, yellow, and red.

With the added visibility, Flint walked toward the rifle cabinet. Over thirty years had passed since he was last here. He had heard Harlan died a few years ago. It wasn't a bullet or IED that killed him. It was cancer. Flint paused in front of the rifle cabinet looking around the cabin. When he opened it, Flint was relieved as everything seemed to still be in place.

A slender walnut Winchester rested to the left of a Remington rifle. The cabinet also contained a Smith and Wesson Magnum, and a stylish custom Les Baer. Flint pursed his lips and picked up the Winchester appealingly. He inspected the rifle, admiring the expert craftsmanship. Looking further into the cabinet, Flint saw a mahogany box carved with the inscription H. W. M. lying at the bottom. Flint opened the box and found that it was Harlan's gun cleaning kit. Flint closed the box, picked up the Remington, and laid them both on the table in the middle of the cabin. He hesitated when he saw the love seat, now sagging inward a bit, covered in a thin layer of dust.

Returning to the cabinet, Flint found Harlan's Ka-Bar military knife, its blade fitted snugly in an aged leather sheath. Flint smiled as he unsheathed the knife, his face in deep reminiscence as he looked it over. He took the Les Baer and returned to the recliner, silently beginning to clean each gun with meticulous care.

Cleaning Harlan's guns narrowed Flint's focus as he pondered what to do next. The cabin lay a few miles up Sugar Peak Mountain, roughly thirty-five miles south of Lakeside on the northeastern side of the state, eighty miles to the Canadian border. He had been awake for the past sixteen hours but for the first time in years he never felt more alive.

Sam Webber was the name he had been living under in Massachusetts, and the only people he now interacted with were his landlord, the three stock boys at the supermarket, and Josh, the barkeep of the Blood Moon Tavern. Since his retirement, Flint lived in a cloud, unwilling to do anything else but sit in a state of depressed reverence. Now, after the frantic call from Ben, on a phone that he never thought would ring, which brought him to Harlan's old cabin in the woods, Flint finally felt the cloud had begun to lift.

Ben said a boy was dying, and from the terror in his voice, Flint knew that whatever happened was big. He needed to get more information but had no access to a computer. He had called in his temporary reinstatement, but under the provision, he needed to report back within twenty-four hours or whomever was in charge would bring him in. Right now, Flint had nothing to go on, no information, and no leads. He had avoided any additional conversation with Breaker's daughter other than requesting a vehicle, but he knew he would have to come up with something or everything would come to an abrupt end. He still had time, Flint thought.

Flint looked around the room and stopped when he saw the old CB radio. Quickly, he rose from the recliner and began examining it. The back of the radio led to a cord which connected to some sort of box, probably the adapter and power source Flint thought. He clicked the top of the box open which revealed two six-volt lamp batteries. A crimson rust covered the tops and sides of the batteries. Damn, Flint cursed to himself.

With a faint desperation, Flint moved around the cabin, looking for replacements. At the back-right corner of the cabin, Flint found a blanket box filled with thermal gear and bedding. Removing the clothes, Flint found three six-volt batteries, still in their boxes. Flint clapped his hands together and gave out a short laugh.

Carrying the batteries, Flint returned to the writing desk and replaced them, being careful to clean off any areas where rust or dried battery juice had accumulated. After replacing the batteries, he let out a hopeful exhale and returned his attention to the actual radio.

There was a cord coming out of the back of the radio that ran into a small hole in the wall under a window sill. Flint looked through the window into the woods, hoping Harlan had put some sort of makeshift antenna up in a nearby tree.

A smile curved up the right side of Flint's face as he took a seat in front of the small writing desk and turned the on/off dial until he heard a click. Then, Flint slowly turned the volume dial and his grin widened as he heard the sound of familiar static. Satisfied, Flint rose from the chair and walked toward the front door where he left his backpack. Opening the pack, he removed a canteen and a large bag of Vermont Mountain Coffee and walked back to the stove.

Flint removed the French press hanging from a large nail in the wall, added a generous scoop of ground coffee, filled the bottom with water, and placed it on the stove, waiting eagerly. When steam began to furiously pour from the press, Flint removed it and grabbed three blue tin mugs. He filled all three and placed two on the table in the middle of the cabin and then sat back down at the desk. He raised his mug and took a long pull, feeling a familiar sense of satisfaction.

Flint then leaned in to the CB radio and gently started moving the channel dial, methodically working through the frequencies. He knew that with the rise of the digital age, CB conversations had drastically decreased. Still, Vermont had a large amount of industry traveling up and down its highways and he was hoping he could catch a conversation that could provide him any sort of information.

For the next half an hour Flint moved the dials, waiting for the particular conversation he was listening for. Suddenly, Flint heard a discussion emerge from the static crackling, and after a few moments of listening, he realized he may have hit pay dirt. A man and woman were going back and forth, concerned about the number of police out on the highway. Flint listened with deep intent.

"Jenny, you there? This is cab 29. I am about ten minutes from Lakeside and riding bobtail heading your way." A male voice rang out over the radio.

"Affirmative 29. Watch out on your way up here, bears are all over the place. Don't want you to get into any traps, especially without a cab." Flint knew that the term bear meant police. It was unusual there would be a high police presence around Lakeside this early in the morning.

"Affirmative Jenny. Last chicken coop I passed I saw three sitting and waiting. Didn't look like they were trying to bird dog me though." Bird dogging meant the police were out checking for speeders.

"David came in about an hour ago. He was listening to his scanner and said he heard a bunch of commotion. Said someone was killed in town last night, maybe a student. Might be why there are so many all over the boulevard." Jenny responded.

"Holy crap. Does he know what happened?" There was a short static break.

"David says the police codes used were for a homicide and stabbing. He said the victim might have been attacked with an axe, but you never know with what comes out of David's mouth."

"I hear that. With all he talks, who knows what's real and what isn't."

"Good one 29. What David said about the cops though is definitely true though. I had to take a detour on my way to work. Said it was a gas leak issue. Tell you the truth, it kind of freaked me out." There was a short silence. "You got ears on me 29?" Jenny asked.

"Affirmative. Sorry, it's just a lot to take in, that someone was stabbed."

"You got that right." Jenny responded. "Stuff like that usually happens down in the cities, not up here."

Flint grabbed his coffee from the desk and leaned back in his chair. He finished the cup in one long pull. After returning from the stove to refill his mug, Flint eased in the chair and listened until Cab 29 reached its destination at Lakeside Granite and Cement.

He didn't learn anything new other than Jenny and the guy who drove Cab 29 didn't think too much of David. What Flint was able to deduce however, was that someone was definitely killed and from the amount of police presence, it sounded like a serious situation. Flint knew Ben worked at the University, so he was under the assumption that the victim was a student, probably stabbed, and it was very likely whomever did it was still on the loose.

With this realization, Flint knew he needed to get some rest. Since the frantic call from Ben, Flint had temporarily brought himself out of retirement, drove 200 miles to Vermont, and hiked up half a mountain. The clock was ticking but Flint also knew his age. Pushing sixty years old, exhaustion began to weigh him down, especially in his shoulders and head, and he needed to rest.

Turning off the CB radio, Flint stood up and walked to the rear of the cabin and replenished the wood stove with a couple of logs. His legs were heavy as he climbed up to the loft. Flint laid down on the bed, pulled the green woolen military blanket over his body, and immediately fell asleep.

Chapter 5

Jessie woke up face down on the gray memory foam couch-bed of Elise's boyfriend's apartment. Slowly opening her eyes, she heard the muffled excitement of Elise's boyfriend and roommate playing video games in the small living room. The walls were painted an off white, covered in various music, movie, and sports posters. Jessie initially welcomed the feelings of restoration and revitalization that came with a good night's sleep but soon, the events of last night came back into the forefront of her memory. Sitting up, she rubbed her hand back and forth across her forehead. Devon, Elise's boyfriend, and his roommate Jake quickly turned to her with a look of guilt on their faces.

"Sorry, did we wake you?" They both asked roughly in unison.

"No." Jessie replied. "It's ok. Thank you for letting me crash here."

"No problem" Devon said. Jessie saw the look on his face had changed to an innocent fear. He obviously didn't know what to say next. "I'm sorry. That was some real messed up stuff that happened last night."

"Yeah. It was." Jessie said softly.

Elise then walked in to the room, smiling, grateful to see Jessie awake. She sat down next to Jessie and snuggled in close. The blue in Elise's hair was braided on each side and tied back like a princess crown. Devon looked relieved he didn't have to hold the conversation anymore.

"Check this out." Elise said as she handed Jessie her phone. The screen displayed the local TV station website, WCBVT Channel 7. In large bold black font, a headline shouted across the top of the page. Body of Lakeside University Student Found Last Night.

"Found?" Jessie asked aloud.

"I know right?" Elise responded, leaning in toward the phone urging Jessie to continue reading.

Last night, at approximately nine thirty, police responded to a 911 call from a tenant at 233 Pine Street in Lakeside. Police reported finding the body of a young male. The victim's name is being withheld at this time. Police have not confirmed the cause of death and have not ruled out the possibility of foul play. Sheriff Douglas will be making a statement later this afternoon at three o'clock. For any information, please call the Lakeside Police Department hotline listed below. We will be following up on this story as more information becomes available.

After Jessie finished reading, she read it again and sat still, staring at the screen.

"Looks like they are keeping things quiet for now until they notify the family." Elise stated. Jessie nodded.

"I bet we'll get a little more information at three when the Sheriff makes his address." Jessie said. "Once they notify the family, they can discuss more specifics, but basic stuff, like the victim's name, age, maybe confirmation of foul play, but I doubt it, not this early in the investigation. I'm sure they're going to keep any information about motive under wraps." Jessie stated, remembering Sheriff Douglas' voice when he shot down Jason's statement about the mountain lion.

"So, he's probably not going to mention that Craig was killed by a bloodthirsty mountain lion which is still on the loose?" Elise asked, looking at Jessie with questioning terror.

"No, I don't think he will mention it. Also, we don't even know for sure that it was a lion." Jessie said.

The clicking of joysticks and buttons had ceased. Devon and Jake had turned their backs to the TV, now fully absorbed in the conversation. Jessie continued.

"We didn't see what happened. We came out after whomever, or whatever killed him."

"But Jason was telling the truth!" Elise retorted as tears began to form around the edges of her eyes. Jessie could feel herself also choking up as she remembered Jason's testimony. Jessie did believe him, but to write this story correctly, they would need to prove what he was saying was true.

"I believe him too, but we need proof." Jessie said. A long silence filled the room. Everyone looked to one another not knowing what to say next.

"Jason?" Devon asked, breaking the silence.

"Jason Smith." Elise replied. He is in our documentary class. "He's the tall guy that always wears the Lakesidebasketball stuff. He was at Steven's party last Saturday."

"Oh ok, I know Jason." Devon replied smiling, happy he was finally contributing to the discussion. "Yeah, he's really chill. From Boston, always wears sports shirts and stuff." Devon said, looking to Jake for confirmation.

"Yeah, I see him at The Roadsidea lot watching games. Nice guy, always to me at least." Jake added, nodding at Devon and then toward Elise and Jessie.

Jessie looked down at the phone and swiped the current screen away searching through Elise's apps. Elise was a huge hockey fan, and along with Devon, the three had taken a trip up to Montreal last semester to see a game. It was a fun trip. Jessie's Dad was big into sports and she would always go to basketball games with him when she was little. Their trip reminded Jessie of the fun times she had with her Dad, and it made her friendship with Elise that much stronger.

With another swipe of her thumb, Jessie found the sports app she was looking for, pressed it, and quickly navigated to the day's baseball schedule. Boston was playing a make-up game at one o'clock. It was eleven thirty in the morning. With any luck Jessie thought, Jason would be at The Roadside, possibly watching the game.

"Do you think Jason will be watching the game at The Roadside?" Elise asked, starring at her phone in Jessie's hands, clearly following her train of thought.

"I can text him and tell him to meet us there if you want?" Devon asked, holding up his phone.

"Perfect." Jessie said. The Roadsidewas a local dive bar and would definitely have the game on.

"Ok, I'm going to head to the Journalism Department first to grab my bag and computer. Then I'll head over to The Roadside." Jessie said. Elise nodded in agreement.

"Did you want me to walk with you to get your stuff?" Elise asked, a grave concern across her face. Jessie immediately cued in to what she was thinking. The lion.

"I'll be ok. It's daytime. I think they sleep during the day." Jessie replied. Elise nodded again. Jessie was a little spooked. Like Elise, she believed Jason was telling the truth, but it was difficult to believe that a killer mountain lion was on the loose in town.

"Ok, be careful." Elise said, and stood up as Jessie got ready to leave. After taking a deep breath, Jessie hugged Elise tight. Devon and Jake looked at each other awkwardly as the girls stood embraced in silence. Jessie didn't want to let go but finally released her grip.

"I'll be fine. See you at one." Jessie said, and with a quick turn, she headed out the apartment door.

Chapter 6

Ben Hart sat apathetically on his chestnut colored couch, flipping through the channels on the television in his small home in South Lakeside, Vermont. Stopping on a history program, Ben uncaringly dropped the remote down next to him. A fleece blanket and small pillow rested in a crumbled ball beside him where he had fallen asleep the night before. Ben had taken the day off work after having spent the majority of the night at the police station giving his statement.

Ben tried his best to focus on anything other than what had happened, but he could not shake the horrific events that had unfolded the previous night. His mind kept going back to two things, the glowing green eyes that he had seen deep within the branches of the tree, and the short but polarizing call with Flint. During his time at the police station, Ben told the police everything he knew which, after he sobered up, realized wasn't much at all.

He told the truth, that he had a few drinks and was outside when he heard a loud crack in the tree. After another large crack, a large shape jumped down, attacked the boy, and jumped over the hedge fence. It took only a few seconds and despite having been a few feet away, Ben admitted he didn't get a good look at the killer.

He did mention the glowing green eyes he saw in the trees. Remembering the looks on the police officers' faces, Ben knew they didn't believe him. Over and over, the police asked if what he saw could be a man or woman, and if so, could he remember what they were wearing. It wasn't as if the police were trying to force him to think a certain way, they just didn't believe that it could have been anything else other than some crazed person hiding in the tree.

Ben closed his eyes, and again, the two green eyes returned and stared back at him. In the end, he told the police he didn't get a clear look at whoever had killed the boy. He saw a large shape, and whatever attacked the boy was extremely powerful and athletic.

The facts that Ben did remember clearly was after the attack. Once Ben saw the extent of the boy's injuries, he immediately ran to assist. Ben relayed to the police how he applied the tourniquet but left out the part when he called his cousin who had been dead for the past thirteen years.

Ben was still in disbelief that Alison's number had worked and was even more surprised that the person who answered was Flint. Alison must have given Flint her phone at some point. Maybe she relayed a similar message to Flint that she wrote for Ben. If you ever need help, please call me. In this life, in the next, and the next, we will always be there for each other. Thinking back on the time that Alison and Flint had been together, and the love for his own wife, Ben could understand why Flint had kept her phone all these years.

What would happen now, Ben asked himself? Should he call the number again? No, he thought, that may cause more attention than he would want. Ben had even started to wonder if calling the number in the first place was a good idea. He sat fearing he might have started some sort of officialchain of events. Ben desperately reviewed his options.

Should he try to find Flint on his own? Though a good idea, he had no idea on where to start. After a few moments of contemplation, Ben decided that for him and his family, it was best to just move on. He would put his faith in the police that the killer would be found and prosecuted. Ben took a deep breath and, satisfied with his decision, decided it was time to start putting the pieces of his life back together. Then, the doorbell rang.

Ben did not recognize the person who stood outside his front door. The man was tall, older, probably in his sixties. He had a broad forehead, and his high chiseled cheekbones cradled two dark eyes, highlighting his Native American heritage. The man wore a tall black cowboy hat, adorned on the left side by a beaded medallion of an eagle's head in front of a blue star. Two long eagle feathers ran out from the back of the medallion, lying along the left brim of his hat. In addition to the hat, the man wore a sandstone duck quilted all-weather jacket, blue jeans, black cowboy boots, and a turquoise belt buckle. A giant Bowie knife hung sheathed to his left thigh. Ben felt awkward standing in his doorway wearing only a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt.

"Ben Hart?" The man asked, his voice deep and soothing.

"Yes, I'm Ben Hart. How can I help you?" A crisp fall breeze poured in to the house. Ben stood, getting colder by the second. The man in front of him stood unfazed.

"My name is General Charlie Iron-Knife." The General said and handed Ben a small leather wallet. Ben opened it and saw it was the man's credentials. He read as the General continued.

"Sorry to disturb you. I served with your cousin Alison and her husband, Flint. I am here to ask you some questions. May I come in?" The General said.

Crap, Ben thought to himself. His initial instincts told him to either run away or shut the door.

The man who stood in front of him looked as far from any General Ben had ever seen, but remembering Alison and Flint, and a few other people he had met from their team, Ben knew outward appearances meant nothing. After a few more moments of standing in the open doorway, Ben found himself gesturing the General into his small home.

While Ben was scared at possibly being in trouble, he was also hoping the General might be able to give him any more information about Flint and how to contact him. Plus, the General's statement of, I am here to ask you some questions, didn't seem to give Ben much choice. Ben motioned for the General to have a seat, gave him back his credentials, and returned to his spot on the couch. The General politely removed his cowboy hat and sat down across from Ben.

"Last night at approximately nine thirty at night, you contacted a highly secure military communications line. Why?" The General asked.

A sharp panic started to settle in the back of Ben's throat. The only way to maneuver around the question and the entire situation was to call his lawyer. It was either that or tell the truth. Quickly reviewing his situation, Ben gambled that telling the truth would hopefully lead to more information about locating Flint.

"A couple of students invited me to a party they were having. I was heading downtown for the evening and stopped by." Ben paused. "I was out in the backyard when I heard something in the tree above me. Before I knew it, something had jumped down and attacked a boy and killed him." Ben replied but saw no change of expression on the Generals face.

"I am sorry that you had to experience that. It's an extremely traumatic experience to witness, but unfortunately it still doesn't answer my question." The General said in a deep resounding voice. Ben looked at him haplessly, not knowing what to say.

"Ok, yes, sorry." Ben said as he shifted in his seat and regained his composure. He decided it was best to start from the beginning. "In one of my classes, we have been reading a book. Years ago, I gave this book to Alison. She had just returned from a tour overseas and was having a hard time readjusting."

Ben sat up from the couch and walked toward his backpack by the front door. The General's eyes widened as Ben produced the small worn paperback. Flipping to the page with Alison's inscription, Ben handed it to the General and returned to his seat on the couch.

"It made a difference to her I guess." Ben continued. The General looked down at Alison's handwriting, slowly rubbing his index finger across the inscription tenderly. "I forgot the inscription was even there until yesterday. By chance, I stumbled on it trying to find a passage to discuss in class."

"By chance…" The General said softly to himself, still staring at the book. Ben hesitated to see if the General would look up, but his head remained down, fingers continuing to caress the open page. Ben decided he should continue.

"When the boy was attacked, I freaked out I guess. I didn't know what to do. I was in a panic. I searched around frantically for my phone and saw the book had fallen out of my bag on the lawn. I grabbed it and called the number. I'm sorry, I don't know why I did it. Alison has been dead for thirteen years. I just had never seen anything like that before. There was so much happening, I didn't know what to do." Ben stopped talking and rested his head in his hands. General Iron-Knife looked at him.

"The truth is a funny thing you know." The General stated plainly.

Raising his head, Ben saw the General's eyes were now unguarded. While his stoic presence remained, the look on the General's face was kindness. He gave out a low chuckle. "Here I am, one of the so called top-brass. Such an honor." The General said, waving his hands sarcastically in the air. "But the truth about an old General like myself, the reason why I am here in this position, is because everyone else I served with years ago is pretty much dead." The General's last words landed in the room heavily. Ben had no idea how to respond. The General continued.

"Your cousin Alison was one of my best friends. There is no other way to put it." Ben noticed a smile form on the General's face as he spoke of Alison. "So, here's the deal hoss, I'm going to tell you the truth. Then I want you to do the same. Deal?" Ben nodded. The General leaned forward.

"Each member of our unit was provided a phone and number to call if we were ever in a situation that seriously went south. The number in this book was Alison's." The General held the book up in the air. "If we called in, we would be connected with a designated Communications Officer who would provide us information and resources to reach a safe house and ultimately return to base." The General paused. Ben continued to nod.

"The Communications Officer who was assigned to Alison is gone, but his daughter took over his position and code name." Code name, Ben remembered. Each of Alison's team had a different code name which provided them the ability to be ambiguous, invisible, or forgotten.

"This Communications Officer must have kept Alison's information active when his position transitioned. With his successor being his daughter, it would have been easy for him to make the transfer without anyone noticing. In the end, Alison gave her number to you, then gave her phone to Flint and, with the help of her former Communications Officer, made sure that the number and phone connected."

It all made sense to Ben. Alison had an impact on so many people. Even the General was transparent as to how much she meant to him. Hearing that others had felt the same, like her old Communications Officer, did not surprise him. Alison was a beacon, and all these years later, it was clear her friends still kept her close. The General gestured to Ben.

"So hoss, I told you the truth, now you tell me the truth, ok?" The General's language remained passive, but his eyes and tone reminded Ben he didn't have a choice whether he wanted to respond or not. "Did Flint answer the phone when you called?" The General's question was blunt. Ben hesitated, instinctually wanting to protect Flint, but he ultimately decided it was best to continue telling the truth.

"Yes, it was Flint." Ben replied. The General glared at him, searching for any falsifying movements or gestures.

"What did he say?" The General asked slowly.

"He asked where I got the number. That was all he said. When I told him Alison gave it to me, he hung up." Ben looked at the General, but the gray-haired soldier revealed nothing. Finally, after a minute of silence, the General spoke slowly with a high degree of caution.

"After your call was disconnected, Flint contacted us and invoked an old clause granting him temporary reinstatement. He then requested access to a vehicle. Under the stipulations of the clause, we had no choice but to honor his request. The vehicle was abandoned about thirty miles south of here last night on a mountain road off Sugar Peak Mountain. As of this moment, we have received no further contact with Flint." The General stated as his eyes narrowed. "Has he contacted you since your last call?" Ben sat in shock.

"No, I haven't heard anything." Ben replied looking back at the General. The General then removed a turquoise billfold from the inner breast pocket of his goose down jacket.

"If Flint contacts you, you call me right away you understand?" The General produced a business card and handed it to Ben.

"The last time I heard from Flint, he was not his whole self. None of us were after Alison died." The General said and then trailed off for a moment. A pained look appeared briefly on his face. "We have not heard from him in years and there is a high possibility he has grown mentally unstable."

"I'll make sure to contact you." Ben replied, scared at the recent revelation. Alison's death had almost torn him apart. After all these years, Ben couldn't begin to imagine what it had done to Flint.

The General slowly rose and gave the worn paperback back to Ben. Ben took it and followed the General as he started toward the front door. Before exiting, the General turned a final time to speak. Before he did, he placed his hat gently on his chest.

"Alison was one of the greatest people I have ever known." The General said and put on his hat, caressing the eagle feathers attached to its side. He looked at Ben intently. "If Flint contacts you, you make sure to contact me." The General stated. Ben nodded, and then shut the door.

As the door clicked shut, Ben's mind raced. Flint was on his way to meet him. Ben could feel his heart pounding and closed his eyes to try to calm down. Looking around, Ben decided he needed to get out of the house to think. With a silent and hurried haste, Ben got himself dressed, grabbed his car keys and headed out the door.

Chapter 7

Jessie got to The Roadsidea little after one and pushed herself through the heavy wooden double doors into the bar. The Roadsidehad been a popular bar in Lakeside for decades. A renovated garage, the bar was a small hole in the wall, a few blocks away from the bustling, touristy, Marketplace Square. The bar catered to locals and pool sharks during the day until the college kids came out at night.

The bar top was located along the right-side wall, while the wall along left side was covered in large mirrors, giving the Vermont alehouse a more open feel. Two blue felt pool tables sat in the middle of the establishment, surrounded by round table tops and bar stools. The front of the bar had a working garage door that was open during the warmer days, where patrons would sit and drink, soak in the sun, and people watch.

Three TVs hung from the walls of The Roadside. Jessie noticed that two of the TVs were tuned in to the Sox game, while the third was playing an old movie. A few of the locals were enthralled in the movie while the rest of the patrons were fixated on the game.

Jessie loved this bar. While she didn't watch sports too often, she found it the perfect melting pot for all sorts of people from carpenters, to lawyers, to doctors, to cooks, to factory workers, to nurses, you name it, and she had met them at The Roadside. For a prospering reporter, it was her favorite place, and one of the only places she felt she could come and relax. Today however, while she would have loved to sit down, take in the atmosphere and begin a few conversations, she was focused on finding Jason and hearing what he had truly seen the night before.

The barkeep met Jessie as she walked to the front of the bar. Jessie ordered a tall pint of Sugar Trail Pilsner, a local favorite, and scanned the establishment for Jason. Elise had texted and said she was running late, but heard from Devon that Jason should be there watching the game.

Taking a sip of her beer, Jessie saw Jason was seated on a bench along the left wall next to the pool cues watching the game intently. After a quick breath of confidence, she made her way over to where Jason sat.

"Hey, you ok?" Jessie asked as she gently sat down next to him. Jason looked up at her with a pained smile.

"I guess." Jason replied, looking back at the TV. "I don't know, not so good really." Jason turned to look at her. His eyes looked tired and heavy. "How are you?"

"Ok. Still in shock I guess. I'm just trying to figure it all out really." Jessie replied.

Jessie tried her best to keep eye contact, but eventually Jason returned to watching the game. She took a sip of her beer. Jessie knew that Jason might not want to talk, but if she wanted to be a journalist, she would have to have these difficult types of conversations. From her studies, for people to open up, Jessie knew she had to be delicate in her questioning.

"Look, I am not sure if you know, but I write for the Lakeside Chronicle, the school newspaper." Jessie's hope was to first let him know they were planning to write the story. Then, hopefully, she could convince him to share what he saw.

"I know. You wrote the story on the potholes last spring. I thought that was really good." Jason said and smiled genuinely.

This caught Jessie off guard. Last school year, she had been assigned her first big story and delivered. The previous winter had been long, cold and snowy, which was a boon for the ski resorts but terrible on the roads. Tough winters in Vermont mean frost heaves and potholes, exacerbated by continuous snow plows. That particular winter, the roads got so bad the local news agency did a whole segment on the potholes, featuring residents who talked frustratingly about damage to their cars and that the city should pay.

Jessie was assigned to write about it, and during her research she found that if there was road damage near a water line, it was the Water Department's responsibility to fix the roads in that area. After further investigation, seventy percent of the potholes in and around Lakeside were found near water lines. Even though it ran in the University paper, her story was a bombshell, resulting in policy changes, and unfortunately, replacing some people who worked at the Water Department in charge of road maintenance. Jessie received multiple accolades and her student career skyrocketed.

While this was an incredible opportunity for Jessie, it also had adverse effects. After the article was released and the repercussions were publicly known, interviewing people became difficult and many refused, thinking they might be exposed. While flattered that Jason knew about her previous work, she was a little scared he might not want to talk. I have to try, Jessie thought to herself.

"Elise and I have decided to write about what happened last night." Jessie paused and looked at Jason. He didn't look away from the TV. "We want to get all the facts we can because we decided to follow up on what you said…about the lion." Jessie stopped speaking as Jason turned to look at her.

"You believe me?" He asked, straight face, staring into hers.

"Yes, I do." She said. This is where Jessie needed to be delicate. "But, we can't just write that a lion did it without proving it." Jessie paused. She was unsure of how to continue. "You really did see a lion, right?"

"Look, I know what I saw." Jessie saw that Jason was getting a little agitated. "I might be from Boston, but I spent a few summers out in Arizona and know what mountain lions look like. It jumped down from the tree and threw Craig up against the hedge like he weighed nothing. It was a mountain lion, a big one." Jason took a sip of his beer and looked down at his sneakers.

"Ok, I believe you." It was true, Jessie did. Just like last night, there was no lying in his voice. "Again though, for Elise and me to report the facts, we need to be sure they are facts. It's not that we don't believe you. I do, and Elise does too, but for everyone else to believewe need evidence." Jessie moaned aloud in her head at how insensitive she sounded. This story could make her career she reminded herself and did the best she could to keep her confidence up.

"How are you going to get evidence? To do that, you'd have to return to the crime scene or something?" Jason said jokingly. Jessie looked at him dead serious.

"Wait, you aren't planning on going back to your apartment, are you?" Jason asked. His face looked alarmed. "How do you expect to do that? What do you expect to find? It is not like you're going to find a claw or a tooth or something like that." Jason's chest was heaving a bit.

"I am not sure what we'll find, but we have to try. Maybe we can find some kind of marks we can use to identify it? You saw how the Sheriff reacted last night? He doesn't think it's a lion, so I doubt the police would be looking for anything like that. There could still be evidence there they don't know about." Jessie found herself getting excited.

"But the crime scene is locked down by, you know, the cops? How do you intend to get into a locked down crime scene? If anything, you'll probably get arrested." Jason stated. Jessie smiled in reply shrugging her shoulders.

"Right now, Elise and I are planning to try to look around the crime scene and see if we can find any evidence or possible leads. But if somehow, we can get into the crime scene, that would be good too." The smile remained on Jessie's face as she paused. Jason looked at her in shock.

"Are you crazy? Even if you did get in, it would be illegal, you would get arrested, and anything you found wouldn't be credible." Again, Jessie was taken off guard. She felt a twinge of attraction toward Jason. He was smart, quick, and sounded genuinely concerned about her and her plan. Right then, the two double doors of the bar creaked open and Elise walked in, waving at Jessie.

"Well, we are going to write this story and right now we're headed back to our apartment to see if we can find anything that can confirm what you saw." She finished her beer and placed her hand gently on Jason's knee. "Thank you for talking to me. I know it was difficult." Elise sat down next to Jessie.

"Hey Jason, how you doing?" Elise asked. Jason looked at Elise with concern.

"Fine. No, not fine. Jessie told me what your plan is. Are you really going along with this?" Jason asked, his eyes were a bit wild.

"Yes. Jason, look, the only way we can prove what you are saying is true is if we can back it up." Elise said. Jason threw his hands up in disbelief.

"You're both crazy." Jason responded.

"No, we're reporters." Jessie proudly replied. Elise wrapped her arm around Jessie, looking on with courage and determination. Jason shook his head. Jessie and Elise stood up slowly.

"Thanks again." Jessie said to Jason and put her hand on his shoulder. "Let us know if you need anything ok?"

After a moment, Jessie removed her hand, nodded at Elise, and they turned to leave. As Jessie started pushing her way out of the first double door, she saw Jason walking toward her with his jacket in hand.

"I'm coming with you." He said. And with that, all three walked out of the bar.

The red brick house with the yellow trim on Pine Street stood cold and ominous below the moving gray sky. Jessie, Elise, and Jason walked past the front of the house. Long strips of police tape stretched around the front yard like a makeshift fence. To Jessie and Elise's dismay, the police had the entire house blocked off for the investigation. Elise and Jessie had even called the police to see if they could go back in their apartment to get some things but were told they would not be allowed in until the investigation had completed. If they needed anything from their apartment, they would have to submit a request identifying specifically what they wanted.

As they walked along the side of the house, Jessie looked to see if there were any entry points but found none. The house was large, divided into multiple apartment units. All the windows were shut, and any side doors were marked with police notifications not to enter. The one positive Jessie noticed was there was no police presence around the back of the house. She checked her watch and saw it was two o'clock, and figured many of the police were probably at the station preparing for the briefing at three.

As the students walked around the house, they stopped when they saw the tall hedge fence that acted as a natural divider between Elise and Jessie's backyard. The tall oak tree that towered over their yard was rooted at the end of their neighbor's parking lot. The police had not blocked off access to the parking lot, and Jessie looked up into the tall tree, following the branches as they rose high into the air. Jessie got an idea and looked at Elise.

"Do you think we can find anything up there?" Jessie asked, head tilted upward, looking into the branches.

"Definitely could." Elise said in agreement. "It might be good to check over there as well." Elise said pointing to the open stairwell that went up the back of the neighboring apartment building. "Other than escaping in the trees or by crossing the main roads, the roof would be the only other exit point." Elise stated. Jessie nodded in agreement.

"This is crazy." Jason said to himself, looking doubtful for coming along. Elise ignored him. Jessie walked over to him and spoke softly.

"Look we are going to do this, ok? If you really came to help, you can help." Jessie said kindly. Jason paused and then nodded. Jessie continued looking toward the tall oak. "I am going to climb that tree and Elise is going to check the stairwell of that apartment building. We need you to stay out in the sidewalk and let us know if you see any cops, ok?"

"What do I do if the cops come?" Jason asked looking a bit panicked. Jessie took out her phone.

"What's your number? I am going to set up a text, so you can signal us if something is up." Jason gave Jessie his number and waited until his phone vibrated. He took out his phone and saw Jessie had sent him a message which read, See you tonight at 8? Jason looked at Jessie perplexed.

"Just type yes or no if the cops show up. It doesn't matter what you respond with, either text will let us know that something is up. Plus, if the cops look at your phone, they won't think it's anything incriminating." Jessie replied. An impressed smile appeared across Jason's face. Jessie saw a bit of his confidence return.

"Smart. Ok, I got it." Jason said and put the phone in his jacket and gave a quick thumbs up to Jessie. Again, a slight feeling of attraction ran through Jessie as she returned his thumbs up.

Jessie turned to Elise and gave a slight nod and then quickly walked to the base of the oak. Elise turned and began walking up the stairwell of the apartment building, examining each step in detail. When Jessie reached the tree, she placed her backpack on the ground and removed an old manual camera. She checked the film and put the camera around her neck. Jessie then put her pack on, tightened the straps, and began climbing the tree.

The first few steps were a bit challenging, but the climb got easier as Jessie ascended into the branches. She stopped at a strong branch that leaned over her apartment's backyard. Before scurrying across the branch, she checked her phone and looked down to the sidewalk at Jason nervously pacing. He had not replied which meant no cops, so she knew it was now or never. Jessie put her phone in her pocket and slowly began to edge out on the branch.

As Jessie reached the middle of the branch she stopped to take in her surroundings. She was about twenty feet above her backyard and she could see the two broken branches that the mountain lion had jumped from. Balancing with great care, Jessie slowly and quietly brought the camera to her eye. Zooming in on the broken branches, Jessie adjusted the focus.

The initial thrill at seeing the claw marks almost made Jessie lose her balance. Keeping control of her excitement, she regained her composure and quickly snapped off a slew of pictures. Then, slowly shimmying herself off the branch, Jessie climbed down the tree. As she reached the ground, she saw Jason coming to meet her looking relieved. He stopped short when he saw her elation.

"What did you find?" Jason asked.

"Evidence." Jessie said triumphantly holding her camera in the air. "Where's Elise?" Jessie asked, looking toward the neighboring apartment stairwell.

"Apparently, she found something too." Jason said and motioned to the roof of the apartment building. Three stories high, Jessie saw Elise standing on the roof, taking pictures with her phone. Jessie took off her camera and put it back in her pack.

"What are you kids doing?" A loud shout rang out from behind them. Jessie and Jason spun around to see a policeman walking briskly toward them. Jessie quickly took out her phone and texted Elise darkroom.

"We were just talking." Jessie said, and hugged Jason affectionately as if they were a couple. "Is it true they found the body of that kid next door?" Jessie asked, acting a little drunk.

"You two need to get out of here now! This is a restricted area!" The policeman shouted. He stood unwavering. It was clear he wasn't going to leave until they had moved on. "Let's go!" he yelled.

Jessie and Jason hastily made their way back onto the sidewalk hand-in-hand, walking away from the house. The cop stood like a sentry, glaring at them, hands firmly on his hips. Jessie briefly looked up toward the roof of the neighboring apartment building. Elise was nowhere to be seen.

Chapter 8

Emerson Cemetery was located behind the University on top of a high pine ridge. The cemetery overlooked Lakeside Avenue, a curving road that headed north along the Salmon River, a fly fisherman's dream. A long cement walkway cut through the graveyard diagonally. Tombstones of marble, limestone, and granite flanked each side of the path, colored in earthly shades of gray, black, and red. A large, twenty-foot high granite obelisk, topped with a statue of Sam Allen, the founder of Lakeside, stood in the middle of the graveyard, marking his final resting place. The far end of the path ended in a stone stairwell which lead down and across Lakeside Avenue to the Salmon River Nature Trail.

Courtney Thomas entered the cemetery casually taking in the crisp fall afternoon. She was a junior at the University working toward a bachelors in Parks and Recreation. Creating ways for everyone to enjoy the nature of Vermont was her passion, and the University provided her the opportunity to build a career in the forests and mountains she grew up in.

As she got a quarter of the way down the path, Courtney checked her phone. I'm going to make it on time she thought, happy she decided to take the shortcut across the graveyard. Courtney was on her way to repair sections of the Nature Trail recently washed out from heavy rains. The University and the town's Parks and Recreation department maintained the trail through a series of classes, internships, and work study programs.

Courtney had always saved time by taking the shortcut through the cemetery. She enjoyed the walk and sometimes read the names and dates on various gravestones trying to image that person in the time they lived. The sun broke through a series of moving gray and white thunderheads, and started to cast shadows across the tombstones.

As she neared the giant stone monolith in the middle of the graveyard, Courtney paused and turned around. For a brief moment, she felt like someone was behind her. It wasn't uncommon for people to cut through the graveyard on their way to the nature trail. Courtney thought it might be a jogger or someone on their bike, but when she turned, no one was there.

Instinctively, Courtney picked up her pace. Even though she found a certain quaintness to the cemetery, it could still be creepy. The sounds of swift footsteps returned, this time making Courtney whip her body around defensively. Nothing but the rows of lifeless tombstones stood in front of her. Courtney stood and scanned the cemetery. She was the only one there.

Courtney turned around hastily, now fully intent on leaving the cemetery as quickly as possible when she froze in her tracks. It was unreal, but a mountain lion stood in front of her blocking her way. It was panting, and slowly exposed its full set of fangs. Courtney stood in terror as the beast cocked its head and begun to circle back around her.

Courtney kept in front of the beast, now back peddling toward the end of the path and the stairs that led down to Lakeside Avenue. If she could make it to the stairs, she might be able to signal someone driving by. Sounds of the cars traveling down Lakeside Avenue came into focus. Courtney clenched her fists, turned, and ran.

The beast squatted on all four and pounced. In one leap, it jumped, and had Courtney pinned face down on the cement path. The lion swiped across Courtney's back, tearing through her jacket and cutting into her flesh. Another swipe to her left side lifted her entire body off the ground and slammed her into a nearby tombstone. She let out a cough as her breath desperately tried to return to her lungs. Instinctually her legs snapped into survival mode and tried to stand her up. The beast returned to its pacing and let out a sharp growling roar.

Courtney's back began to burn in agony. Even though she was in a panic, her senses were on overload. She stood weak and shakily, facing the beast when it charged again. Years of running and fitness classes kicked in and Courtney rolled out of the way. The lion missed, crashing head first into a tombstone, tumbling down into a roll.

Impulse took over and Courtney began to run. The steps leading down to Lakeside Avenue were getting closer and Courtney could see the tops of the cars as she neared the stairwell. Regaining its strength, the beast bounded and took another long leap, landing on Courtney's back, slamming her into the path right before the top of the stairs. She tried to scream, but the force of the attack had again knocked the wind out of her. Courtney moaned as the lion sunk its teeth into her left calf, pulling her back into the graveyard.

In a last desperate attempt, she rolled over and punched the lion in the face as hard as she could. Landing a surprisingly effective hit, the beast let go of its grip and shook its head. There is still time, Courtney thought as the lion curled its lips like it was about to sneeze. With a sudden squirm, Courtney rolled over on her stomach and tried to get up. This time however, the big cat lashed out its jaws and caught her other calf, sinking another fang into her flesh. Courtney rolled on her back and let out an agonizing sob.

The beast unleashed two quick blows leaving long red tears across her chest and face. The lion then swatted Courtney upward into the air sending her hurtling down the stairs. Courtney's head hit the stone steps and her body rolled to a rest in a lifeless sprawl. Pacing at the top of the stairs, the beast turned and bounded back into cemetery, the sounds of screeching tires and screams fading in the distance.

Chapter 9

Flint arrived at Lakeside much later than he had hoped. The previous night's sleep was one of the best he had in years, and while he felt awake and rejuvenated, he cursed himself for falling behind schedule. Borrowing Harlan's Remington, Las Baer, and knife, Flint had left a note at the cabin, along with a few pounds of Vermont Mountain Coffee, promising to return Harlan's things. The descent down the mountain was quicker than the ascent, and Flint decided to abandon his vehicle opting to hitch the rest of the way along the back roads. It took more time, but Flint knew that he would undoubtedly be tracked wherever his car went. Hitching would keep him temporarily off the radar.

The dairy farmer who gave Flint a ride was heading back to Lakeside when he saw Flint on the side of the road. The brown WWII bomber jacket Flint wore reminded the farmer of his grand uncle, who he had said was a pilot in the Korean War. Flint had initially asked general questions about Lakeside like when it was founded, how long ago the University had been established, and where the best places were to get a good cup of coffee.

Eventually, Flint felt comfortable asking the farmer if there was a lot of crime at Lakeside. From what the farmer said, Lakeside was a peaceful town, but in recent years like in many places, crime had risen. Theft, trespassing, vandalism, and every now and then, murder.

It was then that the farmer brought up that the police had found a body the night before. He didn't know anything more than what had been reported in the news, but the old farmer theorized that it was probably drug related. He carried on, stating that most of the murders in Lakeside were connected to drugs or drug dealings.

Flint wasn't about to put his entire faith into what the farmer said was true, but it did seem that murder in Lakeside was fairly uncommon. Flint wondered if the boy who died had gotten into the wrong crowd, and ultimately the wrong situation. On the surface it was logical, but after remembering the panic and terror in Ben's voice, Flint wondered if there may be something else going on.

Flint was dropped off at the bottom of Marketplace Square, a long brick walk-way lined with local shops, food trucks, and restaurants, catering to both tourists and locals. The farmer had recommended Ordinary Grounds, a popular spot for coffee lovers.

Sharp and bold aromas greeted Flint as he walked through the doorway. The coffee shop was a quarter of the way full. The afternoon rush was long gone as evening had set in. A few families sat around mugs of hot cider, eating donuts, and the rest of the patrons were college kids, some working on laptops, others engaged in conversation or sharing videos on their phones. Flint welcomed the smell of roasting coffee beans and waited his turn in line. After ordering a Colombian dark roast, Flint found a quiet corner in the back of the shop and took a satisfying sip. Taking out his phone, Flint flipped it open.

He still had a few hours to check in, but Flint knew it was only a matter of time before he was tracked down and put in a more interrogating situation. While he was able to arrive into town undetected, his twenty-four-hour window was almost up, and he needed additional resources. The best thing for him was to stay proactive and truthful. That's what Alison would have wanted him to do, he thought to himself. After another long pull from his cup, he punched in a sequence of numbers and put the phone to his ear.

"Identification number please." A man's voice requested. Flint punched in the code. Soon, a familiar female voice came on the line.

"Sir, are you ok? Why haven't you checked in since last night?" The female voice sounded concerned and a little angry. Flint wondered if he had inadvertently gotten her in trouble for abandoning the car.

"I'm fine. Is this Breaker's daughter?" Flint asked quietly, trying to keep his voice sounding as casual as possible, not to draw any attention.

"This is Breakersir. I succeeded my father and am now assigned as your eyes and ears." Breaker responded confidently. Flint grunted into the phone.

"Ok, Breaker. Listen. I need another ride, some pocket change, and a new phone." Flint stated. "I am at Ordinary Groundsin Lakeside, Vermont. I will call you in thirty minutes for the location of the vehicle and resources, got it?" Flint waited for Breaker to respond. Nothing.

"Did you hear what I just said?" Flint asked, his voice was getting louder and a little annoyed. A young boy sitting with his family turned and looked at him. After no response, Flint repeated his last question.

"Yes, I heard you." Breaker replied blankly. More silence. "Sorry, Sir. That is not something I can do."

"What?" Flint spat into the receiver, a couple of nearby college kids now noticed him and then cautiously turned away.

"I'm not doing that." Breaker responded. "This is not how this relationship is going to work. My job is to keep you alive first and foremost and provide you resources if you can't figure something out. We have to work together, as a team, and to do that, we need to trust each other, not order each other around." Breaker's tone was steady and strong. "So, this is what is going to happen, you are going to fill me in on what's happening, and I will help you the best way I can. If you don't like it, you can tell it to the General. By the way, he is dying to talk to you."

Flint sank deep into his chair and clenched the lapel of his leather bomber jacket, squeezing it tight. Flint could not talk to the General now, maybe never. There were too many broken promises between them. He sat in silence.

"Sir?" Breaker asked. A few long pauses ensued. "Sir, if you won't reply, I am going to disconnect."

"No." Flint whispered into the phone. He took a deep breath and replied softly. "Ok, so what do you want to know?"

"Why did you contact us last night?" Breaker continued.

"I got a call from my cousin-in-law, Ben Hart. He called in with Alison's doomsday number and ID. I had her phone and it connected to me. He was frantic, saying that a boy had been killed. I hadn't heard from Ben in years. He lives in Lakeside and teaches at the University." Flint could hear slow breaths on the other end of the line.

"Who's Alison?" Breaker asked. The question came unexpectedly. Flint hadn't spoken or heard Alison's code name in a long time. He took a deep breath and spoke softly, but clearly into the receiver.

"Lady Jaye." Flint replied and sank deeper into his chair. Flint heard a few keyboard clicks on the other end and waited. Flint guessed Breaker's daughter was reviewing his and Alison's records, past, and the pain he had endured for years.

"Sir. I'm sorry. My dad. He died too. A few years ago. It was a heart attack." Breaker's daughter's voice trembled toward the end.

Flint suddenly felt guilty for being so rigid. Breaker, like Harlan, was his teammate and his brother. He regretted how he was treating his old friend's daughter and didn't know what to say.

"Listen Breaker. My friend is in trouble and needs help. Can you help me? Please?" Flint waited on the other end for Breaker to reply.

"Yes. But from here on in, you need to tell me what is happening when it's happening understood? Or this relationship is over, and you can try your charm on the General instead." Breaker stated. Flint smiled to himself and got up from his chair and began walking toward the exit of the coffee shop.

"Affirmative. And Breaker, your father was a true friend. I will never forget him." Flint said as he stopped by the counter and motioned silently to the barista for a cup to go.

"Thank you, sir. Ok. When you walk out the door, take a right up one block to the white church at the top of Marketplace Square. Behind the church is a maintenance shed with a green door labeled Lakeside Water Department. Enter the code nine-three-six-three-nine-four-five into the key pad. When you get in you'll find what you need. I will contact you once you activate your communications set." Flint finished his coffee, walked out and took a right up the street toward the church.

Around the back of the church Flint found the shed with the green door. Casually, he walked up to the keypad and entered the code Breaker gave him. A green light blinked on the keypad and Flint heard a click as the door unlocked.

Fluorescent lights flashed on above him as he shut the door. The shed was small, just sixty-four square feet with a metal chair and desk by the back wall. Flint looked to his right and saw what looked like a fuse box. There was a small light the size of a quarter on the fuse box which glowed red.

Flint walked to the box and inspected the side panels. On the right side was a screen about the size of a baseball card. Flint moved his hand gently across the screen and it activated with a blue glow. Small text appeared requesting thumbprint identification. Flint pressed his thumb on the screen.

The screen went blank and Flint heard a click, and then saw that the light on the front of the fuse box had changed from red to green. Opening the front panel door, Flint found a smart phone, two banded stacks of $100 bills, credit cards, three MREs, a tactical watch, a Glock 19 handgun, three clips fully loaded, and a leather communications box. He opened the communications box and found a contact lens case and two foam earpieces. Flint fastened the watch around his wrist, put the communications box into his jacket pocket and then placed the remaining items into his duffle bag and walked out.

Gently closing the door of the shed, Flint turned and took the small leather communications box out of his jacket and opened the contact lens case. He carefully placed one lens in his right eye and then removed one of the earpieces. He found a tiny activation button on the earpiece, clicked it, and placed it in his ear.

"Breaker are you there?" Flint asked. There was no reply. "Breaker, can you hear me?" Flint repeated. He took out the earpiece and examined it. He wasn't used to these types of communication devices. Looking at the miniature earpiece sullenly, Flint reflected on just how much time had passed since he was in the field. He hit the tiny activation button again and a blue light lit up and he replaced it in his ear. "Breaker are you there?" Flint asked, this time with a hint of desperation.

"No one is here to take your call right now. Please leave a message after the beep." A sarcastic voice shouted behind Flint. Jerking his body around, Flint was dumbfounded as he stood face-to-face with General Charlie Iron-Knife.

"Spirit?" Flint asked, not sure if the man who was standing in front of him was real. Older and now gray, Spirit nodded and tipped his cowboy hat at Flint.

"In the flesh and luckily still alive. A little fatter and slower but aren't we all now." Spirit's tone resonated like a seasoned grandfather. Flint took him in. Cowboy boots, ancestral belt buckle, knife, and a tall cowboy hat decorated with two eagle feathers.

The only thing different was the added years Flint saw across Spirit's face, and a small gut, casually pronounced under his goose down jacket. Flint hesitated, taken aback by the sudden emergence of his old friend, but also cautiously apprehensive at the uncanny timing of Spirit's appearance.

Spirit took two steps toward Flint and grasped him in an awkward bear hug. Flint patted Spirit's shoulder with affection. Releasing his grip, Spirit stepped back.

"I thought they were going to send the General." Flint said with relief.

"They did." Spirit responded chuckling.

"You're in charge…?" Flint said, looking at his friend, jaw visibly open.

"Well go right ahead and roll out the red carpet why don't you?" Spirit replied sarcastically.

"No, what about...?" Flint trailed off. He regained his composure. "What about the General?" Flint asked. Spirit responded with a look of deep somber and remorse.

"The only reason I am in this position is because I am one of the only ones still alive. Or at least one of the only ones alive with his head on straight. But you?" Spirit pointed at Flint. "You just show up out of nowhere, demanding reinstatement, clearance, and cars." General Iron-Knife, or Spirit as he was once known said, standing defiantly. He continued.

"You quit, left your family, your team, and wallowed into retirement waiting for someone you knew wasn't coming back." Spirit stated flatly. Rage engulfed Flint. Ignoring his age, Flint let out a left jab but quickly shifted, swinging at Spirit with his right, giving it everything he had.

Spirit held his ground as Flint faked with his left. The General then spun around as Flint's right punch missed blindly. Spirit then tripped Flint from behind, causing him to fall forward. Flint picked himself up and looked at Spirit, sweat pouring from his brow.

"Why the hell are you here Flint?" Spirit demanded. "Have you decided to return to the team? Do you think that somehow this will bring Alison back?" Flint stood unresponsive. Spirit took two steps forward, met Flint chest to chest, and placed his finger firmly on the faded name sewn on the front of Flint's bomber jacket. Abernathy the patch read.

"The General gave you this for a reason." Spirit said, his finger still resting on Flint's jacket. "It's time you started acting at least some of the part." Spirit removed his finger but did not step back.

Flint lowered his head, unable to meet Spirit's gaze. He had no intention of rejoining the team. However, Flint suddenly realized everything he had done since answering Ben's call was because he would still do anything for Alison, including honoring a promise she made to her cousin a long time ago.

"I'm just trying to help my friend." Flint replied.

"Well, at least that's a start." Spirit responded and rested his hand on Flint's shoulder. "Your buddy Ben is at The Roadsideright now." Spirit turned around and pointed at a block lined with a few restaurants. A red neon sign that read The Roadside was mounted above a renovated garage door. Flint peered through the windows and saw patrons sipping beer, laughing, and watching the televisions that hung from the ceilings.

"I met him earlier today. A good guy your cousin Ben." Spirit said as he folded his arms across his chest.

Flint looked at his old friend, now the one in charge. The sounds of sirens interrupted his thoughts and he turned to see three police cruisers tear down the road. Flint turned back to face Spirit, but the General was gone. With a heavy sigh, Flint picked up his duffle bag, threw it over his shoulder, and started walking toward the glowing neon sign that read The Roadside.

Chapter 10

The journalism department was located in attic of Brentview Hall, a renovated and ancient Queen Anne Revival style house that stood two and a half stories tall. The first story was made of rough stone adorned with wooden red trimmed windows. The second story and attic were wooden, accented with large timber beams. Two dormer windows jetted out from the left side of the roof and an off-centered turret, capped with a shingled dome rose from the right side. The house was built close to 100 years ago and was still used as one of the University's mathematics buildings.

The attic of Brentview Hall consisted of a large open space with an office in each corner, as well as access to the abandoned turret or tower, which Jessie had converted from a storage area to a make-shift darkroom. The large open space in the middle of the attic was referred to as the War Room and consisted of a large oval table which had a projector and multiple electronic outlets and USB ports. Every wall that surrounded the War Roomwas coated in whiteboard paint and displayed sketches and hand drawn wireframes in red and black markers.

A projector screen was mounted on one of the side walls. While a little cramped, the journalism team had made full use of the area and revered their cozy workspace. With classes over for the day, Jessie and Jason were the only students there.

The door to the turret opened into a small room with a short iron ladder leading up to the tower. At the top of the ladder, the doorframe to the turret glowed a deep red. When Jessie arrived at the Journalism Department four years ago, the tower was used for storage. She felt it was the perfect spot for a darkroom and against her editor's constant griping, she slowly cleaned it out and built the small work space. Her editor kept reminding her that with the digital age, manual photography and development had become obsolete in reporting. Still, Jessie persisted, and when she was developing film the old-fashioned way, she felt like she was continuing a time-honored practice.

Jessie stood in the darkroom, gently rocking a piece of photo paper in a processing tray, carefully trying to submerge it in the solution. The image slowly came into focus. Details of a thick branch appeared, scarred with three deep cuts that ran about six inches straight down. Jessie stared at the image trying to calm her emotions and stay focused. There is a mountain lion loose in town and it has killed someone, Jessie thought frantically.

Jessie knew the scratches had to be claw marks but then instinctively began to question herself. Were they really from a mountain lion or something else? Bobcats lived in Vermont, but she had never seen one. There were plenty of instances of rabid raccoons in town, but the scratches didn't look like something a raccoon would make. She was not an expert and while she had searched for pictures of mountain lion claw marks on her phone to try to identify them, ultimately, she realized she needed an expert to verify them for sure.

Finished developing the photo, Jessie walked toward a thick black grand drape curtain that divided the small darkroom. Jessie maneuvered around the drape into the dry room to find Jason standing and staring at the other photos she had developed hanging from a string of wooden safety pins. As she cleaned the last photo she looked at Jason wondering what was going through his head.

"We need to verify these photos with an expert." Jessie said. "We should send these to someone who works with mountain lions, like out in Colorado or Arizona. If we can get a credible source to verify these, then we'll have the proof we need."

"Proof we need?" Jason asked with a slight look of shock. "We need to get these pictures to the police. We have to alert Fish and Wildlife, this is huge..." Jason trailed off.

He was deep in thought, adjusting to the weight of what they were dealing with. Jessie knew Jason was right. This was serious evidence for a serious crime, and while she wanted to break this story, she didn't want to do anything that would end with her in jail.

"You're right. We have to bring these to the police. But I also want to email these to an expert to verify." Jessie said looking at Jason who stood in front of her speechless.

"Jessie, are you really that crazy? Just send them to the police and be done with it. There is a freaking killer mountain lion out there. Like you said, we are far from experts in any of this so let's just leave it be." Jason said and returned to examining the photos.

"Jason, this story is an incredible opportunity. Plus, with the lion still out there on the loose, there's probably a lot more to write." The words sounded crazy coming out of Jessie's mouth, but she wholeheartedly believed them. The lion was still out there, and she knew more was going to happen. The electric charge she felt for being a reporter on a real-life story was intoxicating.

"Look, we are going to get these photos to the police, but I am still going to email them to an expert. Like I said before, Elise and I are going to write this story. You are free to come and help, but we are going to keep investigating with or without you." Jessie stated and stood tall in front of Jason who was again shaking his head.

Suddenly, they heard the bottom door to the tower open and Elise's muffled voice calling their names. Jessie grabbed the photos hanging in the dry room and quickly ran out. Jason ran both hands over the top of his head and reluctantly followed.

Jessie entered the War Room to find Elise pulling down the large projector. Jessie walked over, happy to be together again. The blue strands of Elise's hair were now unbraided, mixed uncaringly with the rest of her hair, tied in a bun and stabbed with a wooden chopstick.

"I got us some food on the way here from Peking Duck." Elise said motioning to three Styrofoam take-out containers sitting on the War Room table. "I figured that we all needed to re-energize." Jessie gave Elise a thankful hug and went over to the table, took a container and chopsticks, and began to eat greedily. Just then, Jason emerged from the darkroom.

"Nice job being the lookout." Elise said as she jokingly greeted Jason. He blushed. "No worries, I brought food. You hungry?" She motioned to the foam containers on the table. Jason nodded and quickly walked over and grabbed a container. "I also brought quite a show." Elise stated proudly as she turned on the projector and plugged an adapter into her phone. Then, the first image appeared on the screen.

"Whoa." Jessie exclaimed, leaning forward in her chair. The image on the screen showed a section of flat rooftop from the building adjacent to their apartment. Three paw prints were outlined in the dirt covering the roof. Each print had a large pad with four toes, the tips leaving clear marks of each of the animal's claws.

"That's not even all of them." Elise said as she flicked through a bunch of other pictures. Each picture showed multiple prints across what looked like a number of roofs. "I tracked them heading to the corner of Union and Central Street where the apartments break off into smaller houses. The tracks seemed to be heading up the hill toward Emerson Cemetery and the river trail."

"Jesus." Jason replied between bites of pork fried rice.

"Check these out." Jessie added as she carefully laid each of the photos on the table. Elise walked over, grabbed a photo and began examining it. "I was telling Jason we need to get these verified by an expert. We could send it to someone at the University of Arizona or Colorado." Jessie said as Elise nodded, slowing examining the pictures.

"Or a zoo or wildlife preserve." Elise also suggested, still staring at a photo. "It will make one hell of a story." Elise added. Jessie was always impressed at how tenacious and brave Elise was at times. She realized that Elise had walked across rooftops taking these pictures, endangering her life for the same passion she shared. Plus, she bought them Chinese food.

Jessie's thoughts however, were interrupted by the intensifying sound of emergency sirens. As three police cars sped by the building, Jessie, Elise, and Jason ran to the window and watched as the cruisers tore down Traders Way along the University Green. More sirens started to scream, and two fire trucks, two ambulances, and another three cop cars, raced along the streets and out of sight. Jessie turned to Elise.

"They're heading toward Emerson Cemetery, where the lion's tracks led." Elise said softly. All three students looked at each other in silence. Then, Jessie walked over to the War Room desk and put the pictures in her bag, disconnected Elise's phone and tossed it over to her.

"Let's go." Jessie said, walking to the door. Elise quickly followed suit. They both turned to see Jason still standing by the window staring at them.

"You don't have to come, but I need to lock up here." Jessie stated. Jason hesitated for a few moments then walked over to the desk, grabbed his jacket, took a few more bites of rice, and hurried to the door.

"What the hell." Jason said, walking out of the Journalism Department. Jessie locked the door behind him and soon, all three students were running across the green toward Emerson Cemetery.

Chapter 11

Flint walked through the double doors of The Roadsideand saw Ben sitting at the far end of the bar. Ben was huddled around a small pitcher of beer, slowly sipping it with both hands. His back was turned slightly toward the doors, poised under a TV that was showing highlights from the afternoon Sox game. As Flint walked toward the bar, he heard static come from the earpiece in his right ear.

"Is that Ben at the far end of the bar?" Breaker's voice crackled in Flint's ear.

"Yes, that's him." Flint replied softly as he walked toward Ben. It had been thirteen years, but Ben had aged well Flint thought. His hair still retained its natural dark brown color, and the only wrinkles Flint saw on Ben's face were faint laugh lines around his eyes, cheeks, and mouth. A warm feeling coursed through Flint as he took a seat next to his cousin-in-law.

"Ben…" Flint stammered, trying to find the next words. Ben turned around and looked at Flint. Flint found himself smiling. "It's good to see you."

"Flint." Ben replied and stood up, slowly smiling and placed his hand on Flint's shoulder. Flint saw a shade of uneasiness behind Ben's smile. "When I called the number, I didn't expect anyone to answer. It was just…" Ben turned his head for a second and then took a long sip from his beer.

A digital readout appeared in Flint's right eye emulating from his contact lens. Flint watched as the readout began to scan Ben's biometrics as he stood by the bar. Lines of text began scrolling down the right side of the schematic providing Flint with Ben's heartrate, blood pressure, body temperature, and other clinical information.

"He looks like he is still dealing with a fair deal of emotional shock." Breaker interjected from Flint's earpiece. Flint looked at his old friend.

"It's ok." Flint said and placed his hand on Ben's shoulder. "I'm here now. Can you tell me what happened?"

"I am accessing the police records on my end now. Just give me a second." Breaker stated in Flint's ear. Ben took another couple of sips from his beer and turned to fully face Flint.

"I was invited to a party by a couple of students. I stopped by early, planning on heading here after to watch the game. After a few drinks I went out in the backyard. That's when the boy was attacked." Ben said, and his posture became tense.

"Did you see who attacked him?" Flint asked, trying to keep eye contact with Ben. Ben's expression was a little contorted, and he quickly shook his head no. Flint cocked his head skeptically.

"Looks like the police don't have any names or specific suspects they are targeting, but the Sheriff who filed the report included a probable description of the suspect based on witness testimony. The report describes the suspect as approximately six feet tall, Caucasian, in his mid-thirties, with a possible history of drug abuse or dealings. The report also states that the victim was stabbed multiple times." After brief static, Breaker was silent. Flint relayed the information to Ben.

"Police are reporting it was a man in his thirties, six feet, medium build with a knife, possibly on drugs." Flint looked at Ben for his reaction. Ben's face remained tense, deep in thought. The digital schematic in Flint's eye displayed a heightened heart rate and body temperature for Ben.

"Based on his facial expressions, heart rate, and blood pressure, he doesn't believe it." Breaker chimed in. "He looks like he saw something. I think he might know something else."

"Ben." Flint positioned himself so Ben couldn't look away. "You called a number Alison left for you thirteen years after she died. When I picked up, you were frantic. Please, did you see anything that can help identify who did this?"

Ben dropped his gaze and stared at the floor for a moment. When he lifted his head, tears were forming in Ben's eyes. It was obvious to Flint that this line of questioning was just causing more pain. Ben wiped his eyes and tried to regain his composure.

"Hey. It's ok, it's ok." Flint said. "It's been a long time. It's really good to see you." Flint then turned toward the bar and motioned for the bartender. He could definitely use a drink and figured that Ben needed a few moments. He ordered a shot with a beer, and after his drinks arrived, Flint drank the shot and took a long swig of the beer. He looked at Ben who seemed a little more relaxed, staring at him in astonishment.

"It's good to see you too." Ben said, still having a hard time finding what to say.

"When you called, I knew it wasn't Alison, but I was probably just as surprised to hear your voice as you did mine." Flint replied. He paused before continuing. "But if Alison gave you that number for help, we'll I guess that's why I'm here." It was true. The sequence of events that had occurred since Ben's call had awoken Flint from his depressed state. Alison gave her number to Ben for help whenever he needed it. Even though she was dead, Flint felt obligated to keep her promise.

With a controlled calm, Ben reached into his jacket and took out the worn paperback with Alison's inscription. He opened it, and handed it to Flint. Seeing Alison's handwriting brought on a surge of memories and emotions in Flint. He placed his hand gently on the inscription, and raised his head looking at Ben with a tender and empathetic sadness.

"I have something to show you." Flint said with a small smile and reached down into his duffle bag. Flint also pulled out a small paperback, worn, yellowed and dog-eared, and handed it to Ben. Ben stared at the cover with instant recognition. The title of the book read, Ice on the Windshield and Other Stories, by Ben Hart. Flint watched as Ben flipped through the copy of his book, many of the pages marked in pen.

Ben stopped when he got to the last page. Flint watched as Ben read the inscription in Alison's familiar handwriting. It read, I think you might enjoy this. Remember in your heart, I know you will always do what you believe is right. Ben stared at the inscription and took a long pull from his beer.

"I saw a pair of glowing green eyes." Ben said quietly.

"Excuse me?" Flint asked. Ben stared blankly at the bar, the expression on his face was calm.

"Whatever it was that killed that boy had two eyes that glowed green. At first, I thought it was a person, but at times, the way it moved, it didn't seem to be human. Another student was blocking my view when it jumped out of the tree and attacked the boy, so I didn't get a clear look. It let out a scream that sounded something like an animal would make." Ben said. Flint saw Ben's expression was replaced with terror.

"One time, Alison told me something she faced in the field that traumatized her. She never mentioned any specifics but did say there was a green glow that would wake her up at night. After finding her inscription and seeing those green eyes, I called the number. I am not sure why, but I did." Ben said and took another long sip from his beer.

"To me, it looks like he is telling the truth. Or at least what he is describing is what he believes to be the truth. They are two different things you know?" Breaker interjected. Flint agreed with her. Even after being out of the field for years, Flint had been part of enough interrogations to know when someone wasn't lying.

"Ok Ben. I believe you. So, what should we do?" Flint asked point blankly.

"What should we do?" Ben asked. "What can we do? I am an old English Professor and you are retired, I assume? Even if you are active again, what do you plan to do? It wasn't like it was a soldier was killed. It was a student. A civilian right? I don't think the military has any jurisdiction or authority to investigate does it?"

"He's right you know. Unless you can tie anything to a military operation or person, the police are the ones in charge. Plus, even though he believes what he supposedly saw, I can't find any mention of an animal possibly being the cause of the attack in the police records. I am not sure what we can do?" Breaker said. Flint put his hand over his mouth thinking. Slowly, he lowered his head and replied.

"Well, the way I see it. Last night, someone called a classified, top secret military channel that hasn't been active in thirteen years at the site of a murder, close to the exact time that the murder occurred. To me, that puts us squarely in play, don't you think?" Flint stated and smiled with a look of triumph. Ben nodded slowly thinking through what Flint just said.

"That just might work." Breaker said, sounding somewhat impressed. "Let me start getting your clearance squared away. Give me five to ten minutes."

"So, what do we do now?" Ben asked. Flint noticed Ben had regained some energy.

"We need to take a look at the crime scene. See if we can find any evidence that can give us a lead or something that supports what you saw. Then, we need to talk to the police to review their reports and possibly speak with the witnesses." Flint responded.

Flint polished off his beer and looked up at the TV. The highlights from the game had been replaced with a screen that read Special Report. The screen then transitioned to a local news anchor. The headline at the bottom read, Sheriff Douglas Addresses Press about Student Victim. Ben stood up and motioned to the bartender.

"Can you please turn this up?" The volume on the TVs was muted for patrons to listen to music. The bartender checked what was on the TV, and then quickly lowered the music and turned up the volume on the television.

The television screen transitioned to an empty podium decorated with the Lakeside Police emblem. Multiple microphones with logos from various TV and radio affiliates stood from the top of the pulpit. Two uniformed policemen stood on either side. The Sheriff then walked to the podium and began to speak.

"Last night, at approximately nine thirty in the evening, police and paramedics responded to a 911 call placed from an apartment residence at 233 Pine Street. They caller had reported a stabbing. Paramedics who arrived at the scene pronounced the victim deceased. The victim has been identified as Craig Binder, a twenty-one-year-old student at Lakeside University. Currently, the investigation is open, and we are pursuing a number of leads. We are urging anyone who was in the area of 233 Pine Street last night during the hours of nine and ten who saw anyone or anything suspicious, to please call the tip line at the bottom of the screen." A telephone number appeared on the screen below the Sheriff.

"I will now take a few questions." A muffled commotion could be heard in the background. The Sheriff pointed to one person in the audience.

"Do you have any suspects?" A female voice asked.

"At this time, we do not have any suspects but are working on a description based on witness testimony we will share when we are able. Again, anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area during the hours of nine and ten last night should call the tip line." There was a short silence and then the muffled commotion returned. The Sheriff pointed to someone else in the audience.

"What about the possibility of foul play?" A male voice inquired.

"Right now, we are not ruling out any possibilities as we continue to gather evidence in our investigation. This investigation is ongoing, and we will have continuing updates as we have more information to share." The Sheriff replied.

Flint noticed that one of the two of the officers who stood behind the Sheriff glanced at his phone and motioned to the other officer with a concerned look. Then, the other officer also got a message on his phone, his face in a full frown staring at his screen. The Sheriff noticed and started to turn his head but was asked another question.

"Is there a threat to the public?" A female voice asked. The Sheriff however, was now fully distracted by his officers behind him. A large man in a suit and tie came into view and walked up to the podium and whispered something in the Sheriff's ear. Flint saw the Sheriff's eyes go wide.

"Something's wrong." Flint stated. He turned to Ben who shot him a look of apprehension. "There's been another murder." Breaker stated. "One victim, multiple stab wounds at Emerson Cemetery. Sounds like possibly the same M.O. from the first attack. Getting the location and more information."

The Sheriff returned to the podium and stated he would not be taking any more questions. Abruptly, the press conference ended, and the Sheriff stormed off, his officers following behind him. The screen returned to a flustered news anchor who reviewed the key points of the conference and re-posted the tip line on the screen.

Flint laid out all the information in his head and began strategizing. He knew he needed to begin with the first crime scene but now there was already a second murder and he felt like they were starting three steps behind. They would have to do their best to connect the dots quickly and get ahead before someone else was killed. Now though, he had Breaker and the full resources of his old team behind him. He was confident they would catch up and get ahead of whoever was on the loose. Ben stared at Flint eagerly, waiting for his next move.

Flint turned in his stool and saw himself in the mirrors that stretched across the adjacent side of the bar. While he looked a distant shadow of his younger self, Flint was surprised at how revitalized he appeared. No more than twenty-four hours ago, he was stuck to another barstool in a dull desolation. Now, that life was in his rear-view mirror and was getting farther and farther away. He finished his beer and gave a swift pat on Ben's shoulder.

"Let's get started." Flint said, as he zipped up his jacket and pushed through the double doors of The Roadhouse.

PART 2:

EXPLORATION

Chapter 12

Thick rain drops splattered across the windshield of the Sheriff's cruiser as it raced up Pine Street toward Emerson Cemetery. The afternoon storm came quick, as brilliant streaks of lightning flashed across the sky. Thunder booms followed each flash as intermittent gusts of wind forced the rain sideways. Sheriff Douglas tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he took a sharp left down University Way. He looked at the falling rain with dread wondering how much damage it would do to the crime scene.

Two students had been murdered in a span of less than twenty-four hours. Lakeside hadn't had a murder in over three years and while that incident made headlines, it was nothing compared to what was currently happening. Initial reports from the crime scene indicated the victim was killed the same way as the first which was even more distressing to the Sheriff. What was he going to do? He had no leads other than a drunken college kid who thought he saw a mountain lion and an old Professor who didn't remember what happened.

Screeching onto Lakeside Avenue, the Sheriff was relieved to see his officers had blocked off a large portion of the street leading up to the cemetery. Unlike the first attack, this killing happened out in public, with many civilians witnessing the victim's body falling down the stairs. Keeping a low profile was now out the window, and he knew the townspeople would be gossiping non-stop. The only way to keep people calm was to solve this case as quickly as possible.

The Sheriff pulled his cruiser to a stop at the bottom of the stone stairwell leading to the cemetery and was grateful to see his officers had covered the body with a clear tarp and set up a tent around the area to preserve as much of the scene as possible. Stepping out of his car, the Sheriff walked up the steps to the cemetery as two officers were snapping pictures frantically, trying to capture as much evidence before the rain washed it all away. Officer Sampson met the Sheriff as he stepped under the tent.

"The victim's name is Courtney Thomas, twenty-one of Richford. She was a student at Lakeside." Officer Sampson said. The Sheriff paused to think before responding.

"Any witnesses to what happened?" The Sheriff asked.

"There were about half a dozen people who saw her body fall down the stairs, but no one saw the killer." The officer said as he looked at the tarp.

"Have you notified the family?" The Sheriff questioned, crouching by the body.

"Yes, our officers confirmed they have spoken with the family. They're wondering when they'll get a chance to see their daughter's body?" The officer inquired.

"I'll talk to them and let them know." The Sheriff said as he lowered his head, thinking of his own thirteen-year-old daughter. Gently, he grabbed the tarp that covered the victim and pulled it back.

My God thought the Sheriff. Long slashes streaked across the victim's face and chest, cutting deep at times. Her neck appeared to be broken, possibly from the fall down the stairs. The Sheriff also noticed that her fingers were covered in dirt, with smaller cuts and gashes scattered across both of her hands and wrists.

"Looks like she put up a fight." Good for her the Sheriff thought somberly.

"We didn't move the body yet. We were waiting for you to proceed." Officer Sampson said. The rain began to subside as the storm moved east. "Also, there's something else. We got a call from a Lieutenant Falcone in Washington letting us know that someone placed a call to a sensitive military line right after the first murder occurred."

"What?" The Sheriff said, looking at his officer with bewilderment. Two murders in less than a day and one was tied to the military? They had no protocol for this.

"Lieutenant Falcone indicated they would be sending someone to review the evidence and support us however they can." Officer Sampson finished. The Sheriff replaced the tarp back over the victim and stood up.

"Support us, huh?" The Sheriff said, wondering if by support, it meant the military would be taking over the entire case. "Well, we'll see about that."

"Also, the press is requesting a statement. They arrived a few minutes after we did." Officer Sampson added.

"Of course they want a statement." The Sheriff stood, feeling a bit overwhelmed. This was now a major public facing crime. He would have to make another address soon. A heavy pressure built in the Sheriff's stomach. The townspeople would want answers, progress, and they would want a suspect. Right now, the Sheriff had none of those. He turned to his officer who was looking at him sheepishly. "What?" He asked.

"Those kids are back. From the first crime scene. Turns out, one of them is the reporter who wrote the pothole story.I sent them away, but she gave me this." The officer handed the Sheriff a manila envelope.

He knew those girls looked familiar. When the now infamous pothole story broke, the ripple effects within the Public Works Department were crushing. The Sheriff had gone to school with some of the people who ended up being let go or demoted, and many of his professional and personal relationships were tarnished. While the Sheriff respected the students' youthful formidability, he knew they could be a thorn in his side.

Removing the photos from the manila envelope, the Sheriff flipped through each one. A note was attached to a picture that read, These were taken earlier today behind our apartment. Please call us with any questions. Jessie and Elise's numbers were listed below. Fear and anger coursed through the Sheriff. Did these kids seriously believe that a mountain lion was responsible for the murders?

Sheriff Douglas's family had been residents of Lakeside for close to 200 years, and while his great grandparents had tales of the fabled Catamounts, after decades of hunting seasons come and gone, he had never seen one. From his limited knowledge of mountain lions, the Sheriff knew that if a Catamount was on the loose, it wouldn't go anywhere near humans. A reclusive species, the only reason a Catamount would attack a human was if the lion was being backed into a corner, starving, or felt like their cubs were endangered. None of those possibilities were the least bit plausible.

The Sheriff looked at the photos and knew he had seen raccoons or fisher cats make the same exact scratches, and there were constant sightings of those animals in Lakeside. The paw prints did resemble a mountain lion's, but with no frame of reference as to how big they were, he concluded they could easily be some other tracks. Putting the photos back in the envelope, the Sheriff grew concerned the panic a story about a killer mountain lion would cause.

"Get me the number to the head of the Journalism Department at the University. I want to talk to him about these two and find out what they are planning to write." The Sheriff said. The officer nodded, writing everything in his notebook.

"Ok, what about the rest of the crime scene?" Sheriff Douglas asked looking to his officer.

"Rest of the crime scene?" Officer Sampson replied and took a step back. The officer looked up at the tent and then back at the body lying under the tarp.

"We arrived a few minutes after the first calls came in. Officer Davis and Boon blocked off the streets. When the rain started, Officer Thomas and I got the tarp and tent up over the body." Officer Sampson stated watching the Sheriff, hoping they didn't miss anything.

"What about the rest of the cemetery?" The Sheriff asked, staring up the stone stairwell that led to the graveyard. The officer responded with a blank stare.

"Obviously the victim was taking a shortcut through the cemetery when she was attacked right?" The Sheriff asked.

While the officers had worked speedily to block off the roads and cover the body, they didn't set up any covering around the cemetery when the storm came. Hastily, the Sheriff climbed to the top of the stairwell and his shoulders sank in despair. From the look of it, the storm had washed away any additional evidence they might have found.

Now, the Sheriff had no leads, no suspects, and half of the evidence from the second crime scene was gone. In addition, a half dozen people saw the girl's body fall down the stairs, two nosy journalists were about to cause a panic, and the military was coming to investigate. The Sheriff was hoping he would wake up and everything that was boiling over around him would disappear. A static crackle from his officer's radio broke the silence.

"Will? Is the Sheriff there with you?" An older female voice asked.

"Yes, he is. He just got to the scene a little while ago." Officer Sampson replied.

"Well, tell him the Mayor called and wants to talk to him right away." The voice cracked from the radio. Officer Sampson looked to the Sheriff.

"Of course he does." The Sheriff sighed.

"Also, there is a big Native American man here who says he is a General in the army. Has a cowboy hat, belt buckle, and boots to match. Says he needs to speak to the Sheriff immediately." The voice from the radio clicked silent.

"Finish taking photos of the body and get it to the morgue." The Sheriff said as Officer Sampson made a notation in his notebook. "I'm going to head to the station to meet this General and touch base with the Mayor." The Sheriff concluded, and walked down the stairs and got back into his cruiser.

With the rest of the crime scene lost to the storm, the only thing left to do was gather the evidence they had. While he had no idea what kind of support he could expect from the military, as the weight of the murders set in, Sheriff Douglas was hoping they might be more help than hindrance. Turning the car in gear, the Sheriff pulled on to Lakeside Avenue, and headed back to the station.

Chapter 13

Flint and Ben walked up to the large red brick house with the yellow wooden trim at 233 Pine Street. The storm had subsided, and giant puddles remained along the sidewalks. As they reached the apartment building and turned down the walkway, an officer came out of the front door to meet them.

"This is a restricted area. Both of you need to turn around right now and walk the other way." The officer had placed himself in the walkway blocking their path. Flint casually removed his wallet and handed it to the officer.

"My name is Flint. My office had contacted yours recently and we have been granted full access to investigate this crime scene." Flint stated and waited patiently as the officer read his credentials.

"I am going to call this in. Wait here please." The officer replied and went back into the apartment taking Flint's identification with him.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Ben asked, looking a little doubtful and less brave than when they first left the bar.

"Just give it a few moments." Flint said as the door to the apartment re-opened and the officer reemerged.

"Sorry for that." The officer said as he gave Flint back his identification. "Your information checks out. Unfortunately, your friend is going to have to wait out here." The officer pointed squarely at Ben.

"That's fine." Flint said to the officer. "However, this man is a key witness in this investigation, and I will need someone to stay with him until I come back out."

"Yes Sir, not a problem, I can do that." The officer confirmed. Ben had a faint look of desperation on his face. After witnessing the murder the previous night, Flint realized Ben was probably ok not returning to the scene of the crime. Flint turned to Ben.

"I'll be right back. When the boy was attacked, where did it happen?" Flint asked. "Everything happened in the backyard, straight through the kitchen." Ben said. Flint nodded, patted Ben's shoulder, and headed into the house.

The small backyard was empty and cold as a thick cloud cover still blocked out the sun. A small folding table stood in the left corner of the yard. Flint looked up to see the tall branches of the oak tree rising high in the sky. He put his finger to his ear and clicked on his earpiece.

"Breaker, do you read?" Flint asked quietly.

"Yes Sir. One second, let me do a scan. Just keep looking up into the tree please." Breaker asked as Flint continued to look up. "Ok. A little to your left I found one of the broken branches. Turning on your view now."

In an instant, the contact lens in Flint's right eye flashed. Flint then saw the green outline of a scope like on a rifle. Quickly, the scope began to zoom in and scan the branch. Flint saw Breaker highlight the broken area in detail. A series of numbers and equations ran down the right side of the screen above a single word of text that read Processing.

"Ok, based on the angle of the break, age of the tree, and applied pressure, whatever jumped off it weighed between 210 to 220 pounds. The trajectory of the jump shows that the landing would have been down to the right." The screen in Flint's right eye began to create a digital path mapping the trajectory of the jump. As he moved his head along the trajectory, Breaker stopped at another branch. Flint saw the outline of the branch flash and zoom in as Breaker began to analyze the data.

"Looks like similar data from the angles and breaks of the first branch. Whatever was in the tree weighed between 210 to 220 pounds, was powerful, extremely agile, and athletic. Calculating the landing trajectory now." The screen in Flint's eye flashed again and he saw the digital trajectory of the landing path begin from the second branch and end on the grass by a slew of police flags and markers leading all the way to the base of the hedge.

"Ben said that whatever it was, jumped on the boy and then pushed him back to the bottom of the hedge, right?" Flint asked quietly.

"Correct. Based on what he said, when the boy was attacked, the lion pushed him into the hedge and then jumped over the tree." The screen in Flint's eye began to calculate and display multiple possible trajectories over the fence. The electronic readout showed the suspect had to be able to jump an average of twelve feet high to get over in a single leap. "Doesn't appear like it is possible a human could do that. Not without some assistance." Breaker stated.

"Assistance?" Flint asked.

"Like some sort of enhanced suit or something. Either that, or like Ben said, it was some sort of animal." Breaker suggested. Flint didn't believe that it could be an animal.

"But what animal could jump that high?" Flint said looking up at the hedge, unable to see any evidence that something had crawled or climbed up its face.

"In this area? Let me check. Coyotes live in Vermont and can jump vertically six to eight feet. Wolves have been coming down from Canada recently, but they only jump an average of six to eight feet vertically as well. Anyway, both of those animals' average weight would have been less than whatever was up in that tree. The only possible match I found would be a Catamount, but they have been declared extinct in Vermont."

"Catamount?" Flint asked.

"A mountain lion, Sir. Catamounts are what they call them in Vermont." Breaker waited for Flint to respond.

"What color eyes do mountain lions have?" Flint heard a few keyboard clicks.

"Green and yellow." Replied Breaker. "Sir, are you thinking this was a mountain lion? Again, the animal has been reported extinct in Vermont."

"I am not saying anything. I am just working to eliminate possible leads and narrow things down. Based on what you are telling me, the killer could be one of two things. The first is a human, extremely athletic, agile, with access to enhanced body gear, possibly military grade?"

"Correct."

"Or, as Ben alluded to, it could be an animal, possibly a mountain lion, or Catamount, which have recently been declared extinct in Vermont."

"Correct."

"Ok. So, let's work through each theory and see which is the most plausible, starting with the Catamount theory." Flint said.

"What are you suggesting we do?" Breaker asked.

"We call an expert on mountain lions. If they can rule out the lion, then we can be pretty sure we're dealing with a human suspect and can move on from there." Flint replied.

"Sounds like a solid plan. However, where do you expect to find an expert? Until we can officially call this a military investigation, we can only act in an advisory role. If we went to the police with this, they would laugh it off." Breaker stated.

"True. But we don't need the police to find an expert." Flint responded.

"What do you mean?" Breaker asked, but Flint was already smiling, hoping to soon talk to an old friend.

The sun stood halfway up the sky beaming down on the pine covered mountainside of Idaho's Wildlife Preserve Sanctuary. The sanctuary covered thirteen acres of sprawling forests, hills, and valleys, and was home to a host of animals including wolves, caribou, grizzly bears and mountain lions, or cougars as they were called in Idaho. Hiking through Sleeper Valley, retired Corporal Albert Pine, aka Alpine, hopped on the tops of two large stones as he crossed a winding brook on his way back to camp.

For the past week, Alpine had camped out in a different area of the sanctuary each night, tracking a pair of wolves he had nicknamed Butch and Sundance. Wolves had returned to the northern parts of the US and while many people initially feared their reintroduction, years after, most every ecosystem in the sanctuary had benefited and prospered.

Arriving at his camp, Alpine sat down on a log and began a fire in a makeshift pit next to the riverbed. Sitting in front of the small crackling fire, Alpine listened to the cool water splash against the rocks. The only noise that broke the peaceful serene was the static of his two-way radio.

"Hey Al? You copy? This is Louis at the lodge." Louis was one of the Park Rangers who worked at the Sanctuary with Alpine. Today, it was Louis' turn to work in the Communications Center. Alpine picked up his radio and responded.

"Yep Louis, I'm here. Just got back to camp. Butch and Sundance were headed over Carver Ridge earlier today. I'm going to take a break and head out after them once I finish lunch." Alpine said and rested the radio in his lap, watching a trout happily jump from the surface of the water.

"I got someone on the phone who says he knows you from your days back in the army. Says his name is Flint. Didn't give a last name." Louis waited for Alpine to reply. Another few moments went by. "Al, you there?"

"Yeah Louis, I'm here, sorry. Please put him though." Alpine was taken off guard. The last person he expected to hear from today was his old teammate Flint. Before Lady Jaye died, Flint was one of the best, and for many, it appeared like he would ultimately run the team as the years went on. Unfortunately, after Lady Jaye died, he fell apart gradually until he retired. There was a crackle of static, and then Flint was on the line.

"Alpine?" The voice said. It had been years, but Alpine clearly recognized the familiar voice of his old friend.

"Flint. How are you? It's great to hear from you." Alpine responded genuinely.

"It's good to hear you too. How are things at the Sanctuary? Is retirement treating you well?" Flint asked.

"These mountains always treat me well old buddy. Nowhere I'd rather be for the rest of my life. Right now, I'm tracking a couple of wolves actually. I wonder if old Snakes would get a kick out of that?" Alpine laughed into the receiver. His eyes had begun to get wet as he happily reminisced about the past. "How about you? How is life treating you?" There was a pause before Flint responded.

"The days have gone on as they do for me old friend. I work a little, read, and watch the Sox games." Flint trailed off.

Alpine wondered if he had asked the wrong question. He hoped he hadn't upset his old friend. Living life after losing someone as close as Lady Jaye had to be difficult. Alpine decided to change the subject.

"So, why are you calling a crazy old woodsman like myself? Louis said you needed my help?" Alpine asked curiously.

"You might not believe it, but I have been temporarily reinstated to the team to investigate a murder in Lakeside, Vermont." Flint said. Alpine leaned forward on his makeshift log stool, now completely attentive. It had been a long time since Alpine had been active, and a flame had begun to reignite deep in his chest.

"A boy was killed last night, and we are trying to rule out if it could have been an animal attack." Flint continued.

"Ok, Vermont does have some similar wildlife as Idaho. What animal do you think it was?" Alpine asked

"A Catamount." There was silence on the other end of the radio. "Alpine? You there?" Flint asked.

"Yes, I am here, but I can answer you definitively now that it wasn't a Catamount. They have been ruled extinct in that region for years. I think the last one that was reported killed was back in the late 1800s." Alpine replied.

"What's the difference between a Catamount and a mountain lion?" Flint asked.

"Nothing, just the name. Catamounts, mountain lions, cougars, pumas, they're all different names for the same animal really. Why do you think it was a Catamount?" Alpine asked inquisitively.

"Actually, I am trying to rule out that it was a Catamount. Whatever we're looking for was hiding in a tree when it jumped down and attacked the victim. If it wasn't a human, the only animal we could think of based on the evidence would have been a Catamount. Let me know, how much can they weigh?" Flint asked.

"Males can reach anywhere from 200-220 pounds, females a little lighter." Alpine responded.

"How high can they jump?" Flint inquired.

"Pretty high, like fourteen feet. But again, it would be extremely rare for a mountain lion or Catamount to be alive in Vermont. It would be even rarer for a mountain lion to be killing people. Mountain lions are basically loners, they only attack humans when provoked, and even then, they wouldn't do anything as rash as what you're describing." Alpine stated.

"Thanks Alpine. I really appreciate your help. It was great talking to you." Flint said. Sensing the end of the conversation was near, Alpine awkwardly responded.

"You too Flint. So good to hear from you. If you are still out in the Vermont area, I get out there once a year for a conference. It would be great to catch up." Alpine waited for Flint to answer. After hearing from his old teammate, he realized how much he missed it all.

"That would be great Alpine. I'll keep that in mind. Again, thank you and take care." Flint replied.

With a static click, Flint was gone. Alpine looked to the running brook and to his smoldering fire. Closing his eyes, he raised his head and let the heat from the sun warm his face as he smiled up into the cool Idaho air.

"Ok so I think we can rule out that it was a mountain lion. That means we are probably looking for a human suspect." Flint spoke softly as he stared high up into the branches.

"But Sir, this wasn't a soldier that was killed, it was a student. Are suggesting that the killer wore an enhanced tactical suit and targeted a twenty-one-year-old medical student? What is so special about the victim?" Breaker asked, trying to understand the connection.

"Let's start by cross referencing the victim against a list of known operatives that we have out in the field." Flint asked.

"I already did that. No matches."

"Ok, did you run a cross check against any of our key enemies?" Flint asked.

"Yes, and again, there were no matches. It just doesn't add up." Breaker sounded frustrated. Flint thought for a moment.

"What about deceased agents or enemies?"

"Deceased?" Breaker questioned.

"Yes." Flint started pacing in the backyard. He had a feeling he might be on to something. "Check to see if the victim had any relation to any of our operatives, agents, or key adversaries that are currently dead." Flint heard the quick succession of keyboard clicks in his ear. After a moment the clicks stopped.

"Sir. I got a hit. Craig Binder was the grandson of Dr. Brian Binder, aka Dr. Mindbender." Silence followed on both ends of the line. Flint stopped pacing. Mindbender, Flint thought frantically.

"Sir? What are you thinking?" The frustration in Breakers voice was gone, replaced with an excitement Flint was also feeling.

"Dr. Mindbender was one of Cobra's top leading scientists and experts on weapons technology. He created the Battle Android Troopers, or as he called them B.A.T.s." Flint trailed off and then regained his train of thought.

"When Mindbender died, he gave Cobra Commander access to a doomsday weapon. After receiving the weapon, Cobra Commander shot him. Livid at Cobra Commander, as he lay dying, Mindbender gave us the information we needed to disarm the weapon." Flint waited for Breaker to process everything he had said.

"So, you think that someone, possibly still loyal to Cobra Commander, killed Dr. Mindbender's grandson in retaliation for providing us information to disarm a doomsday weapon decades ago?" Breaker asked.

"It sounds like a plausible theory." Flint responded. "Mindbender provided Cobra an abundance of military technology way ahead of its time. The glowing green eyes, enhanced agility and strength, ability to jump high, it all fits. The tech could even mimic other objects and sounds possibly like the glowing green eyes and the roar Ben heard." Flint quickly thought what the most logical next steps were.

"Breaker, can you do a cross check on the victim and see if he had any other family members living locally here in Vermont?" Flint heard more keyboard strokes and then a pause.

"Got another hit Sir. Elizabeth Binder. But Flint, she died seventy years ago." Flint's excitement dropped a little in his gut. "Wait a minute." Flint hesitated, again hearing the excitement in Breaker's voice.

"What is it?" Flint asked.

"Elizabeth Binder is buried right here in Lakeside, at Emerson Cemetery, the site of the…"

"…the site of the second murder." Flint finished Breaker's sentence. Now he was confident they were on the right track. Already walking to exit the apartment, Flint felt another surge of energy. Even though they started behind, they were quickly catching up.

"Breaker. Run a cross check on the second victim and see if there are any connections to Mindbender. Also, inform the General of everything and let him know that we have our military suspect and will be taking over the investigation." Flint put his finger to his ear and disconnected with Breaker. He then exited the apartment building and began walking toward Ben and the officer standing on the front pathway. The pieces of the puzzle had started to fit together, and Flint was hopeful that the second crime scene would keep moving them forward.

Chapter 14

Jessie sat on the foam couch-bed in Devon's apartment, frustratingly clicking away at her keyboard. A blue bathroom towel was wrapped around her head, her hair soaked after getting stuck in the thunderstorm at Emerson Cemetery.Shutout of the second crime scene, Jessie was moving forward with the little information they had. She sat back on the couch and closed her eyes as she recounted her conversation with Officer Sampson outside the graveyard.

When they arrived, the police had already set detours around all entrances. Jessie, Elise, and Jason were able to get a block from the cemetery when they ran into a police barricade. Luckily, Jessie and Elise had their school press badges. Jessie also had an extra pass she always carried in her backpack that she gave to Jason.

The badges allowed them to move to an area where the other Press were congregating. Elise had suggested Jessie give the photos to one of the officers who was standing off to the side. Jessie noticed an officer on his two-way radio trying to get clear of the main throng of reporters. She reached into her bag, took out a pad of sticky notes, and wrote a message to the police with Elise and her phone numbers. Opening the envelope, Jessie placed the sticky note on one of the pictures.

Jessie walked toward the officer as he clicked off his two-way radio. Stopping on the other side of the police tape, Jessie waved the envelope in the direction of the officer, trying not to draw too much attention. The officer noticed and walked over. The name Sampson was printed on the officer's name plate.

"My name is Jessie Kingsley. I rent the apartment where the first murder happened. My roommate and I gave our official statements last night, but I forgot I had these photos in my bag that might pertain to the case." Jessie said and handed the envelope to the officer.

"And you didn't mention this last night at the station, why?" The officer took the envelope and stared at Jessie.

"It was in my bag that I left at school. I forgot about it." Jessie paused and took a breath. "I got my bag today and found the pictures. I thought they might help. They were taken around the back of our apartment." Jessie said.

"What's your name again?" The officer asked, continuing to stare at Jessie. He had the envelope in his hands but made no motion to open it. "You look familiar." He said. Oh no, Jessie thought.

"You're that girl who wrote the story on the potholes." The officer's words landed deep in Jessie's gut. He continued to stare at Jessie as she took another breath and responded.

"Yes, I wrote that story. It was an assignment I was given for school." Jessie had always reminded people that she was just a student, and like any good student, she worked her butt off to do the work she was assigned. She never intentionally meant to get anyone fired, but after dealing with the fallout of the story, Jessie realized being a reporter would put her in some difficult situations.

"Look, we believe these pictures are important and may help with the investigation." Jessie stated. The officer gave her a slow nod.

"I will get these to the Sheriff after he arrives and completes his official business here. We are collecting a lot of leads from the tip line and will make sure to follow up with each one." A low roll of thunder rumbled above them, and large drops of water started falling from the sky. The officer never took his eyes off Jessie.

"What do you intend to do with this?" The officer said pointing the envelope toward Jessie's press pass.

"If we're assigned the story, we'll write about it." Jessie said as the rain began to pick up.

"We'll see about that. Right now, this is a restricted area. Press can attend all news conferences, but right now, we're not sharing any additional information about the second victim." The officer said. Jessie took a deep swallow.

Officer Sampson quickly turned away and shouted to a couple other policemen pointing at the rain. Jessie looked up as a loud crack of thunder startled her and the group of reporters. A downpour suddenly started, and the water began to come down in sheets. Jessie ran toward Elise and Jason who had taken cover under a nearby tree.

"There's been a second murder." Jessie said, giving Jason a small smile. "I gave him the photos." Jessie turned to watch the officers now running into the cemetery shouting at each other. She turned to Elise who had a sullen look on her face.

"There goes all the evidence." Elise said, hanging her head in dismay. Jessie turned and looked at the officers as their boots kicked up mud leaving large footprints in the earth.

Jessie opened her eyes back in Devon's apartment. Jason was engrossed in a video game and she looked down at her laptop with a frown. Elise was sitting next to her and had made two bowls of hot noodles, one of which she was digging into.

"Has anyone replied yet?" Elise asked looking up from her bowl of noodles.

"Not yet." Jessie said, staring at her inbox. Jessie had sent the photos of the paw prints and scratch marks to three different zoos in San Diego, Nevada, and Arizona, asking if one of their big cat rangers was able to identify the marks. Jessie and Elise agreed to send the photos under the cover that they found them in her grandparents' attic in an old box that belonged to her great-great grandparents.

As they were waiting for a response, Jessie decided to go over the evidence they currently had. They knew that a student named Craig Binder was killed at their apartment the night before. They also had Jason with them who had witnessed Craig being killed by a mountain lion. After checking the neighboring area, they found scratch marks on a tree and paw tracks on the roofs leading away from the crime scene toward Emerson Cemetery, the location of the second murder. Right now, they had no information about the second murder and there was a good chance any evidence was lost with the storm.

Going with what they had, Jessie decided to conduct a background check on the first victim. Remembering her studies, she started with Craig's friends, family, acquaintances, and hangouts. It also turned out that Jason was friends with Craig on social media and after Jessie got Jason to give her his login, she started to search through the victim's profile.

Jessie saw there was already an outpouring of heartfelt messages from friends and family on his timeline. People had posted pictures of themselves with Craig and reminisced about the times they shared. While extremely gut wrenching, the posts were exactly what Jessie needed to get an idea of who Craig was.

Overall, he seemed like a great guy. Smart, funny, outgoing. He loved to travel, play disc golf, and hang out with his friends. He also commented on many of his family's pages who lived out in California. After scrolling through the past five years of posts, Jessie couldn't find a reason for anyone to want to kill him.

Deciding to do a deeper dive into Craig's family, Jessie began searching the public records database. After entering Craig's fathers name into the database, something jumped out at her. Craig's grandfather on his Dad's side was listed as Dr. Brian Binder. It was the doctor part of his name that caught Jessie's eye. She didn't find anything on Craig's social media page that mentioned his grandfather or any other doctors in his family.

After putting the name in the public search engine, Jessie saw a slew of interesting hits appear. Apparently, Dr. Brian Binder had died years ago. In addition to being a trained medical doctor, he also worked as a security advisor for the United Nations back in the 1980s and 90s. Adding the words United Nations to her search, Jessie found an article stating that Dr. Binder received the Valor Ribbon, a posthumous award given by the United Nations to someone who gave their life in the service of others.

Jessie read the article and learned that Dr. Binder had partnered with the US military and provided them intelligence on how to locate and disarm a weapon of mass destruction. He was killed in the line of duty. Jessie was impressed. While it appeared to have nothing to do with the murders, Craig's grandfather was an extremely interesting individual. Jessie made a mental note as an email notification appeared in the bottom right of her computer screen.

The zoo out in Arizona had replied. Jessie called over to Elise and Jason who sat on the couch and they silently read the email together.

Dear Jessie,

Thank you for your email. I have to say, the pictures you sent are absolutely incredible. It has caused some excitement here to say the least. It's not every day that you find markings of an animal that has been extinct in your area for over 100 years! It's amazing what you can find when cleaning out an old attic.

To answer your questions, these are unquestionably the tracks and scratches from a Catamount. Based on when you said your great-great grandfather lived, Catamounts would have been rare, but not uncommon. To tell you the truth, if you didn't tell me the size ratios of the paw prints, I would have said something else since you are based in Vermont.

Thank you again though for sending us these photos. I am hoping that you might allow us to keep the picture of the paw print to put up on a collage we have in our breakroom. It would be so great to add the fabled Vermont Catamount to our wall. Please let us know, and if you find any other Catamount pictures from your grandparent's attic, don't hesitate to send them our way!

All three students looked at each other. Jessie re-read the email. They had successfully verified that a mountain lion had made the scratches and paw prints.

"That's it then. It's confirmed." Jason said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Somewhat confirmed." Jessie responded. "Yes, we have confirmed a mountain lion made those paw prints and scratches, but we have no way to tie it in with the second murder."

"But like you said before, the cops aren't looking for a mountain lion. We can head back to the second crime scene and try to find more evidence, right?" Jason replied eagerly.

"How?" Elise interjected. "Jessie already gave them the pictures. If there was any evidence at the second crime scene that pointed to a mountain lion, the police would have found it."

"That, or the thunderstorm washed it away." Jessie added as the room fell silent.

"So, what do we do know?" Jason asked.

"Now we get some sleep." Elise stated. "Once they release the name of the next victim, Jessie will do a background check and try to find any connection between the two murders. If we can't find a connection, we'll wait to see if another attack happens and continue to investigate. If the police end up solving the case, we'll just write what we have and move on to the next story. Tomorrow is Friday, so Jessie and I will be able to talk to our editor and get his opinion."

It was a tough to hit a snag and not be able to move forward, but Jessie knew Elise was right. They would be able to touch base with their editor tomorrow morning, and once the police released the name of the next victim, she might find a connection. Also, Jessie was exhausted, and needed to get some sleep if she wanted the strength to keep going.

"Ok, I am going to head home." Jason said as he got up and headed to the door. "I'll text you guys tomorrow to see what's up."

"Hey!" Jessie shouted. Jason turned and looked at Jessie. She didn't know what to say but wanted to say something. "Be careful out there, ok? Text when you get back home." Jessie smiled and realized she truly meant what she said.

"Ok, will do." Jason said. He gave everyone a thumbs up, and then walked out the door.

Chapter 15

Sheriff Douglas placed the receiver of his desk phone down gently and sank back into his chair. He had just gotten off a call with Courtney Thompson's family and had adamantly promised they would catch their daughter's killer and bring him to justice. He wanted to believe that would happen but in reality, the Sheriff had no idea where to start. There were two dead students, killed in the same horrific manner, less than twenty-four hours apart. Things were not good.

The intercom buzzed, and the Sheriff's assistant reminded him that there was a General who was waiting to talk to him. The Sheriff almost forgot and joked to himself that this General had to be the cherry on top of the crap sundae he had been served. Thinking that nothing else could possibly go wrong, he clicked his intercom and told his assistant to let him in.

The General's appearance as he walked through the door startled the Sheriff. He was expecting a man dressed in an olive uniform, crisp hat, and wearing a host of medals. The person who stood in front of him was of Native American descent, had long gray hair, and wore a tall cowboy hat adorned with two eagle feathers. Refraining from the traditional uniform, the Sheriff also noticed an impressive bowie knife hanging from the left side of the General's belt.

"Sheriff Douglas?" The General asked holding out his hand. The Sheriff nodded and stood up to shake the Generals hand. "My name is General Charlie Iron-Knife. Thank you for taking the time to see me." Spirit said. He gently removed his hat and took a seat in front of the Sheriff.

"General." The Sheriff stammered a bit. "Excuse me, I was just expecting someone in a uniform that is all."

"Ah yes." Spirit replied. "Funny thing about rank and uniforms you know?" Spirit said and watched as the Sheriff tilted his head, waiting for an answer. "You can still hold your rank regardless of what you put on. I figure, I might as well be comfortable." A content smile came across Spirits face as the Sheriff returned a look of confusion.

"Looks like you got yourself a bit of a situation doesn't it Sheriff?" Spirit continued. The Sheriff finally responded.

"Yes, you can say that. We were told by your office that there was a call to a military line at the time of the first murder. Would you care to elaborate?" The Sheriff interlocked his fingers and laid them on the desk, hoping that the General had something that could generate a possible lead. Spirit folded his forearms across his chest and began to speak.

"At approximately nine thirty last night, we received an incoming call to a top-secret military line. We tracked the call to the exact time and address where the first murder occurred." Spirit paused before continuing.

"We deployed an asset into the field to investigate, and he has reported back that the first victim's grandfather was one of our former covert operatives. Years ago, this particular operative turned against his former employer and provided us information that ended a national security threat. We believe the first killing was an act of revenge, possibly by our operative's previous employer." Spirit paused and unfolded his arms. Holy crap the Sheriff thought to himself.

The Sheriff unlocked his fingers and rubbed both hands up and down the front of his face. Baffled, he tried to process everything the General had just told him. While relieved that the military had identified a motive and a possible suspect, the fact it was a trained killer on some sort of a revenge mission didn't exactly make things better.

"What about the second victim? Did your guy find any links to your operative?" The Sheriff asked, hoping the General had found something.

"Not yet. He is currently reviewing the second crime scene now. I will make sure to let you know what we find." Spirit leaned forward in his chair. "We don't want to step on your toes and or make this a public spectacle. We would prefer ending this quietly and quickly." Spirit said as he kept his eyes on the Sheriff.

"I think that is the preferable solution yes, but how do you expect to do that? The second victim's body was found in a very public spot. People are going to want answers and updates. I am sure you don't want me to go up in front of the press and tell them what you just told me?" The Sheriff replied trying not to sound frustrated, but it was tough. He was being put into an extremely difficult situation.

"We will give you a script to follow for the next press conference and will have someone on hand to answer any questions." Spirit said as he sat back in his chair. The Sheriff looked relieved.

"We are going to find the killer. When we do, we will work with you and your officers to make an arrest." Spirit finished and raised his eyebrows looking at the Sheriff for his approval. The Sheriff quickly nodded in agreement.

"Is there anything that I can help you with?" The Sheriff asked.

"Yes, there is. We will be cross checking the entire student body at the University, looking for anyone who might have a relationship with the victims or our operative. We are hoping your officers will assist us in questioning these students. We can provide your officers with the questions to ask." Spirit shifted in his chair and continued.

"It would also be good to implement a curfew and try to encourage residents to walk in groups until we solidify where the suspect is located. We'll also include that in our statement for the press if that is ok with you?" Spirit asked as the Sheriff nodded again.

"When you do catch him though, I have your word that you will include us in the arrest? I think it is important that the Lakeside Police Department maintain the trust and safety of the town." The Sheriff asked, sincere in his request. This town meant everything to him and he was committed to keeping everyone safe.

"Yes, we will make sure that you and your department are informed of all ongoing communications, progress, and will be included in the arrest of the killer. You have my word." Spirit stood up indicating the conversation had come to an end. The Sheriff reached over his desk to shake Spirit's hand. Spirit then placed his hat on his head and addressed the Sheriff one last time as he turned to leave. "If you need anything else, you make sure to contact my office."

The Sheriff nodded as Spirit reached his door. Before the General walked out of his office, the Sheriff suddenly remembered the student reporters and their crazy mountain lion theory. Grabbing the manila envelope from his desk, the Sheriff shouted for the General to wait.

"There is one thing that you can help me with." The Sheriff said, running up to Spirit. Spirit turned back as the Sheriff met him in the doorway. The Sheriff handed Spirit the manila envelope. "The two kids who rent the apartment where the first murder occurred are reporters for the school paper. They are also friends with one of the witnesses who believes a mountain lion killed the first victim." The Sheriff said.

"I think they are going to write about this in the school paper. Even though it is a school paper, a lot of people in town read it, and I am afraid it's going to start a panic." The Sheriff continued as Spirit opened the envelope and looked at the pictures.

"The Journalism Department is in the attic of Brentview Hall at the top of Main Street and University Way. I was hoping that you might be able to speak with the head of the Department and persuade them from writing the story." The Sheriff requested, looking earnestly at Spirit who continued to study the photos.

"I'll handle it personally." Spirit replied, still staring at the pictures. After a few seconds, Spirit's head shot up and he stuck out his hand again. The Sheriff took it for a brief shake, and with that, the old General walked out of the police station.

Chapter 16

Flint sat in the passenger seat of Ben's blue minivan as they parked in front of Emerson Cemetery.The clouds in the sky had cleared as night set in, and the moonbeams began to cast dark shadows through the trees. The entrance to the cemetery was adorned by a metal arch with two policemen standing guard.

Flint turned to the backseat and zipped open his duffle bag. After retrieving a pair of flashlights, he handed one to Ben and they both got out of the car. Flint raised his hand to his ear and clicked on his earpiece to talk to Breaker. After a few moments, he heard her voice come through the soft static.

"The second victim was named Courtney Thompson, female, age twenty-one, another student at Lakeside. Her family lives in the area and I also found a connection to Dr. Mindbender. James Billings was her grandfather on her mother's side and joined the army in 1984. He was dishonorably discharged in 1987 and was recruited by Cobra in 1988. Mission logs indicate he took on a role as a Techno Viper and was assigned to Mindbender's unit. He was killed in the line of duty in 1995." Breaker stated.

Flint approached the officers standing in the entryway of the cemetery. One of the policemen held up his hand and stepped in front of the Flint. Flint gave his credentials to the officer.

"My name is Flint, this is my associate Ben Hart. We have been given access to this crime scene. I believe our office called a little while ago." Flint watched as the officer opened his credentials and looked them both over. After taking a short breath, the officer nodded and gestured them to enter.

"Let us know if you need anything." The officer called out as they started down the cement path into the graveyard. Flint turned and raised his hand in acknowledgement.

Flint and Ben walked the full length of the path to the top of the stairs where the victim's body was found. The police had already taken the body to the morgue. From the contact lens in his eye, Breaker displayed a series of crime scene photos, and based on what Flint saw, it seemed like the same M.O. as the first murder.

Flint walked back into the graveyard. The rising moonlight had begun to illuminate the large statue of Sam Allen, the founder of Lakeside in the night sky. Ben remained at the top of the stairs, still staring where the student was killed.

"You said the second victim's grandfather was a Techno Viper who joined Cobra in 1988, right?" Flint asked Breaker quietly.

"That's correct." Breaker replied.

"Being a Techno Viper assigned to Mindbender in 1988 would have meant he would have been working on the B.A.T. project." Flint stated nearing the gravestones.

"Yes, that is correct. Sir, Jacqueline Binder's grave should be coming up on the right." Breaker said.

Flint moved down the row of gravestones and paused when he got to Jacqueline Binder's grave. Moonlight illuminated the front of the gravestone clearly as Flint read the inscription.

Jacqueline Binder
Beloved Mother
1862 – 1948
"From the earth to the sea, now the circle of life includes me."

In addition to the inscription, there were also two killer whales engraved on each side of the headstone. Both of the whales were diving downward. Flint looked curiously at the grave. As he walked around the stone, the contact lens in his eye activated and displayed a grid that began analyzing the grave.

"Give me a second to run a scan." Breaker said, and she began running diagnostics through the contact lens in Flint's eye. Ben started to walk over to meet Flint. Breaker's scan highlighted each letter of the engraving as well as the entire stone marker. After scanning the base, Flint saw an error message appear as the scan paused.

"Comparing the base to the headstone, it looks like the gravestone was replaced thirty years ago." Breaker stated as the scan completed.

"Thirty years ago?" Flint quickly did the math in his head. "That's 1988."

"The year that the Techno Viper was recruited to Cobra and Mindbender's unit." Breaker said, completing Flint's thought. Ben arrived next to Flint and looked down at the grave.

"Who's this?" Ben asked.

"This is a distant relative of the first victim. She just happens to be buried here at Emerson Cemetery, the site of the second murder. It was too much of a coincidence not to investigate." Flint said.

Ben crouched by the tombstone moving his flashlight across the engraving. After a few moments, he frowned.

"Those look like the Orcas Tails." Ben said, his flashlight moving back and forth between the engravings of the two whales.

"Orcas Tails?" Flint asked curiously and moved next to Ben in front of the tombstone.

"It is a statue along the interstate as you head northbound into Lakeside. The actual statue is just of the tails though. These engravings include the rest of the whales' bodies." Ben said pointing at each of the killer whales etched on the stone. "Didn't you see them when you came into town?" Ben asked Flint.

"I came in on the backroads." Flint responded, shaking his head no.

"Oh. Well, they are a big hit with locals and tourists. You can actually drive to a nearby field and walk out to them. It's not that far from here." Ben said. Flint was still staring at the grave.

"From the earth to the sea, now the circle of life includes me." Flint read aloud. He looked over to Ben and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Let's head to the Orcas Tails." Flint said and turned and walked down the path out of the cemetery. Ben followed close behind him.

A few hours ago, they were completely in the dark with who or what might be behind these murders. Now, with Breaker and Ben's help, they had established connections, motive, and were working toward a suspect. Everything was falling into place. As they got to the entrance of the cemetery, Flint stopped to speak to the officers.

"We have completed our investigation of this crime scene. If the Sheriff wants to continue his investigation here he is free to do so." Flint held out his hand and gave a quick shake to each officer. After getting back into Ben's van, they were off to the Orcas Tails.

The moon had risen high into the starlight when Ben and Flint arrived at the field where the Orcas Tails sculpture stood. They parked in an empty parking lot next to the entrance of the field. Multiple nature paths led out to the Orcas Tails.

Situated along the northbound side of the Vermont interstate, the Orcas Tails acted as a beacon to people arriving to Lakeside. Students, families, tourists, dog walkers, and many others took runs and strolls on the paths that ran by the statue. In the winter, representatives from the town covered the sculpture in holiday lights. Flint and Ben walked over the long moving shadows the tails made in the moon light. Like Ben had said, unlike the image on the gravestone, the statue was just the two tails rising out of the earth.

"Officially the sculpture is called Veneration, and it is meant to illuminate the fragile balance of planet earth." Ben said staring up at the whales' tails. Flint walked up and looked at the black granite tailfins rising into the night sky. Flint's contact lens started to scan the statue.

"What are we looking for?" Ben asked as he traversed around the opposite side of the sculpture.

"Anything out of the ordinary that can link back to the victims." Flint replied. Breaker's scan wasn't identifying any clues. Flint reached to his ear and clicked on his earpiece.

"I can't find anything." Breaker said as the scan concluded. "Do you think there might be something else nearby?" She asked.

Flint started scanning the large field. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness, but he couldn't see anything other than the outline of the various walking paths. As he shifted back toward where they had parked, he saw a small pond in a far corner of the field.

"What's over there?" Flint asked Ben, pointing to the pond.

"That's just a small duck pond. There are some benches and a statue commemorating the dog park that stretches across the field." Ben stated.

"Another statue?" Flint asked.

"Yeah, of a dog. The owner of this field loved dogs. When he agreed to allow the sculptor place the Orcas Tails on his field, he envisioned a place where people could bring their dogs and have fun. He left it open to the public ever since." Ben said now looking in the direction of the pond.

"From the earth to the sea, now the circle of life includes me." Flint said softly aloud before starting to walk back across the field toward the statue of the dog. Ben hesitated, and then ran to catch up with Flint.

Flint arrived at the pond and turned on his flashlight. Situated under the tree line, the dog statue stood in darkness. The base of the sculpture was another stone obelisk, much like the one at Emerson Cemetery.At the top of the base stood a bronze sculpt of a collie. Breaker began to conduct a scan when Ben finally caught up to Flint.

"I will need to get a closer look at the dog. Sir, your tactical watch. I need you to hold down the two side buttons until you see a green light. Then, click both buttons simultaneously." Breaker said, and Flint lifted his hand and placed his fingers on the side buttons of his watch.

After a few seconds, the face of the watch turned green. Flint clicked both buttons again. He heard a click, and the face detached and began to hover in the air. The top of the watch, now glowing green, slowly rose up the face of the statue.

"Drone activated." Breaker said. "I am putting the video feed through now." A flash appeared in Flint's contact lens, and soon the view from the drone came into focus. Ben looked on with his mouth completely open.

"That's the coolest thing I've ever seen." Ben said as he watched the small drone fly up to inspect the statue of the dog.

"When did they put both these statues here?" Flint asked watching the drone rise.

"Had to be thirty years ago I am thinking." Ben replied. The watch face reached the top of the statue. With a flash, the drone emitted a green light illuminating the bronze dog sculpture.

"Both the Orcas Tails this dog statue were erected in 1988. That would put it right in the timeline when the Techno Viper joined Cobra, and the same year Elizabeth Binder's gravestone at the cemetery was replaced. There are too many coincidences for everything not to be related." Breaker stated. Flint quietly grunted his affirmation and looked through the screen in his eye as Breaker zoomed in. Flint saw that there was a small engraving below the sculpture of the dog.

"There is an engraving at the bottom of the statue." Flint stated.

"How can you see that?" Ben asked. Flint tapped his right eye.

"I'm wearing a contact lens that's connected to the drone feed." Flint turned his attention back to the scan of the engraving.

"So cool." Ben said softly. Flint read aloud the engraving for Ben to hear.

"For my beloved dog Katie. Courageous, Obedient, Beautiful, Respectful, Affectionate." Flint said and took a moment thinking on the inscription.

"Sir." Breaker interjected. "Look at the first letters of each word in the inscription after 'For my beloved dog Katie.' It reads C-O-B-R-A." Flint re-read the inscription and his eyes went wide. "Let me take a closer look." Breaker said, and the drone moved in, canvasing every inch of the copper dog.

"There!" Flint shouted. "On the collar. There is a Cobra insignia." Flint watched the drone feed as it faced the dog's collar. Where the nametag would be, Flint saw a tiny Cobra symbol.

"Give me one second." Breaker stated. Flint heard a few clicks and then a small beam of green light shot out of the drone onto the Cobra symbol. "Applying some pressure." Breaker stated. With a click, the symbol depressed into the sculpture and Ben and Flint heard the sound of stone on stone coming from behind the base of the statue. Walking behind the obelisk, Flint stopped short as he saw a small portion of the earth had opened, exposing a hole with a few stone steps leading down into the ground.

"Whoa." Ben exclaimed as they both aimed their flashlights down the stairwell into the dark hole.

"Give me a moment." Breaker stated, and soon the small drone made its way from the face of the statue and floated down the hole. They waited, watching the green glow coming from the ground.

"All clear, no one is down there. Hold up your watch." Breaker said as the small drone flew out of the hole. Flint raised his hand and the tiny drone reattached itself to the face of his watch. Flint then pointed his flashlight in front of him and walked down the steps. Ben followed right behind.

The stairs descended into a small stone room, about 400 square feet. Flint scanned the room with his flashlight and saw the left wall was adorned by three long metal cabinets, each about eight feet high and five feet wide. The right wall was covered with a series of hooks and latches now empty. A large monitor faced them mounted on the back wall of the room.

Below the monitor was a metal desk and a worn leather chair. Flint walked to the desk and sat in the chair. Under the desk was a keyboard tray that Flint pulled out. The keyboard looked like it was at least forty years old. To his right, Flint saw a disc drive that fit an old three-and-a-half-inch floppy disc.

"Crap. Talk about obsolete. I don't have anything right now that can hack into that thing. We might have to wait until I can get a tech team on the ground to get everything booted up." Breaker sounded disappointed as she spoke.

"How do we turn it on?" Ben asked, also looking at the outdated hardware.

Flint returned Ben a smile and reached into the inner breast pocket of his leather bomber jacket and pulled out a small plastic case. The front of the case had a sticker that read one word, Mainframe. Flint opened the case and removed three, three-and-a-half-inch floppy discs.

"No way." Breaker whispered in Flint's ear in disbelief. "Mainframe? He's a legend. What did he give you?" Breaker asked. Flint turned to Ben holding up the discs.

"An old teammate of mine called Mainframe gave me these right before I retired. Alison had her journals on an old computer of ours. Mainframe said if our computer ever went down, I could revive it with these. He also said it would work with other computers as well. Might as well give it a shot." Flint pulled out the first disc and placed in into the drive.

Suddenly the monitor on the wall lit up, and in green DOS text, a long series of code began to stream across the screen. After a few seconds, the line of code stopped, and Flint saw a cursor flashing after another line of text which read, Please Insert Disc 2. Flint removed the first disk and put in the second one and repeated the process once more. After the third disc finished processing, an image of a green Cobra signal appeared on the screen.

"Jackpot." Flint stated as the Cobra image faded away into another line of DOS text, asking for an identification number.

"I got this. Type this in." Breaker said and relayed a series of numbers to Flint who began typing as fast as he could. When he finished, the screen flashed, and a menu appeared.

"I'm in." Breaker exclaimed. "Give me one second." Breaker took over, and soon, the screens began to change in rapid succession as Breaker scanned the files, looking for anything that could tie into the murders.

"Hang on, check this out." Breaker said, and the three large metal cabinets on the left wall opened. Flint and Ben walked closer and saw what looked like three robots, all partially disassembled.

"What are those?" Ben asked, starting at the tech.

"Battle Android Troopers, or B.A.T.S. They were a serious threat years ago and were the forefront of intelligent cybernetic technology." Flint said as he looked at the robots.

Each robot had its face and chest plate removed which contained the CPU. Two of the robots were missing their right arms and one was missing both legs. Flint wondered why someone would disassemble the B.A.T.s instead of taking the robots in their entirety.

"I just ran a check and confirmed that Mindbender and the Techno Viper had accessed this computer since it was installed. I also ran a cross check on the owner of the field. It looks like the company that was commissioned to put up the Orcas Tails and the Dog statues was Enterprise Industries, the old Cobra front. My guess is the owner didn't even know this bunker existed. I am also seeing a lot of files associated with the B.A.T. program." Breaker paused.

"Sir, I found a file on Alison." Breaker said. A moment later, a picture of Alison appeared on the screen in full fatigues. It was an aerial photo, and she was on some base, standing and looking down at a clipboard.

DOS text appeared at the top left of the screen reading, Agent: Lady Jaye. The screen continued to shuffle through multiple photos of Alison all stamped as Top Secret. Suddenly the monitor went black and a line of text appeared reading Next of Kin.

"Flint, you need to see this." Breaker spoke softly in Flint's ear.

The screen began to scroll through a list of addresses and stopped on one. Breaker highlighted the address and enlarged the text. Ben's mouth dropped open as he stared at his own name and address. Flint walked over to Ben and grabbed his shoulder.

"We need to get you out of here right now." Flint said, and he and Ben quickly ascended the stone steps. When they stepped out into the night air, Flint took out his watch and activated the drone to close the bunker door.

"Sir, I will set up a secure safe house and notify the police to pick up Ben's wife. I will text you the coordinates." Breaker stated, and then she went silent as Flint heard a click in his ear. The small green drone reattached itself to Flint's watch and he turned to walk back toward the car. Ben stood still not moving.

"What did all that mean? Why did they have my address?" Ben asked. A look of terror was on his face.

"Alison was one of our top team members. She had a lot of friends as well as a lot of enemies. It appears that the killer is targeting the family of some of our deceased teammates and associates. Being Alison's cousin and the fact that we just found your address on the computer in that bunker makes you a prime target." Flint looked at Ben as he took everything in.

"I need to call my wife." Ben said taking out his phone.

"We will get you and your wife to a safe house tonight. Right now, we need to get going. They should be texting me the address any second." Flint took out his phone and saw an address flash on the screen." He looked up at Ben. "Let's go." Immediately, they jogged to the van and sped off out of the parking lot.

Chapter 17

The Friday morning sunrise created an orange and red glow across the sky, painting the bottom of the clouds as the sun rose into the new day. Jessie sat in Ordinary Grounds, sipping a coffee, typing away on her laptop. A small hawk feather was tied into the right side of her hair and she wore a beaded turquoise necklace, fitted brown leather jacket, jeans, and sneakers. The morning rush had not quite started and there was only one other person sitting in the coffee shop reading his newspaper.

Jessie's fingers moved quickly across the keyboard as she ran a background check on Courtney Thompson, the girl identified as the second victim. Jessie had not been able to access Courtney's social media pages like she had for Craig, but through the public records database, Jessie was able to identify her siblings and was now checking her parents.

As the inquiry processed, Jessie toggled back to the local news website that had posted a brief article on the second murder. Jessie had already read it over five times. Taking a sip of her coffee, she read it a sixth.

Yesterday, at approximately two thirty in the afternoon, Courtney Thompson, age twenty-one from Richford, was found deceased near Emerson Cemetery. Police have not indicated if there is a connection to the murder that occurred at an apartment building on Pine Street the previous evening. Police have reported they are currently pursuing a suspect, but do not have any additional information to share at this time. Lakeside Police are receiving assistance from all possible agencies in the area who are pooling their resources to apprehend the suspect.

For the next forty-eight hours, the police will be enforcing a nine o'clock curfew at night for anyone under the age of twenty-five. Police also encourage people to try to carpool and drive to their destinations. If you are on foot, you are encouraged to walk in groups of two or more. The police will be providing ongoing updates as they uncover more information and are urging anyone who was in the area of Emerson Cemetery around two thirty in the afternoon yesterday and saw anything suspicious, to please contact the tip line below.

Jessie frowned as she read the report. What did it mean when the police said they were pursuing a suspect? There was no mention of a description of who they were looking for. The only solid piece of information the article provided was the name of the second victim.

With that, Jessie toggled back to the public records page and saw her previous search had generated a list of names. As she read through the list, the name of the victim's grandfather jumped out at her, Private First-Class James Thompson. Just like the first victim, Courtney had a grandfather associated with the military. Jessie wondered if this was the connection she was looking for. As she did a search of the Private's name, a few hits appeared. Jessie read that Private First-Class James Thompson had been dishonorably discharged.

Jessie stopped reading and lifted her head to think. While both victims had grandparents with military associations, one was a posthumous hero, and the other was discharged dishonorably. The two couldn't be farther apart Jessie thought, as she frustratingly folded her arms and wondered if there was anything she missed. Pondering the connection between the victims, Jessie saw an email alert appear in the bottom right of her computer screen.

Toggling to her email, Jessie saw the message was from her editor. He wanted her to stop by his office right away when she got to campus. Jessie realized that she hadn't contacted him since everything had happened. She figured he probably wanted to make sure she was ok.

Jessie replied to her editor and let him know she was on her way. Closing her computer, Jessie heard her phone buzz and looked down to see Elise had texted her. Just like Jessie, Elise had received an email from their editor and was heading to the Journalism Department. Jessie finished her coffee, put her computer in her backpack, and headed out the door.

As Jessie entered the attic of Brentview Hall, her editor popped his head out of the office and waved her in. Jessie knew from the look on his face that he was upset. Jessie and Elise's editor, stood about five and a half feet thin, was in his late forties, and was completely bald. When Jessie entered his office, she saw Elise and another man sitting in the room.

Jessie didn't recognize the other man but was taken aback by his stature. Large, clearly of Native American heritage, the man sat in an adjacent chair wearing a goose down jacket, jeans and boots. A large cowboy hat rested gently in his lap adorned with a beaded medallion and two long eagle feathers running down the side.

A gigantic knife was strapped to his side. Jessie noticed that the beadwork on his hat and the hilt of his knife were made in the traditional style of the Pueblo people of Taos, New Mexico. Her editor turned to her and motioned her to sit down. Jessie took a seat as her editor introduced the man.

"Jessie. Elise. This is General Iron-Knife. He is here helping the police investigate the two recent murders, one of them occurring at your apartment I believe?" Jessie's editor gave her a sour look.

He was obviously upset she hadn't reached out to him, and now by being completely blindsided by the General sitting in his office. Immediately, Jessie thought back to the military connection between both victims. The General's presence seemed to confirm she was on the right track. Giving a slight nod to their editor, the General smiled warmly at Elise and Jessie.

"Hello." The General said in a low soothing voice. "I hear that you two have decided to start conducting a little investigation of your own?" The General asked leaning forward producing the manila envelope that contained the photos of the mountain lion's claw and paw prints. He slowly removed the pictures and laid them on the coffee table in front of everyone.

"Please let me know where you got these?" The General asked as he continued to lean in toward Elise and Jessie. Jessie looked at the General and felt compelled to tell the truth.

"We got them last night behind our apartment. I climbed our next-door neighbor's tree and took those." Jessie replied and pointed at the photos of the scratches on the branch.

"And I climbed on our neighbor's roof and took those." Elise stated, pointing at the photos of the paw prints. Their editor took the pictures off the table and began examining them, giving Jessie and Elise a short glare. Spirit chuckled a little to himself and sat back in his chair.

"You know you are currently interfering and obstructing with a police and military investigation? There could be serious charges leveled you know?" Spirit continued to lean back in the chair. Jessie's editor put down the pictures and looked at the General with resistance.

"General. As these two students have already stated, they were not in the crime scene but at an adjacent apartment. I can't see how that violates your investigation." Jessie's editor stated. Jessie smiled to herself realizing their editor was protecting them. Spirit stared at the editor, eventually making him look down at his shoes. He turned back to Jessie and Elise making an open gesture with his hands.

"Ok. So, what are your theories then? Do you think a Catamount is responsible for these killings?" Spirit questioned Jessie, intently watching her as she responded. Jessie was a little surprised the General was able to make the identification from the photos. She composed herself and replied.

"Yes, we do." Jessie said, sitting up defiantly. Spirit looked at her slightly impressed.

"Have you been able to connect the lion to the second murder?" Spirit asked. Jessie lowered her head.

"No, we haven't. But if there is another attack, we might be able to." Jessie responded. Spirit let out another chuckle and smile.

"Unfortunately, your investigation will have to cease. It is true, I cannot force you to stop, but in a few hours, I can produce official means and paperwork that will make things extremely difficult for yourselves and the University." Ending the conversation, Spirit stood up, put on his hat, and placed the photos back in the manila envelope. Towering over their editor, Spirit reached out and firmly shook his hand. On the way out of the office, he gave a smile to everyone in the room, tipped the brim of his hat, and closed the door behind him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Their editor shouted at Elise and Jessie after he was sure the General had left the office. "You two were witnesses to a horrific murder, but instead of taking some time to get over it like normal kids, you go head first into the fire." He stood fuming at Jessie and Elise.

"We had planned to tell you everything this morning. We didn't know the police would be here?" Elise said.

"Not the police, the army. People are getting killed and now the army is involved." Their editor shouted as he ran his hands over his bald head. Again, Jessie thought back to the military association between both victims. There was definitely a connection.

"There was no mention of the army in any of the news reports." Jessie interjected.

"All the more reason to not get involved!" Their editor interrupted. "Look, I know you were both well within your rights as reporters to have investigated the way you did, but you are still students here at Lakeside, and I am your teacher. I took an oath to protect my students you know? How would it look if I allowed a couple of kids to report on an ongoing murder investigation?" Their editor's chest was heaving.

Jessie looked at the floor. He was right. What they were doing was borderline crazy. But after the sudden appearance of the General, Jessie had a feeling things were far from over. In fact, the General's appearance seemed to confirm they were on the right track. While dangerous, she felt compelled to continue with her story.

"Regardless of what the General says, I say you two are off this story. Effective immediately." Their editor stated. The sudden dejection hit Jessie in her gut.

"You both witnessed a traumatic situation that happened right in your apartment. Don't you want to take some time off, see your families, talk to someone?" Their editor asked, looking truly concerned.

"We're fine." Elise said, giving Jessie a slight nod. "We just need to keep working. That's what has helped us the most through the past two days." Elise said sitting back in her chair. Their editor continued to run his hands over his head.

"Ok, ok. I get it. Of course you can keep working. But not on the murders. In case you have forgotten, both of you are assigned to the Global Alliance Ceremony later on today where they are announcing their new director, Deborah Minh. This is an important event in Lakeside history, and I want it prominently featured in our next edition." Their editor said as he sat on the front of his desk and clasped his hands together. "Ok?"

Jessie and Elise nodded. Jessie reserved herself to the fact that even though she knew they were on the right track, until another attack happened, there was nothing they could do but wait. Between now and then, the best thing for them to do was to keep working.

"Ok Chief." Jessie replied and stood up. Elise got up right after. "We'll head down to the Waterfront and make sure you get a page one story."

Chapter 18

Lakeside Waterfront Park was a large recreational area that ran west along the shoreline. Long cement walkways big enough to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists zig zagged across the expansive and open field. In the summer, the Waterfront would host the Lakeside Chew Chew Fest, a festival highlighting Vermont's local restaurants, as well as the famed Maple Valley Jazz Festival. A long pier jetted out onto the lake with boats docked to the left, and a large boathouse situated on the right.

The Lakeside Boathouse was a two-story wooden structure with a café and bar on the first floor, and an open space on the second floor that was reserved for public and private events. Today, the Lakeside Global Alliance Program had rented the space to introduce their new director, Deborah Minh.

The top floor of the boathouse was decorated with round tables, chairs, and a small stage, with a podium for the presenters to speak. Deborah Minh sat in a chair behind the podium reviewing her notes. As the youngest Director in the history of the Global Alliance Program, Deborah didn't want to sound unprepared. There would be members of the press in the audience along with her peers, and she wanted to convey that she was ready to take charge.

A graduate student at Lakeside University, Deborah came to Vermont with her grandfather twelve years ago. Her grandparents had immigrated to the US from Vietnam and first settled on the southeastern coast of Florida. Using the money he brought over, her grandfather purchased a fishing boat and began a chartering business, eventually earning enough money to buy a home and start a family. Deborah's father was set to take over the business but was caught in a storm and washed out to sea when she was only eight years old.

Deborah's mother and grandfather had raised her until her mother passed away eleven years later from lung cancer. Unlike her father's sudden death, her mother had fought for years, and in the end, Deborah comforted herself in the fact that her mom was no longer in pain. Shortly after her mother's death, Deborah's grandfather decided to sell the charter and the two moved up to Lakeside.

After coming to Vermont, Deborah thought that she would feel out of place with her Vietnamese heritage, but was surprised to find multiple Vietnamese families had resettled in the area. Deborah made it her mission to help these families and with her background, found she was in a unique position to do so. After high school, she enrolled at Lakeside University and got a degree in social work.

After completing her bachelors, Deborah continued at the University and got her Masters. It was then that she began working for the Global Alliance Program. Some of the programs that Deborah spearheaded included a literacy program, a parent education program, and a work study program. It wasn't long after joining the Global Alliance that she was promoted, and found herself as its newest Director.

Deciding to review her notes one last time, Deborah frowned as she looked down at the first line of her speech. It had been crossed out. To open, Deborah had planned to thank her grandfather and she desperately wanted him to be there. Unfortunately, he couldn't make it. He was getting older and fragile, and was always a little paranoid around large crowds.

Guests started to enter the room sitting down in their chairs. Deborah's assistant ran up and started helping her with her microphone. Within a few minutes, the room was packed with familiar and unfamiliar faces. Deborah took it all in and then slowly walked up to the podium and began her speech.

"Thank you everyone for coming today. It is truly a humble honor to accept the role as Director of the Lakeside Global Alliance Program. I am not sure if many of you know, but my grandfather immigrated to the US from Vietnam and worked tirelessly to make a new life here in the states. In Vietnam, my grandfather was a Captain in the Navy. Captain Minh was his title. However, due to circumstances that many others have faced, he had to start over, and decided to do so in the US.

After my mother died, my grandfather brought me to Riverbury, Vermont, just outside of Lakeside. Soon after, I enrolled in the University. It wasn't long before I realized I was right where I belonged. Today, just like my grandfather, or Captain Minh as I still lovingly call him, I would like to share how we can begin a new journey as we continue our work together."

Deborah continued speaking with confidence and when she finished, the top floor of the boathouse burst into a raucous applause. As the cheers and camera flashes began to dissipate, her assistant jumped in front of the mic and let everyone know that they were hosting a reception downstairs with food, beer, and wine.

The crowd quickly started to file down to the first floor of the boathouse while Deborah remained by the podium. After telling her assistant to head to the reception and start having fun, she took a seat by one of the front tables. Deborah just wanted to take a moment to reflect. She sat and looked at her notecards. She had really hoped her grandfather had come.

After a few minutes she decided to join the rest of the party. Standing in front of her blocking her path however, was an older man with long brown hair wearing a leather trench coat. His eyes were jet black and his hair was well manicured.

"I was heading down to the reception, if that is where you're going?" Deborah asked. The man stood silent.

"Well, I will see you there." Deborah said as she quickly moved past the man. Something about him frightened her.

"I deeply enjoyed your speech." He finally said, his voice was soft but grisly.

"I especially liked when you shared that story about your grandfather. I found it most interesting." The man said and then stood silent.

"Thank you, he means a lot to me." Feeling creeped out by the conversation, Deborah decided it was time for her to leave and turned to walk down the stairs.

"Oh please Ms. Minh, one more thing." The man said, looking on pleadingly. Deborah stopped to face him.

"I was wondering if you could give your grandfather a message for me?" The man asked smiling politely.

"A message?" Deborah looked confused. "Do I know you?" She asked.

The man took two steps to face her and opened his trench coat. Deborah took a defensive step back. Reaching into his coat, he slowly pulled out a hatchet from behind his back. Deborah gasped and held her hand out in front of her.

"Wait." She said. But before she could scream, he was on her.

Raising the hatchet high over his head, the man brought it down violently. Deborah was able to deflect the blow from hitting her square in the forehead, but it cut deep into her right shoulder. The pain arrived instantly, and Deborah felt as if she was going to pass out.

Seeing him circle around for another blow, Deborah forced herself to remain conscious and turned to face her attacker. Swinging the hatchet up from his knees, the man spun around and struck Deborah square in the stomach. She grabbed the handle of the hatchet, wrapping her fingers around the iron grip of the killer. Trying to call out for help, Deborah was only able to let out a gargled whimper.

As she dropped to her knees, Deborah looked up and saw her assistant appear at the top of the stairs. Taking in the scene of horror, he dropped his phone and instinctually turned to run. Deborah's attacker crouched and leapt toward him, soaring in the air toward her assistant. He covered an impossible distance in one swift leap.

Dropping to a squat, the attacker swept Deborah's assistant's legs out from under him bringing him crashing to the ground. Hopping up, the attacker then raised the hatchet above his head and brought it straight down on the boy. Deborah strained as she tried to get her legs to move but ended up collapsing on the floor. With the last ounce of energy she had, Deborah let out a scream as the rest of her world went black.

Jessie and Elise were at the reception camped in front of the shrimp and cheese plate when they heard Deborah's scream. Jessie saw a guest race up to the second floor of the boathouse only to come stumbling back down in a state of panic. He yelled for someone to call 911 shouting that Deborah and her assistant had been stabbed. A succession of gasps moved through the audience as a few people ran up the stairs past the first responder who was now sitting on the steps with his head in his hands.

Jessie and Elise exchanged glances as three policemen who were on duty at the event ran to help. One of the officers stood at the bottom of the stairs, blocking off access to the scene. With the immediate police presence, Jessie and Elise realized there would be no chance for them to get up to the second floor to investigate. Looking left and right, Jessie scanned the Waterfront for anyone suspicious.

Elise took out her phone and began taking pictures of the chaos. Jessie's mind raced as she tried to process what just happened. There was another attack. But this time, it wasn't a student, it was a prominent member of the Lakeside community. It didn't fit with everything else. Quickly, Jessie thought back, wondering if she saw anything suspicious when Deborah was giving her speech.

Jessie couldn't remember anything or anyone standing out. What had happened caught her completely off guard. Nothing about this attack made sense. An ambulance arrived and a group of EMTs rushed to the boathouse and up the stairs. Two additional police cruisers also arrived, and officers began blocking off the entire building.

Jessie and Elise watched as the paramedics carried Deborah Minh down on a stretcher and raced her to the ambulance. It looked like Deborah was still alive. Another ambulance arrived, and two more paramedics raced up to the boathouse.

Listening to the conversations around them, Jessie and Elise learned that Deborah was still breathing and being raced to the hospital. However, her assistant had been killed. People around them were walking aimlessly, some hugging each other, many crying.

"It looks like a warzone." Elise said as she continued to watch the commotion around them.

"A warzone." Jessie repeated softly to herself. She was deep in thought. "Elise." Jessie said as she stopped walking.

"Remember Deborah Minh's speech. She mentioned her grandfather was in the Navy." Jessie said and looked at Elise.

"Captain Minh? So?" Elise asked, waiting for Jessie to continue.

"So?" Jessie was surprised that Elise wasn't following her train of thought. "So, Deborah is another victim whose grandfather had ties to the military."

"But her grandfather served in the Vietnam Navy. The first victim's grandfather was in the UN and collaborated with the military, and the second victim's grandfather was dishonorably discharged from the army. Sure, they all have military in their family, but I don't see the connection." Elise said.

"Ok, true. But then why is our military here in Lakeside helping with the investigation? And why haven't the police mentioned anything about the army's involvement? What if the army is helping the police because there is a connection between the victims' grandfathers?" Jessie paused to take a breath. Elise had her hand over her mouth, thinking on what Jessie had said.

"You have a point." Elise said slowly nodding to herself. She looked up at Jessie. "So, what do you want to do?"

"In her speech Deborah said that her grandfather, Captain Minh,lived up in Riverbury right?" Jessie asked.

"Yes, that's right." Elise responded.

"I think we should go up there and talk to him. See if he knows anything about the other two victims. It's a half hour north. We'll be back before dark." Jessie looked at Elise. Elise put her hand back over her mouth, pondering what Jessie said.

"What about his granddaughter Deborah? She's just been attacked, don't you think that she'll be his main concern? What if we get there and he doesn't know what happened?" Elise said looking worried.

"Then, we'll have to tell him. We can offer him a ride back to Riverside to see her. Maybe sometime during everything he'll want to talk. But if we don't try to talk to him now, once the police and military get to him, that's it. The story is over." Jessie looked desperately at Elise. She knew that what she was suggesting crossed into an ethical gray area, but if they wanted to write this story, she saw no other way around it. After a long pause, Elise responded.

"You're right. If there is any hope of us continuing on with this story, talking to Captain Minh does sound like our only option." Elise gave Jessie a heavy smile and the two quickly headed in the direction of Jessie's car for the journey north to Riverbury.

Chapter 19

Flint arrived at the Waterfront in Ben's blue minivan. Breaker had requisitioned two magnetic decals printed with the local Airport Security logo, along with a government issued license plate. With just a few cosmetic changes, Ben's minivan had converted into a clandestine sleeper car. Flint parked off to the far side of the Waterfront and walked across the open field toward the Boathouse.

College kids sped by on bicycles and skateboards, many oblivious to the emergency vehicles parked by the shore. Flint looked out over Waterfront Park at everyone walking, riding, and enjoying themselves, thinking how easy it would be for the killer to blend in and disappear.

Sheriff Douglas stood by the entrance of the Boathouse. The Sheriff was pacing back and forth, talking on his radio, his face tense. Flint walked up and reached out his hand to introduce himself. The Sheriff turned and abruptly ended his radio conversation.

"Hello Sheriff. My name is Flint. I believe the General mentioned I was investigating these murders." Flint said. The Sheriff took a step back, looking Flint over.

"Yes, he did say you were in town. Thank you for your help. Were you able to glean anything from the second crime scene?" The Sheriff asked.

"We did. Like the first victim, the second victim's grandfather had ties to our military investigation. What happened here?" Flint said, motioning to second floor of the boathouse.

"This was supposed to be a ceremony announcing the new director of the Global Alliance, Deborah Minh. Instead, it turned into another attack. Deborah was severely wounded, and her assistant was killed. Same style killing as the other two homicides. We left the assistant's body untouched for you to investigate." The Sheriff paused to see if Flint had anything to add.

"Do they expect the woman to live?" Flint asked.

"It is still too early, but she has a chance, and the doctors will do everything they can to save her." The Sheriff replied. Flint could understand how important it was to the Sheriff and rest of the town that she survive. The Sheriff led Flint through the Boathouse Café to the stairs leading up to the second floor.

"The ceremony was upstairs. Do you need any help?" The Sheriff asked looking up the stairs.

"No, thank you. I work better alone. I will debrief with you when I come back down." Flint stated and looked at the Sheriff who nodded and stepped away. Flint activated his earpiece as he walked up the stairs to talk to Breaker.

When Flint reached the top of the stairs he immediately saw evidence of a struggle. His contact lens activated, and the digital schematic began to analyze the blood stains on the floor and the tables and chairs as they lay strewn across the room. After the data processed, Flint suddenly saw the digital outline of two bodies begin to reenact the attack.

"Sir. I am starting a simulation of the attack based on the evidence now." Breaker stated.

Flint saw an outline of who he assumed was the killer try to stab the victim in the head, but missed and hit her in the shoulder. Then, the attacker stabbed the victim in the stomach as she fell to the ground. The killer turned turn toward the top of the stairs as Deborah's assistant walked unknowingly into the attack. The digital reenactment ended with Deborah's assistant getting stabbed, and the suspect jumping off the back ledge into Waterfront Park.

Flint peered out onto the park from the ledge where Breaker's analysis predicted the killer escaped. He then turned to look at Deborah's assistant who was laid sprawled out on his back. Crouching down, Flint inspected the cuts that streaked across his chest and stomach.

"Something's wrong. The wounds are different." Flint spoke softly. From his contact lens, Breaker brought up crime scene photos of the first two victims. Then, Flint saw Breaker take a succession of photos of Deborah's assistant, and then place them on the screen next to the other pictures for Flint to compare.

"You are right Sir. Preliminary analysis shows that the wounds on this victim are deeper, cleaner, and shorter in length than the first two. The wounds on the first and second victims appear to have their flesh torn, possibly from a serrated blade. With this victim though, the cuts are more precise, like they were done with a clean edge." Breaker continued to hit the keys on her keyboard. Flint nodded and placed his hand on his chin as he compared the photos.

"Have you found any connections to Cobra, Mindbender and or the Techno Viper?" Flint asked, hoping there was something that would tie everything together. Before he got the call that someone else had been murdered, Flint was sure that Ben was the next target. This attack took him completely by surprise.

"It looks like Deborah's grandfather used to run a fishing charter down in Florida. We have multiple reports he chartered supplies and personnel on and off Cobra Island." Breaker responded. Flint was relieved she found a connection.

"Were Mindbender and the Techno Viper mentioned in any of Minh's charters?" Flint asked.

"Yes. There were two charters between the months of January and February of 1990. The first charter was marked as food and medical supplies. The passenger manifesto indicates that Mindbender and a unit of Techno Vipers were aboard." Breaker typed a few more keystrokes and continued.

"On the second charter, it looks like Minh had listed his cargo as medical equipment and personnel. There were five passengers listed. I am bringing up the manifest right now." After a few more keystrokes, Flint saw a list of names appear on the screen projecting from his contact lens. None of the names stood out. Flint figured they were probably all aliases.

"We also have surveillance photos from the second charter. Let me bring them up." Breaker stated.

A few moments later a series of aerial photos appeared depicting a massive crab boat. Instead of the deck being covered with stacks of crab pots though, Flint saw large objects covered in canvas tarps. Looking closer, Flint could see the outline of some of the passengers. Flint asked Breaker to zoom in on the figures.

While the images were grainy, Flint could make out the few people who were standing out on the deck. He saw what looked like a teenage boy, and two tall men, one African American, and one Caucasian, both staring out to sea. Flint scanned the rest of the photos and paused on an image of another man sitting on a crate by the bow of the ship. The man was wearing a brown cowl and a long trench coat.

There was something familiar about him. Unfortunately, the poor quality of the photo prevented Flint from identifying the individual. Flint continued to fixate on the image of the man in the brown cowl.

"How were these photos taken?" Flint asked. "The quality doesn't look like they came from satellite imagery."

"No. The photos were taken from a SkyHawk fly by." Breaker replied.

"Who was the pilot?" Flint asked.

"The agent listed was Beachhead." Breaker answered.

"Beachhead?" Flint asked. He hadn't spoken with Beachhead since he retired. "Is he retired?"

"No Sir. Beachhead is currently a Brigadier General and helps to oversee our Urban Combat Unit. I can get him on the line if you like. Do you think he might remember something about the fly by?" Breaker suggested.

"I hope so." Flint replied. Smiling, he knew that Beachhead would someday cement himself as one of the leaders of the team. Flint stood up on the top floor of the Boathouse and patiently waited to reconnect with his old teammate.

Brigadier GeneralBeachhead sat at his desk in his third-floor Pentagon office in Washington DC. A neat stack of papers sat to his left, while a thin silver laptop rested unfolded in front of him. A phone and a tall tin pencil holder were stationed to his right side. Tapping his fingers impatiently on his desk, Beachhead opened his desk drawer and took out a small mahogany hilted fishing knife and then removed a tall yellow pencil. Slowly, Beachhead started to sharpen his pencil with the blade.

While Beachhead was honored to be in his position, much of his time was now spent in boardrooms and in the Command Center. The only action he was allowed to participate in was off the field, coaching his men on a monitor with a headset, running the X's and O's from a far. At sixty-two, he still did his customary 100 push-ups a day, and took a two-mile jog three times a week, but his ability to be physically competent on the field had deteriorated. His mind though, was still sharper than any of his pencils.

Beachhead turned to his phone after it chirped and started to blink. Looking down, he pressed the speaker button and waited. The voice of his assistant came over the receiver.

"Sir, I have Communications Officer Breaker on the line for you with an urgent request." His assistant stated. Beachhead looked at his phone a little perplexed. He remembered when Breaker had transitioned into her father's position years ago, but she was assigned to a completely different unit.

"Put her through, please." Beachhead responded, looking at the phone intrigued.

"Sir. Thank you for taking my call. So sorry to bother you." Breaker said.

"Not a problem at all. What can I do for you?" Beachhead asked.

"I am working with a recently reinstated agent who was a teammate of yours, Warrant Officer Flint." Breaker paused.

Beachhead's mouth dropped open. The last time he saw Flint was when he retired. When Lady Jaye was killed, Flint shut down. He lasted a little while after her death, but when he finally retired, Beachhead thought he would never hear from him again.

"We are currently investigating a series of murders up in Lakeside, Vermont. We have found an old Cobra connection among the victims' grandparents. Our current investigation has identified these relatives as Dr. Mindbender, one of his Techno Vipers, and a Captain Minh, who used run charters from Florida to Cobra Island." Breaker paused and then continued.

"Flint is at the third crime scene where Captain Minh's granddaughter was just attacked. We have linked Mindbender and the Techno Viper to two of Captain Minh's charters between January and February of 1990. We have surveillance photos from one of the charters taken from a SkyHawk fly by. Our records indicate you were the pilot. Flint was wondering if you might remember anything." Breaker finished her report.

Beachhead sat in his chair completely floored. He had no idea that the recent killings he had seen on the news up in Lakeside, Vermont were related to Cobra, let alone that Flint was back on the team and investigating. On top of all that, Flint had tracked down a connection that involved a fly by he conducted almost three decades ago. Beachhead strained as he tried to remember.

"Please, please. Put him through." Beachhead replied.

"Beachhead?" Flint asked?

"Flint? How are you?" Beachhead found he was smiling. "Breaker brought me up to speed on your investigation. She said that you are currently reinstated to the team?"

"Yes. Temporary reinstatement. I'm here because Alison's cousin Ben inadvertently called me for help. The first victim was one of his students. Can you remember anything about the fly by?" Flint's voice still sounded strong and alert after all these years.

"Not off the top of my head. You wouldn't be able to share any of the surveillance images you're looking at?" Beachhead asked. A moment later, Beachhead's laptop flashed on, and his cursor began to move on its own, searching through multimedia folders until it opened an image onto the screen." Beachhead stared at the grainy image of the man in the brown cowl and his eyes widened.

"Raptor." Beachhead said confidently. "The individual in the picture is Raptor. I remember now. He had met Mindbender on Cobra Island after this charter. They were conspiring to replace Cobra Commander when they were caught and imprisoned. Raptor died while incarcerated there of botulism. We have additional evidence his body was retrieved and confirmed dead by a unit of Cobra Toxo and Techno Vipers."

"Wait. Did you say that Techno Vipers were involved in retrieving Raptor's body?" Flint's voiced sounded excited.

"That's correct. Raptor was one of those weird Cobra operatives. He could control birds." Beachhead said chuckling to himself, thinking back to the days when both he and Flint were in their primes.

"Do you remember if he could control any other animals?" Flint asked.

"Not that I can remember." Beachhead said as he leaned forward in his chair close to the phone. "You don't think Raptor is still alive, do you?"

"The first victim was related to Dr. Mindbender and the second victim was related to a Techno Viper under Mindbender's command. If this Techno Viper retrieved Raptor's body and returned it to Mindbender, Mindbender might have brought Raptor back to life." Flint replied.

"It wouldn't be the first time Mindbender brought someone back." Beachhead said, leaning in his chair, thinking intently.

"No, it wouldn't, and it now makes perfect sense." Flint paused. "Beachhead, thank you. Unfortunately, I have to go, but when I come to DC to debrief, I'll be sure to stop by your office. You can take me out on that big government budget you got in your wallet." Flint joked sincerely.

"Anytime old friend." Beachhead realized he was still smiling. "It will be great to see you and if you need help, give me a call. I would do anything to get my hands dirty again." Beachhead said and gently pressed the speaker button off on his phone. Laughing softly to himself, he sat in his chair and continued to sharpen the pencil with his knife.

Flint looked down at Deborah Minh's assistant and turned away. The conversation with Beachhead was enlightening. It all fit together. The static in his ear returned as Breaker came back on.

"Sir, do you really think that Mindbender brought Raptor back to life?" Breaker asked.

"I do. Like Beachhead said, it wouldn't be the first time Mindbender brought someone back. He probably wanted to experiment and exploit Raptor's unique abilities." Flint walked to the far end of the boathouse and looked out onto the lake.

"Do you think Mindbender used B.A.T parts to put Raptor back together?" Breaker asked. Flint remembered the three partially disassembled robots in the abandoned Cobra bunker by the Orca's Tails.

"Could very well be." Flint said and walked back to Deborah's assistant's body, crouching down inspecting his wounds. "Breaker. Can you please bring up the photos of the first victims again?" Immediately, the images returned in Flint's view. Looking at the serrated flesh from the cuts on the first victims, Flint finally made the connection.

"It was an animal." Flint whispered in disbelief.

"What? Sir? Didn't you say the killer's tech created an illusion of an animal?" Breaker sounded a little confused.

"We were half right." Flint stood up, his brow tightened as everything clicked in his head. "We were right that there was someone targeting individuals with a past association with Cobra. We know now that this person was Raptor." Flint stated.

"But like you said." Breaker interjected, following Flint's train of thought. "Mindbender's motives might have also been to exploit Raptor's ability to control birds. What if he enhanced Raptor's abilities to control other animals?"

"Exactly." Flint was now pacing back and forth. "If Raptor could control birds before Mindbender got to him, who knows what he could control now?"

"Apparently something big enough to tear apart the first two students." Breaker added.

"Correct. Ok. Let's review." Flint wanted to go over everything, so they could carefully plan their next move. "The three victims all had relatives, long dead with some association to Cobra. These Cobra associates…"

"Sir." Breaker interrupted. "Mindbender and the Techno Viper are the ones who are deceased. According to my records, Captain Minh is still alive. He lives in a town called Riverbury about twenty miles north of here." Flint hesitated for a second and then found himself racing down the stairs.

"Contact Sprit and get the police to Captain Minh's house now. The Sheriff and I will head over from here." Flint said as he raced out of the boathouse.

"Head to the airport. I will have a helicopter ready." Breaker said as she clicked off.

Flint found the Sheriff and ran toward him. He rapidly told the Sheriff about Deborah's grandfather and that they had to get to his house in Riverbury immediately. Something in Flint's gut told him Captain Minh's house would be where the next attack would happen. He was sure of it.

Chapter 20

Jessie and Elise slowly drove down the long dirt driveway that lead to the home of Captain Minh. Small enough for only one car at a time, the driveway was covered by a natural canopy of trees rising up from each side of the road. Streaks of sunlight broke through as they made their way down the road.

Before turning down the drive, Jessie had stopped at the Riverbury Country Store, an old New England style home renovated for retail. The store provided a wide array of essentials from groceries, to sweaters and hats, to fishing and hunting gear, to deli sandwiches, and creemes. Having lived and traveled around Vermont for her entire life, Jessie knew that a small-town store would have someone who knew where the Captain lived.

After grabbing a couple of waters and some peperoni sticks, Jessie had begun inquiring about Captain Minh. Deciding to be completely honest, Jessie told the clerk that she was a reporter for Lakeside University and that they had come from the Lakeside Global Alliance reception where Deborah Minh was attacked. Jessie said they had drove up to tell the Captain and to offer him a ride back to Lakeside to see his granddaughter.

The clerk asked if the Captain's granddaughter was ok. Not knowing Deborah's status, Jessie relayed that she was rushed to Lakeside Hospital. The clerk had written down directions to the Captain's house without hesitating. In these small towns, people looked out each other, the clerk had said, handing the piece of paper to Jessie.

Jessie continued the slow drive down the narrow dirt road to Captain Minh's house. When they were back in cell phone range, Jessie and Elise had agreed they would call the police and let them know they were taking Captain Minh to the hospital. Jessie was hoping that during the drive back to Lakeside, the Captain might provide the connection between Dr. Brian Binder and Private James Thompson.

The sun began to stream through the windshield as the natural tree canopy disappeared above them as the driveway opened into a small clearing. Captain Minh's trailer home sank into a corner by the tree line. Weeds and vines snaked around the sides of the house, and the front was stained with shades of green from years of use.

A rusted red pickup truck was parked to the right of the trailer with no wheels, propped up on large wooden blocks. Jessie pulled to a stop. Turning to the passenger side, Jessie saw Elise had taken out a small revolver and was checking the cylinder.

"Why did you bring that?" Jessie asked a little alarmed to see the gun.

"For protection, why do you think?" Elise responded. She put the gun in her bag and turned to face Jessie. "A mountain lion has already killed three people, maybe four. I am not taking any chances. I like us better when we're alive." Elise said as she smiled at Jessie.

Jessie knew Elise owned the revolver. Elise had mentioned a few times that she owned a gun and knew how to shoot, clean, and take it apart and put it back together. She believed it was a valuable skill to have.

Jessie didn't have an opinion in the matter. She had never owned a gun but never felt strong either way. Now however, with a blood thirsty mountain lion on the loose, having someone who owned a gun and knew how to use it didn't seem like such a bad thing.

Elise opened her door and stepped out of the car. As they walked up to the front of the trailer, Jessie took a deep breath and knocked on the door. There was no reply. Jessie knocked louder but again, there was no answer. Walking back down the front steps, Jessie and Elise looked around the trailer.

"Maybe he isn't home?" Elise suggested.

"Or he went out on a walk or something." Jessie added and walked back up to the front door and knocked loudly, this time calling out for Captain Minh. Still no response.

Jessie tried the handle and found that it was unlocked. Slowly opening the door, she softly called out the Captain's name. Elise had now come up right behind her and they were halfway through the doorway, leaning and peering inside.

The trailer was dark and quiet. The doorway opened into a small kitchen with a living room on the left and a bedroom on the right side. Jessie walked into the kitchen and Elise checked the bedroom. No one was there.

Slowly walking into the living room, Jessie and Elise saw that is was sparsely decorated. A deflated woolen couch rested on the right wall next to an old bookcase scattered with various paperbacks and hardcovers. An old Zenith television sat under a small window in front of them. A worn leather recliner was facing the television. As Elise and Jessie walked up to the recliner, they could see someone was sitting in the chair. Jessie stopped as Elise grabbed her shoulder.

"Captain Minh?" Jessie asked aloud in the room. There was no movement from the man sitting in the chair.

As Jessie got closer, she saw a large dark stain on the floor. Walking around the chair both students gasped when they saw the Captain. With his head tilled back and mouth awkwardly open, Captain Minh sat in his own blood. Large scars tore across his neck and chest.

The lion, Jessie thought frantically and started looking around the room for a phone. To the right of the couch she saw a door partly ajar. Jessie ran over and opened it, finding it led to a bathroom. A cool breeze greeted her as she stood in the doorway.

The bathroom window was broken apart, glass and broken pieces of window sill was lying on the floor. Walking over to the broken window, Jessie precariously looked through out into the backyard. She didn't see anything other than a trail of glass below the window leading out into the forest.

Jessie suddenly realized that the lion had not only broken through the window to enter the trailer, but also used it to exit. It could still be out there, Jessie thought and saw Elise now standing in the bathroom doorway. Jessie raced out of the bathroom grabbing Elise's arm.

"We need to get out of here right now. The lion could still be here." Jessie said not waiting for a confirmation as she and Elise ran out the trailer and got into the car. With a turn of the key, Jessie tore off down the long dirt driveway.

Kicking up a fury of dust behind them, Jessie gripped the steering wheel tightly. This was the second dead body she had seen this week and her confidence was beginning to crumble. Jessie looked over at Elise and saw her face was aghast, staring wildly ahead.

"Look!" Elise screamed. Jessie slammed on the breaks and the car came to a skidding halt.

Jessie stared through the windshield. About 100 yards down the drive, Jessie saw the mountain lion slowly pacing in front of them. The lion didn't advance, it just continued to walk back and forth in the middle of the road.

"Holy. There it is." Elise said, as she removed her revolver from her bag. Jessie quickly reached over the back seat and grabbed her camera. Taking the lens cap off, Jessie pulled her door open and slowly got out of the car.

"What are you doing?" Elise whispered frantically at Jessie.

"It's still pretty far away. I'm just going to get a couple of pictures. This is the evidence we've been looking for." Jessie exclaimed. While an extremely dangerous decision, the excitement and adrenaline of finding the lion pulsed through her. If she could take a few quick pictures and get back in the car, they would have everything they needed to write their story.

As quietly as she could, Jessie creeped out in front of the car. Holding the camera to her eye, she began to focus on the lion. The cloudy image in the lens became clear as the Catamount came into view. It was massive, with dark stains around its jaws and front paws.

Jessie took a few more steps forward to get a better shot. Shifting her zoom, Jessie focused on the lion's head. When it came into focus, she let out a short gasp.

Something was implanted in the back of the lion's head. It looked like a headset. Jessie readjusted the focus. The headset was a maze of metal, wires, and flashing lights. Jessie stood in awe, quickly snapping a few photos. Were these animals being controlled? She asked herself. The lion continued to pace back and forth with its jaws open.

Then, Jessie heard a loud bang behind her. Whipping her body around, Jessie cowered backwards as a second mountain lion had jumped on the hood of her car. Jessie suddenly realized how exposed she was. The beast bowed its head down and gave out a short guttural roar. Elise then threw her door open and ran in front of the car standing between Jessie and the lion. Elise's arm was extended, the revolver pointed squarely at the beast.

The lion cocked and lowered its head, giving out another short roar. Jessie turned to the other lion down the road, but it was gone. Elise brought her other arm up to reinforce her grip on her gun, still pointed squarely at the lion.

"Go away!" Elise screamed and pulled the gun down, quickly firing a shot in the air.

The lion flinched but did not move from the hood of the car. Elise fired another shot in the air but this time the beast remained still. The lion then slowly lowered itself to its belly, its shoulders and back moving methodically. It's going to pounce Jessie thought. And then, it did. Jessie screamed and crouched down as Elise fired at the lion, the shots ringing in her ears.

Jessie opened her eyes surprised she was unscathed. Standing up, she saw the mountain lion was lying lifeless on top of Elise, one long arrow extruding from the headset in the back of its head. Sparks crackled out of the tech where the arrow was protruding. Jessie ran over and tried her best to move the lion off her friend. Elise stared up at the tree canopy, her eyes pained and watery.

Elise let out a sputtering cough as Jessie pushed with all of her strength, but the beast would not budge. Sobbing, Jessie felt two warm hands gently but firmly move her out of the way. She turned to see General Iron-Knife crouching next to her, wedging his shoulder on the lion's side. With a heave, the beast rolled over.

The General unsheathed the long knife strapped to his leg and sliced open Elise's shirt. Under her sports bra, the right side of Elise's ribs was a dark blue. The General tenderly pressed down on the large expanding bruise and Elise let out a groan.

"She has a broken rib and a collapsed lung." The General said quickly. Jessie looked to her friend, her face quickly turning blue. "She can't breathe." The General said.

Swiftly, the General removed a pen from the inner pocket of his jacket and struck the tip with his knife. Turning the pen over, the General struck the other end, shaking the contents out on the road. The General moved his knife to Elise's side and made a deep puncture. Removing the tip of his knife, the General replaced it with the hollow pen, completing the tracheostomy.

Elise let out a gasp and Jessie saw some color come back in her face. Kneeling beside her friend, Jessie took Elise's hand and buried it into her head. She heard the General behind her on his phone, shouting for emergency air support, listing off coordinates to whomever was on the other end of the line.

"I…" Elise softly spoke. "I can't feel my legs."

Jessie brushed some strands of blue hair away from Elise's face, rocking back and forth, wondering how things had gone so terribly wrong.

Chapter 21

Lakeside morgue was a small sterile room with metal walls and long rows of fluorescent lights running across the ceiling. Two large steel medical tables stood in the middle of the room, each accompanied by a mobile lamp and rolling computer tray. The body of the dead mountain lion laid across one table, while photos and maps of Lakeside were strewn across the other.

Spirit and Flint stood at the ends of both tables, staring at the body of the lion contemplating what to do next. The lion was massive, about eight feet long and an easy 220 pounds. Flint looked at the piece of the B.A.T. technology surgically implanted in the back of the lion's skull.

The tip of Spirit's arrow was still lodged in the tech. Flint looked at the lion, impressed at its size and thought about the student who he helped airlift to Lakeside Hospital right after landing in Riverbury. Landing on the girl with its full weight could have been fatal.

"How is the girl?" Flint asked looking over to Spirit with concern. Spirit pursed his lips, staring at the lion.

"Not good. A broken rib, collapsed lung, and a broken vertebra. Doctors don't think she'll walk again." Spirit said and continued to stare at the lion. Flint sighed as he thought about her condition. At least she would live he thought to himself.

"What about her friend?" Flint asked.

"The Sheriff is questioning her now." Spirit said, lowering his gaze to the floor. Flint stared at his old teammate, wondering what he was thinking.

"How did you know to track them?" Flint questioned. Spirit looked up, his eyes meeting Flint's.

"The Sheriff said they were reporters for the school paper and were planning on writing a story that a mountain lion was responsible for the killings. After the first attack, the kids went back to their apartment and took those photos." Spirit motioned to the manila envelope lying on the other table. Flint picked up the envelope and took out the pictures.

"Knowing they were on to something, I decided to follow them. Based on the girl Jessie's recent statement, she said she ran background checks on the victims through the public records database and found each had a grandfather with military connections." Spirit said.

"Mindbender and the Techno Viper." Flint interjected.

"Correct. Pretty slick investigating skills if you ask me. Both girls were also at the Boathouse for the third attack covering the Global Alliance reception for the school paper. The girl said Deborah mentioned in her speech that her grandfather was also in the military. Making that connection, and knowing Captain Minh was still alive, they decided to head north to talk to him." Spirit said. Flint looked impressed.

"Like I said, they're good reporters." Spirit repeated. "I had spoken with them earlier at the University. The Sheriff asked if I could help persuade them from writing their story as he thought it would cause a panic. He didn't believe a mountain lion was responsible for the killings."

"Neither did I." Flint replied.

"Neither did anyone except those kids." Spirit added. "And because of them, we now have what lies before us." Spirit gestured toward the lion.

"There's still one more lion out there though…and Raptor." Flint said looking again at the B.A.T. tech in the back of the lion's head.

"Right. Raptor. So, you think Mindbender brought Raptor back to life?" Spirit asked Flint.

"Yes, that's what everything is pointing to. When Deborah Minh was attacked, Breaker was able to connect Captain Minh, Mindbender, and the Techno Viper, to a single operation on Cobra Island in early 1990 which resulted in Raptor's death. Mindbender's Techno Viper retrieved Raptor's body and we believe Mindbender brought him back to life, possibly integrating B.A.T. technology and enhancing his abilities to control animals." Flint stated walking over to the Catamount.

"It also appears that Raptor added the B.A.T. tech to these mountain lions." Spirit added, as he leaned over the table to examine the beast. "Do you think he is controlling any other animals?" Spirit asked, pulling himself upright.

"I don't know. I guess we'll find out though." Flint hadn't thought about Raptor controlling other animals, but with B.A.T. tech, his options would be limitless.

Sheriff Douglas then walked into the room. He slowed to a stop when he got to the table with the lion.

"I can't believe it." The Sheriff said, quietly looking down at the large cat. "What is that?" He asked pointing to the B.A.T. tech.

"That is why we're here." Spirit replied, not elaborating further. "There is another lion out there too, along with the individual who is controlling them."

"Controlling them?" The Sheriff asked, looking back and forth between Flint and Spirit. Both old army men stood stoic.

"Yes. He goes by the name Raptor." Flint interjected. "Each of the victims' had relatives who were his former associates and turned on him. Looks like he was out on a revenge mission." Flint said and watched as the Sheriff took a deep breath, slowly exhaling as he processed everything.

"Have you identified any other possible targets?" The Sheriff asked, looking like he wanted to help. Flint realized the Sheriff must have been wrestling with a range of emotions since this chaos arrived in town.

"Yes, one. Professor Ben Hart. We have him and his family in a safe house in town. It would be good if you had some men watching over the apartment building." Flint said.

"I will make sure they are safe and will get them anything they need." The Sheriff promised.

"What about the other lion, and this guy Raptor? What's the plan for them?" The Sheriff asked. Spirit and Flint exchange glances.

Flint walked over to the other table and grabbed a map of the surrounding area. Silver marks dotted the three locations where the attacks had occurred around Lakeside. Another dot a little higher on the map marked where Captain Minh was killed in Riverbury.

"This was the last sighting of the other lion." Flint pointed to the single dot by Riverbury. "I think our best option is to head back there and track where the lion went."

"I agree." Spirit interjected. "That lion is the only one of its kind in these woods. It shouldn't be hard to follow where it's going."

Flint leaned over the map and put his finger on the silver dot by Riverbury. Gently moving his finger north, Flint saw that Riverbury was the end point of the Pike River which flowed north to south, beginning in a small northern town called St. Joes. Right by St. Joes, Flint saw a map marker labeled Curvy Mine.

Flint suddenly got a strange sense of déjà vu. Somewhere recently he had seen this map before. Then Flint remembered. Harlan's cabin. The maps that were strewn across Harlan's writing desk were of the same area and had red markings up the Pike River through Parker's Gorge to a place he clearly remembered was marked Curvy Mine. Something about the name Curvy Mine stuck in his head.

Swiftly, Flint walked over to his bag and found Harlan's maps. Flint had borrowed them to make the descent from Harlan's cabin and to get to Lakeside. Finding the map with the red markings, Flint opened it and laid it on the table side-by-side next to the other one.

"Where did you get that?" Spirit asked, watching Flint across the table.

"Harlan's hunting cabin. I stayed there on my way up to Lakeside." Flint responded, not looking up.

"Snow Job?" Spirit asked, a rare look of surprise on his face. Flint nodded quickly, his left hand moving from one map to the other comparing the markings and landmarks.

"Look at this." Flint said. Both Spirit and the Sheriff walked behind Flint and peered over his shoulders. Flint was pointing to the red markings which ran up Pike River and through the Parker Gorge. The red dots were marked with either "F", or "F w/cubs." A few dots were also marked with the letter "M."

"See these markings. What if Harlan found a family of Catamounts?" Flint suggested. Spirit leaned in to examine the markings.

"These markings could also refer to bear or fox cubs you know? It would be a huge coincidence that Harlan was tracking a family of Catamounts in these woods." Spirit said and stood up folding his arms across his chest.

"True. But what if he was tracking a family of Catamounts? If the cubs survived and managed to breed, it could be possible Raptor found them at some point." Flint said. He saw a serious shade of doubt cross Spirit's face.

"So, what you are saying is Harlan was tracking a family of lions which have been declared extinct. They survived for a few generations, and then were ultimately captured and controlled by Raptor? Flint, I think it's a reach." Spirit said.

"Not to me." The Sheriff interrupted. Spirit and Flint both turned to face him. "Look, I didn't believe in a million years that a Catamount was responsible for these attacks but then I was obviously wrong." The Sheriff said as he nodded toward the lion lying on the table.

"Based on my years hunting up in that gorge, if there was a family of Catamounts, it would be easy for them to remain undetected. The distance between these dots, the land covered, and the travel patterns make sense." The Sheriff said as he leaned over the maps. Picking up a silver marker, the Sheriff drew a line from Riverbury up through the river and gorge to Curvy Mine.

"I think it's going back to its den, or wherever it came from. If we are using this other map for comparison, the markings indicate this mine is probably where it lives." The Sheriff said, standing up, looking at Spirit and Flint. "What do you think?"

"I think it's still a long shot." Spirit replied quickly. "Here's what we're going to do. We head back to Riverbury and pick up the trail of the other lion. If we track it north, we now have a good idea it may be headed to Curvy Mine. That mine does seem like a logical place for the lion and Raptor to have their base, and if that happens, I want full resources up and running in St. Joes." Spirit stated and looked at the Sheriff who nodded in agreement.

"I will have my men waiting in St. Joes. But I'm coming with you." The Sheriff interjected and stood tall looking at Flint and Spirit. "I love this town. I grew up here and vowed to protect it. Whether you want me there or not, I'm going along. Plus, I have hunted in those woods since I was a kid. Better to have a local guide than to not."

Spirit unfolded his arms and put his hands in the pockets of his coat jacket. A wide smile appeared on his face. He looked to Flint and then back to the Sheriff.

"Ok Sheriff. You got a deal. On one condition though. You cut the girl Jessie loose, ok? She is obviously more productive out investigating on her own than trapped in an interrogation room." Spirit said as the Sheriff gave him another affirming nod.

"Then you're on the team." Spirit replied and looked at his watch. "It is almost ten o'clock. We will get prepped and head out in six hours right before dawn." Spirit turned to Flint. "You ready to do this?" He asked.

"Flint and Spirit once more unto the breach? Any time old friend." Flint said as he put his hand on Spirit's shoulder. "I just have to head back to the safe house and say goodbye to Ben."

"Ok, we meet back here at 0400. Then we head north to Riverbury." Spirit said. After a succession of confirmations, all three men left the room.

The safe house that was provided for Ben and his wife was a large penthouse apartment off the waterfront in downtown Lakeside. Flint was surprised that Spirit had put them up in such a lavish apartment but then remembered his friendship with Alison. Spirit was one of the more reserved members of the team, and Alison was the only one who could get him to open up. Flint would always catch them in their old base's cafeteria, deep in conversation and laughing. It was the only time Flint ever saw Spirit really laugh.

Flint entered the eight-story brownstone apartment building and rode the elevator up to the top floor. The elevator opened into a small foyer with two large dracaena plants on each side of a single apartment door. Flint walked up and rang the doorbell. Ben's wife Marie opened the door.

"Marie. I'm sorry it's late. It's good to see you." Flint had only seen Marie once at Alison's funeral. She and Ben were married shortly before Alison died, and Flint was on assignment when they had their wedding. Marie was tall, with blonde hair that flowed shoulder length and carried herself with intelligence and strength. Flint awkwardly leaned in and gave her half a hug with his right arm.

"Flint, it's ok. Ben said you would be stopping by. Please come in." Marie replied smiling.

"You should be able to go home soon." Flint said as Marie led him through a spacious living room. Marie turned around with a relieved look on her face. She walked Flint into the kitchen where he found Ben sitting around two cups of coffee.

"Ben." Flint said. Ben smiled and stood up seeing Flint.

"I was just telling Marie that you should be able to get out of here pretty soon. We have identified and tracked the individual who is responsible for the killings and are planning to apprehend him within the next forty-eight hours. Once we do, you'll be free to go home." Flint stated and looked to Ben and Marie who had hopeful smiles across their faces.

"Thank God." Marie said, obviously strained from being away from their home and normal life.

"Thank you and the General for all your help." Ben stated. "Did you need anything from us?"

"No, thank you." Flint said. "I just came to say goodbye and tell you that I parked your van in the garage here below the apartment building. I removed the decals and changed the plates back. You should be good to drive home when you are able." Flint hesitated a bit and then continued.

"I guess this is goodbye. I will have to debrief in DC after and will then probably head back to my apartment down in Mass." Flint said and smiled at Ben not knowing what more to say. Ben motioned Flint toward the front door of the penthouse.

"Let me walk you out." Ben said as Marie sat back down in front of her coffee. Flint turned to Marie and gave her an awkward wave as Ben led him out of the kitchen.

"Flint, thank you again for coming up to help, and especially for protecting my family. Alison would be very proud." Ben stated as the two reached the doorway. Ben pulled Flint in close for a hug. Flint was initially taken off guard, but soon returned the embrace with his cousin.

"Thank you, Ben. Without you, we would have never made the connections we did. This one's for Alison ok?" Flint said, as he put his arm on Ben's shoulder. Ben nodded, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

"For Lady Jaye." Ben added, his voice cracking. Flint removed his hand and opened the door to the apartment and walked out. Before he got to the elevator Ben called out behind him.

"You're coming back to visit us, right?" Ben stated more than asked. "Or else we will come visit you in Mass. I bet the General will give me your address." Ben jokingly threatened.

"I bet he will." Flint replied, a smile across his face. Now his eyes were growing wet. Flint gave Ben a final wave as he walked into the elevator. Then, the old soldier was off on his final mission.

Chapter 22

Jessie woke up early Saturday morning on Devon's foam couch-bed and rolled on her back staring blankly at the ceiling. Elise was in intensive care, and the current news was she would pull through. The doctors said though that she would probably never walk again. Tears formed in Jessie's eyes as she remembered the attack back at Captain Minh's.

They should have never gone up to his house alone, Jessie thought. She should have just let the police deal with it. The lure of writing their story however, had overwhelmed her judgement. While Elise's family didn't blame her for what had happened, she felt solely responsible.

Jessie had broken down sobbing when Elise's mom arrived at the hospital and gave her a big hug. She was more worried more about Jessie's wellbeing than understanding their motives for heading up to Minh's house alone. Why did I have to be so selfish, Jessie asked herself, unable to fight off the tears. Sniffling, she wiped her eyes with her forearm and rolled over into a fetal position.

Devon and Jake were at the hospital and it was just Jessie in the small apartment. Looking down at the floor, Jessie saw her backpack was half open and the tip of her camera was protruding out. All the evidence she needed to connect the mountain lion was on that film she thought to herself remorsefully.

The vivid image of the headset in the lion's skull came back into Jessie's conscious. She closed her eyes again. What was it, she thought to herself? Was it controlling the lion? Was it giving the lion super strength? Was it keeping the lion alive?

These, and a flurry of other questions churned through Jessie's brain. She closed her eyes tight, desperately trying to make the questions stop. She didn't want to try to answer any more questions, or make any more connections. All she wanted was everything back to the way it was.

"Please stop." Jessie whispered to herself in the empty apartment. But the questions wouldn't cease. Finally sitting up, Jessie decided to take a hot shower hoping it would calm her mind. After getting cleaned up, she would then head back to the hospital to see Elise. It took another five minutes or so, but Jessie managed to pick herself off the couch. As she took a step toward the bathroom, someone started knocking on the door.

Jessie jumped, completely surprised. She had no idea who it was. It could be one of Devon and Jake's friends, one of Elise's family, or even the police. The unexpected visitor had woken her up, briefly lifting her from her gloom.

"Who is it?" Jessie asked loudly.

"Jessie? Is that you? It's Jason." Jason's voice was clear and familiar. Jessie walked over and opened the door.

"Jessie. Are you ok?" Jason asked standing and looking frightened. Jessie started to talk but realized she couldn't make a sound. A wave of sadness overcame her. Instinctually, she walked up to Jason and took him in her arms. She just needed someone to hold her.

Jason's was surprised as first, but then relaxed and returned the hug. The two stood there for a while before Jessie finally let go. She smiled at Jason, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Can I come in?" Jason asked. Jessie nodded and walked over to the couch, leaving the door open for Jason to enter. Jason closed the door behind him and sat down next to her.

"How's Elise?" Jason asked and looked to Jessie.

Taking a deep breath, Jessie slowly began to explain the events since he left two nights before. She told him about her first encounter with General Iron-Knife back in the Journalism Department, to the attack at the Waterfront Boathouse, to finding Captain Minh's body, and to finally, when Elise and she were attacked by the lion with the implanted headset. There were times when Jessie had to pause to keep herself together, but she got through it all.

Jason put his arm on her shoulder and told her he was sorry. Jessie put her hand on his and smiled. She didn't know exactly how she felt about Jason, but was glad he was with her. While Jason had only been in her life the past few days, having him tag along had created a unique connection between the two.

"So, what do we do next?" Jason asked, his face curious.

"Next?" Jessie replied somberly. "There is no next. The story is over. I've decided not to write about it." Jessie said and looked to the floor.

"What?" Jason asked and removed his hand from her shoulder, his face in complete shock. "Jessie. If you want to stop, that is up to you. But…" He trailed off for a second before continuing.

"But you can't. You can't. You and Elise were able to figure it all out. The police, the army, they didn't do it, you did." Jason composed himself and kept going.

"You were also the only ones who believed me, and now you have proof that it was a mountain lion, and that maybe the lion was being controlled by something? Or someone? You can't just stop now." Jason finished, out of breath.

"Jason." Jessie replied. "Elise was almost killed. She'll probably never walk again. If we keep going, what do you think will happen to us?" Jessie was sincere in her reply. The danger of what they had gotten themselves into was more than apparent.

"I know, but I'm not giving up. When I got your text about Elise, I came over to see how you were doing. But I also wanted to tell you I still want to help. I know Elise was your partner, so let me fill in while she gets better. Please?" Jason stopped and waited for Jessie to reply.

"Ok." Jessie said softly.

"What?" Jason asked, somewhat blindsided by her quick response.

"I'll keep going." Jessie said a little louder. Even though she would rather leave the story alone, Jessie knew the questions in her head would never stop.

"So, what do you suggest?" Jessie asked, looking inquisitively at Jason. "If you want to partner up, let's hear what you think?" Jessie said and smiled at Jason, encouraging him. She watched as Jason sat up straight and took a big breath.

"Ok. I read this morning that the police had re-opened Emerson Cemetery. I was thinking we could head over and check it out." Jason replied and looked to Jessie for her reaction.

"But if they re-opened the cemetery, don't you think they would have gathered up any evidence by now?" Jessie countered.

"Maybe. But don't you think there could there something the police overlooked?" Jason replied, again looking to Jessie for her reaction.

It was possible, Jessie thought. Even if they didn't find anything there was probably no chance they would get access to the third or fourth crime scenes. Investigating the cemetery seemed like their only option.

"Ok. That sounds like a good starting place." Jessie said.

"It does?" Jason looked surprised again at Jessie's quick agreement.

"Yes, it does. The second crime scene is probably the only place we have left to investigate so let's head out there. Afterward though, I'm driving to the hospital to see Elise. I'm going to take a shower, and then we can go. Ok?" Jessie said. Jason gave her a quick thumbs up.

Jessie walked out of the living room and into the bathroom. Getting into the shower, the smell of Elise's shampoo brought on a slew of memories and Jessie crouched down in the tub. She hoped that the rushing water would draw out her sobs. Stepping out, she dried off and slowly started to get ready.

Looking for a toothbrush, Jessie opened the medicine cabinet and saw Elise's jar of blue hair dye. Jessie stared at the jar of dye, remembering how Elise would style the blue strands in her hair differently each day. Reaching into the cabinet, Jessie took out the dye.

"This one's for you Elise." Jessie said looking at herself in the mirror. Opening the jar, Jessie started applying the dye to her entire head. After another rinse, Jessie dried her hair and changed into blue jeans, a Roadside Alehouse t-shirt, and a brown suede jacket. When she walked out into the living room, Jason stood up clearly surprised seeing her hair, now dyed blue.

"I like it." Jason said, motioning to Jessie's hair.

"So do I." Jessie replied, and she picked up her backpack and led Jason out the door.

It was still early in the morning when Jessie and Jason arrived at Emerson Cemetery. The clouds had broken across the sky as a pale blue covered the horizon. The sun had begun to rise, creating soft morning shadows across the graveyard lawn.

The cemetery was empty as they entered through the tall iron arch. Jessie and Jason walked across the cement path toward the large granite statue in the center of the graveyard. Both students slowed as they got to the stairwell leading to Lakeside Avenue.

"Witness reports say her body rolled down these steps." Jessie said, somberly looking from the top of the stairs. Jessie knew she should probably investigate but froze in her tracks. Maybe I'm not ready for this, Jessie thought to herself.

Thankfully, Jason took the initiative and headed down. He crouched around a couple stairs and frowned. After looking at some more stone steps, Jason walked back towards Jessie.

"I don't see anything." He said with frustration. "Maybe you're right, all the evidence is gone." Jason looked to Jessie for some kind of response. Jessie was deep in thought. After a few long moments, she spoke.

"If witnesses saw the body roll down these steps that must mean the attack happened back in the cemetery." Jessie turned where they came, looking at the grass and tombstones. Nearing the obelisk, Jessie continued with her train of thought.

"She must have cut through the cemetery to get to the nature path across the road." Jessie said as they arrived at the base of the granite statue. She looked at the ground, scanning for anything that might indicate a struggle. She couldn't find anything.

Staring up at the large stone sculpture, Jessie figured the statue had to be at least twenty-five feet tall. Its long base had the statue of Sam Allen resting at the top. The portrayal of Sam Allen was sculpted so one of his hands was resting on his empty scabbard, and his other hand was holding his sword, pointing it up to the heavens. As the sun beamed across the stone sculpture, Jessie noticed that the base was more worn than the figure on top.

"The base looks older than the top." Jessie said, taking a step back to get a better view.

"That's because it was replaced about thirty years ago." Jason said standing behind her. Jessie turned to look at him.

"When hurricane Ethan slammed into the east coast and continued inland up through Vermont, Lakeside got hit bad. The winds and rain damaged the top of the statue, and parts had to be repaired and replaced." Jason said and looked at Jessie who stared at him in astonishment.

"I did a report on Sam Allen my freshmen year. Do you think it has anything to do with the murder?" Jason asked, proudly smiling at Jessie.

"I don't know." While impressed at Jason's knowledge of the statue of Sam Allen, Jessie couldn't see how it connected with the killings. There wasn't going to be any obvious clues she reminded herself. Ultimately, Jessie decided to retrace the victim's steps one final time to see if anything stood out.

"Ok, so the victim entered the cemetery and then was attacked right after she walked past this statue." Jessie said, wanting to make sure she and Jason were on the same page before continuing. She saw Jason nod as she started to scan the graveyard.

Jessie looked down the long rows of tombstones as they stretched to the tree line, and something suddenly came to her. Painfully thinking back to her attack, Jessie remembered that the lions had lured them into a trap. Looking at the gravestones to the right and left of the large statue, Jessie tried to determine the best place the lions would have hidden.

While some of the tombstones were large, none were too tall. Peering across the rows of graves Jessie realized it must be over fifty yards to the tree line in each direction. The only place the lions would have been able to hide would have been far off in the tree line, or behind the statue in the center of the cemetery. Jessie walked back to the statue and started examining the base. Tightening the straps of her backpack, she wrapped her arms and legs around the stone and began to shimmy herself up.

"What are you doing?" Jason asked, nervously pacing below her.

"I want to check out this statue before we go." Jessie said as she reached the top of the granite base looking up at the sculpture of Sam Allen. Jessie began to inspect it closely.

The statue depicted Sam Allen his Revolutionary War uniform. The detail of the stonework was impressive down to the ornate details on Sam Allen's scabbard and to the buttons on his jacket. Jessie saw an inscription chiseled on the side of the scabbard which read, Courage, Obedience, Beauty, Respect, Affection. Jessie repeated the words softly to herself. She couldn't think of any references or how they could tie into the lion or the attacks. She repeated the words over in her head again.

Further examining the statue, Jessie noticed each button on Sam Allen's jacket was decorated with the head of a snake. Jessie knew the snake was prominently used in Revolutionary times and represented life and rebirth. After a close examination, Jessie noticed that on one of the buttons, the head of the snake was upside down.

Positioning herself to strengthen her balance, Jessie hoisted herself up to get a closer look. Running her finger over the button, she felt the small stone piece begin to move. Slowly, Jessie turned the button into the upright position. A few seconds later, Jason started yelling to her from the base of the statue.

"Jessie get down here. You have to see this!" Jason shouted. Jessie saw Jason crouching by the base. Descending and hopping to the ground, Jessie was stunned to see that a section at the bottom of the statue had opened, revealing a small hole. Walking to the hole, Jessie saw the tops of stone steps leading down into darkness.

"What did you do?" Jason asked. Jessie told him about the jacket button and how it must have triggered the opening.

"This is how the lion got out. It must be." Jason said looking into the hole. Jessie knelt and took off her backpack. She pulled out two flashlights and handed one to Jason.

"Come on." She said. Before Jason could argue, Jessie was walking down the hole. Jason turned on his flashlight and followed.

The steps were a flat stone slate and the walls were made of natural earth, smooth and dry. After walking down about twenty steps, they came to a landing. Jessie saw a closed steel door standing in front of them.

A small lever was attached to the wall to the left of the door. There were two words above and below the lever which read Open and Closed. Jessie noticed the lever was set to Closed. Pushing the lever up, the steel door in front of them slowly started to rise.

At the same time, Jessie and Jason heard the stone opening above them begin to close. Jason ran up the stairs as the natural sunlight above them extinguished, leaving only the shaking beams of their flashlights cutting through the dark. Jessie pointed her flashlight back up the stairs and then to the lever on the wall.

"At least we know how to re-open it." Jessie said reassuringly as she walked through the now open doorway. Jason followed Jessie into a small room. Pointing her flashlight straight ahead, Jessie saw another tunnel stretching far out into the darkness.

The entrance to the next tunnel was large, about ten feet high and fifteen feet wide. The walls of the tunnel were made of a series of reinforced steel beams and the ground appeared to be a smooth layer of paved concrete. Jessie and Jason searched the rest of the room with their flashlights and saw an ATV parked in a corner.

Running over to the ATV, Jessie and Jason found a small flatbed resting unattached behind the four-wheeler. Two three-gallon gas cans rested by the flatbed, and a set of footprints and paw prints led out of the tunnel up into the cemetery.

"Didn't you say you thought someone was controlling the lions?" Jason asked, his flashlight pointed to both the foot and paw prints.

"Yes. So, whoever is controlling the lions brought them here and released them in town." Jessie said as Jason emptied one gas can into the four-wheeler and then strapped the spare can to the back.

"Right." Jason said as he hopped on the ATV and turned the key in the ignition. A loud roar echoed through the tunnel making Jessie jump.

"Sorry." Jason replied as he turned the noise of the engine down to a low chug. "My cousins own a couple of these back in Mass. Hop on and we'll see where the tunnel goes." He said nodding toward the tunnel stretching out in front of them.

Jessie tried to process everything that had happened. She was recently attacked by a mountain lion and her best friend was now paralyzed, lying in the hospital. On top of that, she and Jason had just found a secret passageway to a tunnel in the cemetery that led to who knows where.

After weighing her options, the only thing Jessie really wanted was to be with Elise. But she knew the questions in her head would never stop, and the only answers lay at the end of the tunnel in front of her. Cursing to herself, she hopped on the ATV behind Jason and they sped off into the darkness.

PART 3:
ENGAGEMENT

Chapter 23

Flint, Spirit, and the Sheriff arrived to Riverbury at five in the morning as the first signs of light broke over the mountain side. Picking up the lion's trail at Captain Minh's trailer home, the trio had tracked the beast for the past two hours. The lion had stuck to the winding riverbed heading north up to Parker's Gorge. Like Spirit said, the lion was easy to track, and they were making good time following its trail.

The river bent into a narrow valley with the forest rising on each side, cutting the earth into the shape of a sharp "V". When hunting in the area, the Sheriff said he would usually avoid the river because traversing through was extremely difficult. However, the tracks indicated the lion decided to stick to the riverbed which led through Parker's Gorge and up to Curvy Mine. As the men entered the valley, the water became shallow, less than half a foot deep. The current was strong though, and the sounds of the bubbling stream echoed around the forest walls.

The Sheriff took the lead carrying a bolt action rifle with Spirit following, a quiver strapped to his back and his hunting bow in his hands. Spirit had replaced his goose down jacket with a black tactical vest. Flint brought up the rear with Harlan's knife strapped to his leg and the walnut Remington rifle resting in his hands.

All three men formed a single file as they walked through the river. The sunlight reflected off the bubbling water as chirps from birds and insects sputtered from the woods. Around a sharp bend, the men came upon an ancient oak tree that had fallen across the river seasons ago. Making their way over the tree, the men saw that the riverbed straightened out in front of them.

Spirit stopped short and held up a closed fist. Flint halted and motioned to the Sheriff. The Sheriff turned and saw Spirit scanning the trees along the right side of the forest.

"The lion's tracks go up this side of the valley." Spirit said, nodding his head toward their right. Quickly and silently, Spirit dashed up into the forest and crouched at the base of a tall maple. Slinging his bow over his back, Spirit pulled out a small pair of binoculars and began climbing the tree.

Flint double checked his rifle and tightened his grip. Looking up, Flint saw Spirit had perched himself a third of the way up the tree on a large branch. Spirit lowered his binoculars and drew his bow, the feathered end of the arrow held tight in his hand. Flint and the Sheriff stared down river where Spirit was aiming when they both saw it.

"Dead ahead." The Sheriff whispered, slowly raising the scope of his bolt action rifle to his eye.

Flint looked up river and saw the mountain lion pacing in the shallow water, blocking their way. Spirit let out a soft crow caw to get Flint and the Sheriff's attention. With a movement of his hand, Spirit gestured for them to advance toward the lion. As Flint and the Sheriff moved forward, Spirit aimed at the Catamount and waited. The big cat stopped and stood in the middle of the river, as if challenging the men to attack.

Something was wrong, Flint thought. Flint had been retired for years, but he got the feeling they had just walked into a trap. Looking at the mountain lion in front of them blocking their path, Flint then scanned the steep forest walls rising high on their right and left. Turning around, Flint saw the large fallen oak behind them and realized that there was nowhere for them to go.

Suddenly, an echoing roar came from behind the fallen tree. Flint turned and saw a large black bear bounding toward them at full speed. The Sheriff and Spirit turned as the bear roared and charged. Instinctually the Sheriff dropped to one knee and fired.

The bullet ricocheted off the top of the bear's skull. Letting out a howl, the bear dropped its head and continued to advance. Just like the lion, Flint saw there was B.A.T. technology implanted in the back of its head.

Realizing they had turned their backs to the mountain lion, Spirit spun around from his perch in the tree and fired an arrow. The lion, which had remained stationary up river, seemed to sense the arrow was coming and ducked its head as it whizzed by. Looking at the trees toward Spirit, the lion spat but did not move.

"It led us into a trap." Spirit said to himself, completely astonished. Grabbing another arrow, Spirit aimed at the lion, but the beast refused to charge. Instead, the lion slowly began to pace back and forth again, looking up to the trees at Spirit, taunting him to fire again. It's taking me out of the fight, Spirit thought.

As the bear lunged toward the Sheriff and Flint, they squared their rifles and fired in unison. Both shots hit the bear square in the chest, but the beast was not phased. Flint jabbed the tip of his gun forward like a bayonet as he and the bear collided. The impact knocked Flint to the water and the bear staggered trying to regain its balance. The Sheriff quickly fired off another shot ricocheting off the bear's arm. Letting out another howl, the bear toppled to its side rolling over in the shallow stream.

Spirit fired two more arrows into the bear's chest as it raised itself out of the water. Standing on its hind legs, the beast let out a deafening roar. Close to seven feet tall, the bear towered above Flint. Flint grabbed his rifle that fell into the water and stood to face the bear, slowly back peddling.

Flipping his rifle over and holding it like a club, Flint smacked the bear across its face with the butt of the gun. Startled, the bear stumbled. Flint then flipped the gun back around and shot the bear in the leg.

Sensing an opportunity to strike, the lion charged. Out of the corner of his eye, the Sheriff saw the attack and turned and fired, nicking the lion across the top of its shoulder blade. Instead of stumbling over from the impact of the shot, the lion surprised the Sheriff and leapt at him swatting the gun out of his hands and knocking him into the water. The Sheriff quickly grabbed his rife out of the river and fired off a clumsy shot that went high over the lion's head. Rather than charging, the Catamount growled at the Sheriff and retreated, racing up the side of the valley.

Flint, still facing the bear, smacked it in its wounded leg with the butt of his rife, forcing the beast to lose its balance and stumble backwards. Flint then turned toward the Sheriff to make sure he was ok after being attacked by the lion. Quickly, the bear stood up behind him, raising both claws high. Sensing the bear, Flint spun around to fire but the bear knocked the rifle from his hands.

Unsheathing his knife, Flint prepared for a final confrontation. Spirit, still sitting in the tree, saw that the B.A.T. tech on the back of the bear's head was exposed. Without hesitating, Spirit took the shot, and the arrow soared through the air and struck the headset in a flurry of sparks. The bear took two clumsy steps to its side, and then fell lifeless in the river.

Spirit descended the tree and raced to the shore as the Sheriff was defensively poking the bear with the tip of his rifle. Flint met Spirit by the bank of the river and they both walked toward the bear. The shallow current rushed around the beast lying motionless in the water.

"So, it looks like Raptor is controlling animals other than just lions." Spirit said sardonically as he crouched by the bear's head. Staring at the B.A.T. tech, Spirit frowned.

"It led us here. Right into an ambush." Flint said, walking around the other side of the animal.

"Wait? It led us into an ambush? How is that even possible?" The Sheriff asked, still poking the beast.

"Again, this is why it's possible." Spirit said, tapping the B.A.T. tech on the back of the bear's head with the end of his bow. "Raptor can control these animals, enhance their strength, and monitor them at all times."

"So how many more of these things are out there?" The Sheriff asked, pointing to the dead animal.

"I don't know, but right now, we need to keep tracking the lion." Spirit responded.

"Tracking?" The Sheriff asked frustrated. "More like the lion is leading us." The Sheriff said and turned to Flint, looking for his input.

"It's leading us to Raptor, up at Curvy Mine. That's the direction the lion is going." Flint stated. "Like the General said, Raptor can control and monitor these animals which means his reach is extensive. We must follow the lion. It will bring us right to him."

"So, we just let it lead us into a trap? How do you think that will go?" The Sheriff asked, gesturing to the bear. "What if he is controlling more bears, or something else?"

"That is what we intend to find out." Spirit interjected and stood above the bear. "Now that we know where the lion is going, we'll be more prepared. When we get to Curvy Mine, we'll meet up with backup and switch from defense to offense ok?" Spirit said looking to Flint for agreement.

"I agree. We now know how to take down Raptor's animals, and if we work together we should be able to capture him and end this." Flint stated. Spirit nodded and looked at the Sheriff. After a long pause, the Sheriff begrudgingly concurred.

"Ok. So, the lion ran up that hillside heading north to the mine." Spirit pointed in the direction where he saw the lion retreat. "Sheriff, what's up over that hill?" Spirit asked. The Sheriff turned in the direction Spirit was pointing.

"If you keep hiking past that hill it leads to a bridge that crosses over Parker Gorge. On the other side of the bridge, the trail leads straight to Curvy Mine." The Sheriff replied.

"Ok, we'll contact Officer Sampson as we get closer. When backup arrives, we'll head in and apprehend Raptor." Spirit said.

"Wait." The Sheriff interrupted, his head down, deep in thought. "Once you get over the bridge, there is a small cave somewhat hidden in the rock face. I remember my father telling me about it when I was a kid. He said that one time he explored it and found that it connected to an old mine shaft."

"Do you know if the mine shaft led to Curvy Mine?" Spirit asked.

"I would think so. It's the only mine around these parts." The Sheriff said, looking to Spirit to see what he was thinking.

"Thank you, Sheriff." Spirit said, looking at the Sheriff gratefully. "I wonder if the lion will head for the cave instead of electing to continue exposed out in the open?"

"Maybe. But the entrance to the cave is well before the entrance to the mine. If we head into the cave, we might run into trouble before we get the chance to meet up with backup." The Sheriff stated.

"Not if we split up." Flint interjected. Both the Sheriff and Spirit looked at him with surprise. Flint continued.

"I'll go into the cave while you and the Sheriff head to Curvy Mine and meet up with reinforcements. I'll keep in contact with you on my com and we'll strategize from the inside. I have taken down B.A.T.s before and know how to disable them." Flint said as he stood facing Spirit. Spirit, looking displeased, spoke up after a long silence.

"Ok. You're right, you're right. After we cross the bridge, we'll split up. You will go into the cave and we'll keep on to Curvy Mine. However, you are only to observe understand? You find out where Raptor and any other targets are and report back to us. Then, we will head in with the cavalry, ok?" Spirit ordered as he strapped on his bow.

Flint nodded and secured his gear as the Sheriff started to reload his rifle. Spirit unsheathed his knife and crouched down by the bear and removed the B.A.T. tech from its head. Then, the three men started the steep climb up the side of the river valley to Parker Gorge.

Chapter 24

Jessie and Jason arrived at the end of the tunnel after an hour of speeding through the darkness deep below the earth. The ride was longer than they expected but uneventful as the tunnel opened into a large circular room with stone walls at least twenty feet high. The headlights of the ATV illuminated the outline of a staircase carved directly into the far wall, spiraling up to a reinforced metal door.

Jason turned off the ATV and they dismounted and began to scan the room with their flashlights. A monitor ran along one section of the wall next to three metal cabinets about eight feet high and five feet wide. Next to the cabinets, Jessie saw what appeared to be a large topical map of Vermont mounted on the wall. A series of tunnels and markers ran across the map like a transit system, Jessie thought to herself.

"Jason, can you shine both of our flashlights on this map while I take a picture?" Jessie asked.

"Actually, let me spin the ATV over and hit it with the headlights." Jason suggested. Jason went back to the four-wheeler and positioned the headlights in front of the map. Jessie snapped off a few pictures and then shone her flashlight on one section.

"It looks like this is the tunnel that we took to get here." Jessie said, running her flashlight on the map up one of the tunnels that ran north from Lakeside. That would put us a little south of St. Joes, west of Parker's Gorge.

"There are so many tunnels." Jason said looking up at the map. "Do you think there are more lions?" He asked Jessie.

"I don't know." Jessie said and started counting the tunnels on the map. Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, she counted as she raised her camera and took a few more photos.

"There haven't been reports of any other attacks anywhere other than in Lakeside and Riverbury." She said as she continued to take pictures. "If there were any more attacks, I think we would have heard about them."

"True. It looks like all the tunnels lead to this complex a little north of here." Jason said, raising his flashlight high to the top of the map.

Jessie lowered her camera and looked around the room to see if she could see anything else that might be able to help them. Pointing her flashlight at the metal cabinets, she didn't see any way to open them. Walking over to the monitor, Jessie pulled out the keyboard tray and found an old keyboard and docking system. Everything looked abandoned she thought to herself, pursing her lips.

Continuing to scan the room, Jessie saw a small countertop that ran along one part of the wall by the stone stairwell. There appeared to be a bunch of papers strewn across the counter. Walking over, Jessie saw it was covered with two large maps. She picked one up and began examining it with her flashlight. Jason noticed and started to walk over.

"Jason, take a look at this." Jessie said, as she and Jason leaned over the map. The map displayed a large circular room marked Control Room. To the right of the Control Room, was a series of smaller buildings and two railroad tracks. Jessie saw another tunnel that led north to a larger complex starting from one of the buildings by the railroad tracks.

"I think we are in this large circular room marked Control Room." Jessie said. "Those stairs probably lead out to these other buildings and the railroad tracks." Jessie pointed to the stone stairs winding up along the wall to the steel door. Jason looked back at the map and pointed to the small buildings and the tunnel that ran out from one of them.

"This building looks like it's attached to another tunnel. Do you think that tunnel connects to the larger complex we saw on the wall?" Jason asked.

"I think you're right." Jessie said and picked up the other map lying on the table which seemed to depict the larger complex in detail.

"Ok, this first map shows where we currently are. If we head up these stairs it looks like we will come out in the middle of these buildings by these railroad tracks. Like you said, one of those buildings has another tunnel that leads to the larger complex." Jessie said, pointing to the other map. "And this map must be of the larger complex." Jessie said, arranging them side-by-side.

"So, what do you want to do?" Jason said, looking at Jessie skeptically, wondering how she would respond.

"First, let's get out of here and see if we can get any cell reception. If we can, we'll call the police and let them know what we've found." Jessie said. After what had happened with Elise, she wasn't taking any chances.

"What if there isn't any reception?" Jason asked. Jessie looked down to the maps on the table.

"Then we take the next tunnel north. Based on these maps and the one on the wall, it looks like the next tunnel heads to this larger complex which is located right outside of St. Joes. There has to be cell reception closer to town." Jessie said.

"What if the lion is in the next tunnel?" Jason asked. "We could be heading into a trap."

"I doubt it." Jessie responded reassuringly. "The lion tracks we saw at Emerson Cemetery led out to the graveyard not back in. That means the lion didn't come back the way it came." Jessie said as she shown her flashlight around the large room and continued.

"Also, this place looks abandoned. I bet we'll find the second tunnel abandoned too." Jessie said as she folded the maps and put them in her backpack.

"Ok, you're probably right. Let's hope there's reception when we get out of here though." Jason said as they started walking to the stairwell.

The steel door at the top of the stone steps was reinforced with two large bolt locks. Unlocking the bolts, Jessie and Jason walked through and saw a small ladder leading to a metal hatch. Like the door, the hatch was reinforced by two bolt locks.

Jessie and Jason walked up through the hatch into an unfinished cellar. The room was scant with just a few rusted oil cans resting on a shelf. There was a staircase at the far end leading to an old wooden door locked with a simple rusted latch.

Unlocking the door, Jessie and Jason walked through and found themselves in a small abandoned building, about 500 square feet. Remnants of broken tables and chairs were scattered across the floor with a pile of firewood in one corner and a pile of scrap metal in another. The remains of a few rotting shovels hung precariously from one of the walls.

Jessie and Jason walked out into the abandoned railway station. Two lines of railroad track ran in front of them, overgrown with weeds and bushes. Four small shacks stood positioned in a circle around the tracks. Like the building they exited, all the other structures looked deserted with their roofs sinking inward. One building's roof was half caved in.

Jessie checked her phone and saw she still had no reception. She looked at Jason who was also checking his phone. He turned to her and shook his head. Jessie knelt down, took off her backpack and removed the map that depicted the dilapidated railroad station around them. Adjusting the map to match the layout of their surroundings, Jessie pointed to the building that had half of its roof caved in.

"That's the building where the next tunnel starts." Jessie said pointing to the crumbling wooden shack.

As they walked toward the sagging structure, Jessie and Jason heard what sounded like a low guttural cough coming from behind them. Swinging around, both students froze as a giant bird emerged from the back of one of the abandoned buildings. The bird stood at least six feet tall and resembled an ostrich. Its body was covered with long black coarse strands of hair, and its legs and neck were long and slender. However, the most striking part of the bird was its head.

Unlike an ostrich, the plumage of the bird's neck and face was colored in a vibrant blue with silver highlights. On top of the bird's head was a large horn made of bone. Standing, cocking its beak, the bird looked like a dinosaur. Jessie noticed that the bird also had the same kind of headset she saw on the lion.

Slowly, the bird took a couple of steps toward them repeating its low guttural coughs. Jessie and Jason stared at its large toes. It had three talons and its middle claw was curved, almost six inches in length.

"What is that?" Jason whispered and moved close next to Jessie.

"I have no idea." Jessie replied. "But it has the same kind of headset as the lion."

Just as Jessie finished her sentence, they heard another guttural call come from behind another building and a second bird appeared jogging toward the first. Jessie grabbed Jason's wrist. Then, one of the birds charged.

The speed of the bird surprised Jessie and she realized it would be on them in seconds. Bending its long neck down in front of its body, the bird jumped and kicked both legs forward, its long claws stretched out. Jessie pushed Jason out of the way and threw herself to the ground as the animal missed, lunging between them. Grabbing Jason's hand, Jessie picked him up and they both took off running toward the closest building in front of them.

"Run!" Jessie shouted. Jason picked up speed and passed her on her left. Looking behind her, Jessie saw the second bird had started its charge and was burying its head down almost right on top of them.

"Jason, look out!" Jessie yelled, but Jason didn't hear. Just as the creature was upon them, Jessie kicked her foot out in front of her and tripped Jason from behind as she threw herself in the opposite direction.

Jason crashed headfirst into the dirt as the animal's claws just missed tearing into his back. Jessie quickly got up and ran with Jason toward the building. Crashing through the door, Jessie and Jason slammed it shut behind them.

"What were those? Some kind of cyborg ostriches or something?" Jason asked, his breaths long and deep.

"I don't' know." Jessie replied, turning around leaning her back against the door. Jason did the same thing.

Catching her breath, Jessie scanned the room. A bar counter ran along the back wall. Behind the counter were a series of empty wooden cubbies. To their left were three tables and a couple of chairs, one broken. Two large wooden bookshelves scattered with old papers and notebooks stood to their right.

"Help me with this bookcase. Let's tip it in front of the door." Jessie said, quickly running to one side.

Jason nodded and moved to the case. With a couple of heaves, the bookcase toppled and partially broke in front of the door, papers and notebooks falling to the floor. Jessie walked over and picked up a notebook and started flipping through it.

"It looks like this railroad station transported copper from someplace called Curvy Mine. I didn't know Vermont had copper mines?" Jessie said, continuing to flip through the notebook.

"Yeah, the French word for copper is cuirve. After the mine was sealed, the name changed over time to Curvy Mine. Something my Earth Science Professor said that stuck with me." Jason said. Jessie looked at him in surprise.

"Ok. Based on the location of this railroad station and what you're saying, I'm thinking the large complex depicted on the map is probably Curvy Mine. I bet that the next tunnel that starts in that building across the way leads to the mine." Jessie said. Suddenly she looked up at the door blocked by the fallen bookcase. "My backpack is out there." She said.

Running to a small window looking out to the railroad tracks, Jessie and Jason saw her backpack lying on the ground. One of the large birds was circling around it curiously. The second bird was closer to the building they were in, slowly pacing, waiting.

"My phone and camera are in that bag along with the maps." Jessie whispered. Jason peered out the window. Quickly turning around, Jason began searching the room.

"I wonder if there is anything we can use to fight those things." He said, looking through the other bookcase. He walked behind the counter and started rummaging through drawers. Frowning, Jason hoisted himself over the countertop and stood thinking to himself.

Looking at the broken chair, Jason picked it up and started to examine it. One of the legs was detached and lying on the floor. Jason raised the chair over his head, and brought it slamming to the ground.

Jessie watched as Jason walked over to the other chair and also smashed it to pieces. Searching the rubble, Jason picked up a couple of large pieces of wood that had sharp jagged ends.

"This is all we've got against those things. We just need to distract them, grab your bag, and head to the building with the tunnel." Jason said. His face was dead serious. Jessie nodded in agreement.

"How do we distract them?" She asked, fear beginning to creep in.

"I'm not sure. I think if we stay back-to-back, swing the sticks around and yell really loud, we'll have a good chance of confusing them so we can grab your bag." Jason replied.

"What if it doesn't distract them?" Jessie asked, now fully afraid.

"Then run as fast as you can. Help me move this bookshelf away. Then, we go on three, ok?" Jason said holding up the sharp piece of wood. Jessie took it, looking at the jagged tip.

Jessie and Jason moved toward the toppled bookcase in front of the door. As quietly as they could, they pushed the bookcase away. Jessie gripped the piece of wood in her hands and watched as Jason held up three fingers and silently counted down three, two, one, and then they ran out into the abandoned railway station.

Back-to-back, Jessie and Jason burst through the door both yelling and waving their makeshift wooden clubs in the air. Moving cautiously but swiftly towards Jessie's backpack, the large birds were initially confused and started to retreat. Reaching her backpack, Jessie quickly picked it up, and the two continued to the small building that contained the entrance to the next tunnel.

Then, one of the large birds abandoned its retreat and ran in front of Jessie and Jason blocking their way. The other bird swiftly closed the gap on their other side. Jessie and Jason swung their wooden clubs shouting wildly, keeping the beasts at an arm's length at bay. The birds had them trapped, circling around them. It was only a matter of time before they attacked.

Sensing a charge, Jason took a step toward one of the birds and lashed out with the jagged edge of his stick. The bird jumped back, jerking its head, clearly agitated. Wasting no time, the second bird attacked Jason from the side. Whipping his body around and swinging his stick like a baseball bat, Jason connected with the bird sending it toppling over.

Running to the bird writhing on the ground, Jason raised his stick with the sharp tip pointing down and rammed it into the headset implanted in the animal's head. The headset exploded, knocking Jason to the ground. Turning to Jessie, he saw her smiling at him in disbelief. Jason smiled back, but his eyes opened wide as he saw the other bird charging behind her.

Seeing the expression change on Jason's face, Jessie spun around as the bird jumped at her with its claws fully extended. Placing her back foot firmly into the ground, she held her stick out in front of her like a spear and closed her eyes waiting for the impact. Right before the animal reached her, Jason got up and ran into Jessie, knocking her to the ground, simultaneously swinging his club and connecting with the creature.

The bird toppled over, knocking up a flurry of dust as it tried to regain its balance. Jason fell to the ground in a lifeless crumble. Jessie looked at Jason who wasn't moving and let out a primal scream.

Then, with a surge of adrenaline coursing through her, she ran to the stumbling bird and swung her stick hitting it square in the head. The bird fell to the ground and Jessie quickly walked over and stabbed it in the headset, letting the sparks explode around her.

Jessie then ran over and crouched down next to Jason. He rolled over groaning in pain. Relieved to see that he was alive, Jessie positioned herself behind him and helped him to his feet. He moaned grabbing his right side. Jessie looked down to see a dark blood stain slowly growing as Jason gripped his ribs. Turning, Jessie saw that the building that contained the entrance to the next tunnel was only a few feet away. She started shuffling them toward the door.

Then, another set of guttural coughs came from the forest and Jessie saw two more large birds bound out from behind another building. Readjusting her grip, Jessie whispered to Jason that they needed to get going, and with all her strength she dragged him to the building. Heaving them at the door, the lock gave way, and Jessie and Jason fell through.

Jason moaned again and rolled over. Jessie slammed the door shut and quickly scanned the room. She saw a wooden hall cabinet and pushed it in front of the door. Then, dumping the contents of her backpack on the floor, Jessie picked up her scissors, first aid kit, water bottle, small flask of whisky, and ran over to Jason.

Fumbling to open the first aid kit, the contents flew all around her. Composing herself, Jessie picked up the scissors and as gently as possible, rolled Jason over cut his shirt away to expose his wound. A six-inch gash ran across the lower part of his right rib cage. Jessie was hoping his ribs protected any vital organs from getting damaged.

Opening her water bottle, Jessie poured some on the wound trying to clean it as best she could. Then, she opened the flask of whiskey and splashed some on the gash. Jason screamed in pain, followed by a series of quick, short breaths.

"I'm sorry." Jessie said. "But we have to get it cleaned and stitched up."

"Stitched up?" Jason asked as he saw Jessie pull a needle and thread out of the first aid kit.

"We need to close it up." Jessie said. Before Jason could protest, she had threaded the needle, and laid Jason down on his back. "This is going to hurt. I'm sorry."

With one hand, Jessie pinched the flesh on either side of Jason's wound together. He clenched his teeth and let out a muffled howl. Then, she pushed the needle through and made a stitch, and then another. After the third stitch, Jessie noticed Jason had stopped screaming. Looking up, she saw he had passed out from the pain. Finishing the last stitch, Jessie splashed the wound once more with the whiskey, prompting Jason to wake up in agony.

"Easy, easy." Jessie said, as she helped Jason lean up against the wall. "You may have a broken rib, but I think you'll live." She was smiling and put her forehead on his. "I am so sorry for getting you into all this." She said.

"It's ok. I was the one who convinced you to go to the cemetery. We were just trying to do what was right." Jason replied. After a moment of silence, he asked. "So, what's the plan?" Jason tried his best to smile lightheartedly.

"The plan is to get you help." Jessie said. "I figure we can go back the way we came. You can show me how to drive the ATV and we can ride back to Lakeside. Then, we tell the police everything and let them deal with it."

"We'll never get by those birds." Jason said weakly. "We don't even know how many more are out there."

Jessie realized he was right. The birds had them trapped. Thinking on it, Jessie realized there was only one option. Walking to her backpack, Jessie found the peperoni sticks and water she bought at the Riverbury Country Store and brought them to Jason.

"Here, take these and the whiskey." She put the food and drinks next to him. "I'll go into the next tunnel and head to the mine. When I find a way out, I'll call for help. From the map, the tunnel runs about two miles. I should be back here in less than an hour, tops." She looked at Jason who smiled back at her.

"That sounds like a great plan. Just one thing. Where's the tunnel?" Jason asked scanning the room. The interior of the building was roughly the same size as the last one they were in, but other than the cabinet which was now blocking the door, the only other piece of furniture was an old cast iron stove at the far corner of the room. There were no other doors, tables, cabinets, nothing.

Jessie walked toward the cast iron stove which was resting on a brick hearth that ran up the wall behind it. Jessie tried to move it, but the stove must have weighed at least 400 pounds. Standing up, Jessie looked around the hearth. The only other thing she saw was a tarnished plaque on the brick wall. Jessie walked up to the plaque to get a better view.

"What does it say?" Jason asked weakly. Jessie read it aloud.

"Parker Station. 1928. Dedicated to those who serve the trains, the tracks, and the travelers. Courage, Obedience, Beauty, Respect, Affection." Jessie stopped short after reading the inscription.

"I've read that before; Courage, Obedience, Beauty, Respect, and Affection. It was carved on the statue of Sam Allen back at Emerson Cemetery." Jessie said as her mouth dropped open.

"What?" Jason asked, curious as to what she figured out.

"Cobra." She said. "The first letters in each of the words, Courage, Obedience, Beauty, Respect, and Affection, spell Cobra. The jacket buttons on the statue of Sam Allen had Cobra heads on them too..." Jessie trailed off as she reminisced aloud. Suddenly, she started searching around the stove, crouching down, looking under and behind it.

"What are you looking for?" Jason asked.

"An image of a Cobra head. That's what triggered the tunnel to open back at Emerson Cemetery." Jessie said, now lying under the oven. "Found it! It's on one of the bolts screwing the stove down to the hearth. Hang on."

Jessie found that the bolt with the Cobra head depressed into one of the legs of the iron stove. She pushed it in as far as it would go. Jumping back, a small section of the brick hearth slid apart, exposing an opening in the floor. Jessie looked down the hole and saw the tip of an iron ladder.

"Bingo." She said. Walking to Jason, she knelt down gave him a hug and kiss on the forehead. "It should take me about twenty minutes to get to the end of the tunnel. I'll be back in less than an hour with help, ok?" She gave Jason another quick hug, then picked up the contents of her backpack, strapped it on, and slowly descended the ladder into the darkness.

Chapter 25

Ben Hart walked into the elevator of the penthouse apartment currently serving as his safe house and pushed the button for the parking garage. Flint had said he and Marie should be able to go home tomorrow or the next day and they were anxiously awaiting the call. Knowing they could return home also meant Flint had caught the person responsible for the killings that had the town in a state of panic for the past week. Lakeside had never experienced anything like what was currently going on, and knowing it would be over soon was a relief.

The elevator bell rang, and the doors slid open. Ben walked into the garage and clicked his car beeper. A faint chirp echoed in a far-off corner. Ben continued to press the car beeper walking toward the chirps as they got progressively louder.

His blue minivan was parked in the back corner of the lot, washed and full of gas. Ben had planned to go through the van and clean it up. Apart from an empty Vermont Mountain Coffee cup in the front cup holder, the car was clean. Happy that Flint had taken good care of his vehicle, Ben walked into the back of the van and started checking in and around the seats.

In the far back of the van, Ben found Flint's olive canvas duffle bag. Partially unzipped, Ben opened it the rest of the way. It appeared to be empty. Flint probably took everything out and forgot the bag when he left, Ben thought.

Turning the bag around, Ben saw two pockets in the front. Patting one of the pockets, Ben felt a small rectangular box and heard a rustle of paper. He unzipped the bag and pulled out a leather box and a map. Sitting down, Ben opened the box and saw that it contained an earpiece and a contact lens case.

Ben saw there were spots for two earpieces, but one was missing. Opening the contact lens case, Ben only found one lens. Concluding the box contained Flint's backups, Ben closed the box and turned his attention to the map.

The map was of Lakeside and the surrounding area north to the Canadian border. Ben looked down at the town of Lakeside and saw three dots made with a silver marker. Ben suspected the dots marked each of the attacks. Ben then saw a single dot by the town of Riverbury. A straight line ran from Riverbury north through Pike River and Parker Gorge up to Curvy Mine, right outside of St. Joes.

Ben had hiked around the St. Joes area for years. One of his favorite trails ran through an old abandoned railway station right by Curvy Mine. Ben remembered the rustic scenery of the hike as he looked at the markings on the map.

What should I do with these, Ben asked himself? He wondered if he should give what he found to the police, but realized that from what Flint had told him, they were probably heading up to St. Joes right now. Just like the earpiece and the contact lens, Ben figured the map was also a backup.

Setting the box and the map down, he searched the large duffle bag again, wondering if Flint had left anything else. Standing up in the back of the van, Ben turned the bag over and shook it a few times until he heard a soft thud. Looking down, he saw that a worn paperback had fallen out. Turning it over, Ben saw it was Flint's copy of his own short story collection. Flipping to the last page, Ben read Alison's inscription again. Remember, in your heart, I know you will always do what you believe is right.

Ben closed his eyes and thought deeply to himself. Flint was here because he had called, fearing something from Alison's past had come back with a vengeance. Flint had no reason to come other than his commitment to Alison. Now, Flint had uncovered the killer and was on his way to stop him.

"And what am I doing?" Ben asked aloud to himself alone in the back of his van. He looked down at the inscription again and wondered what Alison would do if she were in his position. Ben took the map again and looked at the silver line pointing to Curvy Mine.

Quickly, he reached into his pocket, took out his phone and sent a text. Putting his phone, the map, and the small leather box in his jacket pocket, Ben walked out of the van and back to the elevator. After a few minutes, the elevator bell rang, and the metal doors opened. Marie, Ben's wife, stepped out into the dimly lit garage.

"Ben? I got your text. Are you ok?" Marie asked, looking concerned.

"Marie, come here, I have to show you something." Ben said, leading Marie away from the elevator. Walking back to the van, Ben quietly told his wife what he had found and that he knew where Flint was going. When they got to the van, Ben opened the back door and they both got inside.

"Ben, what do you plan to do? I mean come on, who do you think you are, your cousin? No, Ben, give this to the police." Marie stated.

"They probably already have them. These are backups. Flint and the police are headed north to St. Joes right now." Ben replied.

"And again, what do you plan to do?" Marie asked, folding her arms.

"I was thinking about heading up there." Ben said looking cautiously at his wife.

"Head up there and do what?" Marie shot back. "Ben, four people dead and two are in the hospital. You're not going up there and getting killed. You're not." Marie glared at Ben.

"Look, I'm sure the police already have the place surrounded. Flint left hours ago and was probably with the General and the Sheriff." Ben retorted. Marie flung her hands up, questioning Ben again.

"So, what? You just wait there with the police? We're supposed to be staying here at the safe house, remember? That's what Flint asked us to do." Marie stated, her arms still folded.

"I know, it's just my cousin, Alison. When she died, I felt so helpless. I wanted to be there for her and I never had the chance." Ben trailed off as he wiped the tears away from his eyes. Marie unfolded her arms and moved close to Ben putting her hand on his shoulder. Ben composed himself and continued.

"I just want to be there for her now, anyway I can. I want to be there when they get the guy. I was planning on telling Flint and the Sheriff what I just told you. If they let me stay or send me back it's up to them. But for me, I have to at least try." Ben finished and looked at his wife who was now smiling tenderly.

"Ok, ok. I get it." Marie said and leaned in close and kissed Ben gently. "So, what do you want me to do?" Marie asked.

"If you can stall the police, I am going to take the bus back to our house, and grab some cash and my other credit card. Then, I'm going to rent a car and head to St. Joes. I should be there in an hour I'm thinking." Ben looked to his wife who reluctantly nodded. Pulling out a set of keys from her jeans pocket, Marie gave them to Ben.

"Take my sister's car instead. She's just two blocks from here. That will get you to St. Joes quicker. I'll explain it to her. She'll be fine." Marie said giving him the keys. Ben gave his wife a big hug.

"Thank you." He told Marie.

"We're a team, right? You just make sure to come back to me, ok?" She replied, gently putting her hand on Ben's face. "Now go. Before I change my mind."

Ben smiled and leaned in and gave his wife a long kiss. After another embrace, he walked her back to the elevator. When the doors closed, Ben quietly exited the garage and turned up the hill toward downtown Lakeside.

Ben's sister-in-law's red hatchback was parked in front of her apartment building. Ben walked up and opened the vehicle door, putting the car in gear. He was sure he could make it to the trail that led to Curvy Mine in an hour.

He wasn't sure how long it would take the police to realize he had left, but Ben was hoping it would be enough time for him to get up to St. Joes. Driving his wife's sister's car would provide additional cover. Ben just had to make a quick stop at his house before he left.

Pulling into his neighbor's driveway, Ben got out of the car and walked through the adjacent backyard to the backdoor of his house. Unlocking the door, Ben entered his garage and walked up to a metal cabinet where he kept his hunting gear. He pulled out his rifle bag and threw it over his shoulder.

Alison had given him the gun for his twenty-fifth birthday. Ben had hunted since he was a kid, but Alison was the one who would take him to the range and help him with his technique and form. Being in the military, his cousin was an incredible shot, and over the years, Ben had also become an excellent marksman.

He didn't expect to be in the fight, but knew it was better to be safe than sorry. Exiting the house, Ben walked through his and his neighbor's yards and got into the red hatchback. Pulling the car out of the driveway, Ben headed north to Curvy Mine.

Chapter 26

Spirit, Flint, and the Sheriff hiked up and over the valley through a short stretch of forest that led to Parker Gorge. The Pike River cut deep through the rock which rose high on each side of the flowing current. The trio crossed a steel arch bridge that ran across the top of the gorge before parting ways with Flint.

Flint headed down the rock face where the Sheriff said he would find the small cave by the water. Spirit and the Sheriff continued north to Curvy Mine through a patchwork of fields and forests. Instead of opting for the cave, the mountain lion kept to the trail and left a clear path for Spirit and the Sheriff to follow.

After a mile tracking the lion, Spirit and the Sheriff walked into a large field that sloped up, down, and over the land in long green waves. Spirit looked across the field at the tree line which rose up to the top of a hill. They saw the beast standing at the base of a long row of pines, watching the two men as they crossed the field. As they got closer, Spirit and the Sheriff removed their weapons and slowed their pace. The lion stared at them from in front of the trees.

"Do you think it's luring us into another trap?" The Sheriff whispered, looking behind them and to each side of the field.

"Could be." Spirit replied. "But this is a large field. If there was anything coming up on our rear or preparing to flank us, it would've by now. My guess is, it wants us to follow it." Spirit said, quietly moving forward. The Sheriff looked up to the lion.

"Curvy Mine is right over that hill and through those trees behind the Catamount. There is an old abandoned railroad bridge that connects to the mine across Pike River." The Sheriff said, following Spirit.

"Then that's where we're headed." Spirit replied and took out his phone. "Cover me for a second ok?" He asked the Sheriff, who nodded and trained his rifle on the lion. Spirit put the phone to his ear.

"I need to be connected to Officer Sampson." Spirit said. The Sheriff glanced over to him. Spirit put the phone on speaker.

"This is Officer Sampson." Sampson's voice crackled through the speaker.

"Officer Sampson. This is General Iron-Knife. I am here with your Sheriff Douglas. We have tracked the suspect to Curvy Mine. Have you arrived at St. Joes?" Spirit asked.

"Yes, Sir. We are here awaiting your orders." Officer Sampson replied. Spirit looked at the Sheriff offering him to join in the conversation.

"Sampson. Take everyone you have and get to Curvy Mine. When you arrive to the mine, do not engage. We will meet you there and devise a plan." The Sheriff stated, looking back at Spirit.

"You got it Sir. We'll let you know when we're close." Officer Sampson replied, and the line clicked off. Spirit put the phone back in his pocket and he and the Sheriff continued to walk across the field. As they got closer to the trees, the lion darted away.

Both men followed the lion through a small forest and when they emerged from the trees they came upon a raging river between two stone shores. An abandoned railroad truss bridge sat rusting to their right connecting the shore to the old decrepit buildings of Curvy Mine. The dilapidated wooden buildings of the mine were built directly into the rock face. Remnants of a long metal conveyor that started from the top of the highest building, sloped diagonally to the ground.

Spirit and the Sheriff walked along the riverbed to the entrance of the bridge. Looking across the abandoned tracks, the mountain lion stood waiting for them at the other end. The beast started to pace back and forth.

"Do you think it's trying to lure us onto the bridge?" The Sheriff whispered, lowering his rifle.

"Yes." Spirit replied, removing an arrow from his quiver. Spirit turned around and looked behind them. The Sheriff also turned around and looked back into the forest.

"Is there something behind us?" The Sheriff asked, staring into the trees.

"I don't think so." Spirit answered, staring at the lion and then looking down river. "The river shallows out downstream. We'll cross there." Spirit said pointing farther down the shore.

The two turned from the bridge and started walking along the riverbed, watching the lion follow them on the other side of the water. The Catamount pursued them for a while, but then darted in the opposite direction up into the trees behind the mine.

"Looks like it didn't like our decision not to cross the bridge." Spirit chuckled aloud.

When Spirit and the Sheriff reached a point in the river that was calm and shallow, the two men lowered their weapons and began to cross. Reaching the other side, they scanned the land around them but saw no trace of the lion. Spirit reached into his pocket and removed a black fountain pen. On one side were four letters that read R.U.S.S.

"What's that?" The Sheriff asked, looking curiously at the pen.

"A Remote, Underground, Seismic, Sonar." Spirit said. Pointing the pen high above his head, Spirit clicked the back, and the top fired high into the sky above Curvy Mine.

The top of the pen hovered for a moment above the buildings, and then shot straight down into one of the roofs. A low boom echoed around them. Spirit took out his phone and with a few taps of his fingers, a digital map of the mine and the tunnels below appeared on the screen. The Sheriff leaned over looking impressed.

"The R.U.S.S. will constantly send sonar signals out which then bounce back to display a full seismic schematic of the surrounding location." Spirit explained.

Then, the Sheriff and Spirit heard splashes behind them and turned to see the mountain lion running toward them at full speed. The lion had doubled back and crossed further downstream, waiting until they were distracted. The Sheriff raised his gun to fire, but the Catamount had caught them off guard, and with a long jump, the beast was on him.

Spirit lowered his bow, grabbed an arrow, and aimed at the lion wrestling on top of the Sheriff. Instead of going for the heart, Spirit took aim at the B.A.T. tech on the back of its head. Firing the shot, the Catamount simultaneously rose in the air, and the arrow missed wide. Spirit took out another arrow, but by then, the lion had delivered two vicious blows across the Sheriff's chest.

Leaping off the Sheriff, the lion charged at Spirit leaping high in the air, claws extended. Back peddling and off balance, Spirit fired but missed again. The Catamount landed on him, and they both tumbled down the rocky shore.

Spirit unsheathed his knife and stabbed the lion as hard as he could. The beast cried out and pushed itself off Spirit. Spirit rolled over onto his stomach and watched as the Catamount darted up the rock face into one of the mine buildings. Standing up, Spirit ran toward the Sheriff who was grasping at his chest.

The Sheriff's jacket and shirt were ripped through exposing his Kevlar vest. Long scratches cut across his vest. Gasping for air, the Sheriff sat up in the riverbed. Spirit knelt down and gratefully helped the unscathed Sheriff to his feet.

"Smart of you to wear that vest." Spirit said, patting the Sheriff on the back.

"Always." The Sheriff said, bending over, breathing deeply. Spirit grabbed his bow and the Sheriff's rifle, and handed the gun to the Sheriff.

"Get Officer Sampson back on the line." The Sheriff stated. As his breathing returned to normal, Spirit took out his phone and dialed the number. He gave the phone to the Sheriff.

"Sampson. Change of plans. The General and I are going to enter the mine now and engage the suspect. Proceed to Curvy Mine and set up camp on the adjacent side of the river and wait for our call. Do not cross over the bridge do you understand me?" The Sheriff commanded into the phone.

He looked up to Spirit who was nodding at him smiling. Officer Sampson confirmed and let them know they were about twenty minutes from the mine with 100 officers and soldiers.

"Ok. You ready for this?" Spirit asked, double checking with the Sheriff. The Sheriff nodded as they both walked up to the mine.

When they reached the building the lion ran into, Spirit stopped and turned to the Sheriff. Strapping his bow to his back, he reached into his pocket and pulled out another pen, this one a small ballpoint. Spirit held it out to the Sheriff. On one side of the pen, the Sheriff saw three letters, S.O.S.

"Take it. This sends out a distress call. If anything happens to me, or for whatever reason we are separated, you click the top of the pen and signal for help in Morse code, ok?" Spirit looked at the Sheriff who nodded and took the pen.

"Are you sure you're ready to go in?" Spirit asked again, staring deeply at the Sheriff.

"I'm ready. It's time to end this." The Sheriff said confidently.

"Ok, then. Stay behind me and watch for my signals." Spirit replied. The Sheriff gave another nod and the two men walked slowly into Curvy Mine.

Chapter 27

Jessie continued to walk down the abandoned mine shaft, her flashlight shifting as she progressed down the tunnel. The walls were made of cut earth supported by reinforced steel beams. She had been walking for about twenty minutes and after stopping to check the map, she realized she would arrive at the complex in the next hundred yards.

Jessie was hoping to find an exit so she could get to the surface and call for help. Jason was fairly alert after she stitched him up, but she had no idea the extent of his injuries or if he would lose consciousness again. For all she knew, Jason could be in much worse shape than she thought, which made every second count. As she continued forward, Jessie saw a soft green glow in front of her coming out of the tunnel wall.

Slowing her pace as the glow intensified, Jessie realized the light was coming from an open doorway. Taking a few steps back into the darkness, she crouched down, reached into her bag, and removed the map of the complex. Putting her head, map, and flashlight under her shirt, Jessie turned on the light and saw the room ahead of her was labeled Nursery.

Wondering exactly what the Nursery could be, Jessie put the flashlight and map back in her backpack and removed a small mirror. Then, she slowly creeped against the dirt wall toward the light. Reaching the doorway, Jessie crouched down and positioned the mirror to get a look inside.

While not the best view, Jessie concluded there was no one else in the room. After a few deep breaths, she nervously turned and walked through the green glow of doorway. The Nursery contained eight large glass cases that lined each wall, four cases on each side. A corridor led straight ahead to another open doorway. Jessie thought the large glass cases looked a lot like cages.

As she walked past, Jessie saw metal name plates mounted on the glass. Each name plate had a solid image of an animal. The plates on the four cages to Jessie's left all had the same name that read, Cassowary. The animal pictures on each resembled a silhouette of an ostrich.

Those must be the birds that attacked us, Jessie thought. Recalling that two were still alive and currently stalking Jason back at the railroad station reminded Jessie she needed to hurry. Turning around, she read the plates on the cages that lined the right wall. One was marked Bear, and the other three were labeled Catamount.

At first glance, it looked like all the cages were empty. However, as Jessie neared the far end of the room, she heard a noise come from the back of the last cage to her right. Looking at the name plate, she saw it was marked Catamount. Squinting her eyes, Jessie saw something small moving behind the glass. Coming out of the shadows briefly, Jessie saw the head of a small lion cub.

Crouching down, Jessie started chirping and snapping her fingers softly like she did with the cats at her parents' house. For a moment, the cub poked its head out of the shadows curiously. Jessie saw the cat didn't have a headset in the back of its head like the other animals. Moving out of the darkness, the cub lied down in front of Jessie.

Backing up slowly, Jessie removed her camera and took a series of pictures. Putting her camera away. She removed the map of the complex. The next room was labeled Archives. With another deep breath, Jessie walked through the doorway.

There was no light in the Archives, and the green glow from the Nursery highlighted the outline of just a few objects in the doorway. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Jessie saw two large file cabinet towers, each about six feet tall standing just inside the entrance. The room contained a total of eight file cabinets. Looking for an exit, the only door was at the far end. Unlike the first two doors, this one was sealed. Jessie saw a display panel mounted on the wall. Like the Nursery, Jessie realized she was the only one in the room.

With a little courage, Jessie took out her flashlight and turned it on. Walking to the sealed door, Jessie stared at the display panel mounted on the wall. A flashing red light blinked at the top of the panel. There was no handle or nob on the door. Discouraged, Jessie scanned the room to see if there was another way out. Other than the locked door in front of her, the only way out was back the way she came.

Jessie wondered if there was anything she missed in the Nursery or in the mine shaft that could lead her to the surface. Thinking that backtracking was her only option left, she began to head back to the Nursery and the tunnel. Passing one of the cabinets, her flashlight shown across a label titled Lakeside. Jessie paused, and then quickly moved around the room checking the labels on each of the file cabinet towers. Each one had a name of a town in Vermont; Lakeside, Riverbury, St. Joes, Mapletown, Rumville, Waterhill, Brower, and Sugar Peak.

Moving back to the cabinet labeled Lakeside, Jessie opened one of the drawers and found multiple folders. Dividers listed dates in chronological order starting from the bottom drawers moving to the top. The dates on the dividers in the open cabinet in front of her read 1988, 1989, and 1990. Flipping through the folders, Jessie saw two folders titled Orca Tails and Emerson Cemetery. Taking the folders out of the drawer, Jessie stuffed them in her backpack and turned to leave.

Just then, Jessie heard a noise come from the Nursery. Quickly shutting off her flashlight, she knelt down behind one of the file cabinet towers. As the noise got closer, Jessie heard the sound of footsteps from the other room. Someone is here, she thought frantically, hoping whoever it was didn't hear her or see her flashlight.

Cowering below the file cabinet, Jessie closed her eyes as the person entered the room. Whoever it was didn't try to call out. She opened her eyes and peered around the side of the cabinet. Jessie saw one man with a rifle raised, walking slowly through.

From the green glow of the nursery, Jessie saw the man was older, wore a leather bomber jacket, and had a military-style backpack with a knife strapped to his leg. To Jessie, the man didn't look like someone who wanted to kill her, but she decided to remain silent.

The man moved his rifle back and forth, scanning as he walked through the room. She noticed he appeared to be talking to himself quietly. As he reached the locked door, he looked at the small display panel. After staring at it for a while, he reached into his jacket and pulled out his phone. The man then pressed the face of his phone on the panel. The red light on the display turned green and the door slid open. Jessie watched as he walked into the next room and the door sealed shut behind him.

Cursing herself, Jessie wondered if not identifying herself was a mistake. It looked like the man could have been in the army, and if so, he would have been able to help. But if he was one of the bad guys Jessie thought, she probably would be dead. Reassuring herself she made the right decision, Jessie quickly stood up and walked out of the Archives and back into the Nursery.

Stopping again in front of the cage with the Catamount cub, Jessie wondered if there was some way she could get it out. The cub didn't have a headset and wasn't acting possessed or crazed like the other animals that attacked her. Looking around, Jessie started to search for anyway to open the cage. Suddenly, Jessie heard a noise behind her.

Spinning around, Jessie let out a short scream as she saw a man standing in the doorway behind her. In a state of terror, Jessie began to back pedal and lost her footing, falling to the ground on her butt. The man who stood in front of her was the same person who had just walked through the Archives and unlocked the door with his phone. Getting a better look at him, Jessie saw the gray in his hair and realized he was much older than she thought. His rifle was lowered but his face was serious, staring at Jessie who was now sitting on the floor.

"Who are you?" The man demanded. His voice was stern, but not harsh. As he started to walk toward Jessie, she shuffled back on her hands and feet.

"My name's Jessie Kingsley." Jessie stammered as the man stopped a few feet from her.

"Let me see your backpack. Slowly." The man said, extending his arm. Slowly, Jessie took off her backpack and held it out in front of her.

"Put it on the floor and move away." The man stated. Jessie placed the bag down and shuffled back a few feet. He crouched down and started looking through her bag, keeping a trained eye on her. Then surprisingly, he walked over and handed the bag to Jessie.

"You're the student reporter who has been following these attacks?" He asked, as Jessie reached out and took her bag. Standing up cautiously, Jessie put her backpack on, staring at the man.

"Yes, me and Elise. The girl who was injured in the last attack." Jessie lowered her head thinking about Elise. She looked up to see the man now staring down at her sympathetically.

"I'm sorry about your friend. My name's Flint. I am with a special unit of the armed forces helping with this investigation." Flint held out his hand. Jessie nervously shook it. "Why are you down here?" Flint asked, releasing his grip.

Jessie quickly recounted how after the attack, she and Jason went to Emerson Cemetery and found the tunnel that led to the abandoned railway station. She then told Flint about the cassowary attack, how Jason was injured, and that there were still two possessed birds out there with the same headsets she saw on the lion.

"That is B.A.T. technology." Flint interjected as Jessie looked at him quizzically. "B.A.T. stands for Battle Android Trooper. Back when I served full time, B.A.T.s were big bad robots that were nearly impossible to take down without heavy firepower. We thought we destroyed everything associated with the B.A.T. program. Obviously, we were wrong." Flint said.

"But who is putting this B.A.T. technology in these animals?" Jessie asked, now completely intrigued.

"An old adversary who we thought was long dead. We tracked him to this complex and the police and army are close by. We are preparing to apprehend him shortly."

"Those poor animals." Jessie said, looking to the empty cages.

"I am thinking they were already dead when they were implanted with the B.A.T. technology." Flint said. "Right now, I have to get you out of here."

"Jason needs help. He is back at the railroad station waiting." Jessie pleaded, desperately wanting to return to her friend.

"Unfortunately, the only way out is through the complex. You are going to need to stay close to me and do what I say. Once we see an exit, we'll get you to safety and get help to your friend." Flint stated, looking at Jessie for her approval.

"Ok." Jessie agreed. She looked and felt terrified. At least Flint was one of the good guys she thought. Even though he was old enough to be her grandfather, the way he spoke made Jessie feel safe. Taking off her backpack, Jessie pulled out the maps she found. She handed them to Flint.

"These are maps of the complex. Jason and I found them in the tunnel we took from Emerson Cemetery." Jessie said as Flint opened one up. He looked up at her impressed.

"The General was right, you are a good reporter." Flint stated. Jessie smiled.

"Thank you." She replied.

"I like the hairdo too." Flint added, nodding to Jessie's now blue hair.

"Thanks." She replied again, now a little flustered and unsure what to say.

Flint walked back through the Archives with Jessie following right behind. As they got to the door to the next room, Flint took out his phone and placed it on the display screen mounted on the wall. It opened, and Flint and Jessie walked through as it slid closed behind them.

Based on what she remembered from the map, the next room was labeled Lab 4. In the middle of the lab was a large steel table with a small rolling tray under a large overhead lamp. On the right wall there were three large metal cabinets like the ones she saw in the underground Control Room.

On the left side of the room was a series of monitors mounted on the wall. Below the monitors were three keyboards. Flint walked over to one of the keyboards. After a few moments, he began to type a few keystrokes. The monitor lit up, prompting Flint to enter an access number.

Flint typed in a number and a line of code started to stream down the monitor. Taking a small USB drive out of the back of his phone, Flint put it in the dock next to the keyboard. He turned to Jessie who had walked up behind him, staring up at the code flowing down the monitor.

"I figure everything in this place has a digital backup. We'll extract what we can and then get you out of here." Flint stated.

Jessie continued to look at the screen. The numbers that ran down were almost hypnotizing. As the long flow of digits continued, Jessie saw one line of code turned from green to the color red. Soon, another line of code turned red. Then another, and another. Flint saw it too and leaned toward the monitor with a concerned look.

Eventually, the entire stream of code was red and then abruptly stopped and the screen went black. Slowing fading onto the monitor, Flint and Jessie saw a large red Cobra symbol. A mechanical whirl started behind them and they turned to see one of the three metal cabinets began to open. Flint stood in front of Jessie, defensively moving her behind him.

"Get behind me, now!" Flint ordered. Checking his rifle, Flint aimed it at the first cabinet which was now almost completely open. Jessie stood frozen in fear as the first B.A.T. walked out.

Taking a step out of the cabinet, the B.A.T. had a clear chest plate that Jessie could see straight through to a host of wires and lights. Its legs and body were covered with black armor, but its arms were exposed, revealing its robotic endoskeleton and the gears making up its forearms, elbows, and hands. Its head was covered in a black domed helmet with a face plate that glowed a bright yellow green. As the B.A.T. turned to face them, the second cabinet on the wall began to open.

Flint took aim and fired a succession of shots, all hitting the B.A.T.'s faceplate which shattered, uncovering a string of wires and a small box with a red blinking light. Flint fired again at the B.A.T.'s head. Hitting the small black box, its head exploded, and the robot dropped to its knees and fell forward onto its chest.

Jessie saw Flint spin around and he started to turn and run. He put his hand on the back of her shoulder as he raced past. Flint put his phone to the door and they both ran through. Running to the far end of the room, Jessie stood behind Flint who had his rifle trained, waiting for the next B.A.T.s to enter.

"There's two more of them coming." Flint said as he waited with his rifle pointed to the door. "They learn quickly from each other. Chances of me getting off another headshot are slim." Flint stated.

The door in front of them opened and the next B.A.T. walked through. Flint let off a succession of shots but the robot held its arm in front of its face and the bullets ricocheted off the robot's endoskeleton. As the robot moved toward them, the door opened again and the last B.A.T. started to walk into the room. Jessie looked at Flint not knowing what to do.

"What do we do?" Jessie asked, her stomach beginning to knot.

As the last B.A.T walked through the doorway, Flint shifted his aim to the display panel mounted on the wall and fired. The panel exploded, causing the door to close violently, cutting the B.A.T. into multiple pieces. One B.A.T. to go, thought Jessie.

Flint quickly opened the door behind them as the last B.A.T. continued to advance. The two ran straight through to the next room and into the next until there were two rooms between them and the robot. Jessie and Flint watched the android through the windows of the doors at it continued toward them.

Instead of walking through the next door, the B.A.T. paused and took a step back. Jessie then saw the robot hold up its right arm and detach its hand. Reaching behind into its backpack, the B.A.T. removed a long gun muzzle and attached it to where its hand was. Pointing at the door, the robot fired and the door exploded in front of it. The B.A.T. then walked into the room and aimed at the next door.

"Move!" Flint shouted, and he and Jessie ran through the next door.

Jessie and Flint stumbled into the room, but instead of entering into another lab, they found themselves in an immense underground cavern with a long catwalk that ran straight across an expansive abyss. Looking frantically at Flint, Jessie realized that even if they tried to run down the catwalk, the B.A.T would be on them before they made it all the way across.

Jessie turned as she heard the B.A.T. blast through the next door. One more door and the robot would be in the adjacent room. Tears started to stream down Jessie's cheeks as Flint came over to her. Instead of his face being in a state of panic like hers, he looked surprisingly confident. Flint took out his phone and the map and gave them to her.

"Stay on this side of the door and do not open it. I will be on the other side. If I can't stop the B.A.T., tap the phone, enter eight-three-five-four-one, and hit pound. After that, a magnetic charge will activate. Stick the phone on the door and run. You will have fifteen seconds to detonation." Flint looked at Jessie who had begun to shake. She nodded that she understood.

"What are you planning to do?" Jessie asked and looked over to see the B.A.T. had arrived outside the next door.

"I'm going to try the last thing I can think of." Flint said as he walked back into the room to face the B.A.T.

As the door closed, Jessie watched Flint and was a little perplexed at what he was doing. Positioning himself in front of the door, Flint placed all his weapons on the floor and calmly began to move his body gracefully in what looked a lot like Tai Chi. Looking past Flint, Jessie saw that the B.A.T. had reached the door in front of him and raised its gun to fire.

Chapter 28

Thirteen years ago

Alison's family funeral was on a slightly cloudy, late summer day in Martha's Vineyard. The reception was held in her family cottage right off the sandbar leading to the ocean. A slight breeze flowed through the long wrap around porch of the three-story, 100-year-old, four-bedroom cottage that had been in Alison's family for generations. The wooden floor creaked as guests shuffled in and out of the porch to pass their condolences on to Flint who sat in a tall wicker rocking chair.

Flint must have shaken a hundred hands thanking everyone for their sympathies. Everything was so surreal, and he felt like the world was going in slow motion. Once everyone had left and he was all alone, Flint wondered how he would go on. A deep pain came up through his stomach which he tried to suppress. He felt numb, but Flint knew that soon, sadness would eventually take over.

Ben sat to Flint's right, looking more concerned for Flint's well-being than processing his own feelings for his cousin Alison. Flint was thankful for Ben's compassion but had no answers when Ben asked how he was doing or how he felt. It was bad, it was horrible, and Flint had no idea when, or if things would ever get back to normal. How could they? Was normal even possible anymore, Flint wondered, as he shook the hand of another grieving family member.

Flint then heard a muffled thud come from the ceiling above him. He looked up, thinking a gust of wind must have blew through the windows upstairs knocking something off a shelf. Another thud sounded directly above him, causing him to jump a little in his chair. Ben looked at him a little worried.

"That came from one of the guest bedrooms." Flint said, looking up to the ceiling.

"I'll check it out." Ben said. Flint stood up and took a few steps in front of Ben putting a hand gently on shoulder.

"It's ok. I can do it. It will give me a break from all the handshaking." Flint said as he looked to Ben and smiled. Ben was a good cousin and a good friend, Flint thought.

Ben's wife Marie then walked behind him and brushed her hand across his back as she passed, sitting down next to her husband.

"Flint. I am so sorry. If there is anything we can do, please let us know." Marie said as she leaned in and gave Ben a kiss on the cheek. The two were recently married and it was apparent how much they cared about each other. Flint heard another thud and quickly excused himself.

Walking up the stairs, Flint turned right down the hallway toward the guest bedrooms. The cottage had windows on every wall and cross breezes tended to knock items off the bureaus and window sills. Flint stopped in the doorway of a bedroom and was shocked to see Snake Eyes standing in the room, holding a red bowling ball.

Flint blinked, wondering if he was hallucinating, but when he opened his eyes, Snake Eyes was still standing in front of him holding the red bowling ball. The silent ninja was by far the best teammate they had regarding combat, solo missions, and keeping himself and everyone else alive. While being isolated, mute, disfigured, mysterious, and a ninja, Flint and Alison had become close to Snake Eyes.

Dressed in his customary black combat fatigues and mask fitted with a titanium faceplate over his eyes and nose, Snake Eyes stood in the middle of the room. He then shifted the red bowling ball to one hand, and motioned to Flint to come in with the other. Even though he didn't speak, Snake Eyes had developed a series of hand gestures and body language he used to communicate with the rest of the team.

"Snakes, what are you doing?" Flint asked. The sight of his teammate standing in Alison's oceanfront cottage bedroom holding a bowling ball was a little comical. Gratefully, it briefly brought Flint out of his grief.

Snake Eyes put the palm of his hand out, motioning Flint to stop. Flint stopped and looked at the red bowling ball peculiarly. Snake Eyes walked toward Flint and motioned for him to hold out his hands. When Flint reached out, Snake Eyes gently dropped the bowling ball in his arms. Flint examined the polished red surface of the strange gift. He looked up at Snake Eyes a little confused.

"Thanks Snakes. Alison and I bowled a few times and had a great time." Flint responded, not sure if that was the right thing to say. Snake Eyes was strange, and Flint always felt a little confused in situations like this.

Snake Eyes held his hand out again as if for Flint to stop, shaking his finger "no." Snake Eyes then pointed at Flint, and then pointed to Flint's eyes. After a moment, he then pointed to his own chest. Ok, Flint thought, you want me to watch you. Flint nodded to Snake Eyes that he understood.

Placing his feet a few steps apart, Snake Eyes slowly started to move his body methodically and gracefully from side to side. His hands were interlocked, elbows out, and he raised them in rhythmic unison in a series of movements that culminated in Snake Eyes spinning around into a forceful punch.

When the punch came, Flint blinked as Snake Eyes straightened his arm and propelled it forward at breakneck speed. Standing up, Snake Eyes gave Flint a bow. Gesturing to Flint that he would perform the exercise again, Snake Eyes motioned for Flint to throw the bowling ball at him right as he punched. Now intrigued, Flint positioned himself to toss the ball toward Snake Eyes.

Snake Eyes performed the movements again, building and shifting his energy throughout his entire body, and as he spun to punch, Flint heaved the ball at him with all his strength. Snake Eyes' fist connected with the bowling ball, and it exploded in a cloud of red and gray dust. A slight vibration rung through the room that Flint felt move through his body.

Flint looked to Snake Eyes with astonishment. Snake Eyes made a gesture for Flint to stand next to him. Flint quickly walked next to Snake Eyes who turned and helped him position his feet correctly. Before he began to teach him the punch, Snake Eyes put one hand on Flint's shoulder and another to his own heart. Then, he gently removed his hand from his heart and placed it on Flint's chest, hanging his head low. Flint realized that Snake Eyes was saying he was sorry for Alison's death. Tears began to form in Flint's eyes.

"Thank you." Flint said, wiping his eyes with his forearms as he continued to position his feet.

Snake Eyes stood next to him and then began teaching Flint the movements. After forty-five minutes, both men were moving together, Flint mimicking Snake Eyes exactly. When Flint spun to punch, he felt a surge of energy flow from the center of his body through his fist, almost propelling him forward. The men practiced over and over until Flint heard a light knocking at the door. Sweating, Flint walked to the door and opened it to find Ben standing in the hallway.

"Flint. Are you ok?" Ben asked as Flint wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead.

"I'm fine." Flint responded. He turned around to see that Snake Eyes had vanished.

"I just needed some space. I'll be down in a few minutes, ok?" Flint said. Ben looked like he wanted to say something but instead, gave Flint a nod, and walked downstairs.

Flint practiced the move once more and then headed back to the reception. After the funeral, Flint performed the punch habitually each night. He never once used it in a fight, but the movements helped him realign his energy and get him through his initial phase of grief. Other than his time together with Alison, it was the most powerful gift he had ever received.

Now

Flint stood deep inside Curvy Mine facing the door as the B.A.T. approached and aimed its gun. Repeating the movements that Snake Eyes taught him, Flint centered his energy as the door blew to pieces in front of him. Unarmed, Flint knew the B.A.T. would downgrade to hand-to-hand combat. He had never used the punch in combat, and pushing sixty years old, he had no idea how much strength he would be able to muster. All he knew was he was going to give it everything he had left.

The B.A.T. charged as Flint spun around and delivered the blow. Cracking the B.A.T's chest plate, a low boom vibrated through the room and the B.A.T. shot back, slamming against the wall. Sinking to the floor, the green light glowing from the B.A.T.'s face plate flickered, and then faded out completely. The robot slumped to its side, its body lying on the ground.

Flint turned around to see Jessie open the door and run through smiling. Flint then felt a sharp pain in his chest. Exhausted from the energy he expended, he dropped to his knees and fell, losing consciousness.

Flint woke up on a made bed in the guestroom of Alison's family oceanfront cottage in Martha's Vineyard. A cool sea breeze came through the windows and Flint could hear the surf and seagulls in the distance. Sitting on the adjacent bed in front of him was Alison. She was young, like when they first met after she was recruited to the team. Her hair was cut short, and she wore green army fatigues. She looked beautiful. They both stood up and Flint walked over and kissed her deeply. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. After a long embrace, he let go and started to speak.

"Is this really happening? Is this real?" Flint asked. Alison simply smiled and put her hand on his forehead and started to run her fingers through his hair. Flint looked down at his hands and saw that while she was young, he was still old, worn, and wrinkled.

"Flint. You look lost." Alison said, looking concerned, her fingers continued to caress his hair.

"I am lost." Flint said, holding her hand. "I just want to be with you again." He said. It all felt so real. Alison looked down at her watch and back to him with a worried expression on her face. She smiled again and kissed him deeply.

"Flint. You will always be with me." Alison said, putting her hand to his cheek. "And one day, we will be together again. But now, even if you might not believe it, there are people out there who need you. There are people out there who will need you." She started caressing the back of his head.

"You still have more work to do, soldier." She said tenderly and leaned in to give him another kiss. Flint closed his eyes and kissed her back.

"You'll be alright, ok." Alison said, as her voice faded into the distance.

"Are you alright? Flint! Are you ok?" Jessie asked wildly, kneeling over Flint. Flint slowly opened his eyes and sat up on the floor. His breath was calm.

"Yes, I'm ok." Flint said, smiling and grateful to be alive. "Looks like that did it." He said, staring at the crumbled B.A.T. in the corner of the room.

"Yeah." Jessie said laughing. "What are you? Some sort of ninja or something?" She asked jokingly.

"No, but I did work with one once." Flint replied, smiling as he gingerly tried to get up. Jessie grabbed him as he lost his balance and started to fall over.

"Take it easy." She said, helping him sit back down on the floor.

"I think I need a second. Then, we'll get you out of here." Flint said.

"Take your time." Jessie responded.

Flint leaned back against the wall. Closing his eyes, he started to focus on his breathing. The punch had taken a lot out of him but surprisingly, he felt a sense of resurgence, like he had regained something he lost a long time ago.

Chapter 29

Jason sat on the floor of the empty building in the middle of the abandoned railway station staring at the sky through the hole in the ceiling. Sunlight had begun to move on the floor as the afternoon pushed into evening. Jason looked to the entrance of tunnel by the cast iron stove. It had been over an hour and Jessie had not returned.

Jason started to worry. Did she find a way out? Did she call for help? Is she hurt? Or worse? The questions poured through Jason's head as he took another swig from the whiskey flask. Shifting on the floor, the warm liquid helped to alleviate the pain in his side.

A feeling of uselessness had begun to churn in Jason's stomach. He needed to do something he told himself, and after a few more minutes he decided to try and stand. Lying down on his left side, Jason put his right palm on the floor and with all his energy pushed himself up. Clenching his teeth, Jason hoisted his body upward, rising to his knees. Surprisingly, the pain wasn't as bad as he expected.

With the added strength, Jason slowly stood up. Dizziness set in and Jason wasn't sure if it was because of his wound, the whiskey, or both. Concluding it was both, Jason walked to the opening in the floor by the cast iron stove. Looking at the top of the iron ladder as it descended into the darkness, Jason contemplated climbing down and going after Jessie.

After mulling it for a while, he decided against it, fearing what would happen if he fell down the ladder or lost his strength in the tunnel and couldn't get back out. Turning around, he looked at the empty room not knowing what to do. Walking back over to the cabinet that was blocking the door, Jason took a peak out the window to see if he could spot the two birds that were still outside. Staring out the window, Jason didn't see or hear anything other than the wind bustling through the trees.

Diagonally across from him stood the building that he and Jessie first came out of. Jason thought of the ATV sitting parked in the bunker under the building. If I could get to the ATV, I could ride it back to Lakeside, Jason thought looking out the window.

Jason estimated the distance to the building and started to wonder if he could make it. After walking around a bit, Jason felt more of his strength return. He was still injured he told himself, and knew that after running a few yards, his energy could be depleted, leaving him a wide-open target for the birds. Going back and forth, Jason fought to either stay or chance it.

As the shadows from the afternoon sun became darker, Jason concluded it would be night soon and if he was going to make a run for it, it was now or never. With his back to the wall, Jason closed his eyes tight, held his breath, and used his legs to slowly push the cabinet away from the door. Looking out the window one last time, Jason scanned each building for any sign of the birds. He didn't see them and after listening intently, he couldn't hear them either. Jason swallowed deeply and closed his eyes as he counted down in his head. Then, he swung the door open and ran out as fast as he could.

In full stride, Jason's confidence began to build as the adrenaline inside him took over. Jason picked up his pace as the building he was running toward got closer. About halfway to the building Jason saw a blue flash from the bird's plumage out of the corner of his eye as it charged from the right side.

Jason forgot how fast the birds were, and before he knew it, the cassowary was on him. Throwing himself to the side, the bird missed and jerked its head up in frustration as it started circling around for another attack. Jason hit the dirt and almost lost consciousness from the pain that shot from his side. His adrenaline and energy were gone, replaced with panic and fear.

Jason heard a series of low guttural grunts and saw that the second cassowary was closing in. Looking to his right, Jason saw one of the broken pieces of chair that he and Jessie used to fight off the other two birds. Grabbing the wooden stick, Jason swung defensively as the bird leapt at him. Blocking the attack, Jason and the bird tumbled off into different directions.

Getting to his knees, Jason strained to regain his breath, each heave of his chest resulted in agonizing pain. Tears streamed down his face as he knelt helpless, unable to stand as the birds prepared for a final charge. One of the birds bore its neck down and started its attack. As the bird ran toward him at full speed, he closed his eyes, waiting for the end to come.

Then, a gunshot rang out, and Jason opened his eyes to see the bird sprawled out a few feet in front of him. Another shot rang out and Jason turned to his right to see the body of the other bird skid to a stop in a cloud of dirt. Trying to process what just happened, Jason heard someone call out from the tree line.

"Jason!" Came the voice from the forest. Then, after a few moments, Jason begun to shake with tears of joy as out of the bushes, came Professor Ben. Jason watched as Ben ran to help him up.

"Professor Ben? What are you doing here?" Jason asked, confused but grateful the Professor had arrived and saved his life.

"Long story." Professor Ben replied, looking at Jason's wound. "I'm related to one of the people leading the investigation on the killings. I came up here to see if I could help. The police and army have tracked the suspect to Curvy Mine. We need to get you to the hospital." Ben said as he took out his phone.

"No service here." Jason said looking up at Ben. "Thank you, Professor. For saving my life." Jason took a deep breath as Ben patted him on the shoulder.

"How did you learn to shoot like that?" Jason asked, looking at the birds lying on the ground in front of them.

"My cousin taught me. She was in the army." Ben said, also looking at the large bird. "I think that's a cassowary." Ben said leaning to get a closer look at the animal.

"Cassowary? It looks like some kind of an ostrich with a horn on its head." Jason stated.

"I think they are from the same family. But cassowaries come from Australia. I read a few poems about them in a collection a while back and checked them out on the internet." The Professor said as he walked around the carcass of the bird.

"What do you think that is?" Jason asked, pointing to the small headset implanted in the back of the cassowary's head.

"I have no idea. My first guess is that someone is controlling it, or that it's keeping the animal alive, or both." Professor Ben replied. "They make a good target to shoot at though." He looked at Jason who had placed his hand on his chin deep in thought.

"Jessie thought the same thing. She said the lions also had a headset like that. We were attacked by these birds trying to find the entrance to a tunnel in that building over there." Jason said and pointed to the building he just ran from. "Jessie went in the tunnel over an hour ago and hasn't come back yet. I got worried and tried to run and get help." Jason paused, out of breath and out of energy.

"It's ok. We need to get you help, and fast." The Professor said, looking around, thinking what to do next. "You said you found an entrance to a tunnel?" He asked.

"Yes." Jason replied, and told the Professor how he and Jessie found the first tunnel at Emerson Cemeteryand that they rode the ATV to a large bunker where they found the maps and stairs leading to the abandoned railway station. Ben took it all in and then looked to the other building.

"And you found an entrance to another tunnel in that building?" Ben asked, pointing to the building Jason had run out of. Jason confirmed.

"How long did Jessie say the tunnel was?" The Professor asked.

"Not long. A couple of miles. She said she would be back in less than an hour. But it has been way over an hour." Jason replied, looking scared.

"Ok, ok. Don't worry, I am sure she is ok. Maybe it was a longer tunnel than she thought." Ben said.

"But what if she got attacked by something and is hurt, or worse?" Jason asked.

"If nothing else has come out of that tunnel, I don't think Jessie was attacked by anything. You however, are in no condition to find out. Again, we need to get you help. Let's go back in the building and we'll have a look at this tunnel." The Professor said, leading them both to the building with the roof half caved in.

As they entered, Jason motioned at the entrance to the tunnel by the cast iron stove. Walking over, Jason leaned on the wall while Ben crouched and looked down into the hole. Ben took out his phone again and frowned when he was reminded there was no service. Taking off his backpack, Ben started to ruffle through the contents.

"Are you thirsty? Do you have water, food to eat?" He asked Jason, who nodded and pointed to the supplies that Jessie gave him. Ben removed a bottle of water and took a sip.

"Ok. We need to get you help and confirm Jessie is alright. Again, you are in no condition to go anywhere. I think the best bet is for me to continue on foot to Curvy Mine and tell them about you and Jessie. It's not that far from here, I should be there in twenty minutes or so."

"But what if you encounter more of those cassowaries, or the mountain lion? They could be out there." Jason stated.

"Well, we also don't know what could be down there." Ben said, pointing toward the tunnel. They both stood in silence for a few minutes.

"So, what do we do?" Jason asked. The Professor looked to him unsure.

"You stay here, that's one thing I know for sure." Ben said, grimacing at the tunnel. "I'll quick check the tunnel to see if I can find Jessie." He took off his watch and tossed it to Jason. "I'll be down there for exactly twenty minutes and will then turn around. If I don't come back within an hour, get to the ATV and head back to Lakeside."

"Ok." Jason said, looking at the watch and marking where the hands would be an hour from then. The Professor put his backpack on and secured his rifle behind him.

"Twenty minutes, then I turn around." The Professor said. Then, Ben climbed down the ladder into the tunnel and was gone.

Chapter 30

Spirit and the Sheriff entered the small abandoned building at Curvy Mine. Beams of light shown through the dusted window panes onto the barren walls. The building looked like local kids used it for parties as empty bottles and trash were strewn on the ground. A large wooden table stood in the middle of the room, covered in graffiti. Two beat up and torn sofa chairs sat in one corner, and an old mattress rested in another.

At the far end of the room was a door. The bottom half of the door was broken into multiple shards of wood. Spirit walked over and crouched down by the opening. Removing an arrow from his quiver, he strung his bow and ducked through. The Sheriff waited a few minutes until Spirit returned and opened the door, his bow resting on his shoulder.

"Take a look." Spirit said, gesturing the Sheriff to enter. The Sheriff put his rifle over his shoulder and walked through.

The doorway led into a small room with a stairwell heading down to the cellar. Spirit turned on his flashlight and led the Sheriff downstairs. The walls and floor of the cellar were made of natural earth. Spirit shone his light on a pile of rocks in the far corner of the basement.

Behind the rocks was a small opening leading down into darkness. Spirit took off his pack and shimmied himself headfirst down the hole. Soon, the Sheriff saw the light from Spirit's flashlight shine up from the cave.

"Toss me our gear and head down after." Spirit shouted. The Sheriff slid their stuff down the hole and then got in feet first.

Sliding down a natural slope, the Sheriff gently landed on a dirt floor. Standing up, the Sheriff saw he was in a small earthen room about 150 square feet and ten feet tall. The Sheriff turned on his flashlight and both men began to survey their surroundings. Evidence of party goers was all over the floor. However, on one of the dirt walls, Spirit and the Sheriff saw a solid metal door.

The metal door had a series of dents and was also covered in graffiti. Both men looked over the door but couldn't find a way to open it. Taking a few steps back, they checked the rest of the room but found it was empty. All the sudden, they heard metal grating against metal and turned to see the door had opened on its own. Exchanging cautious looks, both men removed their weapons and raised them at the ready.

"What do you make of that?" The Sheriff asked, pointing his rifle into the darkness past the now open door.

"I think someone is expecting us." Spirit replied, taking out his phone. Bringing up the schematic of the mine and tunnels generated by the R.U.S.S., Spirit and the Sheriff saw the doorway led to a hall which branched off into a series of rooms and tunnels. Defensively, both men entered.

The corridor was empty except for another door straight ahead. Spirit and the Sheriff walked down, and when they approached the door at the end of the hall, it also opened on its own. Spirit turned to the Sheriff.

"Stay close behind me. If we are attacked, I will shoot high and then go low for a second shot. You fire high right after I fire low, do you understand?" Spirit instructed. The Sheriff silently confirmed.

The men entered the next room and found it also empty. There were two doors, one on the left wall and the other on the right wall. Spirit and the Sheriff walked to the door on the left wall and as they reached it, the door on the right wall opened instead.

Spirit brought up the map on his phone and saw that the door that was closed led to a larger room with a series of tunnels branching out in multiple directions. The door that was open led down another hallway through a series of smaller rooms until it opened into a large space. Spirit turned to the Sheriff.

"My bet is whoever is opening these doors is leading us to this large space." Spirit said, looking at the Sheriff who was staring at the electronic map on the phone. "Based on the readings coming from the R.U.S.S., it looks like there are four individuals in the room." Spirit stated. The Sheriff looked and saw four blinking dots inside the large rectangular space.

"So, what do you want to do? Should we head back out, meet up with Officer Sampson, and return with the cavalry?" The Sheriff asked. Spirit shook his head no.

"I'm afraid if we do that we won't be able to get back in. No, I am thinking that the reason why we are being led through these doors is because we aren't bringing the cavalry. I think our best option is to keep moving forward. If you want to head back and wait for Officer Sampson that is fine." Spirit said looking at the Sheriff. After a long pause, the Sheriff replied.

"No, I am good to keep moving forward. We'll send a signal to Sampson if we need though." The Sheriff said.

"Agreed." Spirit concurred, and then the two men moved through the next open door.

As Spirit and the Sheriff continued deeper into the mine, the doors in front of them kept opening. Before they reached the last door, Spirit stopped and held up his phone to look at the map. Spirit double tapped his finger on the screen and the schematic changed from a two-dimensional to a three-dimensional readout. Now, each one of the blinking dots had changed to the shape of a human form.

"The R.U.S.S. can give us an outline of the shapes as they move." Spirit said.

"Doesn't look like the lion is in there." The Sheriff added.

"No, it doesn't." Spirit said. "Let's see if we can get some more info."

Spirit then raised his arm and pushed a button on his watch. The face of the watch started to glow red and then detached and hovered above them. Spirit flipped through the apps on his phone and selected one that brought up a control screen to steer the watch face. Slowly, he flew the blinking drone to the left of the closed door and it automatically attached itself to the wall.

Spirit looked down to his phone and selected an option that read Heat Signature. The blinking red light on the small drone began to pulsate. Looking at his phone, Spirit returned to the map of the room. Now, Spirit and the Sheriff saw one of the four figures had changed from blue to partially red. The Sheriff looked up at Spirit for an explanation.

"The drone from my watch can detect heat signatures from the next room and overlay it with the data from the R.U.S.S. Based on this readout, it looks like three of the four bodies in there don't have a heat signature. I am guessing they are B.A.T.s, or Battle Android Troopers." Spirit said.

"Battle Android Troopers?" The Sheriff asked a little bewildered.

"Robots pretty much." Spirit replied. "Big scary weaponized robots with near limitless strength. The only way to bring one down is to take out the CPU in its head." Spirit said as he flipped through his phone and brought up pictures of the B.A.T.s. The Sheriff took the phone and scrolled through as Spirit continued.

"In large engagements, they pretty much serve as cannon fodder and allow the enemy to advance without taking on huge casualties. In smaller missions though, they can be deadly if you don't have the right ammunition or skill sets. They can be a bit clumsy at first, but their logic model allows them to learn to overpower their foes. The more the B.A.T.s experience, the more they adapt. It's usually easy to take out the first one, but the next become increasingly difficult." Spirit stated as the Sheriff gave him back his phone.

"So, what's the best way to engage these B.A.T.s?" The Sheriff asked.

"When the door opens, I'll go through first and attack the closest B.A.T. I am sure I can bring it down. Then, I'll fire at the second B.A.T., but only to distract it. At that point, you'll come in and shoot for the head." Spirit stated.

"And what about the third?" The Sheriff asked.

"I am hoping if we bring down the first two quickly, we'll confuse the third long enough for us to take it out." Spirit said.

"And Raptor? Do you think he will engage us?" The Sheriff added.

"Possibly, but I doubt it. I'm thinking the reason the B.A.T.s are there to begin with are for his protection. Once we deal with the B.A.T.s, we'll focus on him." Spirit concluded.

The Sheriff agreed, and Spirit took out an arrow and drew his bow. Walking toward the door, it opened, and a green glow greeted them. Spirit turned, gave the Sheriff a quick wink, and then ran into the room.

Spirit saw the three B.A.T.s standing in the room as well as Raptor who looked weathered, dressed in a brown leather cowl and a long matching trench coat. The closest B.A.T. was by the door and the other two were standing on either side of Raptor. It was immediately apparent Raptor was waiting for them.

Spirit quickly shot off two arrows at the closest B.A.T. hitting it square in the face plate. The robot seized and then fell backward in a pile of smoke and sparks. Spirit then yelled for the Sheriff to enter as he fired two more arrows at the B.A.T. to the left of Raptor.

The first arrow was headed toward the B.A.T.'s head, but the robot raised its hand and caught it in mid-air. Spirit's second arrow followed right after, striking the robot in its chest plate. Raptor jumped aside as sparks from the B.A.T.'s chest plate sprayed out. The Sheriff then ran through the door and seeing the wounded android, aimed at its head and fired. As the bullets connected, the B.A.T.s head exploded, and the robot fell backward onto the floor.

The final B.A.T. began to approach Spirit and the Sheriff who both fired at it rapidly. The robot moved its forearm across its face blocking the shots. As it approached, it detached its other arm and affixed its flamethrower attachment. Still shielding its face with its other arm, the B.A.T. raised the flamethrower and fired.

Flames exploded around Spirit and the Sheriff who instinctually dropped their weapons and shielded their bodies with their arms. The B.A.T. then jumped through the torrent of flames and knocked the Sheriff unconscious with a single blow. Spirit rolled out of the way and onto his feet.

Standing and facing the B.A.T., Spirit felt something grip him by the shoulder and throw him backward across the room. Tumbling to the ground, Spirit got up to face his attacker. Raptor walked casually toward Spirit clapping in applause.

"What a display!" Raptor exclaimed happily as he walked over and kicked Spirit in the ribs lifting him off the ground with the blow. Spirit groaned as he rolled over on the ground.

Raptor stopped a few feet from Spirit who got to his knees. Raptor then signaled to the lone B.A.T. to pick up the Sheriff. The B.A.T. stood behind the Sheriff securing its arms around the Sheriff's chest. Still unconscious, the Sheriff's legs dangled off the ground. Raptor leaned in to Spirit as he slowly tried to get to his feet.

"No, no, no. Please rest." Raptor said, kicking Spirit again in the stomach, toppling him over to the ground. "You don't want to get yourself all worked up and miss the show." Raptor said, as he reached into the pocket of his trench coat and removed a small remote control.

Pointing the remote at the large monitor on the wall, the screen blinked and flashed on. As the image came into focus, Spirit saw a large room with at least 200 B.A.T.s standing and waiting. Spirit looked to Raptor and spat on the ground.

"So, all along you have been working to revive Mindbender's B.A.T. program." Spirit said, gritting his teeth as he got back to his knees. "Mindbender gave you your life back and you stole his tech."

"Tisk, tisk, tisk. Half-truths. Fallacies. Mindbender and that serf of a Techno Viper gave me everything but also gave me nothing." Raptor stated. Opening his trench coat, Raptor revealed that the majority of his body had been replaced with B.A.T. parts. His legs had been replaced, and his chest was integrated with various wires, tubes, and metal piping.

"So, you killed their grand kids? Where's the honor in that?" Spirit demanded as he started to move his hand slowly down his thigh to his bowie knife.

"My dear Sir. There is no honor left in this shell of a body. Only revenge." Raptor chuckled as he closed his trench coat.

"Revenge and hot winded rhetoric." Spirit shot back as his fingers started to touch the hilt of his blade.

"And what would you prefer? That you keep trying to distract me while going for your knife?" Raptor asked. Spirit froze.

"Go ahead, take it. Let's try it your way." Raptor said, reaching into his coat and removing a small hatchet. Spirit unsheathed his knife and slowly started to back pedal, gripping the handle tightly. The two adversaries faced off, weapons drawn.

The Sheriff had regained consciousness and watched as the two began to circle around each other. Trying to wriggle free from the robot, the B.A.T. tightened its grip preventing him from escaping. Knowing he was trapped, the Sheriff slowly reached into his jacket pocket and grabbed the S.O.S. pen and started clicking the top, signaling they were in trouble.

Spirit continued to circle and then threw his knife at Raptor. Not expecting a direct attack, Raptor flinched, and Spirit's blade sunk deep in Raptor's chest. Looking shocked at the knife protruding from his body, Raptor grabbed the hilt and tried to remove it. Spirit then ran up and swept his leg, tripping Raptor and sending him falling backward to the floor.

Spirit extracted his knife from Raptor's chest, flipped it in his hands and then drove it down with all his strength. Regaining his composure, Raptor swung his hatchet deflecting the blow and knocking Spirit to the side. Jumping back to his feet, Raptor spun around and threw his hatchet at Spirit. Spirit deflected the hatchet away with his knife and the two charged each other.

Raptor swung with his right fist as Spirit ducked and jabbed his knife into Raptor's side. Raptor let out an angry grunt. As Spirit tried to remove the blade, Raptor grabbed his hand. Spirit tried to wrench free, but Raptor held tight, raising his free hand above his head and slamming it down on Spirit, knocking him to the ground.

"A spirited bout, but like I said before, an expected outcome." Raptor said as Spirit groaned and tried to right himself. Raptor pulled the knife out of his side and threw it away. Picking up his hatchet, he walked to Spirit lying on the floor.

"Get up." Raptor demanded, standing above Spirit. Weak and beaten, Spirit rose to his feet. Raptor turned back to the monitor, put his hatchet away, and clasped both of his hands behind his back.

"Mindbender and Cobra built this complex to manufacture B.A.T.s. They also built a tunnel system as a way to distribute the robots." Raptor said. "I used some of my previous experiments to test the effectiveness of the tunnels."

"The lions." Spirit said aloud, realizing how everything fit together.

"Precisely. The lions proved to me that the tunnel system could work to distribute the B.A.T.s. The targets were just an added bonus." Raptor said as he laughed quietly to himself.

"And Deborah Minh?" Spirit asked, frowning up at Raptor.

"Like I said. A bonus." Raptor hissed in return. He reached into his jacket pocket and removed what looked like a small detonator.

"What's that?" Spirit asked.

"This?" Raptor said whimsically. "Why this is my starters pistol. What do you say we get everyone into the starter's block?"

To Spirit's horror, Raptor clicked the button on the detonator. Looking up at the large monitor, the room of B.A.T.s began to hum, and Spirit saw that each of the robots' face plates started to glow a vibrant green. At the top of the screen a countdown appeared. Spirit glanced to the Sheriff who was looking at the monitor with dread. In less than ten minutes and counting, Raptor's end game would begin.

Chapter 31

Flint sat leaning against the wall reloading his rifle in the underground laboratory. Jessie was by the door, taking some pictures of the B.A.T. which lay crumbled on the ground. Using the rifle as a prop, Flint hoisted himself to his feet and walked toward the robot.

"Looks like you completely disabled it." Breaker's voice crackled in Flint's ear. Flint nodded, looking down at the cracked chest plate of the B.A.T.

"Do you think there are more of these?" Jessie asked as she snapped off a few more photos.

"Yes. I can guarantee it. That's why we need to get you out of here." Flint said, feeling his energy return.

"Jason. He's back at the railroad station waiting. We need to get him help." Jessie said, worried as she lowered her camera and looked at Flint.

"Sir, the rescue team I dispatched to the abandoned railway station is about ten minutes out. Officer Sampson's troops are currently establishing a perimeter by the river below the mine. Based on the map that Jessie gave you, the catwalk in the next room leads to two hallways that veer off in opposite directions. The left hall links to a mineshaft that leads out to the river. The hall to the right goes deeper into the complex." Breaker stated as Flint slung his rifle over his shoulder. Flint looked to Jessie.

"Through that door and over the catwalk is a hallway that leads left and out of here. The police are stationed nearby, and they have sent help to your friend." Flint said, looking to Jessie for confirmation.

"How do you know that? We've been down here the whole time." Jessie asked, looking suspicious. Flint laughed to himself, again impressed at Jessie's tenacity. He brought his hand to his face and tapped his right eye and ear.

"Each of our team receives an eye and earpiece that connects us to a Communications Officer back at our headquarters. The Communications Officer who is assigned to me scanned the maps you gave me and is in contact with the officers outside the mine. She dispatched a team to help your friend and they should be there within the next ten minutes." Flint responded, looking at Jessie who had a hand on her hip.

"What's her name? Your Communications Officer?" Jessie asked, as she brushed away some blue strands of hair that had fallen across in her face.

"Breaker. Her code name is Breaker." Flint stated, smiling at Jessie.

"And your code name is Flint?" Jessie asked.

"Yes." Flint replied.

Jessie then walked over and gave Flint a short but firm hug.

"Thank you for saving my life and helping Jason." Jessie said. Smiling, she shouted a little louder. "And thank you too Breaker!"

"I like her. Please tell her you're welcome.'" Breaker stated.

"Breaker says you're welcome." Flint said. "Now, let's get you out of here."

Flint walked to the door leading to the catwalk. Placing his phone to the display panel, the door slid open and Jessie and he walked through into the large cavern. The crevasse was an immense chamber that fell deep into the earth. The catwalk stretched about 100 yards straight across, lit only by a string of flood lights hanging above the bridge.

They got a third of the way across when Flint stopped short. Jessie turned back when she heard Flint stop walking. Flint put his hand to his ear to listen to Breaker.

"Sir. I am receiving a distress call from the General's S.O.S. He and the Sheriff are trapped by Raptor and a B.A.T. in the Control Room under the main complex." Breaker said. Flint motioned to Jessie as she looked on anxiously.

"From the incoming messages, it looks like the Sheriff has the General's distress signal. Apparently, the Sheriff knows Morse code." Breaker stated. Flint looked to Jessie.

"The General and the Sheriff are trapped by our suspect and another B.A.T. in a nearby room." Flint relayed to Jessie as he put his hand back to his ear and continued to listen to Breaker.

"Raptor has an army of B.A.T.s that is he going to release through the tunnels to the neighboring towns. We have less than ten minutes until the B.A.T.s are released. Sir, what do we do?" Breaker asked. Flint thought for a few seconds and then turned to Jessie.

"Head down the catwalk and take the left tunnel out to the river. I am going to get to the General and the Sheriff." Flint left out the part of the army of B.A.T.s that were about to be unleashed. "Go!" He shouted.

Flint watched as Jessie hesitated, then turned and ran down the catwalk to the far end of the bridge. Flint ran back the other way to the room they just came from. Breaker's voice crackled in his ear.

"Sir, what are you thinking?" She asked. Her voice sounded a little frantic.

Flint opened the door and ran toward the B.A.T. lying on the floor. Kneeling down by the robot, Flint tried to roll it over so he could get to the back of its head. Putting all his weight into it, the B.A.T. barely budged. He tried again, but the robot didn't move. Flint realized that his age might have finally caught up to him. Still, he tried once more.

Then, a pounding on the door caused Flint to look up and he saw Jessie's face in the window yelling to him. He couldn't hear what she was saying, but she was motioning for him to open the door. Flint opened it as Jessie ran past him. Crouching down by the B.A.T., she looked up at Flint impatiently.

"You obviously need my help. Help is on the way to Jason, and I swore to a lot of people including myself that I would see this through." Jessie said looking to Flint. "So, what's the plan?"

Flint looked dumfounded at Jessie. Her blind determination reminded him of Alison. Crouching next to her, he leaned in on one side of the robot.

"We need to roll this over, so I can get to the CPU chip in the back of its head." Flint said.

Jessie positioned herself next to Flint. On the count of three, they heaved with all their might and the B.A.T. stubbornly rolled over on its side. Taking out his knife, Flint wedged the blade into the edge of the metal plate on the back of the B.A.T.'s head and popped it open.

"Breaker." Flint said aloud. "I need you to reprogram its CPU. Can you do that?" Flint asked.

"Yes, I can. How do you want me to reprogram it?" Breaker asked.

"We need to gain full control of the B.A.T." Flint responded.

"Who's going to control it?"

"You are. Can you do that?" Flint asked. Jessie looked to Flint for any sign of a confirmation. After a pause, Breaker replied.

"Yes, I can do that." Breaker said. "But I will need to use and disable your eye and earpieces. If I lose control of the B.A.T. for any reason, we would be permanently disconnected. Do you understand?" Breaker asked. Flint took a moment to think.

"I understand. What do I have to do?" Flint asked.

"Ok. Place your phone on the ground. Then, take out your eye and ear pieces and place them on top of the phone and wait until the screen turns from green to blue. Then, remove the CPU from the B.A.T. and place it on the phone. When the new CPU chip is programed, it will eject from the top of the phone." Breaker stated and then disconnected with Flint.

As Breaker instructed, Flint put the phone on the ground and removed his eye and earpieces and placed them on the face of the phone. A few moments later, the screen turned a deep green with the word Processing displayed at the top. The screen then faded from green to blue and the text at the top changed to Complete.

Hovering over the head of the B.A.T., Flint carefully removed the CPU chip and placed it on the phone. The text on the screen changed again to Initializing, and after a few seconds, Flint heard a click, and a small chip ejected from the top of the phone. Flint removed the chip and walked over to the B.A.T.

"Wow." Jessie whispered, watching the entire process.

Flint placed the chip in the B.A.T.'s head and took a few steps back. Jessie ran behind Flint as they waited for the robot to activate. Then, the arms and legs of the robot began to jerk, and Flint and Jessie watched the B.A.T. slowly rise. The color of the android's faceplate had changed from green to blue. The robot raised its arms, looking them over before turning to face Flint and Jessie.

"Sir?" The voice of the robot asked. Flint immediately recognized it as Breaker's.

"You did it." Flint said, smiling up at the android. Now fully in control of the B.A.T., Breaker stood tall and gave Flint a salute.

"Communications Officer Breaker, Sir." Breaker saluted. Flint returned the salute. Jessie gave a small wave.

"Ok, here's the plan." Flint stated. "We head straight to the Control Room and engage. Breaker, you will target the B.A.T. while I go for Raptor. I'm sure the B.A.T. will be confused by you and you'll be able to take it off guard. When you have finished with the B.A.T., if I haven't taken Raptor down, come help." Flint looked to Jessie.

"What do you want me to do?" Jessie asked. Flint stared at her concerned.

"You stay back. If it looks like things are going downhill, you turn around and get to the other tunnel that leads to the river and alert Officer Sampson." Flint stated.

"Ok." Jessie said and raised her camera in both hands. "No flash. I got it." She smiled at Flint.

Breaker looked down at the B.A.T.'s right arm which was currently fitted with the long end of a blaster barrel. Raising the gun to the door leading out to the catwalk, Breaker spun the turret and fired as the door exploded out into the next room. Breaker turned back toward Flint.

"Ok. I'm ready." Breaker said, and started leading the way across the catwalk.

The three crossed the catwalk and turned right down the hallway which led through a series of empty rooms. Breaker blasted through any door they came to as they rushed against the clock toward Spirit and the Sheriff. Breaker stopped before they reached the final door to the Control Room and turned to Flint.

"Through that door is the Control Room." Breaker said.

Flint walked to the right of the door and motioned for Jessie to come stand next to him. Holding the rifle with his back against the wall, he motioned to Breaker to blast through the door. Breaker raised the blaster and fired. Before the dust could settle, Flint raced through, with the Breaker and Jessie right behind him.

Breaker ran in looking for the other B.A.T. Scanning the room, she saw the B.A.T. in a far corner holding the Sheriff. Raptor and Spirit were across the room standing in front of a large monitor.

Breaker raised her blaster and fired slightly above the B.A.T.'s head into the wall behind it. Confused that it was being attacked by another B.A.T., the robot let go of the Sheriff who rolled to the ground out of the way. Advancing, Breaker aimed and fired squarely at the B.A.T.'s head. The android raised its arm in self-defense, positioning itself to block the shot with its flamethrower attachment.

When the blast hit the flamethrower it exploded, engulfing the B.A.T into flames. Breaker then kicked the robot in the mid-section sending it falling backwards, crashing into the base of the wall. As the B.A.T. stumbled to get up, Breaker aimed her blaster at its faceplate and blew it to pieces.

Simultaneously, Flint ran across the room firing his rifle at Raptor who turned and looked at him with bewilderment. The bullets ripped through his trench coat exposing his upper body and the endoskeleton fused to his skin. Raptor stumbled backward trying to duck out of the way.

Seeing Raptor distracted, Spirit ran to his knife lying on the floor, spun around, and threw it, hitting Raptor square in the back of the knee. Sparks and mechanical fluid spewed from the hilt of the blade. Raptor fell down struggling to get up.

Flint reached Raptor and jumped, slamming the butt of his rife down into Raptor's chest. Knocking him to the ground, Flint aimed the rifle at Raptor's head and fired at point blank range. Just as Flint shot, Raptor swung his arm, slapping the rifle away as it blew off his right ear. Raptor let out a scream and swung again, knocking Flint away to the floor.

Breaker then ran toward Raptor and fired her blaster, but the shot missed wide as Raptor dodged out of the way. Breaker raised the blaster for a second shot.

Reaching into his trench coat, Raptor grabbed his hatchet and flung it at Breaker. Spinning through the air, the hatchet sliced off the tip of Breaker's blaster. With the B.A.T.'s good hand, Breaker grabbed Raptor and pinned him down on his back. She then detached the broken blaster from the robot's other arm and attached its claw and squeezed Raptor's throat tight. Holding him down, Breaker turned to Flint who had gotten up and was circling around them with his rifle drawn.

"Shoot the back of the B.A.T.'s head!" Breaker shouted.

She then lowered the B.A.T.'s head face-to-face with Raptor. Raptor gave out a laugh and spat in the robot's faceplate. Breaker turned to face Flint one last time.

"Sir. It's been an honor." Breaker said as she turned around so the back of the androids head was facing Flint.

Flint, joined by Spirit and the Sheriff, raised their weapons and fired in unison. Right before the blast, Raptor let out a high-pitched laugh as he and the B.A.T. exploded in a blaze of fire. The three men lowered their weapons as the smoke settled in front of them. Jessie ran to them holding her camera.

"What is she doing here?" The Sheriff asked, shocked to see Jessie.

"I found her in the tunnels. She helped me, and she helped save your life." Flint said. The Sheriff looked at Jessie who stood in front of them.

"I told you she would be better off on her own than locked up. I like the hair too." Spirit said putting a gentle hand on Jessie's shoulder as he walked past toward the monitor. The Sheriff approached Jessie and put his hand to his heart.

"Thank you, Jessie. I truly underestimated and unappreciated you." The Sheriff stated tenderly.

"You're welcome." Jessie said, humbled and not knowing what else to say. The Sheriff looked the same way.

Everyone then looked to Spirit who was at the keyboard below the large monitor mounted on the wall. Flint joined him as the image on the screen displayed hundreds of B.A.T.s, their faceplates glowing green, methodically waiting. The timer on the top of the screen read 00:45.

"Forty-five seconds." Jessie whispered aloud.

Spirit then took out his phone and swiped it a few times till he found what he was looking for. Walking to the keyboard, he typed in a series of keystrokes. The image on the screen began to flash.

Spirit's phone then chirped, and he turned it over and removed a small USB flash drive. After putting the USB in the one of the ports, Spirit stood back and looked up at the monitor. A stream of code ran down the screen and as the last lines of digits disappeared, the countdown abruptly stopped at 00:04.

"Yo Joe." Flint and Spirit said aloud in unison.

Chapter 32

Standing in front of the monitor, everyone in the room exchanged glances, each wondering if it was really over. Spirit walked to Flint and patted him on the shoulder. The two men then turned and looked at the smoldering mass of Raptor and the B.A.T. that Breaker had taken control of. Walking over, Spirit kicked some pieces of endoskeleton out of the way and his knife fell to the floor. Using his boot, Spirit moved his knife from the burning rubble to cool before walking toward the Sheriff and Jessie.

"Looks like you got your man." Spirit said to the Sheriff extending his hand. The Sheriff shook it and smiled.

"We did. Thank you again for all your help." The Sheriff replied, letting out a deep sigh of relief. As Spirit turned to Jessie, there was a sequence of electronic beeps that came from the monitor.

Everyone turned to the screen and saw that the countdown and image of the B.A.T.s was replaced with streaming lines of code. Suddenly the code stopped, and the screen flickered and went black. Then, a large red Cobra symbol faded onto the screen and was overlaid with a new countdown that displayed 10:00. The clock started to tick.

"Uh oh." Jessie said staring at the monitor. The last time she saw something like that, Flint and she were attacked by three B.A.T.s.

"That's our queue to leave." Spirit said picking up his knife and bow and ran toward the exit. "This whole place is going down in less than ten minutes. Let's move!" He shouted.

Flint, Jessie, and the Sheriff ran behind Spirit who led them through the series of doorways that Breaker had blasted through. When they got to the end of the tunnel, Jessie skidded to a stop. Remembering the lion cub, she looked down the hallway that led to the catwalk back where she and Flint had come.

"Wait!" She shouted as all three men stopped and turned around. "There is a baby lion cub back there. It doesn't have the B.A.T. headset implanted yet. We need to rescue it." She pleaded. The three men looked to each other.

"I'll go with her." Flint stated, breaking away from the other two and joining Jessie. "I know the way and if we run, we can make it. I will rendezvous with you at the abandoned railway station south of here, about three clicks." Flint said, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. With no time to argue, Spirit nodded at the two.

"Hurry." Spirit shouted, and he and the Sheriff turned and ran down the other hallway out of Curvy Mine.

Flint and Jessie ran back onto the catwalk at full pace. The loud crashes of their footsteps on the metal bridge echoed in the cavern. As they reached the halfway point, Jessie looked up and stumbled to a halt almost toppling over. Flint ran up and secured her from falling.

Looking up, the last mountain lion stood in front of them blocking their path. The lion's head was down, and it was panting deeply, curling its lips behind its jaws. Its pelt was matted and wet as it limped to advance. The tiny lights in the B.A.T. tech implanted in its head blinked on and off.

Flint positioned himself in front of Jessie. The lion lowered itself down on its stomach and then charged. Leaping across the bridge, the lion pounced with its claws raised high above its head. Flint brought his rifle down to his waist and fired.

Hitting the lion, the beast let out a scream and fell on Flint who tried his best to dodge out of the way. As Flint and the lion slammed against the side of the bridge, a section of railing broke off and tumbled down into the darkness. Flint rolled over on his back and the lion jumped on top of him, pinning him down with all fours. The beast lowered its jaws close to Flint's face and hissed.

Jessie stood on the bridge behind the lion as it towered over Flint. She thought frantically what to do. Looking down around her, she saw Flint's rifle lying on the catwalk. Without thinking, Jessie grabbed the rifle by the barrel and swung it, hitting the lion in the backside. Unprepared for the attack, the lion stumbled to its left. Flint then seized on the opportunity and kicked the lion off the bridge down into the dark abyss. After helping Flint up, Jessie saw he had a large gash on his side.

"It's ok. I'm fine." Flint said, trying to reassure Jessie as they ran down the rest of the catwalk and through the doors toward the Archives and Nursery.

Flint's limp became severe and Jessie put his arm around her shoulder. As they moved forward, Jessie noticed Flint started to put more weight on her as his strength faded. She desperately hoped they would make it before the structure came crashing down around them.

Flint and Jessie arrived at the room where Flint had shot the door panel and destroyed the B.A.T. in the door. Flint looked at the broken panel next to the sealed door. There was no way his phone could open it.

"What do we do? How do we get the door open?" Jessie asked, scared for her life.

"I'm not sure." Flint replied and started looking around the room.

Flint saw a broken arm of a B.A.T. lying on the floor. He picked it up and started slamming it against the window of the door trying to break through. The arm of the B.A.T. barely scratched the ballistic glass as Flint hammered away. Panting, he took a second to catch his breath.

Jessie looked at the closed door in a panic. The clock was running out and they didn't have time to turn around. His breath restored, Flint limped back to the door and raised the robot's arm for another try. Before he swung however, he and Jessie heard a muffled banging coming from the other room.

Dropping the B.A.T. arm, Flint raced to the door and looked through the window. Jessie ran up behind him. Peering through across the room, they saw someone on the other side of the far door trying to get their attention. Flint and Jessie squinted and were stunned to see it was Professor Ben pounding on the glass yelling at them.

Ben was shouting with elation when he saw Flint and Jessie. They were trying to get into the same room he was, but were on the far side of the room, banging on the other door. Ben leaned in close and tried to listen. Straining to hear, Ben couldn't make out anything that Flint was saying.

As Ben saw Flint and Jessie yelling at him through the window, he noticed their faces were contorted. Flint looked desperate, and Jessie had an expression of fear across her face. Ben knew they were in serious trouble. He had to help but had no idea where to start.

Reaching in his jacket pocket, Ben felt the small black leather box Flint forgot in the back of his van. Pulling it out, Ben opened the box and took out the contact lens case. Carefully, he placed the lens in his eye. Then, he took out the small earpiece. Clicking the tiny button on its side, a blue light came on. Ben put the earpiece in his ear and heard a crackle of static come through on the other end.

"Hello? Can you hear me? Is anyone out there?" Ben asked aloud listening to the static in his ear. He looked through the window back at Flint and Jessie. Right then, a female voice crackled in his earpiece.

"Sir? Is that you? Flint? Can you hear me?" The voice asked over the phone.

"This is Ben Hart. I'm Flint's cousin. I found Flint's extra eye and earpiece. Right now, I'm trying to get into a room under Curvy Mine, but I can't get through the door. I can see Flint, but he is locked out on the other side of the room." Ben quickly said aloud.

"Do you have a smart phone?" The female voice asked.

"Yes, but there is no reception." Ben responded.

"That's ok. Turn it on and get to the screen where you can enter only emergency numbers. Do you know the screen I am talking about?" The voice asked.

"I do." Ben replied and took out his phone. In a few seconds he had the screen open. "Ok, now what?"

"Type in the following number." The voice rambled off a series of numbers that Ben entered into his phone. Then, a screen that he had never seen before appeared asking him for an access code.

"Ok, type in this code." The voice said listing off another string of numbers.

"You can see what I'm seeing?" Ben asked as he typed in the numbers.

"Yes, through the contact lens. Ok, give me a second. When your phone turns green, place the face of the phone to the display panel to the right of the door." The voice said.

The screen on Ben's phone turned to a dark shade of blue with a word at the top that read Processing. After a few moments, the color of the screen changed to green.Ben then placed the face of the phone on the display, and the door opened wide.

Ben ran across the room to the next door. Flint and Jessie's faces had turned to smiles and shouts of laughter. Ben placed the phone on the next display panel and the door opened. Flint and Jessie raced through.

Jessie jumped up and hugged Ben tightly as Flint came next to him and patted him on the back thanking him. Jessie let go and then continued to run through the laboratory. Flint nodded at Ben motioning him to follow.

"We need to move quickly." Flint said as he ran out of the room.

Ben followed them into the next room which was filled with file cabinet towers. Racing through to the next room, Ben stopped when he saw Jessie crouching down in front of one of the large glass cases. She turned to look at him and Flint.

"How do we get it open?" She asked. Her eyes were frantic.

"One second." Ben heard the voice in his ear say.

Then, in his eye, the contact lens activated and Ben saw a schematic grid appear. The grid began to scan the glass case and to Ben's surprise he saw what looked like small mountain lion cub cowering in the back corner. The contact lens in Ben's eye then focused in on a screen below the name plate on the front of the cage.

"Place your phone on the screen under the name plate." The voice stated.

Ben placed his phone on the screen. The cage made a hissing noise, and then a section of the glass opened. Jessie crouched through and calmly but quickly scooped up the cub and threw it over her shoulder. Ben saw that the cub sensing something was wrong, didn't resist and held on to Jessie firmly. Jessie turned to Flint.

"How long do we have?" She asked.

"Thirty seconds." Flint said.

Flint, Ben, and Jessie with the lion cub, all raced out of the Nursery into the small tunnel that led back to the abandoned railway station. From his initial trip through the tunnel, Ben knew they wouldn't make it, even running like their lives depended on it. After racing a little over a hundred yards, they heard a loud boom reverberating from the earth below them. The ground shook and all three had to grab onto the walls of the tunnel to keep from falling down. Another boom followed, and another.

"Move!" Flint shouted. "Hopefully we can get clear of the blast zone!"

They continued to run as fast as they could with the ground shaking underneath them. The next boom felt closer and a few rocks and pieces of earth fell from above. Instinctually, the group lunged forward as the next and final boom brought down the tunnel behind them in a cascade of stone and rock.

Ben stood in the darkness waiting for another blast, but nothing came. The static in his earpiece was silent and the electric grid coming from the contact lens had shut down. He took out his phone and clicked the button for the home screen, but it didn't turn on.

Slowly, Ben took off his backpack and removed his flashlight. Turning it on, he saw dust all around him. Looking back to where they came, the tunnel had caved in and was sealed shut. Two more flashlights lit up, and Ben saw the outlines of Flint and Jessie surveying the rubble. The small lion cub had cowered by the tunnel wall. They had survived.

Turning the light ahead of them, Ben was relieved to see that the way out of the tunnel was still clear. Flint put his finger over his lips reminding everyone to remain as silent as possible to prevent any cave-ins. Keeping eye contact with Flint, Ben saw him motion to move forward.

With their flashlights guiding them, Ben, Flint, and Jessie with the lion cub, pressed on. After about ten minutes, Ben looked ahead and saw a sliver of light coming from the darkness in front of them. Then, he thought he heard a voice. Ben turned to Flint and Jessie and whispered to them.

"Listen." Ben said as Flint and Jessie turned to face him. Listening intently, a faint voice emerged echoing the word, Hello! Ben looked to Jessie and Flint and realized they heard it too. Moving with a faster pace, the light in front of them become larger and the voice got louder.

"That's Jason!" Jessie whispered, trying not to shout.

Jessie then broke into a run towards the light with the cub slung over her shoulder. Ben decided to follow her. Patting Flint on the shoulder as he ran by, Ben heard Flint pick up the pace behind him. As they neared the light coming from the roof of the tunnel, Ben saw the metal ladder leading up to the abandoned railway station come into focus. Jessie arrived at the base of the ladder and looked up.

"Jason!" Jessie shouted from below, holding the cub.

"Jessie! Are you ok? Are you with Professor Ben?" Jason asked, his voice elated.

"Yes, we're all here! We're all ok!" Jessie shouted back. Ben saw tears streaming down Jessie's face as he and Flint arrived at the base of the ladder.

A shadow blocked some of the light streaming from the opening above them. Ben saw someone was coming down. Flint, Jessie, and he, all took a step back as the person made his way to the bottom of the ladder. Jumping to the dirt floor, General Iron-Knife patted the dust off his vest and looked at everyone with a big smile.

"Well then." He said chidingly. "What took you so long?"

Chapter 33

One week later

Flint neared Harlan's cabin in the late morning as the sun was rising up the mountainside. The air was brisk, but Flint had ascended at a steady pace. When he reached the clearing, he saw the sunlight as it streamed across the sloping field with Harlan's cabin nestled in the tree line. Flint walked into the cabin and saw that the note he left two weeks ago was still on the table. He wondered if anyone ever used the cabin anymore or if it was more of a memorial for Harlan.

Walking to the table, Flint took the note, folded it and put it in his pocket. Then, he grabbed the bag of coffee and headed over to the French Press hanging over the wood stove. Once the fire was lit and the coffee was brewing, Flint walked to the gun cabinet and took out Harlan's gun cleaning kit. Carrying the kit to the table in the center of the room, Flint put it down and went back to the stove to pour himself a steaming cup of coffee. Returning to the table, Flint began cleaning Harlan's rifle and Las Baer. Humming to himself at times, Flint finished up and then carefully placed everything back in the cabinet.

Flint had decided to spend the night at Harlan's camp, and then head out to his debriefing down in Washington in the morning. Getting another cup, Flint selected a mystery novel from the bookshelf and sank into the recliner, warming himself in the sunlight that streamed through the window panes. After an hour or so, Flint put the book down and took a deep breath. He hadn't realized how tired he was. Smiling to himself, Flint thought back to the previous day when he attended the ceremony for The Heroes of Lakeside,by the Lakeside Waterfront.

Under a white tent, on a picturesque fall day by the lake, Sheriff Douglas, Jessie, Jason, Elise, and Deborah Minh, were all awarded medals of bravery and heroism and declared heroes of the town. Elise and Deborah were still recovering in the hospital but were honored with tributes. Jessie and Elise were able to write their story and even included Jason as one of the authors. The story ran in the school paper, but it was also picked up by multiple local and national news agencies.

Spirit had worked with Jessie to massage the story, leaving out some key pieces about the cyborg lions, cassowaries, and the army of B.A.T.s. Jessie wasn't thrilled, but Spirit offered her a spot on the team and a chance to be a part of something bigger. Jessie tentatively agreed on the condition that she could still focus on investigating and reporting.

Jason had also decided to join a greater cause by signing up to be a deputy for the Lakeside Police Department after he graduated. Jason and Sheriff Douglas had developed a friendship over the past week during their ongoing interviews, receptions, and celebrations. The Sheriff was impressed with Jason's grit and intelligence, and Jason himself said he wanted to do more after the entire ordeal.

Doctor's confirmed that with years of therapy, Deborah would make a full recovery. Unfortunately, Elise would probably never walk again. Spirit had worked to ensure that both of their hospital bills were paid for, and that anything they needed for their recovery was taken care of.

It was back to work for Ben. Flint was invited over to Ben and Marie's house for a farewell dinner before he left town. After their meal, Ben had given Flint some old pictures of Alison and made plans for Flint to come back to Lakeside for Thanksgiving. When Flint drove out of town the next morning, he knew he would keep his promise and return.

The Catamount cub was also being transported to the Idaho Wildlife Sanctuary where Alpine and his team would look after it.

Smiling to himself in the warm wooden cabin, Flint was surprised to hear a knock at the door. Setting down his coffee, Flint opened the door to find Spirit standing in the doorway.

"I was in the neighborhood and figured I'd drop by." Spirit joked as he walked into the cabin. Flint didn't even question how Spirit found him.

"I thought you would be back in DC by now?" Flint asked as he walked to the stove to refill his mug and pour a cup for Spirit. Flint gave Spirit the coffee and they both sat down.

"I have a few things I need to finish up here first actually. One of which brings me here to you." Spirit said as he reached into his pack and pulled out two manila folders. Flint looked at the folders curiously.

"Do they think something survived and escaped the mine?" Flint asked. He had been wondering if all the B.A.T.s were destroyed in the explosion.

"I don't think so, but we are canvasing the area. The maps and files Jessie found, along with the data you extracted, identified every tunnel and bunker connected to the mine. We've been searching but haven't found anything. Once we copy and wipe the data in the bunkers, we'll seal them shut and close the case." Spirit said.

"And the mine?" Flint asked.

"Caved in completely it looks like. Collapsed into the earth into a deep underground crater. The river has already overflowed into it and so far, our divers haven't turned anything up. Looks like it'll be quiet the swimming hole in the summer, though." Spirit chuckled as he took a long drink from his coffee.

"So, what brings you here?" Flint asked.

"Revival." Spirit said as he leaned in and dropped one of the manila folders on the table.

Flint picked up the folder and opened it. There were photos of a cabin under construction that was similar to Harlan's, and information about the Vermont State Forest and Wildlife Conservation. Flint shuffled through the papers and also found a series of bank account statements and a lease to a truck.

"What's all this?" Flint asked, looking up at Spirit.

"A new start if you want it. Let's call it a semi-retirement plan." Spirit said as he leaned back. "In light of recent events in the area, I need someone here to keep an eye of things. I would like it if you could be the sentry I need. Your cover would be a State Wildlife Ranger and if you like, you can live in that cabin, which to tell you the truth, looks a lot like this one." Spirit said smiling, looking around him.

"What do you mean, keep an eye on things?" Flint asked inquisitively.

"That brings me to the other reason I'm here." Spirit said, placing the second manila folder on the table.

Flint picked up the envelope and opened it to find a single piece of paper. It was a form, with a title at the top that read Code Name Transfer. Perplexed, Flint looked to Spirit for more information.

"I need a code name for Jessie. She has agreed to join the team. I wanted to ask if you thought she would possibly be a good candidate to take on the mantle of Lady Jaye? Like Breaker, you have the option to do so." Spirit paused and waited for Flint to reply.

Flint closed his eyes and remembered sitting across from Alison in the bedroom of her oceanfront cottage in Martha's Vineyard. Other people will need you, she had said. Looking up at Spirit, Flint gave a slow nod.

"You're right. It's time for both of us. Let's do it." Flint said and stood up and shook Spirit's hand.

Two Months Later

Jessie walked down the buffed tile of Lakeside Hospital on her way to visit Elise. Elise was getting released tomorrow and Jessie couldn't have been happier. The police had cleaned their apartment and the General had generously outfitted it with everything Elise needed to move around easily.

Walking into the hospital room, Jessie found Elise sitting on the side of her bed, her legs dangling loosely over the edge. Elise was staring blankly out the window, her back was turned to the door. Jessie saw that Elise had removed the blue dye from her hair. She knocked softly and watched as Elise slowly began to turn. Her expression was sad at first, but then she smiled widely upon seeing Jessie.

"You ready to get out of here?" Jessie asked, sitting down next to her friend.

"Definitely. I don't think I can take any more hospital food." Elise said. Jessie saw Elise was trying to keep her spirits up.

"Don't worry. We will be stuffing our faces with some Peking Duck before you know it. Check it out, our story ran in Atlanta." Jessie said, as she plopped a newspaper down on the bed.

Their headline, How We Saved the Day, stared back at them below the title of the Atlanta Times. Jessie, Elise, and Jason's headshots were also printed, along with the abridged version of their harrowing tale. Elise looked down at the paper and smiled.

"It was right to include Jason." Elise said. "I can't believe how many papers it's been in."

"I know. It has been a little unreal." Jessie said. She couldn't believe it too. Jessie was surprised when the Lakeside paper ran it, but then New York, Boston, Chicago, DC, Philadelphia, and now Atlanta. Someone had even contacted her about a book deal, but she hadn't had the time to get back to them.

"So, what's up with you and Jason?" Elise asked, nudging Jessie with her arm. Jessie started to blush.

"I don't know. Now, we're just friends." Jessie replied. After everything, Jessie just wanted to take some time to process.

Elise laughed and leaned into Jessie. For a brief moment, Jessie saw the old Elise, the way she looked before the accident. It faded just as quickly. Jessie was hoping more of it would soon return.

"What time did you want me to pick you up tomorrow?" Jessie asked. Elise put her head down and paused for a moment before she replied.

"I don't know. I have physical therapy in the morning. I think I'll just have them drop me off at our apartment if that's ok?" Elise asked. Her smile was gone.

"Sure, that's ok. Whatever you want." Jessie replied. She was worried about her friend, but knew it was best to give Elise the space she needed. "But we're on for Peking Duck, right?"

"Definitely." Elise said, and her smile returned.

Jessie gave Elise another deep hug and told her she would text when she got home. Heading out of Elise's hospital room, Jessie grew sad. Her eyes started to tear up as she wiped her face, forcing herself to think positively. Elise would be fine because they would face the future together, Jessie reminded herself as she pushed the elevator button.

After a short wait, the elevator bell rang, and the doors opened. Getting in, Jessie moved to the back of the elevator behind two doctors who were having an in-depth clinical conversation. Right as the doors were about to close, someone put their hand through and squeezed in. It was General Iron-Knife. Seeing Jessie, the General slowly walked and stood next to her. The elevator stopped at the next floor and the doctors got off. The General turned to Jessie and gave her a wink.

"So, are you ready to get started?" He asked. Jessie looked up at him with a little apprehension. After a moment, she replied.

"Yes. There's just one thing. My code name. I was hoping to make a slight adjustment." Jessie said taking off her backpack. She reached in and pulled out a manila folder. Handing it to Spirit, he opened the file, looking a bit perplexed.

"Blue Jaye? Is it because of your hair?" He asked, his eyebrow raised.

"No. For Elise. Plus, I am not sure I like the whole 'lady' part." Jessie said, staring back defiantly. Spirit took a deep breath, staring at Jessie intently.

"Ok. Agent Blue Jaye it is." He said, holding out his hand. Jessie took it and they both shook.

"So, General, how do we begin?" Jessie asked.

"First off." The General replied. "Call me Spirit."

Epilogue

Elise sat in her wheelchair in the hospital cafeteria. Her physical therapy was located on the second floor of the hospital and she just finished her fifth session since being released. When Elise first started she was positive, but now, her optimism had begun to fade. With all the emotional and physical strength she put into it, she felt like she had gotten nowhere and had no idea how she would improve.

The doctors told her she had a good chance of regaining some mobility of her legs, but they had no idea to what extent. Thinking on it over the past few weeks, Elise had no idea what it meant either. Would she be able to walk on her own? Would she need a wheelchair, or canes and braces? Would any sense of normal return, Elise asked to herself, looking down at the unappealing garden salad in front of her.

Jessie had been amazing with everything since she got back to the apartment, but Elise couldn't depend on her for the rest of her life. After another fruitless physical therapy session, Elise had no idea what she was going to do. Trying not to break down in the middle of the cafeteria, Elise pulled herself together and started looking around the room for something to distract her.

There was a group of doctors sitting, looking on their phones, each with a cup of coffee. Four nurses sat in one corner, two were eating sandwiches wrapped in cellophane, and the other two were reading magazines. One older man who wore a maintenance jacket, sat with a cup of soup.

Elise stopped when she saw one woman working her way through the cafeteria line. The woman was tall, a little under six feet, slender, and had long straight dark brown hair. Her face was pale, but not sickly pale, more like the color of a soft cream. She moved her tray along the counter with her left arm, but the lower half of her right arm was gone and was replaced with a prosthetic limb. Elise found herself rudely staring at the woman and the hook on the end of her artificial arm. She looked down feeling ashamed, hoping the woman didn't see her.

It wasn't her prosthetic limb that Elise was fixated on, but it was how the woman held herself that made her stand out. It was a confidence that Elise lacked, and she desperately hoped that one day she might feel as self-assured. Looking up, Elise saw the woman walk to the register, and with her prosthetic hand, she opened a small bag strapped around her waist. The woman removed a few bills, handed them to the cashier, and then zipped the bag back up. Taking the change and putting it in her pocket, the woman took her tray and started walking directly toward Elise.

She saw me staring at her, Elise thought in horror as the woman approached. Elise looked away like she didn't notice, but it was clear the woman was coming to sit down at her table. Pulling the chair out, the woman smiled at Elise and placed her tray down in front of her.

"Hi. Do you mind if I join you?" The woman asked politely, still smiling at Elise.

"Please." Elise responded.

Elise looked at the woman across from her. She was wearing a black knit turtleneck sweater and a pair of blue jeans. On her tray was a turkey club, bag of tortilla chips, and a water. Then in a short symphony of movements, the woman opened the chips, unscrewed the cap to her water, picked up the sandwich, and effortlessly took a bite. She smiled at Elise while chewing.

"Are you here for physical therapy?" Elise asked, not sure what to say. The woman wiped her mouth with her napkin shaking her head no.

"No, business actually." The woman replied, taking a chip out of the bag and popping it into her mouth. She offered the bag to Elise. Intrigued, Elise returned the smile and took a chip.

"Are you here for physical therapy?" The woman asked.

"Yes. I just started." Elise responded, looking down at her legs.

While the conversation with the woman was a welcome distraction, the sadness quickly returned, and Elise tried not to start crying. The last thing she needed was to start bawling in front of someone she just met. She looked up and gave the woman her best attempt at a smile.

Sensing what Elise was feeling, the woman placed her hand on Elise's. Elise saw the woman had a kind and empathetic expression.

"I know you might not think it now, but it does gets better. I lost my arm almost ten years ago." The woman said, as she raised her prosthetic limb.

The woman sat back in her chair, the kind smile was still on her face. Elise saw that the woman's waist bag was a tan camouflage, and had the initials A. G. K. sewn on the front. She immediately wondered if the woman was in the army. After everything that happened, Elise had gotten apprehensive whenever she saw someone with military attire. She knew it was all over, but there were still lingering effects.

"My name's Amy." The woman said and reached out her left hand.

"Hi. I'm Elise." Elise responded, and leaned over and shook Amy's hand. Her grip was soft and gentle.

"Do you go to the University?" Amy asked, picking up the sandwich and taking another bite.

"Yes. I graduate in May actually." Elise replied.

"What are you studying?" Amy asked between bites.

"Journalism." Elise said, amazed at how quickly the woman was tearing through her sandwich.

"Is that what you're going to do when you graduate? Be a reporter or something?" Amy asked, almost finished with her turkey club.

"I don't know. That was the plan before this happened. I had been working toward it since high school but now, I just don't see how that will be possible." Elise replied, looking at her legs. Amy looked to her again.

"I'm sorry. I know what it's like to be forced into a completely new life you didn't want. The beginning is always the worst." Amy said as she finished up her sandwich.

Elise looked up sensing that Amy would be leaving soon. Amy was the first person with a disability Elise had met since her accident, and it had given her a sense of hope. Elise didn't want the conversation to end.

"Are you going to be around town for long?" Elise asked.

"Unfortunately, no. I have to leave this afternoon." Amy replied.

"Oh." Elise said, trying not to show her discouragement.

"But, if you are looking for something different after you graduate, I just got a promotion and a spot on my team opened up." Amy said and reached into her waist bag and pulled out a card. She handed it to Elise.

"What do you do?" Elise asked, taking the card.

"I work in Communications. Give me a call. It was nice talking with you." Amy said, as she picked up her tray and turned around to leave.

Elise watched as Amy bussed her tray and walked to the exit. Right before heading out the door, Amy turned back one last time and gave Elise a little wave. Elise had no idea what to make of the conversation.

On one hand, she was happy to finally talk with someone who could relate to what she was going through. On the other hand, the woman looked like she was in the military, and with everything that had happened, that made Elise a little nervous. Staring at the business card, Elise saw a series of numbers printed on one side. It appeared to be a telephone number, followed by another string of digits. Turning the card over, Elise saw a single name printed. It read…Breaker.

Post Script

Jessie, Flint, Jason, Elise, Spirit, Breaker, the Sheriff, and many new and old characters will be back in an upcoming adventure. Stay tuned and Yo Joe!

How to make a vintage-style Flint figure who appears in this book:

INGREDIENTS:

Head – 1991 Flint(v3) or 2001 Flint(v5), or whatever head you'd like

Torso* – 1986 Hawk(v2) or 2005 General Abernathy(v3)

Arms – 1986 Hawk(v2) or 2005 General Abernathy(v3)

Waist & Legs – 1987 Tunnel Rat(v1), 1988 Tunnel Rat(v2), 1990 Tunnel Rat(v3), or 1987 Chuckles(v1), or whatever waist and legs you'd like.

Backpack – 1986 Hawk(v2), or backpack of choice

Rifle – 2011 Kwinn(v2), or rifle of choice

Silver marker or gray paint

Xacto-type knife or sharp blade

O-Ring

Torso screw

Small Phillips head screwdriver

DIRECTIONS:

Add O-Ring and screw everything together. Color the hair gray**.

Please Note:

*Torso - If you are using a 1991 or 2001 Flint head and a 1986 Hawk(v2) torso, you may need to use a sharp blade and cut inside the neck section so the Flint head will fit (I am not sure if you will need to do the same if you use a 2005 General Abernathy(v3) torso).

**Hair -To give Flint the effect of graying hair, I used a silver felt tipped marker. You can use whatever marker, paint, or methods you know though.

Acknowledgments

First off, thank you for reading! This book was actually a culmination of years of schooling, planning, writing, heartache, and my love for G.I. Joes since I was a little boy growing up in the early 1980s. However, I alone am not responsible for everything leading up to, writing, and editing this book. I would like to thank (from the bottom of my heart) in no particular order, everyone who inspired me, including my wife, my mom, my son, my niece, my cat Ripley, Larry Hama, Hasbro, Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft by Janet Burroway, my English and Creative Writing teachers at Johnson State College and The University of Vermont, my doctoral mentor Professor Scott, Travis, Sheddy, and Sarah who helped me edit this, The Prendergast Mystery Novels, Jaws, Dr. Tom Moore, the state of Vermont, the state of Massachusetts, the State of Maine, my friends, my family, my past pets including Katie, Dan, and Antoine, and anyone or anything else I missed. Thank you!