Chapter 45

Little Lost Girl

"Uhhhh .. Compyyy .. ?"

Sienna dragged the word out so uncertainly that Mira had to hide a smile. The tracks were not the clearest, to be fair, but they were definitely decipherable. Sienna learned quickly and should have been able to name every track correctly by now, but she was constantly tripped up by her own desperate desire not to make too many mistakes, which of course, brought about the opposite effect. Mira waited for a moment, stringing the silence out a little before replying.

"That's right."

Sienna released an audible sigh of relief, but Mira's resulting laugh was cut short by a slight crackle in the bushes behind her. She spun around quickly, stepping in front of Sienna in the same movement.

"You've given yourself away." She murmured with hostility, levelling her bow and arrow at the spot, but flicking her eyes around the treeline. "Show yourself."

The bush went silent for a moment, then rustled again as Zoe emerged from the foliage guiltily. Mira tilted her head and lowered her weapon, slowly taking the pressure off. Sienna stepped out from behind her, grinning.

"What are you doing here?"

Zoe glanced up at Mira shyly before responding.

"I followed you. You were having a lesson on tracking, right? Well, I tracked you!"

Sienna applauded sarcastically while her mother stared down at the other girl with disapproval.

"You shouldn't be out here."

Zoe shifted uncomfortably on her feet.

"Well, I'm with you now." She clasped her hands together pleadingly. "Let me stay, Mira, please! I won't get in the way!"

"No." Mira was unmoved. "Zoe, go back home right now."

"N-No." Zoe trembled, but stood her ground, folding her arms stubbornly. "I won't go back. I've been stuck inside forever. I've missed so many field trips because I'm not allowed out of the house without an armed guard .. seriously."

"It's for your own protection."

"Well, I'm sick of being protected." Zoe countered hotly, staring up at the tall woman's grave face. Sienna watched her in surprise. "If I'm not allowed on field trips, I'll have to make myself some. I snuck out while Josh was in his room and I'm not going back. Least not for a while anyways." She smiled entreatingly then and took a step towards Mira. "Let me stay. Please? I'm safer here with you than out there by myself, and if you make me go back, I'll only sneak out again."

Sienna stared at her friend in horror, but a smile twitched at the corners of Mira's mouth. The girl had a point, after all. She was safer when she was with them, but the nerve of the child - to sneak not only out of the colony, but into the woods? Alone! At 8 years old. That sort of foolish bravery tended to demand respect at any age.

"Very well." She muttered, and Zoe's eyes lit up hopefully. "You can stay. On one condition."

Zoe nodded eagerly.

"Anything!"

"When I take you home, you stay there. No more running off, especially by yourself." Mira raised an eyebrow slightly at her. "Deal?"

Zoe nodded again, saluting the woman in front of her cheerfully.

"Deal!"

With that settled, Zoe fell in beside a rather awe-struck Sienna. The feeling soon wore off, however, and they spent the next hour practicing their tracking and having a wild time hunting rabbits and other small creatures that came across their paths. After a while, they paused for water in a small clearing. While Zoe and Sienna began to quiz one another on the calls of various animal species, Mira smiled a little, shook her head at the pair of them, and fell to searching the grass for more 'learning opportunities'.

A low thwick from the trees was the first sign of danger, followed closely by Sienna's blood-cuddling scream. Mira swung around, readying her bow in the same instant. Zoe and Sienna were still where they had been a moment ago, only now Zoe was staring in horror at the crossbow bolt sticking out of her friend's arm. Sienna's blood rapidly welled up and trickled out of the wound, colouring her shirt sleeve a dull red as the material soaked up the liquid. The next few milliseconds seemed to occur in slow motion. Mira swung her aim back toward the trees that had produced the missile. She heard the soft rustling thud of a footstep in the grass behind her. She saw the arrow shoot from her own hands, felt the relief as it narrowly missed the children, but she had no control over her own movements.

It was only later that she discovered she had been clubbed in the back of the head. She hadn't even felt any pain. Sienna was staring at her in terror. The wide eyes looked huge in such a small face. Mira own eyesight began to dull as the ground rose up to meet her. She was going to hit it, but she could do nothing to stop it. Her daughter's next screams sounded as though they came from miles away as Mira's world faded to black.

Lucas leaned over the map, pointing to several different locations in turn. Jim's eyes followed his finger, locking onto the tiny locations and trying to restrain himself from attempting to enlarge the picture - a gesture which, of course, would result in nothing more than making him look stupid given the materials they were currently working with. Thanks to the possible ramifications of what they were devising, they had fallen back to using paper maps. The novelty was rapidly wearing off.

"So the plan is to put them here, here, here-"

"Jim! JIM!"

They looked up from the desk in alarm as Guzman ran in. The soldier's expression sent a thrill of fear down into Jim's stomach.

"What? What is it?"

"Mira has just returned. She needs to see you right away." He hesitated, knowing from first-hand experience that there was no way to make the blow any easier. "Jim, it's Zoe."

Jim put a hand on his desk as the room began to spin a little, his legs suddenly feeling weak.

"Where is she? What's happened?"

"How could this happen?!"

Jim charged across the divide to the spot where Mira stood waiting, her arm around Sienna. The girl's face was pale and streaked with tears, and there was fresh blood seeping into a makeshift bandage on her upper arm, but she wasn't making a sound. Mira shook her head as Jim approached.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know she was following us."

"That's beside the point! She's a child! You should've protected her!"

"I know. I'm sorry." Mira repeated, holding a crumpled piece of paper out to him. "They knocked me out cold, but left this with Sienna."

"They who?"

Mira shook her head, the slight movement sending a wave of nausea through her.

"I don't know. Sienna .. didn't recognise anyone."

Jim stared at her accusingly for a moment before snatching up the paper and opening it.

"A family is four. You were warned.

Your daughter is currently unharmed. Lay all your weapons down outside the gate and surrender the colony now. If you do so, she will be returned. If you refuse, you bring bloodshed down on innocent heads and you'll never see Zoe again.

The choice is yours."

He crumpled up the paper and cast it aside with a sound that was something between a yell and a curse. As he ran his hands through his hair despairingly, Mira stepped forward.

"I will get her back or die trying. You have my word."

"Little late for that, isn't it?" Jim snapped, picking up the ragged note again. With a glance at Sienna, he turned to address a nearby guard. "Irving, take these two to the Infirmary."

As Silas trotted over to lead them away, Mira nudged her daughter gently.

"Go with him, baby. You need to get that arm fixed up properly."

Sienna stared up at her shakily.

"What about you?"

"Yeah, you should really go as well. You're still bleeding."

Irving tapped his own neck to indicate where the blood was dripping down, casting a questioning glance at Jim, but the commander was staring back at the reopened paper. Mira shook her head slightly.

"No. I'm going back out to look for her. I-I was dizzy before, I might have missed something."

Her words seemed to penetrate through the confusion in Jim's mind and snap him out of his daze. He glanced up.

"I'm going too."

Mira paused.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. What if their goal in all this is to lure you out there? Stay here. If there's anything out there to be found, my men and I will find it. I promise."

Jim threw her restraining hand off roughly, pointing a finger at her face.

"She is MY little girl. I'm going, even if I have to go through you to get there!" He threw a hand up in the direction of the guard tower. "Raise the gate!"

"Do you even know where to look?"

"Guzman passed on everything you told him." Jim looked back at the Sixer chief as he began to walk away. "Go get checked out at the Infirmary. If I find anything, I'll let you know."

He stormed over to where the Rover sat waiting, only to find the door swing open to greet him. Taylor peered out at him from the driver's seat.

"Well, what are you waiting for then? Get in!"

Jim slipped into the passenger seat without comment and the Rover sprang into life, barely waiting for the level of clearance to arrive before it charged under the gate and abandoned the colony. Mira watched as Sienna was led to the Infirmary before taking a deep breath and following the vehicle on foot.

Lucas peered around the corner of the building. No sign of life just yet. Maybe they weren't- His thoughts were driven out of his head at the crunch of gravel behind him. He spun around to see Josh watching him, arms folded. His red-rimmed eyes betrayed the fact that he'd been crying.

"What are you doing?"

"Shh!" Lucas reached out and grabbed the younger man's arm, pulling him roughly against the wall and out of sight. "Go home, you don't want to get into this. Trust me."

Josh narrowed his eyes for a moment and peered around the corner at the dilapidated shack, turning back to Lucas with a small sniff.

"You think he had something to do with this too, don't you?"

"Who?" Lucas shot back in a low voice. "What are you doing all the way out here anyway?"

"Same thing as you, apparently." Josh cast another dark glance around the corner. "I'm going to find out what that scumbag's done with my sister."

"Why do you think it's him?" Lucas muttered cautiously. Josh seemed to falter a little.

"Has to be someone helping them. Anyway, you seem to think it's him."

"Call it a gut feeling." Lucas threw a quick look around. Still no one in sight, but if they didn't get a move on, there soon would be. He turned back to Josh. "The way he acted in the enemy camp, the looks they were giving each other .. I'm telling you, something wasn't right. If anyone knows anything, it's him."

Josh nodded quickly.

"Good, then let's go!"

"I told you, go home." Lucas met his gaze sternly, as though he was offering guidance to a younger sibling. "Go .. comfort your mother or something. Let me handle this. You know you can't hold your own in a fight."

"No." Josh grabbed his arm and turned him back around roughly to face him. "Mom has Maddy with her. Besides, this is my fault. She's my sister. If you're going vigilante, I'm coming. Anyway, you know I can throw a punch at least as well as your stringy muscles, if not better."

Lucas studied him for a moment and then nodded, a smile threatening to push its way past his serious demeanour.

"Come on then. Roll up your sleeves, Shannon Jr. It's showtime."

They burst into the Sixers' house side by side, flinging the door open so hard that it banged back against the wall and broke into three sections. The man of the hour was sitting in a bamboo armchair in the middle of the room cleaning his crossbow. Harlon didn't seem surprised in the least to see them. In fact, he didn't even bother to look up as they entered the room, but continued running the cloth methodically across the lower handle of his crossbow, though how such a dirty scrap of material was contributing to the cleanliness of the weapon at all was anyone's guess. It deposited at least as much grime as it was taking off.

Lucas darted forward and wrenched the beloved crossbow out of his hands, much to Harlon's annoyance. He glared up into the cold eyes above him as Lucas grabbed the neck of his vest with the other hand.

"You have one chance to tell me the truth here. Choose wisely. Where's the kid?"

Harlon said nothing. Neither did his friends. Originally appearing simply as shadows in the back of the room, three other Sixers took form and began to advance slowly on the intruders. Lucas pointed the crossbow at Harlon's neck.

"Stay where you are or he gets it."

A thrill of alarm shot through him as they continued to approach, the threat of their friend being shot through the neck not seeming to bother them in the least. Lucas' own neck began to prickle as he watched them, sensing someone coming up behind him. He couldn't afford to turn around to look, and yet-

A moment later, he heard the reassuring sound of a sonic charging up and glanced over his shoulder to see Josh holding a gun.

"This thing is set to its maximum charge." Josh murmured dangerously. "Take one more step and you'll all be in bed for a week."

They stopped moving. Lucas raised an eyebrow and turned back to Harlon.

"Time's ticking."

Harlon shrugged, looking bored.

"You're barking up the wrong tree. I don't know anything about any kid. And even if I did, these guys'll tell you I've been here the whole time. How could I have done anything?"

Josh glared at him.

"We have footage of you leaving the colony."

"You're bluffing. I always avoid the security cameras."

Lucas glanced back at Josh, who shrugged helplessly. Lucas rolled his eyes and turned back to Harlon, giving him a little shake for good measure.

"Last chance."

"You too." Harlon responded calmly. "Leave now and we can forget this little breach of my privacy ever happened."

Lucas seemed to consider that option, looking around to exchange a glance with Josh. After a moment, he turned back swiftly.

"Alright, enough playing around."

A clunk echoed around the room as he pulled the trigger. Harlon screamed in pain and glared up into the icy green eyes as the bolt sank deep into the fleshy part of his upper leg. Lucas stared back for a moment, then examined the weapon in his hand thoughtfully.

"Not bad. Bit on the rough side. I've seen better, but not bad." He eyed Harlon in disgust. The Sixer was beginning to sweat visibly with the pain of his injury, but he gritted his teeth and said nothing. Lucas nodded slowly. "Tough guy, huh? You think that hurts? The next one'll be in your chest. WHERE IS SHE?!"

"I DON'T KNOW."

Lucas dropped the crossbow. Harlon's head snapped sideways as the oncoming fist collided with his cheekbone.

"HOW ABOUT NOW?!"

Harlon winced, but didn't say a word. Lucas punched him again and raised his arm a third time, but Josh's hand on his elbow halted him.

"Alright, he's had enough."

Lucas turned on him furiously.

"What, are you just going to give up and let him get away with it?!"

"What, are you gonna punch me now? I said he's had enough!" Josh eyed the bruised Sixer uncertainly. "Come on, we don't know it was him anyway."

Lucas threw an accusatory look at the man in the chair.

"It was him."

But he relented anyway, picking up the crossbow again and turning to leave the room. They had taken two and a half steps when Harlon's calm voice came from behind them.

"I'm not saying I did it .."

Lucas and Josh glanced at each other and looked back at him. Harlon watched them contemplatively.

"Having said that .. if I did do something of the sort, you can be sure it would have been for the greater good of everyone in this colony and that no one would have been hurt unnecessarily in the process, especially not a kid." He stared seriously at them through the one eye that wasn't swollen. "Not that I had anything to do with it, of course."

"Of course." Lucas moved closer again slowly, folding his arms and tapping the crossbow against his other elbow. The two eyed each other. "And in this hypothetical scenario, where would you have taken the girl once you kidnapped her?"

Harlon stared at him for a moment and then glanced at Josh, who was watching from the door, barely daring to breathe. The Sixer shifted in the chair, causing himself to grimace, and then finally sighed.

"I would probably have had someone to deliver her to outside the colony. Someone that had threatened further destruction if I didn't do as I was told." His eyes flicked back to Lucas and he shrugged. "An educated guess. I tend to get myself involved with these sorts of people."

"I see." Lucas muttered. "And where would these people be taking her?"

"If I had to take a guess - and this is purely speculation at this point, you understand." Harlon mused. "I'd bet my money on her being taken back to the enemy camp. And then, on to the future where they could better keep an eye on her. I can't be sure of it though."

"No, of course not." Lucas stared at him thoughtfully. "Why? Why would they take her?"

"Control." Harlon responded. "Take control of the lead ant and the colony will follow."

"They're using her to force Jim to surrender." Lucas muttered. Harlon shrugged.

"I suppose you could look at it that way .. theoretically."

Lucas stared at him for a minute and then turned on his heel and walked to stand beside Josh at the door, eyeing the three shadowy figures in the back of the room.

"Come on. Let's go let your dad know."

Josh frowned.

"How do you know it's the truth?"

"I don't, but it makes sense, and it's the best lead we've got."

Josh looked past Lucas at the battered form in the middle of the room.

"What about him?"

"Leave him. He's right, we can't prove anything." Lucas cast one last glance into the dusty room as he closed the fragmented door behind him. "Let's hope your dad's found something better to go on."

Jim had not. Whoever the kidnappers were, they had been neat. There was barely a trace of evidence that anyone had been there that morning at all. He listened solemnly to Josh and Lucas' tale as they reported their findings, finally dismissing himself to go home and be with the remainder of his family. He was fallen upon as soon as he walked through the doorway.

"Jim!" Elisabeth ran to him shakily, followed closely by Maddy with Vaughn in her arms. "Have they found anything?"

He shook his head.

"Not yet. Only scraps of unverifiable information." He sighed deeply, running a hand across his face and through his hair. "I just don't know what else to do, except .."

The two women eyed him fearfully.

"Except .."

Jim met Maddy's gaze for a moment before settling on Elisabeth's. He could tell by the look on her face that she knew what he was going to say even before he said it.

"I have to go."

"Jim-"

"Elisabeth, I have to go after her."

She was silent for a few seconds before nodding firmly.

"I'm coming with you."

"No. Absolutely not."

"She's my daughter too."

"And you have other children!"

"So do you!"

Jim groaned hoarsely and wandered away a few steps in frustration.

"That wasn't what I meant."

She sighed, putting her hand to her forehead and shaking her head a little.

"I know it wasn't." After a short silence, she steeled herself and looked back into his eyes. He was hurting just as much as she was. She had no right to make it even harder on him. "And I know you have to go. I don't want her out there alone any more than you do. But-"

They all jumped as the front door slammed and Mark catapulted into the room.

"Commander - Jim, I'm sorry for barging in, sir, but they thought you'd like to know."

He glanced from Elisabeth to Jim as the latter's forehead creased worriedly.

"What is it, Reynolds?"

"Harlon's gone."

Jim exchanged a look with Elisabeth.

"Guess that answers that question." He turned back to Mark. "Have his housemates detained .. unless they've disappeared too?"

"No, sir. They're still here."

"Good. Put them in the brig and question them. They'll probably deny everything, but it's worth a try."

"Yes, sir .. but .." Mark's eyes flicked to his wife's before returning to Jim. ".. don't you want to do it yourself?"

Jim smiled a little at the soldier's earnest expression.

"I'm leaving, Mark. I have to go after her."

Mark thought for a moment before his face set in determination.

"Then I volunteer to go with you."

Jim eyed him affectionately.

"No, Reynolds. I couldn't do that to Maddy." He smiled over at his daughter, who, despite her worry, looked a little relieved. It was selfish, she knew, especially as her mother was having to release her husband into who knows what and had done so many times before, but Maddy couldn't seem to help it. Jim put a hand on her shoulder and she returned his smile gratefully. He understood.

"Besides." Jim turned back to his son-in-law. "I need good people I trust to keep this place running while I'm gone - people like you."

Mark nodded solemnly, though he blinked a few times too often.

"Yes, sir. Don't worry about us. We can hold our own."

"I know you can."

They all turned as the door swung open again and Mira entered quietly, getting straight to the point as she usually did.

"Lucas told me what Harlon said." She met Jim's gaze, her eyes conveying a level of respect she rarely showed to anyone. "I assume you're going after them. So am I."

Jim started to shake his head.

"You don't have to do that."

"Yes I do." Mira interrupted quietly. "This is my fault. You don't have to say anything." She added, as Jim opened his mouth again. "This is my fault, and I will make it right."

She turned to Elisabeth.

"I'd be .. grateful if you'd look after Sienna for me. It won't be easy on her. She's .. still a little in shock."

"Of course."

"Thank you, Elisabeth."

It was a solemn procession that followed Jim out of the house that afternoon. How was it possible that such a short time ago they had been celebrating? Those high spirits were nothing but a distant memory now.

They found Taylor leaning on the doorframe outside, a large reptile crushing the contents of the garden bed at his feet.

"Count me in."

Jim shifted Vaughn to his other side as he stopped beside the former commander. His grip tightened as the boy he was holding caught sight of the dinosaur below and began diving for it, arms outstretched. The Kaprosuchus stared up at the child warily, but didn't even bother raising its head. Jim continued on down the path.

"Taylor, the colony needs you here."

"No they don't, they wouldn't listen to me anyway." Taylor followed him comfortably. "My time as their leader has passed. I know it. You know it. I'm coming."

He pulled up beside Jim as they reached the main street, smiling at Vaughn as the boy stared back at him with wide eyes.

"Try and keep me away."

"Thank you." Jim glanced at Mira, who had appeared on his other side. "Both of you."

She nodded, exchanging a meaningful look with Taylor - a look both understood to mean that the kidnapped child's father was now as much their responsibility as Zoe herself. Mira reached out and placed a steady hand on Jim's shoulder.

"Let's bring home your little girl."

Jim's eyes roved over the gathered crowd. It seemed as though half the colony had come out to wave them off. As he examined the sea of faces, two removed themselves from the masses and stepped forward. Boylan and Malcolm addressed Jim gravely, the barkeeper reaching out to shake his hand.

"Bring her back to us, Shannon." His grip seemed to tighten with every word. "We've all grown quite fond of the little tacka."

When he finally released Jim's hand, Malcolm claimed it, reaching up to pat it briefly with his other hand. He nodded in his best business-like manner.

"Take care of yourself, Jim."

"Thanks, Malcolmus. Don't miss me too much."

Malcolm snorted and dropped his hand.

"Always did think too much of yourself." As Jim moved on to the next section, he rubbed his eyes roughly, returning Boylan's grin with a glare. "Dust. The wind, you know, it .. throws it .. everywhere."

The barkeeper clapped his back firmly.

"Sure it does, mate."

As Jim passed by them, Leah and Sienna stepped forward, looking unusually sober.

"Save her from the bad guys, Mr. Shannon. Please."

Jim leaned down, looking into the two earnest faces and putting a hand on each of their heads.

"Don't worry. I'll bring her home or die trying."

"Don't do that either." Leah pleaded tearfully, throwing her arms around his neck. Jim returned the hug for a moment before releasing her.

"Take care of things while I'm gone."

Leah nodded gravely.

"Yes, sir."

With a last smile at the girls, he moved on to Carter and Reilly, who were waiting nearby. The odd pair watched in silence as he stopped in front of them, folding his arms and immediately becoming the capable leader of the colony again.

"All going well, we'll be in and out quickly and be back before they advance." He glanced at Mira, who had just appeared beside him. She didn't seem overly hopeful, but then, she never did. He turned back to his second-in-command. "Reilly, I'm trusting you to hold down the fort."

The soldier seemed to hesitate for a moment, but swallowed her doubts and nodded bravely.

"Yes, sir."

Mira took over then to say something to Carter. Several metres away, Taylor finished loading the Rover and looked around. Only one member of the crowd met his eye. He wandered over to where his son stood and stopped in front of him.

"Just between you and me, Jim's kidding himself if he thinks we'll make it back before the fighting starts." He glanced over at the current commander, but Jim was still engaged in conversation with Reilly. Taylor turned back to Lucas with a small shake of his head. "Things are about to turn real ugly and I don't know how bad they're gonna get when they do. You take care of yourself, son."

Lucas nodded solemnly.

"Bring her home safe."

Taylor smiled darkly.

"They won't know what hit 'em."

As he began to walk away, Lucas' voice suddenly spoke up again.

"Dad .. don't get yourself killed, or .. or I'll never forgive you."

Taylor turned back and put a hand to his son's face, patting it a couple of times for good measure.

"Goodbye, boy." As he walked away, he threw a last remark over his shoulder. "I always knew you cared, by the way."

Lucas snorted and called after him.

"I don't!"

Jim had farewelled half the colony by now, or so it seemed to him. He finally reached his own family members, hugging each one tightly in turn, even Mark, who had now taken charge of Vaughn so that Elisabeth could hug her husband with both arms. She held onto him in silence, tears running down her cheeks. There didn't seem to be any words that mattered enough to bother saying. After a few minutes, she pulled away. Jim reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek as she tried her best to smile at him.

"I'm sorry, Dad." The anguished voice of his son cracked sharply as it broke into the silence. "I'm sorry-"

"It wasn't your fault, Josh." Jim sounded almost cross as he turned back to face his son. "It was bound to happen sooner or later. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine."

Josh shook his head stubbornly, his eyes glistening with angry tears.

"No. If I'm not responsible for this, neither are you. They've had us in their sights for a long time, you said so yourself. And we really should've known no one could keep Zoe locked up for long." A sad smile crossed his face at the thought of his little sister. "Just look after yourself, alright?"

From his right, Maddy suppressed a sob.

"Be safe, Dad."

"Don't worry." Jim gazed over his family. "I'll find her."

They nodded, each with a lump in their throat too big to say anything else. Taylor appeared again, hanging out of the side of the vehicle.

"Come on, Shannon, we're burnin' daylight!"

As Jim walked away and got into the Rover, Mark glanced at Elisabeth. She was biting her lip shakily and trying valiantly to hold it together. The grief he saw on her face nearly broke his heart. He put a hand on her shoulder to get her attention and then deposited Vaughn gently into her arms. He was rewarded with a hint of a smile as Elisabeth accepted the child and held on tightly to him. Vaughn watched in consternation as another tear fell onto her cheek, reaching out to wipe it away softly. Elisabeth laughed a little and leaned her head on his shoulder as the Rover's engine started up.

Skye appeared beside Lucas as the vehicle pulled away, the Kaprosuchus trailing along beside it. While they watched, Taylor reached his arm out the open window to wave goodbye. Neither of the two waved back. The shock of the sudden attack had shaken the entire colony. It felt as though they had been reduced to a sleepwalker's state of being, failing to exist in either the real world or the dream one. The sight of the small vehicle disappearing in the distance seemed to bring a dark sorrow down over the gathered crowd. Their leaders were gone. Sixer or colonist, they were all one party now, thrown together into the same orphaned lot. Harlon had betrayed them all, and now their foundation had been taken away because of it. Who knew when the Rover would return? Nagging at the back of everyone's minds was the very likely possibility that it never would, that they would have to somehow pick themselves up and move on without any one person's guidance. They stood there watching for far longer than any of them cared to admit, staring out of the open gate even after the Rover had well and truly vanished from view. Finally, the guards made an executive decision and gate rumbled to life, startling them all out of their collective dream.

Lucas looked up at the descending gate and blinked several times. The song of the grating gears possessed such a horrid note of finality. Skye scoffed as she glanced up at him, attempting to shake off the black fog that seemed to be smothering them both.

"Always knew you were the sentimental type."

Lucas raised an eyebrow at her and she laughed a little, causing a cascade of tears to roll down her own cheeks. She leaned her forehead against his shoulder in defeat, and he patted her head sympathetically.

"They'll be back."

Skye lifted her head again and stared out at the dust clouds the vehicle had left behind.

"I hope you're right .."

"Hold your positions!"

Lucas stood near the centre of a long defensive line, tiny particles of airborne foliage swirling around him. The gentle breeze ruffled his hair as he looked to the horizon, while a mass of heavy dark clouds thundered deeply overhead. There was a distinct chill in the autumn wind. Winter was almost upon them again. Each year had grown increasingly colder since the colony had first been founded. This one wasn't showing any signs of breaking the pattern.

He raised his crossbow slightly in anticipation as another gust sent the tiny leaves swirling about him anew. From the hilltop in front of the colony where they had chosen to make their stand, the approaching army looked about as dangerous as a handful of pebbles. He had a feeling they were about to find out just how badly a handful of pebbles could hurt.

The electromagnetic interference units had been completed a few weeks earlier and were now placed strategically around the immediate vicinity. More were being built by the day, both to widen the impact radius and to replace the ones that would inevitably be destroyed or located. Mira's trebuchet was up and in full swing, so to speak, though the lady herself hadn't been around to see it. A few tests had been run already, and though the targeting part wasn't an exact science, the impact of the weapon was still impressive.

It had been a race to see which would reach them first - the army or the cold season. The runner this morning had finally supplied the answer to that question. He raised his chin and studied the familiar landscape opposite him. Winter was definitely knocking on their door, but it would take last place this time.

The Second Phoenix were on the move.

Lucas stared out grimly at the approaching enemy line and tightened his grip on the crossbow handle. This was it. The waiting was finally over. The eye of the storm had passed. Now they would fight. They would protect their home with everything they had, and they would survive .. or die trying.

.. This Is Not ..

The End

Author's Note

Eyeyey. So I've finally managed to upload the end of this book. Sorry it took so long. You know how it goes, I meant to finish it up ages ago, but .. life.
It really does get in the way sometimes, don't it? Jobs and .. stuff.

And don't worry. I know it didn't end with any sense of closure, but I am working on a third one. I call it .. Even More Further After the Occupation ..
(Also known as Before the Future. XD) When I finish the fifth chapter, I shall create a new story and if you're following me, you'll see it pop up.

Thank you guys so much for sticking with me and coming along for the ride thus far! I hope it's been everything you hoped for. =)

Until next time!

- George DeWhite

;)