Stealth

All that is mine is, all that isn't mine isn't.

~~~

Chapter Four: Awning

It took a week to reach their destination and not surprisingly during that time Leroy took it upon himself to find out what it was that Almond had given Stealth.

"You know, most of the platoon thinks he gave you steroids." He asked her one night. Stealth was confused.

"Who gave me steroids?"

"The doc."

Stealth rolled her eyes.

"He did not give me steroids."

Leroy had already known that of course, the chief medical officer would never give anyone steroids, yet he wasn't going to be deterred by his friend's abrupt behavour.

"So, what did he give you then?" He queried.

"A loved childhood toy." She answered him, showing him the hunting knife. Leroy shook his head.

"No wonder you are the way you are." He muttered, and walked off.

* * * *

CW Base Crowning Ranges was a disappointment to Stealth, it was far more relaxed compared to Chakton. She found herself picking at how the base was operated, disapproving the over all lower efficiency output and wishing she could leave already. Naturally the rest of the platoon welcomed the refreshing change and hoped they would have some time before they had to commence their mission.

This wasn't to be so.

They were to travel to the latest abduction site as soon as humanly possible.

The site was a small village called Awning at the base of the mountains the CW Base was named after, about half a day away. Everyone had gone missing, except for a small group who had gone out to catch some lizards for food and weren't in the perimeter of the village when the abductions were to have taken place. When platoon 011 had arrived in the ghost town, they had been ushered into a long stone building, which was identified as the town hall, by the remainders. There were four of them, unwashed and in tattered clothing, typical poor villagers. Their elected leader, Andy, told their story.

"We were finding food. Then Barnaby here," The man motioned towards Barnaby with his thumb. "Barnaby reckoned he could see something fishy with Awning. So we all strained our eyes and sure enough we all reckoned we could see these huge creatures flying about the village. There was at least thirty. Some were swooping down real low like, but most were circling around and around in the sky. We ran back towards home but before we got much closer all the creatures dived at once and then took off to the mountains."

"I see," Jackson said at last. "Can I get your names please?"

"Andy, Barnaby, Joney, Andrew and Texan." Andy said, counting each name off his fingers.

"Wait, that's five names and four of you. Where's the last man?" Jackson asked.

"Texan's in the back room looking after Old Verne." Barnaby responded. "Old Verne was the only survivor we found here. We found him after we sent Joney to tell you guys at your base about the attack. He likes to hide in other people's beds for some reason, raving mad he is. He came to us well over about thirty years ago with a group of children. They all eventually died, and Old Verne mutated. He isn't a pretty sight. Some people wanted to shoot him, but most said he didn't do no harm to nobody and to leave him be."

The concept of mutation sent a shiver down every member of the platoon's spine.

"Nothing around here made him mutate I hope…?" Garson inquired. Andy shook his head.

"Nah. The whole lot of 'em came from the mountains. What ever it was that killed them kids and mutated Old Verne was in them mountains." With the threat of possible radiation contamination over, the platoon relaxed.

"I think you better show us to Verne." Jackson said, and Andy led the way to a room at the back of the hall.