Wildwing's eyes opened in a flash. Mac rested soundly against his chest, undisturbed by his fathers startled movements. The images that had sprung his body into motion still haunted him. How could they have been so vivid? Why was this happening? Wing looked down at Mac and could see the strain of tension on his face. He whimpered his sister's name and Wing knew that he had seen the same thing he had. Anna, a prisoner in the Saurian prison cell, singing herself to sleep and praying for deliverance. "Hold on baby," Wing whispered. "Daddy's coming to get you."

Wildwing laid Mac on the bed and covered him with his blankets. The vision had made it clear. He could not wait till the appointed rendezvous, he had to get Anna back, and now!

Wing headed from Mac's room to the command center. He knew that the team would be assembled there working on a plan. He was right. Wing found Canard leaning forward, back swayed as he pressed against the control panel and looked up at the massive computer screen. Tanya sat in a chair and monitored the schematics as they came up. Canard studied them religiously as well. Duke paced behind the pair, hands clasped behind his back, lost in thought. Wing's father stood in the background-watching Canard carefully as he silently devoured what Canard was saying.

"Wait go back what's that there?"

"That's a utility shed."

"Hmmm. What were the coordinates for the rendezvous?"

Tanya highlighted the area on the map. Canard tapped the end of his bill with his right index finger before he spoke. "This is bound to be a trap, no doubt. Look at that lay out. Those stinking lizards chose the perfect place to sabotage our plan of rescue. So just to even the odds a bit, I think we should set up a watch over here and here," Canard pointed to the designated positions on the map.

"Split up?" Tanya inquired.

"Think of it more as setting up a crossfire with the Saurian's caught in the middle."

"NO!" Wildwing barked, making his presence known.

"Wildwing, go back to where ever you have been. I'm taking charge."

"You will NOT put Anna in that kind of danger!"

"Wing, do you really think that the Saurian's will bring her?"

"They said they would."

"Wildwing Wing listen to me, I know that this is hard for you, but trust me." Canard laid a comforting hand on Wing's shoulder.

Wing retched his shoulder away, growling "I did, and this is where I ended up."

"Sport." Wing turned to the calm voice of his father. "Wildwing, listen to Canard. He has more experience in this then you."

"I don't care."

"Wing I know what you're going through."

"How can you?" Wing spun around to face his friend. "You're not a father!"

"Wildwing, of the two of you, Canard is the only one thinking straight. The Saurian's will not bring your daughter. They know that you will attempt to free her. They would not risk that. Just calm down and let Canard lead, like you use to."

Wing shook his head with disapproval, but listened to Canard's plan.

"Duke's going to use his talents to get her, while we keep them busy at the steel mill."

"That's your plan?"

"Part of it."

"What's my part? And I had better not be the decoy this time."

Canard chuckled softly. "Sorry buddy, we are all going to be playing the decoy this time. While Duke and your father break in and free Anna, we will be diverting the Saurian's attention with a frontal assault. My hopes are that we can get them in a crossfire, as you already heard."

"One problem."

"That is?"

"We don't know where they are holding Anna."

"Little Nosedive does," Nosedive said walking into the room with Terry.

"NO! Out of the question."

"Wing," Terry hugged him from behind and laid her head on his shoulder blades. "I'll go with them. Mac will lead them to their hideout and then I'll get him back here in a flash."

"Terry," Wing turned to face her. "It's too risky."

"We have to take a few risks, bro," Nosedive said with a grin.

"This coming from Mr. Throw caution into the wind'." Wing mocked.

"Wing, things will work out, they always do."

Wing thought about what his brother had said. He had a point. Things always did have a way of working themselves out.

"Canard I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

"No need in apologizing. It's already forgotten."

"Good. What do you want me to do, I'll do it."

"That's great of you to offer, but what I really need from you is for you and Terry to go do something together. Get some coffee, talk, get a bite to eat, whatever. As a matter of fact, since you both look like hell I suggest a nice nap, after you've eaten. You look like you have lost a lot of weight."

Wing laughed. At least his best friend could still make fun of him at a critical time. Terry coaxed Wing out of the room and they headed to the kitchen for a quick bite to eat and then headed to their room to talk. Wing laid on the bed as Terry gave him an excellent back massage. "Better?"

He mumbled his satisfaction into the pillow, letting his mind wander as his muscles were easing their tension. A question popped into his mind and he voiced it, but the pillow muffled it.

"What?"

"I said, what do we do next?"

Terry cautiously answered his inquiry. "We are going to get Anna back."

"I mean after that. Do we go back to Puckworld or stay here on Earth? If we stay I can support you, but on Puckworld"

"Wildwing, our families are on Puckworld. Puckworld is our home."

"Home is where you choose to make it, Terry. I don't know if I can go back. What about the church and our friends here?"

"What about them?"

"How can we raise our children to be Christians on a world that has no idea who Christ is or what he has done for them?"

"We'll discuss this later, Wing. Right now lets just focus on getting Anna back home."

/ page break /

Canard prepped his troops for the ensuing battle. The plan was simple, and with it Canard hoped to outflank and ambush the Saurians. He had learned a few tricks in the military and he was gambling on them to be of some use in this plan of his. According to the lay of the land Canard was going to have Grin and Tanya stationed nearby as Nosedive and he would be perched across from their position. Wing would go in alone, as per the instructions of the Saurians, to demand for Anna's safe return. The Saurian's had neglected to make their demands earlier; no doubt they would be doing so at the meeting later that day.

While Wing distracted the Saurians' the others would fan out and if the situation got out of hand, Wing would get to safety as the others pinned the Saurian scum with a deadly crossfire. As soon as Duke radioed that he had Anna, they would make a hasty withdrawal. All that was left of the master plan was to inform Wildwing his role in the grand scheme.

The dreaded hour approached and Canard sought out Wing. He found him asleep with his arm wrapped around Terry, whom slumbered softly next to him. Canard smiled; at least the pair had gotten some sleep. That would keep them fresh for the task at hand. Canard woke Terry first. "It's time," he whispered. Terry blinked her sleep away and sat up. Her movements had not disturbed Wing, who was in a deep sleep.

"Go ahead, wake him."

"Do I have to? He hasn't slept in days."

"He'll get plenty of rest after we get Anna back. We need him more right now."

Begrudgingly, Terry massaged Wing's shoulders with a gentle shake. He did not wake easily. She had to practically slap him hard across the face, splash him with water, use a blow horn in his ear, and jump on him to wake him.

"Wake up sun shine," Canard smirked. His expression quickly changed to his serious exterior. "Time to go."

Wing wiped his eyes and asked, "what's the plan?"

"I'll fill you in on the way. Terry, Duke and George are waiting for you in the hanger with Mac."

Wing watched his wife leave, unconvinced that the risk they were about to undertake was really necessary. Canard whistled, drawing Wing's attention back to reality. "What?"

"You just had to do it. You had to go and cheat on Lei Lei."

"I did not cheat on Leila. And for the record we were never going out."

Canard smiled. "Sure you weren't, just completely hung up on one another. Holding hands when no one was looking."

"We are friends, Canard."

"So are we and I don't see you trying to shimmy up next to me and"

Wildwing threw his pillow at his former team captain. "You're just jealous because I got a great gal."

"Hate to tell you this man, but Lei Lei couldn't wait forever."

"What do you mean?" Wing cocked his head to one side.

Canard cleared his throat. "Well" Nervously Canard shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"Come on, spit it out."

Canard, embarrassed about the fact, scratched at the back of his neck hesitant to speak. "Leila and I well we're kinda married."

"That's great!"

"And we're expecting."

Wing jumped from the bed, astonished by Canard's confession. "Congratulations!"

"Wing, calm down. Right now we have a job to do, we'll celebrate later."

"You're right. Oh and, Canard, I'm sorry."

"What for this time?"

"It looks like you do know what it feels like to be a father."

"Of course I do. I have three other kids with Leila."

"THREE?!" Wing's beak hit the floor as he watched Canard leave the room. If time passed slower on Puckworld then on Earth, then Wing should have been ahead of Canard in children by a long shot!

/ page break /

Duke, George, and Terry each took a duck cycle as the rest of the team took the Migrator. At the stop light of Tolkien Blvd. and Eddings Way, the duck cycles turned left on the latter street as the others kept going north on Tolkien Blvd. Mac sat in front of his grandfather apprehensively, wishing that the adventure were at an end. Visions of Belegurth attacking his father replayed in his mind. Though Wing had survived his first encounter with the saurian, Mac envisioned him suffering mortal wounds and many lost appendages. He was still lost in worry some thought when the duck cycles stopped at a red light. Duke nodded to George and he nodded back. "Okay sweetie, where's your sister?"

Mac nearly jumped out of his feathers at the sound of his grandfather's voice. "I want go home."

George kissed the top of his head as he hugged him tenderly. "You will munchkin as soon as you tell us where Anna's being held captive."

"Left, next light."

Mac directed the older mallards through many twists and turns of back streets and highways. As they drove past a locked gate with ivy growing on the iron bars he pointed at them with a shaking hand. "Anna there."

Duke smiled and nodded his silent acknowledgement. He led the small group to a safe avenue two blocks away to allow George to hand Mac back to Terry, so that he and George could begin the rescue operation. No words were exchanged, but all wished the other good luck in their hearts. George and Duke watched Terry speed off, her hair flying behind her. "Well, here we go." The pair found their way back to the ominous façade of the locked gate.

The place did not hold a warm fuzzy feeling, but dread and fear. There was something that made the saurian race choose terrifying surroundings to intimidate their enemy. Shaking the thought away, the pair parked the bikes in a nearby alley and climbed the eight-foot stone wall. Both sides of the wall were covered with ivy, most of which was dead and brown held together with sticky cobwebs and poisonous spiders. Duke stopped at the top of the wall, flung a spider from his hand, and surveyed the territory. The grounds inside the wall were unkempt. Forests of tall weeds grew in tangles and were tall as small trees. A patchy stone path lead from the locked gate to the door of a run down Victorian house. The path was bordered by dead hedges and littered with dead leaves and weeds peaking up between the cracks. The building did not help make the scene any better. The flowerbeds were entangled with wild roses the thorns outnumbering the flowers fifty to one. Shutters were falling or had rotted off their hinges decades ago with no repair. The windows were shattered long ago and half of the tile roof was missing. The paint was all but chipped and weathered away but in a few spots. "Homey," Duke remarked as George joined him on top of the wall.

"What were you expecting? Yellow daisy's and a perfectly manicured lawn?" George quipped.

"This place makes the Bates Motel look like the Holiday Inn."

"I take that as nothing good."

Duke nodded.

"Let's get my grandbaby out of there and back home where she belongs."

/ page break /

The other ducks were not finding much comfort where they were going. They arrived before the appointed time and set up their operation with ease. Wing paced nervously at the rendezvous point, as he waited for the Saurians to appear. He was not disappointed when they, or should I say, she appeared. "Hello duck." Wing jumped at her vicious callous tone.

"Where's my daughter?"

"With my brother. They will be along shortly. They had to finish up the game they were playing."

"You said you would bring her, unharmed!"

"All in do time. First you must uphold your part of the bargain."

"And that is?"

"As I told you before, when your entrails have strangled you and your lungs have exploded. After your heart is pierced with the very sorrow you inflicted on others."

"What?"

"Let me be more explicit. Your daughter, Anna, will not be freed until your head has been rendered from the neck, on which it sits and decorates my spear beside my throne. I will wear your feathers like a fur coat and your eyes will make a handsome necklace. I will fill your entrails with the blood and meat of your wife and friends. Then I will feast on them and suck on your bones. I will use your wishbone to pick my teeth. Then I'll kill your precious Anna, just to stop her crying. She has such a sweet sob as she wails all night seeking protection from a useless god."

"Why you!" Wing exploded. "Don't you DARE belittle my God!"

Belegurth began to laugh a menacing, trembling laugh. With her head thrown back the noise reverberated off the walls of the steel mills buildings and the ground trembled beneath Wing's feet. "You are a bigger fool then the brat. No god can save a soulless thing," Belegurth spat.

Wing clenched his fists at his side in an attempt to control his fury. He knew the plan, stall as long as possible, but the way things were going he might end up falling for her taunts. Canard rolled his eyes from where he sat hidden and prayed that Wing would not blow the rouse on an account from this deity he now chose to worship.