Author's Note: Once again, terribly sorry for the long wait! I'll be much quicker from now on! On a side note, is anybody else getting incredibly sick of Miles' lack of badassery since getting closer to Rachel? Jeez, it's like Bass and Charlie are the only ones that can get things done anymore! Also, Miles should stop being so much of a dick to Bass all the time. That is all.

~~MM~~MM~~MM~~MM~~

Bass, Aaron, and Cynthia arrived at the meeting spot, a field filled with all manner of decrepit watercraft, slightly later than expected but Miles and the others were nowhere to be found.

Well, Bass figured, if he and his group had run into unexpected circumstances, chances were Miles did as well. He did a cursory check of the area to make sure they hadn't been followed before ushering Aaron and Cynthia on to one of the larger boats. Cynthia immediately huddled into the corner of the cabin but Bass climbed onto the front of the boat and sat down where he could be relatively concealed while keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. He had hoped Aaron would stay with his girlfriend but no such luck; the big guy tagged along behind like a lost puppy.

At first it was simply silent between the two men, the only sound coming from Bass as he gulped from his canteen. Gradually, he noticed Aaron's fidgeting which only became worse as time wore on. A quick glance at the night sky told Bass that they had been waiting for far longer than they should have been. He opened his mouth to voice his thoughts but Aaron jumped to his feet and cut him off.

"They said they'd meet us here, they'll meet us here," Aaron stated emphatically, looking around the field.

For a moment, Bass wondered if whatever power Aaron had to light people on fire also gave him the ability to read minds but he answered, "Well, I got news for you, Stay Puft. There might've been a change of plan." He glanced to the side and offered his canteen to Aaron, smirking as he watched the man try to take a sip only to have a couple drops of water fall out. Bass couldn't help messing with the geek; in truth, he kinda liked the guy...or at least was entertained by his clumsiness and naivety.

"What change of plan?" Aaron asked, annoyance and distrust coloring his tone as he twisted the cap of the canteen back on.

Bass looked directly at him this time, voice serious, "In that this plan has gone to hell. Those Patriot sons of bitches were waiting for you." He paused a moment as Aaron made eye contact, wanting the graveness of their situation to sink in, "We don't know what happened, we don't know if Miles can even get out of town, or if he's still alive."

Aaron missed it completely, "We're going to wait right here like Miles told us to." He nodded his head as if that was the final say.

"Whoa, okay, okay. Just don't light me on fire or anything," Bass replied with faked sincerity. He was very good at reading people and it didn't take him long to figure out that the biggest insecurity Aaron had at the moment was his new-found (yet apparently uncontrollable) power. Sure enough, Aaron's face went from irritated to a mixture of guilt and unsureness as he turned his back to Bass.

~~MM~~MM~~MM~~MM~~

Bass, Aaron, and Cynthia stayed at their post all night and well into the next morning. The lighter it got, the more Bass felt the insistent urge to move to another position. Aaron was nothing if not stubborn though so finally Bass settled for having everyone move into the cabin of the boat where they would be less likely to attract attention. They stayed like that all day, the monotony broken only by the periodic patrols by Bass and the arguing of Aaron and Cynthia. Finally, as darkness fell, Bass could take no more. He was done baby-sitting. He jumped down the side of the boat and started walking into the inky blackness when Aaron's voice from behind caught his attention. He still didn't stop walking, though.

"Hey, where the hell are you going?" Aaron asked, jogging to catch up, "You're just gonna leave us?" He sounded incredulous, as if the possibility had never occurred to him.

Bass unclenched his jaw long enough to answer, "Look, if Miles was coming he would've been here by now. I'm gonna go find him."

"And what if they find us?" Aaron questioned. He stepped in front of Bass, forcing him to stop, "Just hold on! Hold on." He hated to admit it but, "We wouldn't last three days without you."

"You think three?" Bass asked sarcastically, sizing him up.

Aaron sagged and Bass took pity on him, "Look, Miles has got some information I need, someone I need to find. I held up my end of the bargain! Now it's his turn." He glanced down and shifted as he said quietly, "That's if he's even still alive." As he glanced up, lights over Aaron's shoulder caught his attention. Straining to see through the darkness, he could just make out the Patriot's forms bathed in a soft orange light from the torches they carried.

Bass immediately grabbed Aaron's jacket and jerked him down behind a boat, peering around it to track the Patriots. He held up his finger in a "wait" motion to Aaron, hoping to God he wouldn't do anything to draw the Patriots' attention. A branch snapping behind him had him moving before he'd even registered exactly what was happening. Two seconds later, they had a dead Patriot lying at their feet. He glanced at Aaron who looked back at him in horror but at least he was alive. Not wasting a moment and knowing others would be following the first, Bass climbed onto the boat they were hiding behind just as a group of Patriots hurried by below.

Bass leaped to the ground right in the middle of the group, using his machete with deadly efficiency. The last Patriot he relieved of an assault rifle which he quickly used to administer the kill shots to the wounded Patriots. A flash of movement from the corner of his eye had him spinning around but when he brought the rifle to bear, he only saw Aaron walking out with his hands up, as if he actually thought Bass would mistakenly (or maybe not...) shoot him.

Bass lowered the rifle, adrenaline pumping as he saw two more groups of Patriots running toward their position, closing in on them. He had a decision to make and he knew what had to be done. "You, they won't kill," he said, looking at Aaron who stared back at him wide-eyed, "Me, on the other hand..." He trailed off and with one more apologetic glance, Bass took off, Aaron's protests echoing in the background. He reached the woods and kept going, forcing himself to ignore the screams from Cynthia and the shouted orders from the Patriot squad leaders. He had to find Miles...