Leek banked right and watched the six other T47's quickly disappear. Twenty loons later they could see the Isle of Muhl rapidly approaching. They flew in from the north and flew over the Yondi Desert. It was a vast sandy wasteland with little vegetation and almost no inhabitants. They chose this route to avoid detection. Their plan was to land on the salt flats near the base of the Drogal Mountains. The color of their planes closely matched the color of the salt flats, so it was unlikely they'd be discovered by aircraft flying overhead.
As they approached their landing site, Peter gave Sy and Red last minute instructions and then began his descent. Soon he was touching down on the hard white surface. Right behind him were Sy and Red. After they had removed and stored their flight suits, they secured the fighters and camouflaged them with white netting that made them invisible from the air. Then they put on their back packs and started walking toward the Drogals. Their map showed that they were about two kylods from the railroad tracks that would take them through the mountains to the Pegaport Training Facility at Muhl. Unfortunately it was very hot and even traveling just two kylods proved to be exhausting.
Sgt. Baig had warned them about the heat of the Yondi Desert. Even though Muhl was a relatively small island, about sixty-six thousand square kylods, it had a variety of different climates. The lands west of the Drogals were very wet and hot. In fact, northwestern Muhl was dominated by a tropical rain forest. East of the Drogals lay the Yondi Desert and beyond the desert to the northeast lay the rich farmlands of the Yellow Plains. Their immediate task was to traverse the Drogal Mountains. The railroad tracks went through Yulken Pass which had an elevation of approximately 3,205 ft.
They were tired and hot late that afternoon when they reached the deserted tram station at the base of the mountains. They decided to rest until it got dark. Sgt. Baig had advised them to travel only at night or risk being attacked by the Drogals.
"I wonder if we'll see any," Sy said.
"If we travel after dark, we shouldn't," Peter said. "With our night vision goggles it shouldn't be a problem. It will be much cooler at night anyway."
"I wouldn't mind seeing one of them," Red said. "It would be a great story to tell my mate and children, if I ever have any."
"I'd like to see one too. . . . At a distance, of course," Peter said with a grin. "Unfortunately, I won't be able to tell my child about it." Peter had told Sy and Red about Luci and the child she carried. They shook their heads sympathetically, but said nothing. Peter continued, "Since we don't have a weapon that will kill them, we’d best follow Sgt. Baig's advice and stay in the mines during the day."
"Don't worry about me," Sy said. "I have no desire to be snatched up, carried to the top of a tree, and fed to hungry young Drogals."
"Nor do I," said Red.
"Good, then I won't have to worry about either of you straying. Let’s go inside. I need to call Lorin and then we can get a little shut eye before it gets dark. We've got a long hike over the mountains, so we'll need all the energy we can muster."
They went inside and looked around. The station looked like it had been vacated in a hurry. Furniture and fixtures were still intact, tables in the nutrition center were still set with dust laden dishes, glasses, and silverware, and there was even money in the cash register. It was odd looking money—a pale pink bill with a silver image of a man in the center. The man appeared to be looking at them. As Peter turned the bill the man's eyes followed him like he was alive and watching his every move. It was an eerie sensation that gave him the creeps.
"Take the money," Sy said. "We may need it later since I’m sure our credit strips have been revoked."
"But it doesn't belong to us," Peter said.
Sy shrugged, "It's been abandoned. It belongs to whoever grabs it."
Red nodded in agreement and they both began looting the cash register. Peter watched them for a few moments and then spied a cot in an adjoining room. Sleep seemed more important than money to him at that moment, but before he could succumb to his weariness he needed to call headquarters and advise them of their whereabouts. Fortunately, Sgt. Baig had provided them with a global communicator that would allow them to contact headquarters from anywhere on the planet. He opened the box containing the GC and pulled it out.
"I wonder how this sucker works," Peter said.
Sy looked over at him and replied, "I can help you with that. My father used to have a GC. He showed me how to use it."
"Good. It looks complicated."
Sy came over and pushed a few buttons. The communicator lit up and beeped. Sy punched in the number Peter had written down on a piece of paper and then handed him the receiver. After a moment Lorin's voice came on, "This is S2."
"S2, this is Renegade 1," Peter said.
"Thank Sandee. You went off the grid for awhile."
"It took a while to pull a blanket over our ride and hike to our hotel."
"Understood. Can we assist in any way?"
"Yes, we need to spend a couple of days in the mountains. There are a lot of old mines along the way. We'll need to use two of them, shafts 11 and 22, as shelters, but we don't know if we'll be able to get access. If we can't, we'll have a serious problem."
"I should say so. The big birds will never let you pass."
"Just get us access and we'll be okay."
"I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks. . . . Anything new on the Chancellor?"
"His condition is stable, but he hasn't been able to perform his duties. The Vice Chancellor has stepped in and is in control of the government. The battle lines are being drawn and it's just a matter of days before war breaks out."
"Well, we'll get out of here just as fast as we can. Sorry for the delay, but I think you'll be pleased when you meet Tam."
"I hope so. You're taking a great risk going after him. Be careful and get out of there as quick as you can."
"Will do. Get back to me with those security codes and access numbers."
"I'll get right on it."
"Oh, have you heard from Lucinda?" Peter asked.
"No. But I'll check on her if you like."
"I would. Thanks."
"All right. Sandee be with you. S2 out."
After putting the GC away Peter laid down. He thought of Lorin and how much he wanted to please her. She had no faith in him and he wanted to prove her wrong. He liked her for some reason even though she detested him. His muscles began to relax. It felt so good to finally be able to sleep without fear of assassination. He closed his eyes and quickly drifted off. Dreams came quickly. It was twilight and he was soaring through the sky. Below him were lush green forests, golden meadows, and a deep blue river. The air was cool and crisp like the spring days he remembered in Estes Park, Colorado where his family used to vacation when he was young. The view was exhilarating and he felt a tremendous sense of wonder until he felt a sharp pain in his back. Looking up he saw the gigantic foot of the Drogal that was carry him to its nest. Fear shot through him like a gladiator's spear. He began to struggle. "No! Let me go! Help!" he said and felt the big bird's grasp slip. Suddenly he was falling toward the forest far below.
When he hit the ground he felt a surge of pain that woke him up. He looked around and soon realized he'd fallen off his cot. Sy, who was lying in a pile of linen he'd fashioned as a bed, looked at Peter and laughed. "That must have been some rascal you were sparing with in your dreams."
Peter took a deep breath and replied, "You got that right. Is it dark yet?"
"I believe so. I suspect we should be moving along."
They woke up Red, got their things together, and started hiking along the tram line. Red said, "Too bad the Tram doesn't work. We'd be over the mountains in just a few kyloons if it did."
"Yeah, wouldn't that be sweet," Peter replied. "Unfortunately, it hasn't been running since the great volcanoes blew their stacks."
The trail along the tram line was steep, rugged, and in poor condition due to cycles of neglect. With their nigh
t vision equipment they had no trouble seeing but, even so, it was still slow going. About half a kylod into their hike Peter felt someone or something watching them. He stopped several times and looked around but saw nothing. When he heard it again he shone his light in the direction of the rustling bush. Two green eyes stared back at him It was a rhutz.
“Hey, look! We’ve got company.” Peter said excitedly. “It’s a rhutz!”
“Oh, Sandee help us,” Red said. “They usually run in packs.”
“He means us no harm,” Peter assured him.
“What do you mean? Most rhutz are vicious and will rip a person apart if they’re hungry or in a bad mood.”
“No. He’s just curious. I’m going to try to communicate with it. I’ll tell him about Rhin.”
“If we stop to play games we’ll end up being breakfast for the Drogals,” Sy reminded them.
“Right,” Peter said. “I guess I’ll make friends on the way back.”
They started moving again and quickened their pace as morning approached. A kyloon later they were stopped in their tracks by a deafening screeching noise, "Screeeekchaa. Screeeekchaa!"
"What the heck was that?" Red asked.
Peter shrugged. "I don't know, but it doesn't sound friendly."
"Could that be a Drogal?" Sy asked.
"They don't feed at night, " Red reminded them.
"No, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are quiet," Peter noted.
"Screeeekchaa! Screeeekchaa!" the bird screamed.
"Let's get the hell out of here," Red said. "I don't want to be anywhere near one of those monsters daylight or night."
Nobody argued with Red. They walked double time the next few kylods until the noise of the screeching bird became a dull whisper in the wind. As they continued on Peter noticed the night sky lightening slightly. "We better find a mine to hide out in soon. It's almost daylight."
"There should be one up another kylod or two," Sy said. "Lets get moving."
They started hiking with considerable urgency but didn't reach the mine as quickly as they expected. The sky was getting brighter by the minute and Peter was getting worried that the Drogals would be out soon. He didn't voice that concern as he felt certain Sy and Red were thinking the same thing.
Sy yelled, "Up ahead. Look. It's the mine."
"You two go on ahead. I'm going to call Lorin and see if she has been able to get us access."
Peter squatted down and took out the communicator. After turning it on and punching in the correct sequence of numbers, he said, "S2, this is R1."
After a moment Lorin's voice came on."S2 here."
"We're at the first mine after the tram station and it's starting to get light. Have you been able to get us access?"
"Not yet, R1, but I'm expecting that information momentarily. Stand by."
Peter looked up and saw Red and Sy walking briskly toward the mine. Suddenly he heard the wail of a Drogal, "Screeeekchaa! Screeeekchaa!" He looked up and saw a monstrosity of a bird swooping toward Red and Sy. Instinctively, he raised his laser and fired. The electronic pulses hit the bird dead on but seemed to be diffused by the bird's thick feathers. The bird squawked angrily and flew away. This gave Sy and Red time to move closer to the mine, but a moment later the huge bird came at them again. This time they split up, forcing the bird to choose just one of them to pursue. This tactic momentarily confused the Drogal and he hesitated before he finally went after Red. Peter took another shot at him with his laser, hoping to divert him away but it didn't work this time. He squawked at Peter angrily but didn't deviate from his course.
Just as the Drogal was about to sink his claws into Red's back, Peter remembered his C34 pistol with its heat seeking bullets. Even if he couldn't see the thin limbs of the big buzzard, if his shot was close enough the bullets would be drawn to the warmth of its limbs. Peter pulled the C34 out and opened fire. The first two bullets sailed straight through the mass of feathers scattering them about in a flurry but did no harm. The third bullet, however, hit something that made the Drogal screech. "Screeeekchaa!. Screeeekchaa!" the Drogal wailed, and wobbled in agony, trying to stay airborne. This second diversion gave Red time to make it safely to the mine's entrance. When the Drogal saw he'd lost his prey, he turned and flew directly at Peter screaming, "Screeeekchaa! Screeeekchaa!"
Peter unloaded his C34 into the monstrosity as it swooped down upon him, but every bullet passed through him like he was a ghost. Choked with fear, Peter prayed for God's forgiveness, and prepared himself to die. But just as the Drogal's claws were about to impale him, he heard a growl from an overhanging rock and saw the rhutz spring through the air and clamp his jaws around the Drogal's ankle. There was a loud crunching sound as the Drogal’s claws were crushed. "Screeeekchaa! Screeeekchaa!" The Drogal screamed, shaking his leg violently to free himself from the rhutz. While the two strange animals were battling to their deaths, the Drogal came into close range where Peter could feel his brain waves like heat from a furnace. He had one shot left in the C34, so he aimed it toward the source of its being and fired. It went true and the bird let out its last cry, "Screeeekchaa! Screeeekchaa!" and fell to the ground.
The rhutz let loose of the Drogals claws and jumped out of the way of the bird as it came crashing to the ground. After eying the carcass warily for a moment, the rhutz shook himself violently trying to rid himself of the bird's feathers still clinging to him. As the rhutz circled his kill, Peter made eye contact and tried to thank him for saving his life. He couldn't tell if the rhutz understood him, but he thought he must have made a connection as he shook his head, howled to the morning sky, and ran off.
Sy ran over to Peter and said, "Where did that rhutz come from? I thought you were going to die."
"Me too," Peter said, his heart still pounding. "That's the second time a rhutz has saved my life."
"Well, for some reason they want to keep you alive."
"Thank God and Sandee," Peter said. "How do you suppose he knew I would be here?"
"You said they were telepathic. He either got the message from one of his kind, or when he saw you he connected to you somehow. Did you know he was still following us?"
"Yes, I saw him following behind. We did make eye contact. I suppose he could have read my mind."
Sy shook his head, "That's my guess."
From the mine Red yelled, "Did you get the access codes? We need to get inside. There may be more Drogals about."
"Hang on, " Peter said, as he picked up the GC.
"S2. Come in. Situation critical. Do yo have the codes?"
There was a moment of static and then Lorin's voice came on, "Yes, they should be on your screen."
Looking down at the screen he saw a series of numbers appear. He said, "Okay. I got them. Let's get into the mine."
They both ran as fast as they could to where Red was anxiously awaiting. "I've never been so scared in my life,” Red admitted. “I thought that drogal was going to get me. Thanks for getting him off my back."
"No problem," Peter said. "I can't believe a laser didn't phase him."
"Sgt. Baig warned us. All those feathers act as insulation," Red replied.
From outside the mine there were screams, "Screeeekchaa!. . . Screeeekchaa! . . . Screeeekchaa!"
They turned, looked outside, and saw at least a dozen drogals circling in front of them. They screeched and wailed in apparent mourning of the death of a fallen comrade. Peter feared it would not be long before they sought revenge against the one responsible for his death.
"Screeeekchaa! Screeeekchaa!" they squawked.
"Here are the numbers," Peter said. "Let's get inside quick."
Red punched in the code on the security panel mounted on the big iron gate at the mouth of the mine. It flashed green and Red turned the handle and pushed it open. The metal gate groaned as it gave way. They rushed inside and shut it behind them.
"I hope they go back to their nests when night falls," Peter said. "If not, we've got a serious
problem."
"Sgt. Baig said they didn't fly at night," Sy replied. "So we should be okay."
"I hope so," Peter replied.
After retreating fifty strides into the mine, they set up camp, started a fire, and put on some sankee. Although they were all exhausted, none of them felt much like sleeping with the Drogals screeching just outside the gate. They prayed they would eventually tire and go away. If they didn't they were in serious trouble.