by Timothy Miller
\n
<\/br>
\nRooter\u2019s was a dark hole of a bar located miles from the nearest town. It was the kind of place whose patrons owned Buck knives and referred to anyone with a full set of teeth as a \u201ccity fella.\u201d It wasn\u2019t very busy tonight. There was only a rusted jeep and a couple of Harleys in the gravel parking lot.<\/p>\n
Collin parked his pickup next to a jeep. Killing the engine, he rested his chin on the steering wheel and asked himself again why he\u2019d come.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause someone left five hundred bucks and a map to this place in your mailbox,\u201d he answered aloud.<\/p>\n
There had been a note too, promising another five hundred if he showed up here tonight. Of course, the money wasn\u2019t the real reason he\u2019d come, not all of it anyway. The truth was that he was bored. Bored with a second rate job playing security guard, bored with the dating scene, bored with daytime television and going out to the clubs. He was twenty-three years old, single, gainfully employed, and bored to death.<\/p>\n
Why wouldn\u2019t he follow a mysterious map to a rundown and potentially dangerous bar in the backend of nowhere? It was the first interesting thing to him happen in a long time.<\/p>\n
Slipping on his jacket, he got out of the pickup and headed for the entrance.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Blacksong,\u201d said a deep voice. \u201cI\u2019m glad you accepted my invitation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Collin whirled, his gaze searching the parking lot. \u201cWho\u2019s there?\u201d<\/p>\n
A man stepped out from behind the jeep.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou may call me Jericho, Mr. Blacksong. Sorry if I startled you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Collin took a step back. He could have sworn the lot was empty a moment ago, and someone like Jericho should have been impossible to miss. The man was a giant. Dressed in a long grey trench coat, he was seven feet tall and had the shoulders of a sideshow strongman. His eyes were dark under a heavy brow. The rest of his facial features remained largely hidden beneath a bushy black beard. In one massive hand, he gripped a green duffle bag.<\/p>\n
Jericho raised a bushy eyebrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are Mr. Blacksong, I presume?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat…\u00a0 Oh, yeah. That\u2019s me.\u201d Collin swallowed down on the sudden dryness of his throat. \u201cSorry. You kinda caught me by surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jericho smiled, displaying a yellow wall of oversized teeth. \u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t mention it, Collin. May I call you Collin? I prefer to be on a first name basis when I can.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCall me whatever you want,\u201d Collin replied. \u201cYou want to go inside? We could have a beer and then maybe you could tell me why I\u2019m out here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m afraid we don\u2019t have time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taking a white envelope from his pocket, Jericho tossed it over. Collin caught the envelope on the fly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe five hundred dollars promised you. In return, I would like five minutes of your time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Collin opened the envelope. Inside were ten fifty-dollar bills, more than he made in a week.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m listening.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much do you know about the company you work for, or about what goes on in the building you guard?\u201d<\/p>\n
Collin shrugged. \u201cTrimax is a German sporting goods and clothing manufacturer. They make hunting clothes, and tents \u2013 stuff like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIndeed,\u201d Jericho said. \u201cThey also hold a multibillion dollar research and development contract with the military to create the ultimate camouflage material, completely undetectable by infrared, sonar, or even the human eye.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMultibillion, huh?\u201d Collin scowled. \u201cAnd those cheapskates are still paying me minimum wage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow tragic for you,\u201d Jericho said dryly. \u201cI brought you here because Trimax has recently stolen sensitive optical technology from an organization I represent. I mean to retrieve the stolen technology, and will pay handsomely for your assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n
He opened the duffle, revealing several bundles of hundred dollar bills.<\/p>\n
\u201cHoly mackerel. Is that real?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs real as death,\u201d Jericho said, closing the bag. \u201cOne hundred thousand dollars. Yours, if you agree to the job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Collin frowned. \u201cYou don\u2019t want me to whack anybody, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jericho\u2019s laughter was so deep it sounded as if it were coming from the bottom of a well.<\/p>\n
\u201cHardly. I simply need access to the Trimax lab. To that end, you will disengage the security fencing tomorrow night.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s it?\u201d Collin stared hard at the duffle as he considered the offer. One hundred thousand bucks. \u201cYou promise no one will get hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jericho handed him the money. \u201cTrust me.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/br>
\nThe scar-faced man wiped the blood from his knuckles with a small towel, and then tucked it under his belt next to his holstered pistol. Stepping past a table stacked with Collin\u2019s wallet and security badge, he reached over and flipped on the light switch by the door. The lights flickered.<\/p>\n
Strapped to a metal chair in the center of the room, Collin arched his back and screamed as electricity travelled from a dismantled wall socket, down a pair of wires to the chair.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s enough, Joe,\u201d said the room\u2019s only other occupant, a grey-haired man with a thin face and a white lab coat. \u201cWe need him to be able to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever you say, Dr. Jordan,\u201d replied the scar-faced man. He flipped the switch off.\u00a0 Collin stopped screaming and slumped against his restraints.<\/p>\n
Dr. Jordan ran a finger across Collin\u2019s bruised brow, and then flicked away the sweat.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis can end, Mr. Blacksong. Just tell us how long have you been working for them. What do they know about the project?\u201d<\/p>\n
Collin spit blood from his mouth and shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you everything,\u201d he rasped. \u201cI only met this Jericho guy last night. He paid me to turn off the security fencing so he could get a look at the Trimax labs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich you did,\u201d Dr. Jordan inserted.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight,\u201d Collin said. \u201cThat\u2019s when a bunch of you guys came running out of the Trimax building with guns pointed at my head. That\u2019s it. I don\u2019t know anything about any project.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPerhaps he\u2019s telling the truth, Joe,\u201d Dr. Jordan said. \u201cHe has all the makings of an expendable resource, gullible \u2013 and not very inquisitive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Collin would have taken offense, but he was in too much pain.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy do you think we hired him?\u201d Joe touched his chin thoughtfully. \u201cWe did give him a pretty good beating, but let\u2019s be sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSure?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah.\u201d Joe pulled a small set of bolt cutters from his back pocket. \u201cNothing gets a man talking like losing a couple of fingers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Collin\u2019s heart skipped a beat. He\u2019d been afraid he was going to prison when they caught him messing with the fence. That fear soon turned to terror when they brought him to this cell, beat him to a pulp, doused him with water, and turned up the juice. Now they wanted to cut off his fingers?<\/p>\n
Sudden rage, pure unadulterated fury, swelled inside him like a rising tide.<\/p>\n
Joe knelt down and grasped Collin\u2019s right hand, pushing the cutters over his thumb.<\/p>\n
\u201cWait,\u201d Collin said. \u201cI have something to say.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe smiled evilly. \u201cSee what I mean, doc. What do you got for me, tough guy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust this.\u201d Collin\u2019s foot shot up, catching Joe under the chin and knocking him back from the chair. The bolt cutters flew free, clattering into the corner of the room.<\/p>\n
His chin already beginning to swell, Joe leapt to his feet and slugged Collin twice in the mouth.<\/p>\n
\u201cEasy, Joe,\u201d Dr. Jordan warned. \u201cIf you break his jaw, he can\u2019t talk.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d Collin said. \u201cEasy, Joe. This place doesn\u2019t even give me dental.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think you\u2019re pretty funny, don\u2019t you?\u201d Joe said. Shaking the blood from his hand, he walked to the corner and picked up the bolt cutters. \u201cLet\u2019s see who\u2019s laughing when your new nickname is Stumpy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Just then, someone knocked on the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cSee who that is, Joe,\u201d Dr. Jordan said. \u201cIf it\u2019s that windbag, Keller, tell him we need more time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe clicked the cutters as he moved to the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cHold that thought, kid.\u201d<\/p>\n
Collin bared his teeth at the man.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I get loose, I\u2019m going to kill you and Dr. Torture over there. Then I\u2019m going to find the grizzly bear that hired me for this job and put a handful of bullets in his cranium.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe laughed. \u201cYou\u2019re delusional if you think you\u2019re ever getting loose.\u201d He opened the latch, and the door swung outward. \u201cAnd in about two minutes, you\u2019re going to be a few body parts less of a man.\u201d<\/p>\n
An enormous hand reached in from the hall and closed around Joe\u2019s neck, lifting him from his feet.<\/p>\n
\u201cSadly,\u201d said a deep, rumbling voice, \u201cyou don\u2019t have even that much time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gasping for air, Joe clawed at the fingers on his throat. The huge hand clenched and something gave with a crunching snap!<\/em><\/p>\n Tossing Joe\u2019s limp body aside, a bearded giant in a grey trench coat stepped into the room.<\/p>\n \u201cGood evening, Collin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJericho?\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Jordan pulled a pistol from his coat and pointed it at the intruder.<\/p>\n \u201cFreeze!\u201d<\/p>\n Ignoring the command, Jericho moved over to Collin.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would seem I owe you an apology. Our plans have gone somewhat awry.\u201d<\/p>\n Collin looked down at the leather straps holding him to the chair.<\/p>\n \u201cYou think?\u201d<\/p>\n Jericho smiled and reached for the restraints.<\/p>\n \u201cTouch that and I\u2019ll kill you,\u201d Dr. Jordan threatened, thumbing back the pistol\u2019s hammer. \u201cOn your knees, Yeti. Do it, now!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm… I appreciate the rescue, Jericho.\u201d Collin said. \u201cBut maybe you better do like Dr. Wacko says. He looks serious.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure he is,\u201d Jericho said. \u201cBrother, if you\u2019d be so kind.\u201d<\/p>\n A disembodied and extremely hairy arm swept down from the air behind Dr. Jordan, striking his back. The doctor hit the wall head first, staining the concrete with a brilliant splash of red before sliding to the floor like a broken doll.<\/p>\n The air shimmered and a ten-foot tall biped covered in shaggy brown fur materialized to join the arm. Opening its jaws to reveal three-inch incisors, the monster gave voice to a throaty roar.<\/p>\n \u201cThat will be enough of that,\u201d Jericho said.<\/p>\n The monster\u2019s jaws snapped shut mid-bellow. Lowering its head sheepishly, it issued a guttural grumble under its breath.<\/p>\n Jericho rolled his eyes. \u201cDon\u2019t be such a baby. You did very well, but we\u2019re in a hurry right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Collin\u2019s jaw dropped. \u201cIs that… Is that Bigfoot?\u201d<\/p>\n Jericho frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease. How would you like to be called Littlefoot or Tinyhand?\u201d Freeing Collin, he gently drew him from the chair. \u201cHis name is Byorn. But if you insist on lumping us all together, we prefer the term yeti.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe?\u201d Collin echoed, taking a wobbly step. \u201cYou\u2019re a friggin\u2019 Bigfoot, Jericho?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeti,\u201d Jericho corrected. \u201cAnd yes. On my mother\u2019s side, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow did that happen?\u201d<\/p>\n Jericho shrugged. \u201cFather liked hairy women, I suppose. However, this is hardly the venue to discuss genealogy.\u201d<\/p>\n Byorn looked toward the hall, and then issued a series of huffing grunts.<\/p>\n Jericho nodded. \u201cI smell them, too. Go ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n Byorn faded from sight.<\/p>\n \u201cHow the heck did he do that?\u201d Collin asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI told you. Trimax stole invisibility technology from my associates, and by associates, I mean other yeti. Why do you think no one has managed to capture one of us yet?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re telling me that all Bigfoots are invisible?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeti, Collin. And yes, we developed the shroud generations ago,\u201d Jericho said. \u201cNow, there is a large force of men heading this way, and we still have to find the Trimax lab.\u201d<\/p>\n Moving to Dr. Jordan, he picked up his pistol and tossed it to Collin.<\/p>\n \u201cCan you use one of those?\u201d<\/p>\n Collin grimaced. The gun\u2019s handle was sticky with blood.<\/p>\n \u201cYou said no one would get hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but I think we can agree circumstances have changed somewhat since our original arrangement.\u201d Jericho spread his hands. \u201cYou may stay here if you wish. But given the treatment you\u2019ve received, I wouldn\u2019t recommend it.\u201d<\/p>\n Collin glanced at the bolt cutters still clutched in Joe\u2019s stiffening fingers.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d he said, working the pistol\u2019s slide. \u201cLet\u2019s rock.\u201d<\/p>\n Jericho smiled and headed for the door.<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed.\u201d<\/p>\n Collin followed the giant out of the room and down the hall. High on the walls, red security bulbs flashed at them as they ran.<\/p>\n The Trimax building was a maze. Doors lined the hallways, and the corridors branched continuously. There was no sign of Byorn, but twice they passed the shredded bodies of men bearing automatic rifles.<\/p>\n Collin made Jericho stop while he claimed one of the heavier weapons.<\/p>\n \u201cHurry,\u201d Jericho said. \u201cThere\u2019s a security team just a few turns behind us.\u201d<\/p>\n Sticking the pistol in his right front pocket, Collin shoved a spare clip for the rifle into his left.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are two guns here,\u201d he said. \u201cYou want one?\u201d<\/p>\n Jericho waggled his sausage-sized digits.<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t fit one of these in the trigger guard. Let\u2019s move.\u201d<\/p>\n Collin hefted the rifle and the mad dash resumed. Ten minutes later, Jericho came to an abrupt halt ten feet from the next intersection.<\/p>\n Collin skidded to a stop.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it?\u201d he whispered. \u201cAnother security team?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. And it\u2019s one we can\u2019t avoid, I\u2019m afraid,\u201d Jericho replied quietly. \u201cAround the next corner is the lab. It\u2019s fifty feet without cover. There is security inside the lab, Collin. They have guns.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n Jericho nodded. \u201cByorn says there are more than thirty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cByorn says?\u201d<\/p>\n Byorn\u2019s shaggy head materialized in the air an inch from Collin\u2019s nose. He jerked back in surprise, banging the back of his head into the wall.<\/p>\n Byorn grinned hugely, and then his head disappeared.<\/p>\n Collin rubbed vigorously at the swelling lump on his skull.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I say screw the stupid project thingy,\u201d he hissed. \u201cWe should go back. Find another way out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n Jericho shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy do you think it took us this long to get here? They\u2019ve locked down everything behind us. The only way out of this place is through the lab.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, that\u2019s just peachy,\u201d Collin growled. \u201cWhat the heck are Bigfoots doing running around a laboratory, anyway? Shouldn\u2019t you be hiding in the Alps, or maybe shooting a beef jerky commercial somewhere?\u201d<\/p>\n A woofing grunt came from the air ahead.<\/p>\n \u201cByorn really likes those commercials,\u201d Jericho said. \u201cSeriously, Collin, we had to stop Trimax from replicating our technology. Our people are scattered and few. Invisibility is all that\u2019s kept us out of the zoos.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose you\u2019re right,\u201d Collin admitted. He sighed. \u201cOh well. At least I\u2019m not bored anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing. What\u2019s the plan?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo plan. We charge,\u201d Jericho said simply. \u201cByorn will go in first. We\u2019ll follow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSounds like suicide.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be a pessimist,\u201d Jericho said. \u201cByorn and I are pretty durable, and you seem to have an unnatural amount of luck.\u201d He opened his trench and removed a thick bundle wrapped in brown packaging paper. \u201cOh, and Byorn will be partially visible while he attacks. It will make him vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll try not to shoot him,\u201d Collin promised.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t. It\u2019s liable to upset him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t want that,\u201d Collin said. \u201cSo when do we send in Byorn?\u201d<\/p>\n Byorn\u2019s roar echoed through the hall. Someone screamed, and a rattling staccato of automatic weapon fire shattered the air.<\/p>\n Collin ducked instinctively.<\/p>\n \u201cI had to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d Jericho said. Bundle in hand, he ran toward the intersection, turning his head to give one last piece of advice. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n \u201cWhatever happens, don\u2019t stop running until you\u2019re out of the building!\u201d<\/p>\n Rifle pressed tight to his shoulder, Collin rounded the corner running full out. Ahead of them, a pair of double doors of Trimax\u2019s lab hung from their hinges. Random bullets zipped through the smashed portal, pinging from the walls around them. While inside the lab, dozens of men in black security gear fired desperately at a half-visible monster raging among them.<\/p>\n Swinging his massive arms, Byorn crushed men\u2019s skulls or ripped limbs from their sockets. Red gore stained the laboratory tables, and smoking bullet holes riddled computer screens and towers.<\/p>\n Collin and Jericho were almost to the room before someone spotted them and swung his stuttering rifle around.<\/p>\n Twin puffs of crimson erupted from Jericho\u2019s shoulder, and a line of fire seared Collin\u2019s cheek. Swearing under his breath, Collin returned fire. The rifle rattled against his shoulder, and their attacker fell with a line of holes stitched across his abdomen.<\/p>\n Once in the room, Jericho pointed to a door on the far wall. \u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s the exit,\u201d he shouted over the gunfire. \u201cRun for it!\u201d<\/p>\n As they sprinted toward the door, Collin spied Byorn\u2019s half-visible outline ripping into a security team on their left. Swinging his rifle, he peppered the men on the right side of the room, sending them ducking for cover.<\/p>\n One brave soul broke cover to cut them off .<\/p>\n Picking up a nearby table with one hand, Jericho threw it like a discus, knocking the man from his feet.<\/p>\n \u201cEnough, Byorn,\u201d he called. \u201cWe are leaving!\u201d<\/p>\n Byorn sent a man flying, and turned toward them. That\u2019s when a man fired a shotgun into his chest at pointblank range. Byorn fell with a pained howl, collapsing atop a table stacked with glass test tubes and microscopes.<\/p>\n Men rushed forward to circle the wounded yeti, and the one with the shotgun clacked a fresh round into the chamber.<\/p>\n \u201cByorn!\u201d Jericho swerved away from the exit.<\/p>\n Collin skidded to a stop just a few feet from the door. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n \u201cJericho, wait!\u201d<\/p>\n The man with the shotgun looked up at the shout. His eyes went wide, and then Jericho\u2019s ham-sized fist connected with his chest, catapulting him into the crowd.<\/p>\n Collin\u2019s rifle clacked empty, and the men he\u2019d been keeping pinned down on the right jumped up and opened fire. Whining ricochets blasted chips from the tile floor around him, and his ears buzzed from humming near-misses.<\/p>\n \u201cJericho!\u201d<\/p>\n Bleeding from a dozen bullet wounds, Jericho didn\u2019t answer as he pummeled the men around Byorn.<\/p>\n Collin looked from the door to Jericho. He should just leave. What did he owe a couple of Bigfoots, anyway? All they\u2019d brought him was trouble.<\/p>\n Someone scored a double hit on Jericho\u2019s knee, and the giant stumbled.<\/p>\n Collin swore, and ejected the spent clip from his rifle. A hot hammer struck his upper back, spinning him around. With shaky fingers, he fumbled the clip from his pocket and snapped it home. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n \u201cJericho,\u201d he shouted, lifting the rifle. \u201cGet down!\u201d<\/p>\n Jericho dived atop Byorn, and Collin sprayed the air above them on full auto. Men screamed as hot metal tore into their vitals. Some ran for cover. Others returned fire. The first, Collin ignored. The second, he riddled with dark curses and fast metal.<\/p>\n The last man standing over the yeti fell with a hole in his eye.<\/p>\n His face a thunderhead, Collin whipped the shuddering gun toward the men still firing on him from the opposite side of the lab. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you waiting for?\u201d he shouted to Jericho. \u201cGet your hairy butt off the floor before I run out of ammo!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re coming,\u201d Jericho called. Tossing the paper-wrapped bundle toward the line of computer consoles, he hauled Byorn to his feet. And together, the yetis began a stumbling run toward Collin.<\/p>\n \u201cGo. We\u2019re right behind you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShut up and run,\u201d Collin spat.<\/p>\n His rifle ran empty a second time. Throwing it down, he yanked Joe\u2019s pistol from his pocket. A red-hot spike punched into his chest, knocking him back against the door. He tasted blood in his mouth, and his vision blurred. When it cleared, a red-faced man was running toward him with a flashing gun.<\/p>\n Collin\u2019s pistol barked twice, and the man fell back with blood streaming from his neck. Another man was behind the first, but Jericho\u2019s fist dropped him like a brick.<\/p>\n \u201cAbout time,\u201d Collin hissed through gritted teeth.<\/p>\n \u201cMove,\u201d Jericho said.<\/p>\n Collin moved aside, and Jericho kicked the door from its hinges. \u201cGo,\u201d commanded the giant.<\/p>\n Clutching his wounded chest, Collin ducked out of the building. Jericho and Byorn were right behind him.<\/p>\n The exit led to the Trimax employee parking lot. It was nearly dawn, and a pinkish haze colored the east sky.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to keep going,\u201d Jericho said.<\/p>\n Shouting came from the room behind them, and bullets began to kick gravel from the ground.<\/p>\n Collin pointed to a parking slot marked \u201csecurity\u201d fifty-feet away.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s my pickup,\u201d he said. \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n They ran for the truck as armed men emerged from the building behind them. Within moments, the windshields of parked cars began to burst beneath a withering hail of gunfire.<\/p>\n Ducking his head, Collin weaved between vehicles until he reached his pickup. Opening the driver door, he realized the cab was far too small for the yetis. \u201cGet in back,\u201d he said. Climbing behind the wheel, he keyed the ignition.<\/p>\n The pickup dipped low on its shocks.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re in,\u201d Jericho called.<\/p>\n Collin hit the gas, and the pickup shot out of the parking slot toward the gate. A chaotic line of sparks rattled off the fender as Trimax security targeted the truck, but they were too late. Tires squealing, the pickup blasted through the main gate and onto the road.<\/p>\n \u201cWe made it,\u201d Collin whooped. He coughed wetly, but the pain in his chest and back couldn\u2019t compare to his elation. He smiled as he eased up on the gas. \u201cJericho, we made it!\u201d<\/p>\n The tiny window behind him slid open.<\/p>\n \u201cKeep going,\u201d Jericho said. \u201cDon\u2019t slow down!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy? We\u2019re way out of range by now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf the guns,\u201d Jericho said grimly, \u201cnot the bomb.\u201d<\/p>\n Collin frowned. \u201cWhat bom\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n The world exploded.<\/p>\n <\/br> He inhaled deeply, ignoring the twinge in his back and chest as he savored the crisp mountain air. It smelled different today, almost musky.<\/p>\n The light blurred beside the window, and Collin smiled. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n \u201cHello, Jericho. Where have you been?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cChecking things at Trimax, mostly.\u201d Jericho materialized next to the bed. The half-yeti was wearing a new trench coat, and held a familiar duffle in his hand. \u201cThe bomb took out their mainframe as well as the lab. They won\u2019t be copying our invisibility process anytime soon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s Byorn?\u201d<\/p>\n Jericho shrugged. \u201cCranky from his wounds, but he\u2019ll recover. Thanks for asking.\u201d He lifted the duffle. \u201cI brought you something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou went to my apartment to get the money?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust ahead of the police,\u201d Jericho said. \u201cYou\u2019re one of the MIA they haven\u2019t been able to account for since the blast. Sorry I couldn\u2019t bring you to a local hospital. How are the monks treating you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re giving me the silent treatment, but otherwise pretty good.\u201d<\/p>\n Collin pushed himself into a sitting position. He glanced out at the new sun and felt guilt settle like an anchor in his stomach.<\/p>\n \u201cSo how many people died?\u201d<\/p>\n Jericho cocked his head. \u201cPeople?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn the explosion,\u201d Collin clarified bitterly. \u201cHow many people did the bomb kill?\u201d<\/p>\n Jericho gave him a strange look, and suddenly began to laugh.<\/p>\n Collin scowled. \u201cI don\u2019t see what\u2019s so funny about mass murder.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI apologize, Collin,\u201d Jericho said, still chuckling. \u201cI thought I\u2019d told you already.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTold me what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDidn\u2019t you wonder why I came to you, a security guard, when I could have bribed someone working in the Trimax labs?\u201d Jericho asked. \u201cIt\u2019s because no one working inside Trimax would have betrayed their own kind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that supposed to mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t notice the greenish tinge to their blood?\u201d Jericho rolled his eyes. \u201cTrimax is a goblin operation, Collin. I came to you because you were the only human on the payroll.\u201d<\/p>\n Collin\u2019s jaw dropped.<\/p>\n \u201cGoblins?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho else? It\u2019s not as if trolls are smart enough to steal from a yeti,\u201d Jericho said. His expression turned serious. \u201cSpeaking of trolls, I have another job for you.\u201d<\/p>\n Collin groaned and pulled the covers over his head.<\/p>\n \u201cJust a thought,\u201d Jericho said, and his booming laugher filled the monastery. by Timothy Miller Rooter\u2019s was a dark hole of a bar located miles from the nearest town. It was the kind of place whose patrons owned Buck knives and referred to anyone with a full set of teeth as a … Continue reading
\nCollin lay in his bed and watched the sun through the window as it climbed the white slope of a nearby mountain. Another morning, the eleventh since he\u2019d woken bruised and feverish in the mountain monastery. The monks cared for him with unfaltering devotion, dutifully changing his dressings and bringing him his meals. His only complaint was that they refused to answer his questions, or even speak.<\/p>\n
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\nTIMOTHY MILLER<\/strong> has worked at a farm, a meatpacking plant, a pickle factory, a casino, and a rowdy nightclub as a bouncer. Currently employed as a technician for a large telephone company, he writes in his spare time. His biggest fans, his family, spend many frigid Wisconsin nights in their home, listening to his stories and encouraging him, despite the nightmares.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"