“If you think your plan has any chance for success, I am sure a few of the others will want to go with us,” Mitch admitted.
“I hope so, but either way, I think we need to take a stand and go out swinging,” Richard declared. Mitch nodded in agreement. He knew Richard had an iron will, and that sheer stubbornness was probably what had kept him alive for so long. It was also one of the qualities that others liked about him. He would not give in, or give up, without a fight.
After breakfast, Richard went from tent to tent and informed the occupants that he wanted to hold a brief meeting to discuss the clan’s future. Everyone finished what they were doing and headed over to the fire pit. Once everyone arrived, Richard anxiously paced about for a few minutes before starting.
“As many of you probably already know, Mikala fell ill after being bitten by a mosquito a few weeks ago and had to be euthanized. She and the others we have lost recently will be sorely missed…” Richard lowered his head, pausing for a moment so he could regain his composure. “The recent deaths are a painful reminder of just how vulnerable we all are. Unfortunately the mosquitoes have proven to be an insidious new tool of what was already a formidable foe. My fear is that between the mosquitoes and the inhospitable weather condition to the north, our time is running out. If we don’t find a way to stop the Augs, we’ll soon be extinct. I hate to paint such a bleak picture of our future, but it is the reality of our situation. There is however a glimmer of hope, it’s faint and improbable, but if we were to succeed, it would be a game changer. It would involve moving the clan south this winter so that we could position ourselves close enough to Malmstrom to attack the larvae production facility. I do realize that going that far south, even in the winter means possible exposure to the mosquitoes, or capture by the Augs. Since there are many risks both known and unknown in such a dangerous plan, I am only asking for volunteers. Those that don’t want to go with me are free to continue north as planned and we will rejoin you when we can. I do fear that if we don’t act now, we will not have the resources to mount any kind of offensive in the future,” Richard said as he looked around at each member of the clan. A discussion quickly broke out between various individuals, and Richard waited for them to finish so he could answer any questions they might have.
“Can you outline your plan for us in a little more detail?” Daniel asked.
“Yes. I was thinking we could push southward as a large group, killing off any Aug patrols that we might encounter once it gets cold enough to drive back the mosquitoes. Then, I will lead a smaller team further south down the eastern side of the divide and over to Malmstrom. From there, my plan is to infiltrate it, and destroy the parent worms along with any other key parts of the facility,” Richard explained.
“Would that stop the spread of the infectious mosquitoes and the larvae they use for implants?” another member asked.
“Yes, the parent worms are the only ones that can produce the genetically modified larvae, so killing them is the key to ending the cycle of infection,” Richard replied.
“Won’t the Augs simply engineer new parent worms somewhere else with Dr. Stone’s help?”
“Yes they will, so it is imperative that we also locate him and eliminate that threat as well,” Richard remarked.
“How will you get past the Augs and into the facility?” Daniel asked.
“We know that the Augs can tell the difference between humans and their kind upon close contact, most likely through pheromones or behavioral differences. Therefore our efforts will focus on avoidance and stealth to prevent detection by them. If that fails then we’ll shoot first and ask questions later,” Richard chuckled.
“What if you are captured?” Daniel asked.
“We know the Augs rarely kill humans since they consider each one of us a potential host. Therefore, anyone captured will have to decide whether or not to take their own life, or be converted into Aug. Obviously there aren’t enough of us to attack the facility and also make a rescue attempt if things go wrong. Therefore, the clan members who aren’t part of the assault team should immediately head north to avoid capture if we don’t return after a specified time. Let’s face it, once we attack the Augs they’ll be coming after any remaining survivors,” Richard warned.
When there were no more questions, Richard cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. Then he said, “With a quick show of hands, how many of you want to continue north as planned?” After a brief pause Richard looked around the fire pit and smiled. “Well okay, I appreciate your show of support. As soon as the cooler weather sets in, we’ll all head south. Until then, I will continue to refine the attack plan and anyone who wants to join the assault team can let me know in private. Just keep in mind the assault team could be a one way trip,” Richard added with emphasis.
Once the meeting was over, Richard motioned for Mitch to come over for a moment.
“Hey, I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate your support,” Richard said in a sincere tone.
“It’s nothing. Besides, if your plan works out, maybe I can return to my ranch in Bozeman. It was such a beautiful spread,” Mitch recalled.
“You’re lucky that you escaped before they could augment you. I know they swept through the larger towns first,” Richard remarked.
“Yeah, I got out just in time,” Mitch commented, feeling a little awkward reminiscing about past events in front of Richard. In reality he had suffered very little compared to Richard and his family. The worst thing that happened to him was the loss of his brother in an alcohol related chopper crash. Mitch blamed himself, but in truth he and his brother were both reckless cowboys. The incident changed his life and after he sobered up, his father let him take over the family’s cattle ranch in Bozeman. It served as a turning point in his life and he finally felt whole again. Years later, when the Augs took over, he fled north. That’s when Mitch met Richard and Mikala who were camped in the foothills west of Great Falls. When the Augs raided their makeshift camp a few days later, Mitch helped Richard and Mikala escape. A few months later, Richard was able to return the favor by saving Mitch’s life when he slipped on a wet river rock and fell into the water unconscious. From that point they teased each other about who saved the other one’s life more times.
Chapter 3
As fall turned to winter, Richard’s clan started its migration south. It took them a week to reach the border and cross over into the United States, but the return to the homeland boosted everyone’s morale.
“It feels good to be back in Montana,” Richard said after confirming their location on the digimap.
“What do you think the odds are that we’ll make it all the way to the production facility undetected?” Mitch asked.
“Since the Augs are depending on the infectious mosquitoes to do their dirty work, they may have scaled back their patrols. If we’re lucky, they won’t be expecting to see any humans further south and our attack will be a complete surprise,” Richard said in an optimistic tone.
“I hope so, because I’m damn tired of living like an animal and having to eat things that no human should ever have to consume,” Mitch remarked.
“Speaking of food, perhaps we should stop and let everyone rest for a awhile,” Richard suggested. Mitch nodded in agreement, and then retrieved some dried fish from his pack.
“Do you want any?” Mitch asked.
“No thanks, I had some elk jerky earlier,” he replied as he turned his nose up at the smelly white meat.