'The Weekenders - Part 9'
Wilderness Trail
Appalachian Mountains, VA
Harm followed Tacoma through the woods in the quickly darkening afternoon towards the waterfall.
"Where is she?"
Harm asked still feeling strange about talking to a wolf.
**Follow me closely**
He followed the figure of the wolf up the steep incline to a cave hidden behind the waterfall.
Harm's eyes adjusted quickly to the dark interior of the cavern.
The mossy rocks made walking a hazardous task, but Tacoma glided sure-footedly along the water smoothed path into another chamber deeper inside the mountain.
"...never get away with this Palmer"
Harm heard the voice echo off the limestone walls of the cave.
"Mac."
He whispered to himself.
Looking around for Tacoma and not finding him, he quickly made his way through the cavern and into the next.
He crouched low and made his way to a small ledge about 5 feet high on the opposite side of the cave.
From his perch he could see down into the next cavern where Palmer, gun in hand, was taunting Mac.
"Oh I wouldn't worry too much about Rabb, you and he are gonna be together real soon. Too bad you'll both be dead."
He said with a snarl.
Mac glared at Palmer.
"You're lucky you gave me that sedative Palmer or I'd rip your head off right now."
Palmer laughed.
"Well you didn't think I'd be stupid enough to try to take on a Marine Corps Major without having some assurances that you wouldn't kick my arse did you?"
Mac didn't answer, her muscles were weak but not as much as Palmer thought. In an hour she might be able to take him on.
Until then she was just biding her time.
Harm watched from the ledge, he surveyed the grotto Mac was in, one exit only and Palmer was already in there and he was armed.
Harm felt the comforting weight of his pistol in his grip.
He only hoped his arrival caught Palmer by surprise.
"Orion's Reach" Ranch house
McDaniels Residence
Appalachian Mountains
16.55pm EDT
"Where did Harm go?" Clay asked Casey
"I thought he was with you?"
She said looking around the living room.
"You don't think he's gone out on his own do you ?"
Clay heaved a great sigh.
"Knowing Rabb that is EXACTLY what he's done."
Casey addressed the 'sweeper' team, they were preparing for the op, checking their weapons and reviewing the terrain maps.
"OK gentlemen, the rules have just changed. It appears that Commander Rabb has gone out on his own. We don't know how long he's been gone or in what direction he went .We are however aware that Palmer expects him to be at the waterfall by 6.00pm, so heading in that direction would be our best bet for locating them both."
"Our directive Agent Webb?"
The head of the 'sweeper' team asked looking at Clay.
Clay drew a deep breath.
"Special Agent Palmer is a continuing threat, he must be neutralised...permanently. We have the Company Directors approval for this op. I want this man found and I want him gone, understood?"
"Yes Sir. Let's go then people, we have a man to find."
Casey walked to the wall safe and unlocked it , taking out their side-arm's and spare magazines.
"Let's hope we don't need them."
She said handing one to Clay the memory of Agent Paul Wilkes fresh in her mind.
"Stay close and be careful."
Clay said with a reassuring smile.
Casey smiled back at him and nodded as she snapped the magazine in place and primed the gun.
"You too."
In a Cave Behind Weeping Maiden Falls
Appalachian Mountains
16.58pm EDT
Harm made his way down from the ledge and towards the entrance to the grotto where Mac was being held.
He was praying for a miracle to distract Palmer long enough for him to get inside the grotto and attack him.
He didn't want to kill Palmer...just wound him badly!!
It was then he heard that now familiar low growling noise.
Palmer stood with his back facing the door when the growling started.
He quickly turned to face the door and blanched in horror as he saw the large black wolf, half the size of a man, it's yellow eyes glowing fiercely in the dim light of the cave.
Few things frightened Palmer, being face to face with a wild animal was one of them.
"Get back"
He shouted at the animal firing a round at it's feet.
The wolf didn't back off, in fact it came closer crouching low to the ground readying itself to spring at it's quarry.
**Not so much fun to be hunted is it?**
Came the voice from inside his head.
Palmer looked at Mac.
"What did you say? " he asked.
Mac looked at Palmer, his face was white with fear and a thin film or sweat dotted his upper lip.
"I didn't say anything Palmer".
"You did, you said "Not so much fun to be hunted is it?"
Mac shook her head.
"I haven't said a word."
"Liar!"
He said reaching out and hitting her across the face.
The wolf's growling increased.
**Coward**
Came the voice again.
Palmer looked at the wolf as it paced closer to him, he gave in to his fear and began firing at the animal.
Mac sat in the corner of the room, some innate sense told her not be afraid of this creature that it would do her no harm. She watched as Palmer fired one shot after another into the animal only to watch the bullets pass harmlessly through it. Palmer fired again and the gun made a useless clicking noise indicating that the magazine was empty.
'"What are you?" he screamed in terror at the wolf crouching before him.
** I am Tacoma, Guardian of the Caves.**
The voice whispered off the walls of the small grotto.
Mac gasped as she heard the voice, a chill running through her.
"Guardian of the Caves? You're a ghost...but you can't be I don't believe in ghosts..." Palmer muttered. "It's a trick...it's gotta be a trick, a hologram or something..."
Tacoma seemed to smile.
**I am no more an illusion than you are.**
The voice came again.
Palmer watched as before his eyes the wolf disappeared from in front of him and reappeared in front of Mac.
Mac shivered, the room had gotten colder with the presence of the wolf.
Movement from the doorway claimed her attention, she gave a soft sigh of relief as she saw Harm's familiar shadow slink into the room.
Palmer caught the movement from the corner of his eye but turned to late to stop the heavy blow Harm dealt with the butt of his pistol.
With a sickening thud, Palmer crumpled to the floor unconscious.
"Harm!"
He turned towards Mac after checking Palmer's pulse and held her in his arms.
"Mac are you alright did he hurt you... swear if he did I'll..."
"I'm OK just a little groggy from the sedative but otherwise I'm fine."
He tilted her face to his and kissed her deeply.
"I thought I'd lost you Ninja Girl." he said his voice breaking.
"Never, it'd take more than Palmer to keep us apart Fly-Boy." she said smiling.
Wilderness Trail Appalachian Mountains
17.00pm EDT
The Sweeper team settled in the under-brush not far from the waterfall. Setting up their surveillance equipment they scanned the area.
Clay and Casey sat by the waterfall looking at the surrounding area with night vision glasses.
"Sir we have 2 people, I repeat 2 people coming out from behind the waterfall. Proceed with operation?"
Clay adjusted the microphone on his headset.
"Negative. Wait to identify target."
He watched through the night-vision goggles as the two figures made their way out from behind the waterfall.
"Sir we have a visual. It appears to be the Commander and the Major sir."
"What about Palmer?"
"Not in sight sir and not on any of our scans. How to proceed Sir?"
"Let's get them out of immediate danger then sweep the area for Palmer."
Clay turned to Casey a grin on his face.
"I don't believe it...Rabb got her back."
Wilderness Trail Appalachian Mountains
17.10pm EDT
Mac pushed a lock of hair out of her face and leaned against Harm's chest as his arms slid around her waist.
"Mac you OK?" Casey asked.
"Yeah just a little groggy from the sedative." she said smiling.
"Where is Palmer?" Clay asked.
"Harm knocked him out with the butt of his pistol, last time we saw him he was lying on the floor of the cave." Mac said.
At that moment the Captain of the Sweeper team radioed from inside the cave.
"Sir, there's no sign of Agent Palmer anywhere in the vacinity, we've done infra red scans, pulse monitoring scans everything... He's not in here all we have is a trail of blood."
"Keep looking Captain...I want him found."
Harm looked at Clay eyes burning.
"What do you mean keep looking? "
Clay shuffled uncomfortably.
"The sweeper team have used everything they have and they can't locate Palmer according to them he wasn't in the grotto when they got there. There was blood on the floor, but no body"
Mac looked at Harm her mind going back to the wolf Tacoma.
"You don't think that the..."
Harm realized what Mac was thinking.
"No he wouldn't have killed him. I don't think he can."
Casey and Clay looked at them.
"Don't think who could kill.?"
Clay asked.
"Was there someone else up there Harm?"
Harm and Mac looked at each other, both uncomfortable with what they had seen and how to explain it.
"You could say that...sort of... not a person so much as well...a thing... "
Harm said waiting for the inevitable smart-arse comment from Clay.
"Rabb did you by any chance get hit in the head too..." he asked "...what are you talking about? What kind of 'thing'?"
"No Clay he's perfectly sane."
Casey said smiling at her partner.
"He's talking about Tacoma, the wolf Shaman."
Clay gave her a baffled look and Harm and Mac looked at her, relieved to know they hadn't dreamt the whole thing up.
"The Wolf what?" Clay asked.
Casey smiled at him and took his arm and guided him towards the jeep they had arrived in.
"I'll explain later, right now I'm sure Mac would like to get home and have a shower and something to eat."
Mac nodded, she could use a cup of coffee, a beltway burger and a hot bath.
"But what about this wolf thing is it dangerous? Do I need to warn the Sweepers?" Clay asked.
"No Clay, I very much doubt they'll have any trouble with Tacoma."
Clay looked at Casey eyes narrowed.
"What aren't you telling me? " he asked as he got into the jeep.
Casey looked at Clay and smiled.
"Lots..."