We were having morning tea and had no success with changing colours when the loudspeakers came to life. They never came to life.

“Attention! Attention! All Combat personnel report for immediate deployment. Attention! Attention! All Combat personnel report for immediate deployment.”

I went to get up when Ata stopped me. “We are not combat personnel. We are consultants. Sit down. I will find out what is happening.” She walks off.

I can hear similar things from the Aussie and American camps. Is it the North Koreans again?

Trucks were rolling out with heavily armed soldiers when Ata returned.

“And?” I inquired.

“Huge monster crocodile heading this way. I saw the photos. It is massive. Multiple buses massive. Bullets are not affecting it, and it is heading for the base camp. It is still kilometres away and now outside the Anomaly Zone. They are going to try grenades and explosives and see if that works. Then the Air Force will probably have to blast it.”

“Why would it head here?” I asked.

Ata shrugged, “Who knows? Revenge? Following something back this way?”

“This doesn’t make sense.”

Ata shrugged again. “It will be dealt with long before it reaches here. They are doing what they can to keep as much of it intact as possible for the researchers, which is why they are holding the Air Force back.”

“No,” I said again. “This doesn’t make sense.”

“Bob, what's going on in that brain of yours,” Carla said.

“Where the anomaly is, it is saltwater. They are saltwater crocs. This far upstream, it is fresh water. A saltwater croc will not come to freshwater. If they want revenge, they will go out to sea and try to bite a frigate or something. This doesn’t make sense.”

“Mutation, working funny?” Ata suggested.

“I wouldn’t think so.” Then I hear the sound of heavy vehicles coming from the wrong direction. I got up in a hurry, “Get the guns and some water. We are going bush.”

To their credit, they didn’t argue but acted. I saw Carla move Soph, who was the most likely to argue. We grabbed our illegal weapons as the NZ military took their guns back. Mere consultants have no need always to be armed.

We ran out past the tents to the tree line and swung around to where I could see the NZ camp.

“What is that truck doing?” Ata asked. That’s right. She has good long-distance sight.

We watched as a cattle truck and two utes drove into the NZ camp at speed. They spewed armed people who started shooting. The North Koreans had arrived. Several went to the edge of the camp facing the Americans and the Aussies and fired that way, keeping them at bay.

The others started with the hospital tent, rounding up people and dragging people from their sick beds. One opened the back of the cattle truck, and they forced people inside. Some others started on the mess tent and personnel tents. They seemed more intent on capture than killing.

“Those are our people. We have to stop them,” Ata said.

“No, we don’t,” I said.

“Bob! Yes, we do. Don’t be a selfish bastard.” Ata said.

“No, we don’t. This doesn't make sense.” I reiterated.

Ata looked disgusted at me. “I am going to help.”

“No, Don’t. It is not right,” I said, my mind working over time. I didn’t have much time for words.

“Ata stop a minute,” Carla said. “This is Bob thinking. We need his brain. Bob. Why doesn’t it make sense?”

“They are not escaping in a bloody cattle truck.”

“They look like they are, with all our people,” Ata said.

“Why not Bob?” Carla asked.

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“Think about where we are. How many satellites are focused on us right now? Half the bloody world’s satellites. The Aussies know this land and have the transports to traverse it, not a bloody rusted cattle truck. There is a fucking American battle fleet anchored just off the coast with an aircraft carrier and all the best sensing equipment they can get. They are not going to get far in a rusted fucking cattle truck. Now what the fuck are you really up to?”

“What…” Ata started.

“Shush.” Carla said, “He is sensing. Finding out what is going on.”

I was boosting my hearing and concentrating on different parts of the camp. It would help if I spoke Korean. Where was Ensign Jeong when I needed her? Fucking dead, thanks to the anomaly.

I kept shifting my attention to different areas and then realised what an idiot I was. This is the distraction. The real event is happening elsewhere. I moved my attention to the surrounding bush. Then I heard a muffled scream and some Korean that sounded like swearing.

“Gotcha,” I said. “They have snatched Amanda, and three or four are sneaking to the river, probably a small boat.”

“Amanda, why?” Ata asked.

“Because she is one of the leading minds on anomalies in the world, and she has the fountain of bloody healing in her veins. Maybe their anomaly has created diseases they can’t deal with? Maybe they are immunising their troops for biological warfare. I don’t know. I know she is worth it, and the North Koreans think so too.”

“If I get into my shark form. I will catch them fine and get her back,” Carla said.

“Five to seven minute change time, and you will be exhausted?” I said.

“You fill my essence pool after, and I will deal with the exhaustion.”

“You can’t on your own!” Soph said, concerned.

“You are right,” I said. “I want you to send Rich with her as backup. He can track them until she arrives, then help her.”

“Soph,” Carla said, “This is what I am made for. Help me do this, don’t hinder.”

I saw Soph take a deep breath and steel herself. Then she nodded as Cala started stripping, and I felt a pull on my essence.

“Soph, help her by sending Rich. You can’t help her change. I need you to send Eliza to the truck to find out what they are planning for it. If it is not to escape, what is it?”

“But,” she looked at Carla lying on the ground. Carla was pushing the change. Rich turned and headed to the river.

“Soph! Twenty to thirty people are being loaded onto that truck. We need to know what they plan before Ata goes all cowboy on us and charges in. You can see through Eliza’s eyes, can’t you?”

“What!? How did you know?”

“You said you had already matched their patterns and enhanced the bond; that's when it clicked. Some of the things you left in my bed needed more control than just an emotional bond. That’s why I didn’t complain. You needed the practice. Now, I need you to get eyes on that truck.”

“You are a clever, sneaky bastard,” Ata said.

“It is always better if people underestimate me,” I said offhandedly as my attention was elsewhere. Carla was struggling with the change and not having Soph's help. “Make sure she doesn’t choke,” I said to Ata.

I saw a green dot appear near the truck and walked underneath. Soph’s attention was all on Eliza. Fortunately, she was sitting down. She had done this before.

I kept scanning the area, flicking my attention to different areas. How long would they wait? They were struggling with some that couldn’t walk. Why?

“There is something strapped under the truck. It is held with cable ties and a cargo strap.” Soph said. “Eliza could pick through the cable ties, not the cargo strap.” There was a pause. “They are the thick ties. It is not easy.”

“A bomb. It is the only thing that makes sense. Pack it full of people and blow it up, and it will be weeks before we discover Amanda is missing. They might drive off first to lead the chase away before they scatter into the wilderness. They could just blow it here. It just makes them getting away less likely,” I thought allowed.

“Fucking hell,” Ata said. “I am supposed to be the military officer here.”

“You are a sailor, not a soldier,” I said.

“And why are you a bloody civil engineer? You should be a soldier,” she replied.

“Fuck no, it would be worse than being in a har…e….m, forget that. Just fuck no.”

Carla stirred, “Shit, you done already?” I am sure it was less than six minutes.

She was struggling to her feet. The naked shark form looked good. Ok, naked Carla looked good regardless. I tossed her the spear gun and two knives, which she strapped on clumsily. Oh, I wanted to see her fight naked so badly, but I had other priorities. I do need to get laid, but that is not a priority either. Carla headed toward the river.

“Soph.” I held out a knife to her, “Can you get under the truck and cut the bomb free and get it out of there?”

“What?”

“You have been practicing your Gates, right?”

“Yes, but not as much as I’d like due to keeping it a secret.”

“Could you get from those nearby tents to the truck?”

She nodded hesitantly. “But I will be seen. There are too many around.”

“That’s Ata and my job. We will go around the other side and start a distraction. That will be your cue. Get in, cut it free and get it out, into the bush if you can, or anywhere away is fine.”

I could see she was very nervous. She was a primary school teacher, not a saboteur. She steeled herself, and Eliza appeared and landed on her shoulder.

“Five minutes, maybe ten. Work your way down there carefully.” I said as I gathered my stuff and prepared to move out.

Ata approached her and spoke quietly in her ear, which seemed to help. I guess she has had leadership training. She was giving encouragement and shit like that. Whatever.