The fire road ended at a dirt road leading to the Armstrong place, just south of the house. The path cut diagonally across the expanse of woods that dominated the barrens and took three miles off the distance a car would travel on the main roads.
Parker hefted his gun and glanced up at where the UFO had paced their walk on the dark trail. It was a mixed blessing to have the damn thing gone. For the moment, he did not have to worry about a death ray coming down from the ship, but he could not help wondering where the bastards had gone in such a hurry.
Ahead of Parker, Lamar worked his way down the trail, showing no signs of slowing his pace. The need to be at the farm possessed the sheriff.
Lamar had seemed to gain a focus that was dangerously narrow. Parker wondered if Sylvia had even entered the sheriff’s mind. The poor woman could be lying dead in a ditch while Lamar was obsessed with the UFO. That man was going to get them all killed if Parker did not snap Lamar from his obsession.
“Hope Sylvias alive,” Parker said loudly at Lamar’s back.
He waited for an answer, but none was forthcoming as the sheriff swept his flashlight across the trail in a continuous movement while searching for obstacles. Parker was about to repeat the question when Lamar talked.
“She is alive. I can guarantee you that. I knew what they were going to do to her when I saw the UFO, just like I know we must get to that house as fast as possible or we will lose her.”
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“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Come on Parker, think. I know you are smarter than me. You outwitted me enough.”
“That was in the past,” Parker protested with an edge to his voice. He did not like Lamar’s behavior and attitude. “Are you telling me that UFO was supposed to go to the house?”
“Yes.” Lamar stopped and looked at his friend. “All of those people at the house are there for the UFO. Maybe the aliens are examining them, or maybe the aliens are taking them. If these guys kidnapped Sylvia, I must believe they are going to give her to the aliens so she will disappear and no one will know who took her. I must believe they are setting us up so we will all disappear; the aliens will take us to their planet. The evidence and witnesses will be gone, so who can talk?”
Parker stared at the man, wondering who was insane, the men who saw UFOs or the men who thought they understood what the aliens were doing. “You said we were walking into a trap. What makes you think we can walk back out of it?”
“Because we know what they intend to do.” Lamar resumed walking, his voice drifting softly back to Parker. “They are banking on the element of surprise. They think we will be so shocked when we see the aliens that we will pause, and the pause will lead to our defeat. We know what to expect now so we can roll right over the aliens and grab Sylvia.”
Walking in silence, Parker considered what Lamar said. There was an odd logic to his words, a logic that spoke of a chance at success. The first time since seeing the UFO, he thought Lamar really had the upper hand on the people who had set this up.
“Unless, of course, the aliens have some kind of exotic weapons.” Lamar added as he passed a large rock.
Parker groaned but continued to follow Lamar.