Garan stirred awake as the first light of dawn filtered through the trees, casting a gentle glow over the campsite. He rubbed sleep from his eyes, rolled over in his sleeping bag, and was greeted by a wide, beaming smile from Evelyn, who was sitting right next to his head.
“Good morning, sticky face,” Evelyn chirped.
Garan reached up and touched his cheek, feeling the remnants of marshmallow goo from the previous night. Evelyn giggled, rubbing her finger against his cheek before giving it a quick lick and then scampering away with a cheerful, “Yummy!”
He sat up, stretching and shaking off the sleepiness. He noticed everyone else already gathered around breakfast. Buck approached, holding a plate with a biscuit, a piece of bacon, and something that resembled scrambled eggs.
“We got coffee brewing on the fire if you want some,” Buck said, setting the plate down in front of Garan.
“That sounds great. How long until we leave?” Garan asked, rubbing his eyes.
Buck checked his watch and gave a casual shrug. “About thirty minutes. Make sure you wash your face. You don’t want to attract bears.”
Buck threw him a friendly smile before turning to check on the coffee.
Maxine walked over and sat beside Garan, handing him a wet cloth. Garan took it and began wiping his face, the coolness of the cloth refreshing against his skin.
“How was your sparring session with Katherine?” Garan inquired nonchalantly.
“Oh, you heard that last night?” Maxine responded with a hint of amusement. “I don’t think it could be accurately described as a sparring session. It was more like target practice, and I was the target.”
Garan chuckled, his expression sympathetic. “Now you know how I feel.”
Maxine shrugged, a smile playing on her lips. “I don’t know. I heard you kicked Dan pretty good. Maggie told me all about it.”
Garan nodded, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. “I’m not sure that counts, but I guess I did, didn’t I?”
He took a bite of the bacon, savoring its smoky flavor. Then, he pulled apart the biscuit, using the eggs and remaining bacon to make a makeshift sandwich.
***
The forest was pungent with the earthy scent of damp soil and decaying leaves, a blend of moss and pine mingling with the distant hint of wildflowers hidden beneath the undergrowth. The air hung heavy, almost humid, with a slight chill that clung to the skin like a ghostly whisper. A faint breeze occasionally swept through the trees, ruffling the leaves and causing shadows to dance on the forest floor. The ground beneath their boots was soft and uneven, muffled with a thick carpet of leaves that crunched softly with every careful step.
Overhead, birds chirped sporadically, their songs echoing through the canopy, while in the distance, the faint trickle of a stream added a soothing undertone to the otherwise silent woodland. Every now and then, the sudden rustle of a small animal darting through the underbrush would break the stillness, causing their hearts to skip a beat. The forest seemed alive, breathing in sync with their cautious movements, as if it were watching, waiting, holding its breath along with them.
Katherine led the way with a determined stride, moving as if she’d walked this path countless times before. Steven followed closely, his breaths coming in labored gasps as he tried to keep up.
Buck and Stefon lagged a bit behind, casting occasional glances back at Maxine and Garan. Garan, carrying Evelyn on his back, stopped to catch his breath. Noticing the distance between himself and the others growing, he quickly resumed walking.
Seeing Garan’s struggle, Stefon approached him with a friendly grin. “No need struggle, braddah. I take keiki.”
With a smooth motion, Stefon lifted Evelyn onto his shoulders. She giggled, delighted, and Stefon winked at Garan, then gestured for the stragglers to quicken their pace and catch up to the front.
A few hundred yards further, Katherine suddenly halted and raised her hand, signaling the others to stop. She scanned the area briefly before turning to the right and continuing her path.
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Moments later, the group arrived at the edge of a tall cliff. Katherine crouched down and extended her left hand. Buck promptly handed her a pair of binoculars, which she brought to her eyes and peered through, surveying a building far in the distance.
“Two human guards. Two hybrids. Most likely dog hybrids, known for their loyalty,” Katherine reported. “The humans are in all white and carrying pistols. The hybrids wear green and are unarmed. There are usually patrols during the day and more guards by the door at night.”
Katherine passed the binoculars back to Buck and began heading back the way they came, followed by Steven and Stefon. Buck handed the binoculars and a backpack to Maxine.
“Keep your eyes on those guards,” Buck instructed. “I’ll call you in a few seconds. Stay on the line and let me know if anything happens.”
Turning to Garan, he added, “Watch her back and keep them safe.”
Garan nodded as Buck hurried off to join the others. He pulled out his phone and started dialing.
Maxine pulled a vibrating phone out of her pocket, answered, and put it on speaker.
“Go for Pretty Bird,” she said.
“Pretty Bird?” Buck’s voice came from the other end of the line.
“I read you loud and clear, Dog Face. Over,” Maxine teased.
“We don’t need code names. Just keep us updated,” Buck replied.
“Meh, you’re no fun. Fine,” Maxine relented.
She lay down on the ground and used the binoculars to check the lab. “Still four guards,” she reported.
“Thanks. Let us know if anything changes. Otherwise, let’s keep it quiet,” Buck instructed.
Maxine put the phone in her pocket and continued to watch the guards. Garan opened the backpack and pulled out some sandwiches. He handed one to Evelyn, one to Maxine, and ate one himself. When he finished, he took his sandwich baggie and put it in the backpack.
As he bent down, he heard leaves crackle behind him. He turned quickly to see two guards, one in white and one in green. The guard in white had his gun drawn.
“What are you people doing up here?” the guard in white demanded.
“Oh, we were just on a hike enjoying nature,” Garan replied.
Hearing this, Maxine stood up, still holding the binoculars. The hybrid guard wearing green glared at her.
“Why do you have those? Are you spying on us?” the guard in white asked suspiciously.
“Sorry, is this a restricted area? It’s so beautiful up here,” Maxine responded, her voice disarming. She winked at the guard in white. He relaxed his posture and lowered his gun. He looked at Evelyn, who took another bite of her sandwich and smiled at him.
“Yes ma’am. The view is quite lovely. I’m sure you folks weren’t causing any harm,” the guard in white said, his tone softening.
Noticing his partner’s sudden change in tone, the guard in green looked at Garan more intently, let out a soft growl, and started moving forward. Garan put his hands up and got into his fighting stance. He readied his body and raised his leg to kick the guard, but before he could, the guard swept Garan’s leg, and Garan fell to the ground.
Expecting to be pounced on, Garan quickly rolled to his right and sprang to his feet. However, the guard had turned his attention to Maxine. He lunged at her, but Maxine dodged his attack. In one motion, she grabbed the guard’s wrist with one hand, put her other hand on his back, and forced him to the ground, landing on top of him. She then applied pressure to the back of his elbow and pulled up on his wrist. The guard in green cried out in pain.
Seeing this, the guard in white ran toward the two with his gun still drawn. “How dare you attack these innocent people? This woman is obviously not a threat,” the guard in white scolded the hybrid guard. He held his gun on the guard in green, who stopped struggling. Maxine released him and stood up.
“Thank you so much. Now, if you could do me a favor, I would be extremely grateful,” Maxine said sweetly.
“Of course, ma’am. Anything for you,” the guard in white replied.
Maxine reached into the backpack and pulled out a rope. “Would you mind tying him up?”
“I was about to suggest that very thing,” the guard in white agreed.
“Oh good. And then, would you let us tie you up as well?” Maxine added with a smile.
“No problem at all, anything to help out,” the guard in white responded obligingly. The guard in green grunted.
“Garan, would you help our friend here by holding his gun while he ties up the unruly guard?” Maxine asked.
“Right,” Garan said, walking slowly toward the two guards. When he got close enough, the guard in white handed him the gun.
“Here you go, sir. Now make sure you keep that pointed at my colleague. We don’t want him running away,” the guard in white advised.
Garan took the gun hesitantly and pointed it at the guard in green, still lying on the ground. The guard in white pulled the hybrid guard up and escorted him to the nearest tree, then began tying him to it. Garan kept the gun pointed at the hybrid guard the whole time. The guard in white finished tying the knot, and Maxine came over to test it.
“Ok. Time for you to tie me up as well. Make sure you tie it tight,” the guard in white instructed.
“Thanks again. You’ve been a real help,” Maxine said sincerely.
Maxine wrapped the remaining rope around the guard in white, securing him to the tree. The guard in green growled again. Evelyn took her sandwich baggie to the backpack and put it with the other one.
“Oh, and you should probably gag him. He might start howling for help,” the guard in white suggested.
Evelyn pulled out some tape and a pair of socks from the backpack and handed them to Garan. He walked them over to the guard in green, stuffed the socks in his mouth, and taped it shut.
“Sorry,” Garan muttered.
Maxine heard a faint voice coming from inside her pocket. She reached in, pulled out her phone, and put it to her ear.
“Nothing to worry about. We just made a couple of friends. No, I don’t think they’ll be going anywhere. They’re a little tied up at the moment. Yes, that was supposed to be a joke. It was too funny,” Maxine said, her tone light.
Evelyn zipped up the backpack. Garan exhaled.