Night of the Crane | By @WendyyWolfe

12. Not The Plan

Before Dylan even moved James had rushed in and knelt beside Krisslyn. He pulled her up onto his lap and gently patted her cheek.

"Krisslyn, come on girl, wake up, wake up," he murmured. He looked up at Lacy. "She passed out."

"Oh my God! MAC seriously, let me go!" she ground out between her clenched teeth as she struggled against him.

James shook his head. "No Lacy just stay where you are. You can't do anything. She'll come around in a second. She just fainted."

Several people seated nearby got up and helped James move her to the long bench seat and he sat down holding her head in his lap.

Lacy clung to the panel rope and to Macallan in silence after that much to Dylan's secret relief.

The old military vehicle bumped along as Macallan watched out the open back eventually turning off the country road and onto a grass service road where they travelled deep into a forested area along an old railroad line Macallan recognized easily as a county telephone pole service access road.

The others who followed, some still walking, trudged along resolutely, their faces graven, but with seemingly no other help than this Sargeant Reese and his couple of men, what choice did they have?

The rest of the short journey was spent in silence, although Macallan's thoughts were less than peaceful. He resigned himself to the fact that something out of his understanding was happening and there was little anyone could do about it.

The man Sargeant Reese called Dingo hung on the back of the open end, one hand on the top rail and the other resting on his AR which hung at his side. Every so often he looked back with concern at James and Krisslyn. Eventually, he grabbed his walkie and Macallan heard him ask the Sargeant to stop for a while.

"Hey Reese, we gotta pull up for a bit and let these people rest and get some water. I gotta a girl back here passed out and she's going to get dehydrated if I don't tend to her."

"Copy that, Dingo. We're coming up on the last curve ahead and I'll pull off there."

"Copy."

To say he was relieved was an understatement for Macallan. He knew Lacy was worried and truth be known he was too.

As they neared the place where the Sargeant indicated the tracks curved a wide arc but the road crossed over them cutting further into the woods.

Dingo jumped down and helped the others climb out, then he jumped back into help James. Macallan, Lacy and Dylan stayed back to help them. Dingo took a rag and got it wet, handing it to James who placed it on Krisslyn's forehead. He brushed her long blonde hair back from her face and squeezed droplets of water over her face letting it trickle down her head and as her eyes started to flutter open Lacy was right there holding her hand. She sputtered and took a deep breath as James brushed her forehead with the cold rag.

Dingo helped James get her into a sitting position, her face pale and drawn.

"Oh Lord Krizz," Lacy cooed.

Dingo handed his canteen to James.

"Give her a few sips, no more until she gets up and can walk around. I need to go help the others. Can you handle it from here Solo?"

James nodded and Dingo jumped out and disappeared around the side of the panel truck.

When he was gone James looked at Macallan apologetically.

"I'm sorry guys for getting us caught up in all this. It wasn't my plan," he drawled weakly. "Everything just happened so fast."

Macallan sat down on the other side of Krisslyn. "Look James we know that," he replied looking at Dylan and Lacy. "It's not like we had choices at the time."

Lacy actually nodded and her gesture gave Macallan a boost of confidence.

"I mean maybe we should stay with them. We haven't really heard what the Sargeant's plans are and I think there is safety in numbers right now."

"True," James muttered, giving Krisslyn another sip of water.

They all just looked at each other at a loss for words.

"So what was your plan James," Lacy asked breaking the tense silence.

"I was gonna get us to my cabin. I figured we could hole up there and it would give me time to think this through for a course of action but now it seems that idea is out the window."

Lacy sighed openly.

"Well, he practicality begged you to stay and help him." She ventured. "That has to mean something. And it's not like he's a perfect stranger. Honestly we should give it a chance at least for now."

Up to this point, Dylan had remained quiet. But now he shuffled his feet nervously as if trying to work up the courage to say something.

"I agree. What I mean is, I agree with Mac. We should stay. I'm not gonna lie, I'm scared shitless and, I don't want to go to your stinking cabin. If you want to go then I don't see anyone stopping you! Just go," he rushed to say before he lost his nerve.

"Hey man," James shot back, " I never said I wasn't going to stay Dylan," he snapped.

"Damn Dylan take it easy," Macallan intervened holding up his hand at Dylan's crase behavior.

"Well what the fuck Macallan? You got any better ideas?!"

Macallan stood up to confront Dylan.

"None of us know what to do right now because none of this is easy. James didn't have to do a damn thing for us and yet here he is. He could have just left us on our own and he didn't."

They all heard a throat clearing sound and turned in unison to see Sargeant Reese standing at the end of the truck looking in. Beside him, a woman. He hopped up and turned to help her in and they both walked over and sat down opposite of James and Krisslyn.

"How's the girl?" He asked James.

"Why don't you ask her yourself Sarge," James said with a hard stare.

"Mmmm, okay James," he said slowly with narrowed eyes.

Dylan frowned and rolled his eyes. "I'm going to go take a piss," he said.

He strode to the back and hopped out but everyone could hear the sarcasm in his tone.

Sargeant Reese shrugged and gave Krisslyn a once over finally asking her how she felt.

She managed to give him a weak smile.

He turned to the woman sitting beside him. "This is Carolyn. She's a paramedic. She's going to take your vitals. Let's get you out of here. There's a big patch of shade out there and it's a hell of a lot cooler. When was the last time you ate anything?"

Lacy answered for every one.

"None of us has eaten since this whole thing started. Except maybe Dylan. He had a bag of chips," she smirked.

Sargeant Reese smiled and nodded.

"Alright then, why don't you help, ahh, help Carolyn get your friend over to the med tent we set up. After that we'll get everyone something to eat."

Lacy nodded and James stood to help Krisslyn up. He and Lacy walked her to edge and James jumped down to lift Krisslyn to the ground. Lacy jumped down after her and putting an arm around her cousin they walked toward a large lean-to type tarp placed beneath some trees.

James watched them go but his concern was cut short with the Sargeants crisp voice.

"Come on back in here Solo, I have Intel."