Night of the Crane | By @WendyyWolfe

20. About Those Cybrids

Dedicated to @HeideHunt

"There's only one problem I see with any of this."

Reese yanked his head around and gave James, who had made the comment, a look as did the rest of the unit except for Macenna who never took his eyes off the monitor.

"Well," Reese barked impatiently, "we're all ears Solo."

"How do we know that they haven't been recommissioned into one of those things?"

Lacy gasped and her eyes narrowed at James' suggestion.

"How dare you James? Hell no! I'm tired of you calling the shots around here! That. Is. Dylan. Not one of 'those things' and you can go to hell for all I care!"

"No. He's right..." Macenna announced methodically as he pushed his rolling chair away from the wall of monitors and turned it to face Lacy.

Reese crossed his arms over his chest and stood down to watch the exchange as he was known to do.

"...You have no idea what you are saying little girl. Those things, are not people anymore Lacy. They're human drones. Trackers. They have just enough memory to travel to and from places they remember and that's it. The rest of their actions are controlled by a civilization that has one agenda in mind and that is to rid the earth of you and me and anyone or thing that stands in their way," Macenna finished and turned his chair back to his multiscreen wall.

"And you can kiss my ass Macenna," Lacy spat accusingly. "And how would you even know that? I think your full of shit and yourself," she rounded back to James.

"You can't just leave them out there without finding out James. It's inhumane! We have to find out at least," Lacy stated.

James slowly shook his head no. "Not a good idea," he replied tightly.

Lacy clenched her fists and her teeth.

"You know, James, YOU don't get to decide! So please shut the hell up," she turned to Sargeant Reese. "Please tell him he doesn't call all the shots," she pleaded with the Sargeant.

The Sargeant opened his mouth to speak only to be interrupted by a muttered curse from Macenna.

"Holy shit."

Everyone turned their attention to the monitor Macenna was watching intently.

The group had made it to the gate and gathered in a loose cluster.

Macenna stood up from his rolling chair and leaned in to the monitor, closely examining the small images cloistered around the gate.

"Awwww fuck. It's Silas fucking Fisher! Silas is with them. Now how in the hell did he end up with them?" Macenna questioned no one in particular.

Silas Fisher. Better known, as the town drunk and resident crazy, often found ranting his peculiar ideas to any random person he met was the very last person Macenna ever imagined to see standing outside the gate of their secret bunker.

"Definitely not letting them in now," Macenna grumbled to himself as he turned to Sargeant Reese.

"Well?"

"As much as I hate to say it, we just cannot chance it. We can't even let them know we're in here at all," Reese shrugged.

Lacy came unglued.

"How the fuck dare you Sargeant!" She stomped her foot.

"Hey, hey heyyy, Lacy ease up on the Sargeant," Macallan urged placing a hand on her shoulder.

But she shook him off and stomped right over to Reese. "You cannot be serious! Dylan is family to us and we can't just toss him to the wolves!"

Reese gave her a slight smile but remained otherwise expressionless.

"You know, Miss Thibodaux, that I could have you court marshalled for interfering in a military operation and have you confined to your room indefinitely."

"Military operation?! Dylan is our friend! He's not a military operation!" Lacy shouted pointing at the monitor.

"He's all we have left Sargeant and we're all he has left!" She added with quivering lips. "After everything we've lost..."

Macenna grabbed her outstretched hand and pulled her around to face him, forcing himself to speak calmly.

"Lacy. I know this is hard to understand, but Dingo and Tilley. They've broken protocol. They have strict orders and that's something you don't get. Yet here they are and they know better. They aren't in their right mind. They can't be. They should have continued to their own unit destination if they escaped. We can't let them in, hell, we can't even let them know we're in here! We would be sitting ducks if our location was discovered..."

Macenna lifted her chin forcing her to meet his eyes. Ice blues which had never allowed warmth to reach them very often stared back at her, imploring her to really hear him.

"...Please understand it's not personal and if for any reason I'm wrong I will gladly, 'kiss your ass.'"

He tried to smile for her sake but she simply swatted his hand away from her face, turned and walked away, heading for the hall where their rooms were housed.

Macallan, tight lipped, took off after her but as he reached her door it was slammed in his face. He stood there momentarily trying to decided what to do when James walked up.

"Come on Mac. Let her be for a bit. She'll cool down."

Macallan wasn't so sure about that but, reluctantly followed James back to the comms room where Macenna was now involved in a radio transmission with the base where Dingo and Tilley were have meant to originally arrive.

"Yeah Air Base 4, I don't know how much weirder things could get than this, out." Macenna related.

"AB4 responding, to BSA2 Alabama, repeating we did not copy, Lieutenant, did you say you had known POG's at your local asking for secure entry and they were reported KIA by Commander Reese? BSA2 is this a joke, out?"

"No. AB4, I am not joking. There are four people standing at the gate, they have all turned in unison and commenced to stare at the security camera and two of them are Dingo and Tilley, out."

"BSA2, This is Commander Basinger, AB4, we do copy Lieutenant, repeat, we do copy. Is this Lieutenant, Air to Control officer Crete, out."

"Affirmative Command Basinger. This is Crete, out."

"Copy that Lieutenant. Put your Commander on, Lieutenant out."

Macenna vacated his rolling chair to Reese.

"AB4, This is Commander Reese out.'

"BSA2, Commander Reese, Basinger here. I have new Intel for you. Yesterday at 16:58 we received a distress signal from officers AB4's Dingham and Tilley. They reported a total loss of transport with 36 KIA civilians and requested permission to proceed on to BSA2, as the closest local to safety. We granted said request and asked for a head count. They reported four civie survivors plus one pick up. Do you affirm the arrival of Dingham and Tilley? Out."

"Affirmative Commander, out."

"Copy. Proceed with orders to allow secure entry and report back after debrief out."

"Copy Commander, out. Reese signing out."

Reese placed the hand held receiver down, got up and turned to look at his crew.

"Well, you heard the Commander boys."

Macenna was already shaking his head in high doubt of this development but Macallan, was smiling sardonically.

"Well brother," he nodded tightly, "looks like you've got some ass kissin' to do."