David Robbins - Thief River Falls Run

“I’m definitely getting you that dictionary for your birthday,” Hickok muttered.

“ I know you can hear me !” the voice reiterated.

“Can anyone see who’s talkin’?” Bertha asked.

“No,” Geronimo answered. “He’s probably in the park.”

“ My name is Captain Williams .” Williams spoke slowly, deliberately, enunciating each word.

“I thought I recognized the creep,” Hickok said.

“ Pay attention to what I am about to say …”

“What’s that?” Geronimo leaned forward, spotting the result of the Watchers’ earlier labors. As dawn approached, the light was rapidly increasing. “It’s Blade!” he exclaimed.

The others pressed closer to the opening.

“ As you can plainly see by now ,” Williams declared, “ we have your friend in custody .”

“He’s tied to a pole!” Bertha stated.

“ We have secured him to a pole. Any rescue attempt would be futile .”

“He’s not moving,” Bertha said. “Are you sure he’s still alive?”

“That’s what they said on the radio,” Hickok replied.

“ We will cut you to ribbons if you try to free him ,” Williams declared.

“I’d like to cut you to ribbons,” Hickok said.

“ Listen closely! Sunrise will occur soon. You have until the sun is completely above the horizon to surrender, or we will shoot your friend .”

“Doesn’t give us much time,” Geronimo commented.

“ Remember !” Williams arrogantly bellowed. “ The second the sun is completely visible, we’ll turn your friend into a sieve! ”

“Do we surrender?” Joshua inquired.

“Do rabbits fly?” Hickok responded.

“Then what do we do, White Meat?” Bertha frowned, concerned. “They have us right where they want us.”

“Do they?” Hickok said, grinning.

“I’ve seen that look before,” Geronimo noted. “It usually means your minuscule mind has come up with a plan.”

“Do we have any rope in this place?” Hickok asked them.

“I haven’t seen any,” Geronimo answered. “How long do you need it to be?”

Hickok absently rubbed his chin as he calculated. “At least ten feet. You can drop the rest of the distance.”

“We have the blankets,” Bertha said. “If we tied them together and used some odds and ends, we could get ten feet. Why?”

Hickok began pacing. “The way I see it, we’ve got to make our move at sunrise, when they’ll be expecting us to surrender.” He faced Joshua. “Is the Ruger loaded?”

“Yes,” Joshua replied.

“Give it to me,” Hickok ordered. He took the revolver and slid the barrel under his belt, just to the right of the buckle, leaving the grips and the hammer free for quick action. “This will give me eighteen.”

“Eighteen?” Bertha repeated.

“Yeah. Eighteen shots.”

“What are you going to use them for?” Joshua inquired.

“I’ll need them,” Hickok smirked, “when I go out the front door. Now here’s my plan…”

Jenny found him on a small knoll east of the cabins, sitting on a boulder, gazing at the spectacular colors emblazoning the eastern sky.

“Dawn is almost here,” she stated the obvious.

“You couldn’t sleep either,” he asked her, his kindly blue eyes laced with a trace of sadness.

“I’ve been unable to sleep since he left,” Jenny revealed.

“I too am experiencing difficulty with my repose,” he said.

“Do you regret sending Alpha Triad out into the world, Plato?” she questioned him.

“Frankly, I’m torn both ways,” he admitted. “You know I love Blade, and I’m fond of the others too. I do regret sending them on their mission. At the same time, I know the importance of their task. I know the Family will not survive unless they succeed.”

“You did the right thing,” she assured him.

“Thank you.” He smiled. “It does my soul good to hear you say that. I need your support.”

“You have it,” Jenny assured him. She put her left hand on his right shoulder and gently squeezed. “All of us love you. We might disagree at times, but always remember you have our loyal and abiding support.”

Plato rose, his knees wobbly, weaving as he stood. “I wish I could develop a cure for this damnable arthritis!”

“It’s getting worse, isn’t it?” Jenny inquired.

“Let’s forget our cares and woes,” Plato said, ignoring her query. He stretched, watching the sun begin to emerge above the horizon. “What do you say to visiting my cabin for breakfast? I’m sure Nadine will be delighted to have you visit.”

“I don’t want to impose,” Jenny mentioned.

“Nonsense,” Plato said, overruling her objection. “I’ll inform my dear wife we spent all night out here under the stars. Let’s see if we can make her jealous.”

Jenny laughed. “You’re as playful as ever!”

“At my age,” Plato amended, “you’re frisky, not playful.”

They strolled toward the cabins, savoring the fresh morning air and the chirping of the birds.

“It’s a beautiful morning,” Jenny declared.

“And just think,” Plato reassured her. “Wherever the Alpha Triad is at this very moment, they are undoubtedly enjoying this crisp new dawn as much as we are.”

“You think so?”

“You don’t believe me?”

“I don’t know…” she began.

“Where’s all this loyal and abiding support I’m supposed to receive?”

Plato grinned.

“You know I trust you,” Jenny said.

“Then stop worrying!” Plato advised her. “Relax. We’ll have a big meal and gossip about everyone else. Did you hear the question one of the children asked yesterday in anatomy class?”

“You’re terrible,” Jenny chuckled. “I don’t know how Nadine puts up with you!”

“She thinks I’m a hunk.” Plato smirked. Jenny chuckled. “You are. And so is my Blade.”

“Who, at this very second,” Plato speculated, striving to ease her anxiety, “is alive and well and invariably thinking of you.”

“I know he is still alive,” Jenny affirmed “I can feel it, deep down. But I’m troubled…”

“About what?” Plato cut her off. “You just said you feel he’s alive, and you know he can handle himself competently.”

“I guess you’re right,” she agreed. “I really shouldn’t upset myself. After all, he’s with Hickok and Geronimo. What could possibly beat all of them?”

The Watchers.

Through a pervading haze and numbing pain, Blade struggled to regain his concentration.

The Watchers. Where were they?

Blade dimly remembered being stripped of everything except for his pants. They had dug a hole at the fringe of the park, directly across from the building his friends occupied. The Watchers had placed a tall post in the hole, packed in the dirt, and tied their captive to the pole, securing his wrists and his ankles so tightly the circulation was constricted.

His head was pounding.

Blade recalled the shouting and dimly registered the message. He knew the consequences. According to their training, Warriors would never surrender, under any circumstances. Hickok and Geronimo would be forced to let the Watchers shoot him.

There wasn’t much time left.

Where were the Watchers? Were any of them paying any attention to him, or were they all riveted on the building?

Did it matter?

Blade felt his full consciousness return, and he carefully opened his eyes. He could see the SEAL, and beyond the vehicle the Watchers’ former headquarters. None of the Watchers, though. They were probably scattered around the area, in hiding, waiting for sunrise.