Timber walked closer to the forest, then across the road, then closer to the forest again, seeming like he’d lost the scent. Canyon stopped in the middle of the empty road, deciding to re-read the rest of Seb’s notes.
‘I found a dirt road that’s not on any map. It leads to the back side of the bluff. The way is blocked, steep, and full of cameras. I’ll come back with Canyon and Timber.’
Canyon checked the date. Seb had been reassigned to the demon babies the next day.
He called his brother.Got a trail or a scent?
Nothing.
Let’s go check out this dirt road Seb found.
Timber climbed in the truck and Canyon took off, following Seb’s directions. The road itself was impossible to see from the truck, and they drove past it several times, but found it after getting out and looking for it on foot. They drove in slowly.
“We’re being watched,” Timber said. “I can feel it.”
Cameras.
“Yeah.”
They drove on, until the road ended at a tangled mess of fallen trees and brush.
“What a convenient place for a deadfall,” Timber said.
Canyon reversed back down the road, found a partially hidden grove to hide his truck in, and parked it near the foot of a steep embankment. They got out. Canyon went straight to the back and unlocked his electronics cabinet, while Timber meandered down the road, whistling like a bird. Canyon found what he wanted, locked the truck up tight, and joined his brother, surreptitiously scanning the area for hidden cameras with his equipment. They examined the deadfall, but not too seriously, then they strolled back to Canyon’s truck, talking inruhi.
Cameras everywhere,Canyon said.
That deadfall is fake, too. There’s a metal gate underneath it.
What say we make a little magic of our own?
Hell yeah. You have a plan?
You know I do.
They reached the truck and got in like they were going to leave, but instead Canyon spent a few minutes programming Predator from the driver’s seat.
Get the trike out of the back,he told Timber.Keep it in its case so the cameras can’t see it.I’m almost done.
On it.
Timber did as Canyon had asked, while Canyon finished up. He got out, grabbed a couple more things from the back, then motioned Timber into a private spot in the underbrush. Timber took the ‘trike’ out of its case. It was a robot arm mounted on a six-wheeled, all-terrain chassis, with electronic eyes in front and a dock for Predator in back. The whole thing was about the size of a small garbage can, painted green and black.
Put it down. Now turn around slowly. 360 degrees.
Timber turned, and Canyon filmed him with Predator.
Now do me,he said, handing Predator over.
Timber filmed him and handed Predator over.
Here comes the magic.
First, Canyon set up his homemade electromagnetic pulse generator and blew the circuitry of all the hidden cameras close to them, then he docked Predator into the trike. Predator beeped once, the trike beeped twice, Predator beeped once more, and then the little thing took off, wheeling over the dirt and around trees.
You don’t see much,but any cameras will see an image of the two of us moving stealthily that way through the forest.
“Whilewefollow my nose,” Timber said.
