CJ
The ground was hard and cold where she lay on her stomach, watching the farmhouse where she was certain Domik was being held. For what felt like the hundredth time in the space of the last hour, she reached for the shotgun next to her.
Who would have thought there would be that many farms in the desert? She had almost lost count of how many places she had checked, all abandoned. But right when she was doubting herself, she spied the pickup truck that had taken Domik away. She had quickly hidden the bike and found a place to watch the farm.
That had been after midday, and she had spent the time since rejecting every plan to rescue Domik she came up with. It was now dusk; the sun was dipping beyond the horizon, and the temperature had dropped significantly. She hoped Domik was alive and not hurt.
She scanned the buildings in front of her again, watching for any movement. The property was extensive, looking like there had been horses here once. There was a sprawling farmhouse, with a well looked after garden. Next to the house was a garage, the door shut, and the pickup truck parked in front of it.
Opposite the house, on the other side of the dirt drive, was a large barn. The solid wooden structure was where she suspected Domik was being held. She had seen an older woman carrying a tray of what looked like food across to the barn from the house, and then leave without it.
And now, as she lay on her stomach watching the barn, the leader—Tom, she recalled—emerged from the house, calling something over his shoulder to someone inside. A teenage boy hurried after him and even from this distance CJ could see he looked nervous.
What’s going on?
A curtain twitched in the kitchen window, and the older woman’s face appeared, watching the two walk toward the barn. It was hard to tell from how far away she was, but CJ could have sworn she scowled and shook her head. The curtain twitched again and within the space of less than a minute, the older woman appeared with another tray filled with food.
That was interesting.
When she reached the barn, she shifted the tray to one hip so she could free a fist to bang on the barn door. It opened outwards, and she disappeared inside.
CJ’s lips twisted as she watched the barn. The minutes ticked by, achingly slowly, and then the leader and the teenager appeared again, the leader not as cocky this time.
CJ stood, making sure she was still hidden from view, and picked up the shotgun. Just as she was about to make her way toward the barn, the older woman appeared. Instead of returning to the house, she made her way past it and toward a shed on the far side of the sprawling timber dwelling. The woman looked around furtively before dashing behind the shed and disappearing from view.
Not hesitating, CJ followed, making sure she was out of sight. She quickly crossed the distance to the shed, the lack of moonlight a blessing in hiding her from view.
She pressed against the side of the shed and risked a peek around the corner.
An old pickup truck was parked next to the shed, the front door open. CJ watched as the woman leaned inside and began rummaging around in the glove box.
If she had any hope of getting Domik away from here, she needed something a little better than a bike. Especially if he was injured. She winced, thinking about how she would get him to the military base that was still hours away if he couldn’t walk. He would be completely impossible to move if he were unconscious.
CJ pushed the disturbing thoughts aside and crept toward the woman, who still had her back to her.
When she was close enough, she wrapped one arm around her neck and linked her arms, one hand over her mouth to smother her cry of surprise. CJ pulled her backward away from the car. The woman struggled, clutching at CJ’s arms and kicking her feet.
“Where is he?” CJ demanded.
The woman’s feet stopped kicking, and she relaxed a little.
“If I take my hand away and you scream, I’ll knock you out. Are we clear?” She was taking a massive risk, but getting Domik out without knowing more was going to be almost impossible. Especially since she did not know exactly how many men there were in the barn.
Or even if Domik was in the barn in the first place.
The woman nodded, and CJ eased her hand from her mouth.
“The big guy? The alien?” Her voice shook.
“Yes. Where is he? Is he hurt?” CJ risked taking her arms away from the woman’s neck and turned her to see her face. She was older than CJ had expected and, for a second, she felt ashamed for having scared her. But then she hardened. One scared woman was worth Domik’s safety.
“He’s in the barn,” she said, her eyes wide.
“And is he hurt?”
“No… or at least not badly.”
CJ closed her eyes and breathed out. He was alive.
