Survivors

 

 

 

Travis was looking up the driveway with Prekan when he saw all three boys fall down at once, but he didn't see the net drop on them.

 

"Something is wrong," he said.  "Let's go!"

 

Prekan didn't understand a word that Travis said, but he had an idea of what he wanted.  He ran up the driveway with Travis.  They saw a large net that had dropped over the three boys and what looked like two Hakaanen men grabbing two of the boys and mounting their unicorns with them.  A third man had hold of the third boy, but when he saw Travis and Prekan running up the driveway he let the boy go and mounted his unicorn. They rode off quickly, two of them holding on to struggling boys.

 

Travis and Prekan ran up the driveway and found Ethan lying on the ground. Ryan and Logan were gone with the kidnappers.  They ran to the house to report what had happened.

 

 

Scooter sensed something threatening as he and Douglas turned the corner.  He looked in the direction of the bushes and saw someone stand up.  Scooter could see that the man who stood up was aiming a bow and arrow right at Douglas. Douglas was walking a couple of steps to the left of Scooter. What unfolded in front of Scooter seemed to happen in slow motion.  He lowered his shoulder and drove it into Douglas, sending his boyfriend crashing to the ground.  Scooter felt a sting in his side, followed by a tremendous jolt of pain, and fell to the ground next to Douglas.

 

"What the fuck, Scooter," Douglas said as he hit the ground.  He heard a whizzing noise and then a grunt from Scooter.  Douglas turned around angrily to say something to Scooter when he saw him fall, an arrow protruding from his ribs. Blood was flowing on to the ground.

 

"Oh my God!  Scooter!  Scooter!  What happened?" Douglas yelled.  He saw the man in the bushes, who quickly ran off.  Douglas wanted to chase him but he knew Scooter needed help right now.  He started screaming for Bandar.  He wished he was wearing clothes so he could put something around Scooter's wound to help stop the bleeding.

 

Mike and Alex heard the screaming and ran into the back yard.  They stopped and stared at Scooter's bloody body.  Douglas pointed to the bushes behind the house.  "It looked like a Hakaanen—he’s about 30 seconds ahead."

 

Mike and Alex took off into the brush as Bandar and his father came running out of the back door of the house.  Bandar's father took one look at Scooter and ran into the house to get some towels to put around the wound.  He told Bandar to call the emergency number as he put the towels against the wound in an attempt to stem the bleeding.

 

"Scooter, are you okay?"  Douglas asked.  Scooter’s moan of pain was his only answer.  Oh God, Scooter, don't die on me, Douglas thought to himself.  "You saved my life," he told Scooter. "You were so awesome brave.  You're going to be okay.  I won't let anything happen to you."

 

Bandar and his father were talking frantically.  Douglas couldn't understand anything they were saying.  All he was thinking was, I hope they have good doctors here, because I sure do see a lot of blood.

 

 

Robert Charles and Vordkan laid out their sleeping bags in the corner Robert Charles had built for himself when he was the leader of the boys in the “Moonduster.” They zipped the bags together and smiled—they would be in them soon.  They went back up the ladder to the main cabin where the Shkah men were looking at the laser guns.  Robert Charles saw the glowing green lights and knew that they were charged.

 

The group went outside and set up targets.  Robert Charles showed them how to shoot the guns and they proceeded to take target practice.  It didn't take much time for the Shkah to become proficient at hitting the targets.  It didn't hurt that they were shooting with a steady light that could almost be swept from side to side and still hit a target—the laser guns did not require precise marksmanship.

 

The last thing Robert Charles did as darkness fell was to show the Shkah where the "kill" button was.

 

 

The Shkah pulled up on the reigns of the unicorns.  The boys were struggling and yelling.  The third Shkah caught up to them and helped to tie and gag them.  They rode off to meet the shooter who was waiting for them at the edge of the forest.

 

"Did you get the leader?"

 

"No.  His friend saw me or something and pushed him.  I ended up hitting the friend instead.  I had a perfect shot at the bastard,  too.  I'll get a chance again."

 

"We'll see.  We’d better get out of here with these boys.  We got one of the younger ones, but the other one got away because his friends were coming. But we kidnapped this bigger one, so we now have two.  Now let's take them to the hiding place."

 

They rode hard through the woods with Ryan and Logan tied up on their unicorns.  They were heading for a cave up in the hills where they would wait for the round-eared boy to come back with the weapons.

 

 

Matthew loved his first day of language lessons.  The Hakaanen language was not a difficult one.  Its grammar was a lot like English, but the words and alphabet were very different.  Matthew was an intelligent boy and picked the language up quickly with help from his tutor and from Enghar.

 

Matthew heard a flier go over the house; he didn’t even know the Hakaanen had any fliers.  Enghar said something to him—Matthew understood the words "hurt bad."  He decided the flier must be used for emergencies if somebody got hurt a long way off from a hospital.

 

Enghar went back to helping Matthew with his vocabulary lesson.  Enghar knew the flier was used only for an emergency, so somebody must be hurt badly.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Travis, Ethan, and Prekan knocked on the door of the house and yelled. Honneg answered the door and Prekan told him what had just happened. Honneg ran to get his parents. 

 

Honneg’s parents called the mayor.  There were no police in the valley because there wasn't any crime and the mayor of their town was the only person in authority they knew.  The only problems the Hakaanen had involved the Shkah and they were given a home in the small valley to keep them out of everybody's way.   Sometimes they raided farms, but since nobody was ever hurt the Hakaanen didn't retaliate.  They were willing to lose some fruits and vegetables and an animal or two if that meant not having to fight their neighbors.  The Hakaanen hated fighting and the Shkah knew it, which is why they knew they could get away with their raids, as long as nobody was hurt.

 

The mayor's partner answered the phone. He told Honneg’s parents about Scooter being shot with an arrow.  They had no doubt that the Shkah were behind this, but this went way farther than anything they had ever tried before.  Both of them were starting to get frightened.  For some reason the Shkah had something against the round-eared boys, and they were going to have to figure out what to do about the boys, because they didn't want trouble with the Shkah.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

The emergency van showed up at the mayor’s house and two medics got out.  They started working on Scooter to slow down his bleeding.  They decided not to take the arrow out since it was helping to stanch the flow of blood. They called the hospital and told them they had an emergency that needed the flier for quick transportation to the hospital. The medic on the radio said they would send the flier.

 

Douglas could tell that they were worried.  He wished he could understand what everybody was saying. Scooter was on the ground with the arrow in him because he tried to save his life.  Douglas would trade his for Scooter's if he only could.

 

"It's gonna be okay, Scooter.  You're gonna be okay," Douglas kept telling his boyfriend over and over.

 

Suddenly he heard a noise up over him and saw a flier coming over the house. Oh shit, he thought, if they have to fly him out it's gotta be really serious.

 

 

Mike and Alex had caught glimpses of the shooter as they chased him through the brushy field.  They saw him reach a unicorn.  He mounted it and rode off.  Disappointed, they walked back to the house just in time to see the flier land at the edge of the field.

 

They arrived in time to see Scooter being carried on a stretcher with Douglas walking beside him.  They came up to Douglas as Scooter was being put into the flier.

 

‘I love you, Scooter, you're going to be okay’. Douglas focused his thoughts on Scooter.

 

‘It hurts’, Scooter thought back.  ‘I love you.’

 

‘You saved my life.’

 

‘I hurt so bad…,’ his thoughts faded away.

 

Douglas couldn't get any more as Scooter lost consciousness.  Douglas tried to board the flier, but was stopped by one of the medics.

 

"You have to let me go with him!" he cried.

 

The medic said something in Hakaanan.  Douglas made a move to go around him, but he got grabbed by the medic.

 

"No! No!  You don't understand!  I LOVE HIM!  He needs me."

 

He tried to get on again, but was shoved aside.  He pushed at the medic and was going to try again when he was grabbed from behind and pulled back.

 

"Let me go!  Let me go!  I gotta be with him.  They can't split us up. I gotta go!"

 

Douglas struggled against Mike, but Mike wouldn't let him go.

 

"It's gonna be okay, Douglas.  He's gonna be okay.  Don't make it harder on him."

 

Douglas turned around and buried his face in Mike's chest.  His sobs shook his whole body.  The flier took off from the field.  Douglas looked up and watched his best friend and lover disappear from view.  Then he put his face back in Mike's chest and sobbed until all he could do was shake.

 

 

Travis didn't know what to do now.  He didn't know what was going on and couldn't understand anybody as they all chattered away in Hakaanen.  Ethan was upset because his brother was gone and Travis was upset because his Ryan was gone.  He decided he needed to find Douglas and the rest of the group.  They needed a meeting now.

 

The Hakaanen adults were jabbering and talking.  Travis took Ethan's hand and led him out of the house and down the driveway.  He was heading for the mayor's house because he was certain that was where Douglas and Scooter would be.

 

 

The Shkah men rode hard into the woods until they figured they weren't going to be followed.  They knew the Hakaanen would probably do nothing for now because that was the way they were. They were too peaceful to do anything.  They would talk and moan a lot but wouldn't take any action, unless their own young ones were threatened.

 

They kept the boys tied up and gave them some water, but no food.  Tomorrow they would take them up into the hills and to the cave.  They would wait until Arkron came back with the round-eared boy.  The fate of the two young ones on the ground would be up to him.  This would be his test to prove he was worthy to fight beside the Shkah.

 

 

 

Matthew heard the flier return.  He hoped whoever was on it wasn't too badly hurt.  Enghar's father was getting ready to meet the flier and ride it to the major hospital in the capital city. Matthew heard him talking to Enghar and Enghar's mom.  Because the conversation was fast he couldn't make it all out, but he did understand some of the words.  He understood "round-eared" and "hurt" and "attacked."

 

The doctor went racing out the door.  He would fly with the injured round-ear because he was the doctor who treated Matthew, making him the only doctor with any experience with the alien species.

 

Matthew wished he could understand the language better.  He went to Enghar and asked, "Round ears?" in Hakaanen.

 

"Round ears?" Enghar asked back.

 

Matthew pointed up to the sky where the flier had been.  "Round-eared boy?"

 

Enghar hesitated.  But if Matthew was asking the question, he thought, he must have overheard something so he decided he might as well tell.  He would find out soon enough anyway.

 

"Yes," he said with a nod.

 

Matthew felt some tears welling.  One of his friends had been found and was hurt.  He had to find out who it was.  He had to go see him and find out what had happened to all of his friends.  He had to let them know that he was still alive.  He started dripping tears, and tried to wipe them away before Enghar noticed them.  But it was too late; Enghar knew his lover's moods and could sense the tears even before they fell.

 

Enghar knew why Matthew was crying.  At first he felt a pang of jealousy.  Then he remembered how much he loved his round-eared friend and gave him a big hug.  Both boys were soon crying and hugging each other.  Enghar decided right then he would find out all he could for his Mattoo and let him see his round-eared friend.  He knew that he would do anything for his Mattoo, because he loved him more than he thought he could love anyone.

 

At the hospital the doctor was looking at Scooter.  He was glad he had had a chance to examine Matthew totally.  He compared the x-rays and scans of Scooter to Matthew's.

 

Scooter had been taken up to the operating room where the doctor and his nurse met him.  He was still bleeding and the arrow was still in him. The doctor used the same kind of pain killer that worked on Matthew.  With Matthew he had hoped it would work, but with Scooter he knew it would.  He was feeling much more confident working on Scooter than he had working on Matthew.  And that was good, because with Matthew it was mostly a broken leg and contusions on his head that seemed to have healed, along with malnutrition and dehydration.  In Scooter’s case, he was dealing with life and death.

 

 

Douglas was on a couch with Mike and Alex.  He was frightened for Scooter and all of them, not only because Scooter was his lover and was hurt, but because without Scooter they couldn't communicate with the Hakaanen.  He also knew that Robert Charles was out there somewhere.  He couldn't help but think Robert Charles was involved in all this, and that was bad news for all of them.  Once again he wished he wasn't the leader.  Just when he thought things were getting good, they suddenly started getting worse, and everybody was going to be looking to him for answers again. All he wanted to do was concentrate all his thoughts and efforts on Scooter. Things couldn't get much worse than this, he thought.  Little did he know how wrong that thought would turn out to be.

 

They heard footsteps at the porch followed by a knock.  Alex answered the door and was greeted by Travis and Ethan, both of whom looked scared and upset.  Ethan had tear streaks on his cheeks.

 

"What's wrong?" Alex asked as the boys took seats in the living room.

 

"It was awful, terrible," Travis said, almost out of breath.

 

"What?  What happened?  Calm down and tell us."

 

"They've been kidnapped," Travis said.

 

"Who's been kidnapped?" Mike asked.

 

"Both of them.  They're gone," Ethan yelled.

 

"Now slow down," Mike said, "and tell us from the beginning.  Travis, you go."

 

Travis told them about what had happened in the driveway, of seeing Ryan and Logan taken away while Ethan was left on the ground by the kidnappers.  By the time he finished he was out of breath.  "We need a meeting of everybody. Like right now."

 

"And you're right,” Douglas agreed. “We need a meeting." Douglas didn't want to do anything; it was time for somebody else to take over.  He wanted to be with Scooter.  But the boys looked to him as their leader. They were in danger and had to meet before something else happened and somebody else got hurt, or kidnapped, or (he took a deep breath thinking of it) worse.  He had been wrong to let them be split up, and it was time to make up for that.

 

 

The doctor removed the arrow from Scooter's side.  He could tell that Scooter had lost a lot of blood.  He didn't think Hakaanen blood would work for a transfusion, but he did a blood test on him to be sure. From what he could tell the round-eared boy’s blood was too different from Hakaanen blood to make them safe to mix.  He wondered if Matthew had the right kind of blood.  If he didn't, then he would have to get the other round ears and see if they did.  He didn't think the arrow itself had done any fatal damage to the boy’s internal organs, but he would need blood if he were going to live.

 

The doctor left the emergency room and went to the phone and called home.

 

 

Mike and Alex left to find the other boys.  They were going to meet at Bandar's house.  Bandar understood what was happening and so did his father. They went to the kitchen and got some food because it looked like they would be having a house full of boys.

 

 

Enghar told Matthew to come with him.  His mom made a call and within a half-hour a motorized vehicle picked them up. They were soon on a smooth, paved highway. What little traffic it had consisted mostly of carts being pulled by unicorns, but he did see a couple of motor vehicles.

 

Matthew looked out of the window in anticipation, barely noticing the passing scenery of farms and forests.  He was going to see at least one of his friends. But he would also be the person who had been injured and flown to the hospital on the flier.

 

They soon entered a town much larger than the one Matthew had been living in. They pulled up to a large building that Matthew quickly learned was the hospital. He was placed into a wheelchair and was wheeled into a cubicle in the emergency area. A nurse came and smiled at him. She said some soothing words he didn’t understand and then cleaned a spot on his finger. She surprised him by pricking it and taking a sample of his blood. Matthew quickly figured out that the boy who was hurt needed blood, and that if he had the right kind it would be his.

 

The nurse left and Matthew was taken from the cubicle to the waiting area where he sat next to Enghar and his mother. Matthew wondered why the boy was flown to this hospital instead of the one he had been taken to in the village. He would learn later that the hospital in the city was much larger and had far better trauma care than the smaller hospital in the village. 

 

The nurse took the blood sample to the lab where it was quickly checked by a technician. His report then went to the doctor, Enghar’s father.  According to the report, Enghar’s blood looked the same as the injured round-eared boy’s, but there were superficial differences. They didn't know whether those differences were meaningful.  If their blood was like Hakaanen blood, but was the wrong type it could kill the person receiving it. All he knew was, if the young one didn't get blood in the next hour or so he would die.

 

 

Robert Charles and Vordkan climbed into their joined sleeping bags. They were making out, but not kissing.  To Robert Charles, kissing was gay stuff.  Getting off with another guy was okay—better than jerking off—but kissing was another issue altogether. Vordkan felt much the same way. Kissing between boys was okay for the wimps in the Big Valley, but was not what the Shkah did.  Getting off with another boy was okay, as long as there were no girls around. Out here in the desert there were no girls, so Vordkan had no problem having sex and sleeping with the round-eared boy. But once they got back home, Vordkan was certain that the sex between them would end.

 

Robert Charles lay back and let the big Shkah boy suck his cock. Vordkan knew what he was doing, that was for certain. While Robert Charles would return the favor, it wouldn’t be with the same zeal that the Shkah boy was showing.

 

Vordkan already knew that when they got back he was the one who was going to give Robbachass his test of loyalty. As far as Vordkan was concerned what he and the round-eared boy did in bed together would have no bearing on the test. For Vordkan, sex with Robbachass was better than masturbating, but that was as far as it went.

 

 

The Earth boys didn’t take long to gather at the mayor's house.  Douglas took a deep breath and stood up in front of them.  He'd had some difficult meetings, but this one could be the most difficult one of all.  He always felt whole and complete when his soulmate was next to him and now he was standing alone and naked without him.

 

"We have a big problem and we all know what it is.  Somebody is out to get us.  Alex and Mike both are wondering if Robert Charles is behind this somehow, and I have to think the same thing.   But it was Hakaanen men who attacked us. They act much different than the Hakaanen we have met so far and we think that maybe the attackers are enemies of our new friends.

 

“They kidnapped Logan and Ryan, and almost took Ethan, too.We think they were trying to kill me when Scooter got hurt. It could be because they know I'm the leader. The only way they could know that is if Robert Charles told them. We know from what Scooter overheard that Robert Charles is alive.  And if it's me they're after, maybe Robert Charles IS behind all of this in some way.  Scooter pushed me and took the arrow.  He's badly hurt but still alive. From what I understand it doesn't look good for Scooter." Douglas fought hard to keep the sobs down and to look and act like a leader should in a tough spot. He barely succeeded.

 

“Who are these Hakaanen guys Robert Charles is working with? And how did RC survive out in the desert?"

 

"I don't know.  We need Scooter in order to get any answers.  He knows how to talk to the Hakaanen and I need him to be my relay to Bandar’s thoughts.  Something is going on here—we need to understand what it is and why."

 

"What do we do know?" Travis asked.  He was extra worried about Ryan.

 

"We know that the Hakaanen we have been living with seem like they are good people.  They have helped us since the beginning, but other than getting Scooter to the hospital, they don't seem to be doing much to help us now.  It's like they don't care that we're being attacked.  I'm wondering if that was why we got split up, to make us vulnerable so we could be attacked.  I'm so sorry I let that happen guys."

 

"We all voted for it," Mike said. "It's not your fault."

 

"All I know is, until we figure out what's going on we're sticking together," Douglas said. "And we're getting Scooter back as soon as we can if we have to march across the valley to that hospital."

 

"What about my brother?" Ethan asked, tears flowing down his cheeks. “I want to get him back.”

 

"We’re going to try,” Douglas told Ethan. “We have to find Logan and Ryan, but I have no idea how. Do you guys have any ideas? "

 

"I might have one," Jeremy said.

 

"What?"

 

"When I lived on the farm we did a lot of hunting.  And I learned from my love…er…my friend, how to track animals.  Maybe I can help follow their tracks and we can find them that way"

 

Warren's ears heard “love” as in the start of lover.  This was something he hadn’t known about Jeremy.  He knew that Jeremy had played around with other boys, but he thought he was Jeremy’s first lover?  He started to cough.  His asthma was getting worse and he had been trying hard not to show it.  But it was getting harder and harder for him to breathe down here in the valley.  He knew he was going to need some meds soon. Jeremy knew how Warren was feeling, but nobody else did.

 

"Okay, then tomorrow Jeremy will pick a couple of helpers and try to track down the kidnappers.  It isn't going to be easy if they made it to a road. Who wants to go with him?   We’re going to need at least two more," Douglas said.

 

All of the hands but Warren's and Jordan's went up.  Warren felt embarrassed about not raising his hand—he was afraid everybody would think he was a coward.  Jeremy knew what was up and gave his lover a big hug.  He knew it was time to tell the rest of them about Warren’s health issue.

 

"Warren is having breathing problems. It’s like his asthma has returned. I know he would go if he could. Warren leaned against Jeremy's strong shoulder, thankful that his friend had his back.

 

Douglas picked Mike to help Jeremy’s attempt to track the kidnappers. Because Mike was big, strong, and stubborn. Even though Ryan was Travis’s boyfriend, he asked Travis to say behind because he knew he would need the help of one of the older boys.

 

"I think Alex should go too," Mike suggested. He smiled at his boyfriend.

 

"I want Alex to stay here and be in charge," Douglas informed the group.

 

"Where are you going?"

 

"With the trackers."

 

"But...but...what about Scooter?  What if he needs you?"

 

"He needs me right now, this instant, but I don't seem to be there because I happen to be here.  I was elected to lead.  Scooter walked in front of me and saved me because of his love for me.  But he also did it because he wants me to lead us.  I'm going to try to get Bandar to understand what we plan on doing in the morning before we go.  We will leave markers behind so he can find us if anything happens. And there is one more thing..."

 

"What's that?" Alex asked.

 

"I still sense Scooter’s love.  I know he is hurting but alive.  If I lose that feeling, or feel anything differently before we go, I will stay here. If we have already started, then I'll turn back."

 

Mike thought that Douglas was making the wrong choice.  Alex should lead the trackers and Douglas should lead the group, but he knew how stubborn Douglas could be.  He also knew Douglas thought this whole mess was his fault for allowing the group to be split up. And yet here he was splitting them up again, right after saying it wouldn't happen. But Mike knew Douglas felt he had no choice—he needed to be part of the action, not sitting back waiting for something to happen.  As much as Mike thought Douglas was wrong, he also knew he would stand behind him through anything.  He got up, walked up to Douglas, wrapped his big arms around the thirteen-year-old, and gave him a huge hug.

 

"I love you.  We're tired and hurt and confused tonight.  Let's sleep now and make our final decisions in the morning," Mike suggested.

 

"Yeah, you're right.  Bandar has made beds for all of us, even if some are on the floor.  I think they understand we all mean to spend the night here together.  I love all you guys.  You're the best anybody could ever ask to lead.  It looks like we have one more challenge, and we will meet it just like we met all the rest of them. We made it to Matthew’s green valley, and now we can get our friends back.  Let's get to bed."

 

Ethan couldn't stand it any longer.  "I want to go.  I want to find Logan."

 

Alex hugged him.  "We know you miss your brother.  But this is something the older guys need to do."  That sounded funny to him just then, calling himself an older guy.  "They'll find him.  And the rest of us will take good care of you."

 

"I don't care.  I miss Logan.  I want to go...I want to go!"  He put his head on Alex's chest and pounded the older boy’s ribs as he bawled.

 

The boys finally headed for their beds.  Ethan didn’t hesitate to get into Alex’s bed.  He knew that the older boy would hug him and cuddle him and make him feel safe and loved.

 

Jordan was in a bag on the floor. After the lights went off, he stared straight up at the ceiling.  If Robert Charles was really alive he wanted to be with him.  Douglas's speech was all bullshit.  He knew Douglas was talking about everybody but him.  It was time for him to run away from the group and find Robert Charles.  With Matthew dead he needed Robert Charles.  It was obvious there was nothing for him here.

 

 

Ryan checked Logan over in the dark.  They were both tied up and gagged, sitting within inches of each other. He could hear Logan sobbing.  He scooted himself closer until he could feel Logan touching him.  He wanted Logan to know he was there for him. Ryan struggled with the ropes, but the knots were tight.  He wished he could help Logan more, and promised himself that the first chance he got he would see if there was a way Logan could get free.

 

Ryan spooned up to Logan, who felt better knowing Ryan was there close to him.  He missed Ethan with all his heart.  His entire family was gone now—his father, his mother, his sister, and now his twin brother. He felt so alone. But he fell asleep feeling safer and less lonely because Ryan was touching him.

 

Neither boy knew that if everything went according to the plans of the Shkah, in three days time they might lose everything, including their lives.

 

 

The doctor had taken blood from Matthew.  He took all that he dared to. The injured round-eared boy needed more blood, because he was like any mammal.  But Matthew could only give so much.  Hopefully what the injured boy received would be enough—and would be the right kind of blood.  Did the round ears have different blood types like the Hakaanen did?  And if the boy received the wrong type, would it kill him like it would a Hakaanen?

 

Unfortunately, he didn't know the answers.  He just knew that the young one needed the transfusion now.  He looked at the bag of blood hanging over Scooter.  He took a deep breath and put the needle into the receptacle that had been inserted into the boy’s arm.  The blood started flowing into Scooter’s system.  The doctor knew that what he was doing would either save the life of his patient or kill him.  They would know by the time morning arrived.

 

Matthew was asleep in the next room.  He had lost a lot of blood too.  He wondered again who was receiving his blood.   He hoped that in the morning he could find out who it was he had helped. He was in the same building as one of his lost friends, but he still didn't know who it was.

 

Douglas was tossing and turning.  He was fighting himself, arguing if he should stay in the morning or go with the trackers.  Either way he trusted Alex or Mike or Travis to lead.  The questions were, where would he help the group more and where would he help Scooter more?  He closed his eyes trying to sense the flow of love and soul from Scooter.  He could feel it, but it was so very, very weak and seemed to be fading.

 

‘I love you, Scooter.  I'm here for you.  It's going to be okay.  You're going to be fine.  I love you so much.’

 

He closed his eyes and fell asleep, praying he would still feel the link in the morning.

 

NEXT:  THE SEARCH.