CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE

Terry couldn’t believe his good fortune. He could see the alien coming and it looked to him like the Dark Cloud machine was, unfortunately, already doing its worse on the poor thing. Beyond looking aged and wise, the creature appeared...corrupted...rotting. At least it would get to witness Terry saving his sorry backside first-hand.

He saw the soldiers of misfortune approach on the other side of the gorge and cursed. He had wanted to take on the mutant hybrid creature and her alien dog in hand-to-hand combat and wring the life out of the both of them right before the approving gaze of the aliens who would grant him his desires out of gratitude. These meddlers would try to stop him.

Terry considered trying to take them out. He was, after all, a very good shot and had been since his cop days. On the other hand, the hybrid mutant brat was being such a cooperative, steady target, he changed his plans and decided to just take her out with a bullet and then dispatch her government conspirator friends. He pointed his gun at the little girl and drew a steady bead on her. It was tough in these winds to hold himself still. He had to steady his pistol with both hands, hold his breath and wait for a lull in the wind. All his former cop training came to bear on the girl-pretender-mutant-alien. Well, except the Protect and Serve part.

Williams yelled, “Cassie! Get down!” She probably wouldn’t have on her own, but he startled her and she fell. She popped back up on her feet and looked around.

Terry got a fresh bead on her… waited… waited… there... the lull… and he fired.