Chapter Thirty-Five – Kris

 

The air grew cooler with every westward beat of our wings. Every kilometer we soared forward, our bodies low over the ground in this great stretch of deserted space, the land below gradually climbed higher and higher in elevation. Finally, after about two hundred kilometers, we veered north at the edge of the tree line, our bodies so low that my scaly underbelly nearly scratched the top of the trees.

We soared up and over herds of sheep and cattle and goats, and I had to fight back the urge to swoop down and snatch a four-legged snack in my talons. Besides, it would have been too risky with the full disc of the moon riding high in the sky.

If there were any shepherds or vaqueros in their fields as we passed, they would have seen two large, serpentine shapes occluding the stars above, and felt cold, rushing winds beating down on their faces as we continued north.

Not that it mattered if they saw us out here in the middle of nowhere. No one would have believed them, anyways.

Instead, both Hunter and I soared forward, our wings beating mercilessly at the air, our eyes searching for our destination. Above us, the near-equatorial night sky shone overhead. But, brightest of all, was the North Star. It shimmered up there, just like it had when man couldn’t touch the heavens except with his imagination, and continued to lead us the same as it always had.

We broke out past the forest and trees, hitting the true desert interior of north central Mexico. Scrub brush and palms dotted the landscape, reminding me of missions I’d run in Afghanistan and Iraq.

About an hour after leaving the trees below, the lights of what could only be Del Noche came into view. A sprawling little burg in the middle of the sand and grit, the town glimmered like a diamond in the rough as we slowed the beat of our wings and began to search for a place to land.

We finally decided on a ridge one klick southeast of town. Scrub brush and small trees covered the landscape, but no other lights were immediately visible in the surrounding area. Turning on my side, I banked into a shallow dive and brought myself up into a hover. Following suit, Hunter came in beside me, and the combined force of our leathery wings kicked up a miniature sandstorm as one talon gently dropped my duffel bag into the sand below.

I followed after my bag, careful not to land in a stand of scrub brush or low cactus. I dug my talons deep into the soil, flexing and stretching my wings and whole body as I chuffed. Close enough for his wingtip to nearly brush mine, Hunter came down moments later, his larger form’s glossy black scales blending better with the night than my dark green ever could. His thick tail swished powerfully back and forth, clearing some of the trees along the rim to make room for him.

A glance and a nod later, we were both quickly transforming into our human forms. Moments after, I was standing barefoot in the dirt and sand, rocks stabbing into the bottoms of my feet. I glanced over to Hunter on reflex, my breath catching in my throat as I glimpsed, between the scrub trees and bushes, a vision of his pale, hardened body illuminated in the light of the moon and the stars. The ivory light seemed to caress his skin, defining his muscles even more than the last time I’d seen him as he stood with his back to me, his face tilted up to the stars for a moment’s reflection.

Not feeling right for staring, especially with the way I could hardly keep him out of my head as it stood, I figuratively buried my head back in my duffel and began to pull out my underwear and other gear. First, I gathered my hair into a ponytail and tied it up, then I pulled the sports bra down over my head, slid on my bikini brief panties, and pulled on the rest of my clothes.

“How’re we looking?” I asked in a hushed whisper as I pulled my watch on, making sure the face was aligned on the bottom side of my wrist. “You almost ready? We’ve still got an overland trip to make.”

“Almost,” Hunter replied as zippers zipped and unzipped, and Velcro tore apart. “How about you?”

“Just a bit longer,” I said, pulling out the rest of my loadout. I strapped on my sidearm and silver knife, making sure everything, like my map and compass and flashlights, was stowed away in its proper location. I slung the carbine down over my shoulder, and adjusted the strap slightly so it would hang just within arm’s reach. I made sure the safety was on before locking in one of the double mags, which were clamped together side by side.

Less than two minutes later, according to my watch, at least, I was through the brush and approaching Hunter as he was pulling his own carbine down over his shoulder.

To his credit, he actually filled out the tactical infiltration outfit and wore it well. I stepped up to him, my hand reaching out idly to tighten his sling. “You want this to ride higher,” I said, my eyes down and focused on my work, even as a memory from just moments ago of his naked form danced before my eyes. “That way, your rifle moves as little as possible, and you don’t have to spend as much energy holding it up. Unloaded, the M4 isn’t too bad on weight, but a full payload is a real pain when you’re trying to carry it upright.”

He glanced down at his watch to check the time, flashing a sparkle of the moon’s reflective light across my eyes. I mumbled a curse as I grabbed his wrist before he could put it back down.

“What?” he asked as I looked up at him, my fingers pulling open the little buckle on the underside.

“Keep your watch face on the inside of your wrist. This is basically a mirror you’re wearing on the outside of your body, right now.” I adjusted his watch, making sure it was facing inwards against his body, and tightened the watchband back. “There,” I said, my fingers resting on his forearm for a moment longer than needed, “much better.”

“Thanks,” he muttered. “How do I look?”

“Black suits you,” I said, smiling up at him. Staring for a moment into his sparkling eyes, I reached up to brush a stray stand of hair from my face, but didn’t find one. Face flushed with embarrassment, I turned away from him, clearing my throat.

“Thanks,” Hunter said after a moment, and I could feel his eyes on my back as I stood looking out. “About the looking good in black, I mean.”

“Yeah,” I said, swallowing hard. “Just…you do, that’s all.”

His boots tramped down over the rocks and grass and gravel as he came up beside me. “That it?”

“That’s it,” I agreed.

Together, we stared out off the ridge down at Del Noche, at the expanse of flat land that surrounded it. There was only about fifteen feet between us and the stretch of desert floor, with a little goat path leading down from near where we stood to down below. The full moon’s shining light was going to make our approach riskier than I’d have liked. I just hoped they didn’t have the whole town on some kind of lockdown, with watchmen staked out to look over the surrounding landscape.

I glanced up at him. “Ready?”

Grimly, he nodded. “Yes. Let’s get this over with, shall we?”

“Easier said than done, that’s for damn sure.”

“Of course not. That’s why they sent the professionals.”

I smiled a little. “Right.”

“Ever feel like you’re in an action film, Kris?”

“Nope,” I said as we headed over to the top of the path.

“Really? Why not?”

“Action film stars don’t get stuck with filling out paperwork and paying the bills. They just go in and shoot up the bad guys.”

“Good point,” he said, just as I began to head down the path.

One more kilometer and we’d be able to start our search for Coyote in earnest. And once we found him, maybe we’d find the answers we were seeking. Like what was Cid actually planning? What was the dig site north of town for?

And, most importantly, what did we need to do to stop this damn thing?