by Jim Mohr
©All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Print ISBN: 978-1-54399-041-6
eBook ISBN: 978-1-54399-042-3
Part I
Chapter 1: Cougar—Near the Perimeter of the Wisconsin Illinois Base
Chapter 2: Cougar—Near the Perimeter of the Wisconsin Illinois Base
Chapter 3: Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Chapter 4: Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Chapter 5: Cougar—Resistance Installation: Prague, Czech Republic
Chapter 6: Cougar—Resistance Installation: Prague, Czech Republic
Chapter 7: Cougar—Resistance Installation: Prague, Czech Republic
Chapter 8: Cougar—Resistance Installation: Prague, Czech Republic
Chapter 9: Cougar—Resistance Installation: Prague, Czech Republic
Chapter 10: Cougar—Resistance Installation: Prague, Czech Republic
Chapter 11: Cougar—Resistance Installation: Prague, Czech Republic
Chapter 12: Cougar—Resistance Installation: Prague, Czech Republic
Chapter 13: Cougar—Resistance Installation: Prague, Czech Republic
Chapter 14: Cougar—Resistance Installation: Prague, Czech Republic
Chapter 15: Cougar—Resistance Installation: Prague, Czech Republic
Chapter 16: Cougar—Resistance Installation: Prague, Czech Republic
Part II
Prologue
Chapter 17: Cougar—On a Plane Nearing Wisconsin Illinois Base
Chapter 18: Cheetah—Atlanta Base
Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Chapter 19: Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Cheetah—Atlanta Base
Chapter 20: Cheetah—Arriving at Wisconsin Illinois Base
Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Chapter 21: Cheetah—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Chapter 22: Cheetah—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Chapter 23: Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Chapter 24: Cheetah—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Chapter 25: Dove—San Francisco
Chapter 26: Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Dove—San Francisco
Chapter 27: Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Funnel Web—Resistance Installation: Prague, Czech Republic
Chapter 28: Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Dove—On s Transport East of Topeka, Kansas
Chapter 29: Funnel Web—Resistance Installation: Prague, Czech Republic
Chapter 30: Dove—Devante Estate: The Buckhead District; Atlanta, Georgia
Chapter 31: Funnel Web—Resistance Installation: Prague, Czech Republic
Nada Dvorak—Resistance Installation: Prague, Czech Republic
Chapter 32: Funnel Web—Resistance Installation: Prague, Czech Republic
Chapter 33: Cheetah—Atlanta Base
Chapter 34: Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Chapter 35: Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Chapter 36: Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Chapter 37: Dove—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Cheetah
Chapter 38: Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Cheetah
Chapter 39: Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Sergeant Carrie Montclair
Chapter 40: Sergeant Carrie Montclair—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Cougar
Chapter 41: Falcon—Devante Estate: The Buckhead District, Atlanta, Georgia
Part III
Chapter 42: Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Chapter 43: Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Residence 63A1: Home Of Colonel Kell Zahn; WI/IL Spc Ops Commanding Officer
Chapter 44: Falcon—Devante Estate: The Buckhead District; Atlanta, Georgia
Cougar—The Next Day, Saturday
Chapter 45: Dove—Gentilly Terrace, New Orleans, Louisiana
Cougar—The Next Day, Sunday
Chapter 46: Dove—New Orleans, Louisiana
Chapter 47: Cougar—Enroute to Wisconsin Illinois Base
Chapter 48: Dove—Transport Station: New Orleans, Louisiana
Cougar
Chapter 49: Falcon—Outside the Perimeter of the Wisconsin/Illinois Base
Cougar
Chapter 50: Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Part IV
Chapter 51: Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Cheetah—Atlanta Base
Dove—Atlanta, Georgia
Chapter 52: Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
Carrie Montclair
Cougar
Cougar—Room 53B10
Chapter 53: Cougar—Devante Estate: The Buckhead District, Atlanta, Georgia
Chapter 54: Cougar—Devante Estate: The Buckhead District, Atlanta, Georgia
Chapter 55: Cheetah—Devante Estate: The Buckhead District, Atlanta, Georgia
Cougar
Chapter 56: Cougar—Devante Estate: The Buckhead District, Atlanta, Georgia
Chapter 57: Dove—Devante Estate: The Buckhead District; Atlanta, Georgia
Cheetah
Cougar
Cheetah
Owl
Cougar
Cheetah
Falcon
Chapter 58: Cheetah—Devante Estate: The Buckhead District; Atlanta, Georgia
Cougar
Cheetah
Owl
Dove
Cougar
Chapter 59: Cheetah—On a Transport Jet Leaving Atlanta Base
Cougar
Chapter 60: Victoria Martin—Geelong, Australia
Nonhumans (In Order of Power)
Part I
Chapter 1
Cougar—Near the Perimeter of the Wisconsin Illinois Base
His hand twitches ever so slightly, his fingers quiver in the dirt. Maybe he is still alive, maybe I did not kill him. A river of thick, semiclear red liquid runs from his head to his outstretched arm. He isn’t moving, the twitching has ceased.
The screams around me wake me from my trance. I am covered in his blood and I can feel its warmth in the sunlight. I drop the baseball bat I have been clenching. My hands ache because of the tightness of my grip. The gore burns into my memory.
April stands from her seated position. Her eyes are wide with terror. She fears me, she hates me. I see in her mind the damage this has done to her. Her memories of me, of Todd Vance, all are now connected to this moment. She backs away from the scene of the murder, eyes staring unblinkingly at me. She turns suddenly and sprints away, her long brown hair bouncing with her steps.
I look down at Todd’s body, still unmoving. “Todd?” I ask. He does not respond. “Todd?” I say louder, still no response. I gently kick the boy in his ribs. “Stop faking, Todd.” I feel warm, hot almost, with shame. I kneel to him, this bully, this kid who moments ago was teasing my dear April. I touch his shoulder and shake him gently. A sick slurping noise comes from the back of his head, where the first blow from my bat landed.
Sirens sound around me as a metallic smell invades my nose; I think it is his blood. Is the siren from the police? Maybe it’s an ambulance for Todd? What do I tell them? Should I lie? Should I tell them it was an accident?
“COUGAR!” A sh
rill voice calls to me. I look up and I am eye to eye with April’s little sister, Dena. “Cougar, the sirens! We have to go home!”
“Dena, maybe it is the police or the ambulance,” I reply.
“Cougar, it is the sirens for the base. Remember in school? Remember what the sirens mean? Cougar, Todd is dead.” The little girl’s words seem cold, even as I kneel in the bloody mud.
The siren’s wail seems to get louder as distant explosions fill the empty spaces between the horn blasts. I look back at Todd and then stand. “Dena, he was hurting April. I couldn’t stop myself.”
Little Dena walks to me and places her hand on my arm. “I had dreams that told me I was a predator. I don’t know what that is. I think you had those dreams too, didn’t you?”
“I am confused, Dena. Is this a dream? Where is the mountain lion? My dreams had a mountain lion in them,” I reply.
Dena’s arm drops and her lips quiver. She does not fear me, not like her sister does. “You did have those dreams. My dreams were about those fast, spotted cats. Cougar, you need to go home. The sirens mean that we’re supposed to go home.” Her sensibility strikes me; she has never been like this before. She has changed.
I look again at Todd, lying on the ground. I hate myself, I hate who I am. I want to die. Worse yet, what will my dad do when he discovers what I have done?”
Chapter 2
Cougar—Near the Perimeter of the Wisconsin Illinois Base
The hot pavement offers no resistance to my feet as I sprint toward my home. Neighbors grab their children out of their yards and haul them inside as the sirens continue to wail. I have never heard the sirens before. The war has never been here, at my home near the border of Wisconsin and Illinois.
In no time at all, my home comes into view. My mother’s car sits idling in our driveway. A small cat carrier rests next to the driver’s door. Mother must be taking her cat, Sable, in for her checkup. My mother emerges from our small house. I run to her and I can see she is shaking, with fear, sorrow, and something else.
“Mom, I….” I sob as we hug.
“I know, honey.” She answers before I can finish my sentence. She does not ask about the blood on me.
“Mom, I couldn’t stop myself. What is happening to me?” I cry as I cling tightly to her. Her hand gently touches my hair and I feel her tears rain down on my neck.
“Cougar, I wish I had time to explain this. I do not. Your dreams have changed things, changed who you are. Honey, by the time I saw your life, I couldn’t stop it. I am sorry, but I must go.”
“Go? Mom, you can’t. The sirens…”
“My dear, it is fitting that the sirens of this war pull us apart. It is this war that will give you what you need. This war will be your future. I love you, my dear son.” She squeezes me, causing loving pain to move through my body. “I sent a letter this morning. I sent it to someone who will be able to help you when you are older. Cougar, go with your father. I love you.” She releases me and grabs the cat carrier, enters her car, and pulls out of our drive. She is out of my view in seconds.
Explosions sound from the base as the sirens continue their onslaught on my frantic thoughts. Why does it feel like I just saw my mom for the last time? Why would she leave me like this?
I open the front door of our small house and the smell of alcohol wafts over me. Never have I been able to smell my father’s drinks. For some reason, today I can.
I think about the scent registering in my head. I hear the crack of my father’s fist striking my face. I see stars, I taste blood. Fear grips me as the monster of a man towers over me, his eyes are wild with hatred. I cringe hoping it will not increase his anger. I am shocked by the fact that I am still standing. His punches usually put me on the floor.
“Why is your shirt bloody?!” He screams at me, fists clenched.
“Dad, I hurt Todd. He’s dead.”
My dad stares at me as his eyes roll in the way drunk people’s eyes do. I have seen it often before, especially when he had beaten me, or my mom. He lurches from side to side, staggering and breathing heavy, losing his balance. I think that he is confused that his punch hadn’t floored me, or he sees something in my face.
For a moment, I regret dropping the bat back at the field. I look at the man and consider for a moment paying him back for the years of abuse. Payment for what he subjected me to, but more so for the hurt he has caused mom. I loathe the man towering over me. I hate his breath, his voice, his life…
I look at him and he sees something in me, in my eyes. Maybe it frightens him because he is no longer striking me. He is a coward. I can see it in his eyes, he fears me now. I read it in his thoughts.
“Are you okay, son?” His manliness seems to wilt before me as he now shows a shallow concern for me.
“Yes, dad. I should go to the hospital though. I don’t feel right.” I answer.
He nods as he struggles to get the keys off the small brass hook by the door. He pushes past me and the sirens wail again.
“Dad, the sirens! Not now! We can’t go now!”
He staggers to his car, the nicer of the two that our family owns. He opens the car door and scowls back at me. “Get in the car.” The words are slurred and almost unrecognizable.
“Why did mom leave now? Why did she take Sable now?”
He shrugs his shoulders. “I have no fucking idea why she took her damn cat to the vet now.” He says as he lowers himself into the driver seat. He loses his balance and he falls into the car. His chest slams against the steering wheel. He moves with the grace of a loon walking on land. I chuckle to myself as I walk to the car. The small bit of enjoyment in seeing him in pain brightens this dark day. Mom always told me you cannot escape the consequences of your actions. I hope her saying comes down double for dad.
Dad regains his composure and adjusts himself in the driver’s seat of the car. He turns as I sit. “Your mom told me to tell you that she loves you.” His slurred speech is mixed with grunts of pain caused by the steering wheel.
He starts the car and we back out of the gravel driveway, more explosions sound from the base. My dad mumbles something as he puts the car into drive and accelerates down the road.
Even being only eight years old, I know that we are heading in the wrong direction to get to the hospital. The interstate is void of cars and blue hospital signs. I dare not say anything to dad about going the wrong way; it would be a painful lesson if I did. A child in an abusive home should never question his parent. I hold my tongue as I watch the billowing smoke grow larger ahead. Copters and jets pass by over us. We are heading toward the base, toward the explosions, toward the war.
My dad is quiet as we approach the exit for the main gate of the burning Alliance base. I look at him to see if he is still conscious. “Dad?” I say as he takes the exit, barreling toward the destroyed gate, the fires, and the fighting. His eyes and mouth open, no sound comes from him.
The car plows through the half-melted steel fence of the gate. The ground is black with burnt fuel, shrapnel, bodies and whatever else. Even with the air conditioning on I can smell the fires, the death.
Suddenly I am jerked in my seat as the car comes to a sudden halt. I feel the pain from the seatbelt holding me back. My dad grunts as the belt gives slightly to his abrupt stop. His head snaps forward and it weaves from side to side. He moans as I look at him. He looks back at me as a small drop of blood runs from his mouth. I read his mind. Even in his drunken state, the man is afraid.
I detect the approach of four men. I can tell they are not friendly. I do not know how, or why, I can sense them, I just can. These changes in me scare me more than the man seated next to me.
Chapter 3
Cougar—Wisconsin Illinois Base
The four men, the soldiers, approach our crashed car with their guns aimed at us. My dad moans and pushes himself back from the steering wheel, which is
buried in his fat chest. I can sense these men are not like me, they are like my dad.
I watch the men as they talk amongst themselves. I can hear and understand them. They are not speaking English, but their words are making sense. I think that I am learning their language by hearing them speak. Their thoughts seem to open to me as if they are drawers in a file cabinet. My mind seems to copy the information; I am gaining their intelligence, their knowledge.
My dad opens his car door. I reach for him as he exits the car. “Hey! You damn Resistance fucks!” he yells. He staggers as he stands in the churned, blackened earth. I exit the car, to stand with him against these men.
The soldiers talk amongst themselves as they each chamber a round. I understand that they are speaking in Russian; how I know this I cannot say. I understand “vodka,” “child,” and “civilian.” The Russian words connect to the English words; I am learning their language.
The ground under my feet seems to hum and I sense a fifth person approaching. He is not like the men aiming rifles at my dad. He is not like me, or Dena Smith. The fifth man feels… evil. He emerges from behind some burning wreckage and he looks at me. I can feel hatred beyond what my dad has for me. One of the four men speaks to the evil man.
“Captain Sebrev, they crashed through…” They are still speaking in what I think is Russian. I do not understand every word.
One of the other men says something followed by “… They have not provoked,” and then he says “prisoners.”
The evil man, the one they call Captain Sebrev, looks at me and he says: “Kill the man!”
Immediately shots ring out, my dad is torn to pieces right before my eyes. He twists and bends as he’s ripped apart by the bullets. He falls facedown into the burnt black soil. I see blood running from his back as the lead has pierced his body through. I no longer sense the drunken thoughts of my dad lying before me. His mind is quiet, like Todd Vance’s.
Captain Sebrev continues looking at me, not even flinching from the gunfire. I stare back at him as the soldiers clear their assault weapons. “Why are you here, mind reader?” he says in English.
I look at the corpse of my dad lying in the dirt. I do not feel sorrow for him, only anger at these men. “We were going to the hospital,” I reply in English.
