SECOND CHANCES, Part 4
by Cathy F. Bolton


Bess was out of the tent and sprinting to the Rover. She arrived gasping for breath. "John, somethings wrong-- Devon went looking for Julia when she didn't come back--"she stopped for another breath.

The men were not wearing gear and just looked at her and each other wondering what was going on. Alonzo grabbed her shouldar and said, "Bess what's this about Julia? What are you talking about?" Bess quickly told him about Uly's find over the ridge and Julia's trip to investigate. "Devon just thought she lost track of time when she didn't call back."

Danziger eyes darted about camp doing a quick count. The Morgan's, Yale with Uly and True (Thank God), Campbell, Walman, Baines, Magnus and the others but no Devon or Julia.

Bess was listening to the gear again. "I'm here Devon." she responded. Alonzo was questioning, "Julia was missing and no one told me? As Bess listened, she looked stricken, her face changed and the look she gave Alonzo made his heart miss a beat. "Devon found her.... she's hurt." Which way?" he demanded. Bess pointed and he took of running in the direction she indicated.

Danziger yelled after him to wait but Bess grabbed his arm suddenly. "Devon... Devon, can you hear me? What's happening?" A minute went by as Bess gripped the gear to her head trying to hear. She looked at John and told him," She was there and then everything scrambled and now the signals gone."

Danziger began to yell orders, to Baines, Campbell, and Walman about guarding the camp, to Yale to take the kids inside , to Bess to stay on line. He grabbed com gear and a MagPro before he set off after Alonzo.

True watched him go. She didn't want him to leave. She wanted him here with her, safe. But she knew the group depended on his strengh and courage like she did. She knew he would want her to obey his orders and be strong so she allowed Yale to lead her by the hand. All the while, she kept looking back over her shouldar, watching him grow smaller and smaller.

Alonzo was younger and faster with a head start on top. John had trouble keeping him in sight. He kept calling on the gear for Devon to answer. As he ran, he looked for signs of a trap. He didn't think there was much he could do to prevent Alonzo from falling into one.

Danziger cursed Julia for going off by herself and Devon for following her. "Yes," he told himself, "I'm going to have a serious talk with Devon Adair about this episode." Yet all the while, an icy fear seemed to be growing in his gut.

Alonzo had searched frantically until he found the body under the tree. Julia's broken Diaglove lay close by, splattered with blood. John found him on his knees holding the glove tightly again his chest. Alonzo looked up at him, his look pleading, "John, we've got to find her. She must be hurt, she wouldn't leave this unless she was hurt."

Danziger looked past him to the body, the large carrion birds had just started to pick at the remains."Don't worry Loz, we'll find them." He turned on the gear and told Bess to send Walman up and have him bring the head portion of the Zero unit.
Maybe the robot with it's elaborate instruments could help find something they would miss.

Danziger looked around but there was no sign of tracks. From what he could tell, there had been a struggle by the fruit and by the tree but nothing leading away. He could find no wounds on the body except for the face area. He looked up into the tree and saw a few small freshly broken branches. An ambush might have come from here. But where did they go? It was as if the ground had opened up and swallowed them.