uses infrared film. Alvarez told me I should be able to see everything, no matter how dark it is. If there’s anything to see, that is. Will there be?”
Rubbing a sore knee, Carter m uttered, “I sure as hell hope so.”
Pouring coffee, Sagano said, “How come I get the feeling you don’t mean that?”
From the darkness came a soft voice, “Probably because he does not mean it, as I myself hope we find nothing tonight. Yet at the same time, I pray we do. May I have coffee too, Mark?”
With a soft thump, Alvarez sat two long cases on the picnic table in front of Carter. As he unsnapped one case , he softly said, “I waited until darkness fell before bringing these out, John. I saw no reason to alarm the other campers by letting them see us with the rifles.” Grabbing a rifle, he handed it to John. “This rifle is for you, my friend, a Remington .308 with an attached nightscope. Earlier today I, uh, borrowed it from the weapons room. Of course, I did not tell them the real reason I needed the rifle. Go ahead and try sighting through the scope. You will notice there is plenty of light coming through the scope to aim with. Your .308 is a semiautomatic, so you have five shots before you must reload. As to our previous conversation, if it must be, please use all five rounds.” Placing additional ammunition on the table, he continued, “Here are three more clips, so you have twenty rounds. I hope this will be sufficient for our purposes. In less than an hour, the Moon will rise above the hills, so you will be able to see more clearly. Ah, you have of course used one of these before, have you not?”
Holding up the heavy ri fle, Carter sighted on the hills across the lake. “Yes, Pete. I have a .308 at home, a bolt-action one. Don’t worry; I know how to use it.”
The .308 rifle Carter owned had a scope as we ll, but nothing as fancy as the big scope on the weapon he held. As he sighted across the lake, he was surprised at how well he could see. The hundreds of pinpricks of starlight were enough, when amplified by the scope’s mechanism, for him to see almost like daylight. He moved the heavy rifle slowly from bush to bush across the lake, following as close as he could to the path the Tescara had used last night.
“I have the same scope on my rifle as well,” Alvarez said as he hefted the long barrel of the tranquilizer rifle and experimentally sighted through the scope. Sagano refilled the coffee cups: Alvarez pulled out a small flask, pouring a large dollop into each metal cup, saying, “A toast gentlemen. To us, to what we do and to what may be.”
**********
No one spoke as the Blazer rounded the end of the lake. This time Alvarez didn’t stop at the side of the road, but drove right into th e field, over the three-strand, barbed-wire fence. He turned off the lights and pulled the vehicle into low gear. Slowly he plowed through the high weeds, until they were about fifty feet from the pool, seen as a dimly reflective surface in the dark field.
Alvarez killed the engine. Softly he said, “We can carry the cage from here and set it up over by that bush, yes? Then we can take our positions.”
They worked in silence; the only noises the grunts and scrapes as they pulled the heavy cage from the rear. Sweating profusely, the three men carried it to the designated bush. After setting the cage in place, Alvarez pointed to Mark. “If you will, please carry the net over here from the truck, while John and I assemble the cage. Then you will need to bring the rifles and cameras. We do not have a great deal of time left to prepare.”
Rapidly w alking away, the only sounds heard were Sagano’s heavy breathing and the swish of the tall weeds against his jeans.
After the cage was assembled, Carter helped Sagano set up the three cameras on the special tripod. He was surprised at how clear he could see through the lens es of the
Rubbing a sore knee, Carter m uttered, “I sure as hell hope so.”
Pouring coffee, Sagano said, “How come I get the feeling you don’t mean that?”
From the darkness came a soft voice, “Probably because he does not mean it, as I myself hope we find nothing tonight. Yet at the same time, I pray we do. May I have coffee too, Mark?”
With a soft thump, Alvarez sat two long cases on the picnic table in front of Carter. As he unsnapped one case , he softly said, “I waited until darkness fell before bringing these out, John. I saw no reason to alarm the other campers by letting them see us with the rifles.” Grabbing a rifle, he handed it to John. “This rifle is for you, my friend, a Remington .308 with an attached nightscope. Earlier today I, uh, borrowed it from the weapons room. Of course, I did not tell them the real reason I needed the rifle. Go ahead and try sighting through the scope. You will notice there is plenty of light coming through the scope to aim with. Your .308 is a semiautomatic, so you have five shots before you must reload. As to our previous conversation, if it must be, please use all five rounds.” Placing additional ammunition on the table, he continued, “Here are three more clips, so you have twenty rounds. I hope this will be sufficient for our purposes. In less than an hour, the Moon will rise above the hills, so you will be able to see more clearly. Ah, you have of course used one of these before, have you not?”
Holding up the heavy ri fle, Carter sighted on the hills across the lake. “Yes, Pete. I have a .308 at home, a bolt-action one. Don’t worry; I know how to use it.”
The .308 rifle Carter owned had a scope as we ll, but nothing as fancy as the big scope on the weapon he held. As he sighted across the lake, he was surprised at how well he could see. The hundreds of pinpricks of starlight were enough, when amplified by the scope’s mechanism, for him to see almost like daylight. He moved the heavy rifle slowly from bush to bush across the lake, following as close as he could to the path the Tescara had used last night.
“I have the same scope on my rifle as well,” Alvarez said as he hefted the long barrel of the tranquilizer rifle and experimentally sighted through the scope. Sagano refilled the coffee cups: Alvarez pulled out a small flask, pouring a large dollop into each metal cup, saying, “A toast gentlemen. To us, to what we do and to what may be.”
**********
No one spoke as the Blazer rounded the end of the lake. This time Alvarez didn’t stop at the side of the road, but drove right into th e field, over the three-strand, barbed-wire fence. He turned off the lights and pulled the vehicle into low gear. Slowly he plowed through the high weeds, until they were about fifty feet from the pool, seen as a dimly reflective surface in the dark field.
Alvarez killed the engine. Softly he said, “We can carry the cage from here and set it up over by that bush, yes? Then we can take our positions.”
They worked in silence; the only noises the grunts and scrapes as they pulled the heavy cage from the rear. Sweating profusely, the three men carried it to the designated bush. After setting the cage in place, Alvarez pointed to Mark. “If you will, please carry the net over here from the truck, while John and I assemble the cage. Then you will need to bring the rifles and cameras. We do not have a great deal of time left to prepare.”
Rapidly w alking away, the only sounds heard were Sagano’s heavy breathing and the swish of the tall weeds against his jeans.
After the cage was assembled, Carter helped Sagano set up the three cameras on the special tripod. He was surprised at how clear he could see through the lens es of the
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