"Well this won't be fun," Colonel Patterson said to Ethan as they stood once again at the sensor fence perimeter. "Babysittin' a batch of white coats every night."

"Never is, sir," Ethan replied as he scanned the forest ahead with his night vision. "And yet every time you do it, you seem to enjoy yourself."

Patterson laughed and slapped Ethan on the back. "Let's move out!"

The fence's sensors were disabled to allow the squad to pass through, followed by the rolling Sentinel, with freshly greased wheels. Behind them, the group of scientists would follow, as the route was secured. They would take samples to be analyzed by their mobile equipment, and bring along gear for setting up secure camps every night as they made their effort to find the light side of their new world.

Captain Marshall remained behind on the Solaria with the second wave of Marines and support staff, waiting for word to either advance or prepare for their retreat back to the security of the large ship. He'd seen fit to send Commander Ellis along, as his Naval representative, but as a backup to the scientific contingent.

Ethan and the colonel were in the front wave, advancing slowly but steadily into the forest, taking readings as they went. The readings were sent back to Sentinel via their headsets, then relayed on to the group behind them, who would begin to advance as soon as enough forward space was deemed safe.

The forest was quiet, the ground absorbing their footsteps. The only sounds were the regular reports and occasional chatter as they progressed deeper into the woods. After just a few minutes among the trees, Ethan noticed more of the insect-eating creatures above them, hoping along from tree to tree.

"Reaper, we seem to have an audience," Slinger said.

Ethan and the colonel looked up as one leapt away from the tree they were approaching.

"I think they like you, Ghost," Fireman suggested. "There's two staying just ahead of your position."

"Must be curious," the colonel mused. "They seem harmless enough, just keep an eye on them and your fingers off the trigger."

"Hey, when do we get to start naming things we're finding?" Slinger asked. "I mean, we don't even know what to call this planet."

"You can call it home, for starters," Ethan quipped.

"Come on, Ghost, you were the first to spot these tree monkeys. You should get to name them."

Ethan flipped up his lenses to look into the forest, testing his eyesight in the darkness. "How about I name them after you, Slinger? Seems appropriate."

"Very funny," Slinger replied. "Ghost is working his comedy routine, everyone. He's gonna keep us amused tonight."

"Seems fair to me," Colonel Patterson added.

Ethan laughed and flipped the lenses back down before continuing forward.

After an hour of travel, Colonel Patterson radioed back, giving the okay for the scientists to move out and follow their path. The second wave of Marines and a few Navy personnel would escort them and secure the flank, while the rest stayed behind, inside the Solaria and perimeter fence.

Ethan quickly grew accustomed to the creatures in the trees above, noticing how they would follow along in curiosity for about ten or thirteen trees, then move back, while another group seemed to take up where they'd stopped, to follow along for a bit. They appeared to be territorially aware, and quiet. Occasional chirps could only be heard if they were down low on a tree's trunk and there was no chatter over the coms at the time.

They logged a few insects over the next several hours, managing to get scans just before one of their furred friends would scamper down and eat it, but there were no other plants growing amidst the trees. Just soft earth and the occasional fist-sized rock here and there.

None of the creatures they'd seen so far occupied the forest floor. Even the crawling bugs were found on the trees, and quickly eaten by the curious followers, who never ventured further down a tree than a few feet above ground.

After five hours of travel through widely spaced trees, they found a relatively wide clearing and called a halt to the day.

"This looks good enough for the night," Colonel Patterson declared as they all gathered in closer. "Soon as the others catch up, we'll set camp here."

Ethan was watching the group of creatures in the trees. Since they'd stopped moving forward, a whole gathering of them had collected around above them, watching and quietly chirping to themselves.

Suddenly, as one, they all rushed upward with one sharp, excited scream, vanishing out of view in the darkness above.

Everyone's rifles came to ready, and an instant circle of armed and ready Marines formed.

Ethan took one step forward, scanning the area. "Reaper, two o-clock!" The colonel turned and Ethan moved closer, rifle raised. "Sentinel, take a reading!" He held still, staring at the large shape approaching through the trees toward them.

"Hold fire!" Patterson ordered.

"Ghost, this is Sentinel, whatever that is, it's got teeth. I'm reading a body five feet long, looks to be four high, quadruped."

"It's coming straight at us!"

"Hold your fire!" Ethan echoed the colonel's order. He focused quickly on the HUD image Sentinel was sending back. It magnified the creature's image, showing clearly a row of massive teeth and huge eyes in a predator setting.

"That's no bug eater, Ghost."

"Reaper, this thing's not slowing down. What's your order?"

"Slinger, step back!" the colonel commanded. "Everyone, step back, tighten up."

"We can't let it get behind us," Firemen said as he moved backwards.

Ethan blinked the HUD out of focus and pushed one lens up, to see if the animal was close enough to actually look at. He stepped forward while the others were pulling back, then reached out and flicked on the light built into his weapon. When the beam flashed on, he aimed it directly into the animal's eyes.

The scream was ear-piercing and painful. So painful, Ethan winced. He didn't dare take a hand off his weapon to cover his ears, but the animal turned quickly and ran off in the direction it had come. The terrible sound echoed through the forest for a moment, then faded into the distance.

He assumed.

The rushing sound filling Ethan's ears made it difficult to hear the colonel's commands for a few seconds. He blinked tears from his eyes and scanned the area using both lenses, but their insect eaters from above were coming back down the trees, happily hopping from trunk to trunk as if nothing had happened.

"Jesus! What was that?" Sentinel asked.

"Jesus isn't here," Ethan replied over the com, surprised he could hear again. "But that thing doesn’t like light."

"Sentinel, are you picking it up out there?"

"No sir, Reaper. When it turned and ran, it cleared out of here."

"Secure the area," he commanded. "Relay back to the second wave and get them up here quick."

Ethan flicked off his light and walked back to the colonel. "It makes sense to use lights as a defense. Anything on a planet with no sun or moon isn't gonna have the capacity to filter bright direct light."

"Good thinking," Patterson nodded. "Get it done."

"Yes, sir." Ethan started back toward the mobile unit. "Sentinel, bring up your spotlights but keep them on standby. We'll keep you center along with the ground units."

"Yes, sir."

"Let's get lights around this perimeter," Ethan ordered as he walked back through the squad. Keep it tight. Once we get the others here, we'll encamp and patrol."

They went to work, watched from above by the curious ones between bug hunts. Within thirty minutes, the second wave came into view, moving more hastily than they'd intended. An hour later, camp was made and nerves were settling down. With all of the mobile units gathered in a center circle, heating units were spaced around for sleeping and cooking, while the perimeter was lined with portable spot lights and patrolled by five Marines in constant motion.

The scientists were too busy examining their readings and speculating to wander out of the safety zone, so Ethan and his team set up around one of the small artificial fires on the outer edge where they could enjoy a meal and begin to wean themselves off hot coffee before the inevitable depletion of supply.

"So, Ghost, you figure that thing eats our little tree monkey friends?" Slinger asked as they all sat around the glow of fake flames.

Ethan laughed shortly. "Everything eats something," he replied with a shrug. "And everything is eaten by something."

"That thing sure had the teeth to take us on if it wanted," Fireman replied. "Did you see the fangs? Damn things had to have been a foot long."

"I don't see it," Patterson said. He sniffed, then looked at Ethan. "That thing didn't look like it could reach up and catch something as quick as our friends up there."

Ethan nodded. "Good point." He looked over at Fireman. "Any ideas how something large and heavy can reach a tree climber as quick as they are?"

"Hell, Ghost, you're the science geek," Fireman shrugged.

"But he's not as smart as his sister."

Everyone looked up as Lancer joined the group, finishing her patrol shift. She grinned at Ethan, then accepted a cup of hot coffee from the colonel.

"Thank you, sir."

"True enough," Ethan agreed easily. "If she hadn't scored so much higher than me, maybe she'd be sitting here, putting up with your shit, and I'd be wearing the white coat."

Everyone laughed, and Punch raised his cup in salute. "She's a damn site prettier'n you, too."

"You think so?" Ethan asked, eyebrow arched in mock surprise. "We're twins, you know."

Lydia approached amid the laughter, before anyone could reply, and a polite hush fell over the group.

"I don't mean to intrude," she said, stepping toward Ethan and the colonel. "I just thought you might be curious about our readings."

"Take a seat, Doctor Warren," Patterson replied. He indicated the patch of dirt in front of him, and everyone watched to see if the scientist would balk at the lack of proper seating.

When she plopped down, cross-legged on the dirt without a second thought, Ethan caught the nods of approval around the group before they returned to their own conversations, more quietly now that they had company.

"What do we know about our new world, doctor?" Patterson asked.

Lydia held out a scanner with data displayed on the screen, offering it to him. "Well, colonel, we know our trees here are incredible old."

Ethan reached over and took the scanner.

"He's a detail man, doc," the colonel explained. "Just give me the highlights and I'm happy."

"Oh, okay," she replied, a little surprised. "Well, we took a carbon reading of the trees on the outer edge, as we were entering the forest, and then compared them to the trees here in this camp, which as you can see are getting thicker as we progress."

Ethan read the scans as she spoke, flicking through the pages on the screen.

"The trees on the outer edge are several hundred years old, and by years, of course we're using Earth standards. I mean, we don't actually know how long this planet takes to orbit its sun." She shrugged and glanced from the colonel to Ethan and back again. "For that matter, we don't even know if we're in an elliptical orbit or not."

"We'd better not be," Ethan quipped as he read the data.

"The trees, doctor?"

"Yes, colonel, the trees. The youngest ones are between one and seven hundred Earth years old," Lydia explained. "While these, here, are in their thousands."

"But the pods were only on the outer rim," Ethan remarked, thinking out loud.

"Exactly."

Colonel Patterson sniffed. "Meaning what, exactly?"

"Well," Lydia paused and Ethan looked up at her.

"We haven't seen any pods here in the forest," he supplied for her. "So if we're assuming those seed pods are the method of reproduction . . ."

Lydia nodded. "We are. Our scans show seeds with the genetic material of these trees. Clearly they're spread by bursting at a certain point in development, releasing the seeds to spread the forest over time. Lots of time."

Ethan didn't have to look at the colonel to know he wanted to hear the significance explained. "That would suggest only the trees on the outer edge of the forest can multiply, or send out seeds to further growth."

"Which would mean that these trees, here -- the older ones -- stop reproducing at some stage, but they continue to thrive. Perhaps even grow."

"Isn't that what trees do?" Patterson asked. "Granted, it's been a while since any of us has seen a forest. I'd wager the last one was back in my grandfather's day, but I read where they continued growing for hundreds of years."

"Yes, but they also continued to produce seeds, even if those seeds weren't spread due to crowded conditions or poor health," Lydia replied. "Even in a dense forest, you'd find evidence of those seeds on the ground around the trees."

Colonel Patterson nodded, but had nothing else to ask.

"As to the orbit, well . . ." Lydia shrugged. "Until they can get the satellites to launch, we won't know for sure, at least not until something starts to change."

Ethan was busy, drawing a diagram on a blank page of Lydia's scanner. He glanced up at what few stars they could see between the dark branches high above, then looked back at his drawing, trying to work out some logic before he came to any conclusions.

"What are you busy with there, Griff?"

"Just pondering, sir," he replied. After a moment, he leaned forward, showing both the colonel and Lydia his drawing. "If this is the world we're on now, rotating on its equator, with a true north constantly facing the sun, and a true south always pointed away as it orbits the sun, it would look something like this."

Lydia and the colonel looked at his display. There was a circular mark in the far bottom of the screen, with a sweeping mark around the center, indicating a direction. He'd then drawn a solid circle in the center of the screen, depicting a sun, and drew a dotted line around the sun.

"That's what they've surmised, yes," Lydia nodded.

"Okay, so if we assume a fixed orbit, with north constantly facing the sun, and this world not titling on its axis the way Earth does . . ." He watched Lydia's face for her conclusion, and was rewarded with a sudden nod a few moments later.

"You're right," she exclaimed. "That could help in our assessment of the growth, both plant and animal."

"Griff?"

"Sorry, sir," Ethan erased the line he'd made indicating the orbit. "It would mean no seasons. If this planet presents one side to the sun, remains the same distance from the sun as it orbits, and there's no tilt to offer varied heating and cooling, then there would be no change in season."

"Which in turn suggests no season growth, because the temperature and conditions remain within a norm at all times," Lydia continued. "And that will pose some challenges to our own crops, once we start to plant. We'll just have to alternate fields, and schedule planting in order to provide yield on a constant basis."

"I'm more concerned with the orbit," Colonel Patterson said. He pointed to the screen where Ethan was drawing out a potentially elliptical orbit. "If we're at the furthest distance now, and come closer to the sun, this whole world could turn into a furnace."

"Maybe," Ethan replied. He finished his drawing and looked at it, then glanced up at the trees. "Lydia can test for signs of freezing in these trees."

"And the soil," she added. "That's easy enough to look for."

"As for burning," Ethan looked at his drawing again. "Those trees didn't get to be several thousand years old by burning to the ground on a regular basis. Though I don't know what we'll find the further we get."

"Meaning this dark side of the planet might be the only safe spot," Patterson sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Assuming the orbit is elliptical," Lydia agreed. "And assuming these trees hibernate, or are unaffected by extreme cold."

"Unless they can get some satellites launched, all we have are assumptions and observations," Ethan sighed and handed Lydia the scanner. "I'm up for patrol."

"I should get back to my group," Lydia replied. She accepted Ethan's hand up and wiped the dirt from her pants. "Good night, Colonel."

"Doctor," Patterson nodded. "Griff, keep your eyes sharp."

"Always do, sir," Ethan hefted his rifle and flipped both lenses down, then gave a nod to Wingman, who'd just come off patrol.

Most everyone was beginning to bunk down for what they were calling Night, getting some sleep before pushing forward. Ethan took up position in Wingman's place and checked in with the others, then began walking the perimeter and scanning the forest.

"It's pretty weird, ain't it?" Mortar asked over the com. "I keep thinking this is night, but the sun ain't gonna come up."

"Who says it's night?" Flash asked. "Just 'cause we're bedding down doesn't make this night, or evening, either."

"Does it matter?" Ethan asked. "You spend enough time in an environment like this, your mind and body start to adjust to different ways of thinking. Give it a few months, and I'd bet you find yourself working more hours and sleeping less."

"That's right, boys, Ghost is from the top of the world," Flash replied with a snort. "He's used to these long nights."

"There's a lot you can do in the dark that you wouldn't want your momma to see," Ethan quipped.

As the laughter filled his earpiece, Ethan noticed movement along the bark of a tree he was passing. He paused and flipped up his lens to take a closer look at the inch-long beetle. It was one they'd cataloged already, deemed harmless and edible.

He reached out and plucked it off the bark to take a closer look.

The body was no more than an inch long, and the hard shell covering its back appeared to be black, or perhaps dark purple. Without turning on his rifle's light, he couldn't tell for sure. It waved six legs in the air, trying to reclaim a purchase on the tree, but as Ethan was reaching out to put it back, he heard a quiet chirp just above.

One of the little tree lemurs was there, crawling down toward him. It came to a stop and looked at Ethan, head tilted to the side, massive ears moving forward.

Without a word, Ethan reached up, offering the beetle.

The creature chirped again, in a barely audible voice, and took the offering with one long-fingered paw. It examined the beetle, then promptly ate it. After a pause during which it continued to stare at Ethan, the animal chirped and leapt to another tree.

Ethan smiled, then started back on his patrol walk. A moment later, as he passed another thick tree, the lemur returned, scampering down to his level. It held out a paw, offering a squirming beetle.

Surprised, Ethan reached out and accepted the insect. It was exactly like the one he'd just seen, only a tad bit smaller and missing one leg. He looked up, and the lemur chirped, tilting his head and watching him.

Ethan looked at the bug again, took a breath, then stuffed it in his mouth and chewed. The shell made a quick crunch, then warm innards filled his mouth with a slightly peppery taste. While the consistency wasn't as pleasant as it could have been, the flavor wasn't offensive.

The lemur let out a cheerful little chirp and leapt away, heading deeper into the forest while Ethan chewed and swallowed his tiny meal.

"Not a thing like chicken," he mused aloud.

"Say again, Ghost?" Flash asked. "Did you see something?"

"Negative," Ethan replied. He started walking again. "I just ate a bug, that's all."

Mortar laughed. "Jesus, Ghost. Is there anything you won't eat?"

Ethan shrugged, even though no one could see him. "Only when you're cooking."

They continued on patrol, circling the encampment while keeping watch on the forest around and above them. Ethan couldn't stop thinking about the fanged animal, how it looked and the terrible, ear-piercing sound it had made. The body shape didn't appear equipped to hunt the tree lemurs, which meant it was hunting something else.

Something they hadn't encountered yet.

Which also meant that some other creature probably thought of the tree lemurs as food. Unless he was willing to consider the lemurs as the top of a particular food chain. But that didn't make as much sense as it should have. The fanged creature was heavily armed, with teeth large enough to rip a human to shreds quickly and easily and the muscle to back it up. There had to be a reason it had those defenses. And that begged another question.

What considered fangs and muscle a tasty treat?

Those thoughts carried Ethan through his patrol, and a few hours of sleep, but had to be pushed aside when it came time to break camp and head out.

"We're too spread apart, especially now that we know this forest isn't gumdrops and furry monkeys," Colonel Patterson said as he and Ethan were gearing up.

"Agreed," Ethan nodded. "Tighten up?"

The colonel snapped his battle vest and gave it a tug. "Tighten up." He turned to address everyone within earshot of his booming voice. "We're going to bring this formation in! From now on, we travel together. My group will take point, then I want a tight group. No one strays off to pick a flower without an armed escort!"

Ethan was watching the group of scientists, gathered together around some lights as they listened to the new orders. Lydia was nodding, arms crossed in front of her, while a few others turned to complain to each other, keeping their voices too low to be overheard.

"You white coats can requisition night vision from the Sentinel's stores, but I want each and every one of you carrying lights," Patterson continued. "Marines on the perimeter at all times. Commander Ellis and his group can cover the rear."

"Understood," Ellis replied over the com from several yards back.

"We move out in five!" Patterson turned back to gaze out at the dark forest. "This is going to take some getting used to."

"What's that, sir?" Ethan asked.

He shook his head and kept staring into the woods. "No sunrise," he replied. "It's morning, according to my watch. I've just marched all day, slept for six hours, and there's no freakin' sunrise."

"You get used to it after a while." Ethan checked his rifle and shrugged. "I kind of like it, myself."

Colonel Patterson looked at him. "You're a bit of a freak, Griff. Anyone ever tell you that?"

"Yes, sir," Ethan laughed. "You do, every other day."

Patterson's laughter echoed through the darkness. "Let's move out, people!"

Ethan started forward, alongside the colonel, while Lance, Slayer and Flash fanned out to either side. Several yards behind them, the rest of the Marines would surround the exploration team and move forward in a group, while Commander Ellis and his squad would cover the flank and see to it their group didn't get picked off from behind.

They quickly had an audience again, from the trees above, as the furry insect eaters took up following them through the forest. The men had taken to calling them Leapers by the end of a three hour, uneventful trek. They'd had to pause several times to escort a scientist or two several yards out of the group in order to collect a plant someone spotted, but so far the fanged animal hadn't made another return.

After another four hours of slow progression, Colonel Patterson noticed the forest thinning up ahead. He raised an arm, then called for a halt over the com units to those out of limited sight of his gesture.

"Everyone, hold here. We're going ahead to check this clearing."

"Roger that, Reaper," Sentinel replied.

Ethan flipped up his lenses momentarily, but couldn't see a change in the lighting you'd expect when leaving a thick forest. He glanced up at the stars above, then put his night vision back in place and started for the clearing.

It took only ten minutes in a brisk jog to reach the end of a line of trees, where the landscape opened up to a wide expanse of rock, grass, slight hills and massive rocks. They came to a stop just outside the forest, where Ethan noted they were once again standing on seed pods that burst excitedly into the darkness.

"Now we're talking," Patterson declared as he scanned the region ahead.

Ethan nodded. "Easier to see, but easier to be seen." He glanced to the left where a massive rock rose up toward the dark sky. With his lenses down, his HUD scanned the rock and found a wide mouth opening to an equally wide cave. "We might have cover for the evening, anyway."

Colonel Patterson turned to look where Ethan was pointing.

"It's deep enough even for Sentinel and the mobile units," Ethan said as he continued his scan. "I'm not detecting movement."

"Check it out," Patterson ordered. "Slayer, Flash, cover Ghost and check that cave."

"Yes, sir."

Ethan jogged forward, rifle held ready just in case the scanners missed something. It felt good to stretch muscles tired of walking, and to breathed in deep lung-fulls of fresh, clean air. The openness of the landscape was a refreshing change, but posed dangers of its own, as did unexplored caves.

He stopped at the mouth and did a careful sweep, making sure his sensors were reaching every corner. The rock walls were dry, as was the loose dirt ground, and the roof a solid sheet. The HUD showed nothing more than a few of the beetles scurrying around the back corner, while the rest of the cave seemed custom-made for a night's shelter.

"Reaper, this is Ghost. It looks clear. I think we've found a good spot for the night."

"Roger that, Ghost," Patterson replied. "You heard the man! Let's move out, get everyone inside that cave and secure for the night."

Ethan stepped inside the cave, raised the lenses out of his way, then flicked on the rifle's light and scanned the rock walls. They were somewhat smooth, and a deep, rusty red in color. He stepped up to one side and reached out, touching the rock with a few fingers. It flaked away slightly where he picked at a crack, but underneath a thin layer of dust and loose dirt, the rock was solid and firm.

He'd seen other worlds, explored other planets as possible hosts for human life, but this was the first one they'd ever landed on that held an atmosphere they could breathe. It was his first exploration where full environmental suits and heavy gloves weren't a life-sustaining requirement, and his first encounter with actual nature, in its own wild environment.

A few years from now, perhaps months, even, he knew this experience would fade out of special, and into a realm of normal, every day occurrences. But for now, touching a rock wall inside a cave on a world no one had even known was there brought a smile to his face, and a tightening to his throat.

"You should see this, Kathryn," he said, quietly enough not to have been picked up by the com unit's microphone. "It's amazing."

He thought of his sister, the photo inside his shirt, and the fleet ship she was on that would pass through this system and never know they had been stopped.

When Colonel Patterson entered the cave with the leading edge of the group, Ethan cleared his throat and stepped aside, motioning the mobile units toward the back of the cave and using the bustle of the next hour to clear his head.

"This will be easier to cover," the colonel said with a satisfied nod. He and Ethan were standing at the mouth of the cave, looking back at the group as they were settling in, while Slayer and Lance were setting up spotlights as a line of protection. "We can put three guards here, the spot lights across the front will give a solid first line of defense, and sleep well tonight."

Ethan nodded. "Yes, sir." He turned around and stepped out of the cave, then looked out over the valley spreading out before them. "If we continue North, we should reach that line of hills in about three days." He pulled down one lens and adjusted the focus, magnifying the sensors as high as they could manage.

"Is there a pass through the hills?" Patterson asked.

Ethan watched as the HUD adjusted, displaying the landscape as a wire frame image. After a moment, measurements and readings were analyzed and displayed for his review. "Yes, there to the right." He pointed without actually looking. "There's a gap between the two lowest mountains, pretty wide. We should get through that, no problem."

"That's our direction, then," the colonel replied. "From there, perhaps we can finally see a horizon. Or maybe by then, Captain Marshall's men will have those damn satellites working."

"It'd be nice to have an eye up there," Ethan agreed as he readjusted his lens to normal view.

With the HUD cleared, he looked out over the valley using strictly night vision. The ground sloped down from their cave to a valley floor covered in grass and dotted here and there with rocks and some kind of plant growths gathered together in clumps. A little further out, more rocks appeared, grouped here and there, occasionally even stacked up, as if tossed by the handful out over the valley.

Something about the rocks was tugging at his mind, as if reminding him of something he couldn't put his finger on. He flipped the lenses out of his way and waited for his eyes to adjust.

"Trying to see in the dark, Griff?"

"It'd be easier if we had a moon," Ethan replied. He blinked, and stared at where he knew the rocks to be, but could only make out dark shapes in the distance.

"It'd be easier if we'd landed on the light side of this planet," Patterson quipped. "Why in the hell the computers picked this side is . . ." He let his sentence trail off with a sigh.

"Just one satellite in orbit could tell us if we've got a cold winter ahead," Ethan supplied. "Until then--"

"Until then, we keep marching forward." Patterson sniffed, straighten his shoulders, then turned when they both hear footsteps approaching. "Ah, Doctor Warren. Settling in okay?"

"Yes, Colonel, thank you," she smiled back. "I was wondering if you'd allow me to go just over there, by that patch of growth, and sample some of the plants. They appear different than the ones inside the forest."

Ethan and the colonel turned to look in the direction she was pointing. A few hundred yards to their left was a patch of grass with tall strands here and there sporting some kind of tuft at the tip.

Colonel Patterson keyed his com unit. "I need a volunteer to take Doctor Warren flower picking. Which one of you ladies is free?"

Laughter filled the speakers of everyone wearing a headset.

Ethan clipped his rifle to his vest and brought his night vision back down. "Wingman, give us a backup."

Lydia smiled, happily ignoring the snickers still filtering over the headsets as she stepped up beside Ethan.

"And we have a winner," colonel Patterson declared. "Don't stay out late, kids, it gets dark early, you know."

"Yes, sir," Ethan replied.