THEM (Season 1): Episode 3 Read Online Free PDF Page B

left along the trail it looked like she was running and gunning in retreat. Another hundred yards in and it looked as though she’d been flanked; four larger sets of footprints converged with hers, and there appeared to have been a minor struggle. Her footprints disappeared after that, leading me to believe she’d been incapacitated and carried off.
    The larger footprints looked military. I chewed my lip a moment or two before deciding what to do. “Gabby, I need you to head back to the airstrip and find Bobby.”
    “But what about Captain Perez? If these were punters, you’re going to need help getting her back.”
    I shook my head and pointed at the tracks in front of us. “Those prints were made by military-issue boots—I’d stake my life on it. Something tells me that these aren’t just your run-of-the-mill punters, and that puts us in uncharted territory.” It’d been years since I’d seen any military personnel, and most of them had been ragtag units that were almost as bad as punters. I strongly suspected that this group had long ago gone rogue, and that getting the captain back wasn’t going to be easy.
    The look on the Gabby’s face told me she didn’t want to be left behind. Despite any feelings she might have had on the matter, there was no way I was taking her with me; at least, not until I knew what this group was all about. I knelt in front of her and placed my hands on her shoulders. “Look, all I’m going to do is run a scouting mission, find out where they have her, and then I’m coming back to get you two so we can spring her together. But right now, what I need for you to do is find Bobby, and then wait for me near the Facility.”
    She nodded, but the look on her face told me it was with reluctance. “Alright. But if you don’t come back by tomorrow morning, we’re coming after you.”
    I shook my head slowly. “Uh-uh, no can do. Under no circumstances are you to come looking for me. I need you two back at the Facility, guarding it in case these guys show up.” She looked unconvinced, but didn’t object. “Just remember to stay out of sight, and don’t engage with them unless they try to get into the place. I know you and Bobby can do that. I’ll be back by morning—just go find Bobby and wait for me near the Facility.” She nodded again with a bit more confidence, and then took off into the trees.
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[5 ]

MEN
    O nce she was gone, I picked up the trail and headed after whoever took Captain Perez. I had no intentions of heading back to get Gabby and Bobby at the moment; that was just a ruse to get her out of the way. I also sincerely doubted that they’d run into anyone that far off the roads; getting them to “guard” the Facility was just a way to get them somewhere they’d be safe.
    I was hunting people now, and having those two stumbling around would only complicate things. Not to mention how conflicted I was about turning an eleven-year-old kid into a killer, or rather, more of a killer than she already was. And with Gabby and Bobby safely out of the way I could do what needed to be done without worrying about anyone else getting hurt. Well, except the clowns who nabbed the doc. Without her, I didn’t have a chance in hell of getting Kara back... and in my mind that made them as good as dead. They just didn’t know it yet.
    Their trail wasn’t hard to follow, which told me that while they might be military, they were undisciplined. The last time I’d seen the doc she’d been in uniform, albeit sans rank and name tags. If this group was former military, I was certain she’d have tried to pull rank on them; that they’d snagged her anyway pretty much confirmed they were a rogue unit. Based on past experience, I also suspected they would be a mix of former military and civilian, since any two-bit self-made warlord would be actively recruiting in order to increase his numbers.
    It was rare to see those kinds of groups last, though, as they tended to disintegrate