The Many Regrets of a Cyborg Werewolf

Law of Nature - XXVI

The plane trip had gone smoothly. Despite Erin's reservations her father had successfully navigated a route that kept them off the radar and off the map, and it had taken them less than a day. The small plane barely had enough room for the four of them plus the necessary supplies, and they couldn't land at a public strip without proper papers or clearance. They had followed the coordinates given by Michelangelo, but there was a catch. The exact location was in the mountains, with nowhere to land in sight, forcing them to take a wide circle and keep searching. That's when they noticed the suspicious plain amongst the trees and hills, and thanks to Luke's vision, confirmed it was a hidden air strip. It was, unfortunately, still several kilometers away, but it was as close as they would get. Jim didn't like landing on such lax info, but it had plenty of room for their small aircraft, and as they began to disembark, it became obvious that this was their intended destination.

"Check it out," Mahi pointed to the tree line. Beneath the snow-encrusted evergreens, with the drifts creeping up on all sides, were old dilapidated hangars full of aircraft.

"Look at 'em all," Jim uttered, his breath visible in the freezing winds, "you've got planes from all across history."

"And all across the world," Luke added.

"Must be a one-way trip," Erin remarked as she held her arms up. They had quickly purchased some heavy winter clothing on their way to the air strip, but they were all unprepared for just how cold it would be. All except Luke, however, who still wore his sneakers, jeans, and light jacket as he made his way towards the one hangar with its doors closed. There was no lock, but the handle was long gone, so he squeezed his fingers into the gap and pried the heavy door open. It was empty inside.

"We can keep the plane here," he said as he turned back to the others, "keep it out of the snow."

"Good idea," Jim nodded, "I'll coast her in."

"No need," Luke said as he walked over to their small plane. He moved behind it, to the tail that rested on a single wheel, and peered to either side of the fuselage. He then lifted it up like you would a dolly, rolling it on its front wheels towards the hangar as Mahi quickly assumed the role of guide.

"Of course," Jim chuckled at Luke's casual feats of strength. "It's kind of scary, though."

"What is?" Erin asked.

"Him," Jim pointed with his mitten as Luke finished parking the aircraft. "It's incredible, don't get me wrong, but I'm glad he's on our side."

"More like we're on his," she shrugged. Luke and Mahi began to unload the plane, bringing their backpacks full of supplies.

"Looks like we're hoofin' it," Mahi chirped as he swung one of their duffels onto his back. Much like Luke the weather didn't bother him, and as he had put it, the ocean depths are colder than even the arctic. He did, however, dress somewhat more appropriately, wearing pants with full legs for the first time and a coat that concealed his tattooed chest.

"Can we even hike that far?" Jim asked as he took his gear.

"I can," Luke said, pointing in the general direction they needed to go. "If I'm not back in twenty-four hours, leave without me."

"Whoa, whoa!" Erin held up her hands, "what's all this 'I' stuff all of a sudden? We're coming with you, obviously."

"No you're not," Luke turned to her, "if we go as a group we'll need to set up camp and rest. If I go alone I can make it in a few hours."

"Then why the hell did we even come along?" She asked.

"Because I can't fly?" Luke replied as if it were obvious, "I'll be less than a day, I promise. You guys can camp in one of the hangars, you'll be fine."