Draiks and Angels: Vignettes

Sean Tagan - Part 5

If anyone was suspicious of Sean's story, they didn't say anything. Sean was afraid Chad would make them search for the escapees, but he got the impression that Mark put a stop to that somehow. The tracker indicated that the trio hadn't left Eirini, but it couldn't say where, and splitting up to manually search was probably too dangerous if the winged people had somehow recovered their magic, Sean figured.

The next day, Chad watched the tracker as the signal started to move. Mark ordered the team to get packed up, and not long after, the signal stopped. Overland again, so they rented more SUVs. They arrived at a medium-sized town, and most of the team parked in the outskirts while Mark and Chad went into town to investigate.

When they returned, Mark called everyone out of the vehicles to give orders. Just before he started, Chad's pocket began to beep.

The elderly man pulled out the tracker and fiddled with it, "Looks like they found the tracking device, and destroyed it." He pulled a black disk out of his pocket and handed it to Mark, "You have to succeed this time or plant a new one."

Mark took the disc and put it in his back pocket. He didn't say anything, but Sean could tell he was annoyed. He turned back to the team.

"The ruins are just past the beach. Sandy, and grass. We'll see about the attack plan when we see the terrain, but once again, first goal is to get a sticker on both the Angel and the Draik. Everyone will take two, but only use one for each. You each need to be able to take out both, just in case. Keep them from taking the stickers off. We will split in half: half for each. Don't worry about Kinter until the Draik and Angel are managed. Remember they can vanish weapons, bindings, the like, but they aren't that strong physically and don't want to hurt us. Use that to your advantage. Once their magic is gone, though, we'll use cuffs since they are easiest to carry out there."

One man asked, "Mark, what about your gun?"

"There is too much wind coming off the beach," Mark explained. "It would blow the stickers out of the air before reaching the targets."

Everyone got equipped and headed toward the ruins. About what Mark said should be halfway there, there was a large hill, or dune. Mark signaled a halt.

Mark turned to the group and said quietly, "We are going to wait here to ambush the targets as they come over the hill. They should come back this exact way as it is the fastest route. Four each wait just under the crest of the hill. As you hear them approach, adjust until you are right underneath. When they cross over, they will see us, so grab them immediately by the legs and pull them down. Hmmm, whichever is first, keep them from warning the other with a gag, then put a sticker on. Hopefully the second will wonder what happened and still come over the crest where the second team will take them. If they don't, we'll be able to use the first as leverage to get the second, still."

"What do we do if Kinter is first?" one man asked.

Mark thought for a moment, "Unlikely, but if that's the case, just take him as planned, using the gag to keep him from warning the others. We'll have to pivot and make a third team on the fly in that case, but he won't need as many to contain him."

They got ready and arranged themselves flat to the sand on the hill. Sean ended up in the group of four on the south side of the hill. Mark crouched at the bottom of the slope between the two groups. Chad crouched to the north of the north group. They waited, listening for any footsteps.

After only ten minutes, they heard multiple, fast footfalls. They heard the steps slow as the people labored up the other side of the hill. The groups adjusted silently to match where the persons would cross the crest. North side was going to be first.