The One Who Got Away

Prologue

Navajo Nation, New Mexico

Sweat trickled down the side of Reede Allista's face as he shovelled the dirt into a pile beside the the hole he'd been digging for the last 5 minutes.

Once satisfied with the depth, he made his way to the back of his black four wheel drive to retrieve the hessian bag filled with prairie dogs, slightly coughing as he slid it out.

As he hauled the bag over to the hole, a distant rumble of a car was heard, making him look up. He dropped the bag and a few prairie dogs stumbled out. A jeep appeared on the horizon, making its way towards Allista. He took out a cloth he kept in his pocket, dabbed his fore head and watched as a man stepped out.

He wore ankle length jeans and black combat boot with a plain white t-shirt topped with a cowboy hat. He looked like he was in his mid 40's. As his eyes focused on the man before him, he could see he had a Mexican heritage.

Local patrol, thought Reede.

"Howdie" said the man. "You lost?"

"No" Alistair replyed

"Don't see ya folks out this way much" the man said. He looked down to where Allista dropped the bag of prairie dogs. "That's a lot of dead prairie dogs" He said, nodding towards it

Allista studied him carefully, thinking of an excuse "Just target practice."

"You know," he paused, looked down and kicked the small rock by his feet "My grandfather use to say, 'You kill all the prairie dogs, no one left to cry for the rain.'"

Alista stood confused for a second then he started to say "Prairie dogs don't make it rain, it's because they burrow, and then turns the earth," waving his hands in the air while he explains. "It keeps it from getting too hard packed, so when it rains, water can get in and plants can grow" he said nervously, trying to act normal

The man chuckled

"Did I say something funny?"

As the chuckles died down, he spoke up. "No, it's just funny that I have to listen to the white man explain how the world works." After a moment of silence, he continued. "Still can't imagine, comin' all this way to shoot prairie dogs."

"What can I say, I just like prairie dogs." He trailed off

"Can't find somethin' you 'just like' enough closer to home?"

Allista was about to reply but got cut off by the door of his four wheel drive slam shut. A women exited with an army outfit walking towards the the man with her hands behind her back. The man noted that she looked like she was middle eastern.

"Ya'll army or something?" She stayed silent still walking towards him. The man continued, "There's letting girls in. And realize lettin' in pretty one." He said grinning

In a flash, she flicked open the pocket knife and when she was close enough, she swung her arm out and slit the throat of the man. Blood sprayed everywhere and the man tried to stop it with his hands. He let out a whimper and fell to the ground with a thump.

Allista stared at the girl with wide eyes. "Wha-" he stopped still shocked "Guberr, I had this under control."

Annaliese Guberr ignored him and walked back to the car to sit and wait, staring out the window

"Psycho" he muttered, shaking his head

He spared one last glance at the now lifeless body lying on the ground, blood soaked into the sand.

****
Back at the set up lab, Allista and Guberr had just arrived from out in the middle of a desert, digging a hole to dump all the dead prairie dogs that had been tested on.

Guberr took a seat at the small table in the corner of the tent sharpening her knife while Allista checked the surveillance camera.

In a zipped compartment, scientist Jane Doreson and Larry Ross was working on a top secret project. Doreson had a syringe end in a clear dish which held a moss looking plant growing in it. It had dark blue dots surrounded in light blue muck.

To anyone who saw this wouldn't think that this was a deadly plague and what it can do. But what they were planning on to do with it was worse...

...Way worse

_____