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I stood and stretched, rolling the stiffness from my shoulders and missing the softer bed back at the base.
“I’m betting we’ll see them later today.”
The three of us had just finished our late breakfast when someone ran into the mess with news that a fleet of aircraft was approaching.
Katie took our trays while Roni and I went outside to watch the spectacle. Rick was yelling at people to move the few vehicles they had on the plateau. Molev stood nearby, watching the approach of the line of aircraft making its way toward the base. Spaced so far apart, the seventh one was barely visible in the distance.
The whomp-whomp-whomp of their double rotors grew louder, and I couldn’t hear what Molev said to Rick. When Rick nodded and jogged away, Molev turned and saw us. He came over, his body language conveying urgency.
“Get your things. We will leave in these once they are all refueled,” he said.
“I’ll get your stuff,” Roni said. “Send Katie when you see her.”
She hurried away, and I stayed with Molev to watch the first one land.
“What’s going on?” Katie asked, joining us as the blades slowed.
“Refuel,” someone yelled as the door to the aircraft opened and people poured out.
While a group of soldiers directed them to the bathrooms, another group moved a fueler into place. Everyone hustled. The next aircraft drew closer. I scanned the space available.
“Are they all going to fit?” I asked over the chaos.
“No. Once this one is done refueling and everyone is back on board, they’ll move to the next plateau to wait for the others to refuel,” Molev said.
The neighboring plateau was a good distance away and not as steep as ours.
“Is it safe?” I asked.
“For now,” he said. “If there is trouble, they will contact Rick.”
The landing area fit three easily. It might have fit four, but before that one reached us, the first one was refueled and reloaded. I stood with Molev and watched as each aircraft refueled and made room for the next.
The rest of the team joined us with their gear and waited.
I noticed that each aircraft also had four armed soldiers. Familiar faces from our training groups. Rather than feel a sense of relief, I worried. What did it mean that Waurlyn sent people she knew would work well with Molev and his people? Sure, she’d already acknowledged we had no intention of returning, but did she think that meant we would hold the transport hostage? I doubted that very much. Which left two other possible scenarios.
The first was that she’d given the soldiers and pilots orders to stay at Whiteman so we could return when we were ready. Doing that would not only ensure she had access to Molev’s people but the scientists she sent with us. And it would be a huge goodwill gesture.
However, giving up seven cargo-ready aircraft in the midst of a supply shortage seemed just as unlikely as us holding the soldiers hostage.
Which meant the final scenario was the most likely. She’d listened to Molev and his warning that something was going to happen and was sending these people with us because she doubted there would be anything for them to return to.
I looked at Molev.
“Are we rushing to get to Vance because you’re homesick, because you’re worried Waurlyn or someone else will change their minds, or because something’s telling you we need to hurry?”
Molev looked at me and blinked. That was it. Just that slow blink.
It wasn’t reassuring. Doubly so when he wrapped his arm around me and pressed a kiss to my temple.
“Focus on what we can control,” he said against my ear. “We have about thirty people able to help secure Vance if I include females. It was a large base. How would you secure it?”
I looked at the sky. We still had several hours before midday.
“Are we planning on overnighting at Vance or only refueling?” I asked. “I’m asking because we need to make sure we’re not arriving at our final destination at dusk.”
“Rick believes we should be able to make it to Whiteman before nightfall if we refuel.”
