THEM (Season 1): Episode 3 by M.D. Massey Page B

I was for any medical knowledge I had. I spent my time over the next few days observing the rhythms of the place, getting a feel for where and when they’d be most vulnerable, and what the best way would be to get the doc out. I decided that the best time to spring my plan would be when I was on watch. The only problem was that they weren’t putting me on watch yet, probably because they didn’t trust me enough.
    That was no problem though; all I had to do was lose a card game, and before I knew it I was taking over perimeter watch for one of Ratcliff’s buddies that hung out at the Swamp. As for the plan, I had a few surprises in store for the colonel that would be delivered to me courtesy of the Wonder Twins. I’d already left instructions for Gabby and Bobby at the designated dead-drop point, scribbled on a scrap of paper that I tied to a rock and tossed way out over the outer compound wall. I just hoped they’d get it in time.
    Now, all there was to do was wait until it was time to get us out of here. I had some reservations about what I was about to do, and decided I’d try to minimize casualties among the rank-and-file foot soldiers in the colonel’s militia. A few of these folks were decent people who were just trying to get along and survive, and they were only here because Colonel Leakey and his crazy outfit had offered them the best chance to do so. It was too risky to tell anyone about my plans, but I might try to come back later and recruit a few of these guys away from here.
    Anyway, I figured that once I had the colonel out of the way his militia would fall apart. If it didn’t, I could always deal with these clowns later. But right now every day I spent here was one more day that I wasn’t working to get Kara back from the ’thrope pack in the Corridor. She was my first priority; everything else could wait until I’d set her and the rest of the settlers free and destroyed the Corridor pack.
    - - -

[8 ]

SLAUGHTER
    T hat night I stopped off by the med station for some aspirin, letting the doc know that tonight was the night. She didn’t respond at all, but I figured she was playing it low key in case anyone was watching or listening in. So, I took the pills and slipped them in my pocket to save for later, and headed out to start my watch shift.
    Once I got to the wall, I called up to the guys who’d been on watch during the day. “I’m here to relieve one of you guys, filling in for Specialist Kelley.”
    One of the militiamen, a Mexican-American who went by the name of Topo, peered down at me. “I thought the sergeant major was keeping you off of guard duty.”
    “Yeah, well—I lost a bet with Kelley, so here I am. Should have stayed out of that game—I’m pretty sure Kelley deals off the bottom of the deck.”
    The soldier screwed his face up, then laughed. “Yeah, I’ve lost my fair share of rations and smoke to those guys.” He reached down and gave me a hand as I climbed up the wall. “Cox, Carter, and I are just coming on shift.” He nodded to a figure standing about twenty meters away, walking the opposite direction. “You can take sector charlie”—he pointed at a dark shipping container down the way from us—“and patrol from the blue container over to that far corner at the tip of the diamond on the opposite side of the wall. Just stay moving, and check back in with us at the gate every half hour or so.”
    I nodded. “What if I need to take a piss break?”
    He gave me a look like I was stupid. “Just piss off the wall, man. Shit, I thought you rangers was hardcore.”
    I grinned. “Well, it’s not really a piss I’m looking to take. I got a hot date with that Latina doctor over at the med station. Been working her all week.”
    Topo looked at me like I’d just pulled a rabbit out of my ass. “Shee-yit, ain’t nobody been able to tap that since she came. Colonel’s got her on lockdown, won’t let any of us have a taste.” He leaned in and smiled. “Think