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It took a little, but Sherman did go over and talk to Cindy while Nodrog and Alice sat on the couch. "Are you all right?" Nodrog asked while Jenny and Cindy worked on a late night snack.

"Yeah, I will be all right. How is Sherman holding up?" Alice asked.

Nodrog glanced over the couch. Sherman and Cindy were talking. "Might take a little, but I think he will be all right."

"Is he going to ask her out yet?" Alice asked as she peered over the back of the couch.

"That is why he is over there." Nodrog lightly pulled on Alice's tail. "You don't need to watch."

"You're no fun." Alice sat down between his legs and leaned back against him. Maybe now with the real traitor gone, things would calm down. At least that's what she hoped for. "Hey, just read their minds and then I will know."

"No, besides with the kiss she just gave him I don't have too." Nodrog put an arm around her before she could get too far. "Sit."

Alice pouted as he held her. "You tall people cheat. Next time we are getting a shorted backed couch."

"I think you will live." Nodrog kissed the top of her head.

"Junk food is ready." Jenny pulled a sheet tray out of the oven with a few different appetizers and snacks on it. So what if it was close to midnight, one of them hadn't eaten anything since lunch. Jenny was excited Sherman had asked Cindy out. Cindy never got the nerve up to ask him herself.

Sherman walked Cindy to her apartment after they had eaten. "I know you have a room, but you can stay here tonight." Cindy managed to say as they stood outside her apartment.

"If you want me to, I will." Sherman said quietly.

Cindy reached out and took hold of his hand. "I do."

Sherman smiled and followed Cindy into her apartment. He closed the door behind them and when he turned around she kissed him. Cindy led him by the hand to her bedroom and closed the door behind them. It had been a long time since she had been with a man. Sherman, despite what you would think of someone with his looks had never been all the way. Neither of them were very experienced, but that didn't matter. The little bit of nervousness made them that much closer. And for the first time neither of them went to sleep lonely. They fell asleep in each others arms after making love and that would be how they woke up late in the morning.

While most everyone was sleeping Nodrog was reading, like he did most nights since he first learned how to read. Subject matter was of little importance, the same could be said for fiction verses nonfiction. Like playing the piano, it was one of the few things that could hold his interests. It helped keep the creeping madness at bay, so did Alice and Jenny. The two girls did a great deal of giving him a different focus in life.

When you are forged with only one purpose, the down time gives you too much time to think. When you are the only monster created by anger, hate and war, you don't even belong with the other monsters. So what did that make him? If neither monster nor normal, an abomination? He could heal and create as equally as he could kill and destroy. Would that make him a god, or a devil? Or was he all of them and none of them?

Nodrog's thoughts drifted back to the little cat and mouse that broke through his thick skin. He had fell in love with a person before, but this was the first time someone had loved him back. The only real complication was it was not just one, but two that had strong feelings for him. If you could really call it a complication. It was hard to explain even to himself, deeply in love with two people, it was something he had never heard of.

He got up and walked over to the large window as the sun began its slow march across the sky. He could honestly say they were equal in his mind and heart. They were both special in their own ways and neither had more traits he liked than the other. Jenny and Alice were both incredibly smart and beautiful, they both had their own quirks and eccentrics that made them both attractive on a non physical level. Really they meshed together incredibly well, which might be why he fell for them both. Because they were so compatible with the other. They hid no secrets from the other and they had hid nothing from him.

They had bared both body and soul to him, he knew their dreams and their fears. It was a little overwhelming in such a short time. Maybe it was that, this is who we are straight forwardness that had broke through. Neither girl had any false feelings or attitudes, that was rather refreshing in itself. His past didn't matter to them, whether wrong or right they didn't judge him from past actions, only his current ones.

Nodrog thought of how easily he had even made friends with Sherman. The wolf did not think much of him until the day they met had ended. Sherman was the first normal that could keep any sort of pace with him. He was one of the very few Nodrog had met to have gone down the same single minded path. Sherman had the same demons, what do you do after the killing is done? What do you do to ease the pain? And most of all, how do you keep from becoming addicted to it? Sherman was now like him and was no longer a simple soldier following orders. They needed the same thing, someone who could pull them back from the darkness. Someone who loved them.

Alice and Jenny woke up at the same time. They shared a giggle from being tangled in the sheets naked together. The bed was a total mess late in the morning when they woke up. After a lengthy kiss they managed to get untangled and out of bed. Jenny put on her large t-shirt and Alice just wrapped up in her bathrobe. They both were a little surprised to see he was still just in the baggy pair of shorts.

"What you thinking about?" Alice and Jenny joined him at the large window.

"The two of you." Nodrog smiled down at them.

"Hope they were good thoughts." Jenny stood on one side of him and Alice on the other side of him.

"They all ways are." Nodrog put an arm around each of them.

Alice slid her hand just inside the waist band of his shorts. "I wonder how good."

Jenny copied Alice's movement. "I wonder too." Both of their hands went further down. "Seems like they were really good." Their fingers ran along his member and both giggled as their light touch caused him to sigh.

The knock at the door brought anything further to an end. Nodrog went and answered it while Jenny and Alice went back to their room to get dressed. Jade was at the door and eyed him carefully. Sherman was standing behind her. "Get some clothes on. We have a meeting." Jade said as he opened the door further so they could come in.

"Have a seat, it will only take a few for me to change." Nodrog stood to the side as the two entered the apartment. He shut the door and went back to his room to get dressed. After getting dressed he knocked on their bed room door and poked his head in enough to let them know he was leaving.

Nodrog followed Jade and Sherman down to the conference room where the VP and another man were waiting for them. The VP was sitting down and the bear of a man was standing looking out the window. He was incredibly large, both in height and weight. He turned slowly as they entered and looked down at both Sherman and Nodrog. "So you are the duo who have been in the middle of all of this." The giant bear said in a deep and gruff voice. "I know I am an unfamiliar face to you both. I am Marko October, both the President and sole owner of this company."

The three of them took a seat when he motioned for them to be seated. "I must apologize, because I believe my actions are what set these past events in motion. Sherman you are the only successful candidate for the super soldier program. Which I had all but ended a few months ago." Marko walked part way around the table. "My word has always been final, until now no one has questioned or over stepped my authority. I will now oversee all defensive operations from this day forward. Also from this day forward the two of you will only answer to me."

Marko paused and eyed them both. "The reason for this is twofold, one I want to make sure my house is truly vermin free and two; because your actions have proven to me you are both trustworthy and loyal. No more training or pointless exercises, you will be my left hand. The time for niceties is at an end. I will no longer put up with aggression from the outside or inside any longer. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir." Sherman said.

"Crystal clear." Nodrog said.

"Good, your first task will be to do a little house cleaning. You will be heading back to the main defensive base and checking for any loose ends the general might have left behind. Cindy will be the only support you will be given. A permanent craft will be assigned to you three. The three of you are to depart this afternoon at the latest." Marko glanced at some notes on his tablet.

Sherman and Nodrog were excused and the two headed back up to their rooms. "Well at least you do not have to worry about what you are doing now." Nodrog chuckled.

"But are we doing the right thing? It will be hard to ask questions of people I have always trusted." Sherman said.

"That's why it has to be you, anyone else would simply fire the lot of them. At least you will give them a fair chance." They stepped off the elevator.

"I hope you are right. I will meet you down stairs in thirty." Sherman said.

Nodrog entered the apartment, Alice and Jenny were both dressed. Jenny was leaning against the counter with her arms crossed. "So I guess you have someplace to go to."

"Yes. I have to go with Sherman and help him straighten up the mess the general left behind." Nodrog walked past to get his bag packed.

"Why does it have to be you?" Alice asked.

"Because someone has to keep an eye on Sherman." Nodrog pulled out a couple black shirts and stuffed them in the bag. "I expect the two of you to behave while I am gone."

"We'll think about." Jenny gave him hug and a kiss.

"See you soon." Alice also gave him a hug and a kiss.

"Love you both." Nodrog said and headed back out. He met both Sherman and Cindy in the elevator heading down. "I see we didn't waste any time."

"Nope, never been one to sit around." Cindy said.

"The sooner we get this done with the better." Sherman said.

"Agreed." They exited the elevator and paused at the security counter to get a lift out to the waiting plane.

"That doesn't look like a plane" Nodrog was surprised as they pulled up to a blacked out chopper.

"It isn't. It's a gunship." Sherman grumbled as they all got off the little cart and walked over to the single tech checking it over.

"Morning Cindy. Just finishing up the check list for you." The young man said as they walked up to him.

"Not what I was expecting for a ride just to a base." Cindy said.

"This has been permanently assigned to you ma'am. Orders from Mr. October himself." The young man handed over the clip board.

"Well at least everyone will know we are not messing around." Nodrog looked the large and heavily armed chopper over.

"Neither will these." Cindy handed them each a new ID card. "We have essentially god level clearance now. No facility is off limits to us anymore."

"This just keeps getting stranger." Sherman climbed aboard the gunship. It was an old design but built with all of the latest technology. It was a flight capable tank that could transport a single platoon. Not very subtle, but neither was a real iron dragon.

Cindy took a little to make sure she remembered the controls of this particular craft. It was a simple craft since it was all fly by wire, unlike the original chassis it was based on it did not need a gunner, but it had a seat for a navigator/gunner. It also had triple redundant systems, unless you took a hit in the rotor head, you were not coming out of the sky unless you wanted too. She started the chopper's twin engines. "Well lets get this show going."

Sherman and Nodrog belted in and each put on a head set so they could talk without yelling over the engine's roar. Cindy got permission to take off and they were in the air shortly heading to the base were most of the defensive department was located. It would be a longer flight given the gunship's slower speed.

They talked little during the flight. There really was not much to say, none of them were looking forward to what they needed to do. The trip was uneventful and Cindy set the chopper down on the tarmac. As she shut down the craft a few officers headed out to meet them.

Sherman and Nodrog disembarked the gunship and three men saluted them. Sherman returned their salute. "I take it Col. Chambers you have been informed of our little visit."

"Yes we have. It came to all of us as quite a shock." Chambers said as they walked to one of the two little jeeps they had pulled up in.

"I am sure it did." Nodrog and Sherman tossed their bags into the second jeep. With instructions given for the Corporal in the second jeep to wait for Cindy and to take her and their things to the quarters they had been given. Nodrog and Sherman got in the first jeep with Chambers and headed up to the offices.

"Has anyone been in The General's office?" Sherman asked as they rode over to the office complex.

"No Sir. The janitors are not even allowed in there unless he was in the office." Chambers piloted the jeep.

"The man liked his privacy." Nodrog said.

"You have no idea Sir." Chambers pulled up next to the building.

They walked inside and met an MP standing guard at the office. He saluted and unlocked the door to the office. At first glance everything seemed to be in order. Sherman turned on the computer and looked in a desk drawer."Unless he wrote his passwords down, we will probably need a computer tech to come up and get us in."

"I will get one over here as soon as I can." Chambers said.

"Thank you." Sherman sat down at the desk to look through the rest of it. His mind weighted heavy, he looked up to the man a great deal. That probably made this considerably harder.

"Think anything important might be in here?" Nodrog asked as he cleared a few things out of the way of a wall mounted safe.

"Might be if we can get into it." Sherman walked over to the safe.

"I guess we could ask him for it." Nodrog smiled wickedly.

"Then ask him." Sherman covered his ears as the dragon spoke in that horrendous language.

"28-13-40" Nodrog waited for Sherman to open the safe before he cut the magic he held The General in.

Sherman reached inside and pulled out only one yellow envelope. He undid the string that held it closed and pulled out only a single sheet. "Doesn't make any sense to me." He handed the page to Nodrog.

Nodrog glanced over it quickly. "Must be codes for something. Guess we will have to get someone to see what they might be too."

Chapter

Cindy followed the young female tech up to the office and joined the boys. It was rather odd to be searching his office without the man being here. She leaned against the wall. "Find anything yet?"

"Only this list of codes." Sherman held out the paper after Nodrog gave it back to him.. The tech sat down at the computer to get them logged on.

Cindy looked over the list. "Some of them are coordinates." She took a pen off the desk to mark them.

"Then what are the others?" Nodrog asked.

"Maybe radio frequencies, not familiar with them all." Cindy said.

"Okay Sir, you should have access to all of his personal files and e-mail." The tech said.

"Good job. Run a quick search for any hidden files and bring up his mail." Sherman watched as the young woman started a search and opened the electronic mail. Nodrog stood next to him and he could tell it made the girl nervous. "Can you search his mail for anything that came from a non company address? Corporal?"

"Specialist, Amy Kraft. I can search for anything you like. Sir." Amy said a bit nervously and typed in the commands to perform the search.

"I'm Lieut. Sherman Moore. She is Lieut. Cindy Fichtner. The metal dragon is Nodrog." Sherman said.

"He's not military?" Amy asked as the computer finished both searches.

"Lets just say he is a warfare specialist. Now what did you find?" Sherman asked.

"Only mail from the outside appears to be from his wife. As for hidden files, they only seem to deal with the super soldier program that was suspended three months ago." Amy turned to look up at Sherman and Nodrog. Sherman was good looking, so was the mysterious Nodrog.

"Good work. Cindy hand her the sheet. Maybe you can help us figure out what they are." Sherman said.

Amy looked over the sheet. "They are GPS coordinates and radio transponder IFF frequencies. The General asked me to print them off for him then erase any electronic evidence of them. About three months ago." Amy said.

"Looks like this is going to be our only lead." Sherman looked back over the list.

"Most likely, this place is pretty much spotless. Unless we go ask some of the officers close to him." Nodrog figured he should do that.

"I really don't want to even think about that." Cindy said.

"I'm not looking forward to it myself." Sherman turned to look back at the screen.

"Amy how well do you know this facility?" Nodrog asked.

"I can get you anywhere on base that I have clearance for." Amy said with a cheerful smile.

"What are you thinking?" Cindy asked.

"I will go talk with the officers. I am all ready an outsider. Specialist Kraft will be my guide around the facility and with my clearance we can go anywhere. That leaves you two free to find out where those locations are. And figure out a flight plan so we can head to them tomorrow or the next day." Nodrog glanced down at the young lady. "Also call in and get Amy transferred under us, her technical skills could prove useful."

"He has a point on both counts, Sherman. Plus if anyone raises hell about it, he is the most bullet proof." Cindy said.

"Agreed. However we should ask the young lady if she would want transferred." Sherman looked down at Amy she was a little cutie. He couldn't give orders for something that he didn't know where it would lead. "I am not going to order you to do anything. This is a rather odd operation we are on. So I will ask."

"Actually I would be happy to come along. I haven't left this base except for Christmas leave last year." Amy said.

Sherman picked up the phone in the office and called the number Mr. October gave them to reach his office only. The conversation was short and to the point with orders being sent out shortly for her transfer to Sherman's command. "That was easier then I would have thought."

Cindy checked her watch. "Almost shift change Sherman."

Nodrog glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. "How long will it take?"

"For base wide no more than thirty minutes. You had better take Amy down to her supervisor and explain the situation. Cindy and I will head down to the tac ops and see about mapping out these locations." Sherman said.

"Very well, Amy lead the way." Nodrog followed the little raven haired young woman out of the office and down the hall. A bit more petite then Alice and a little shorter. She had similar cat ears and tail like Jenny, but they were as black as her hair.

"Are you really made of metal?" Amy asked as they walked down the halls leading to the area she worked.

"Entirely, flesh, blood and bone." Nodrog followed her down another hall.

"So you're the monster I have heard rumors about." Amy said.

"I will tell you now, they are not rumors. I am a monster." Nodrog smiled as she visibly tensed up. At least his black fatigues and black shirt did not make him stand out more then he all ready did. Well he still stood out because most everyone had heard of the metal monster, and most were visibly worried or afraid. He ignored the whispers and finger pointing as they approached an office.

"Can I help you Specialist Kraft? And who are you?" A gray haired Officer asked as she knocked on the door frame of his office.

"I am Nodrog and I am here to inform you Specialist Kraft is being reassigned under Lieut. Sherman's command." Nodrog smiled as it sunk in who he really was. Having one's reputation precede them was handy in military ordeals.

"I appreciate being informed in person. I assume there will be written orders to follow." The officer said.

"They should be here any time. Thank you for your cooperation." Nodrog and Amy turned and left the officer a bit dumb founded. They stopped at her desk so she could retrieve a few things before they headed to the now Acting Commander under Mr. October's direction.

"You most likely will not have to wait but a few minutes at any one office. It won't take me long to figure out if they are hiding something." Nodrog said as they walked.

"You can read people that fast?" Amy asked as she pointed to the right to head down the next hall.

"Instantly, because I can read most people's minds." Nodrog said.

"That's hard to believe." Amy scoffed.

"Your favorite color is purple. Scott and Sara are your brother and sister. The last thing you ate was a chocolate muffin from the mess hall." Nodrog smiled down at her. "And you don't need to lose any weight."

Amy stood in a rather stunned silence as he turned to ask the Corporal at the desk if the officer was in his office. No one knew her favorite color was purple except her sister. It kind of freaked her out a little as she waited now nervously for him to finish speaking with the officer. She sat down on a bench against the wall. Amy was a little uncomfortable now that she was outside of her normal element. She stood back up as he came out of the office and walked over to her. "Anything?"

"Nope, The General was good at keeping secrets even from his closest staff. No sense talking to anyone else. Lets head to whatever tac ops is and see if Sherman and Cindy had better luck." Nodrog said.

"Its this way." Amy felt tiny as he walked next to her. She had never really done anything special, really few people even noticed her. Hopefully this new assignment will be good for her, Amy thought as they walked nearly from one side of the large low building to the other.

Cindy and Sherman were leaning on the edge of a large table looking down at what Nodrog figured was a flat TV. Looks like they have had better luck them him. "Did you find anything?"

"Whole lot of nothing. You?" Sherman asked.

"The General was good at keeping things from everyone. So what are we looking at?" Nodrog said.

"Not much. Its what used to be an old ammunition storage facility. Been abandoned for a hundred and twenty years. Sure there are some relatively new looking vehicle tracks, but not much in the way of any work." Cindy said as they looked down at the map.

"So what do the other areas look like?" Amy asked.

"The same or even less. One is where they tested the first atomic bomb. The only thing they really have in common is they used to be military bases. Before the corporations formed their own military." Sherman clicked slowly through the photos.

"Wait, go back one." Amy all most yelled, her own tail swaying excitedly.

"This one?" Sherman asked.

"Yeah, isn't that the base they supposedly had the aliens at?" Amy was excited as they looked down at the map of the ruins that were once Area 51.

"Don't tell me you believe in aliens little girl." Cindy said a bit coldly.

Amy pointed to Nodrog. "I didn't believe in monsters until today either."

Sherman and Cindy looked at each other. "Can't fault her logic there. Guess we will head here first then simply check the rest on the way back."

"I disagree, we should check them on the way out. Because I bet a case nothing is there." Cindy tapped on the map.

"You're on." Amy said before either Sherman or Nodrog could say anything.

"What do you think oh old and wise one?" Sherman asked.

"I think we have a long week ahead of us." Nodrog crossed his arms.

"That we do. Amy come with me so we can get you some field equipment." Sherman said.

Nodrog and Cindy headed to the two room quarters the three of them were sharing. "Are you sure bringing her along is a good idea?" Cindy asked after they were out of the other two's hearing.

"Can you pick electronic locks or over ride a security system?" Nodrog asked.

Cindy glanced up at him as they walked. "Okay I will give you that. But why her?"

"Because that's who they sent us. And because she was ordered to cover up information by the man we are investigating." They now waited for a jeep to carry them to the living quarters.

"So why not just read her mind?" Cindy asked.

"I can't, except for some trivial things. And that is disturbing." Nodrog watched as a jeep pulled up. They got in and it headed off to where they were staying.

"Disturbing because its hard or something else?" Cindy asked.

"Something else, I don't know." Nodrog dislike these little vehicles, they were too small and leaned when he got in them. The jeep pulled to a stop and they both got out and headed inside the apartment.

Sherman and Amy got her a side arm from the weapons Master Sergeant. Along with a nearly indestructible laptop computer. As they headed to the living quarters Sherman stopped and made sure the gunship would be fully fueled before they took off. Along with some food and other miscellaneous supplies.

With full tanks they could make two of the locations before needing to refuel the chopper. A quick re-supply stop at another company facility and they could head to the next three. Sherman disliked not knowing what he was getting into, and he was tired of getting into bad situations.

"So I am to meet you three at the chopper?" Amy asked as they got off the jeep that had given them a ride to the living quarters.

"Yes, 0700 sharp. Make sure you pack for a few days." Sherman said.

"Yes Sir." Amy scampered off to her single room apartment.

Sherman unlocked the door and found Cindy and Nodrog sitting on a couch watching television. Sherman closed and locked the door behind him. "I told Amy to meet us at the gunship at 0700. Guess we will see how prompt our specialist is."

"She will probably be waiting for us with bells on. I saw how she was looking at the two of you." Cindy took a drink out of her juice can. The cat girl was quite enamored by the two of them.

"Then the two of you should get to bed. There is a king sized bed in that room." Nodrog pointed over his shoulder with a sly smile. He laughed when Cindy kicked him with her bare foot.

"What are you implying there bub?" Cindy growled.

"I don't think a person has to be a mind reader to know. After all you should thank him for telling me to ask you out." Sherman gave her a wink.

"Night love birds." Nodrog went into the other bedroom and changed into his shorts for the night. He sat back down on the couch and tried to figure out why he couldn't read more of Amy's mind. It was rather baffling, usually it was easier with younger people. They tend to have less training or experience hiding things from either mind readers or someone well versed in reading people.

Nodrog figured they would get answers soon enough. For a number of things, what was at those locations and why the girl was hard to read. Marko October only told them to figure it out, he never gave them a dead line. As quickly as they acquired both the helicopter and got Amy transferred; there was no doubt they would get or have anything they would need. What would they do if they did not find an answer?

Once he heard either Sherman or Cindy getting up, Nodrog went into the other room and changed. He set his bag by the door as Cindy came out partly dressed, she still needed to button her shirt.

"Forgetting something?" Nodrog asked as she got a glass of water.

"Nope." Cindy said and headed back to the bedroom.

Nodrog shrugged and bit a chunk off one of the brass rods he had brought for food. When they both came out she was fully dressed.

"I all ready called for a jeep. We will drop our stuff off at the gunship and we will go get some grub." Sherman set his duffle bag down.

"Ready when you are." Nodrog said.

"Lets go, I'm starving." Cindy slung her bag over a shoulder.

They dropped their bags off and Nodrog waited at the gunship for Amy. Cindy and Sherman went to the mess hall for an early breakfast since by now it was only 0615. Amy dropped her bag off a few minutes after Cindy and Sherman left.

"Didn't you get something to eat?" Amy asked as he took her bag and set it in the back with theirs.

"I did. They just left for the mess hall only a minute or two ago." Nodrog said.

Amy looked at her watch. "Should be able to get something to eat and get back here in time." Amy jumped back in the jeep and headed out to the mess hall.

Sherman looked at his watch as Amy waved to him from the food line. "At least she wasn't waiting for us."

Cindy glanced over at the girl. "True, guess we don't have to hurry to get back before 0700." She was somewhat glad to see Amy was not in base uniform but was in battle fatigues.

"Good morning." Amy said cheerfully as she sat down next to Cindy.

"Good morning." Sherman and Cindy replied.

While they ate breakfast Nodrog checked and signed for the supplies Sherman had requested. He had kept the pistol and sword with him so they were all ready in the chopper. They had guns and food, well they had food. By the time they had come back from the mess hall Nodrog had everything loaded.

"They didn't have any problems with you signing for the stuff?" Sherman asked as they walked up to Nodrog.

"Nope. We are packed and ready to go." Nodrog said.

"Give me a little to do my preflight." Cindy opened the canopy over the cockpit.

Nodrog and Sherman climbed into the rear compartment so they would be out of the way. Amy did not have flight training, but had flight navigation training. So she helped Cindy with the preflight and would act as navigator and radio operator. Plus she knew how to program the IFF system.

As Cindy started the engines and the two girls prepared for take of Sherman looked at his watch. "0730 like we had wanted."

Nodrog hit the rear hatch switch and took a seat on one side as the heavy gunship was pulled out of the hanger they had placed it in for the night. They each put on a head set again. "Cindy you copy?"

"Yup, Sherman you there?" Cindy said while the ground crew unhooked the little tug and gave her the all clear.

"Loud and clear. We are strapped in and ready to go." Sherman said as the engine and rotor noise grew.

Cindy got the final okay for takeoff and nudged the gunship into the air.

"IFF and nav system are programmed for our first stop." Amy monitored her own display carefully as Cindy pitched the nose around to the correct heading.

The engines roar competed with the chopping noise of the rotors as Cindy gained altitude and speed. With the auxiliary tanks they now carried she could throttle the gunship to full power and run near the top speed. A plane would have been faster, but planes needed runways, the gunship didn't. It also had considerably more firepower in case they needed it. With no record of what was still at the locations or if The General had even been to them, Cindy was grateful for the extra weapons and armor the gunship had.

After a three hour flight Cindy made a low and slow circle of the first location. Amy ran a number of sensor sweeps and found nothing. "I have nothing on any sensors. As far as I can tell nothing is looking for us either."

"Well put us down next to the largest structure and Nodrog and I will do a quick search on foot." Sherman said as the gunship banked to the left.

"Will do." Cindy brought the chopper around and set down on the ground. She didn't trust the landing pad on the roof.

Nodrog and Sherman each armed themselves and popped open the rear hatch as the rotors and engines wound down to standby by. "Guess we can use the front door."

"Might as well." They walked up to the clearly abandoned building.

"Would a chain around and through the door handles be a good or bad sign?" Nodrog asked as they stepped up to the doors.

"Leave it. I will go around the right side, you take the left. Unless we find an find an obvious way in, we can scratch this one off the list." Sherman started off to the right.

Cindy kept the power on so Amy could keep the sensors online in case something should change. However after an hour neither of them had found any signs of a way in. The windows they could see in just showed a gutted and empty building. With the other buildings in even poorer shape Cindy fired the engines back up as the guys headed back to the gunship.

"Well that was a bust. On to the next one." Nodrog secured his gun, in a weapons holder next to his seat.

"We are ready back here Cindy." Sherman sat down in a chair and locked his rifle in its spot.

"All set for the next stop here." Amy said.

"So is nothing worth reporting?" Cindy guided the chopper back into the air and headed for the next location Amy had programmed in.

"Most likely not." Nodrog said.

If not for the sound of the engines and rotor it would have been a very quiet flight to the next location. The next location was even less then the first. Nodrog and Sherman stood at the open rear hatch as Cindy slowly made increasing larger circles around the point on the sheet.

"You guys see anything?" Cindy asked.

"Trees." Nodrog chuckled, he could almost hear her roll her eyes.

"I have nothing on any sensors." Amy said.

"I see a couple birds." Sherman smiled.

"You both can walk if you keep it up." Cindy held the gunship in a low hover while Amy brought up the heading for the refueling stop.

"Only three more to go what are you thinking?" Sherman and Nodrog were still standing at the open rear hatch.

"One of them is the real location. We just have to find it. Provided they don't pack up operations after not hearing from the general after so many days." Nodrog said.

"True we have no idea how often he and whoever is out here made contact." Sherman said.

"We got a good start, unless they just blow up the facility we should at least catch them in the act of moving." Cindy said.

"So what happens if they do just blow it up?" Amy asked.

"They won't do that." Nodrog said.

"How do you figure that?" Sherman turned away from the hatch and closed it.

"Because the general ended his career to get us in some one's hands. And we are now going on our own free will." Nodrog said.

"So I am flying you both into another trap." Cindy said angrily.

"Maybe not, no one knows what we are doing." Nodrog said.

"Mr. October does." Cindy said.

"To a point, he only knows what we tell him and were we are from the heli's location. He does not know why we are where we are." Sherman said.

"Exactly, and no one but us knows our flight plan." Nodrog said. They continued on to the base so they could refuel and rest for the night before continuing on the following day.