Immediately after jumping the short, chain link fence at the corner of the fieldhouse the five men gathered together quietly and looked around to make sure there were no guards patrolling this far out.
It seemed clear and they relaxed momentarily to get their bearings.
Macallan hunched down and everyone followed suit whispering among themselves. Two of the men were from a neighboring county and they only had plans to go back there. The other man who introduced himself as James, said his truck was parked at the bottom of the hill and he was simply going back to Brew Town.
"Why would you go back there?" Macallan asked. "It's not safe," he added thinking about the strange anomaly of Deputy Story.
"I have my apartment there," James answered. "You know the Brown Jug Bar?"
Macallan nodded as recognition washed over him and he smiled. "I thought I knew you! You're the bar-back aren't you?"
"Yeah," James nodded.
"I guess you know us then," he said with a smile looking at Dylan.
"Mm hmm, yea," James grinned. "I know you've cost Jonna a pretty penny more than a few times."
"Sooo, not to change the subject," Dylan interjected, "but are we gonna get outta here. Because no matter where we end up we gotta ways to go."
"Well if y'all are heading back to town lemme give you a lift, my truck is just down the hill."
"Alright let's go," Macallan agreed.
The other two men who never even gave their names waved and took off into the night heading up the lane that led out of town.
Macallan, Dylan and James hit the same road but went down the hill keeping to the same field he and Dylan had come through earlier.
They reached a stand of trees where James had parked and the three of them piled in the front seat.
Dylan, who had been rendered temporarily mute with fear after seeing a very much alive Deputy Storey finally found his voice as they drove along the deserted road.
"I think we should plan to go back to the high school in the morning and listen to the Mayor's Press Conference," he announced firmly.
James reached down into the side pocket of his truck door and pulled out a narrow decanter of whiskey, speaking as his twisted the cap off.
"Yeah, that press conference. It ain't gonna happen," he said taking a long swig from the bottle before offering it to Macallan.
Macallan grabbed it and took a long swig himself letting the icy yet warm liquor burn a path down his throat appreciating the respite on his frayed nerves. He passed the bottle to Dylan who waved it away and Macallan went ahead and took the proffered chug and gave the bottle back to James who took another drink and continued his explanations.
"That's why the three of us were trying to leave earlier. I overheard something," he admitted quietly. "I'm an army veteran so the guys at the school didn't think much of me being around as they discussed the situation. The Mayor was air lifted out of town and," he paused to take another nip of whiskey, "he won't be coming back tomorrow."
Macallan whistled a low, 'whewww,' shaking his head at the absurdity.
"I saw no reason to stay at the school."
"Did the other guys with you also know this?" Macallan asked.
"Yes. I told them. I would have told everyone if I thought they'd listen," James said waving the bottle of whiskey, "but I just had the feeling that it would start a damn riot or something."
Macallan nodded thoughtfully.
"Well what do we do from here then," Dylan asked.
James sighed. "I just don't know. I was just gonna get to my apartment and stay hid until I figured something out."
"Why don't you just come with us out to the farm? I have to get to Lacy asap. I thought I might find her here but no luck with that, so just stop at the police station and let me get my truck. We'll swing by your place and you can grab some clothes," Macallan suggested, "because we heard something too when we were heading for the gate. Right before we ran into y'all."
James winced.
"Did it have something to do with Brew Town?"
Macallan nodded.
"Yeah, I already know." James stated grimly. "I'm not sure but I think Jonna may have died. She was out there with some of the others from the bar. My military instincts kicked in and I slipped out the back door got in my truck and called some people from my old unit. They all told me the same thing. 'Stay outta sight, stay frosty, it's gonna get hairy.' so that's what I did. I went to the school hoping I could stay in the loop for Intel, maybe even sit in on some briefings but I realized pretty quick that wasn't going to happen. You pretty much know the rest."
Macallan turned to Dylan who had a look of uncertainty and decided to keep mum about Deputy Story, at least for now. He turned back to James with a frown and James handed him the bottle.
"I know. It helps."
Macallan couldn't argue with that and took himself a long drink of the hard liquor as they cruised into town along the silent streets. They could only get within a couple of blocks and James pulled off the road right onto the front lawn of the nearest house.
"It looks we walk from here."
Deciding to go to James's place first, they picked their way quietly through the remaining few blocks before reaching Main Street and came out at the Baptist Church putting them on the east end of town. They would have to pass by the police station and Dylan suggested they take the side streets.
"I can't say I'm in the mood to see the carnage."
So they veered off into a back street that ran parallel to Main but just minutes down the road they began to run across the charred remains of people who had been burnt beyond recognition. Where ever people had gathered together to witness the horrific events that unfolded that night now lay decimated. Torn and burnt. It made Dylan wretch and he bent over with dry heaves. Sweat beaded on their foreheads as they picked their way along and shock replaced reality.
James cut back up toward Main Street and Macallan and Dylan followed. No one said a word. They trudged on toward the bar hoping what or who had done this wouldn't be back any time soon.
The three of them slipped around to the back of The Brown Jug. The door hung open lazily and they all stepped in carefully not really sure what would be there to greet them, but like everywhere else it was empty, and silent.
They followed James around behind the bar, through a door to the hall in the back room that led to the stairs, taking them two by two all the way up to the landing.
James went to unlock his door but found it open instead. With a trembling hand he turned the knob and the door swung open. He stepped inside and stopped.
Jonna sat on his couch holding a crying girl in her arms. Her head jerked up as they entered the room.
Macallan stepped in behind him and gaped with an unexpected twinge of happiness.
"Laaacy? How did you get here?"
The figure in Jonna's arms jerked around and seeing Macallan she pulled free and marched over her face haggard, her eyes wet with tears.
"MACALLAN! YOU rat assed piece of SHIT. WHY DIDN'T YOU ANSWER MY CALLS!"
With those shrill words Lacy pulled back her arm and slammed her fist right into Macallan's gut.
He groaned grabbing the doorframe with one hand and holding up his other before she waylaid him again. Thankfully Dylan's laugh distracted her but she just looked at him with disdain. It was Jonna's cry of relief that saved Macallan, causing Lacy to end her tirade, for the moment.
"James!" Jonna shouted. She stood and went over placing her hands on his shoulders. "Oh thank God I was afraid you were dead. . .where were you? Where did you go?"
James stiffened slightly at her touch, which wasn't lost on Macallan, but Jonna didn't even notice and threw her arms around his neck hugging him tightly.
He placed an arm around her shoulder but put her away from himself.
"I was at the school. When I saw you go out with some of the patrons I went out back to my truck and called a couple of my guys. I saw, the visitors, and I got the hell out. The Army has a command center set up at the school and that's where I found these guys."
Jonna looked at Macallan and Dylan and her eyes narrowed. "Oh. Great. And you just had to bring them here, didn't you. Y'all better not touch one thing, you hear me? Not one thing," she pointed at them then looked at James.
"You're in charge of them."
"Not a problem," his brows raised and he cast them a slightly pleading look.
Both Macallan and Dylan just looked at the floor.
"And, since everyone has been hesitant to mention it, I guess I can be the one to break the glass ceiling here. So, would I be correct in saying, that we've been invaded? By UFO's."
With James' chilling statement, Lacy promptly burst into tears wailing like a baby.