"Oh hell no Reese. Where I go, these guys with me go and the girls too," James said with a chilly voice and hard stare that convinced Reese his nephew was not fooling around.

"Solo, I never planned to separate any of you. The moment you told me they were with you I knew they'd be with you, wherever you ended up. That's why I brought them behind me."

James's eyebrows rose and he nodded.

"Alright. Just want to get that shit straight right off."

"Damn, I figured you knew that was a given."

Reese turned and directed Dingo and Tilley to get packed up and to bring the girls over with Carolyn. "She'll be joining us as well. Those girls, uh, Lacy and Krisslyn, might need her help to adjust."

Dingo and Tilley left and Reese motioned the rest to follow them.

Macallan and James hopped out spotting Lacy and Krisslyn helping Carolyn to pack up an enormous duffle with food so they walked over. Lacy glanced at them and stopped what she was doing to point them over where two water bottles and a couple of energy bars waited for them on a stump.

Dylan copped a hurt expression and Lacy rolled her eyes. Carolyn reached in her pocket and pulled out a crunchy granola bar and handed it to him with a grin. He snatched it greedily and Lacy smirked.

"Really Dylan?"

Carolyn shrugged at Lacy's frown.

"Growing boys need lots to eat," she said sheepishly.

"Yeah, and he's growing alright." Lacy replied sarcastically," going back to her packing.

Macallan came back over and as he munched he noticed Krisslyn looked much better. Her color had returned and she was smiling as she chatted with Carolyn.

James went to stand next to Reese and together they watched as the group packed what they could into the back of the panel truck beneath the benches. The rest was thrown in the back of a pick-up.

Neither acknowledged the other but it was apparent they spoke quietly.

"So, Jonnie, my boss. Are you sure she's dead?" James asked staring straight ahead. "Because you know something strange is going on, like what Mac was saying about the Deputy-"

"Yeah. I'm aware. Actually I have Intel I haven't shared Solo. When we get to our base camp I'll brief you. But just so you know, I blew her head off. Had too."

James nodded very slowly.

"Not to change the subject but do you know where we're going Solo?" Reese asked next.

"I had a good idea when you mentioned the air raid bunker, but I wasn't aware we had a black site in Alabama," he answered.

Reese nodded curtly. "Yeah, you wouldn't of known because we just recently established it. It's not your, common black site. Let's say, its special. Put together by a few of the, old guard," he replied mystically but smiled.

"Old guard?"

"Yeah, James," Reese finally looked at him. "We're silvers James. All of us."

James just stared at him.

Reese waited, watching until he saw the light of realization dawning in James eyes.

"Are you goddamn kidding me Reese? Silvers?"

Reese threw his head back and laughed out loud.

"Holy shit Reese. A bunch of old fucks?"

Reese didn't reply. He just took a breath and whistled, getting the attentions of the group and barking out instructions.

"Alllllright boys and girlssss! Listen up! The POPs will be leaving with Dingo and Tilley! Stay tight. Stay frosty. Comms will be open! The bunker ain't the Holiday Inn but it will be safe! Get settled in and tomorrow we'll start making plans!"

Macallan and Dylan headed for the panel truck but Reese interrupted them. "HEY LADIES!"

They turned around with their brows knit in question. Macallan threw his hands out beside him.

"What the hell Sargeant?! Are you talking to us?!"

"Am I looking at ya?!" Reese shouted.

"Yeahhhh."

"Then I'm talking to ya! Get yer pansy asses over here. We're going in that."

Reese pointed to a mini van parked and running. Carolyn, Lacy and Krisslyn sat in the back seat and the back hatch was open. "Climb in girls, we gotta a long trip ahead of us!" Reese died laughing and slapped his knee. "James, you drive and I'm riding shot gun."

James truly tried to hide his smile as he jogged over and got in behind the wheel. He had to admit, he was starting to warm up to being back in the groove of belonging to a unit. He heard the hatch slam closed and put the van in gear. He and Reese watched as the panel truck followed by the other three vehicles jerked into gear and pulled slowly off.

James pulled in behind them and the small convoy bumped over the tracks and continued on down the service road.

Macallan and Dylan sat, scrunched up in two little side seats in the back. James watched them from the rear view mirror, smiling at their discomfort.

Everyone rode in silence for miles.

Macallan noticed that both Lacy and Krisslyn has fallen asleep. Lacy leaned against the window and Krisslyn leaned on Lacy's shoulder. Even Dylan was dozing in and out.

The service road jutted straight across state, over fielded land and through wooded stretches following the utility pole line and in some areas the underbrush was deep but the military truck pushed through like a tank eventually bringing them into more populated places but they didn't stop until surprisingly they arrived along the backside of a huge golf course Macallan recognized as being north of Brew Town.

Here, they all pulled up and Reese told them to get out and stretch their legs.

Dingo walked back to where they were parked.

"Sargeant, I'm gonna take the women and kids up to the pro shop restrooms."

Reese looked off in the direction of those buildings. "That's an awful long walk Dingo. May not be safe," he suggested.

"I tell ya what then, I'll throw the tarp up. We still got a little drive ahead of us and I don't want to keep stopping since we're about to enter the interstate."

Reese nodded in agreement.

Lacy, Krisslyn and Carolyn joined Macallan and Dylan as James and Dingo created the makeshift 'women's powder room.'

Macallan took the opportunity to pull Lacy off to the side. He wanted to talk to her. To make sure she was okay, if it were possible to be okay, he thought grimly, as he touched her arm. She jerked like she'd been burnt and turned with a piercing glare.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I just wanted to talk to you."

She gave him a relieved look, and he released a relieved breath.

"Is everything okay," she asked with genuine concern.

"Yeah yeah yeah, I'm good, I just wanted to see how you were doing. And Krisslyn too," he added for good measure.

"Yea Mac. I guess--" Lacy shrugged.

And to his dismay she started to tremble and tears began to stream down her cheeks. Macallan groaned inwardly and reached out to her, pulling her into his arms. She sank into his embrace and he drew her around to the back of the van.

"Hey hey hey hey hey hey, I'm going to get you to safe place Lacy, I swear and promise. You hear me sweetie? C-mon c-mon. Look at me." He tilted her face up and locked eyes with her. Her bottom lip trembled slightly. He brushed the tears away from her cheeks and bent close to her ear.

Lacy shuddered, as butterfly's raced into her stomach. Macallan's face brushed her cheek and his lips rested near her ear, his breath hot along her neck and she felt the little hairs there stand up. He whispered in her ear.

"I'll protect you with my life Lacy. No matter what I've been before. I'll get you to safety."

She wanted so badly, so desperately to trust him. He drug his face away from her ear and against her lips which were still wet with tears. His hands caressed her face and he kissed her tenderly, holding her in place there, suspended in his passion, his lips playing across her trembling mouth. She opened to him allowing her desire to match his, as he crushed her lips briefly and kissed her again with tender nips, her head fell back and he ran his lips over the column of her neck.

Then he was whispering again, professing his need, lingering in the moment, but pulling away to embrace her close. She heard and felt the thump of his heart against his chest. A lump formed in her throat. She wanted him to be her hero. She always had. But his inner demons had kept them apart.

He placed a hand on her head and ruffled her dark hair lovingly, rubbing the shivers from her arms.

"I don't know how or why, Lacy, any of this, all of it. It doesn't seem real and I want it to be a nightmare I can just wake up from but not us. I don't want to wake up from us. I know I've been an ass for so long and I'm so sorry. But I won't stop protecting you, no matter what. Even if you hate me."

Her breath caught in her throat with his tender words but she said nothing. He was all she had left in all of this. She needed to believe him.

A low whistle distracted her and she looked up at Macallan to see if he'd heard it too, but he was looking off in the distance at the dark shadow covering the earth and coming their way. She looked up to see a massive circular structure in the near distance hovering in the sky.

Terror gripped her and she wanted to collapse but Macallan was hanging on to her dragging her around the van, opening the door, thrusting her inside and jumping in beside her.

People began screaming, some crying and falling to the ground in fear but Reese was screaming like a madman telling them to get up, get up and run! Load up and go! James burst into the van and started it up and Carolyn grabbed Krisslyn and pulled her along.

Lacy watched as Dylan leaped into the back of the panel truck and she hollered as Reese opened his door to get in.

"It's too late! We gotta fly!" He shouted. He grabbed his walkie and called out to Dingo and Tilley. "Change of plans boys! Get your asses on the road and don't stop till you get to the operation point!"

Lacy sat there in shocked silence.

Macallan watched as the panel truck jumped and sputtered into gear roaring off and out of site.

Reese looked at James.

"Back up and pull the van into that forested area right past the golf course. We might have to wait this out."