I had to admit he had a point. I slowed down and everyone seemed relieved, with the possible exception of Fiona. She was impatient to get closer to anyone she could legitimately slice up with her knife.
I gently rolled toward the light, which flashed three times, disappeared, then flashed three more times. I eased back on the accelerator, as the terrain was getting rougher. Desert plants scraped the bottom of the SUV and cut lines in the paint of our fenders. I slowed down further, bouncing over rocks and scrubby brush.
As we drew near, the flashing signals ceased. I wondered what we’d been led into. Looking around at the pitch-dark desert surrounding us, I had to admit it was a perfect spot for a private massacre.
We were all worried by the time we were close to the area where the flashing signals had come from before they’d stopped. I kept looking for a building, a car, or even a man standing out there. But there was nothing.
I finally hit the brakes and we stopped with a long squeal. The engine thrummed and we all stared through the dusty windshield.
“We’ve got a few bags of fuel in the back,” Gilling said. “This is as good a spot as any to make our rip and finish this.”
I shook my head. “Someone is out here. We have to know who. Souza, Rheinman, I want you two to walk on patrol along on either side of the truck while we creep forward.”
Souza climbed out with his rifle in his hand, but Rheinman hesitated. “Why are you driving while I walk?”
Fiona made a disgusted sound in her throat and unbuckled herself. “Chicken,” she said. “I’ll do it.”
“All right,” Rheinman grumbled. “I’m going.”
I rolled the truck forward slowly. On either side, my two patrolling men looked everywhere at once, nervously. Finally, I saw the flashing again. Three quick flashes. They seemed impatient. I turned the wheel and came to the top of a low rise. Down below was a shallow depression surrounded by large rocks. Out of the hollowed-out area rose a vapor of some kind.
“Is that smoke?” asked Fiona, rolling down her window and leaning outside.
“I’m not sure,” I said.
“It might be steam,” Gilling said. “Maybe a vehicle has overheated out here and needs help.”
I nodded. We all climbed out of the truck. There were a dozen boulders clustered around the spot. In the middle of them was a scorched area. Had there been a fire? I didn’t see much out here that could burn.
A voice spoke up from the shadows surrounding one of the largest rocks. “You took your sweet time getting here,” it complained.
We all aimed our weapons at the stranger. He was tall, with a long face and close-together eyes. Walking in a crouch, I saw Souza and Rheinman circling around behind him. I could have called them off, but I didn’t. I didn’t like running into a stranger by surprise out here any more than they did.
“You’ve got some explaining to do, Robert,” Gilling said.
I glanced at Gilling sharply, then back to the man he’d called Robert. I remembered the wedding pictures Jenna had shown me once. Yes, this could be the man. I felt an odd mixture of emotions—but mostly, I was angry.
“You are Robert Townsend?” I asked.
He shrugged. “To some parties, yes.”
“You ditched Jenna on purpose, then, didn’t you?”
“Regrettable,” Robert said. He sounded bored. He walked forward into the glare of the SUV headlights. Moths had gathered in the blue-white cones of light, circling and tapping at the lenses. We all had weapons, but Robert appeared unconcerned.
“So, you’ve thrown in with these cultists, have you, Draith?” he asked. “Not the safest move.”
“We’ve decided to do something about the Gray Men,” I said.
“Yeah, about that—”
I shook my head. “Don’t even try to get in our way, Robert, or whoever you are. Go home and tell your masters we’re tired of being hunted by aliens.”
“Being hunted is one thing, getting yourself slaughtered is another.”
I looked him up and down now that I could see him clearly. I frowned at his legs, which looked like they were both in white plaster casts. The bottom region of each cast was scorched black and brown. My eyes flicked back to the blackened area in the center of the stones.
“You’ve been somewhere hot, haven’t you?” I asked.
Robert gestured to his makeshift boots. “Asbestos,” he said. “Nothing works better.”
I licked my lips. I didn’t like this at all. His presence indicated others knew we were out here and probably what we were up to. Could they have alerted the Gray Men? A terrible thought occurred to me. What if the Gray Men were working with the Community to clean out the riffraff rogues such as myself?
I put away my pistol and waved for the others, who now surrounded him, to do the same. We needed answers more than we needed blood. Fiona was the last to lower her knife. Her eyes were big—and hungry.
“We should kill this one,” Gilling said, speaking up at last. “He’s a traitor.”
“Yeah,” said Fiona. “No one will know. Time to die.”
Robert tried to look unconcerned. “Don’t you people even want to know why I came out to this rock pile?”