There is no trailer; Jeanette wants to check the back of the Beetle to see if it has a hitch. It does not.
 
Jeanette presses the button. "They don't have a trailer or a hitch to pull it with."
 
Quote from Fernando on May 18^th, 2016, 3:40pm:

Note: Going to Denver is not needed.
 
Jeanette Isabelle

Jeanette wants to be sure she understands as apposed to making assumptions or jumping to conclusions. "Fernando, I want to be sure I understand. This party will be getting the Robinsons a trailer similar to the ones we have?"
 
Jeanette Isabelle

After Fernando helped Hondo get the Indian out Hondo grabbed a rifle and shotgun to put into the 2 scabbards on it and added a shoulder holster to his hip rig to add a 3rd pistol to his gear, one that was easier to grab while seated. Hondo took off to the north where Ruth said the family farm lay.  
 
Hondo roared through the country side on the old bike. He got about 10 miles out of town he decided to circle around to come at the farm from the west. He road up a large hill to get a view of the surroundings from the top of the hill he could see some faint wisps of smoke and what appeared to be burnt out buildings in the distance. He shut the bike down, pulled out his binoculars from the saddle bag and looked around. The buildings were definitely burnt, all but one old barn. He thought he saw a body but the trees around the place made things are to see, especially from this distance. As he studied what he was sure was the girls farm he heard a gun shot in the valley behind him. He dropped into a crouch behind the bike and listened another rang out but it didn't seemed to be aimed at him. He stood part way up and raised the glasses to his eyes again. Further west and a bit north he could see a bunch of vehicles. They seemed to be running. Several men with guns were waving their arms around in the air as if arguing. One finally through his arms up in the air as if to give up arguing and started pointing at the others and the vehicles. 3 jeeps with mounted guns, a humvee, an off road rig with turret gun, 2 pickups with tarps covering boxes in the bed, 5 box trucks like the one they took from the slavers, and about 8 motorcycles made up the vehicle group. All but 2 men jumped into vehicles and started off. Two stayed with the military looking off road rig.
 
As the big group moved off to the north and east Hondo watched. They went west for a bit then headed south. Hondo watched them until the dust died down. What he saw left him a bit sick. On the ground, originally hidden from view by all the vehicles laid several piles of bodies. Hondo figured they were the slavers but why kill everyone? Was this what the leader meant when he said he condemned the other to death? Where these the others? If so why kill their stock? Hondo lowered the binoculars and took a deep breath, giving himself a moment to think. He picked up the glasses again quickly to see about the two that remained. They were looking at something in the dirt. One pointed off to the north east and they headed off into the woods.
 
Hondo put the glasses away and fired up the bike. He headed down the hill and around the slavers camp to the west. It took him about 20 minutes to work his way down and around. He parked a ways off so not to be heard. He approached the camp, circling around it on foot to the north. So dying fires were seen from the edge of the woods, the one vehicle sat towards the back and bodies littered the ground. After a moment Hondo was sure the others were away he approached slowly but cautiously.
 
The air stunk of death. Other than flies no other scavengers were seen. The flies swarmed the bodies, they clustered on the puddles of blood, the bullet and knife wounds, and one the eyes and mouths of the victims. Hondo was glad he hadn't eaten a large breakfast before he took off. Although he had unfortunately seen enough death before the savagery of the deaths and the number of them left him slightly queasy. Any other person would probably be puking their guts out before they made it as far as he had. He sighed as he looked over the bodies. There were young children, young adults, and some strong and/or good looking middle aged folks, all mix of humans and mutants though the mutants seemed to outnumber the regular humans 2 to one. A couple of women in their early 40's caught his notice. They looked familiar some how. In ones hand there was a locket still half clenched in her out thrown hand. Hondo stooped down and removed it. He looked at it for a moment then opened it. Inside there was a picture of 2 girls. The oldest was early teens in the picture and the other about 5 years younger or so. Though the picture had some age on it it was easy to make out the younger version of Ruth and Esther. Hondo knew, sadly, why he recognized the women on the ground. The 4 girls definitely had their mothers beauty on them. Hondo had hoped for their sake that their folks were alive though he knew in his head they probably were not, but this confirmed it.  
 
As he looked over the poor souls he knew he needed to call it in. These folks deserved a good burial at least. He started to pull out his radio when out of no where someone blind sided him, knocking him to the ground. As he fell the radio flew from his grasp and hit the ground hard, busting off the tuning knob and the antenna.  
 
Hondo rolled as he hit and came up on one knee facing his attacker with his gun in his hand.
 
A young woman with red fur, long pink hair in a pony tail, a black nose, piecing green eyes, pointed teeth, pointed red ears with black tips that sat up further on her head and a bushy tail, crouched down, growling, ready to strike. She had on a white stained halter top and some torn jeans, but no shoes. The stared at each other for a long uncomfortable few seconds before a dark skinned young man with horns on his head, a long white goatee, and devilish eyes sprang from the woods.
 
Goat man: Tonya, stop! He wasn't with them!!
 
Tonya: Stay out of it, Karl!
 
Karl: But we need help. He may be able to help us!
 
Hondo: I can help. How 'bout you just relax an' I'll holster this here big leg.
 
Karl: Thank you, Mister.
 
Tonya: I don't trust him.
 
Karl: You don't trust anyone!
 
Tonya: After this you think we had reason to?
 
Hondo: I understand.  
 
Tonya: You understand nothing!! You see all this?!?
 
Hondo: I do. You were prisoners of the slavers? How did you survive?
 
Karl: Tonya managed to hide a bobby pin and picked all our locks. That's why somebodies are piled and others scattered. When we stopped we scattered. Only 3 of us survived.
 
Hondo: 3?
 
Karl: Girl with blue hair. You see her?  
 
Tonay: Wait! I still don't trust him.
 
Karl: We don't have time! if we don't find Zoey soon they might.
 
Tonya: Just wait!
 
Tonya walked up to Hondo to look him in the eye.
 
Tonya: Who are ya mister?
 
Hondo: Hondo. I am with a group of medics heading to Texas.
 
Tonya: Where in Texas?
 
Hondo: Charlton.
 
Karl: Damn.
 
Tonya growled and got in his face: You work for those #$@!ing spirits?!?
 
Hondo: Hell no! I wouldn't mind shootin' every last one of them. But I and some with me who feel the same must bide our time.
 
Tonya: Why?
 
Hondo: Honestly, there is a spirit with us and one the spirits are protectin'. Those in my group who are like minded are finding out what we can. They are powerful and going against them isn't going to help anyone right now. Now why the questions?
 
Tonya: We don't have time. Now what is your true reason for being here and with your group.  
 
Hondo: I am part of our groups protection. I am with them to protect them and to aid folks on our travels. My reason for being here now as I heard gun shots then saw the slaver leave and came down to see if I could help anyone. I was too late for most.
 
Karl: But town is almost 20 miles from here.  
 
Hondo: I was looking for a farm to check out that isn't far from here. My friend and I saved some folks from slavers in a town a ways back. It's their farm and I wanted to make sure there were no surprises waiting for us.
 
Tonya: Wait . . . You took out the leader?
 
Hondo nodded.
 
Karl: #$@!. Do you know what you've done?
 
Hondo: Saved several folks from a life of slavery?
 
Tonya: You see these dead folks here?
 
Hondo: I'm sorry I couldn't have done anything. Had  I . .  
 
Tonya: YOU KILLED THEM!!
 
Hondo: What?!? I wasn't here when it happened.
 
Tonya looked around then at him with a perplexed look then she collapsed to her knees.
 
Tonya: You killed them!
 
Hondo: I didn't!
 
Karl: But you did, though you didn't mean to.
 
Hondo: Explain.
 
Karl: Obviously you're not from around here.  
 
Hondo: It's complicated.
 
Karl: So was this. In saving those from the leader and taking him out you invoked clean slate.
 
Hondo: Clean slate?
 
Tonya (talked weakly): It's why the slavers are around and why neither the town folks nor the Sacketts dare take them down.
 
Karl: To keep the prisoners docile and people from rising up against  the slavers they have let everyone know that if you attack them or take down one of their groups they kill all the current prisoners. To keep from having family killed that may be captured no one dares cross them. They let you put up a fight as they always out gun you so they figure it's every mans right to die with his family. This cuts down on rebels too.  
 
Hondo: As much as I hate the spirits hasn't anyone gone to them? I know they have us rescuing some mutants.
 
Karl: Mutants or Wessen?
 
Hondo: Wesen?
 
Karl: We are Wesen. Not mutants. Wesen, German for creatures, are those of us mutated with animal DNA. We were engineered. The mutants were radiated to try for mutations. They were an early failed project.
 
Hondo: Who did this?
 
Tonya: Your #$@!ing Spirits!
 
Karl: It was their way to try to make humans more resilient but docile and take orders. They don't like free thinking humans.
 
Tonya: Most failed. Some of the spirits help the slavers to try to be rid of us. They tried to kill off some of their failed experiments right off but they realized that might start a rebellion. So instead they turned loose the failed ones that didn't work out and left us for the slavers.
 
Hondo: The Texas spirits did this?
 
Karl: Frankly we are not sure they were involved. We have found some to be helpful and supportive as they disagree with what happened. there are many factions in the spirits. This is the only reason they haven't taken over. Too much in fighting on how to respond.
 
Tonya: Given the option if it comes down to killing their own or us they will all kill us. Makes them all evil in my eyes.
 
Karl: Forgive her. She's had a rough life.
 
Hondo: We can help you, but you hafta trust me. I didn't mean fro this to happen. Now that I know . . . I will hafta live with the guilt. I can never undo this nor make up for it, but please let me help you.
 
Karl: We need it. Tonya?
 
Tonya looked up at Hondo. She could see it weight heavy on him and she started to wonder if she was too hard on him She was tired, sore, hungry, and scared. She knew they needed him, whether she wanted to trust him or not.
 
Tonya: Yeah. alright. But no funny business.  
 
Hondo: OK. Let's find your friend, get you cleaned up, fed and rested then we will talk.
 
A scream was heard from the woods.
 
Karl: Zoey!
 
Tonya was off like a bolt with Karl and Hondo following off a way. Though tired and worn down she was still fast. Faster than the others by a lot.
 
 
(to be continued . . .)

Minutes before Jeanette's arrival at the camp, Fernando argued with Ruth and the girls, driving his final point home as he separates the Bronco from its trailer. Bad enough something is bothering him, the last thing he needs is a woman who think she knows better than he does telling him what to do.
 
"You and Joanna are coming with me. The younger ones stay with the boys to take care of them in case we do not return. If all four are you are caught again, who will take care of the boys?" He tells Ruth.
 
Ruth lets out a sigh, "Alright, you win."
 
"Get this straight - this is not about winning. This is about improving our chances. Now get into the truck. We got a few things to do before we go." Fernando tells her.
 
Joanna takes to the front seat before Ruth makes her switch to the rear seat and sits with her. Fernando takes the driver's seat and drives back to the market. He parks the bronco just outside of the market and steps out, making his way to Tom's Armory. Though there were a few buyers and sellers there, things got quiet as he and the girls walked in. All eyes stared at them as they walked to Tom's place at the counter.
 
"Lets see if you know your guns." Fernando says, "Got any M1 Garands?"
 
Tom looks at him, noticing that he was looking up at the two M1 Garands on the wall. He points out, "Those are only for show. They do not work."
 
"Bring them down." Fernando tells him.
 
As Tom brings over a ladder to reach the rifles with, there was a loud screeching of tires. The a voice over a portable PA System or Bullhorn, "You know who we are, you know why we are here!" Everybody around them goes to hide, though many are grabbing for their side arms and the mumbling of the word "Slavers" heard by Fernando's ears.
 
Fernando walks outside, seeing a military jeep and two dessert sand buggies in military camouflage, with 7 men armed with machine guns, all standing side by side with one of the on the roof of the jeep with a PA mic in his hand and his weapon slung over his shoulder. A few captured market buyers who could not get away were kneeling on the floor, crying. He steps outside to confront them and surveys the scene.
 
"How about picking on somebody your own size." Fernando tells them.
 
The men laugh and suddenly lift up their machine guns to Fernando's direction.
 
*BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!* - all in under 3 and a half seconds. Six of the seven drop to the floor dead where they stood with a shot to the head before the smoke clear. The seventh stands there visibly shaking.
 
"Tell your boss the slaving of people is over." Fernando tells him.
 
The slaver might have grew a set of balls as he lifts up his machine gun, pulls the bolt on it to advance the bullet into the firing chamber. "*BAM!*"
 
"ARGH!!!! YOU SON OF BITCH! YOU SHOT OFF MY MANHOOD OFF!" The slaver yells from behind the jeep. Fernando walks around the vehicle and sees the slaver grasping at his bloody groin. People began to gather around Fernando.
 
"You know what you have done?" One of the people says.
 
"You have doomed us!" Another says.
 
"YOU #$@!ING SON OF A BI-*!" The wounded slaver says before Fernando kicks his face unconscious.
 
"Send him to a doctor and get him patched up." Fernando tells him, then he looks at the others around. "You #$@!ing cowards or what?"
 
"They will be more of them." Somebody says in the crowd.
 
"When life loses it value and it is taken for naught, then the pact is for revenge." Fernando tells them. "When a slaver comes to town, understand that they do not go back. If they are smart, they will stop coming knowing that the people they send over will not come back." He draws his gun upwards and lets out a shot over his head, a couple of second later a vulture falls from the sky and lands dead between them all. "Make that people and spirit birds they send."
 
"You doomed us." an old man says.
 
"You doomed yourself a lot time ago, old man, by allowing this to happen. The strong will always prey on the weak. You need to make sure that you are stronger than they are. Yes, you are going to lose a few people, but they are going to lose more because there are less of them and more of you until there are none of them and only you left. Therefore you win." Fernando tells him.
 
"You know, he's right!" Another voice says in the crowd.
 
"I know I'm right." Fernando says before he leaves for Tom's weapons shop.
 
 
[To Be Continued...]

As Penny shows Jeanette what she made, a crow lands next to Penny and caws. "Hello, Penny."
 
"Miss DuPont!" Penny replies in English. "Dad and I will stay together and we are moving to Charlton."
 
"I heard." Miss DuPont caws. "I put in a request for a transfer and I was approved. I'm moving with you to Charlton."
 
"You have to ask for something like that?" Penny asks.
 
"Yes."
 
Penny looks up to her dad. "Dad, Miss DuPont will be moving with us to Charlton."
 
At the moment Wilbur does not come across as thrilled; staying together as a family with Penny is what's important.
 
Penny looks at her dad. "Dad, Miss DuPont is the one who told me to pick Miss Miller."
 
"Oh, she did?"
 
"I knew that if Miss Miller bought you, you and your dad would stay together."
 
"Dad, Miss DuPont said she knew we would stay together if we picked Miss Miller."
 
Wilbur looks at Michaela DuPont. "Michaela, did you know about Jeanette?"
 
"Yes." Michaela caws.
 
"Miss DuPont said 'Yes.'" Penny translates.
 
"Now I'm the one at a disadvantage." Jeanette speaks up.
 
Penny introduces Jeanette to Michaela DuPont. "Miss Miller, this is Michaela DuPont. She is a crow who has been watching over me."
 
"Oh, are you one of the chosen?" Jeanette asks.
 
"What do you mean?" Penny asks.
 
Wilbur asks the same question. "What do you mean by 'one of the chosen?'"
 
"The Texas Spirits chose me for reasons I'm not clear on." Jeanette answers. "Anyhow, they have been watching over me since before I was born because they chose me for a reason. If Michaela DuPont has been watching over Penny then there is a reason."
 
"I know about the journal." Michaela caws. "I wanted to make sure Penny and her dad stays together. I chose Penny for that reason."
 
Penny translates.
 
Jeanette Isabelle