A Meal Snatched from a Busy Day

Watching her guide and the woman who claimed to be an alien prepare to enter a secret Air Force base, Barbara Morse sat expressionlessly on the hood of the engine, basking in the warm autumn sun.

Since the car was stolen and she was light, she wouldn't have dented the hood.

Barbara's wounds were still bleeding, but after being treated and bandaged, she didn't feel as bad as she had imagined. However, she was seriously considering whether to pretend to be weak and lean into the man's arms.

Unfortunately, the man who got off the car didn't stay by the car; he took Kitty to find food.

According to Henry, when it's time, Kitty has to eat. Otherwise, no one knows what the hungry "Tabby Cat" will choose to eat.

Henry had to leave unexpectedly and didn't have time to prepare a leash for Kitty. He simply gave the instructions, and the Tabby Cat obediently followed.

Before long, Henry returned with a deer, a snake, several squirrels, and some twigs of firewood.

Seeing Henry bring back the game so quickly, Barbara exclaimed in disbelief, "You're not planning to have a picnic today, are you?"

"Why not? Food is the most important thing for people. If you don't eat, and I don't eat, we can't expect Kitty not to eat either. What if it wants to eat us?"

The reason was so compelling that Barbara couldn't refute it.

But how could such a thing possibly happen? Kitty would be more worried about what to do if she were used as emergency food by Krypton two-legged creatures.

He removed two deer legs and tossed the rest to Kitty to gnaw on. Henry deftly cleaned the snake and squirrel's internal organs, then started a fire and roasted the deer legs along with the meat.

However, they were still short of firewood. Moreover, the two of them had been fleeing for quite some time and were both thirsty.

Earlier at Pancho Bar, Henry found a plastic bottle in the car containing water that had gone bad.

He sniffed it, then poured it out immediately, saying, "I saw a stream nearby; I'll go get some water and gather some firewood while I'm at it."

"Okay." Barbara was injured after all, so she didn't insist on going with them. It was fortunate that the girl didn't want to come, otherwise Henry would have had a hard time explaining to her how a distance of several kilometers could be considered "nearby."

After going out for a walk, Henry returned with large, durable pieces of firewood and filled clean plastic bottles with cool stream water.

In fact, water from wild sources should be boiled before drinking; it's not suitable to drink it directly. However, in an emergency, one must act accordingly. Neither Henry nor Barbara are delicate enough to get diarrhea from drinking raw water, unless it's Ganges River water.

Henry handed over the plastic bottle, saying, "Thirsty? Drink up, I already had some by the creek." Then he went to prepare the small animals and deer legs that had just been roasting.

Having gone camping with Henry once before, Barbara was no stranger to the scene before her.

Including Kitty, the Tiger, who almost burrowed his entire head into the deer's belly, eating the deer's heart and other delicious internal organs. When the tiger's head was pulled out, his face was covered in blood and looked extremely ferocious.

What should have been a frightening scene didn't frighten Barbara at all. Watching the man grilling the meat from behind, she suddenly asked, "What kind of person is Charlize Theron?"

"Yes, she's a smart girl who knows what she wants and what she's doing."

Are you even better than me?

"Hehe, some things aren't about choosing the best person, but the right person. Besides, you're in different fields and showing different talents. She might not be as good at studying as you, but she's very hardworking and performs very well in acting."

As Henry spoke, he pried open the charred squirrel, removing its blackened fur to reveal the perfectly roasted, tender meat underneath, and handed it to the girl on the hood of the car, hoping it could shut her up.

She kept muttering to herself, but unable to resist the tempting aroma of the grilled meat in her hand, Barbara still took a bite.

Henry was grilling a rattlesnake, the most abundant Rattlesnake in California. He used his Switzerland to cut off the tail and head, skinned it, and gutted it.

They were roasted while wrapped around thin twigs.

Somewhere, this little guy, oblivious to his own danger, used his rattlesound to mimic the sound of flowing water, luring passing animals. That's how he lured Kitty over.

Unfortunately, the snake's speed was not as good as Kitty's, whose reflexes had been trained by BB. With a single tiger claw, Katie snatched the snake to Henry's feet.

Snake gallbladders, hearts, and blood are all valuable, and Henry certainly wouldn't let them go easily. Since they were already at his feet, he simply scooped them up.

The snake's heart and gallbladder were dug out and swallowed on the spot, and even some of its blood was consumed. Only then was the poor snake taken back by Henry for treatment.

Snakes and squirrels, these little creatures don't have much meat, so they cook faster than deer legs. However, snakes have many fine bones, so Henry grilled them a little until they were charred, chewing them up along with the bones.

As for the last deer leg, Henry wasn't sure if he'd have a chance to eat it. Barbara, who had just finished eating a squirrel, received a message from Nick Fury on her pager.

"Henry, Nick Fury says he's under house arrest at the base and needs support. However, he's contacted his superiors, and Commander Kohler will bring a large contingent of men to support him. Nick Fury wants us to meet up with Commander Kohler and enter the base together."

"Understood." Henry said, but he was thinking, "Could ' Kohler ' be the name of that high-ranking Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. who was replaced by the Skrulls?" He then asked, "Bobbie, who is this Kohler—?"

"Richard Kohler, head of S.H.I.E.L.D..'s Los Angeles office."

Hmm, little girl, is it really okay to so easily leak information about people and things within the organization to someone like me who has no connection to it?

Henry really wanted to make that comment, but he was also a little worried about the news. This person must be the high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D.. agent who was replaced by the Skrulls.

Should I run now? Should I warn the people in the base?

The second thought had barely crossed his mind when he dismissed it. Without evidence, telling Nick Fury that the officer he called for backup was problematic—what difference was there between that and admitting he was also problematic?

Anyway, even if someone with the name "Nick Fury" seems very friendly in his speech and manner, Henry wouldn't look down on him so easily.

Because that kind of performance can be a disguise. A guy who can become the king of spies wouldn't be someone who's not thinking clearly and can't see some obvious suspicious points.

That was too hasty. I didn't think about this when I made the promise to my colleagues.

The main issue is that Nick Fury has already given the instructions, and as an outsider, he has no right to offer advice. Barbara is just a subordinate, and still a rookie intern, so of course she can't give any suggestions either.

Henry is now in a difficult position. He has no choice but to meet with this guy who might be replaced by the Skrulls and see what he does next.