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Chapter 2
Nooneknewthisatthetime,butMimicssendoutsomethingakintoascoutingpartybeforeanattack,asmall,fast-movinggroupwhosepurposeistoadvanceasfaraspossiblethenreturnwithinformationfortheothers.ThatJanuary,threeMimicshadslippedpasttheUDFquarantineandmadetheirwayuptheMississippiRiverundetected.
Ifthetownspeoplehadn’tnoticedsomethingsuspiciousmovingintheshadows,it’sdoubtfulthescoutingpartywouldhavetakenparticularnoticeofPittsfield,withitslivestockandacresoffarmland.Asitturnedout,theshotfiredfromthehuntingrifleofthenightwatchledtoamassacre.
Thestateguardwasimmobilizedbythesnow.ItwouldbehoursbeforeaUDFplatooncouldbeliftedinbyhelicopter.Bythen,halfthebuildingsintownhadburnttothegroundandoneoutofthreeofthetown’sfifteenhundredresidentshadbeenkilled.Themayor,thepreacher,andtheoldmanfromthegeneralstorewereamongthedead.
Menwhohadchosentogrowcornratherthanjointhearmydiedfightingtodefendtheirfamilies.SmallarmswerenouseagainstMimics.Bulletsonlyglancedofftheirbodies.Mimicjavelinsrippedthroughthewallsofwoodenandevenbrickhouseswithease.
Intheend,araggedbunchoftownspeopledefeatedthethreeMimicswiththeirbarehands.TheywaiteduntiltheMimicswereabouttofirebeforerushingthem,knockingthecreaturesintoeachothers’javelins.TheykilledtwooftheMimicsthisway,anddroveoffthethird.
Dying,Rita’smothershelteredherdaughterinherarms.
