by AJ Adaire
“Um, I think so. Didn’t I meet them on that camping jamboree we went to a couple of years ago? Weren’t they talking about moving to an isolated area in Maine to live some back to nature lifestyle? His family had a big farm there, I think.”
“Yeah. They’ve been my friends since high school. We’ve kept in touch. I’ve even visited them twice since they moved. They live in a beautiful remote area near the Hundred-Mile Wilderness, near Moosehead Lake. I know it could be tough to get there. We’ll have to hike along the Kennebec and maybe a short and difficult stretch on the Appalachian Trail. It’ll be more strenuous hiking than we’re used to.” Kim searched Peri’s face.
“Where? Oh, yeah.” Peri gave a quick chuckle. “Even though I’ve lived here in Maine a long time, whenever I hear about the Appalachians, I think of them being in the South.” Peri pushed her hair away from her eyes. “How would we even get there? Even by car, it’s a good distance.”
Kim shrugged. “Each gang has locked down their turf. Roadblocks are everywhere, so we can’t drive. I made it here on foot, and even then had a couple of close calls. We’d have to hike it. Having to hide and be cautious as we go, it’ll take us a while.”
“I know. We have no choice. We can’t stay here. On the pro side of the chart, there are two of us, and we’ve done a lot of camping and hiking. It makes sense to try to travel to them. They’re survivalists. At least we’ll have a chance if we can get to their place. Think we can do it?”
Kim frowned. “It won’t be easy.”
Peri wondered if her brow was as deeply furrowed as her friend’s. “We’ve only hiked and camped around here. We haven’t done any backwoods camping in that kind of wild country.” Peri paced back and forth. “Even if we can manage that hike, what happens if we get there and your friends didn’t survive?”
Kim blinked at Peri’s blunt comment.
“I’m sorry. It’s something we have to consider. What if we arrive and there’s nothing there for us, or they turn us away or…”
“They’re so remote. It’s possible the illness never made it to them. Even if it has, maybe they survived. We did.” Kim ate the last shreds of the canned chicken, washing it down with water from the bottle. “What are our options? Wait here for the gangs to get us?”
“You’re right, of course. We stand a chance out there. Here…” Peri shrugged.
“We’re in agreement then.” Kim brushed the crumbs from her clothes and gathered the refuse from her meal. “What are you doing with your trash?”
“I bag everything. At first, I snuck out to deposit the bags in different dumpsters. In the past few days, since the gangs showed up, I wait till dark and stash the trash in the bushes.” Peri sighed as she looked around. “You’re right. We do need to get out of here. No choice about that. You’d think everyone would band together, those of us who’ve survived. I feel sad that it’s not like that. They’re like animals, the ones who roam the streets.” She gestured toward the window with her head. “And it’s getting worse every day.” Peri extended her hand to her friend, helping her to her feet.
“True. So we’re agreed? You’ll come with me to my friends?”
“Yes.” Peri took the trash from Kim. “Let’s get this cleaned up. Then we can get our plans sorted, organize our inventory, and figure out the best way to get up there.”
“Sounds so simple when you say it that way.”
“Where’s your camping gear? Get it out while I go get my pack.”
Chapter Three
“WELL, BETWEEN US WE’VE got quite a haul.” Kim ran a low flashlight beam over the pile of supplies they’d each contributed.
“I raided the apartments in the building and took anything I thought might be useful a while ago.”
“Great idea, Peri. Let’s take inventory and see what we can manage to bring with us.” Kim began organizing the items into groups. “We have nice backpacks. That’s a plus. Hey! Where’d you get these knives?”
“One of the guys upstairs had them. I thought they might be useful.” Peri picked up one of the knives and showed it to Kim.
“These are good.” Kim checked the brand and arched her eyebrow. “This knife reminds me of the ones the Seals used to carry. It’s a bit long, but it’ll come in handy, I’m sure.”
“There’s also a high-powered air rifle and a whole box of ammo. I have it in the closet. You have to pump it up. Its advantage is that it’s a multi-shot and really accurate. Quiet too, compared to a regular rifle. Trish’s brother used to hunt small game with one like it. We never hunted with it. We used to use it for target practice. I’m a pretty accurate shot.” Peri began to list other things they had. “We can also bring the first aid kit, a few MREs, dried fruit in bags, my Multi-Tool, LED flashlights, a canteen, and two sleeping bags.”
“The MREs and powdered peanut butter are good. I have a whole bag full of protein bars and several boxes of those instant ramen noodles. The cartons are a bit bulky. On the positive side, they’re lightweight.”
“I have a lot of those sealable plastic bags. Maybe we can dump them into the bags and pack them flatter.”
“Good idea. We can always reuse the bags, too.” Kim rummaged through several other items. She held up a plastic bag full of salt, pepper, and sugar packets. “Seasoning always helps. I have tea bags too.” Kim sorted through the rest of the items, naming them for Peri’s list. She sorted and grouped the tape, waterproof matches, a cigarette lighter, and candles into one pile. The maps and a compass went into a second. A collapsible water container and purification tablets comprised another logical group. A nylon tarp and several space blankets remained in the last pile. She turned back to her pack. “I also have a small camp stove I made from a soda can. I learned how from the Internet a few years ago. I’ve got a bottle of rubbing alcohol we can use for first aid and for fuel for the stove, too.”
“Good.” Peri rooted through the pile. “Cable ties?”
“Yeah. I included my little monocular too. Much smaller than binoculars, still it has pretty decent magnification. I threw in a church key too.”
“No beer?”
For the first time they smiled.
“No, no beer.” Kim reached over and lifted up a box of disposable facemasks. After some discussion, they agreed they would leave them out. The camp axe and collapsible shovel made the cut despite their weight, as did the folding saw. “Do you have a mirror?”
“Trish had a compact. I can take the top off that.” Peri went to the dresser. “Here it is.”
“Good. We could use some rope. I don’t have any.”
“There’s a clothesline in the back. We can cut and take it when we leave.” Peri surveyed the pile of stuff. “Now all we need is a Sherpa to lug all this crap.”
The comment caused Kim to snort air through her nose. She grinned and teased back. “Have one of them in that closet of yours?”
“Should I go look?”
Kim shook her head “I love your sense of humor. You can always make me laugh, even in the middle of all this turmoil.” She gave Peri a quick hug. “Let’s try to balance it out. I’ll take the tools. They’re the heaviest things we have, and I’m bigger and maybe a bit stronger than you. If I wear out, we can trade off. Don’t forget some plastic garbage bags too.”
“Oh, I have a bunch of things I usually bring for camping. There are small squeeze bottles of honey and oil, and plastic bags of sugar, flour, and salt. The small amount I have won’t last long. There’s not enough for more than a meal or two. At least, if we find somewhere to stay where we can cook, it’ll come in handy. I can carry those.” Peri added the items to her pack.
In the dim light, they worked with haste to pack their supplies, distributing weight between them. They loaded and emptied everything twice, until it all fit. Peri knelt, reached backward, and slipped her arms through the straps. She groaned as she stood. “It’s a load, for sure. I’ll get used to it. No other choice.”
Kim helped her remove the weight and set
it on the floor alongside her belongings. “We’ll bring one change of clothes. Layers will be better than bulky jackets. Throw in a few pairs of underwear and some extra socks. We can always rinse them out and hang them, if we find a safe place.”
“When do you think we should leave?”
“The sooner the better, I guess.” Checking her watch, Kim noted it was nearly ten. “It’s been dark for a while. Maybe we should catch a bit of sleep and start off around one? We can walk for a few hours and find a place to stay during daylight hours, at least until we get away from the towns.”
“I usually sleep downstairs near the rear exit. There are three ways out from there. I think it’s safer.”
“Let’s move our stuff down there with us, Peri. We can make a quick getaway if necessary. I agree, it’s safer than up here.”
A few minutes before one o’clock they woke and dressed for their escape. They listened at the window and found the night quiet. Dressed in layers against the chill air, they shouldered the backpacks and paused at the exit. Kim peered around the corner. Seeing and hearing nothing, they slipped out the door, into the night. They cut the clothesline, coiled it, and placed it in Kim's backpack before making their way down the lane behind Peri’s apartment building.
Puffy clouds of their exhaled breaths surrounded their heads as they peered into the chilly night air. Stopping often to listen for sounds of others, they crept toward the outskirts of town. Once, they heard some noise and ducked through an open door seeking safety in the empty building. With everything again quiet, they continued their journey. Finally, the edge of the forest welcomed them, and they melted into the foliage, taking a familiar path. Another hour of hiking brought them deeper into the woods. As they carefully inched their way along the path, each recalled more pleasant hikes they and their respective partners had made. Familiarity with the trail helped them navigate in the darkness. Stopping sporadically, they risked a quick survey with the flashlight to confirm where they were on the path. Using a felt pen, they marked their path on the map and agreed it was time to take a break.
A protected spot behind some dense brush provided shelter. Kim spread the tarp beneath them. They pulled and scooped branches and leaves over their bodies and their packs. To conserve and share body warmth, they slid close to each other. A few moments of quiet followed.
Peri leaned close to whisper in Kim’s ear. “I can’t believe we’re huddled together in the brush, fleeing for our lives to the remote back country of Maine. If anyone had told me six months ago we’d be doing this, I’d have had them committed.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“Should one of us stay awake?”
“I think we’ll be okay. I’m a light sleeper.”
They both drifted off to sleep.
***
They’d slept away most of the day. It was early afternoon when Kim’s hand went over her mouth and a whispered warning woke Peri. “Shh. Someone’s coming. Be still.”
The sound of breaking branches and several pairs of footsteps drew louder. Voices preceded the arrival of the people on the path. The muffled sound of a woman crying drifted through the air. Kim felt Peri tense and pulled her tighter. “We’ll be okay, just keep quiet.”
The travelers came closer. “Come on, girlie. Stop dragging your feet,” a gruff male voice ordered.
Two men stopped about six or seven feet from their hiding place. Kim and Peri had a view through the pine boughs. One man was slender and fair, and probably in his late twenties. The other was older, had a heavier build, and darker complexion. The captive man, tied at the wrists to a delicate blonde, looked like he might be the woman’s twin.
“I don’t understand what you want with us. Our presence slows you down and takes up your food and water.” The fair man whined.
“Shut up. Later, when I’m cold and huddled by the fire, she’ll be welcome company to keep my balls warm.” The darker man glowered and pointed his finger at the smaller man. “You’re of less value, for sure. Are you one of them poofters?” As soon as the question left his lips, the surly man seemed to lose interest in the answer. He gave a cruel yank on the rope causing the woman to fall against her fellow captive. “Come on. We’ll find a spot up ahead and stop for a rest.” The group lumbered away.
Kim and Peri remained still long after the group was gone. Once they were out of hearing range, Kim released her hold on Peri and they crawled out of their hiding place.
“We have to help those two people,” Peri implored.
“It could be risky.”
“I don’t care.”
Kim nodded. “Let’s get the packs. We have to keep up, but stay far enough behind that he doesn’t know we’re following him.”
“Right. Let’s go.”
Chapter Four
“MURDOCH, COME OVER HERE and sit.” Paige Monroe tapped the ground next to where she sat on the fallen log. She gave her dog a treat for obeying the command and ruffled his fur. She grinned when he licked his lips, hoping for more. Murdoch, a Belgian Malinois, was seventy pounds of solid muscle. His face, darker than the rest of his body, broadcast energy and intelligence. His head turned to the side as Paige said, “Next time we hit a house, I’ll see if I can find you some more treats. Until then, you’re stuck with what I’m eating. Come on. Time to dig.”
Paige’s brother had taught her how to build a Dakota fire pit. She looked around the area, found a spot where the ground looked soft enough to dig. Half an hour later, she sat back on her heels. Phew! Too many rocks. That’s the last one of those I’ll attempt until I find softer ground. Checking wind direction, she dug an airflow hole. The boulders nearby would offer added protection. Despite the cool air, she was sweating by the time she finished. Satisfied that her hole was deep enough, she found a rock and propped it upright against the wall of the pit where it would support one side of her pot. The other side would rest on one of the rocks she placed around the edge of the pit. The dry kindling and leaves she placed in the bottom of the pit ignited in a ball of flames. One or two at a time, she added the dry branches she’d gathered into the fire. Once she had it burning enough, she added a few small logs. She organized her sleeping area and when the logs burned down, she poured water into her pot and placed it over the fire. Pulling two pouches from her pack, she added one of them to the water when it boiled.
“Yes, one of those is yours. Murdoch, we’re going to have to find some more food soon. Either find a house or catch a rabbit. That’s your department. Remember?”
Murdoch’s ears tilted forward and his intelligent eyes studied her. He answered with a soft ruff.
“Go get me a stick.” Paige pointed to the pile of kindling she’d collected. “Good boy.” She patted the big dog’s head and wrapped her arms around him. He licked her cheek, removing the tear that tracked down her face from the corner of her eye. He leaned into her and they sat together soaking in the heat emanating from the fire. “Ok, fella. That ought to be hot enough now. How about some dinner?” She poured some kibble into his bowl, opened the unheated pack of food and poured it over the dry food. Setting the bowl down for him, she opened the heated pack and ate her meal right from the pack.
Night settled. The camp tidied, she crawled into her shelter and pulled Murdoch to her side. Trusting Murdoch to wake her if he heard anything, she fell into a sound sleep. In the morning, she made breakfast, fed her companion, and broke camp. Paige hid her unused kindling in the underbrush and buried the fire with the earth she’d removed from the hole the evening before. She glanced around, examining the site. Satisfied it looked as close as possible to original condition, she shouldered her pack. The always patient Murdoch waited nearby until they started their climb up the valley wall.
Looking to the sky, she checked the sun and headed northwest. After a hard day of climbing, she reached the peak. “We did good today, Murdoch. We still have a couple of hours before sunset, so we won’t be making camp in the dark tonight.”
Pulling her small telesc
ope from her pack, she surveyed the rugged Maine landscape below. A glint of color amidst the sea of fragrant green forest below drew her attention. Murdoch saw it, too, and growled a warning. The three people moving up the trail toward her were still about half a mile away. “Murdoch, quiet. We don’t want them to know we’re here.” She patted his head.
The party reached a clearing, and she noticed that one man and the woman seemed to be lagging behind. The dark-haired man gave a cruel jerk on the rope, causing the male to stumble and fall to his knees. The captive said something to the huge man leading them. He bent down, and as he stood up, raised something over his head. He struck the smaller man, who crumpled like a rag doll and fell to the ground.
“Hey, Murdoch. What’s up with that? I think we should go take a closer look. Those people look like they could use our help.” Paige slid down backward away from the peak, reached down to her holster, and pulled out her Glock 27. She examined her weapon and checked for additional rounds in the pocket of her cargo pants. Satisfied with her preparation, she replaced the gun in her holster and hid her pack. She glanced around to be sure she’d recall the location where she left her belongings and called Murdoch to attention. He sat on command, while she secured his leather duty harness around his broad chest. She gave him an affectionate pat. “Okay boy, let’s go check it out.” She entered the denser forest with Murdoch close behind her.
Hidden in the thick foliage, she and Murdoch observed the makeshift camp the dark-haired man had chosen. Thick ropes bound the hands of the other man and the woman, confirming that he was holding them against their will. Paige observed from a safe distance, trying to gather more information and assess the situation.
As the fair-haired man shook his head in an attempt to clear it, the woman leaned over and whispered something to him. The dark man glared in their direction. “Shut up,” he bellowed. “There’s more where that came from.”