from.”
“Sounds good to me. Let’s get going. We aren’t getting anywhere sitting here,” Ian said.
The three men quietly strapped on their packs and headed toward the camp.
• • •
Jamie sat under a piece of camo net concealing her hide. She wasn’t happy about it either.
“Jamie, you stay here” . . . what a bunch of BS. They think since I’m a woman I can’t pull my own weight, assholes.
She looked over at Perez who was stretched out with his hat pulled down over his eyes.
Look at him, just lying there. Typical. They’ll see, I can do my part.
To occupy her time, Jamie sorted through her pack. She knew everything that was there and exactly where it was—it was just something to do. She laid out her poncho and arranged the belts of ammo for the SAW. At the sound of an engine drifting through the trees, Jamie’s head snapped around, trying to pinpoint its location. She quickly settled in behind the SAW, scanning the area to her north. It sounded like a slow-moving Hummer.
I wonder if they found the guys’ tracks
, she thought.
The engine continued on. She tracked it as it passed, never seeing it through the thick brush. Perez sat up. “What’s going on?”
“There’s a Hummer out there.”
Perez scrambled around, grabbing his weapon. “Why the hell didn’t you say something?” He barked in a harsh whisper.
Jamie glanced over. “I had it under control.”
Perez crawled up beside her. “Next time you better wake me up. This isn’t some game! This shit is for real!”
“What, you’re like them, don’t think I can handle myself?” Jamie asked without looking over.
Perez grabbed her shoulder, Jamie twisted her head to look at his hand, then at him. “Jamie, this isn’t about whether you can do this or not. You’re here, aren’t you? Out of all the people at the camp, they brought you, and you’re sitting here thinking they don’t trust you?”
“Yeah, whole lot of good I’m doing, babysitting this damn go-kart.”
“You are fucking hardheaded, aren’t you? What we are doing is every bit as important as what they are doing. This isn’t some kind of competition. Trust me, you’ll get your chance to kill.” Perez gave her a hard look. “I hope it’s everything you expect it to be,” he added.
Jamie didn’t say anything as she adjusted the SAW on her shoulder and peered down the barrel.
• • •
It was nearly dark when the camp came into view. Using the terrain to their advantage, they came upon it while in a draw between two small hills. Ted was on point. Raising a fist, he slowly lowered to one knee. Ian and Mike did the same. Whether stalking game or men, they knew it was always best to be slow.
“We need to find a place to hide,” Ted said, looking at the edge of the camp. “Mike, you go to the left and I’ll go to the right. No more than a hundred yards, and then we’ll meet back here. Ian, you’re on security.”
Mike nodded, dropping his pack so he could move with more stealth, then began easing through the woods. Ian came up and to the edge of the woods and set up his SAW as Ted moved in the opposite direction. Ian pulled a small monocular out of his blouse pocket and looked out across the camp. With all the brush, he could only see the tops of the numerous tents and structures. What was most shocking, though, were the camp’s use of things from the Before. Lights illuminated the camp, casting an eerie glow, and he could hear the hum of generators. Diesel exhaust rose up through the light towers. He shook his head at the sight.
It wasn’t long before Ted gave a low whistle to let Ian know he was back. “Hope Mikey finds something, ’cause there’s nothing that way, at least not without having to go halfway around the camp.” He flopped down beside Ian. “What’s it look like out there?”
“Lotsa lights. Look at that place,” Ian said with the monocular still held to his eye.
Ted pulled his pack over and pulled out a
“Sounds good to me. Let’s get going. We aren’t getting anywhere sitting here,” Ian said.
The three men quietly strapped on their packs and headed toward the camp.
• • •
Jamie sat under a piece of camo net concealing her hide. She wasn’t happy about it either.
“Jamie, you stay here” . . . what a bunch of BS. They think since I’m a woman I can’t pull my own weight, assholes.
She looked over at Perez who was stretched out with his hat pulled down over his eyes.
Look at him, just lying there. Typical. They’ll see, I can do my part.
To occupy her time, Jamie sorted through her pack. She knew everything that was there and exactly where it was—it was just something to do. She laid out her poncho and arranged the belts of ammo for the SAW. At the sound of an engine drifting through the trees, Jamie’s head snapped around, trying to pinpoint its location. She quickly settled in behind the SAW, scanning the area to her north. It sounded like a slow-moving Hummer.
I wonder if they found the guys’ tracks
, she thought.
The engine continued on. She tracked it as it passed, never seeing it through the thick brush. Perez sat up. “What’s going on?”
“There’s a Hummer out there.”
Perez scrambled around, grabbing his weapon. “Why the hell didn’t you say something?” He barked in a harsh whisper.
Jamie glanced over. “I had it under control.”
Perez crawled up beside her. “Next time you better wake me up. This isn’t some game! This shit is for real!”
“What, you’re like them, don’t think I can handle myself?” Jamie asked without looking over.
Perez grabbed her shoulder, Jamie twisted her head to look at his hand, then at him. “Jamie, this isn’t about whether you can do this or not. You’re here, aren’t you? Out of all the people at the camp, they brought you, and you’re sitting here thinking they don’t trust you?”
“Yeah, whole lot of good I’m doing, babysitting this damn go-kart.”
“You are fucking hardheaded, aren’t you? What we are doing is every bit as important as what they are doing. This isn’t some kind of competition. Trust me, you’ll get your chance to kill.” Perez gave her a hard look. “I hope it’s everything you expect it to be,” he added.
Jamie didn’t say anything as she adjusted the SAW on her shoulder and peered down the barrel.
• • •
It was nearly dark when the camp came into view. Using the terrain to their advantage, they came upon it while in a draw between two small hills. Ted was on point. Raising a fist, he slowly lowered to one knee. Ian and Mike did the same. Whether stalking game or men, they knew it was always best to be slow.
“We need to find a place to hide,” Ted said, looking at the edge of the camp. “Mike, you go to the left and I’ll go to the right. No more than a hundred yards, and then we’ll meet back here. Ian, you’re on security.”
Mike nodded, dropping his pack so he could move with more stealth, then began easing through the woods. Ian came up and to the edge of the woods and set up his SAW as Ted moved in the opposite direction. Ian pulled a small monocular out of his blouse pocket and looked out across the camp. With all the brush, he could only see the tops of the numerous tents and structures. What was most shocking, though, were the camp’s use of things from the Before. Lights illuminated the camp, casting an eerie glow, and he could hear the hum of generators. Diesel exhaust rose up through the light towers. He shook his head at the sight.
It wasn’t long before Ted gave a low whistle to let Ian know he was back. “Hope Mikey finds something, ’cause there’s nothing that way, at least not without having to go halfway around the camp.” He flopped down beside Ian. “What’s it look like out there?”
“Lotsa lights. Look at that place,” Ian said with the monocular still held to his eye.
Ted pulled his pack over and pulled out a
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