said. He took the branch and wiped it over the ground, shoving dirt, stones, and leaves around. “That’ll have to do.” He tossed the branch as far away as possible. “Let’s get going. Since there was no reason to hide our trail on our way here, we’ll have to take another route back to base camp. Try not to bend any plants or break branches.”
“Oh, yeah, sure, I’m always neat while on the run from psychotic killers,” Riece said.
Mason pulled a face, shook his head, grasped Riece’s wrist, and led him to a more densely wooded area.
Once they were far enough into the trees that it was hard to see the gully when they looked back, Mason let go of him. Riece wasn’t sure how far they’d gone when Mason stopped. He took his canteen and handed it to Riece. “Why don’t you sit down and take a break.”
Riece nodded and took a few long drinks. Mason made his way back along the path they’d just taken for a while before he veered to the side. When he stopped he was almost far enough away to be out of Riece’s sight. Riece held the canteen against his knee, gripping so hard his fingers cramped, and rubbed the palm of his other hand over his jeans a few times.
Mason moved in a wide circle, bending branches in different directions and tamping down grass in what looked to Riece to be a mishmash pattern. Riece held his breath when Mason disappeared for a few minutes.
When Mason finally returned, he gestured at Riece with a get up motion. As before Riece stayed right behind Mason and tried to step in the exact place Mason did. “Why are we going back?” Riece whispered.
“We’re going to presume at least one of those people is a top-notch tracker, and they’ve spent time trailing humans,” Mason said over his shoulder. “What I did will confuse, but not totally fool, someone with that level of skill. The thing is, we all know the same tricks. Hopefully, by the time they work out where we went, we will have enough of a head start.”
“Where are we going?”
Mason stopped and pointed. “Into the stream. Can’t leave tracks in water.”
“It’s a river, and we’ll be out in the open,” Riece said.
“No plan is perfect, and we won’t be in it that long. The idea is if they follow us this far, they’ll lose us in the water. They’ll have to guess which way we went. It’s a crap shoot for us too, but we’ve got no other choice.” Mason stopped, pressed his lips together for a few seconds, and looked around them before continuing. “Riece, you do realize if they catch us again, or get close to us, it’ll be us or them.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning I don’t know what will happen,” Mason said and walked toward the river.
Riece followed along silently.
MASON LED the way. He circled around the spot where they’d camped the night before, skirting the area at a distance. The entire way Mason argued with himself over what they would do if they were able to get the drop on any or all of the hunters.
The closer they came to the gentle embankment above the river, the more leaves, twigs, and general debris littered the ground. He glanced back at Riece and pointed to the moist, softer leaves. Riece nodded and followed when Mason made his way across. When the ground began to squish and sink underfoot, he ducked down as he walked. He felt Riece behind him but was relieved when he had to strain to catch any noise from his direction. That meant anyone less than ten feet or so from them wouldn’t hear them.
Mason picked a spot near a slight bend in the river. “Wait here a second,” he said quietly before he slid down to the river’s edge. The location he’d chosen curved inward from the incline, forming a spot that couldn’t be seen from the bank in either direction. Roots from nearby trees wound out of the soil and back in at a lower point. A few plants had taken root and were sprouting out sideways. Creeping to the edge of the recess, Mason peered upriver and then down.
Satisfied
“Oh, yeah, sure, I’m always neat while on the run from psychotic killers,” Riece said.
Mason pulled a face, shook his head, grasped Riece’s wrist, and led him to a more densely wooded area.
Once they were far enough into the trees that it was hard to see the gully when they looked back, Mason let go of him. Riece wasn’t sure how far they’d gone when Mason stopped. He took his canteen and handed it to Riece. “Why don’t you sit down and take a break.”
Riece nodded and took a few long drinks. Mason made his way back along the path they’d just taken for a while before he veered to the side. When he stopped he was almost far enough away to be out of Riece’s sight. Riece held the canteen against his knee, gripping so hard his fingers cramped, and rubbed the palm of his other hand over his jeans a few times.
Mason moved in a wide circle, bending branches in different directions and tamping down grass in what looked to Riece to be a mishmash pattern. Riece held his breath when Mason disappeared for a few minutes.
When Mason finally returned, he gestured at Riece with a get up motion. As before Riece stayed right behind Mason and tried to step in the exact place Mason did. “Why are we going back?” Riece whispered.
“We’re going to presume at least one of those people is a top-notch tracker, and they’ve spent time trailing humans,” Mason said over his shoulder. “What I did will confuse, but not totally fool, someone with that level of skill. The thing is, we all know the same tricks. Hopefully, by the time they work out where we went, we will have enough of a head start.”
“Where are we going?”
Mason stopped and pointed. “Into the stream. Can’t leave tracks in water.”
“It’s a river, and we’ll be out in the open,” Riece said.
“No plan is perfect, and we won’t be in it that long. The idea is if they follow us this far, they’ll lose us in the water. They’ll have to guess which way we went. It’s a crap shoot for us too, but we’ve got no other choice.” Mason stopped, pressed his lips together for a few seconds, and looked around them before continuing. “Riece, you do realize if they catch us again, or get close to us, it’ll be us or them.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning I don’t know what will happen,” Mason said and walked toward the river.
Riece followed along silently.
MASON LED the way. He circled around the spot where they’d camped the night before, skirting the area at a distance. The entire way Mason argued with himself over what they would do if they were able to get the drop on any or all of the hunters.
The closer they came to the gentle embankment above the river, the more leaves, twigs, and general debris littered the ground. He glanced back at Riece and pointed to the moist, softer leaves. Riece nodded and followed when Mason made his way across. When the ground began to squish and sink underfoot, he ducked down as he walked. He felt Riece behind him but was relieved when he had to strain to catch any noise from his direction. That meant anyone less than ten feet or so from them wouldn’t hear them.
Mason picked a spot near a slight bend in the river. “Wait here a second,” he said quietly before he slid down to the river’s edge. The location he’d chosen curved inward from the incline, forming a spot that couldn’t be seen from the bank in either direction. Roots from nearby trees wound out of the soil and back in at a lower point. A few plants had taken root and were sprouting out sideways. Creeping to the edge of the recess, Mason peered upriver and then down.
Satisfied
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