jackets. I looked at Tom and he motioned his open palm toward me and then motion downward with his hand, indicating he wanted me to wait and not move. Five minutes after the main group passed, a single man passed. I knew right then I was dealing with a prior military unit.
Twenty minutes after the drag man passed, we move to a huge pine tree about two hundred yards away. It worried me that such a large group was operating in the area.
"I must have seen the point man's movement, but I never saw him clearly." Tom said just above a whisper as he shook his head.
"I counted fifteen and you?" I asked.
"Sixteen counting the drag."
"Who were those men?" Vickie asked, keeping her voice low.
"I have no idea." I answered honestly and then continued, "But, we'll treat them like the enemy until we learn different."
"Most were armed with shotguns, crossbows and arrows, and one man even had a compound bow." Tom stretched his legs out in front of him.
"I saw five long guns," I replied.
"Long guns?" Vickie asked.
"Rifles or shotguns."
She gave a sheepish grin and said, "I counted five of them too, but I didn't see any pistols except on two or three."
"What now?" Tom asked, but he knew the answer.
"We hang back and follow them. No need to get close enough to see 'em, we'll stay in the woods and follow their tracks. That many men will be easy to follow."
Vickie started to speak, but didn't, so maybe she was learning. Nonetheless, I knew what she was thinking, only it would have to wait until we found out more about these men.
We moved parallel to their tracks for over five miles, when I noticed about four thin fingers of smoke rising in the distance. Tom must have noticed it as well, because he raised his balled fist to stop us. Then he pointed at himself, motioned the direction of the house, and finally pointed to his eyes. He's going to scout the house out and wants us to wait, so I nodded in understanding. He moved forward.
Vickie was kneeling on the ground and not once did she move that I could see. She'd picked up the routine quickly, so all my worry had been for nothing.
A few minutes later, Tom returned and pointed back down our trail. I took point and covered about a half mile before I angled into the woods to our right and finally stopped under a large post oak tree. We all knelt.
"What did you find?" I asked.
"Huge compound, with a lot of men and women, and even guard towers. It's not a place I'd want to try to get into or out of. I even saw a few machine guns, old M-60's, mounted on two of the towers and one sandbagged bunker near the gate. One joker was walking around with what looked to be a flamethrower, so I backed off."
I thought for a few minutes and then said, "It could be an old reserve or guard unit that stuck together for safety after the fall. If so, the leader is likely a full colonel with a lot of experience in commanding a combat unit in the field. I don't like this, not at all." I scratched the side of my face and then asked, "Did you see a flag flying?" Hoping the unit still supported 'Old Glory.'
"Not that I saw, but to be honest I didn't stay there gawking at the place very long. What now?"
"I'm not sure, so let me think about this on the way back to camp." I was concerned, but not overly shocked. I just never suspected someone had a base camp this close to us, and I felt strongly inclined to move our current camp.
As we moved the wind picked up and a light rain began to fall. Tom and I pulled out ponchos, but Vickie didn't move.
Tom asked as he turned to her, "Don't you have rain gear?"
"No, not a thing. Hell, I didn't have anything where we were living, but I'm okay."
Tom handed his poncho to her and said, "Here, use mine." Vickie hesitated, so he added, "I'll be alright, because I have my hoodie."
As soon as she took the garment, Tom reached into his pack and pulled out a dark green wool hoodie, that would not just keep him dry, it would also keep him warm. Wool insulates even when wet,
Twenty minutes after the drag man passed, we move to a huge pine tree about two hundred yards away. It worried me that such a large group was operating in the area.
"I must have seen the point man's movement, but I never saw him clearly." Tom said just above a whisper as he shook his head.
"I counted fifteen and you?" I asked.
"Sixteen counting the drag."
"Who were those men?" Vickie asked, keeping her voice low.
"I have no idea." I answered honestly and then continued, "But, we'll treat them like the enemy until we learn different."
"Most were armed with shotguns, crossbows and arrows, and one man even had a compound bow." Tom stretched his legs out in front of him.
"I saw five long guns," I replied.
"Long guns?" Vickie asked.
"Rifles or shotguns."
She gave a sheepish grin and said, "I counted five of them too, but I didn't see any pistols except on two or three."
"What now?" Tom asked, but he knew the answer.
"We hang back and follow them. No need to get close enough to see 'em, we'll stay in the woods and follow their tracks. That many men will be easy to follow."
Vickie started to speak, but didn't, so maybe she was learning. Nonetheless, I knew what she was thinking, only it would have to wait until we found out more about these men.
We moved parallel to their tracks for over five miles, when I noticed about four thin fingers of smoke rising in the distance. Tom must have noticed it as well, because he raised his balled fist to stop us. Then he pointed at himself, motioned the direction of the house, and finally pointed to his eyes. He's going to scout the house out and wants us to wait, so I nodded in understanding. He moved forward.
Vickie was kneeling on the ground and not once did she move that I could see. She'd picked up the routine quickly, so all my worry had been for nothing.
A few minutes later, Tom returned and pointed back down our trail. I took point and covered about a half mile before I angled into the woods to our right and finally stopped under a large post oak tree. We all knelt.
"What did you find?" I asked.
"Huge compound, with a lot of men and women, and even guard towers. It's not a place I'd want to try to get into or out of. I even saw a few machine guns, old M-60's, mounted on two of the towers and one sandbagged bunker near the gate. One joker was walking around with what looked to be a flamethrower, so I backed off."
I thought for a few minutes and then said, "It could be an old reserve or guard unit that stuck together for safety after the fall. If so, the leader is likely a full colonel with a lot of experience in commanding a combat unit in the field. I don't like this, not at all." I scratched the side of my face and then asked, "Did you see a flag flying?" Hoping the unit still supported 'Old Glory.'
"Not that I saw, but to be honest I didn't stay there gawking at the place very long. What now?"
"I'm not sure, so let me think about this on the way back to camp." I was concerned, but not overly shocked. I just never suspected someone had a base camp this close to us, and I felt strongly inclined to move our current camp.
As we moved the wind picked up and a light rain began to fall. Tom and I pulled out ponchos, but Vickie didn't move.
Tom asked as he turned to her, "Don't you have rain gear?"
"No, not a thing. Hell, I didn't have anything where we were living, but I'm okay."
Tom handed his poncho to her and said, "Here, use mine." Vickie hesitated, so he added, "I'll be alright, because I have my hoodie."
As soon as she took the garment, Tom reached into his pack and pulled out a dark green wool hoodie, that would not just keep him dry, it would also keep him warm. Wool insulates even when wet,
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