stepped forward.
“We’ll look for your friend. Best you pack up and go back to
town, for when your dad sorts out a search party.”
“We’ll go with you,” said Ted. “The girls could pack up and
head to town.”
“No offence, son, but we wouldn’t want you to get in the
crossfire if we come up against the dog. We like to work alone. If we find your
friend before the search party arrives, we’ll bring him here. What’s his name
for when we call out for him?”
“Johno,” said Louise.
The preppers spread out, stepping backwards the way they
came, as if it was part of their survival-game drill. The prepper with the
annoying sniffing habit, kept his gaze toward the direction of the tents, until
they turned at the tree line, and then disappeared into the woods.
“What do you make of them?” said Tanya. “What oddballs.”
“At least they said they’d search for Johno,” said Louise. “What
should we do now?”
“I think we should do as they say. Pack up and head to town,”
Amy said.
“But what if Johno returns and we’re gone. I’m staying here.
You can all go,” said Louise.
Ted stepped forward. He was pre-occupied, judging by the
expression on his face.
“Amy’s right, we should all go. Did ya see the way that slime
ball looked at Amy and sniffed at her? I wouldn’t trust them to leave you alone
here, Louise. The sooner we get gone, the sooner we can get back here and have
the mountains teaming with townsfolk searching for Johno. In the meantime,
those four preppers looked like seasoned hunters. They’ve a better chance at
finding him than we do. We can leave Johno’s tent here and write him a note to
wait for us to return. No, in fact I’m telling you, that’s what we’re doing,
and we’ll leave all the tents.”
Amy looked at Ted in admiration for taking charge and
considering Louise’s welfare. Ted unstrapped his backpack, took out a bottle of
water and doused the fire.
“Come on, let’s do this, chop, chop,” said Ted.
Amy ran with Louise to her tent, then waited for her to
write the note. Gyp peered out of Amy’s tent, then joined her. They ran back to
the rest of the gang, and then hurried to their vehicles. Amy turned to look at
Ted.
I’ll go with Louise and Gyp in Johno’s pickup,” Amy said.
Ted set a solemn stare.
“I understand. Listen, about last night. It won’t happen
again,” Ted said. “The drinking I mean, not the having fun. Look, I can’t
explain, but trust me, yesterday was a bad day...”
Amy put a finger on his lips.
“We’ll talk about it later,” she said. Amy reached up and
kissed his cheek.
Ted smiled and strutted to his vehicle. They set off in
convoy, with Amy taking the lead.
Four miles along the road and they were still surrounded by
mountains. Amy glanced at Louise. She had her head in her hands. Amy could see
a vehicle coming towards them in the distance. As it neared, she noticed the
row of lights on top of the SUV pickup that told her it was one of the deputy-sheriff’s
vehicles. Amy switched on her hazards, flashed her headlights, and slowed,
coming to a stop at the side of the road. She recognized Frank’s smile through his
windshield as he pulled up alongside, and then wound down his window.
“You’ve saved me a journey,” he said. “Your dad sent me out
to make sure you were safe. There could be a wild dog on the loose. Did you get
his text message?”
“Yeah, we’ve heard about the dog, but I never got Dad’s
message. Anyway, never mind that. Johno’s gone missing in the woods up near
Breakers Lake. We need a search party. He could be hurt.”
“Whoa there, young lady, slow down. Roll back a bit. How’d
you know about the dog?”
“Some hunters came into our camp saying to watch out for a
feral dog that had been taking their goats. They were hunting for the dog.
They’re out there now looking for Johno, four of them.”
“What did they look like?” Amy described them. “Sounds like
the same four
“We’ll look for your friend. Best you pack up and go back to
town, for when your dad sorts out a search party.”
“We’ll go with you,” said Ted. “The girls could pack up and
head to town.”
“No offence, son, but we wouldn’t want you to get in the
crossfire if we come up against the dog. We like to work alone. If we find your
friend before the search party arrives, we’ll bring him here. What’s his name
for when we call out for him?”
“Johno,” said Louise.
The preppers spread out, stepping backwards the way they
came, as if it was part of their survival-game drill. The prepper with the
annoying sniffing habit, kept his gaze toward the direction of the tents, until
they turned at the tree line, and then disappeared into the woods.
“What do you make of them?” said Tanya. “What oddballs.”
“At least they said they’d search for Johno,” said Louise. “What
should we do now?”
“I think we should do as they say. Pack up and head to town,”
Amy said.
“But what if Johno returns and we’re gone. I’m staying here.
You can all go,” said Louise.
Ted stepped forward. He was pre-occupied, judging by the
expression on his face.
“Amy’s right, we should all go. Did ya see the way that slime
ball looked at Amy and sniffed at her? I wouldn’t trust them to leave you alone
here, Louise. The sooner we get gone, the sooner we can get back here and have
the mountains teaming with townsfolk searching for Johno. In the meantime,
those four preppers looked like seasoned hunters. They’ve a better chance at
finding him than we do. We can leave Johno’s tent here and write him a note to
wait for us to return. No, in fact I’m telling you, that’s what we’re doing,
and we’ll leave all the tents.”
Amy looked at Ted in admiration for taking charge and
considering Louise’s welfare. Ted unstrapped his backpack, took out a bottle of
water and doused the fire.
“Come on, let’s do this, chop, chop,” said Ted.
Amy ran with Louise to her tent, then waited for her to
write the note. Gyp peered out of Amy’s tent, then joined her. They ran back to
the rest of the gang, and then hurried to their vehicles. Amy turned to look at
Ted.
I’ll go with Louise and Gyp in Johno’s pickup,” Amy said.
Ted set a solemn stare.
“I understand. Listen, about last night. It won’t happen
again,” Ted said. “The drinking I mean, not the having fun. Look, I can’t
explain, but trust me, yesterday was a bad day...”
Amy put a finger on his lips.
“We’ll talk about it later,” she said. Amy reached up and
kissed his cheek.
Ted smiled and strutted to his vehicle. They set off in
convoy, with Amy taking the lead.
Four miles along the road and they were still surrounded by
mountains. Amy glanced at Louise. She had her head in her hands. Amy could see
a vehicle coming towards them in the distance. As it neared, she noticed the
row of lights on top of the SUV pickup that told her it was one of the deputy-sheriff’s
vehicles. Amy switched on her hazards, flashed her headlights, and slowed,
coming to a stop at the side of the road. She recognized Frank’s smile through his
windshield as he pulled up alongside, and then wound down his window.
“You’ve saved me a journey,” he said. “Your dad sent me out
to make sure you were safe. There could be a wild dog on the loose. Did you get
his text message?”
“Yeah, we’ve heard about the dog, but I never got Dad’s
message. Anyway, never mind that. Johno’s gone missing in the woods up near
Breakers Lake. We need a search party. He could be hurt.”
“Whoa there, young lady, slow down. Roll back a bit. How’d
you know about the dog?”
“Some hunters came into our camp saying to watch out for a
feral dog that had been taking their goats. They were hunting for the dog.
They’re out there now looking for Johno, four of them.”
“What did they look like?” Amy described them. “Sounds like
the same four
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