by West, Lee
“There you guys are! I’ve been looking all over for you. I guess I should have started where the food is!” said Ed.
Ed walked quickly as he approached them. He held a jumble of large rolled-up maps under his slim arm. “Earlier this morning, I went to the geology department to grab some maps. I think they might be useful to determine where the camp may be located.”
He dropped the jumbled mass onto the table. To Joe, the pile looked like a lot of useless information. A simple road map would have sufficed, in his estimation.
“These are topographical maps. They show the curvature of the terrain as well as a lot of other information. I thought we could pair these with the road map in order to try to figure out where the camp is located. There are areas in this region that are full of rocky cliffs, which would be unsuitable for building. By using this map, we can eliminate those areas from the search. The maps also show larger buildings. I’m not sure how many actual large structures are at the camp, but these maps will show what’s out there,” said Ed.
Joe assessed Ed’s idea with renewed respect. He had clearly thought through their situation and had come up with a plan that might help to prevent the group from aimlessly cycling the mountainside.
Ed moved the condiments and napkins out of the way before spreading one of the largest maps across the table. The map’s contour curves and various markings were foreign to Joe. He had never seen a topographical map except briefly in school.
“Okay. This is the most current contour map. From this we can see the highest ridges. I would recommend avoiding those. Let me get the road map. I managed to find this one in the student union. Although the topographical map has road markings, sometimes a comparison to an updated road map is helpful when looking for something.”
“I’m surprised you were able to find all these detailed road maps,” said Meg.
“The campus has lots of student services, activities and clubs. One of those clubs is a mountain biking club. There’s also a road cycling club. Both are well attended, from what I understand,” said Ed.
“Sounds more like a country club than a school. Must be nice to be a student here,” said Frank.
Joe could tell from the twinge in his voice that Frank likely thought the same thing as him about the kids who attended the university. To Joe, they must all be privileged rich kids who could not even begin to appreciate the good fortune of their situation.
“This is the area with the highest ridges and the rockiest terrain. I’d imagine the camp isn’t there,” said Ed, pointing to the map.
Joe considered the map closer.
“Do you recall any details about the location? Did your brother mention anything about it that we could use to find it?” asked Meg.
“I don’t know. I’m trying to come up with something,” said Joe, clearly frustrated.
“If we go to the north, we’d be running parallel to the mountains. That’d be an easier ride, that’s for sure,” said Mike.
“I wouldn’t go there. That’s heading back to our house, where the soldiers are quartered,” said Nancy, joining the group.
“What’s this symbol for?” asked Joe, pointing to the map.
Ed adjusted his glasses and leaned into the map for a close look at the symbol key. “Looks like a depression.”
“Not that one. I meant the symbol next to it,” said Joe.
“That’s an intermittent body of water,” said Ed.
“What does that mean?” asked Meg.
“It’s an area of water that dries up at certain times of the year. At other times it might be really wet or boggy. Looks like a small creek feeds into the area. I don’t see any markings for buildings up there,” said Ed.
The map not only showed contours, it also indicated bodies of water, railroads, density of vegetation, and buildings.
“That has to be it!” said Joe.
“You sure?” asked Mike.
“Yes. Mostly. I recall Jeff saying that the camp sat next to an area that would flood or be wet at certain times of the year. The founders of the camp liked that feature because they could harvest the water. I also remember him saying they had a well. That has to be it!”
Ed looked concerned as he stared at the map.
“You look troubled, Ed. What are you seeing that we’re not?” asked Nancy.
“This is a fairly new map, so it should be pretty comprehensive. However, it doesn’t indicate there are any buildings out there. If the camp is there, I would think it would be marked on this map. There should be at least a few buildings listed.”
“Maybe they hid the camp? These are survivalists who would seek a place off the grid,” said Meg.
“That might be. But the U.S. Department of the Interior uses low-flying aircraft to update these maps. The maps are changed frequently. It’s part of the mission of the department, along with the U.S. Geological Survey. What about this area here? There’s a depression and water. From the looks of this symbol, there must be some small structures there too.” Ed pointed to an area due south of the location Joe found. The area had all of the things Ed mentioned.
“Let’s look at the cycling map too. Even though this map indicates roads, maybe there’s something in the area the kids found and labeled?” said Ed.
They turned their attention to the road map. The cyclists merely indicated that the area would not be a good spot to rest. Ed had likely found the location of the camp and Joe knew it. The realization of being incorrect in front of the group caused Joe’s face to turn beet red. His stubbornness prevented him from acknowledging what everyone already knew.
Finally Meg said, “I think we should look at both locations. They’re close enough to one another. If the camp isn’t where Joe thinks it is, then it must be at the second spot, due south.”
With her suggestion, Meg threw Joe a lifeline out of his mental block. Despite himself, he just could not admit Ed had likely found the location of the camp.
“I think that’s a great idea. Neither location is far from here,” said Mike.
“That’s the good news. We should probably be able to get there in a few hours,” said Meg.
“Alright. That’s a plan. I say we leave from the back side of the campus on this road here,” said Joe as he pointed.
“Perfect. Whenever you guys are ready, we can meet outside the Sociology Department. Frank has a few bikes picked out for you. All of them have baskets for carrying supplies,” said Ed.
“Give us fifteen minutes,” said Meg.
Back in the tunnels, Joe and Meg stuffed their meager packs with the few articles of clothing they’d brought with them. Then they used several bags to load up on food and bottled water for their baskets.
“You about ready?” asked Joe.
“Yep. Quickest packing job I’ve ever done. Maybe there’s something to not having many possessions.”
“It’ll feel great to get off campus for a while.”
“I know. I just wish everyone was coming with us.”
“No, you don’t,” said Joe with a wink.
Meg smiled as she slung her small bag over her shoulder. “No, I don’t.”
— 9 —
Frank crouched down near one of the bikes he’d chosen and adjusted the brakes one last time. He wanted to be sure he picked the best possible bikes for the three who would be leaving campus. Yesterday, he had found the campus maintenance department. The varied tasks required of the department resulted in the largest toolshed Frank had ever seen. He was in heaven.
“Hey, Frank, thanks for getting the bikes ready. I knew you’d be the right guy for the job,” said Ed.
The group followed Ed to the enormous bike rack outside the student union.
“Not a problem at all. I think I’ve got three well-maintained bikes here for you guys.”
Meg grabbed the only female bike in the trio and adjusted the seat to suit her.
“I also prepared a repair kit. It has a pump as well as a patch kit for a blown tire. Hopefully you�
��ll never use it, but better safe than sorry.”
Frank affixed the repair kit to the back of Joe’s bike. The bungee cords attached to the small rack provided enough security to keep the kit from slipping off. Mike noisily dropped a very large supply of water bottles into the basket located on the handlebars of his bike.
“Here, let me secure those for you. Otherwise, the first bump you hit, they’ll go flying out,” said Frank.
Frank pulled additional bungee cords off a few of the bikes on the rack. He crisscrossed the basket with the bungees, securing the bottles.
“Thanks, man. I wish you were going,” said Mike.
The men shook hands and then leaned in for a brief half hug.
“Me too.”
The three riders mounted their bikes. They turned one last time to the group, and Meg said, “We’ll see you guys later!”
“If we find the camp, then we’ll probably stay there for a day or so before coming back here. The latest we will stay away in any case is three nights. You’ll know something went wrong if we aren’t back in three nights,” said Joe soberly.
The group had no way to communicate with the others left behind on campus. The radios used by the watch standers did not have the range needed to cover the distance required for the campus to communicate with the riders. Instead they would have to rely on the passage of time to communicate if a problem occurred.
“Sorry I can’t provide you with radios for the trip. It would be a waste to even try. The handhelds are really just enough for maintenance and security to communicate on campus. We were lucky to get those back in good working order,” said Ed.
“We’ll be fine without them,” said Mike.
“We’d better get out of here before the sun gets too high and things heat up,” said Joe.
The brave group pedaled their way through the center of campus toward the rear exit. Once they turned the corner of the student union, they could no longer be seen by those who remained.
“What do you think they’ll find?” asked Nancy.
“Hard to say. I just hope they come back,” said Brett.
Frank felt a little sick at the thought of his best friend Mike not returning. If Mike joined the ranks of the missing civilians, Frank would lose everything he held onto in this new world. Mike anchored Frank with the purpose of finding Mike’s family. Instead of allowing his mind to go dark with worry, he decided to once again be proactive.
“I’m going back to the shop to work on the solar panels. See you guys!”
He moved quickly away from the others back into the familiar, almost soothing setting of the world of maintenance.
— 10 —
Joe’s thighs burned as they biked through the mountains. Luckily the ride did not require them to go up and over the top of the mountain range, something he did not think his body could handle.
“Can we take a break? I’m dying back here!” shouted Mike from the rear.
“Me too!” chimed in Meg.
“Let’s get to the shade up ahead. We can rest there!”
Joe continued their steady pace toward a large area of deep shade. The sun beat down on them, making the ride all the more miserable.
“Did I ever mention I hate bike riding?” said Mike.
Meg laughed and said, “This trip might make me hate it too. We’re only a couple of hours into the trek and I feel like stopping for good.”
After stopping, Joe pulled out one of the cycling maps and spread it out in front of them. He hoped to find some sort of landmark he could use to plot their location on the map. The lack of cross streets in the rural area made finding themselves on the maps tricky.
“I think you should use the topographical map. We haven’t passed any other streets. It’s been a straight shot so far from campus to here,” said Mike between gulps of water.
“That’s a good idea. This cycling map is almost useless without knowing our speed. Everything on here is calibrated for distance, but without knowing our rate of travel, it doesn’t help at all.”
He spread the topographical map out in front of them. The three leaned in, looking at the map, trying to figure out their location. Reading the map took getting used to. At first glance the map looked like a cluttered collection of random symbols. Joe fought the urge to cast the map aside. Instead, he focused on the symbol key until the map’s information came into focus.
“I think we crossed this area of dense pines about thirty minutes ago,” said Mike.
“You sure?”
“Oh yes. I’m allergic to pines. When we entered that area, my first thought was about the inhaler I left on the ship.”
“You feeling okay without the inhaler?” asked Meg.
“I’m okay, not great, but I’ll live.”
“Okay. Assuming you’re right about the pine grove, we should be about here,” said Joe, pointing at a location on the map.
“You think? That’s a little farther along than I thought we’d be,” said Meg.
“Yes. If we went that far in one and a half hours, then we would have gotten to here in just thirty minutes. More or less,” said Joe.
“You’re probably right,” said Mike.
“Or close enough, anyway. If would mean we aren’t too far away from the place where Ed thinks the camp is located. Maybe the hardest part of the ride is behind us,” said Joe.
“I hope so. I’m sore in all sorts of weird places. I’m not sure how much more pedaling I have in me today,” said Meg.
“I second that. Here’s to finding the camp and resting for a while,” said Mike, holding up his warm water bottle.
The group sat silently, each regaining their energy before the last push to the first location on the map. Joe and Meg lay flat on the soft earth, holding hands as they rested in the cool shade.
“What the hell?” said Mike, looking into the distance.
“What is it? Did you see something?” asked Joe, sitting up quickly.
“Yes. I saw a group of four people crossing the road over there,” Mike said as he pointed ahead.
“What sort of people? Military?” asked Meg, alarmed.
“That’s the weird thing. I have no idea what sort of people they were.”
“What do you mean? Were they civilians?” asked Joe.
“No. They were definitely military of some sort.”
“Then we need to get off the road and hide. Maybe they’re searching this area. We might get discovered,” said Meg.
They quickly moved their bikes off the road into the forest.
“What do you mean ‘military of some sort’?” asked Joe as he hustled for concealment.
“That’s just the thing. They didn’t look like a group of our soldiers. I didn’t recognize their uniforms. It’s like they were military but not our military. I know that sounds crazy,” said Mike, frustrated.
“Let’s get the bikes a little farther into the forest and wait it out. Whoever they are, I don’t want to tangle with them,” said Joe.
The group quickly and silently laid their bikes flat against the soft forest ground. The location allowed them to watch the road without being seen. They lay flat on their bellies, looking in the direction where Mike had seen the men. A few seconds later a small group of heavily armed men emerged from the forest, crossed the road, then disappeared into the thick trees on the other side of the road. The group wore a camouflage pattern of uniforms never before seen by Joe.
“Oh wow. Who are they?” said Joe in a whisper.
“You don’t recognize their uniforms either?” said Mike.
“Not at all. I’ve never seen that pattern of camo.”
“Maybe the government needed to uniform more people and is using something different for this operation?” said Meg.
“It makes no sense to me that they would do that. The military has strict guidelines for their uniforms, including camo patterns, and it doesn’t change things frequently.”
“So what do we do? Turn back?” asked Mike.
&n
bsp; “No way. We’ve come this far. The camp, if it’s where Ed thinks it should be, isn’t too far away from here. We’d be better off going there and not back to campus.”
“I agree, but those guys are freaking me out. They were all Asian. I don’t know anything about uniforms, but the fact that the entire group of them looked Asian seems really strange to me,” said Meg.
“I agree, but I don’t want to be on the road, exposed, for the long ride back. I think we’re better off trying to find the camp. It’s closer to our current location,” said Joe.
Joe held Meg’s hand, trying to soothe her. He also needed to calm down. Seeing the armed soldiers so close underscored their helplessness. The group had no realistic way to fight back against such a force and Joe knew it.
“Okay. I think we should hold tight for a little longer. Maybe the group is just moving through the area. We can wait this out and then go to the camp. If it’s not there, then we go back to campus. I can’t see us spending even more time out in the open, trying to find the second location,” said Mike.
“Alright. That’s a decent plan. Let’s lie low for a good while. I want to be sure they’re gone. Do you agree?” asked Joe, turning to Meg.
“Yes. It’s not great, but better than getting caught.”
The group lay flat, watching the road for any signs of movement. Joe inched his way closer to Meg and pressed his leg to hers. Nothing in this changed world made sense to him anymore. Hopefully, his brother, Jeff, would have answers for them.
— 11 —
Larry struggled up the last flight of stairs in the School of Management’s large chrome and glass building. His tall, muscular, heavy physique resisted any sort of fast movement. Walking up six flights of stairs not only defied gravity but also worked against the dynamics of his large frame. He would rather spend hours at the gym lifting weights than walk up one flight of stairs.
He took a moment at the top of the stairs before rounding the corner to the classroom where he would relieve the current watch stander. His turn to stand watch came frequently. Something he would gladly do if it meant never returning to the soldiers.
