Chapter 24
It’s easier to promise to do something very disagreeable than to actually do it, and this was way beyond disagreeable. Would they ever complain about cleaning up their rooms again? Not likely. They took shuffling mini steps as they made their way to the tree stump casting frequent glances back towards Nathan. Maybe he’d change his mind, or maybe he’d experience a miraculous recovery and jump up ready to go himself. They even waited hopefully for three full minutes at the tree stump, but the boy continued to lie there with his eyes closed. Eyes! They didn’t dare look at Bear.
Sean watched Reece slowly draw her shoulders back and stand taller. She set her mouth in a firm, straight line. “We can do this,” she said in a voice that was far from firm.
“Right,” Sean echoed in a quivering voice.
They walked shoulder to shoulder, but after a few moments, their backs weren’t quiet as upright. They barely breathed as they listened for the faintest of sounds. It wasn’t easy being brave when there might be an enemy nearby, especially when you had no idea who the enemy was much less what he looked like.
Reece stopped suddenly and straightened. “We’re not keeping track of the road,” she said softly.
They both scanned through the trees and brush, but it was too thick to see more than a short distance. Sean hoisted himself up to the first branch of a small tree. “There it is, but we’re farther away.”
“We’re looking at the ground too much,” said Reece as they moved closer to the road where the brush wasn’t as thick. “I’ll put my arm through yours and watch where we’re going. You keep your eyes on the road and tell me if we start to walk at an angle. Okay?”
“Okay. Did he tell us how far it was to the stream?”
Reece thought for a few seconds. “I don’t remember, but it doesn’t matter, because we can’t miss an entire stream. We’ll get there soon.” She clamped her mouth shut before she could add the words ‘I hope’.
They walked on taking care to avoid stepping on something that might alert anyone of their presence. But, the first rustle drove them behind the protective covering of a bush. They looked somewhat shamefaced at each other when they realized it was only a rabbit scampering anxiously to get away from them. They could identify with that. It was the next sound that dried out their mouths good and proper. This was the serious rustle and thrashing of unguarded footsteps, and rabbits don’t scamper in packs.
Quietly, the children pressed through underbrush and dropped to the ground squeezing together to form a tight ball. They looked through the lower branches, but nothing came into view. They waited longer and still nothing appeared. What had made all that noise? They were nearly ready to break through their cover when they spotted four pairs of legs walking not fifty feet away. Those feet were barely making any sound at all. Yet, the noise they’d heard was loud enough to drive them into the underbrush and had saved them from discovery. The children reached up and separated branches higher on the brush. The men were dressed much like Nathan except they wore hats. Why hadn’t Nathan worn a hat in the sun? Maybe they were the good guys, but how could they tell. In any case, they were definitely looking for someone, because they walked slowly looking in every direction. Were these men looking for Nathan? And, did they aim to rescue or capture him?
The men carried something very long and slender. Sean poked his sister’s arm and mouthed the word ‘rifle’. She nodded then made an expression that said. I never saw anything on TV that looked like that. Sean shook his head. He never had either. Even after the men were long gone, the children stayed within the security of their hiding place. Seeing people carry guns on TV was altogether different from this. It was a long time until they stood up. The children slipped through the brush and moved forward crouching nearly at the waist. Nathan had been right about Bear. He probably would have barked.
Reece led them from one tall brush covering to the next in a zigzag motion. “Don’t forget to watch the road,” she warned softly.
Sean straightened for a second. “I’ll check every ten steps.”
It seemed like an hour, but ten minutes later, they heard the sound of running water.
Reece put her hand in front of Sean and brought them to a halt. “They may stop for water, too. Let’s stay here and listen for a while.
Except for sounds from the stream, it was quiet, but those men could be hiding in wait just as they were. Finally, they eased forward. It was slow going, because no step was taken without first making sure nothing underfoot would crackle. They reached the edge of the last line of trees and stopped. Ahead, they saw the same four men kneeling at the edge of the stream filling their canteens. They quickly flattened their bodies to the ground only lifting their heads high enough to see through the brush.
Three of the men wore black floppy hats. The fourth man’s hat was brown and made of firmer material so that it sat higher on his head. After their canteens were filled, they screwed the lids back on and set them aside. They rolled up their sleeves, took off their hats, and flung them aside. Then, they bent towards the water splashing their faces and arms and wetting down their matted hair. They drew their hands over their rough faces which hadn’t been shaved in days. Finally, the men stood and stretched and reached down to pick up their hats. The men had soberly gone about the business of refilling their canteens and cooling themselves in the water, but now teasing broke out. It seemed to center around the man who wore the different hat, because they all turned to him pointing to his head. The man took off his brown hat and pretended to offer it to the other men. But, when one of the men reached out to grab it, the man yanked it back and laughed. Now, they all laughed. But, even their laugher was done quietly. When the laughter shifted to a light-hearted chatter, the man who must have been their leader stepped forward and signaled for them to leave. With a final good natured punch on the shoulder, they picked up their canteens and rifles then crossed the stream and turned right.
“What’s so funny about a hat?” Sean whispered.
Reece shrugged her shoulders as she continued to watch the men round the corner.
“Do you think they’re from Nathan’s camp?”
Reece shook her head and whispered back. “I don’t know, but what if they’re not? We can’t take a chance. Anyway, I think they would have turned left if they were from his camp.”
The children remained behind the tree long after the men were out of sight, then long after no sound of them could be heard. But, someone else had waited for the men to leave, too. Finally, all three stepped out from behind their cover.
The Door Into Time Page 24
