“It will be nice to get back to civilization. I don’t know about you, but I’ve actually missed having cell-phone coverage,” Mike said with a grin.
“Not me. Out here is one of the few places I can ignore work and just enjoy being alive. I’m not really looking forward to going back,” Steve said.
Mike watched the activity around the camp for a moment, noting how the Scouts worked together. “I like it out here too, but I prefer sleeping in my own bed.”
Steve looked over at the food preparation area where Scouts were busy making their breakfast. “Well, it shouldn’t be too much longer before we can get things put away.” He faced the gathered Scouts and spokein a parade-ground voice. “Scouts! Get your breakfast cooked and eaten. We have an hour to get everything done. That means food eaten, dishes washed, and patrol boxes packed and put away. When that’s done, we’ll do Scouts’ Own and head for home.”
***
It was almost exactly an hour later when the last patrol box was loaded for the trip home. The leaders spent several minutes combing the woods around the camp to ensure everything was back in its natural state before leaving. When they were satisfied the camp had left no trace, the entire group met by the vehicles.
“Gentlemen,” Scouter Mike said. “Ordinarily, we would be doing our Scouts’ Own out in the trees, but there was something rummaging around down near the river. Because of that, we’ll do our Scouts’ Own up here instead.”
“Is it going to eat us?” Nathan asked, looking worried.
“No, Nathan, it won’t eat us. We are just staying up here to protect everyone, including whatever it is down there. If we don’t bother it, it should leave us alone,” Scouter Mike explained.
“But….”
“Nathan. Whatever it is won’t come around with all of us here,” Mike interrupted. “Now, where are my first-years who are leading Scouts’ Own?”
The three boys stepped forward, looking uncertain.
“Ordinarily, we would follow our Scouts’ Own leaders to a special place chosen for the ceremony. Because we don’t know what is out in the trees, we will do it here.” As Scouter Mike spoke, Scouters Jeremy, Connall, and Shaun stepped away from the group to the edge of trees at three points where they stood guard.
Scouter Mike took several steps back. “Okay, guys, please lead us in Scouts’ Own,” he said.
The boys lined up in front of the assembled troop and looked uncertainly at each other for a moment before the smallest of them, Ricky, took a step forward and began to speak.
“Welcome to Scouts’ Own. Scouts’ Own is our time to think about how lucky we are to have places like this to come to. We also say what we liked about the camp, what we didn’t like and suggestions for improvement. We will start with what we liked.” He waved a hand at the closest Scout to his left. “Jonathan, could you tell us about what you liked?”
He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Um, I liked building the shelter and eating tinfoil dinners and the meteor shower was pretty cool too.”
When Jonathan was finished, Ricky moved on to the next boy who talked about what he liked. Scouts’ Own went on like this for almost twenty minutes with each boy and leader talking first about what they liked, then disliked.
Scouter Mike watched the other three leaders very closely. Just as the last person finished talking about dislikes, Scouter Jeremy wavied his arms and strode quickly toward the group. Scouter Shaun did the same only a few seconds later.
Mike stepped in front of the three first-year Scouts. “Guys. Sorry to interrupt, but we are running a little late. Could I ask that we all get into the vehicles to leave now and you can talk about improvements with whichever leader is driving? Would that be okay?”
“Okay, guys, “Scouter Steve said. “Everyone into the vehicle they came here in.”
By that time, Jeremy, Conall, and Shaun were at the vehicles. Shaun was the first to speak.
“I’m not sure what’s out there, but there are a few somethings banging through the trees.”
“That’s what I heard too,” Jeremy said.
“Well, no sense sticking around to find out. I can’t imagine what it would be, but we don’t need any trouble. Not with the boys here,” Scouter Steve said. He went to his truck and took one last deep breath of the chill air and climbed in. “See you all back in the city.”
The rest of the men got into their vehicles and drove off.
The convoy of vehicles pulled up and out of the logging road onto the main road and began their dusty drive home. Scouter Mike went last and checked his rear-view mirror as he was driving away.
A chill ran down his spine. Someone, or by the way it moved, something, walked out onto the road a few moments after their departure.
Whatever it was, it wasn't waving to get his attention, so he drove on, glad to have the boys safe in the truck. It could have been a hunter, he supposed. It just didn’t move like one.
He turned his focus to the road then. Dry conditions had made the gravel road a dust bowl. Every one of the other four vehicles left a cloud of dark dust that reduced visibility to less than seven metres.
Mike had to slow down until he was travelling at a snail's pace. Any faster and he would not have been able to stop in time if he came up on another vehicle.
As it was, he still almost rear-ended Scouter Connall’s dirty red van. The vehicle was sitting right in the middle of the road, its emergency flashers on.
Mike slammed on his brakes and pulled his truck off the road, partially into the ditch so it was sitting at about a thirty-degree angle. He flipped on his emergency flashers and turned in his seat to face the boys.
"Okay, guys. I don't know why Scouter Connall is stopped, but I don't want you sitting in the truck while I check. It's too hard to see and even off the road like we are, we could get hit. I want you all to go stand on the other side of the fence past the ditch while I find out what's going on."
Mike and the four Scouts, Kyle, Martin, Ricky, and Todd, got out of the truck. The boys carefully crossed the ditch and went over the fence to stand where instructed.
Mike made his way past the red van on the shoulder side. It was empty. Five metres further down the road, Steve’s SUV sat in a similar state, emergency flashers on.
The dust was settling and Mike could just make out two more vehicles ahead of the SUV. That was both good and bad. Good that everyone was still together. Bad that something serious enough to stop the troop had happened.
Then he saw the vehicle wreckage in the middle of the road.
Chapter 3
Mike could see the Scouts and Scouters standing back looking at the wreckage. The two vehicles – it was definitely two, although where one ended and another began was hard to tell – were a mass of mangled metal.
“What’s going on? Why are you all just standing around?” Mike asked as he came up on the group.
Scouter Connall turned to look at Mike, his face a little green. Rather than speak, he pointed at a sad little lump on the ground near the accident.
Mike looked. A pile of clothes. What was that to get all worked up about…? Then he saw what it really was. “Oh, my God! Is that what I think it is?”
Connall looked at him. “Yup. That’s the lower half of a body.”
“Where in heaven’s name is the rest?” Mike asked.
Connall shook his head. “I don’t know. We only just got here ourselves.”
“We need to get these Scouts away from this,” Mike said. “They can help us out, but there is no need for them to deal with the gruesome details.”
“Agreed. If we keep them busy, they can’t dwell on what they’ve seen,” Connall said. “If you could get the Scouts to form a perimeter on either side of the accident to stop any cars, I’ll get the other leaders to help me see what we can do here.”
“Will do,” Mike said. “Scouts! Come with me.” He watched to make sure everyone heard him. A couple of them didn’t turn. The leaders nearest them turned them away from th
e carnage and gently pushed them toward Mike.
“Okay, guys. Obviously, there has been a terrible accident here. We need to make sure no one else gets hurt too.”
Scout Nathan, who looked both worried and scared at the same time, held up his hand.
“Yes, Nathan?”
“Did you see the clothes on the ground, Scouter Mike? I think part of somebody was still in them!”
Scouter Mike knelt and put a hand on Nathan’s shoulder. When he spoke, his voice was soft. “I saw them. It’s terrible what can happen. I don’t know if that was once a person or not, but I do know I need your help to ensure that no one else gets hurt.”
“He probably wasn’t wearing a seatbelt,” Scout Peter announced. “I expect he was thrown from the vehicle and got cut in half when he went through the windshield.”
“That’s enough, Peter!” Mike stood up. Leave it to the boy to make things worse. “What you think isn’t important right now. What is important is that we stop any cars that might be coming toward the accident.” Mike looked at the small Scout who was now crying in front of him. “Do you think you can help me with that, Nathan?”
“I…I’ll try, Scouter Mike,” he said through the tears.
“Good boy,” Scouter Mike said, clapping Nathan lightly on the shoulder. “Okay, guys, come with me.”
Mike led them away from the accident back toward his truck. “Kyle, Martin, Todd, could you guys join us, please? Ricky, you too.”
They scrambled across the ditch to where he and the other Scouts waited. “Here’s the scoop. There has been a bad accident up ahead….”
“There are pieces of people on the road,” Peter interrupted.
Mike rounded on him. “Peter! Do you want to go sit in the van? Your comments are not helping us right now and I need you to control your tongue. Can you do that?”
The boy suddenly looked like his dog had just been kicked. “Yes, Scouter Mike.”
Mike stared at Peter until he began to fidget. “I hope so. One more time and you can go have a time out where you won’t see anything and you can’t get into trouble.” He shook his head. Smart boy, but he always had to be the centre of attention.
“Todd, you take Peter with you and go down the road the way we came. When you can just see the vehicles, stop there. If any cars or trucks come down the road, wave them down and tell them there has been an accident, okay?”
Todd nodded and led the unprotesting Peter down the road. “Trevor, you go about halfway between Todd and the vehicles. Your job is to keep watch.”
“Who should I take with me, Scouter Mike?” Trevor asked.
“Nathan, would you go with Trevor?”
“Yes, Scouter Mike,” Nathan sniffed.
“Excellent! Off you two go.” They ran down the road. “And be careful!” Mike yelled after them.
Mike turned to Martin and Kyle. “I need you guys to do the same thing, but up the road, okay? Take the remaining Scouts with you and get set up on the side of the road. Don’t take any chances with traffic, but try to wave anyone coming down.”
Mike watched the boys move up and down the road from the accident. That would keep them busy for a while. This dust was so weird. Mike couldn’t quite shake the feeling that they were all being watched. It was a lot like that feeling he sometimes got when he was home alone - that someone was in the house.
What else could he do to help? He thought about the cell phone in his truck. It was a longshot; cellular service was mostly nonexistent out here, but it couldn’t hurt to try.
He pulled the cell phone out of the vehicle and flipped it on. The signal strength showed zero bars. Mike spent the next few minutes walking around holding the phone out in front of him like a tricorder in an effort to get a phone signal. He failed.
***
Peter let Todd lead him down the road into the dust. What a joke! The interesting stuff was at the accident scene. It wasn’t fair that he couldn’t be there to see everything. Those dismembered legs we so cool!
“Todd, we should go see the accident some more,” Peter said.
“We’re doing what Scouter Mike asked us to do,” Todd replied. He continued dragging Peter down the road.
“But I want to see!” Peter protested. He tried to jerk his arm away from Todd and failed.
“Stop that, Peter. For once do what you are told!”
Peter dragged his feet. It was so unfair. Finally something cool and he was missing it. These people were all so dumb. They just held him back.
Somehow, he would show him how he was right and they were wrong. Somehow they would learn. But waiting for the right moment really sucked!
***
“Hey, Mike, come look at this!” Steve called.
Mike put the phone in his pocket and trotted over to Steve. “What’s up?”
“You’ll never believe this, but there aren’t any bodies.”
“What? Surely there would at least be the other half of…well, of that,” Mike said nodding toward the legs that were now covered by a blanket.
Steve shook his head. “We searched everywhere within a hundred metres on all sides. Absolutely nothing. All we found was grass trampled down like someone walked away from the crash.”
“Or crawled, I suppose,” Mike said. “I can’t imagine anyone crawling away from something like that, though.”
“It could just be that someone already came by and picked up the injured,” Shaun said.
“Maybe,” Steve said, doubtfully. “There’s just too much strangeness here though. Nothing makes sense.”
“And we can’t call anyone,” Mike said, holding up his cell phone. “No coverage.”
“No, I tried that too,” Steve said. “I think we’re going to have to send someone ahead to try and call for help.”
“I think you’re right,” Mike said, “but who?”
“I’ll go,” Scouter Connall said. “There isn’t anything I can do here and I really need to clear my head. I’ve seen some bad things in my time, but never anything like this.”
“Okay, Connall, you go,” Steve said.
“I’ll take Trevor with me,” Connall said. “He can try phoning out while I drive.”
“Well, he’s back down the road with Nathan,” Mike said. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to have Nathan back here. I know the accident has him a little freaked out. Maybe take him with you too?”
“I can do that,” Connall said. “I’ll drive back and pick them up.”
The man climbed into his van and carefully turned it around to drive down the road to pick the two boys up. Within minutes, he was back, carefully manoeuvring the vehicle past the parked trucks and the wreckage. He picked up speed as he passed the final Scouts keeping watch up the road.
“I don’t get it. Connall always struck me as being so tough,” Scouter Jeremy said. He waved dust away from his face. “Wasn’t he in the military or something?”
“He was,” Steve replied. “Toughness doesn’t really have anything to do with his reaction though. I can only imagine what he saw when he was deployed. I would imagine that would have an effect on anyone.”
“He doesn’t talk about his time overseas,” Mike said.
“No, he doesn’t,” Steve agreed. “Who knows what memories that body part triggered?”
Mike tried to see through the hanging dust. It gave everything a weird, obscured twilight feel. “I’d better walk down and see how Todd and Peter are doing. Jeremy, would you mind going up road a bit to make sure Kyle and Martin and the others are okay?”
“No problem, Mike,” Jeremy said, turning and trotting up the road.
Mike passed the trucks near the place he had asked the boys to watch for cars. The dust was still really bad. Scouter Connall really hadn’t driven very fast, yet that little disturbance had raised so much dust, visibility was down to almost zero again.
A sound of creaking fence wire came from Mike’s right. “Hello? Todd? Peter? Is that you?”
No answer.
“Peter?” This time Mike raised his voice. “Peter, are you there?”
The sound of creaking fence wire intensified, but Peter did not answer.
“Scouter Mike?” Todd’s voice called from down the road.
“Todd? Is Peter with you?”
“I’m here,” Peter said, sounding petulant. His voice came from the same vicinity as Todd’s.
“Are you two together, Todd?” Scouter Mike called.
The creaking of the fence continued.
“Yes, Scouter Mike. But we can’t really see anything. The dust is just too thick,” Todd said.
“You might as well come back to me. The wind is picking up and I don’t think this dust is going anywhere. You might as well be up with the rest of us,” Mike said. What he didn’t say was how the sound of…something trying to break through the fence was freaking him out. It could have simply been a cow pushing through to reach a choice morsel of grass, but the sound was getting more and more regular, like something was getting desperate to push through.
He waited for them to get to him, nervously trying to see the fence through the dust. By the creaking of the wire, whatever was out there was obviously frenzied. The odd thing was, it hadn’t uttered a single sound.
Mike had no sooner finished that thought than a low-pitched moan floated out from the fence. His heart began to race.
“Todd? Are you guys coming?”
He jumped when Todd spoke again. “We’re here, Scouter Mike. What the heck was that?” The boy, standing right beside Mike now, sounded scared.
“I don’t know, Todd. Probably just a lost cow,” Mike said, trying to sound unconcerned. “Come on, guys. Let’s get back up to the trucks.”
The three wasted no time getting back to the vehicles, finishing the short distance at a trot.
“Guys, why don’t you grab a drink and a snack? I’ve got to talk to the other Scouters.” Mike asked. He left them nibbling granola bars and went to find the other leaders.
The men were standing, staring past the wrecked cars.
Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie Plague Page 2
