Everett: Revised edition

Chapter 18

We knew how dangerous the trek could be this time, but at least we knew where we were going. We came upon the horizon of the woods that looked out over the grassy field where we had been ambushed last time.

Greg and I lurked behind the trees and saw an envoy of Community soldiers around the meadow. They wore heavier gear than I was used to seeing on our community's police. We stopped for a moment to observe. A hush fell over us and over the surrounding forest.

"We have to find a way around," Greg said.

We crouched, drew our guns, and began to walk again. They were stationed heavily at each end of the road that led in and out of the field.

"Wow! They're really scared, aren't they?"

Greg turned backwards to me and nodded, eyebrows up and big eyes.

I straightened up to try and get a better look around. "Maybe we should go the other way. I think there's fewer the further away from the Community they go."

Now Greg straightened up and looked. He looked down at me and up again. As he thought, he chewed on his lip. Something I'm not sure I've ever seen him do. His mind seemed occupied with calculating the best route. "Okay, let's try it."

We reversed course and went parallel to the field, keeping as close to the tree line we could while still being out of sight, but that wasn't going to work the closer we got to the road.

"We have to go deeper into the forest," Greg said.

"Agreed, but we are going to cross the road at some point," I pointed out. "How are we going to know where the soldiers are?"

"We'll just have to find an opening we can sneak across."

I sighed heavily.

As we hiked further into the forest, it became more difficult to keep a clear eye on the road, but that road, and the radius around it, would be where the soldiers are. It was nerve-wracking just being the two of us and knowing there are more Community soldiers out this far than ever before. We had the advantage of being few and easily blending, but I wouldn't want to run into one of them doing the same.

To walk stealthily through this terrain, Greg had us pause every few feet to take in the sounds and sights around us. We were like paddles taking turns glancing off of the shadows and swirling murk around us. Greg would look one way while I looked the other. I felt out of breath as I held my breathing back every time we stopped. Any rustle of a leaf, any snapping branch, any fluttering in the trees could be the soldiers. Once again, my heart felt like it would betray me. Its beating echoed so loudly in my chest that it felt like it would be a beacon that would give away our location.

"Look!" Greg pointed. A black mass was barely visible through the tree line.

"Is that a soldier? I can't tell what it is. Is it just a shadow?" I replied. Nope. The mass had moved slightly. Its head rotated back and forth examining the tree line.

"We have to get down lower." Greg bent his knees down further to the point where they could almost touch the ground. If he went any lower, he would be crawling. As he went down, the underbrush rustled. I was still above the brush line when I saw the figure turn its head in our direction. If I could see him, he could see me. I fell further into a crouch, hoping that he hadn't seen me. Greg whirled to look back at me, and mouth 'Did he see you?' I didn't know if he had seen me or not, so I shrugged. Greg turned his head to look forward. The heavy brush blocked our view now. Greg attempted to gingerly move his head up, down, and around in an effort to find an opening in the brush that may have given him a view of the soldier off in the distance. "Found him," Greg said. "He hasn't moved. Stay low. Let's go."