Running Boys - Complete

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Present Day

The Escape Continues

Moey was hailed by Dream in the predawn hours while he slept.

"Yes? What is it?" Moey asked in a daze.

"A patrol will likely intersect the current route of your sons," reported Dream.

"Oh shit! How long?"

"Twenty minutes."

"I took the initiative to try to reach them on the headset, but there was no response. It is possible that the sound amplitude is not sufficient to reach them through the waterproof lining of the packs. Given that, and the urgency of time, I suggest we deploy Saginaw to make direct contact."

"Yes! Do it!"

Within minutes, Saginaw streaked across the lake and was overhead, looking down on the boys. Then, it went into a freefall, like a raptor diving for its prey, and pulled up just ahead of the boys as they ran along in the twilight. Saginaw emitted a series of flashing red lights as the boys approached. They slowed and approached the hovering birdlike creature cautiously.

"Pa?" called out Jojo.

"Boys! There is a patrol headed toward you. You did not answer your headset. They will be there very soon. Go off trail to the east, and make sure you see them pass. Wait until it's clear. Go! Now! Jojo, put on that headset! Go!"

The boys scrambled off the trail and to the east to get out of sight. But it was a very open area, not offering much cover. Come on, Jojo! Put that bloody thing on! Moey thought. But the boys were busy increasing their distance from the trail. Jojo had no time to get the device from Buddy's pack. As the Eden patrol came into view on Moey's screen, he could see that they were close. If he could have talked to Jojo, he would have told them to drop immediately and remain still. The morning light was still dim, and they would probably be fine. But at this point, all Moey could do was hope that the patrol was only looking ahead as they ran along.

When the patrol passed the boys and were starting to move away, Moey felt some relief. The Eden patrol of four trotted along, enjoying the emergence of the new day, which was casting its long shadows and causing droplets to glisten across the sparse grasses and low-lying bushes. The lake had a thin mist hanging, awaiting the sun, which would burst through and liberate it from its state of limbo.

One of the runners processed something odd in his mind. It was a subconscious nudge about a state of disorder. He turned his head as he passed over a patch of the trail that looked very disturbed. Then, he noticed that the disturbance continued off the trail and up the slope to the east. The runner, who was at the back of his group, slowed and craned his neck to the left, looking for something though not sure what. That was when he detected motion in the far distance. His acute vision saw the tiny figures in motion, now well behind them and moving away.

"Hey! Hey!" he shouted out to his team. They all slowed and then stopped.

"Come on! Take your shit so we can go get some eats!" one of them barked.

"Hurry up!" shouted another.

"Hey! I see runners over there! They left the trail right back there. You guys didn't even notice!"

"Where?"

He pointed. They all struggled to see anything, not all of them having the gift of perfect vision. "I don't see anything."

"I see it!" one of the others said.

"Let's check it out!" the squad leader ordered.

"Oh shit!" another complained.