As the day slowly passes, I drift in and out of sleep or actually more of a deep form of relaxation. The area is quiet and has the feel of a slow, lazy day. I could just soak up the warmth if it were any other situation. I still feel the knot in my stomach making me restless. I want to do something just to ease some of the tension and make the day go by faster but I know that resting, even if I don’t get a lot of sleep, is for the best.
The shadows of the trees and power line structures slowly transit across the ground as the sun moves across the blue sky and eventually fall to the east. I rise and brush the dirt and needles off. It will take me a couple of hours to make my way down to the tree line. Moving slowly and in the deepest cover I can find will help keep me from being spotted. Plus, I want to give myself some additional time. We haven’t spotted patrols heading out from the camp but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any. The only thing we observed leaving the compound, besides the buses, is the red truck heading out of the gate just after everyone was shepherded back in. Arriving too early will also increase my chances of being spotted so I may have to lie up a short distance away and wait for dusk.
I am eager to be off and I gather my gear. I already notified the team members of my plan which they seemed to take in stride. I edge up to Greg to see if anything of interest transpired while I was resting.
“Nothing much,” he answers. “The group came out again around noon and went back in an hour later. Other than that, it’s been pretty quiet.”
“Okay, I’m off. I’ll be back a little after dawn,” I tell him. “I want to be out of the camp prior to dawn and lay up again until the sun breaks.”
“Sounds good, Jack, we’ll be waiting for you. Give a ring if you need any help and good luck,” he says.
Giving a last minute check, I head off to the north. I don’t want to head toward the camp directly from our position so I plan to circle around to the north. I’ll then cut over to the spot I identified on the west side of the fence. This will take me north of the Wal-Mart and enable me to circumvent it. The greatest risk will be crossing the highway as it is wide open at that point. I’ll have to see what it’s like when I get there and may have to lie up and cross close to dusk. The sun will be in anyone’s eyes looking out from the camp so that is in my favor.
I walk slowly to the north keeping just below the hilltop. The air is still beneath the tall trees. It isn’t old growth timber but they do stretch a ways toward the blue sky peeking through the tops. The silence is encompassing. An occasional flurry of activity, as something scampers through the brush at my approach, is all that accompanies me. The smell of the firs and cedars releasing their scents reminds me of my love of the woods and outdoors. The ground is dry so I take care of my footfalls in order not to snap branches under my boots. The hill ends and begins a descent towards flatter land on the same level with the camp and surrounding area.
Beginning my descent, one of the team members on guard waves from behind a tree where he is keeping watch on the dirt road further up from our camp. I wave back and continue down the hill. Passing the outpost, I slow and begin to take my time on the descent. I move a few yards and pause, listening and watching the surrounding area for any sound or movement. The sun heads further down toward the horizon to my left. The warmth it sent down during the day is trapped beneath the trees causing beads of sweat to form on my brow and trickle down. Near me, a couple of birds flit from branch to branch as if following or leading me; they wait until I am adjacent to them and then take off to the next branch a few trees ahead. I am sure they are trying to lead me away from their nest but it’s nice to think they are just keeping me company. I see the dirt road following the power lines through occasional gaps in the trees and then it disappears altogether as it and I take different paths.
I arrive at a point I think is adjacent to where I want to be and start a zigzag path keeping in the general direction of the camp. This allows me to pause at each turn and observe my back trail. If I had others with me, the last person would erase the signs of our passing. Solo, it would divert my attention from observing as I move and it would take forever to reach my location. I come across a few game trails but nothing anyone has used. No tracks or sign of passage so I’m reasonably sure the people from the camp don’t come out this way but if they hunt during the day for game, anything is possible.
The trees thin and I see clear sunlight where they end just prior to the highway. I ease up to a position just inside the trees and glass the area to my front on the other side. It appears much the same as on mine; a stretch of tall grass next to the two-lane highway. I search for some time looking for movement. If they are watching this part of the road, they are keeping well-hidden. It is only a little over three hundred yards to the camp perimeter from here so I decide to wait for the sun to get a little lower in the sky before venturing further.
As I wait, the sound of a vehicle approaching penetrates my little hideout. I am nestled behind a downed log next to a tree. Peeking out as the sound increases, I observe the red pickup truck pass by. The sound then diminishes. I barely see a part of the overpass leading from the highway to the north part of town but it is enough to see the truck momentarily as it crosses. The noise of its engine fades and then disappears entirely. I figure this is as good a time as any to cross. The sun has lowered to just above the hills to the west. Nighttime is approaching.
“What in the world am I doing?” I say softly to myself thinking about being out at night.
The night runners aren’t fun when in a group. Being out solo with no place to go is a nightmare. I think back to Greg’s comment about not thinking this all of the way through. At this moment, I’m not so sure I did. It sure seemed like a good idea at the time. With a last listen and look across the road through the scope of my M-4, I rise and creep to the very edge of the trees. The tall grass waves very slightly from a gentle evening breeze; almost unnoticeable. The gray highway stretches left and right out of my line of sight. I would prefer to cross on a corner but seem to be short of those right now.
Hearing nothing, I rise and proceed at a crouch through the tall grass raising the stalks behind me to minimize my trail. Gathering myself at the edge of the road, I dart across when I’m reasonably sure the coast is clear. Heading through the grass on the other side, I make for the opposite tree line and settle in just inside. I look back and see a trail through the grass on this side. It just looks like a small game trail but if anyone is looking for something like that in particular, they’ll know someone passed recently. The trail will disappear by morning as the evening moisture weighs the grass down. When it rises in the morning with the coming of the sun, my passage will be completely obscured.
“Did anyone ever tell you that you run like the exact opposite of a gazelle?” Greg asks through the radio.
“Congratulations! You’re the next contestant on kissmyass,” I respond pressing the mic.
“Good thing I shaved nice and close this morning then,” he replies.
“Hope you have plenty of Chap Stick handy,” I return.
“Greg, this is Lynn,” I hear on the radio and think uh oh.
“This is Greg, go ahead, Lynn,” I hear him respond. I want to crawl deep into a hole right now.
“I heard your last transmissions, is Jack going in?” Lynn asks.
“Who said I was talking about Jack?” Greg replies.
“Because I know how he runs. Is he going in?” I hear her ask again.