The Long Weekend in the Woods - Chapter 8

Clever Adolescent Panda

Getting everyone on the same page went better than I expected. We caught up to Claire, Rafe, and Jerry quickly, even if I had to carry Pollock part of the way.

(Turns out she's a good sprinter, but not much of an endurance runner. I never had the chance to chase her for a long time.)

Claire was happy to get to test her engine, but she had to finish it first. Jerry didn't seem happy at all, but he knew Claire would wear him down. Rafe thought that was funny, but he was on board, too.

We had reached what was left of the camper by then, which is where Cassanee's people met us. They took more convincing. They didn't like we were trying to catch the Amilgars. They didn't like relying on Pollock, because they'd picked up on Cassanee's attitude towards her. They didn't like Jerry and Rafe's gang being involved, because there'd been some conflicts in the past. Jerry got defensive about that, people started to shout, and then Pollock cut in.

"We've already agreed you should have guns on hand if things go wrong, so you can end it how you like. And your disagreements with the raccoon are minor-"

"Minor?!" a large man named Thomas shouted, "Ya know how many family outings these thieves have ruined?"

"No, and I don't care, either. They haven't destroyed your homes and driven you into a tent city have they?" There was no response. "Have they?"

"No."

"Then they're the lesser of your problems, so stop complaining. You can sort things out with them later, if we survive this."

"And they already agreed to help!" I tried to add something more positive. Pollock was making good points, but no one appreciated how she was making them.

Then Jerry added his two cents. "Yeah, yeah, exactly! So howzabout a little gratitude you big-"

Rafe cut him off by squooshing him with a big paw again. "Not the time for that."

"Yeah, yeah, sure, sure. Eyes on the prize."

Thomas wasn't done. "And her?" He jabbed a big finger in Pollock's direction. "Cass mentions her, and none of what she says is good. We're supposed to trust her?" There were a lot of muttered agreements. I didn't know what to say to that. Cassanee trusted Calvin and I enough to give Pollock a chance, but I couldn't use that here.

Pollock answered for herself. "Trust isn't the important part. If you want to kill the creatures, you need something to hold them in place. I'm the only one here who can build it, so you need me. If you think this is a trick, then you'll have guns and you can do something about it."

Everyone seemed surprised into silence for a minute. Finally a lady named Jayla asked what we needed. The answer was, a lot. Clare needed fuel, and a sled to carry the engine where we needed it. Pollock needed welding tools, wiring, cables, the metal from the camper. A man named Bert had a 4-wheeler and a few gallons of fuel. Claire thought her people could do a rush order on some pieces and get tools back, if she could sell John on it. A lady with a big smile named Cynthia said she had some tools in her garage, if it was still standing. We split up. A few people to watch our two prisoners, some went to the remains of the village to look for the tools and any extra fuel they could find. Jerry and Claire headed for the cave to get some guys to help pull the engine, and send some others back for the prisoners. A few people headed for the Hollow to scout it.

So things came together a little at a time. Pollock worked on whatever she could as equipment came in. Wires to run power from the engine to her device. Cables to send the power into the panels. Cassanee called the first time while we were just getting started. We were going to hide the panels flat on the ground under leaves, and then pull them into place at the right moment. Pollock wasn't happy with that, but there wasn't time for a better system.

Night fell, so we lit lanterns or whatever other lights we had. We were trying to save the 4-wheeler's battery as a fallback if Claire's engine failed. Pollock didn't speak much, except to bark an order once in a while. She didn't even do that much. Mostly she'd ask me to look into something, and I'd go ask someone. She said people responded better to me, which is true.

"I didn't think you'd put your life on the line like that," I mentioned in the middle of the night, when we were taking a break to wait for more metal to arrive.

Pollock gave me a surprised look. "What are you talking about?"

"When you told them they could shoot you if they end up thinking you're trying to pull something."

"Oh, that. Well, I'm putting my reputation as an engineer on the line here. It's an interesting enough challenge I want it to make it work just for that reason, to see if I can pull it off." I wondered if this was what she was like at work when the two of us weren't fighting. Her employees seemed to like her (but maybe that was fear).

Then she kept talking. "But I'm not planning to stand here and get executed if this Frankensteined piece of detritus fails. I know I'm innocent, whether those louts believe or not. They can certainly attempt to murder me, but they're going to find it a challenge." Another pause. "Would you let them do it, even seeing how hard I'm working on this? Or was Calvin speaking only for himself when he said you two believed me?"

She had been staring into the darkness up to then, but now she was looking right at me. "I don't know why Calvin is so sure of you, but I don't think you're behind this. So no, I'm not going to let them shoot you. Even if you give me a reason to think you were involved between now and then, I want evidence before you could be killed."

Pollock watched me for a moment longer. I couldn't tell if that answer satisfied her. The next load of metal was hauled up to us, so she hopped to her feet without another word.

Hours later, the horizon was just starting to so signs of light when Cassanee called again. I had to explain we still weren't ready. Pollock wasn't sure the wiring would hold up and was trying to reinforce and insulate it.

"No choice," was Cassanee's reply. "They're starting to stir. Will scatter soon, hunting again. We have to move before then."

Pollock overhead that. "I'm still uncertain this will work, and I can't risk testing it because I'm positive it won't work twice. And if it fails, your friends are going to try killing me."

There was silence from the other radio. I wondered if Calvin was arguing patience, but I doubted it. He'd either be impatient or nervous, and want it over with either way. I doubted Pollock's well-being mattered to Cassanee, and I understood why, but I still hoped she cared, at least a little. She wanted this to work, I was sure of that.

The radio crackled back to life. "Can't wait, but we'll take the long way. You'll have to be ready."

Calvin added, "Have the grenades ready just in case little buddy, or this could get real ugly."

The radio went silent again, and Pollock and I noticed everyone there had heard. Some of them looked excited, but most of them looked scared. Pollock didn't say anything, just went back to work. And I went back to doing what I could to help.

Calvin

The Amilgars were beginning to move around. Lots of what sounded like grumbles, jostling each other. The few late sleepers would suddenly spasm, and then they were up. I might have wondered about that, but it had been an unpleasant night.

I had considered using bug spray, indifference having proven ineffective, but was worried the smell would carry. I hadn't gone to the bathroom for the same reason. I was glad I hadn't drank more water yesterday, at least, even if that wasn't a smart idea. I hadn't slept well, my jangly nerves waking me up every time I would start to drift off. It got worse the closer to dawn it got. Cass had looked calm the whole night, sitting back against a tree quietly, even sleeping occasionally. The conversation over the radio had made her tense, though. We had to get them chasing us, but delay reaching our destination. Without dying in the process, hopefully.

"You have a circuitous route in mind?" She gave me a look. "I'm not going to be able to keep up if we both run for our lives, so I need to know where I'm going ahead of time."

She shook her head. "We stick together." A pause. "You think I'd abandon you?"

"There's a lot at stake, and I never got the impression I was your favorite person. And if it turns out I'm wrong and Pollock's behind this, she's a problem of mine that became a problem of yours."

She watched me steadily. "You chose to help. That matters." Topic apparently closed, she turned back to the camp and moved forward in a crouch. I got as low as I could and followed. More and more Amilgars were up and about. At least they'd know we took the rocks. It'd be ridiculous to do this and have them fail to notice. A few were sniffing around the edge of the camp, grabbing something then stuffing it in their mouth. And when we were thirty yards out, one of them raised their head and locked eyes with us.

I was about to freeze, hoping they wouldn't see us, but Cass was up and moving, so I followed. She was in the middle of them in a few bounds and went straight for the sacks, grabbing two without breaking stride. That got their attention and there were a lot of alarmed shrieks and I charged through and hoisted the other sack onto my shoulder. One of them tried to bar my way and I semi-nimbly side-stepped him.

OK, really our shoulders clipped each other and I went spinning off to one side. But I maintained my footing and kept going. When another reached for the bag I was carrying, Cass clocked him upside the head with one of the ones she was holding. Not heavy enough to stun him, but he backed off for an instant and we were out the other side of their camp, hauling our bags of goodies away like Bizarro Santa Claus.

We hustled downslope to a ravine, then followed it rather than try to climb the opposite slope. Cass was making easy progress, each step landing surely to propel her forward. Despite the rocks, downed trees, limbs, and spider webs, it seemed as though she never broke stride. I wasn't so nimble, but I was doing OK. The terrain was familiar enough and I'd run through stuff like this before. Just so long as I focused on what was ahead of me, and not what was behind.

You couldn't miss hearing them back there, though. Footsteps rushing through the leaves and brush, a crash and an angry squeal or grunt. Sometimes there was a sound I'd have called a chuckle, like one Amilgar was laughing at another's clumsiness. One of them threw or kicked a log at us. It hit a tree to our right, which caused a rain of limbs. The part of my chainsaw training about widowmakers flashed through my mind. I sped up as much as I was able, Cass staying just slightly ahead of me.

The drainage reached a stream. We turned left sharply to follow it. I noticed a few of our pursuers had opted to climb the slope to try and get ahead of us. I nodded in their direction, but Cass only gave them a brief glance.

Abruptly, two of the Amilgars went right past us with flying leaps. Both of them botched the landings, on slipping on a wet rock, the other caught one leg in an awkward spot and tumbled end over end. The energy from the crystals didn't boost reflexes to go with speed and strength, I guess.

Rocks came whistling in from the ridge to our left. Cass deflected one smoothly, still never breaking strike. I jumped to my right to avoid another. The rock exploded on impact, shards flying everywhere. I felt one embed in my cheek. More followed, small but better aimed. I had taken the time last night to load a canister in the gas gun, so I fired it that direction. Cass threw me a look over her shoulder.

"It's not knockout gas or anything, I was just tired of dodging rocks." She didn't respond, instead leaping into the air, drifting over my head in that odd weightless way she did. She descended on my right side, slightly behind me, and as she did, her foot lashed out and connected with the face of an Amilgar that had been closing in on me. She used the momentum of the kick to turn back in the direction we were running and her foot barely touched the ground before she was moving again, catching up like I was standing still.

"Are they closing in?" I spit out.

"Yes, but you got the ones on the ridge to come down." She tried for an encouraging smile, so I glanced back to my left. There wasn't anyone on the ridge now, but without meaning to, my eyes drifted further behind me.

The whole group of Amilgars were back there, following steadily. I had the distinct feeling of being chased by a pack of wolves, not in any desperate hurry, just keeping pace until we wore down. I can't judge distances for shit, so I don't know how close they were, other than too close. I sped up a little more, about as much as I could and hope to maintain it.

"Are we heading in the right direction, or still stalling?"

"We need to go two ridges east. I'm waiting for an easier spot to climb.

"Just tell me when."

"Now," and she was up the slope. So I followed. It was steep, rocks skittering back downhill under my shoes. At least it had been a dry summer, I didn't have to worry about slipping on leaves. And Cass seemed to find the perfect path to give us a straight shot through the trees. No weaving or twisting required. Our pursuers weren't doing as well. They had to spread out, and they lost ground trying to wind their way through, getting in each other's way. None of them could seem to find or hold a straight path, even just following us.

Cass crested the ridge and checked to make sure I was on her heels (I was), then plunged down the other side. If anything, it might have been steeper, and we went pell-mell down the slope. I felt only barely in control. I didn't want to slow down, so I forced myself not to lean back for balance. Let the sack of rocks do that. Gravity was pulling me the direction I needed to go, why argue? Again, the path was clear. A straight shot to the bottom. This valley was steeper and narrower than the last. No flat stream at the bottom, barely a narrow ditch. Cass hopped it without hesitation.

Up the other side, same as before. The Amilgars tried to close the gap, drawing on the crystals and attempting to jump from one slope to the other. Most of them crashed into limbs or made awkward landings, and a few seemed stuck in the trees. They weren't giving up, though.

Over another ridge and finally the right valley, though I had no idea how far we had to go. We reached the bottom and turned left again when the ground near us erupted. Cass was thrown forward and landed hard, not able to catch herself with both hands occupied. I was thrown to my right and landed on the sack I was carrying. The shards jabbed me through the rough material, but it was better than landing on rocks I suppose. As the dust cleared, I saw what was left of one Amilgar in the crater. It had gotten itself into the air, then used its power to launch at us from above. Pushed off a tree limb, or maybe off the air itself. No one else was trying death from above, but that's because they were charging at us on foot.

Cass was rising slowly. She'd been closer to the impact, a smart play on their part, if intentional. There was a trickle of blood running down her cheek from somewhere on the part of her face hidden by the hood. Gas gun, gas gun, where -? On the ground right in front of me. I reached for a canister in my bag, just to slow them down. I aimed between the horde and us, so they'd rush into it.

The gas erupted, obscuring my view. Then one of them came charging through. They must have decided to just put on a burst of speed and go for it. He was gonna go right through me until a slim hand grabbed my collar and pulled me to one side. The Amilgar shot past and crashed into a rocky outcropping.

We got up and kept going. Whatever luck we had earlier had turned. The going was rougher. Branches swatting us in the face, thorns pulling at out skin. The rocks seemed more slippery, the terrain more uneven. The Amilgars were closing in, making more noise, trying to urge each other on perhaps. I think they smelled blood. Even Cass seemed to be slowing down. I certainly was.

"Are you OK?" I gasped out. Maybe she was concussed.

"The crystals are wearing me down." I thought she meant the weight at first, but realized that if the ones in the bags had absorbed despair, they'd be giving off low levels of that. And we were in very close proximity with no way to turn it to our advantage the way the Amilgars apparently could. At least it gave me something external to push back against. Refuse to be beaten by it.

"Not much further," she said. I'd been afraid to ask, worried I wouldn't like the answer. The way had been sloping upwards for some time. Fewer leaves on the ground, more loose rocks exposed. Cass had enough spring in her step to land lightly when she wanted. But every so often she'd give whichever rock she touched a kick and send it tumbling back downhill. Trying to slow our pursuers. I was doing the same, though not as intentionally.

Abruptly we crested the hill and there was the base of a bluff, maybe 100 yards ahead. Steep slopes covered with loose rock on either side. I didn't see anyone and really hoped we hadn't gotten our wires crossed. Then I noticed two sticks in an "X" sticking out of the ground dead ahead. Oh, very good, guys. Subtle. Cass knocked them over as she passed, dropping her two sacks there. I did the same with mine a moment later. We ran to the base of the bluff and stopped.