Page 15 of Gone
“Morning,” smiled Gaspar.
“Morning. Everyone sleep well?” he asked.
“I think so,” said Tailor. “Lena must have gotten up early.”
“Erin, too,” said Nine, looking around. “Are they getting water in the river?”
“No,” said Angel, walking back. “I went down there to see if they needed a hand. There’s no one down there.”
The men stared at one another, then turned to Code, who pulled up the equipment. He searched for their locators and realized that they must have either turned them off, knowing they were all going to be together, or the iron in the rock formations was interfering again.
“Footprints,” said Trak, standing at the trailhead with Zeke. “Lots of footprints.”
“They wouldn’t have gone for a hike without us. Never. We went to sleep before them last night. That means there’s a ten-hour gap of time,” said Wilson.
“Code? Get the drones up and keep trying to activate the trackers. The rest of you, let’s get moving.”
A few minutes later, Ruby and Irene walked into the campsite. They both looked nervous, staring at the men.
“I thought y’all were gonna come and meet us,” said Irene.
“Mama, it’s not time yet. It’s early. Why are you here? Are the girls with you?” She shook her head, wringing her hands in front of her. “Mama? What’s wrong?”
“I’m not sure. We’re not sure. We woke, feeling startled. I think y’all need to do what you do. We heard there was a prison escape three days ago. Eight men and only three have been found. That’s five still out there somewhere.”
“Fuck me,” growled Bull. “But why would the girls go with them or leave the campsite?”
“Irene, Ruby, what were these men in prison for?” asked Nine.
“We didn’t stick around to listen. We saw the headline and left to come and find y’all,” said Ruby. “The girls wouldn’t wander off without you unless they had good reason.”
“Gaspar? Nine? I’ve got comms up. Five men escaped from Mountain West Penitentiary. Three were career criminals, burglary, drugs, reckless driving. But the other two were in for murder and bank robbery,” said Sly. “I’ve notified the police that we’re headed out on foot to find our wives.”
They heard a rustling near the bushes and looked up to see the scout leader from the day before looking haggard. His shirt was torn, his face scratched by trees and thorns.
“Sir, are you alright?” asked Cruz, grabbing his hand. Adam stepped up, forcing him to take a seat.
“My boys, the boys,” he said in a choked voice. “We were doing an early morning hike to see the sunrise, and these men came up on us. They had knives and guns, and they, they took the boys.” He cried, rocking back and forth.
“Gaspar, the dogs are gone. The girls have the dogs,” said Antoine.
“Shit. They didn’t. Tell me they didn’t,” he mumbled. “Sir, did our wives see you and the boys?”
“They must have. They saw me running on the trail and said they’d woken early to see the sunrise as well. When I told them what happened, they said to follow the trail to you and tell you.”
“No, no, no, no,” repeated Nine. “They had dogs with them?”
“Y-yes. Three really big dogs,” said the leader. “Those boys, my own son. They’re my responsibility, but your wives, all of those women, they yelled at me and told me to come and find you.”
“That sounds like our wives,” frowned Tailor. “Which direction did they go?”
“They were following the trail of the boys’ footprints. That way, west toward the Valley of the Caves.”
“If we don’t head them off, they could be lost in there forever,” said Trak. He grabbed the two long Bowie knives, then his backpack, shoving water and food inside.
“Where the hell are you going?” said Alec.
“To get our wives back.” Ghost pulled back on his arm.
