Chapter 24
The scouts took the team toward Shanesville, then west down an Armistead County Road. They arrived at an abandoned house. Ayanna felt stiff and bow-legged after she dismounted the horse, but didn't want Ethan to see her struggling so awkwardly. The others were also not used to riding and suffered from the same effects.
Ethan told Ayanna, "You're kind of young to be involved in something like this, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"Hey! Don't I know you?"
"Maybe."
Ethan waited for some kind of elaboration by Ayanna, but she didn't add anything. "Anyhow, a couple of farms out here got raided. Conventional wisdom says they are out in this area immediate area someplace. You people are on your own to do your thing from here."
"We'll be back, man," Rata said. "Thanks for the ride."
"We're not planning on going anywhere too soon," Ethan said.
The three were dressed in black, but it would not be dark for hours.
Ayanna was trying to mentally deal with the fact that she had some kind of special olfactory sense of smell. That would not be good for her troublesome reputation if the townsfolk started saying she had some kind of mutation on top of her other weirdness.
Rata asked Ayanna, "So how does this bloodhound thing work that you got?"
"I don't know if it is really real to begin with."
Rata said, "Well I hope it works, because we don't want to get caught off-guard."
Patrick said, "I don't like this. They may be watching us right now."
"Me either," Ayanna said, "The last time I did this was at night, and they were all over us."
Patrick said, "You've done this before?"
"Once. Yea. Maybe I got lucky. We found them. I think I could smell them."
Rata said, "They must be asleep."
"Why?" Patrick said.
"They gotta sleep sometime, right? They always cause their problems at night, don't they?"
"You know, that does make sense," Patrick said. "But they are still going to have a lookout. They won't forget the battle near Shanesville, where they used their flag of truce treachery on you."
"I see you know your history," Rata said.
The trio kept walking toward a woodlot that bordered the road. There were a lot of woodlots throughout the flat landscape. Most were cleared for farming, so they were in neat rectangular patterns, unless they came up against a bend in the road or a meandering waterway.
"We need to get into the woods so they can't see us," Rata said.
The woodlot was small, so they got through it in about ten minutes. They stopped to survey the area behind the woodlot.
They could see a half-dozen other woodlots. In order to get to any one of them they would have to cross open terrain. But at least this time of year the open terrain was covered with high grass.
Rata said, "I think we should check out that small woods over there."
"Why?" Ayanna said. "That is way too small to hold a big clan."
"Yea, but there is a lot of lamb's quarters growing out there on the way that we can eat for dinner. I wish that was growing close to home. Man, I love that stuff. Plus its free."
Ayanna said, "There is a creek that runs into that large woodlot over there. It looks like there is no road next to it." Ayanna continued to focus on the distant woods. The woodlot had its own water supply and was more secluded than most.
"Are you ready to go there?" Rata asked. "We can sneak up through the creek."
Ayanna continued to look intently at the woods. She had visions of her not so distant past. In her vision, she was looking up, and saw turkey buzzards. The vultures were circling around her, her clan and their meal; around the carrion that the buzzards thought they should have gotten. She watched the buzzards. They weren't just nesting there, they were lingering; waiting for their chance at some of the carrion. It was obvious to her that there was some sort of cannibalistic clan in that woods. She didn't have to smell the Hexmen. It was too easy to figure it out.
"They may be over there. In that large woodlot," Ayanna said.
"You sure?" Patrick asked.
"No."
Rata said, "Okay. We start crawling out to that section of lamb's quarters, then we go left toward the creek, then we go up into the large woods. If we crawl, they won't see us."
The other two nodded in approval.
Rata said, "It's a lot of crawling around. I'll lead the way."
They crawled single file through the grass. Rata was cursing his way as he blazed a trail through the tall, frequently prickly weeds.
After about an hour of the crawling, Patrick asked, "Can't we just walk over there?"
Rata answered, "Not only no, but hell no. I ain't gonna end up being barbequed by some Halloween voodoo clowns from Hell."
"Keep going!" Ayanna emphatically whispered.
In a short time they were at the plot of lamb's quarters. They rested on their backs, looking at the sky, while stripping handfuls of the tender leaves and shoving the handfuls into their mouths.
Rata said, "Now all we need is some salad dressing."
Ayanna said, "Salad dressing? What's that?"
Rata said, "You take this mixture of. . .
"Shhhhhh!" Ayanna said.
Rata said, "Why the hell do you ask . . ."
"Shhhhhh!" Ayanna bumped Rata's ankle with her fist. She realized that maybe it was true. She could smell them. The passing smell was the only way she knew the Hexmen were close.
The three all froze in place. Rata moved around enough so he could raise up and get a peek above the top of the grass. Rata saw a small army clad in rags, spread out and carrying an assortment of weapons. They were walking from the large woodlot toward the woods the trio had just snuck out of. The nearest of the clansmen were about thirty feet away. None of the Hexmen were walking toward their present position.
Patrick and Ayanna took a quick peek at the situation.
Ayanna worried that one of them might notice the trail that they had made through the grass. But the group of Hexmen was making plenty of paths on their own. She also worried that she was not going to be able to leave on her own after detecting the Hexmen, at least not now. She also realized that If Rata would not have seen the lamb's quarters, they would have been in the direct path of the Hexman advance.
Rata started crawling double time through the vegetation, continuing on their original path. The others followed. When they got up to the creek, Rata took a look at the barely moving, slimy algae covered stagnant creek water. He made a face. "Patrick, let's go. 'Yanna, find a safe way to get back to the horses, or home. Nothing is worth going into that damn swamp. Don't get caught. I'm serious."
"Okay," Ayanna said.
Rata stood up, then Patrick slowly stood up. They walked along side of the creek toward the large woods. Rata awkwardly moved as fast as possible. Patrick easily kept up. Rata kept looking at the Hexmen, hoping none of them would turn around. So far, so good. The Hexmen were all keenly focused on the woods they were approaching. Rata and Patrick made it into the cover of the large woods.
The pair walked around freely in the woods. There was no one around. They walked for a few minutes. Then suddenly Rata stopped. "Oh hell no!" He saw the human bone pile that the Hexmen had accumulated, at least since being in that location. It was apparent that the remains were still relatively fresh. The stench was horrible.
"Don't look!" Rata told Patrick, while he was getting sick.
"At what? Awww. . .Crap!"
Rata bent over and was coughing and spitting. Then dry heaving.
Patrick said, "You want to know something weird? There aren't any women around here. Where are their women?"
Rata thought about it. "Hey, you're right. Where are they?"
Patrick said, "Bloody Hell! God!" He saw several women's heads cast off into the undergrowth of trees.
Rata said, "Hey! What is this, their damn pantry?" Rata pointed out three people who were tied up and gagged. "And one of them is a Hexman. Looks like our job is done here."
Patrick said, "Does this one count?"
Rata said, "Why not?" He started to cut another man and a woman free. "That Hexman obviously does not play well with his old pals. Maybe he has a good story to tell."
"Oh thank you!" the non-Hex man said holding Rata's arm. He was stretching his muscles and joints. "I thought we were goners, for sure."
Rata freed the woman. She was just laying there, disconnected from her surroundings.
"Come on, Beth!" the man said. "We gotta get out of here!"
The woman just moaned and groaned.
"Here," Patrick said, offering Beth a drink of water.
She took in some and started to breathe heavily. Then turned her head back to the container for more water. Rata and Patrick helped her up.
Rata cut the ropes that were holding the restrained Hexman's feet together. He left the gag in his mouth and his hands tied.
Patrick said, "They are coming back! I can see them through the trees! They are almost into the woods!"
Rata said, "Don't worry, let's go out of the woods the other way." Then he said to their captive Hexman, "Get up, damn it! You want to stay here and be the next thing on the menu?!"
Patrick said, "What about those people?!"
Rata said, "They're gonna die."
The captured Hexman saw that it was in his own self-interest to get away. So he was cooperating nicely. Rata found a fairly large diameter tree trunk that had fallen over the creek. He pushed the Hexman on it. "Move! Go!" The Hexman ran across the trunk with his hands behind his back. Rata made it over the trunk and so did Patrick.
Patrick looked back. The man was trying to help Beth on top of the tree trunk. She was disoriented and not gaining any ground. "Come on! Leave her!" Patrick yelled.
"No stupid! You run, damn it!" Rata screamed at Patrick.
Patrick ran behind Rata, who was slow to begin with. Patrick looked back once more. Beth was on the log with the man holding her up.
Zip. Zip. . .Zip. Arrows were going into the man's back
Patrick finally realized that the couple were a lost cause. he turned away and started running full speed. He went around Rata, and then the captive. In the distance he telephone poles running in a line, indicating that there was likely a road out there that could not be seen because of the tall grass. He went straight across the field toward it.
Rata was huffing and puffing behind the captive, but still kept going.
Gunshots were heard at their backs. This helped propel Rata, motivating him to dig deeper for more.
Patrick looked back. The Hexmen were swarming out of the large woodlot. It was clear they were not going to give up, no matter what. He stopped and took a couple of shots at the closest Hexmen who were at long range. The shots missed, but it gave Rata and the captive a chance to catch up.
The captive was struggling. He looked like he was in pretty good shape, but he was greatly fatigued from running such a distance with his hands behind his back. Then he lost his balance and fell over.
"Son of a bitch! Get the . . ." Rata needed oxygen and couldn't say any more, but he stopped to help the captive up, and they resumed running.
An arrow came flying between Rata and the prisoner. Rata turned and shot at the archer who was only twenty yards back. The shot went through the Hexman's arm, and he went down. Rata wanted to turn back and capture him also, but there was no time. The rest were still coming, but only a few good runners were closing in.
Finally they were getting close to the road. Patrick looked back. Rata was getting ready to shoot their captured Hexman in the head. That meant Rata was ready to give up.
Patrick said, "Hey! Come on you little Mexican wimp! You want to die like a dog out here? Get your sad brown ass in gear!"
"What?!" Rata pulled down the gun and with renewed resolve told the prisoner, "Let's go!"
Patrick risked his own life by stopping. He stayed there and shot at the Hexmen. He emptied his clip. He hit one of them and the rest stopped. Rata and their captive was now at long range.
Patrick waited for them to catch up. He yelled again, "Hurry up! There's a woods up the road!"
"AAAAgh!" Rata had to run some more. The captive was doing horribly. The prisoner could barely keep from doubling over in pain.
If they turned and ran up on the road, they could move a lot faster, but the Hexmen would be able to cut them off and catch up.
"No," Rata said. "We gotta run straight!"
It was another mile to the next woodlot, if they went straight.
Patrick said, "Okay, we'll lose them in the woods!"
"We can't. They'll surround the woods and get to us. There are too many of them."
"You'll never make it!"
Rata said, "That way!" pointing toward the same direction they had been running.
"Give me the prisoner!" Patrick helped him over the ditch next to the road then over the ditch on the other side of the road and they resumed running.
A few of the Hexmen had caught up during their conversation.
Patrick said, "I got plenty of ammo. Run."
Rata ran with the prisoner again.
Patrick hopped into the ditch for cover. He began to fire. Now the Hexmen were stopped dead in their tracks. They dropped to the ground for cover. Patrick shot a Hexman who tried to get into the ditch on the other side of the road. He knew he couldn't allow them to take cover in the opposite ditch, or he would be pinned down. The wounded Hexman fell into the ditch head first. Rata and the captive were soon at extra long firing range.
Patrick employed the tactic of dropping down and appearing in various positions to take a quick shot. There were a lot of Hexmen accumulating at far range. Some were starting to do a flanking maneuver, which could be Patrick's undoing if he stayed too long.
One of the Hexmen commanded, "Chaaarge!" They were coming in force. As one of his adversaries hopped into the ditch, Patrick hopped out.
The Hexman tracked Patrick directly in the back with the iron sights of his gun in short range and fired, but the slender young man ran behind a telephone pole and was mostly covered behind it. The telephone pole was hit. . . and hit again.
Patrick was feeling in his training zone. He reached out from behind the telephone pole and touched the Hexman in the face. Then Patrick resumed running in a partial zigzag pattern, after Rata and their captive, who should have been a lot farther ahead, but at least caught some of their wind back.
Some of the Hexmen jumped into one ditch or the other and some ran past the ditches. In desperation, Patrick pointed his pistol behind his back while on the run and sprayed some random shots. This tactic caused all of them to pause. None of them wanted to be "that Hexman".
Patrick resumed zigzagging and was starting to get away again. He caught up to Rata and their prisoner.
The woods was about a "klick", or about 1000 meters away. The Hexmen were about a half a click back. It seemed like the closer they got to their destination, the slower Rata became.
"Come on! Hoof it out!" Patrick said.
The trio was soon into the next woodlot. There was no sign of any humans.
"Crap!" Rata said. "I'm dying here."
"We gotta keep going," Patrick said, they're still coming.
"I don't know," Rata said, "maybe you better go on with the prisoner. I can stall them."
"No way. I need you. We're almost there."
"I might be jeopardizing the whole mission," Rata said. "Where the hell are we, anyhow?"
"I don't know. I thought you knew."
"Dude, I'm from Detroit, not from Hexhell damn voodoo land!"
"Let's go! We gotta move!" Patrick said.
The Hexman captive was wheezing.
Rata said, "Man, no lie, that dude is gonna keel."
"Then he keels! Come on!"
Rata pushed the Hexman to get running again. They went straight through the woods.
"Get going!" Patrick said to them as they were casually moving, "I'm gonna slow them down again for you. This time don't screw around!"
Patrick saw some of them start to flank the woods. But there were some coming into the woods. He couldn't stay there for long. He positioned himself behind a large tree and found an unsuspecting target slowing advancing trying not to make any noise. With a single shot he dropped the Hexman.
Patrick wanted to avoid drawing anyone to his location if possible, so he moved laterally to keep the Hexmen guessing.
BAM! Two-for-two. He moved again. He thought it prudential to try and catch up to Rata.
On the other side of the woods, they came to the back yards of a modern country housing development. The front of the houses were on another county road. It looked like all of the beautiful brick homes were abandoned. There was no reason to think anyone would be remain so close to the Hexmen.
"Hey!"
Patrick thought he heard something.
"Hey!"
He did hear something.
"Down here, dummy! Under the deck!"
A wood deck was at the back door of one of the houses Rata held out a piece of cheap looking lattice work that he broken into under the side of the deck. "Quick!"
Patrick hustled to get under the deck. Rata set the lattice work back in its original position. It was dark and full of cobwebs under the deck but they had a panoramic view of everything that went on in the area, yet they could not be seen from the outside. It was a welcome place to recuperate.