Go ahead and dot. Wait for my prompting post before posting in character.
1st . ;-)
.
..
...
The sun sets over the trees in the west as your canoe silently slips by on the water of Shagawa Lake. The group of five canoes stretches out a good 150 feet across the lake. Your muscle are worn out from the days agonizing trip through Burntside River a sluggish 8 mile stretch of a narrow river connecting Shagawa Lake to Burntside Lake. Your morning started with a breakfast by the fire on Beach Island in Burntside Lake. Greg your guide calls back from the lead canoe.
Almost there folks. Off to your left is Miller Point. In front of us is Lambs Point and behind the small island dead ahead is Sandy Point. The bus and trailer from Backwoods Guides & Tours will be waiting for us over there. A mere mile and a quarter away doncha know.
The sky is still a light blue but daylight is fading fast you all paddle a little bit harder to reach the shore before nightfall.
I can't wait for a warm shower and a real bed Arlo. you heard Piper from the second canoe lay into her husband. The two were a couple in the late 20s hailing from New York City. Around the several campfires you shared you learned that the two embarked on this trip as a tool of rediscovery after working for some major corporations in NYC. Arlo worked in sales for some Pharmaceutical company and Piper worked as a business analyst for a capital investment firm. The two really had no idea what they were going to do after returning from this trip but hey there had a mile and quarter to figure it out.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
About 30 minutes later just as it was reaching nightfall your canoes pull within a quarter mile of Sandy Point. Greg surprises you all when he stands up in his canoe gazing into the distance after a few seconds he turns around and says
It's a bit of an odd night. I see about 5 or 6 canoes just stranded on the point with about 4 more floating near the landing. I don't see any people though. Very odd but not much for it but to row the way in. Just be careful as you pass the other canoes not to bang into them to hard. Don't want to be responsible for any damage to our or some other company's property.
A few minutes pass as you close the gap between you and Sandy Point you can finally make out the few drifting canoes Greg mentioned and the others pulled up further onto the landing. The sun sets completely providing you your final sunset in the Boundary Waters Territory and you can see Greg turn on his head lamp in front of you as you hear his canoe bottom grind on the sand of Sandy Point.
Your sharp ears pick up Greg mumble "Why is the Point Lamp off? Where the f*%$ is everyone? Something is wrong here."
Arlo overcompensated for a slight misdirection in his and Piper's canoe and suddenly their canoe is headed away from the point. You hear the two arguing as their canoe is forced to circle around allowing your canoes to beach before theirs unless you make the same mistake.
You notice that several of the canoes still have bags that appear to be open and rummaged through but you don't see any oars.
You notice that off to the far left of the landing strip is a pole with a hook. There's nothing on the hook that's odd.
Off away from the landing about 20 feet back and between two trees you see what appears to be two boots sticking up. It looks like there is a dark spot on the tree.
Sandy Point Map1
Marcus mumbles to John, "Hey Jojo! Be on your guard! There are odd things about! Remember what I told you around the fire?! It maybe something minor or this could be it? Be on your guard!"
At the last second Marcus paddles quickly to avoid the same fate as the NYC couple, Marcus started loud but then became quiet remembering noise discipline from one of his classes, "OH... Shit!" paddle splash ... paddle splash ... paddle splash
"I don't like this one bit, all the bags have been rummaged through. Take the helm Jojo!"
Marcus brings out his weapon and checks the chamber to make sure it is loaded, then makes sure the weapon is on safe. He makes sure the muzzle is not covering any body.
As Marcus and JoJo's canoe approaches the landing Greg is about 10 ft up the landing pulling his canoe behind him with one hand. It is now scraping against the parking lot. Greg's headlamp cuts a sweeping arc of light into the increasing darkness of post dusk as Greg keeps looking back and forth across the parking.
As Jojo paddles the canoe in, while scanning, Marcus quickly makes sure their packs are secure. He then turns the tactical light on his firearm searching the immediate area before landing and in a low voice, "Jojo, when we land, we both get out together, I'll first don my gear, then you should, and then we drag the boat up so the other people can as well. I want you to carry an oar or weapon safely in your other hand while you help carry the boat in the other. When I drop the boat, you need to as well and be prepare to fight. I don't know what is going on but if the Ranger seems on edge, more the reason for me and us to be on edge. We can all laugh later if it happens to be nothing. But for now, we are on our toes!" All this time while talking and scanning, he is careful not to mishandle his firearm and expose anyone in the group to the business end. "Bring it in at the center ramp giving us time to react. Steady now, and get ready to hop out."
Geoffrey has enjoyed the last month - a chance to take a break from his hectic life, an opportunity to unplug; he has truly savored the fact that he hasn't had to be on-call, and has not had to consider anything beyond his immediate surroundings.
The fact that he has been away from the city, enjoy the great outdoors, has just been the icing on the cake.
Still, he can't not admit to himself that it will be nice to have a hot shower.
Not to mention that I dare say there will be several hundred e-mails waiting for me to sift through when I get home...
When the landing zone comes into sight, he begins to paddle more vigorously, eager to get back.
"Come on Richard, we can do this!"
Geoffrey frowns when he overhears Greg's comment.
That's a bit odd... what's happened? Has there been some sort of accident? A terrorist attack out here seems unlikely...
"Huh. Someone rummaged through the kit bags on the canoes, and took the oars. What the devil did someone want with just the oars?"
Relying on his skill, honed over the last month, Geoffrey effortlessly guides his canoe into shore.
He helps Richard drag it up onto land, then shoulders his pack, pulling out his torch, and follows Greg.
John had heard the ranger too but it wasn't until Marcus got out his gun and pointed out the bags being pilfered that his mind began to register danger. "Rummaged? Like people rummage or bear rummage?" Where there even bears out here.
"JoJo. What's up with Baloo?" The snide comment came from one of his friends. They'd likened him to a bear and now they were throwing out any bear reference they could. If he wasn't in the same canoe and terrified that an actual bear might be around, he'd find it funny. Instead, he turns and gives a cut it out signal and shushes them. He points at the camp and, after a moment, they understand his concern.
Thoroughly spooked, he complies, paddling them to shore and keeping the oar just in case. "Um, if you can get me to my car I have a gun too," he says in a whisper.
Edwin parks hi canoe safely onto shore. With a grunt, he hoists his duffel out and onto his shoulders. He didn't understand, would probably never understand why the younger folks insisted on bringing all this high tech gadgetry and weapons so powerful they'd be outlawed in some states. Where the relaxing canoe trip he had been forced to go on?
Double checking his multitool was still in his pocket, Edwin moves to the others.
"What's the matter?" he asks Marcus. "Afraid a bear's gonna sneak up on ya?."
"Yes, indeed! I can´t wait to reach the shore again! Decent food, a shower, internet! What do you plan for next week?" Taking care to paddle in concert with Geoffrey he helps steer the boat close to shore.
Marcus plan with the packs being secure, carrying the canoe so the others can get out, and carrying weapon (Jojo an oar and Marcus with his firearm). Marcus shakes his dead to John, then nods, "No this is not bears, and if we can John, we will get your sidearm."
...
Marcus shakes his head at Edwin, "Really now Mr Harrison, does this look like bear activity to you? How many bear stampedes do you know of in all of history? In addition, you notice Ranger Greg's behavior? He knows something is wrong so if you want to remain among the living we should stop talking and keep our heads on a swivel."
Edwin grunts.
"The f#%@ is wrong with you?" he asks Marcus. "Talking about living and dead and shit. And the Ranger's odd behavior is looking around? You forget to take your meds or something? This ain't no Starving Games."
Can't believe Angela made me go see that crap with her...
Ediwn waves off the oddly paranoid man that might have a bit too happy of a trigger finger. How many sane people do you know of spot a couple abandoned bags and immediately think its a matter a life and death.? What was wrong with this generation...
Edwin pays Marcus no mind, keeping an eye on him rather than the surroundings. Didnt' want to be shot in the back because Marcus thought he might have seen something.
Jonathan let's out a sigh of relief. "Not a bear. Thank god. Wait, how is this life and death? The Ranger just said things were off. He doesn't have a gun out. Maybe there's just a thief around. Or a really bad prank." JoJo was starting to think Marcus was just a little too gungho. He seemed fine at the camp fire. Really knew his stuff about firearms and the laws. JoJo was surprised to find he was a computer engineer. Same relative field as him. Why was he panicking over some rummaged goods?
"I'm wondering the same thing," Edwin agrees with Jojo. "But your skittish friend here insists if I 'want to remain among the living' that I should shut my trap and play Lord of the Flies here."
That even the right book? It's been a while since I've read the classics. I know they beat the shit out of some kid, or was that A Tale of Two Houses?
For being so gruff, old, and curmudgeonly, Edwin was actually an appreciator of the classics. He read slow, but he enjoyed them.
Yael laughs a bit as the New York couple struggles with the canoe. Maybe I should go help them... She puts the thought out of her mind as Edwin starts turning the boat towards shore, and she deftly helps him steer the boat in. For the first time since before she joined the military, she felt truly relaxed. The people she had gone on this trip were for the most part, legitimately good people, despite their quirks.
She hadn't told the group much about her past, just that she had worked for the IDF and had come to America. A month since her last appointment with the shrink. Nearly a week since the last time she had woken up in her tent soaked in sweat and tangled in her sleeping from a nightmare, by far the longest stretch of respite since they started.
Yael smiled again at Edwin's snark, before rolling her eyes at Marcus clutching his pistol. It kind of reminded her of babies and their pacifiers. Her appreciation of Edwin's humour was one of the reasons she had hit it off with her canoe partner. His bluntness was refreshing, and mixed with real world experience, made him one of the only people she felt like she could relate to.
F!&@ing bear stampede? Crazy Americans. This is why their constitution should have said the right to keep and bear muskets rather than arms.
Greg says something, but Yael is distracted by all the oddities. Marcus may be paranoid, but this time at least he might have a cause. The current strangeness contrasted so starkly with the well prepared trip. Not once in the past days had Greg been anything but a calm and relaxed guide. That he was so off put by the landing area's disarray was an extreme difference to the Greg she had seen just ten minutes earlier.
Her eyes drawn to the left by the fishing pole, Yael notices the lone pair of boots in the forest.
Hey Greg, what's with those boots? Seems like a crappy place to take them off.
Perhaps it was all of Marcus' ramblings of death, but her paranoia returned with a vengeance as her mind raced through the infinite possibilities. Flashbacks to all the corpses she had seen while captured. Flashbacks to her targets, slumped over, dead from blood loss and blunt trauma out after a successful shot.
Get it together Yael.
She shakes her head to clear her mind and takes her backpack out of the canoe, and drags it so a canoe blocks it slightly as the group turns to the area she pointed. Rummaging around, she pulls out her flashlight. She almost stands up, but thinking twice, she glances around before also opening up the pocket she had hidden her pistol in. She quickly tucks it in the back of her pants, and pulls her shirt down over it before straightening up and turning on the flashlight in the direction of the boots.
Geoffrey frowns as he regards Marcus, but bites back a scathing comment.
Geez, what a nut-job. I wonder when the last time he had a psych-eval was?
"Let's not assume that it's the Apocalypse, just yet - there's probably a reasonable explanation for what's going on, that doesn't require the use of firearms..."
"You know Marcus, if Geoffrey can subscribe you something, I might have a little something in my bag. You really have some issues!"
Geez, his constant the end of the world is near, and those people have access to firearms in this country! Jesus!
Greg turns around to face back towards his last group of campers. There is an obvious concerned look on his face.
Something is off. The bus and trailer from Backwoods isn't here. It's very weird that someone left all those canoes just laying around but we are probably going to do the same thing. Let me try to get a hold of someone from work and see if they can't help us out. Even if we just got a few cars we could get you all back to your vehicles at the Backwoods lot. It could all be a big case of miscommunication. Uh Yael what was that about boots?
Greg gives Marcus a look of disdain as the man has obviously distressed everyone else more so than is required. Then he turned in the direction Yael pointed and sure enough sticking out of the woods poking above the grass was a pair of boots. With Greg's head lamp pointed directly at it the body that the boots were attached to was visible. Greg quickly diverted his light.
Sorry folks no one should have to see that. If you have a squeamish stomach I suggest you stay here. Geoffrey can you come take a closer look at this with me?
Greg starts off towards the body only half visible due to the forest surrounding the parking lot.
Greg and you approach the boots and body. The lower half of the body is visible but the torso and head lie in the brush outside the parking lot. It isn't until you are about 5' away and Greg's light squarely on it that you see the signs of rigor mortis. The corpse has a large gaping wound on its head. Fragments of skull and brain matter spread out into the forest. The foul smell is horrendous.
Treat Injury Check may provide additional information based on result.
With a nod, Geoffrey moves up to assist Greg, and is momentarily taken aback.
No animal did this! What the Hell is happening around here!?
Grimly, he takes a look at the corpse, doing his best to hold his breath, and instead focusing on diagnostics.
Yael starts walking over to Greg before she realizes that the boots she spotted are still attached to an apparently dead person. Wide alert now, she walks a little further into the parking lot, turning around briefly as she passes the group, trying to defuse the tense situation a bit.
Can you cut that shit out Marcus? I know you're anxious, but use your flashlight like a normal person and lower your gun before you shoot someone by accident. You're freaking other people out.
Yael has seen enough untrained people with guns to know what happens when a spooked civilians starts waving one around. She flashes her light over the parking lot quickly, looking for any signs of human or animal life.
A detailed medical inspection shows small wooden fragments embedded in the brain matter still inside the skull. The corpse has rigor mortis set in and looks to be slightly decayed if you had to place the time of death you would say it was over two weeks. You find it curious that the body is relatively undisturbed no wildlife has started to scavenge it. On closer inspection you realize that there isn't much blood to accompany the serious head injury but that there does appear to be blood located around the mouth. Lifting up the lip you notice that the teeth are stained with dry blood.
As Geoffrey knelt down to inspect the corpse Greg took a few more steps into the woods and bent down to pick up two pieces of a broken wooden canoe paddle.
Greg carries the paddle back to Geoffrey and says quietly to the doctor Think I found what did him in.
The signs of life right now is that there is a single parked car beyond a small copse of trees. You don't hear or see anything which is extremely shocking since you heard that The Grand Ely Resort Lodge and Conference Center is located just up the road and usually has some night time entertainment for its guests.
The last four members of the camping trip move out from the lake and spread out. Arlo is trying to console a visibly distressed Piper. Brian and Schmitty move up to join JoJo and give Marcus the gun toting loonie a wide eye. But even Schmitty doesn't have a smart quip at the moment.
John was somewhat curious about a body but wasn't sure if he wanted to see it. He'd seen enough horror movies, the old ones and the new, that he didn't think he'd get sick or anything. But he didn't have a morbid curiosity. He also wanted to see what was missing from the packs but that might seem suspicious. Instead he just busies himself with pulling the canoe on shore and out of the way then talks with his friends. There ideas went from possible to scary to stupid real quick.
Marcus bites his lip wanting to reply so badly to the Geritol taking, Depends Wearing, Ol' curmudgeon of a living fossil Edwin Harrison, but all he can think of is noise discipline. However, he does manage to give Edwin the be quiet signal, "SHHH!". Then he looks at John and starts to place the canoe down. He pretty much ignores everyone because he knows that as long as his weapon does not cover anyone nor he shoots anyone, he has the right to have it out. Since Ranger Greg is messing up his night vision, he keeps the tactical light on searching the area. Although, Marcus prefers not have used his tactical light.
Marcus walks up on Ranger Greg and Geoffrey keeping the muzzle pointed towards the trees, he scans the area, looks down at the corpse, "So Doc, does that look like a black bear attack and why is he dead if everything is normal? Please explain Doctor Whittaker?"
Taking care all the items are off the canoes and all safely secured Richard shoulders his backpack and joins George.
Geoffrey frowns.
"Someone beat this poor sod's head in with an oar. It looks like he gave as good as he got, though - he managed to bite his attacker. The odd thing, however, is that this looks like it happened about two weeks ago - and not only have no scavengers taken a crack at the body, but I can't believe no-one has been here, and noticed the body, in the last fortnight..."
He then turns to Greg.
"We should call this in."
Marcus keeps his head on a swivel especially the foreboding forest before him flooding it with his tactical light.
"Ranger Greg, have you tried your ranger radio and is there cell phone coverage here because I did not check before we left from here?"
Edwin raises an eyebrow, not bothering to point out that Marcus only shushed him and not the other five people who had spoken. Regardless, he tosses his hands up in surrender and stalks off to Yael. He felt the most comfortable next to her. She seemed to have seen a lot though she had been alive than fewer years than him. She also reminded him of his daughter, Angela. He wondered how she was doing right now...
"Do you think there's something to actually be concerned about?." he whispers to her, his husky voice scraping the sides of his throat to get enough sound out.
What the hell is going on?
Yael is dumbfounded by not only the lack of explanation for the corpse but the seemingly limitless number of factors that exacerbate the oddities of the night.
Ok, if this is an ambush, when I approach the car, enemy combatants might be hiding behind the set of trees fifty feet in front of me and to the left. The other place they could approach from would be down the road to my right. I should approach the car from the latter side because then I can clear everything except that grove of trees. At least then when I walk up, I'll have eyes and cover if they are there.
Edwin's approach from behind her snaps her back to reality.
....and there I go again. Your paranoia is honestly as bad as that nutjob's, Yael. Come on, remember what the hell Dr. Pierce told you about slipping back into that mindset.
As she turns her head to meet the older man with a reply, she stretches her right arm a bit and rests her hand on her back, feeling the familiar weight of her weapon. Its heft is reassuring and she manages to momentarily quell a bit of her concern.
I'm probably the worst person in the group to ask about that. There's a lot of pretty messed up stuff that happened back near home, and it's definitely made me paranoid. Yael laughs a little sheepishly. My gut is telling me that this whole situation is a lot of bad... what's that word again? Juju? But then again my gut is not necessarily used to this American food yet.
Her attempt at a joke is mostly to try and distract Edwin from knowing just how worried she is, afraid of appearing like the overtly distressed Marcus. She gives another half-hearted smile again and pauses briefly, pondering her thoughts, before continuing.
Still, if I remember correctly, there's some casino or hotel or something just up the road, right? I would expect see, or hear, drunk people, parties, cars with those people... I mean, at least some teens who escaped here to make out in some bush. Some semblance of life?
She shakes her head again.
I miss anything about Mr. Doe's status?
Edwin merely nods. No sense in questioning the girl. After all, what could she have to hide?
At first, he took Marcus as a trigger happy idiot. That notion had yet to be disproven, but even Edwin had to admit it was better to be cautious than careless. Though, if everyone was getting their guns prepped he'd have a bit of a harder time. After all, his were still under the mattress back home hundreds of miles away.
"So, what's the plan here ranger?"
Greg looks around at the concerned faces on the people around him looking at him for direction.
Right we need to call this in.
He takes out his cell phone and turns it on. It struggles to find a network. But when it momentarily reaches a network with a single bar and simple text message comes across. It is marked important system message.
[color=#FF0000]Attention!!! 911 service in your area is no longer available due to high volume of calls. Please try you local authority number for prompt service.[/color]
Uh not good folks sounds like something really hit the fan while we were out on the lakes.
Greg runs a hand through his hair. Looks at the message on his cell phone again shakes his head. He tries making a call again and again finally he has a network signal enough to get out to the Backwoods office. He gets the answering machine.
Hello this is Greg. Where the hell is the bus we need a pick up like now. People here are getting scared. Call me as soon as you get this message.
Greg hangs up the phone and turns to the group.
I left a message but we are probably on our own. The way I see it is my responsibility to get you all back to Backwoods but right now I want your opinions on the best way to do that. We can either try calling from a landline at the Resort up the road. We can walk to Backwoods it is only about 1.5 miles away. I am open to other ideas. Once we get to a place with a phone we can call in this body here. I want to hear your thoughts on what to do?
Arlo stands silently by his wife until Greg finishes his speech before moving forward.
This is Bullshit! Arlo starts poking Greg in the chest. We paid good money that included transportation to and from the launch site. I am tired as hell and no way am I walking 1.5 miles. You figure this shit out or I am leaving a terrible review online.
Geoffrey pinches the bridge of his nose, and sighs.
"Arlo, we are all tired. If 911 services are down, then something *really* serious has happened; something that is clearly *not* Greg's fault, and could not have been foreseen by the company. Don't take it out on him.
That said, I am not keen on walking the distance if I can avoid it. Why don't we try the resort? Hopefully, we can raise someone on the landline, but who knows? We might even be able to cadge a lift using the resort minibus."
Edwin nods in agreement with the doctor.
"No sense in waiting around here, and I'm not keen on trekking back either."
Keep your cool Greg. The guide thinks to himself as the young New Yorker got in his face. Thankfully not everyone is playing the blame game and the doctor is quick to defend him.
Geoffrey the resort is worth a try and Edwin seems to agree anyone else for that as a plan or do more of you just want to walk the 1.5 miles back to the office and parking lot. Greg looks down at the broken oar at his feet bends and picks the pieces up.
Ok look something more may be up but this guy here had his brains beat in with a paddle. It broke but we still have ours. Until we find out more you might want to carry one around in case we need to do to someone else what was done to this guy here. And Marcus I wouldn't put your gun away yet but try not to walk with it so apparent. Don't want us getting shot as we are seen as a threat to people. Just keep it at your side at the ready.
Greg goes back to the canoe and digs through his backpack pulling out a 12-gauge shotgun he had for protection on the trip and a hatchet he used many times throughout the trip. He places the hatchet through a loop on his pants and strides back towards the group.
Well folks we are a democracy now so we go where the majority votes. I hear two votes for the resort and no other opinions if we get five votes for the resort than that's where we head. I suggest either way you get what you can do without from your camping bags and leave behind what you don't need.
Come on, it's only a mile and a half away. We're all tired, but seriously, it'll take us just as long to go to the resort and get a ride... I mean, if you really can't walk a mile, I'll come pick you guys up. I have a Tacoma, so if more than 4 people are staying, someone will either have to come with me and get another car or will have to ride in the bed.
Yael feels a bit cranky, and is annoyed that the rest of the group seems unable to walk for a little bit after having canoed for 30 days.
If we're all assuming it's world war 3 and arming ourselves, I have a pistol as well.
She rummages through her backpack quickly and pulls out her concealed carry holster. She slips into the harness, before tucking the gun into its slot underneath her left arm.
As she hoists her backpack up, getting ready to move, she glances at the car still in the parking lot.
It seems pretty obvious who owns that car over there, but it can't hurt to see if anyone is there anyways. You guys want to quickly check it out?
She nods her head in the vehicle's direction.
"Yes , it is just a mile! It will do us no good to stay."
Since Ranger Greg and the others are starting to come around, Marcus moves towards the ranger who is shining the light around messing with everyone's night vision. After he moves closer, to save battery power, he turns off the handgun tactical light and then holds the handgun to his side in compliance to Ranger Greg's request. "Ranger Greg and all, I have a Satellite Phone and Computer which we can first use to contact several individuals or entities unless SatComm are jammed or destroyed? I can also try other satellites and tap into the Internet which is a little more robust than POTS or Plain Old Telephone System. However, those extra satellites may require skirting the dark side if you know what I mean? We can go over to that truck, hot wire or maybe we will get lucky and they have the key in the visor? Marcus chuckles for a bit and continues. "Then I can set up my computer while parked or while we drive to the hotel since movement is life or so they say in those combat books and movies I have read or watched. Although when we reach the vehicle, we may want to check the undercarriage for bombs since we don't know what is causing this unusual circumstance." He then looks at Jojo, "See what I told you, now Ranger Greg wants us all to be armed with oars for those who don't have weapons. Take notes my friend, and they will save you. There is no such thing as being too careful and too over prepared." He looks at Yael, "I knew you were some sort of operator Miss Dahan. I don't know which service yet but I had a feeling because you have the same demeanor as those small arms instructors I had at Academi, formerly known as Blackwater, and 88 Tactical."
...
If people give Marcus another strange look, "What? I already told you you all where my money was going. Why do you think I have room mates, no permanent girlfriend, and drive a Smart Car in which my Go Bag takes up the other half of the car"
"You're seriously suggesting we steal a car?" Edwin asks Marcus, an eyebrow raised. "I bet you break into your neighbor's house if your milk comes late, right?."
Edwin shakes his head and scowls. He doesn't pick up an oar.
"I still think you all are acting more paranoid than a smoker on an oil rig. If there really is an emergency wouldn't it be better to figure out what's going on as soon as possible? Bound to be emergency pamphlets or something at the resort or at least some people holding up from whatever the heck is going on. Unless, you all know something I don't?. We could be hiking in the open of some new fangled bird flu or if we're being invaded, straight into some other trigger happy soldiers."