4 June 2012
Riley stood amongst the crowd. He was sure he'd go deaf from the noise they were making. Riley Morgan liked it quiet.
Their camp's leader, Werner, had called for an emergency assembly. The last time he had done this, it was because there was a nest of Ratmoles nearby, stealing the camp's food and attacking people who went by the nest. So whatever this was about, it probably wasn't good. This got people into a panic.
"What is it this time, Werner?" A man shouted, "More Ratmoles stealing our food?"
Werner - a young man, with a face aged by stress - leaned forward into the microphone. "No, not quite, but you're close."
"Oh god, I bet it's another mutant from the subway tunnels!" Another man called out.
"No, it'll eat our babies!" Mrs. Applebom, always thinking of the children, broke down in tears.
"Look, woman, control yourself," Werner commanded, "It's nothing like that. There are no mutants in this part of the subway, there hasn't been for months. Everyone, please calm down."
The crowd was becoming more restless, if that was even possible and frankly, Riley was sick of the noise. "Then what is the problem?" His voice boomed over the gathering. The people went quiet, waiting for their leader's response.
"We're running low on food. Normally, I'd just trade with Camp Kilburn but their station seems to have gone dark. That worries me dearly, but we have more immediate problems to deal with right now."
"How long until the food runs out?" A young, portly man asked.
Werner sighed, "Three days."
The crowd exploded.
"Three days?" The same man yelled, "How can we find enough food for the entire station in three days?"
Riley was getting a headache.
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" This came from Jason Forbes, leader of the Guard Patrol.
"Because I felt safe in the fact that we could trade with Camp Kilburn, but no one's at the camp, they're all gone."
"Well, where did they go?" Jason asked, "Why wasn't I informed?"
"I don't know, maybe they migrated. There was no sign of a struggle." Werner closed his eyes and leaned on the microphone stand. The stress was obviously getting to him. "As for you not being told, it's because I just found out myself. The traders only got back an hour ago."
Jason seemed happy with that answer and let it go. Riley smirked, everyone knew Jason was the real leader in camp.
"We need to deal with our food situation. Any ideas?"
"Well, what else is there?" Jason marched up onto the stage and calmly took the microphone from Werner. "I will send a patrol group up onto the surface to scavenge for food. They should make it back long before the three days are up."
Riley's eyes went wide with surprise. The security of the camp was always Jason's top priority, it was unlike him to waste valuable guards on any other task.
"We have the old maps. I know for a fact that there are stores and even a large supermarket up there nearby. My men will scavenge the area and bring back whatever they find," He said all this with a calm air, you could literally feel the confidence brimming inside him. "We'll be fine."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Riley, to me!"
Riley Morgan marched to his commanding officer and stood to attention. "Sir!"
Jason studied him with narrowed eyes. "Is all your gear in order?"
"Yes, sir." "Gas mask?" "Check." "Oxygen?" "Check." "First Aid kit?" "Check."
There was a pause. "Rifle?"
"Good to go, sir." They both stared with a steady gaze, analysing one another .
The tense silence was broken with laughter.
"Hah, good man," Jason commended, slapping him on the shoulder, "Would hate to lose you up there, Riley." "We've been up there before, it wasn't so bad," Riley smiled. "No, we only nearly got killed by a flock of Drake Bats." "Nothing we couldn't handle," Riley laughed, "I like it up there, it's quiet." "Yeah, but you won't have me up there to cover your ass this time," Jason said grimly, "I need to stay here and look after the camp... Kilburn going dark has me worried."
Michael, a member of the four man squad assigned to search the surface, walked toward them. "The rest of us are ready, just give the orders, sir."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The gates slid back with a painful screech. The light that shined through was near blinding.
A whiff of air blew inside the tunnel. It smelled like burning petrol mixed with rotten flesh.
"Gas masks on," The squad leader, Kenan, ordered.
"Ugh, it smells putrid out there," Sean whined, trying not to gag.
"Yeah, try not to breathe it in too much. It's poisonous," Michael warned.
"First time to the surface?" Riley asked, voice muffled by his gas mask.
"Yeah... Thoughts of going up there have always given me nightmares." Sean replied, struggling with his mask.
Kenan smirked, "Kid, prepare to meet something worse than any nightmare you could ever imagine."
Weapons at the ready, the four men marched into the light.
_____________________
To be continued
Campfire Tales: The Hunt - Pt. 1 • Opuss № I