Home: A Stranded Novel (6 page)

Alex took the glasses back from her and packed them away. She knew what Emily really wanted to know. “Our families weren’t there. The only person I really
recognized was Quinn’s grandpa. It looks like there are around sixty people working the farm and six guards with rifles and shotguns.” She threw her pack back on and started to walk back the way they had come. “Let’s get deeper in and then head north. We can cross the road where it dips down and then head to my place. After that we will have to leave the trees and cross over one of our fields to get to your land. That will be the hardest part as the grass isn’t very high yet so we won’t have much cover.”

The two girls made their way deeper into the forest on silent feet. They had traveled these woods so many times while playing, exploring and hunting throughout their childhood
that they felt confident and moved quickly. They moved deeper into the woods before turning north and travelling parallel to Quinn’s homestead. Alex was nervous about what they would find at her home. She had been so happy to see Mr. Dennison alive and well that her heart was filled with hope at the prospect of seeing her father.

The girls caught sight of the road through the trees so they slowed down and approached it cautiously. They stayed inside the tree
line following the road until they came to a section that dipped down. They could cross there without being seen from a distance. After waiting a few minutes and listening for any sounds of people nearby, they dashed across and were quickly concealed in the trees again. Alex and Emily continued through the forest without speaking. Both of them were consumed with both worry and hope for what they were about to see. It had been so long since they had seen their families and now they were close to getting some answers.

As the girls moved through the trees
, they started to hear a faint rhythmic noise. At first they couldn't make out what was causing the sounds, but the further they walked, the louder it got. They finally came to a stop. Emily pulled out a water bottle and took a drink before handing it to Alex.

“Wood chopping
,” Emily said.

Alex cocked her head to the side and
listened. She could hear many axes banging against wood and the sound of a tree cracking and then falling came to her. She nodded her head at Emily.

“You’re right. They’re cutting down trees. We are going to have to get around them. Hopefully they aren’t too deep in and they are cutting close to the field.” She scanned the trees around them and pointed out a large solid one.

“Your turn! See if you can get high enough to see how far away they are.”

Emily strode over to the tree Alex had pointed out and studied the branches before dropping her pack.

“Give me a lift, please.”

Alex laced her hands together and Emily placed her boot into them. With a heave
, Alex helped her friend up so that she could easily reach the lowest branch. Emily might not have Alex’s gymnast flexibility but she had spent just as much time climbing trees. She made her way from branch to branch until Alex lost sight of her behind the leaves. Alex kept her eyes and ears on the forest around them. She didn’t want to take a chance that someone would stumble upon them. Her anxiety was at an all-time high before Emily finally jumped down from the tree.

Emily picked a s
crap of bark that had slivered into her palm while she told Alex what she had seen.

“I couldn’t see any people from up there but I could see the trees they are working on swaying around. They’re about two hundred yards ahead and closer to the tree
line at the field. If we stay on this heading, we should have about thirty to forty feet between us and them,” she finished and then blew on her burning, scraped palm.

Alex turned away from her friend and looked in the direction of the chopping. She thought about what to do for a minute and then turned back.

“Okay, we’ll keep our distance but it’d be great if we could get close enough to hear anyone talking. We can go up into the trees to get a better look at who’s down there but I don’t like the idea of being up a tree if we are spotted. I’d rather be on the ground if we are seen so we can run if we need to. What do you think?”

Emily grinned, “Super sneaky
ninja mode?”

Alex smothered a laugh. “Yup, super sneaky ninja mode!”

Both girls were smiling at the many memories of sneaking up on the boys while they camped out. It was a game the group had played many times. They had to sneak up to the other's campsite and pull some kind of prank before getting away undetected. When they had left for the school trip, Alex and Emily had been in the lead by two pranks. It was no contest for the girls with Josh always giving away the boys. As hard as he tried, he just couldn’t move silently through the woods and the girls always caught them before they could pull their prank.

Alex pulled the dark cap she was wearing down further on her head. She made sure all of her hair was tucked up under it and checked Emily’s as well. Emily’s white blond and her bright red hair would be like a beacon if they left
their heads uncovered. Satisfied that they were ready, the two girls headed towards the woodcutting area. They walked slowly and watched where they put their feet. They might be seen but they wouldn’t be heard. As they came closer to their objective, the noise of many axes filled the forest and they slowed even more. Using trees and bushes for cover, they inched their way closer to where the people were working.

Alex could see movement ahead so she crouched
down and stayed low. Her heart was thundering in her ears and she paused for a minute to take some calming breaths before moving ahead. She settled behind a large tree and leaned slightly to the side so that only one of her eyes could see what was happening ahead of her. A man she didn’t recognize was standing twenty feet in front of her in profile. He had a rifle slung over his shoulder and his arms were crossed with a scowl on his face. He was watching something further away so Alex eased back behind the tree and leaned the other way to get a view of what he was watching.

Two men she vaguely
recognized from town were working on a downed tree. Most of the branches had been cut off and they were tying rope around it. Once they had the rope secured they both took an end and started to pull it towards the tree line and out into the field. The guard turned and followed them without looking in Alex’s direction.

Alex pulled back behind the tree and looked back at where Emily was hiding. Her friend made eye contact and motioned for them to move on. Keeping low to the ground, Alex moved back and the two girls slinked further into the woods. Emily was in the lead and after a few minutes she used her hand behind her back to motion Alex to a stop. After a slight pause
, Emily motioned Alex forward and down. They both settled behind a large bush and they carefully parted some of its lower branches to see what was ahead.

Both girls
recognized the lone man working on stripping the branches of a downed tree. It was Dr. Mack. He had moved into their town five years ago and he had treated both girls over the years. Alex scanned all around the area he was working but couldn’t see anyone else around. She turned her head until she was looking at Emily and raised her eyebrows and made a talking motion and pointed back at the doctor. Emily frowned and shrugged. With this many people in the woods, it would be hard to get a good look at the farm, and they needed the information. Alex knew they had to be careful not to give themselves away but the desire to find out what was happening to her family outweighed her fear.  Her heart was thundering in her chest so she took a few deep breaths and parted the branches again. Taking another good look around the area and finding it still clear, she called his name in a low voice.

Dr. Mack paused in mid
-chop and his body froze for a second before he followed through with his cut. When he pulled his axe back, he casually looked around and then whispered,

“Who’s there?” while keeping his eyes on the tree he was stripping.

Alex was quick to respond. “Don’t whisper, it carries further. Just talk in a low voice.” At his nod, she went on. “It’s Alex Andrews and Emily Mather. How many guards are there?”

Dr. Mack took another swing at the tree be
fore responding. “There are six guards but you can’t do anything. Our families are being held hostage.”

Alex was quick to reassure him. “We know the situation. We’re just scouting and getting info to make a plan. Doctor…where is my father? Is he ok
ay?”

The doctor chopped at the tree a few more times with a frown on his face. Alex could tell he didn’t want to answer her and she went cold all over. Was she about to find out that her father was dead? Just when her anxiety reached its peak
, he looked around the area again and finally answered.

“He’s in the barn. He had an accident a few days ago and cut his leg very badly. I’ve tried to keep it clean but it has gotten infected. This group of guards are real hard cases and they won’t
give me any medical supplies to treat it. I’m hoping when they rotate out that the next group will help me. Unfortunately that won’t be until Sunday when we go into town. I’m sorry, Alex. I don’t know if he will make it that long.”

Alex was starting to panic and she was about to hit the doctor with a barrage of questions when Emily grabbed her arm and motioned for silence. It was only then that Alex heard the whistling. Someone was coming. The girls flattened themselves even further down on the ground and Alex prayed the doctor wouldn’t speak and give them away. Seconds later
, she saw another guard step up to the fallen tree. As he looked over the doctor’s progress, Alex studied him. He was tall and rough looking. His hair and beard was long and greasy but he looked well fed with a gut hanging over his belt. Standing beside the doctor, it dawned on Alex how thin and tired the doctor looked. These bastards weren’t feeding the workers very well based on the doctor’s appearance.

“You better speed up
, Doc. You don’t make your quota, you don’t eat!” the guard said menacingly.

Dr. Mack kept chopping at the tree as he answered. “We would be able to work faster if you guys would sharpen these axes. The blades are so dull it takes a lot longer to cut through every branch.” His tone was bland as if he didn’t want to antagonise the guard.

With a shrug of indifference, the guard started to walk away. He called over his shoulder as he went, “Life gave you lemons. Make some lemonade…if you want your supper!” He let out a howl of laughter.

Dr. Mack stood staring after the guard until he was out of sight before turning and looking in the direction that Alex and Emily were hiding in.

“Are you still there?” he called softly.

Alex lost all her caution and stood up. She couldn’t help her father until she had more information.

“How many days is it until Sunday?” she asked him. They had lost track of the days of the week long ago.

“Today is Wednesday
,” he said, looking into her eyes sadly.

Alex shook her head. If her father’s leg was infected
, he couldn’t wait that long for medicine. It could turn gangrenous and then he would die. She wasn’t going to let that happen.

“Where do you all sleep at night and how many people are being kept here?”

“They lock us into the barn at night and there are sixty of us. There are another ten who stay in the house with the guards. They are working for them for more food.”

Emily’s breath caught at that.
The idea that some of her neighbours would collaborate with these animals against their own people made her sick. She popped up beside Alex and asked her own question.

“Do you know what other farms are being used? How do the guards rotate?”

He gave her a sad smile and nodded. “Your family farm is being used as well as two others. The Dennison farm and another but I don’t know who the owners are. On Sunday’s they walk us into town and we get to see our families. They are being held at the school and we only get to talk to them through the fence. After a very brief visit, the guards switch out and we walk back for another week of slave labour.” He took a quick look around to make sure it was still clear before saying, “You girls need to get out of here. If they catch you…” he trailed off with a frown.

Alex had to push down the fury at all that he had told them and focus on what she could do right now.

“I can get you medicine and first aid supplies. Will you be working here for the rest of the day?”

He shook his head. “No, this is the last tree for me. After it gets pulled out of here
, we will all be back in the yard chopping, splitting and stacking for the rest of the day. I’m sorry, Alex, but your dad wouldn’t want you to risk getting caught for him. You have to stay away.”

“Yeah
, well, that’s not going to happen! What time do you get locked in and is there a guard in the yard at night?” she asked, in a 'don’t argue with me' tone.

“We work until it gets dark and then they lock us in with whatever they are fee
ding us for supper. I’m pretty sure they don’t put out a guard at night but it’s not worth taking a chance, Alex. You have no idea what kind of animals these men are.”

“Trust me
, Doc. I know exactly what they are. I need someone to make sure that the hay elevator door is unlatched. I will be back tonight after dark with everything you need. Be safe and tell my father I’m coming!”