They were doubly lucky. There was no one around—not many Scavengers would bother with an area as picked over as the former Air Force base, but Neo-barbs might move in anywhere they could find rudimentary shelter. Plus, dark clouds skimmed low. Not only would the temperatures remain cooler, but their shadows would be less defined. Anything making them less noticeable as they moved across the plains to the canyon was a good thing.
He gestured them forward, and first Lena then Jackson joined him. Alex headed out, and they followed, an irregular arrowhead darting from the scant cover of the building.
Tall grasses, overgrown bush, and the occasional scrub pine covered the plain. As they moved further away from the base, they passed through what might have been a farmed field many years before. The crop now grew wild, and Alex moved into high alert. Wild grain always caused worry. If food grew, any nearby people would be desperate to collect it.
They were almost to the canyon when dim shadows crawled up over the opposite lip of the canyon ahead, moving away from the river ahead of them and toward the first of the low, broad buttes rising out of the plain on that side. He dropped to the ground. Lena and Jackson did the same behind him.
It was a small party, but still bigger than Alex’s three. They weren’t in the well-made uniforms of Council security. Scavengers were vicious opportunists who’d be dressed in the mixed colors of whatever they’d managed to find, steal, or remove from the bodies of those not as strong. Even from this distance, he noted the telltale rough, earth-toned clothing marking them instead as Neo-barbs.
The group was well armed. Each of them carried a bow or crossbow in addition to blades of various lengths strapped to their sides. He guessed they were a hunting party. So long as they continued in the opposite direction, he was content to let them go.
He waited until the Neo-barb party moved well away out of sight and hearing range. He back-tracked along their route to be sure there were no stragglers. The group had moved off toward the buttes ahead. He signaled Lena and Jackson to follow, and the three of them scuttled over the final stretch of open ground to the canyon.
The canyon narrowed as they passed, its steep sides choked with brush. The threatened rain stayed in the clouds as they cut south through the canyon to the Snake River. It was greener along the shoreline where the vegetation grew thick. The growth made for slower going, but it provided better cover. Alex hung back, watchful and wary, and let Jackson lead them up the river until late afternoon.
A piercing three-note whistle sounded from the underbrush ahead of them and off to the side. They stopped, and Jackson answered the whistle in kind. Alex joined them, waiting for the man on sentry duty to appear.
When he rose from the brush, he asked for the password.
“Bellwether.”
The young man nodded. “Thank you, sir. Our camp is just ahead, in those pines.” He pointed for them.
“Any activity?”
“No, sir. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
Alex nodded. “Keep a close watch. We saw some neo-barb activity in the area when we were hiking in.”
“I’ll be staying behind and cycling back when you all go, so I’ll watch your back.”
“Shouldn’t be a problem. They were headed toward the north side of the buttes, but it’s good to know we’ve got you back here.”
Alex lead the way up behind a rocky rise with scrub and pole pine clustered around its base on either side. He set his pack down and looked around. The base camp wasn’t much, but it was protected from weather and view.
They were alone now. Only one man stayed behind to watch from the rear. The other two were at the observation point, where they stayed for the duration of their shifts.
Lena slid her pack off and eased it down to her feet. She rolled her shoulders and then leaned down to take up her water and drink.
“Cold camp?” she asked him after she’d swallowed.
“Yeah,” Alex said. “That’s standard out here this close in.”
Jackson bent to claim a small area. He set his pack down and then leaned back against it, propping his legs up with a sigh of contentment.
She did the same at the far edge, away from Jackson.
Alex still felt restless. He glanced around. “I’m going to make a quick circuit, make sure the campsite is as good as they think. Check in a little more thoroughly.” He threw the younger man a sly look. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Jackson blanched. Lena challenged Alex with a look, lifting a brow at him as if to remind him of the kiss they’d agreed not to mention again. He swallowed his mischievous chuckle and stepped back into the trees and brush.
Chapter 20
They set out in the pre-dawn dark. Moonlight made artificial lighting unnecessary for this portion of the trek. The now cloudless sky cooperated, and the twilight glow lit the route before them. They hiked an hour up the river to the yawning mouth of the canyon that led to the prison. Their observation point was a third of the way into the canyon, up high on the steep canyon wall. They cut up and around now, to come at it from above.