The bushes were about ten meters away. As we crawled into them, we startled a couple of deer on the other side. They bolted, heading straight for the ATV.
There was a thud and a shout. The ATV motor died.
"Son-of-a-bitch!" A man's voice rang through the forest.
A radio squawked. He answered it.
"Yeah, that was me. Just hit a deer. Remind me who had the bright idea to use these damn things? Some project manager sitting in his fancy L.A. office, I'll bet. Never seen a forest, much less tried to search one. I could have hit one of the kids for all I would have noticed, whipping around like this. I can barely see through these woods. Can't hear anything. But you can bet your ass those kids can hear us."
"And a good thing, too," Corey muttered. A voice tried to interrupt the mans' tirade, but he cut it off, saying, "Calvin's got the right idea, searching on foot. I'm leaving this piece of crap here. If the Nasts want it, they can come get it. Tell Calvin I'll meet him at the bend in ten."
We heard the man stalk off, branches crackling in his wake.
"Now that's sweet," Corey said when he was gone. "An ATV, just sitting there, ours for the taking. The ride goes to the handicapped guy."
"I thought you were doing fine," Hayley said.
"My knee's acting up again." He stretched his leg and mock-winced.
There was a thud and a shout. The ATV motor died.
"Son-of-a-bitch!" A man's voice rang through the forest.
A radio squawked. He answered it.
"Yeah, that was me. Just hit a deer. Remind me who had the bright idea to use these damn things? Some project manager sitting in his fancy L.A. office, I'll bet. Never seen a forest, much less tried to search one. I could have hit one of the kids for all I would have noticed, whipping around like this. I can barely see through these woods. Can't hear anything. But you can bet your ass those kids can hear us."
"And a good thing, too," Corey muttered. A voice tried to interrupt the mans' tirade, but he cut it off, saying, "Calvin's got the right idea, searching on foot. I'm leaving this piece of crap here. If the Nasts want it, they can come get it. Tell Calvin I'll meet him at the bend in ten."
We heard the man stalk off, branches crackling in his wake.
"Now that's sweet," Corey said when he was gone. "An ATV, just sitting there, ours for the taking. The ride goes to the handicapped guy."
"I thought you were doing fine," Hayley said.
"My knee's acting up again." He stretched his leg and mock-winced.
( Kelley Armstrong )
[ The Calling ]
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