Intervention | NaNoWriMo 2018

Chapter 26 - Back To The Scene

Lincoln woke up with a start and looked around the cabin, wide-eyed, his heart furiously hammering the inside of his chest like a sledgehammer pounding an anvil. Everything was quiet but something wasn't right, Lincoln could feel it. As he scanned the living room and kitchen, nothing seemed out of place. Nothing had changed, everything was still in place. The fire had died down from its roaring beginnings and only glowing embers of the logs remained, still radiating heat but at a much lesser degree.

A quick sweep of the windows revealed nothing. The immediate surroundings of the cabin were as quiet as the inside. There was no sign of any human or non-human activity. Lincoln sat back down on the couch, ran his fingers through his hair and then rubbed his eyes as he exhaled forcefully. Maybe he was just on edge because of his situation? Was it just a dream? It didn't matter. He was awake, there was no-one around. For the time being, he felt safe.

He reached for his pants hanging over one of the chairs. A few damp spots remained but it was better than being completely soaked. The rest of his clothes were in the same state. Dry enough to wear. The question now was whether he should wait a little longer and let them dry completely or head back towards the crash site immediately. Finding Marie was his number one priority. He had to know whether she was alive or dead.

A low buzzing sound that increased in strength pulled him out of his thoughts. He ran to the closest window and caught a glimpse of the aircraft that had been looking for him on the river. It disappeared in the distance and then returned a few minutes later, this time closer. Was that what had woken him up?

Lincoln knew immediately what was happening. They were conducting a very tight grid search. It was only a matter of time before they would pass over the cabin, or close to it. Once that happened, it wouldn't take them long to realize that their prey could be hiding within and come check it out. He had to leave, immediately.

Lincoln wasted little time putting his clothes back on. He also stirred the embers around inside the fireplace to encourage them to die out quicker. Although they didn't give up any smoke, if the aircraft was equipped with any kind of infrared detection equipment, the embers would be a dead giveaway.

The aircraft appeared to be running its search pattern from downriver, working its way back towards the crash site while crossing the river in opposite directions every few minutes. If he could stay ahead of the aircraft as he worked his way towards the crash site, he might evade detection.

When the aircraft made its next pass,, Lincoln burst out of the cabin and slammed the door shut. He ran towards the river for about a hundred yards and then turned to run parallel with the flow of the water.

Branches tugged at his shirt and reached for his face as he ran as quickly as the terrain would allow. He jumped over rotting logs that once had been proud members of the surrounding forest and rounded bushes of various sizes that seemed to randomly appear just exactly where he needed to be. From time to time, he had to slow down to traverse boulder fields that had tumbled down the cliff side on his right.

Despite his efforts, the sound of the circling aircraft behind him continued to grow stronger. The distance to the crash site was too far for him to reach before it was on top of him, which meant he needed a new plan. He had to avoid detection at all cost. If he couldn't outrun it, he had to find a place to hide.

To his left, the sound of the river carried through the trees and he saw the occasional glimpse of reflections from the water if he stood in just the right place. The river was not an option. He would be out in the open and the aircraft would be more likely to see him there than under the scattered canopy of the trees.

He jogged towards the steep cliff on his right but realized almost immediately that climbing the cliff, even using one of the rock slides as a way to get up the incline, also put him out in the open. Discovery would be all but certain.