Avalon: The Retreat Read Online Free PDF Page B

Hotel,” as they fondly referred to it, he let the guard know not to shoot him.
    “Friendly One”
    “Pass through, brother,” came the reply.
    He was home for the night.

    Inside, the light from the new fire was bright and flickering. It burned fiercely from its dry and seasoned wood, and Mike saw there were three more group members added to their numbers. They had arrived earlier and waited, as planned. He noticed the fire was being drawn to the rear of the cave and up the “chimney” as he predicted it would when they first stumbled onto the hideout.
    Chad, Linda, and Penny were already here. Not everyone had made it on schedule, however, and there were still members missing. Caroline approached Mike and began to clean a few scratches he had received from chopping the blackberry bushes. They stung but once she put a dab or two of antibiotic ointment on them, the stinging stopped. Mike took some of the food she offered and gobbled it down quickly. He had forgotten how hungry he was. Pemmican, regardless of its sustaining qualities, couldn’t compare with a hot meal.
    “The coffee’s boiling,” Caroline mentioned. “Anyone want some?”
    “I do, thank you,” Mike said, and he noticed she was smiling at him when she spoke. “Incidentally, everyone, I have Claymores out there,” Mike said, “So if anyone needs to go to the bathroom, don’t go straight or left; go right and no more than five feet.”
    A couple of the women grumbled, but everyone relaxed as they ate the simple meal before them. Conversations flowed back and forth, and in a few minutes they drew straws to see who would stand the first watch while the others slept and dried out.
    Someone had chopped down a few saplings, limbed them, and put up a drying line for everyone’s wet clothes. They arranged them in a tripod position on each end and tied them together at the top of the three poles with some parachute cord, or paracord for short. It was lightweight and surprisingly strong. Mike was impressed at how far they had advanced from when he had started training them a few years ago. All that training was paying off in a big way because he no longer had to do it all himself.
    Once they set the watch, they could strip down to the essentials and dry out. They placed everything away from the fire and near a wall that prevented the dripping from interfering with the sleep area. The cave was large and everything fit nicely without being crowded, including the motorcycles. Mikes was the exception; his was staged outside in case it was needed on short notice.
    Greg and Sam drew the first watch, which was planned for four hours. One stood at the entry to the cave, while the other was positioned in a small stand of bushes a little farther out. Both of them were well-hidden but had a good view of all approaches to the cave and away from the Claymores.
    The cooking and cleanup was done, all the coffee was consumed, and now it was time to shed some clothes for drying. Mike began to set up the sleeping area. With a stiff branch, he gently swept the floor of the cave.
    It would be uneasy sleeping if one of them was lying on a rock or twig all night long. He placed a piece of 20 mil plastic sheeting down on the dirt floor as a moisture barrier to prevent the sleeping bags from getting wet and making it a more comfortable night’s sleep. It also eliminated the need to hang the sleeping bags out to dry the next day, since they were in a hurry and waiting for them to dry wasn’t an option.
    Some members preferred a small isolation mat that added a half-inch cushion and provided further insulation. They were similar to a mattress, but not as thick or heavy and often referred to as “trail beds.” They were more comfortable but bulkier to carry.
    Regardless, the group was prepared and the constant interaction with one another these past years had adequately readied each of them for almost anything. Everyone stripped the articles of clothing they wanted to dry, hung