Camp

Daria was lying on the dining room table, leafing through a magazine, while some people dined at the restaurant. The family scene in front of him made him feel stunned for a moment. It was almost exactly the same as the night he had a conflict with Rabbit's subordinate, Olek, hoping this time not to end in a life and death fight again.Ethan shook his head and smiled. He opened the glass door and entered.Daria stared at the magazine in her hand. It wasn't until Ethan sat down that he noticed his presence, and immediately smiled at him.—Good evening.— Can you get me a beer?Daria turned around and got him a bottle of Heineken beer from the fridge behind the counter, then put the magazine in front of him, showing some pictures of mountain landscapes. Looking at the introduction, they were some beautiful but inaccessible places in Pennsylvania by car, it was only suitable for explorers or hikers to visit.—This is my next vacation destination — Daria said, pointing a photo with her finger.The images detailed deep mountains, there were tall, thick trees that looked magnificent under the glow of the setting sun.Ethan took a sip of beer. — Will you go camping?Daria nodded, showing him the photo.—Yes, I go camping a few times a year. I already have some time planning it, it is a remote place where you can fully enjoy nature, not like those crowded tourist places.— Are you going alone? - He asked curiously.-Daria took her chin with her hand and responded with some indecision:—Originally she was going to go with a friend, but she had to cancel at the last minute. But since I have my plans made and my vacations authorized, I will go the same way.Ethan sometimes admired the adventurous spirit of people like her. Some threw themselves with a backpack into the woods in search of peace between nature. He took the magazine, observing the photo taken by a previous camper. The scenery was really impressive.—So be careful.Daria waved.—Don't worry, there will be other campers there. I'll be fine.Seeing Ethan leafing through the magazine, his eyes lit up. He put his chin in his hands and said provocatively:— How about you come with me?Ethan pointed at himself, surprised.— Me? I have never camped.Hearing that, Daria was more excited.—It is a unique experience. You are in an isolated place, without anyone bothering you, free from the world ... Enjoying your time in nature.Ethan was tempted, but still shrugged.—Sounds like the start of a bad horror movie.—Please don't be like this, come with me —Daria insisted, taking her hand and whispering near the — If you consider going, maybe I can bring something from the new Victoria's Secret collection, which I have at home.Ethan scratched his chin, hesitant.— How many days do you plan to go?—Two days, we left the day after tomorrow —Daria replied, taking advantage of the moment. She leaned towards him, whispering — How about I let you try one of those sets earlier?— What do I need to prepare?Daria bit her lip, laughing.—I have the whole team. You only need a waterproof jacket and a change of clothes, since temperatures change a lot between day and night in the mountains. He also wears some hiking boots.—No problem. I'll buy what was necessary.- That was simple. When he went on patrol the next day, he would stop at an outdoor activity store to buy what was necessary.At that moment, the last client of the restaurant also left. Daria drank a couple of beers with Ethan as she continued to tell him things about camping, but he was no longer paying attention. His eyes wandered through his body.Daria understood instantly. He bit the beer bottle, turned, and walked into the kitchen, untying his apron as he walked.—Stop, don't take off your apron, don't finish ordering yet. —Ethan said, and seeing that no one was outside, he followed her, setting her up on the dining room table.The next morning.It was just after 4:00 in the morning when Ethan parked the police car in front of the Valley Hotel. Hood also arrived at that time, and they both went upstairs together. Ethan knocked on the door and Jason opened it quickly. He turned around and sat on the bed, looking at the two uniformed men in front of him.Ethan looked at the room. Jason had already packed, and a travel bag was at the foot of the bed.Hood took an old watch out of his pocket, weighed it a few times, and handed it to Jason.—This belonged to your father, I took it when I buried it.Jason took the watch and touched the glass dial with a complicated expression.—I saved it but I thought it wasn't the right thing to just throw it away, maybe it was fate. Take it now it's yours —Hood continued.Jason looked at the clock. Since he graduated from high school and left his father, he had never thought about him again, until his life was in danger. Unexpectedly, they were found again in this way.Jason put the watch in his pocket and said seriously:—Thank you.—You're welcome, is what you should do —Hood replied, feeling relief in his heart when handing him the watch. It was as if he had fulfilled one last will.He looked at Jason and continued:—The train leaves at ten. I will take you there. Once you go up, continue to Canada. You shouldn't have problems, right?Jason laughed and replied:—I get it, I won't have them.— What about you? —Jason — asked. Will you still be here?Hood shook his head, extending his hands.—I don't know. Maybe one day I will also take my own train.Jason rubbed his hands and looked at Ethan.—Sorry, I didn't mean to trick you. —Okay, as long as you remember what Job and I told you —Ethan replied, leaning against the wall — When you get on the train, don't look back. Remember that Brantley is still looking for you. Keep a low profile and live a good life.Jason nodded quickly, shaking hands with Hood and Ethan.—Thanks again. You will never see me again.Ethan watched Hood's blue truck drive off the road before getting into the police car. Later that morning, Ethan was frying eggs in the kitchen when the security monitor rang over his head, it was Daria who leaned out the car window and greeted the camera. Ethan pressed the switch and the iron door opened slowly.He finished manipulating what he had in his hands, took out a piece of kitchen paper, cleaned the stove, and then left the house for the porch.As soon as he walked out the door, a Chevrolet truck stopped in front of the porch with a puff of smoke. Various camping supplies were placed on the roof of the car and there were also many things in the back seat.Carrie opened the car door and jumped. He wore military green pants, a small vest, and a visor cap, full of youthful vitality.—Welcome, I have prepared breakfast. — Ethan approached her and hugged her, then invited her to enter the house.Daria looked curiously at the furniture in the house, walked to the dining room table, sat down and asked:— Have you packed your things?Ethan came up with a large plate of fried poached eggs and sliced bread, and put the food on the dining room table. He took the dishes out of the closet and kicked the backpack on the floor.—Everything is ready.In the backpack, in addition to a change of clothes, there were all kinds of drinks. In Ethan's opinion, the two-day excursion was just to drink and have sex in the woods.—Okay, thanks —Daria thanked him and took the dishes from his hands to take them to the table.Seeing Ethan eat the eggs with big bites, Daria raised the corners of her mouth and asked, somewhat thoughtful:— Is this how you get that energy?Ethan arched his eyebrows, stared at his mouth, and said calmly:—Yes, it is different from the way you get them.Hearing this, Carrie squeezed her legs. With a playful look, she watched him closely. The knife scraped the egg and the liquid, even without solidifying, came out and soaked the white. He raised the plate and put the slippery egg white in his mouth.Ethan, taking the bread and taking a bite out of it, said:— Are you sure you want to provoke me?Carrie remembered how exhausted she had been the night before and shook her head quickly, beginning to eat breakfast sincerely.After picking up the food, Ethan cleaned the dishes and picked up the backpack from the floor. He looked at Glock 17 on the table and hesitated.Daria gently pushed him toward the door and, with a smile, said:—Come on, it's just a camp. Do you think we will find any danger?Ethan thought about it for a moment, but quickly remembered that this world was dangerous and that there was always an event prepared for him, he still had a couple of weapons in his inventory so it would not be so necessary to carry the Glock 17, and if there was a moment life or death anything could be invented, So I put it in his safe in his case and he left the house with Daria. With a knock, the door closed. The car started and the Chevrolet SUV raised a cloud of smoke.The vehicle had been on the highway for more than an hour. Ethan, sitting in the passenger seat, numb from the morning sun, spoke to Daria. Then he turned on the radio on a country music channel, left the chair, and fell asleep.He didn't know how long it had been when he felt someone touch his arm. He sat sleepy and asked:— Are we there yet?—Not yet, there is a jam later —Carrie replied, somewhat helpless.— Bottling? —Ethan did not react at first. I had never found traffic in that area.Daria handed him a bottle of water. Ethan arranged his seat, opened the lid, and looked forward. They were on a highway bridge, and there was a long line of vehicles in front.Ethan rolled down the window and lit two cigarettes.— How long does this take? —asked.—We just arrived.A few minutes passed and Daria put out her cigarette, turned on the parking brake, and the two began to study the map, discovering that there was still an hour and a half to go to their destination.With no other choice, they resigned themselves to waiting. After half an hour, the familiar sound of a siren echoed behind them. Ethan saw two police cars and an ambulance pass in the opposite direction through the side lane.He looked at his watch.—I'll go see what's going on.Daria, with her eyes closed, waved her hand nonchalantly. Ethan opened the car door and walked a few hundred meters forward. In the distance, you couldn't see the end of the traffic.He noticed a large truck driver talking on a radio and had an idea. He patted the door of the truck. The driver, a man in a visor cap, rolled down the window and poked his head in, asking:— What do you want?—Sorry, I saw you talking. Do you know what happened later?The driver, relaxed to see that Ethan seemed harmless, replied:—A friend told me that a vehicle carrying dangerous goods overturned and there was a chemical spill.Ethan frowned.— Do you know how long it will take to clean?— Who knows? It will take a few hours, you know how those things are.Ethan thanked the driver and returned to the car. After talking to Daria, they decided to take a detour along a path not far from where they were. They only had two days, they couldn't waste time.Carrie turned the wheel and crossed the double yellow line. After a few minutes, they found a fork. The Chevrolet SUV entered a dirt road, wide enough for two cars to pass. After half an hour, the trees on the side became denser.A gust of mountain wind passed that made the trees sway slightly.—The sun's heat on the road has disappeared a moment ago, it feels cooler —Ethan commented as he watched the scenery.He saw a sign with several broken wooden boards nailed to the side of the road and put the map aside.—This road is not shown on the map. There is a gas station later. How about we ask for directions?—Okay —Daria replied, nodding as she followed the traffic signs.They soon arrived at a ruined gas station. In the open space outside the gas station, there were more than a dozen cars parked, with sales signs pasted inside.—Wow the owner is not very good selling apparently. Sell second-hand cars in the middle of nowhere —Ethan commented with an ironic smile as he watched the cars.Daria slowed down and parked the car.Inside the gas station, there was an old wooden house with dozens of license plates nailed to the wall, giving it a peculiar aesthetic.Ethan opened the car door. Melodious country music was heard from the wooden house. At the entrance, a man slept on a lounger, wearing a straw hat covering his entire face and a bottle of beer next to him.—Good afternoon —Ethan greeted, approaching.When he received no response, he took two more steps and waved his hand to scare away some flies.—Good afternoon, sir. Excuse me —he insisted, raising his voice a little.Finally, the man on the lounger made a move. He took off his straw hat and looked at Ethan with his eyes squinted.He was a white man with dry, dirty hair, with wrinkles accumulated on his face, indicating that he was no longer young. He looked slim and worn.—I am very sorry to interrupt your rest. Could I ask you for directions? —Ethan said as he raised the map in his hands.The man took his beer, took a sip and murmured:— Where are you going?Ethan noticed that he only had a few teeth left. When he drank, the beer slipped down his neck, covered in dirt. Her visibly worn clothes had not been washed in a long time.It reminded him of Leonard, a cellmate of Hood. However, Leonard had been forced to live like this. The man in front of him, on the other hand, seemed to have chosen that lifestyle.Ethan did not mind; He had been a police officer in the city for a long time and had already seen everything. He got closer and unfolded the map.—We were going to this place, but there was an accident on the road and we had to find an alternative route —he explained, pointing to the map —. Do you know how to get there?The man in the straw hat looked at Ethan for the first time, looking at his canvas shoes, jeans, and white T-shirt. It seemed harmless. At that moment, Daria also got out of the car, showing her long legs full of youthful energy.The man swallowed sneakily before taking the map with his hands stained with motor oil. After studying it for a while, he returned it to Ethan.—Go straight on the road. After half an hour, you will see a fork. Follow the signs to Bear Mountain Road.Ethan nodded, thanked, and returned to the car with Daria.— Do you think this is the right way? —asked, while Daria confirmed the address on the map.—Yes, the address is correct. We often ask the locals when we are going to camp, don't be so suspicious. —she replied safely.—Okay, let's continue.The Chevrolet SUV turned and left the gas station, continuing on its way. The man watched them walk away, yawned, and covered his face again with his straw hat. After driving for less than half an hour, they saw a fork in the road.Daria followed the sign indicating the way to Bear Mountain. The music on the radio was resonating, and they both started humming to the rhythm of the songs.—And here civilization ends. — I comment with humor.-i—Wow it seems that it is true that you have not gone much camping to the mountain —Daria said when the radio started to fail — It is normal that there is no signal in these places, look at your phone.Ethan pulled out his cell phone and saw that he was out of service.—I told you —Daria smiled —. You are disconnected from the world. No one can contact you here. Find a CD in the glove compartment.—Watch out —Ethan warned when he saw a stone on the way.Daria quickly turned the wheel to dodge the body.—Don't worry, I have it under control —answered with confidence, but then joked —. Do you feel like in a horror movie? Weird old man at a gas station, corpses on the road ... only a few monsters are missing.— Are you trying to scare me? —Ethan asked while putting a CD on the player. — Don't forget what job, if you want I can tell you about one of the serial killers I've stopped. —said with a malicious smile.— Shit, no! I don't want to sleep tonight with one eye open. —Daria shuddered and quickly rejected him.While they were talking, the Chevrolet advanced among the fallen leaves. The forest around it became denser and denser, and the trees were taller.—Hey, look at that —Daria said suddenly.Ethan looked forward and saw a white truck parked on the road. He had camping equipment on the roof and several mountain bikes. Next to the car, a girl dressed in white pants and a blue vest waved her arms with energy.—Hey, it looks like your type —Daria joked.Ethan shrugged.—Let's see what happens.At that moment, a loud roar shook the vehicle.Daria, scared, grabbed the wheel tightly, but the Chevrolet kept moving toward the white truck.— Damn! —screamed as it stopped suddenly, but inertia caused the two vehicles to crash.Ethan held the ceiling armrest with one hand and Daria with the other. The windshield was shattered.Daria looked in shock at the air bag that had exploded. Luckily, the car had slowed down just in time.— Are you okay? —asked the girl in the blue vest, hitting the window with concern.—Yes, I think so. — responded while the seat belt was unbuttoned. The car door has been deformed and jammed.Ethan broke the door handle, kicked it, and managed to open it. On the other side, Daria was near the white truck. After unbuttoning his seat belt, he got out of the car with Ethan's help.Once firm, Ethan addressed the black-haired girl in a blue vest next to him.— What happened here?—I'm so sorry —said the girl, her delicate face showed an expression of remorse — I heard the sound of your car and ran to warn them, but it was too late.— Hey, what's going on up there ?! —a scream came from the forest, along the way.Suddenly, four more people ran from below screaming.— Damn! —exclaimed a tall man, dressed in a white T-shirt and glasses, approaching menacingly as he saw the condition of his car.— Evan, calm down! —the black-haired girl quickly stepped forward to stop him.Evan reached out to push her away and then grabbed Ethan.— Shit! Look what you did to my truck?Ethan was used to these kinds of problems. Evan seemed strong, but compared to Chayton, it was nothing. Without hesitation, Ethan took him by the arm, pushed him back with a clean movement and stamped him against the truck.Evan groaned as he pressed against the car. Ethan put his hand to his head, in a severe tone:—First of all, calm down and second, why the hell did you leave your car on the road?Evan, feeling the severe pain in his arm, quickly asked for mercy:—Our tire exploded, please let go of me! You're going to break my arm!Ethan increased the pressure and calmly said:—Don't worry, it won't break as easily. But if you attack again, I will really break it for you. It is understood?Evan nodded quickly, and at that moment his partner also ran towards them.The girl in the blue vest spoke hastily:—I'm so sorry. Evan did not want to hurt. Can you drop itEthan ended up releasing him, and then he hit Evan on the head.—Your asshole has to thank your friend. Next time I won't be so nice.Evan, relieved to release him, took several steps back, looking at Ethan with annoyance.Daria knew she had nothing to worry about him from what I observe from a distance, ignoring the conflict. Better went to check the condition of the truck. —We have a flat tire and the engine is dead. Ethan wasted no time worrying about others. He hurried to the front of the car, from which white smoke was coming out and a liquid was leaking to the ground. He bent down to examine the front tire, which was punctured by various barbed cables, this was intentional.Cursing quietly, he lit a cigarette. Actually, today was not the best day to go camping. They were in the middle of a forest, with no town in sight, and no shops nearby to ask for help, no phone signal. How could they get out of here without the truck?He rubbed his temples, got up, and returned to where the other people had gathered. There were three women and two men, probably students because of the way they dress. All five looked at him suspiciously.Ethan smiled at them and held out his hands.—My name is Ethan, and she is my friend Daria. As you can see, the vehicle has a flat tire, so they can't blame us for that. —Then, seeing the face of a girl with short red hair, he added — But don't worry, I'll pay for the damage his car suffered. After all, it was us who caused the collision, okay?The girl with red hair, exhaling a sigh of relief, responded with a touch of crying:—You have to promise me you will, this is my mother's car. If it hurts, she will kill me.Ethan raised his hand quickly.—No problem, I promise.With this, the other people relaxed. After all, Ethan and Daria didn't seem like bad people, and their vehicle had been hit by the bursting of the tire.—Hi, I'm Carly —said then the girl with collected black hair and a blue vest, blinking with tears in her eyes — The same thing happened to us, it was an accident.—You're wrong —interrupted a long brown-haired girl wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. He took a few steps forward, pulling a bundle of cables to the ground and looking at Ethan and Daria — This was deliberate. Someone tied the other end of the cable to a tree trunk under the road. We found it when we went down to check. By the way, my name is Jesse.—It must have been the work of the locals —said Scott, a curly, upset hair boy — Maybe there will be a repair shop later.There was not much more to say. Ethan and Daria exchanged a few words and then proposed:—We will follow the path for help. What do you plan to do?After discussing it, Jesse and Carly decided to join them for help. Scott, after thinking about it for a moment, also decided to accompany them. Evan, however, refused to go due to the conflict with Ethan, choosing to stay with his girlfriend Francine, the girl with short red hair, waiting for a car to hit the road.Ethan had no objection. Dividing the group could speed up the rescue. Although he did not have much hope that vehicles would pass; the road was covered with fallen leaves, indicating that it was not very busy.Ethan and Daria returned to the car to collect their belongings. Ethan emptied his backpack and packed some food and water. After hesitating for a moment, he also had a bottle of whiskey, removing the paper bag that covered it.Watching him, Francine, the red-haired girl, waddled up.— Can you buy me a drink? —asked, smiling flirt.Ethan looked her up and down and replied, funny:— How old are you? —Francine was stumped. Ethan smiled — I'm kidding, I don't care.He opened the car door, took out more bottles of alcohol, and closed it again. He looked at Francine, whose eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.—Just take it easy. Do you understand what I mean? —said firmly as he gave him a bottle in his hands.Francine nodded repeatedly and hurried to hug him, grateful. Ethan felt the softness of her body in her arms and cast a provocative look at her boyfriend Evan.