Mauled - Book 2 of the Close Call Series (Currently Published On Amazon)

Ch.10 Search Party

AN*

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Everyone who had already signed their names on the clipboards, stood in a group talking about the previous night. When the last person finished and joined the group, the men who were organizing everything started to break them into separate groups.

They called off the names on the clipboards one by one, breaking them into 5 large groups. Although there would technically be 6 because the three men that had organized the search party would be their own group, because they were more experienced.

The groups would spread out, but stay in sight of at least one other person, and search a specific area that was showed to them on the map. As they searched they would tie different colored markers on the trees here and there, to show that an area had already been searched, and keep their groups from straying off course.

Group one had a red marker, group two had blue, group three had yellow, group four had pink, group five had green, and the search leaders would have white. The ribbons were brightly colored so they could be seen better, but they seemed way to cheerful for such a morbid day.

Laura and Josey insisted on being in a group together, so they were both in group 5. However Neka and Claire were in separate groups, Neka was in 3 and Claire was in 4.

"If there are no more questions you may follow your group's to your designated starting area and head into the woods, please follow the rules we've discussed and be careful. We don't want to be searching for you too," one of the head men stated.

The groups all turned away and headed in separate directions. Claire, Neka, Josey, and Laura all gave each other one last glance before walking away into the forest.

The markers they were using had to be cut from a roll, instead of people just having a pocket full of elastic pieces. There were three rolls in each group, Josey was given one of those rolls. The people with rolls had a slightly more specific place to search, one on the right boarding group four, one on the left making the end of there search area, and one in the middle. Josey and Laura were on the left, so they would stop at any white ribbons they happened upon.

As they walked they could see the rest of their group getting further and further apart. Until they only saw one other person. It was a bit difficult, but they made sure they stayed in viewing distance of that person.

Josey and Laura walked rather slowly trying their best not to miss anything. Josey had actually taken some tracking lessons in college as part of an extracurricular wilderness class they'd had last summer. So he kept his eyes trained on the ground except when he stopped to tie a marker on a tree, Laura tried her best not to distract him.

Laura couldn't help but notice how beautiful everything was as they walked. The birds were singing, the squirrel's were chirping, and the wind blew through the tree's scattering drops of sunlight across the ground. It was hard to believe anything bad could ever happen here, in this amazingly peaceful place, it just showed tragedy could strike anywhere.

Josey's voice pulled her from her distracting thoughts.

"Hmmm, what'd you say?" She asked shaking her head, to help rid herself of the thoughts.

"I think I have a trail."

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure," he said creeping slowly forward. He paused and tied a marker, before walking another couple steps.
Laura kept quite and stayed behind him so she didn't disrupt any tracks he might be following.

"Laura."

"Yeah?"

"Come here. "

She walked up to him, he pointed down at a leaf, "See that there? It's blood"

"Oh my God!"

"Now look here,"

She didn't need him to explain this one, it was obvious. It was a very large, and very deep, bear track.