Chapter 3

The Indian cave went inside the mountain real deep. There were signs on the interior walls that warned visitors to refrain from going deeper than the large chamber inside the front entrance. That chamber was about 40 feet wide and 60 feet deep and more than adequate to meet their living needs. The inner tunnels were not lighted and tended to fall away steeply as the tunnel progressed. Mike and his son Wesley took a lantern from the RV and explored one of the tunnels stopping when it suddenly ended at the site of an obvious cave-in that blocked further passage. That took the edge off of Mike's urge to explore the inner parts of the cave system.

Heather, the girl they had rescued from the accident was sitting cross-legged behind Wendy braiding her hair like she was playing with her dolls. Wendy didn't mind at all because she had received scant attention from her mother ever since the unfortunate loss of her "late in life" child in a miscarriage almost two years ago.

The still attractive mature woman was raising dust with the broom from the RV and Mike had to stop her to tell her to be sure to sprinkle water on the floor before using the broom to help keep the dust at a minimum. She seemed annoyed to be given instructions, but paused and got water from the barrel they had filled from the fast-moving stream at the base of the hill. Mike had to laugh at the way everyone complained about having to tote water up the hill several times each day knowing that the proximity of water was the main reason he had selected this ideal hideout.

The sudden appearance of a low-flying helicopter caused Mike to duck back into the cave and he hoped the flight crew had not seen him at the entrance to the cave. After they were gone, he told Wesley to come with him and they hustled back to the RV and the pickup. They both drove them the edge of the dense forest and forced both vehicles into the dense growth parked closely together. The tall saplings covered up a lot of the vehicle's exterior with the exception of the high part of the RV. They both cut long branches to cover the roof of the RV. He was glad that they were moving into autumn now and that the dead leaves would blend in with the change of season and still act as a viable cover for the vehicles. If they managed to survive through the winter, he would plant more tall saplings next to them and hope the foliage would act as a screen from overhead searchers. He was probably being too cautious but his training kicked in and he wanted to make sure they were "off the grid".

When they got back to the cave, Mike saw Ginnie and both of the girls down at the stream washing clothes and cleaning the pots and pans. He thought that was a good idea and made a mental note to suggest that they carry out this function under the cover of the thick trees just a short distance downstream. The afternoon light was getting a little short and he decided to put off the reconnaissance of the downstream area until the early morning. If they were going to use the stream for their household chores, he wanted to make sure no telltale signs of their presence would turn up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Wesley was obviously not happy with the sleeping arrangement devised by his father.

Mike had decided for the interim it would be better if the women slept on one side of the cave and he and Wesley bunked down near the entrance in case of any problems. Wesley was getting more and more touchy-feely with the seductively shaped Heather much to Wendy's disgust. Mike wasn't sure if it was because she considered her brother "her property" or if she was overly protective of the rescued girl.

With the morning's first light, Mike and Wesley took off downstream warning the women to stay inside the cave until they returned. Mike gave Wendy the shotgun in addition to the 3 small pistols the women were armed with. She seemed a bit more aggressive than the other two females and ready to "pull the trigger".

The stream bed was rocky and the small rocks and pebble were very smooth. They made their way carefully trying not to fall and conscious of the need to be as quiet as possible in the deserted forest. At least, Wesley knew enough not to open his yap when they were heading into uncharted territory. About a mile and a half downstream, the water forked into two separate channels. The one on the left looked wider and more promising so they followed that one down into the edge of the forest adjoining an open field that had gone fallow for several years. There were no livestock or sounds of farming operations. The large wooden cabin appeared deserted. The barn door was wide open and it didn't look like any animals were inside.

Wesley wanted to go right down and check it out, but Mike was a little more cautious. It seemed just a little "too peaceful" and inviting like the strands of a spider's web. A small dog appeared from behind the barn and looked in their direction despite the fact they were carefully hidden from sight and the wind was blowing in their direction not the other way around.