Chapter 62: 62

Two hours on the road, Hakeem was trailing behind Jason’s car. It wasn’t hard to catch up with Jason since the pink minivan was hard not to notice. The everyday car for the Park family and Jason hijacked it for the sake of his own desires.

“Where on earth is he going?” said Hakeem. He was leaning towards the steering wheel as his eyes focused on the minivan in front of him. He made sure to followed Jason at a distance. He didn’t want to get caught red-handed, thus a game of hiding while driving.

Hakeem was getting nervous as everything around him was just plain old darkness. The street lamps were positioned at a ridiculous interval and there was no sign of humans around him. A tint of regret started to bloomed inside of him. He thought Jason was into recreational drugs or something related to prostitute since those two things are the most likely thing man would do when they are snooping around but boy he was wrong.

A sign just passed and he managed to read it. The leg that was pressing the throttle took off after seeing the sign. His eyes were trembling and the grip on the steering wheel tightened. The car he was driving started to slow down and the sight of the minivan was getting farther away.

“Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park, isn’t that the place where they spotted the new crack?” he asked himself while deep down he already knew that fact. Hakeem glanced back at the windshield as the red light from the back of the minivan was getting fader.

“What the hell are you up to man?” said Hakeem as he shook his head from side to side. He was having second thoughts about his action. He was worried and curious about this friend of his since Jason never acted like this but now seeing him going towards the park only made his heart beat even wilder. He saw those footages on the internet, where monsters trampled over everything in the city. People dying left and right without restrain and being eaten alive by a humongous monster. It made his whole body shivered just thinking about it.

“I should turn around, I really should turn around,” he tried to convince himself. If it was like usual, it was a no-brainer for him to just turn around but this time, Jason was involved. Hakeem couldn’t help but remember those days when in high school of how he had treated Jason. They were supposed to be the best buddies since elementary but things changed so fast that he didn’t even realize that their friendship had broken apart.

The unexpected meeting between them at the airport was the first time since high school. He spotted Jason first from far away, he hesitated to approach him since the word ‘friend’ seemed a bit foreign for him. But the guilt he felt over the years made him took a step towards redemption. Their first greeting wasn’t bad as Jason even asked for a lift home. Hakeem was elated and they talked in the car remembering about the old times except during the period of their high school lives.

He thought he could mend the lost friendship he once had with Jason, a chance that came out of nowhere. He gave him his number expecting a call to hang out like buddies. But a week passed and he thought of giving up yet a call came. Hakeem was expecting to have a drink together but everything went sideways. Jason was heading straight into the mouth of the tiger. Hakeem was weighing his options as he still wanted to live. But he couldn’t abandon Jason, not again. He needed to be a friend that he used to be.

“I ain’t going to let you die bro,” he said to himself, trying to pump his motivation to saved Jason from going suicidal.

Meanwhile, in the minivan, Jason opened up a bag of chips as he munched down those savory fried potatoes.

“Damn, this is good,” he said.

He was eating as if he was on a road trip for camping. Out of habit, he glanced at the back mirror and saw a pair of lights following him from behind.

“Never thought there was someone crazy enough to go straight to their death,” he said, not knowing that the one behind him was a friend of his. As he glanced back to the front, he saw a blinking light at the far end of the road. With his Basic Archery reaching level nine, his vision somewhat improved considerably.

“It’s the military,” he slowed the minivan as he had already anticipated for the road to be blocked. He turned the steering wheel to the side taking the left path of the road as he saw a sign. He drove a few meters before stumbling into a cabin-like building. He stopped the minivan right in front of it.

“The Far Outpost, not much of a name,” he read the sign. It was a general store just by the side of the road. Everything else was just trees. He took out his phone and looked through the Zoogle map. He was within the perimeter of the park, all he needed to do was just to walk through the trees until he reached the site of the crack. To be more precise he wasn’t here to go to the crack, he was here for a hunt.

Jason parked the minivan behind the general store. He didn’t want the military to suddenly find the car during their patrol. Jason grabbed the bag bought by Bryce and checked the inside. He packed enough food and water for the journey. Next, he checked for his weapons. The expensive compound bow was unleashed from within its bag. A slick design perfect for hunting. Next, was the hip quiver filled with thirty new arrows. The weight didn’t matter to him as he didn’t feel a thing.

He took out a fixed blade knife, a new and sharp one, again it was courtesy of Bryce’s money. One last weapon he brought along, the hatchet sponsored by Bryce. These two things are for a situation that needed to go close combat, he packed it up inside of the hiking bag. The staff he looted from before was left at home since it was too long and didn’t really fit with his current battling style.

Before he got out of the minivan, he slung the bag to his back and equipped the hip quiver to his waist. He got out of the minivan and held on to the compound bow. Jason was lock and loaded. He grinned as this reckless attempt of his was making his heart beat faster. Staring into the dark forest in front of him, he was readied to dive in.

“Jason?” he heard someone calling his name. Jason reacted and within a second an arrow was already nocked on the bow. His motion was flawless as his whole body turned towards the source of the voice.

“Woah, Woah, hold up, don’t shoot, it’s me!” this person turned frantic seeing an arrow was aimed at him.

There was barely any light and both of these people couldn’t see one another. But Jason felt the voice was rather familiar.

“Can you please get the arrow off from my face? It’s me man, Hakeem,” said Hakeem.

Jason withdrew his aim and stored the arrow back into the quiver. He took out a flashlight in his pocket and flashed it in front of him. The tall man in front of him dodged the light as the dazzled his eyes.

“Hakeem?” he said.

“Dude, you’re flashing the light on my face,” Hakeem said.

“Oh,” Jason replied as he faced the flashlight to the ground. He looked at Hakeem while in thought.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“Why am I here?” Hakeem’s tone turned a bit sarcastic in nature. “Let me ask you that, why are you here? Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Hakeem said.

“You should go back, it’s not safe here,” he said.

“Of course it’s not. I’m here because of you man, let’s go before some shit happen,” Hakeem said. To his words, shit really did happen.

A loud deafening explosion trembled the night air. Jason and Hakeem turned their head towards the source of the explosion. Hakeem’s eyes widen apart while Jason still maintained his calm.

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“Yo, we have to get out of here. The military already fighting with those UC,” said Hakeem. He grabbed on to Jason’s shoulder hoping him to follow along but Jason wouldn’t budge.

“Jason! What are you standing around for man? We got to go,” Hakeem was fidgeting as his body was telling him to run away. His eyes kept on glancing from Jason and his car, he was getting impatient waiting for this friend of his. Hakeem was readied to bolt out of here. Jason sighed, he didn’t expect the one trailing behind him was Hakeem.

“Listen up Hakeem, I’m grateful that you’re here but I’m going. So, go back,” said Jason as he turned towards the dark forest. Hakeem didn’t understand why Jason was doing this, he saw the bow in Jason’s hand as well as the plump hiking bag on his back. From what Hakeem saw, Jason was prepared for whatever he was going to do.

“Shit!” Hakeem went back to his car leaving Jason alone. He was just about to start the engine but he hesitated. He glanced back at Jason who was walking towards the trees.

“The hell man, why are you doing this?” Hakeem said. He rested his head on the steering wheel as he fell deep in his own thought. Then out of sudden both of his hands kept on slamming the steering wheel as if he was venting his frustration at the poor innocent steering wheel. Then he stopped as his breath was getting ragged. His gaze went back to the fading back Jason slowly disappearing into the darkness of the forest.

Gritting his teeth Hakeem got out of the car and slammed the door behind him. He exhaled a loud breath as he tried to calmed himself down. He felt more nervous compared to his last basketball game.

“I’m so going to die doing this,” Hakeem said.

Hakeem ran towards Jason.

“Wait up,” a voice came from Jason’s back. He halted himself and turned to the back, it was Hakeem. This tall man looked down at him with his tall height. His gaze was serious, different from before he was panicking.

“I’m coming with you, I’m not going to let you die out here,” said Hakeem.

It sounded stupid in Jason’s ears. He wasn’t here to die, he was here to live.

This going to be troublesome.

He wasn't expecting Hakeem to come back. He was still confused about why was this man was trying so hard to save him. If he remembered it correctly they were friends but wasn’t that close. Well, his memories are kind of blurry seeing it posed no importance to him. What mattered right now was to get stronger. Seeing it was impossible to leave Hakeem behind, he accepted the extra baggage along.

“Fine. Keep close to my back and don’t make a sound,” Jason said.

Jason took the lead, leaving Hakeem behind who was surprised by the assertiveness of Jason. Hakeem snapped out of it and trailed behind Jason. The duo went deeper into the forest as all around them went dark. At times, they heard the faint sound of explosions. Hakeem was alarmed each time he heard those explosions, deep down he started to regret following Jason.

“Hey, I’m getting the creeps here man and I ain’t like it,” Hakeem said as he couldn’t see a thing within this dense forest.

Jason remained silent and walked forward.

“Can you see anything? I can’t see a thing in here. I’m not being racist but do Asians see well in the dark?” Hakeem kept on talking as if it was one of his ways of coping with his nervousness.

Jason, on the other hand, paid no attention to him. He too couldn’t see a thing, although his eyes were starting to slowly adapt to the darkness, yet it was too dark even for him. At least there was a bit of moonlight during his last hunt for the hobgoblins.

Shit, it’s too dark in here. I can’t see a…

But then out of nowhere, he heard a few branches snapped on the ground. Jason crouched low to the ground as he nocked the arrow on his bow. Hakeem bumped into Jason as he was surprised.

“What’s going…”

“Shush,” Jason silenced Hakeem from making a sound. Hakeem mimicked Jason as he too crouched low to the ground but his tall stature made no difference.

Hakeem was nervous seeing the action of Jason. Beads of sweat drenched his forehead as his heart beat faster. He swore he could even hear his own heartbeat.

Jason let down his bow for a while and rummaged through the bag. He took out something and wore it on his head. Hakeem who noticed Jason’s every movement saw the thing that was worn over Jason’s head. Again, he was surprised by Jason, out of nowhere he pulled a night vision goggle from his bag as if it was the norm.

“Where did you…” before Hakeem could finish his words, a loud moaning filled up the air of the forest. He froze as the moan was loud and clear. Hakeem was sure of it that it was an animal. His feet were readied to run if whatever out there started to attack them.

But then he heard a light subtle sound of an arrow flying through the air. Then a loud thud echoed in the dark forest just a few feet away from his location. He didn’t know what had happened. Jason who was in front of him stood up and Hakeem followed him.

“What was that?” he asked while following Jason’s back.

Jason stopped as he was staring at something on the ground.

“Dude can’t you at least answer me something,” Hakeem stood beside Jason trying to gain anything from this silent friend of his but then a strong musky odor assaulted his nostrils. He backed away while flapping his hand in front of his face.

“The hell is that smell?” Hakeem asked. But his question was answered even before he got it, he looked down on where Jason was looking and saw what it was. His jaw dropped as he saw a mammal lay on the floor of the forest.

“It’s a bear!”

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