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The bus had traversed the open highway for several more uneventful hours. However, the backdrop of the Adirondacks, complete with its serene landscape and relaxing beauty, made the trip memorable.
Claudia noticed no team member had attempted to talk to Ed, so she decided to initiate a conversation. “So, how long you’ve been driving for Eric?” Her question appeared to take him a little off guard. She decided to make him at ease. “Forgive me. I’m sorry if my presence startled you.”
“Your presence didn’t startle me.”
“Yeah, well, you looked startled to me.”
“What I meant to say was, it wasn’t you that startled me. It was the fact that someone was considerate enough to converse with the help.”
Claudia smiled, “Thank you for the compliment. My name is-”
Ed interrupted. “Claudia, I know.” Claudia smiled again. Ed responded, “My name is-”
It was now Claudia who interrupted. “Ed, yes, I know. Nice to meet you. Would you like some company?”
Ed nodded. “Yes, it would be great to have a conversation with someone whose beauty matched the scenery.”
Claudia smiled. “I think the trip is going to go by a lot faster now.”
“Let’s hope, not too fast,” Ed said optimistically.
As the trip went on, no one complained over the extra hours -that is, except for Jack, “I know you said we’d all find out where we were going soon, very soon, I mean...that is pretty much what you said, but it’s been almost two hours, Mr. St Clair?”
Just about everyone bemoaned Jack’s questions and his penchant for pretty much making them cringe. “Give it a rest, Jack.” Scolded Vincent. “He’ll let you know when we get there.”
Eric stood up, scratched his scalp, and eyed the others, “Take it easy, Vincent. Jack’s got a valid point. Strange as it seems, Jack appears to have called this one. You know, it’s almost as if you possess some kind of built-in alarm unit.”
“What makes you say that, Mr. St. Clair?” Asked Cora.
“Because, my dear Cora, as it turns out, we’re just about there.”
He turned around, faced the front of the bus, then leaned down close to Ed, “Ed, if you’ll slow down, just a little up ahead...” As Ed began to decrease the bus’s speed, Eric leaned so far into the dashboard that his face nearly became part of the windshield. Suddenly, he pointed beyond a clump of trees. “There...there it is.” Ed acknowledged and applied the brakes a little more. Just past those shorter trees on the left of the road. See it?” Ed nodded. “Got it, Mr. St Clair.
“Excellent. Now, turn on that dirt road up ahead.” The bus slowed a bit, and Ed drove them down a thoroughfare that answered the question of where the term ‘dirt road’ originated from? Being that it was literally more dirt than actual road.
Then, Cora decided to share how she felt and what the others had surely noticed, “Is it just me, or is this road really, I mean really out in the middle of nowhere?”
About that time, Claudia raised her cellphone and moved it in a clockwise fashion - first from 10 to 2, then expanded it from 8 to 4 position. She brought her phone and tapped a few keys.
“That probably explains why I haven’t had phone service for the last half-hour.” Lamented a highly annoyed Claudia.
Eric tilted his head towards the back of the bus and cringed ever so slightly, “Uh, sorry, guys. I guess I forgot to mention phone reception out here is almost nonexistent. No service for about twenty-five miles in either direction. It looks like we’re cut off from civilization.”
The other team members were none too pleased with the non-apologetic manner in which his statement was given to them, but no one appeared to challenge him on the subject.
However, this did not sit well with Stacie, who took issue with Eric’s revelation and wasted no time voicing her opinion on what the others had to be thinking, “Eric. Even you would agree with the rest of us – what you just told us is pretty much unacceptable. Seriously, taking the team out in the middle of nowhere...without a means of communication. Really?? What if there should happen to be an emergency? What then?”
Eric chuckled, “Funny you would mention this. It happens to be the first main factor to consider during our upcoming team-building exercise. And, in our case, for us to adapt, to use our heads in the case of such an emergency.”
Stacie shook her head in complete disagreement, “I don’t care if it is the main factor or, for that matter, any other factor. It’s just a bad idea!”
Vincent, who had remained relatively silent during the ride, decided now was the time for him to speak up, “The way I see it, in the event of an emergency, the circumstances revolving around it will force us into identifying which of us will rise to the occasion. So...let’s give it a shot, shall we?”
Cole spoke up loudly, “I’d like to point out one thing.” He turned and directed his comments to Eric, “With all due respect, Eric, this is turning out to be one F’d up trip!”
Eric laughed out loud, “Excellent! Most excellent! I'm glad I’ve gotten the attention of everyone. I want you all to consider all strategies and courses of action for any unforeseen events. Get yourselves in the right frame of mind. We’re almost there.”
The road was not the best, and traveling was slow for the bus. After they traveled another hour, Claudia couldn’t keep quiet any longer, “How much farther, Eric?”
Eric nodded to Ed, and he pulled the bus over and stopped. Eric handed him a map and pointed to a spot.
Jack asked from the back of the bus, “I hope you’re not going to tell us we’re lost...are we?”
Suddenly, an odd-looking man appeared outside the window where Claudia was seated. His abrupt appearance forced Claudia to let out a scream. Eric walked down the aisle as he tried to calm everyone down.
“Take it easy, everyone. It’s all right. Everything is fine.” He stood next to Claudia and motioned the man to make his way to the bus doors. The odd-looking fellow unexpectedly acknowledged Eric’s hand gestures and ran to the bus’s other side. Within seconds, he was quickly on board. Eric patted the man on one of his shoulders, “Everyone, this is Curtiss.”
“How are you, folks? Sorry if I startled anyone.”
It was impossible for them not to notice more queer features about this odd-looking fellow. Jack first thought about asking if Curtiss had come straight off the screen from the movie “Deliverance.”
Stacie was drawn to the shiny machete Curtiss had strapped to the side of his leg.
Claudia figured that this is where the phrase “Clothes make the man”, came from by his rugged wardrobe.
Cole just perceived him as his Outdoor rival, someone he felt he could tangle with and beat at any cost.
Eric saw his team had sized up Curtiss, so he decided to continue, “Curtiss is going to be our guide up here in the forest.”
Curtiss looked at the team and laughed as he shook his head in disbelief but turned his attention to Ed as he eyed him. He turned his head sideways and spat out the door. “Y’all follow me.” His next question was curiously aimed at Ed. “That is if you think you city folk can do that?”
Curtiss laughed aggressively as he exited the bus, and his action did not sit well with Ed. He thought about confronting Curtiss but quickly changed his mind when he saw Eric shaking his head disapprovingly.
Eric hopped off the bus entrance steps, “Lead the way, Curtiss. We’re all here...ready for whatever you have in store for us.”
Curtiss motioned to Eric to stay by the bus.
“You all sit tight here, St. Clair. Just gotta check with my partner before continuing. I’ll be right back.”
Curtiss ran to an old pickup truck hidden in the trees. No one had seen it due to it being obscured by some thick, dense shrubbery. Claudia was able to see inside the cab. She saw an old man sitting on the passenger’s side. It was evident to her and anyone else looking that he was not happy. Curtiss opened the door, and the old man went off on him. “It’s wrong, Curtiss! Dead wrong!”
Curtiss scoffed and got inside the truck, “Lester, you’re my uncle, but you gotta relax.”
Lester rubbed his forehead, “I should never have agreed to let you show him off to anyone, to begin with.”
Curtiss assured his uncle. “It’s going to be like all the other times. Nothing happened then, and nothing will happen tonight...you have my word on it.”
Lester was not convinced. “You say that, under the circumstances, you have no idea what he is capable of doing.”
Now, it was Curtiss who needed convincing, “Why should tonight be any different?”
“Any different? Just listen to yerself.
First, you just wanna show ‘him’ to them. Then you had to let them try proving the legend.”
Curtiss looked at his elderly uncle, “Listen to me, Lester. I told you it couldn’t be helped. What difference does it make if they try? We both know it’s only a big old rock. And, as far as I’m concerned, it’s been nothing more than that.”
Lester became angered at Curtiss. “I’ve told you before, and I’m telling you now - the legend is real!”
Curtiss scoffed, “Yeah, right. You keep on saying that, Uncle Lester. You do that while I make us some badly needed money for a couple of days of work.”
“It wouldn’t have been a problem if you hadn’t made it all about money.” Lester jumped out of the pickup and flailed his arms as he ran toward the bus. “Turn around! Go back while you still got the chance! I’m warning you! It’s not too late! Get out of here! Go now!”
The team all watched in bewilderment. What was going on?
Curtiss appeared; he reached from behind and yanked Lester’s arms down. “No way are you going to screw this up for me. Uncle or no uncle, you come back to the truck, Lester.”
Lester resisted and struggled a bit, but Curtiss was much stronger, and he quickly acquiesced to his superior posture over him. Curtiss led him back to the truck and sat him back down.
Lester folded his arms in disgust. Curtiss patted him on his shoulder and shut the door.
“You’ll feel better after we start spending all that money.” As Curtiss walked around the front of the truck, Lester turned his head slowly and looked at the team inside the bus. “So ‘you’ say. I say no one’s getting out of here alive - not me, not you, and especially...them.”