“The first thing I noticed last night was you’re all a pack of elephants,” he said. “Thundering away when the person starts counting. You’ve got to start quietly, so they don’t know which direction you’ve gone. Stay light on your feet, watch where you step.” He glanced around. A lot of red dirt which would leave footprints and dry grass which would crunch. Not ideal. “Keep low and balanced.” He lowered his centre of gravity. “Now show me what you can do.” He moved fifteen metres away. “I’ll face the other direction, but if I hear you, I’ll turn around. First one to reach me wins.” The additional competition would cause them to put speed over stealth, but it would be a good lesson.
He faced away. “Go.”
One… two… crunch. He spun towards the sound and Cody cringed. “It was a leaf.”
“Keep an eye out for that kind of thing.” Jordan had frozen in place. “Try again.”
One… two… thud. Again he spun to find Jordan only about five metres away. He must have run and landed heavily.
“All right. This time Cody is going to stand over here and I’ll show Jordan what to do. Cody, you turn only if you hear us, all right?”
Cody nodded and took his position.
“Follow me.” Arthur stepped carefully, picking out his path to get to Cody before he took a step. Then he moved slowly, conscious that occasionally his fake leg clunked when he moved, and making sure he kept his steps small so Jordan could follow. They crossed the ground together and Arthur hung back so Jordan could do the tag.
Cody jumped with a yell. “Oh my God. I didn’t hear anything!”
Arthur explained his process and then the boys changed roles and he took Cody through it. With an eye on the time, he then showed the kids how to pick the best hiding places, how to backtrack, and to camouflage themselves.
After thirty minutes, they rejoined Brandon and the girls.
“Ready?” Brandon asked.
“Ready.” They outlined the rules as the others joined them. The top of the small dunes was a good vantage point to watch the game play, so they sat while Brandon tossed a coin to choose who would hide first. The girls won.
Nerves ran across Arthur’s skin. He hadn’t covered how to find someone. He huddled Jordan and Cody together. “Think about what I taught you and apply it to finding them. Look for footprints, or damaged vegetation, listen for noises, watch for movement.”
“We’ve got this,” Jordan said.
The game started, and Arthur clenched his hands together to stop from fidgeting. Gretchen moved next to him. “Thank you. You’re so good with the boys.”
He gave her a brief smile before turning his attention back to the game. “I enjoyed it.”
The count had finished. Lara and Mischa were well hidden, and the boys searched the ground for clues to which direction they’d gone. They must have picked up something, as they moved in the right direction. “That’s it,” he muttered.
“Do you and Brandon have a bet on the outcome?” Gretchen asked.
“Just bragging rights,” Arthur said. “It’s always good to have something to hold over him.” The words were out before he considered how they might sound. He turned to her. “Not in a mean way. We just mess with each other, a long-standing thing from the army.”
She smiled. “I get it. I imagine Sam will be sorry he missed out.”
Arthur nodded, relieved she understood. “He’ll be spewing.”
The boys had split up, going in different directions to follow different trails. They were quiet, not calling to each other and Arthur felt a surge of pride. Jordan was close to where Arthur had last seen Lara. She had to be hiding behind one of those bushes. He checked his watch. Only two minutes had passed.
Mischa squealed as Cody found her and there was movement behind the bush Arthur was watching.
“Gotcha,” Jordan called and Lara stood, pouting. They all trooped back and Jordan and Cody ran up to Arthur. “How did we do?”
“Two minutes, fifteen seconds.”
The boys slapped hands.
“Your turn,” Brandon called.
Arthur brought the boys into a huddle, conscious Gretchen was listening.
“Lara moved when Cody found Mischa,” Jordan said. “That’s how I found her, because she was hidden really well. We have to be still no matter what.”
