CH 118

Early the next morning, Sam was up just on day break. She went to relieve herself and wash her face in the cold water then she returned back to her tent and she packed all her things up. She just finishing putting her tent away when she saw the colonel getting up

"You're up early"

"I'm use to being up early"

He smiled at her as he put his boots on then he stood up and stretched before walking over to where the trees were so he could relieve himself then walk down to the water edge so he could wash his hands. When he return he woke everyone else up

"Come on you sleeping beauties, rise and shine" Sam and the colonel heard them groan and smile

"Come on you got five minutes to get up and put your sleeping bags away, so get to it" they all got up and put their sleeping bags away

"Good now I'm going to put you all in to groups and you are going to work as a team, got it"

"Yes sir" they all said

"Good" he put them all into teams and who the leader was going to be in each of the teams.

"Now you all can work out who going to do what"

"So go into your own groups" then he walked over to where his trap is while the groups went in different directions.

When he returned with another rabbit the teams were going different directions. He was skinning his rabbit when he saw Sam and two others returning with wood in their arms. They put it down in one spot and he heard

"What now" one asked

"Moved the stoned here till there a hole and put the other stones in a circle, Jim and I well go back for more wood"

"Ok Sam"

Then Sam and Jim went to get some more wood, then others showed up with their wood and wondered how they were going to get their fire started. Half an hour later Sam went looking for the rest of her team when she saw them

"Got anything?"

"Nothing"

"Come back to camp"

"Hey I'm the leader here, and we are going to continue to find some food, you get back to camp"

"Ok" then she turned around and walked back to camp. When she got there

"Where the others?"

"Still looking for food, I'll go and get us some breakfast you guys can start the fire"

"How?" Sam walked over and got a hand full of dry up grass she saw when she was collecting wood and passed it to them.

"Jim use your binoculars and shine on to this dry grass"

"Of course, great idea Sam, thanks" Sam walked over and picked up her stick and went for a walk.

The colonel watches while he is having his breakfast and writing things in his notebook. Ten minutes later Sam returned with six fish in hand. She saw the fire was going

"Hey Sam good work"

"Thanks, do you know what to do with a fish?"

"No"

"Ok, get your pocket knifes out and pick up a finish and follow me"

Sam put the fish down on the ground then she put more wood on the fire then she picked up one fish and so did the others. They walk down to where a rock is and Sam shows them step by step on what to do not knowing some of the others walk over and watch Sam so they would know how.

When they finish they walk back over and they start cooking their breakfast. When they finished their breakfast Sam gave them a tip on cleaning their pot. They just finish cleaning up when the rest of their group showed up

"Hey who caught the fish?" one of them said

"Sam did after she went looking for you guys" the colonel walk over to them

"Where were you guys, you were away for over an hour, since you were getting back here late pack up we moving out in five minutes" then he turn around and walk back over to the groups

"Ok we move out in five minutes"

"What a waist of fish"

Sam got a bag and put the fish in it then put them in her backpack while the other two put the fire out. When it was time, they were moving again. When it was lunchtime the three that missed out on food were hungry by then.

They all had a ration pack for their lunch. By the time they reached their next stop for the night it was the same thing again, Sam went to collect wood while the others went looking for food.

When they returned, they got nothing so they all didn't have any food that night for dinner. That night the colonel made Sam a leader so she got the team to split up straight away and they went and did what Sam wanted them to do first thing in the morning.

The next morning while Sam's group was split up Sam and two others went and got breakfast. Sam shows them how to set a trap, using a bit of the fish and rub it against the stick. Then she got them to do the same not far from the trap, then they went looking for any sort of animals close by for ten minutes.

Then they went to check on the traps to see what animal they have caught rabbits so they took them back to camp. When they saw what Sam caught

"Hey great work"

"Thanks" sam said

Then she shows them how to skin them, everything. Twenty minutes later they were enjoying their breakfast. When they were finished, they cleaned up the best they could then they were all on their way again. One of the guys from Sam's team wasn't happy that Sam was in charge and both Sam and the colonel noticed it that night when Sam swap the group around and he had to get wood again.

They were at the bottom of a waterfall where they were making camp for the night. Sam shows the two on how to set a trap. Once done they went down to the river where they stripped off and walked into the cool water till Sam raises her hand and they stop. She pointed at where a trout is then she threw the stick into the water and got it in the head. When she got it up and show them

"That is how you catch a fish"

Then Sam walks back out of the river and puts the fish over where their clothes are then returns back into the river. When she got to the others they all look and waited then they had a go and manage to catch a fish as well

"Well done, not bad for a first timer"

"Thanks Sam" Twenty minutes later they returned with the trout, which Sam groups all enjoyed.

The next morning, Sam was up early, she walked down to the river to wash her face and hands after she relieved herself. Then she went and packed all her things up before the colonel got up. Sam walk over to the colonel

"Morning Sam"

"Morning colonel"

"Sam what wrong" she step close to him

"We're not alone, I sense it the fist night out, but I thought it was just me"

"Sam" he looked at her with a concern look

"Colonel come here and I'll show you" Sam show him a broken branch

"So it a broken branch it could have been a deer"

"A dear wearing size twelve boot" she point down at the boot and he look down then back up to sam

"That army booted so it could have been one of the cadets?"

"None of them are size twelve and I know you're a thirteen" He looks at Sam then down at the boot again then back to Sam

"Sam keep this quiet from the others, tonight is our last night so let just hope nothing happens between now and when we return back to camp"

"Ok" then they return back to camp and wake the others up.

When all went and did their morning thing before leaving. Sam and the colonel keep an ear and eye out while they walk to the next stop. That night, Sam lay awake in her tent, she had a gut feeling that whoever it was, was following them then she heard voices so she closed her eyes and listened. Then she smiled knowing it was the colonel talking to the other air force officers.

"How did Sam know?"

"She saw your footprint and the broken brash, and she sense that we were followed, I had to pretend that I didn't know it was you guys"

"Ok how is she handling all of this survival trip?"

"She loving it and she knew what to do, she done it when she was younger"

"How is she handling being a leader?"

"Naturally she knew what she was doing with her group, but one of the cadets didn't like taking orders from a female. He didn't like it one bit, the others are willing to lean and Sam willing to show them"

"That good, what about the rest of the teams"

"They all learning and taking turns in collecting wood getting the fire started, hunting"

"So no problems with them then?"

"No"

"Thanks, we will let you get back to them"

"Yes sir" Sam opened her eyes and smiled, then she closed them again and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Early the next morning, Sam got up just before dawn; she got the smelly fish and walk over to where the colonel was meeting one of the men. She turned her touch on and saw the guy's footprint so she followed it till she saw where they were.

When she saw the three men sleeping, she walked in and put the smelly fish into their boots then walked quickly and quietly back to camp with a grin on her face.

After breakfast they all started walking again up a hill. When they reach the top they stop for lunch and a break for half an hour, then they walk down the hill. When they got to the bottom, they stop for a brake

"Colonel how much further?"

"Ten miles"

"Ok" Ten minutes later they were walking again.

When they walked out of the Forest, they were smiling; it was the camp where they stayed the night. When they walk around to the front of the buildings the trucks are waiting for them.

"Welcome back, how was it?"

"It was good sir"

"Did you all lean?"

"Yes sir"

"Good, now in your rooms is your bags you were ask to leave here and the water is hot and you all need a shower by the… smell of you, so go and there going to be a got drink and food waiting for you all"

"Thanks sir" they walk to their room

"Oh it rabbit and fish" he said grinning, he heard them groan.

Sam and the three females were lucky they got the women bathroom to themselves. They all enjoyed their hot showers and got into clean BDU clothing. When they walk out they saw the ones who were waiting for a shower to be free

"You guys can use the women showers if you want to"

"Thanks"

They walk into their bunk room and sort out their things before going into the mess hall for a cup of coffee and a meal of chicken, mash potatoes, butter bean, corn, sweet potatoes and carrots.

They all helped themselves then walked over to a table and they sat down and started eating and talking at the same time. When they guys walk in five at a time, they help themselves to dinner. After every one was full, they were able to relax for an hour till the colonel spoke up

"Ok you all did great over the past five days, now tomorrow you will all relax but we will be staying up here tomorrow night cause the next day you will be going onto individual tasks in navigation. You all will be given a map, a compass and instructions on where to go. You got six days to complete it in. When you reach sustain check points, there will be new institutions on where to go next and bags of food and drinks waiting at each checkpoint. So for now relax and do what were you want to do"

They all talk and mingle for the rest of the night. Sam went to bed an hour later so she could get a good night's sleep.

The next day Sam started writing up her report on what happened with the kidnapping, by the time she was finished it was dinnertime. So she put her report away and went to get some dinner then an early night.