Chapter 10: Checkpoint at Rock Shack

Several crows flew away from the arms of the crooked cross totem as we stepped up to it. New Canaanites did not mark our territories in such a fashion and tribal totems took on all manners of shapes and appearances, but the cross was certainly made for us. The cross in the wilderness was not something tribals, even tribals we allied with and baptized would use to mark their lands. Perhaps it was because of knowing what the symbol means, and how it shouldn't be used to anoint things as trivial as territorial bounds, or perhaps it was because they did not want to be mistaken for the only other group that uses our symbol. It has been long known how that nation of murderers and slavers distorted the cross from its meaning as a symbol of hope and resurrection to the fate of those who defy "Edward Sallow" or the man who calls himself "Caesar." All tribes of the Utah wilderness knew that the crosses seen in the far south or the far east marking the fringes of Arizona and Colorado were decorated in the bodies of those opposed to Caesar's Legion, but out here? Out here the cross still had its true meaning, and why this was made, or what they intended it to communicate was unknown in all ways other than who it was intended for.

The totem was not cobbled from an old telephone pole or fixed with the body of a disobedient victim of the Legion. Even though the fear remained that this totem might be an omen or perhaps even a new tribe allied with the Legion, a closer look at the cross made of a tall tree trunk and two long black branches protruding from the sides left us all wondering. The whole thing was burnt, as evidenced by the blackened state of the wood and windswept ash scattered about the pile of rocks keeping it in place. We all stepped a bit closer, wondering what this could mean, still knowing this totem was intended to be discovered by New Canaanites, yet wondering how we knew that despite the shape of the thing. Maneuvering around it, I remained uncertain what to make of the object until I stood in front of the thing and saw what was fastened to the center.

Fastened by two small chains to the center of the cross totem was the blackened and charred head of a Brahmin bull, horns and all.

"What's up there?" asked Mr. Lockwood as Ramos, Hudson, and Doyle looked at me from several steps away.

Looking back down, I knew internally what this meant even though I couldn't say it or adequately consider the concept I had floating in the back of my mind. Looking back down from the charred skull and burnt cross, all I could do is affirm what Mr. Lockwood had originally said on the hike here and replied back;

"It's definitely intended for us."

My men and the scouts did good in their approach, keeping off the sand and ashy patch around the totem so as to not disturb the grounds. With my statement, neither me, nor Doyle had to give the order for the work to begin. Mr. Lockwood and Hudson stepped forward towards the totem, studying the ground around it, and Mr. Schmitt walked towards the small path to the totem. My men spread out around the immediate area, looking off at the distant cliffs with weapons all set in comfortable and ready positions while Doyle switched his eyes from his men to the grounds around the totem.

A couple minutes passed and all stayed quiet. I looked off to the northwest briefly to see the town of New Canaan sitting over a dozen miles and just above the lowest bushy ridge leading down to the ancient path. After another moment, I turned back to the men and saw Hudson pour a fist full of ash through his fingers as he muttered;

"Waited too long, wind swept all the footprints round here…"

Mr. Lockwood nodded towards Hudson and was about to call to Doyle when the voice of Mr. Schmitt called from somewhere along the trail leading to the ancient path;

"Think I found some prints!"

The whole group proceeded towards the young man who stood in place waiting for us. The scouts approached cautiously to see if they could find any more, but then we stepped up to the young man who pointed out the faintest outline of a boot or shoe mostly obscured by the beginning of the scattered river rocks that marked the edge of the ancient path. Something that would have gone completely unnoticed by anyone other than scouts like Doyle's was found by the young Mr. Schmitt. Having been the first to discover something of the kind, Doyle said to the young man;

"Good work Mr. Schmitt. You take the lead. Lockwood, Hudson, you two follow 10 paces in case he misses something. Paul, we'll keep a lookout with your boys."

I nodded and motioned for Nathan and Ramos to take spots a few paces behind Hudson and Lockwood before Duncan began to take the lead.

We moved slowly at first, following the young man further into the mountains of the southeast. It was slow work as Duncan studied for the footsteps or what remained of them in the small spaces between the stones of the trail. Passing over the spots he studied, I couldn't make anything out but still he led us onward, eventually taking us into a jog as I guess it became evident that the footprints were following the trail. We remained quiet the whole time, not sure what to expect, if anything, and keeping eyes open on the rocky ridges and overgrown bushes whenever Duncan needed to stop and examine the path forward. Around one hour passed and we were deep in the mountains, surrounded by rocks and dense shrubbery when Duncan stopped again. Except he didn't have to study this one for long because we saw where we were going just as we resumed our watch over the surroundings.

Up ahead in the distance, even further up the trail was a nearly identical totem looking over us from the distance and after a short break, we marched quietly towards it. Even upon closer inspection, the thing was identical to the first one. Same charred cross formation made of a tall stump and branches, and another brahmin skull. Nathan and Hudson speculated that it might be a new tribal border totem and asked which tribes might have claimed this area. The rest of us remained quiet as we all surveyed the site or kept watch over the perimeter. I was somewhat inclined to believe Nathan and Hudson but had no idea which of our tribal allies would have made these. The only ones I could have thought were the Tar Walkers, but they were said to be roving southbound last time I checked in on Duncan. Perhaps these totems were from a recent arrival to the area?

Then I felt this second totem and that opinion changed. The thing was still warm, although it could have been due to the sun that was now high above, I stared into the base of the ash and rocks beneath the totem, kicked some rocks aside with my foot and saw the faintest glow of burning embers around the edge of the black stump. This was recent, and upon discovering the embers, I called to Mr. Lockwood;

"You see this one on the way back?"

He shouted back in a hushed but audible tone, "No sir, just the first one."

I took this in, thinking for a moment before asking, "Any chance you just missed it?"

"No sir. I keep my eyes wide open, especially in this valley," said the man immediately, gesturing up to the rocky ridges all around us, perhaps indicating experience with ambushes in this area.

I believed him instantly, and there I confirmed the recent construction and burning of this totem, just to settle the point to myself what the glow of the embers themselves couldn't. I was about to reveal my discovery and ask for Duncan or Mr. Lockwood to begin searching for more tracks when Doyle said for me and Mr. Lockwood to come over.

A short distance from the totem and jutting up from the bushes around it was a rock that Doyle was inspecting. Doyle was looking at the half-hidden side of the rock as me and Preston Lockwood stepped up. The officer was still reaching for something when Lockwood asked what the issue was and when Doyle removed his hand, he did so with a fairly large and folded piece of paper showing a large hole in the center. The others remained distant, keeping an eye on us and the surroundings while Doyle read the paper to himself, explaining the hole in the paper with the idle words;

"Guys must have pinned it to a bush before the winds sent it behind that rock…"

Lockwood and I quietly took this in, watching Doyle's eyes continue following the print. After another short moment, Doyle turned the paper to us and spoke its message aloud;

"New Canaanites, meet at 'Rock Shack' near Deer Creek Reservoir. Follow Indian path to next sign post."

Written with a hasty hand, I took the message from Doyle who was already on top of it, unclipping the long-range radio from the strap on his bag and extending the antenna while Lockwood and I looked to each other.

Doyle was already speaking into the receiver and stepping towards the rocky overlook with the words, "NC Cross Comm X99, this is DM077…" The voice on the other end replied through light static, "This is Cross Comm X99, go ahead DM077." Doyle maneuvered closer to the ledge, stepping up on a rock for more signal through the mountains before saying, "We're following a lead, checking up on a new site. Mark us last location Deer Creek, Rock Shack. Pass message to LT Herbein, may need assistance. Standby for update EST1…"

My men and Doyle's other scouts stood by wondering what Doyle was speaking into the radio before I caught their attention with a gesture to resume their duty. Doyle continued on the radio and then I looked to Lockwood who was still looking at the note. I asked him;

"You familiar with this 'Rock Shack' place?"

Lockwood shook his head, then answered coolly, "Heard of it. Never been…" he saw I wanted more and went on, "... Me and some of the others head up this way frequently, mostly stopping at Wallsburg the resort town before heading further south or east. I might've heard some of the locals say it's a smuggler's rendezvous or outlaw hideaway…"

"You thinking outlaws set this up?" I asked seriously.

Lockwood shrugged his shoulders wishing he could say for sure, "Seems likely…" Glancing back down at the note, he added, "Given the note, whoever set these up could just be trying to lure some of our scouts into an ambush there. Perhaps capture a few for ransom? Wouldn't be the first time a thing like that has happened… Still, I doubt they'd try anything like that given our number…"

I nodded, remembering the occasional incident over the years where scouts were lured into a trap just because the outlaws knew that New Canaan would pay it. Something like that was part of the reason me and my guys were here. Outlaws abducting a pair of scouts in the wilderness was one thing, abducting seven fully armed New Canaanite Enforcers was a bloodbath waiting to happen if that was the true intent of whoever made these totems. Just then I heard Doyle push the antenna back into the radio from behind me and mentally agreed with Lockwood's assessment. Then something clicked and I said to Lockwood, "If their intentions are hostile, even to a group our size, it seems like they could've overtaken us at any point along the trail…" The two of us looked around the valley and tall mountains towards the innumerable places outlaws could have ambushed us from since we started up the ancient trail. "Something else maybe?"

Lockwood looked to Doyle approaching us and said, "Either way…" Then Doyle breezed past us saying what Lockwood was about to say, "Weapons loaded, boys. Never been to Rock Shack, but it's best to stay ready so keep an eye out."

Without another word, I unslung the Thompson from my shoulder, ensured there was a bullet in the chamber, and the rest of the men did likewise as Doyle took the lead. No need for a tracker, all of us set off further up the trail, eyes open for another totem or outlaws that might want to get the jump on several New Canaanites walking deliberately into their possible trap.

We walked along, eyes up and searching every ridgeline or dense clump of brush, and conversation was kept minimal while we went further into the mountains. Along the way, Doyle announced in a hushed tone for everyone that he asked New Canaan for backup and said that Lt Herbein's scouts were on standby and ready to head our way if needed. All we were going to do now was follow this trail, investigate any other totems set up out here, and try to observe this "Rock Shack" place the note mentioned from afar. An hour and a half later, the group of us had reached another totem just like the other ones we passed on the way up the ancient trail into the mountains except for one detail. This one was still smoking.

Just off the lefthand side of the trail that Lockwood said was the point before the descent to Wallsburg was the smoking totem, this time with something else beside it. Painted on a board right in front of the totem and spared from the recent flames read the words, "This way to Rock Shack." We stopped again for another breather and to assess the surroundings and I wasn't the only one studying the arrow on the sign pointing to a barely visible path through the surrounding brush. Doyle stepped away to give his update over the radio and the silence was broken when Ramos resumed a conversation that ended at some point along the trail;

"So, we're going to wait on backup from Herbein's scouts?"

I shook my head, recalling what Doyle eventually said to me along the hike, "We're going to check the situation before they get here. They'll lend a hand if we're caught in an emergency or if we need to use force-"

"You mean they'll be here to bury us afterward?" asked the young Duncan. Everyone glared at him for that, myself included as I answered him;

"I hope it doesn't come to that, but so long as we stay cautious, we won't get caught up in anything we can't handle."

A momentary silence ensued before Hudson said, "They probably would have taken some shots at us by now if they meant to do that. Clearly, they've been watching us the whole time, as evidenced by this one here."

Hudson gestured to the still smoking totem nearby and Lockwood said, "If it were just one of us scouting, they could've killed us… Not many outlaws are dumb enough to try and take a party like ours unless they Knew they could take us from some of them ridges we passed. Either way, thank you Paul and company for joining us out here."

Nathan acknowledged the thanks with a "your welcome" and me and Ramos nodded same, despite the hint of sarcasm in Lockwood's tone. Lockwood was right. A small show of force was the primary reason me and my men were here on this scout. The seven of us fully armed and ready were enough to dissuade any small raiding party tribal or otherwise from attacking something like a lone New Canaanite scout team. The truth still remained that if their intentions were truly hostile, a skilled enough group could have taken us out along the way. So, as long as we weren't walking into an entire war band, we were going to most likely be alright if we proceeded onward towards the makers of these totems.

Agreement was met amidst the group, although Duncan still wasn't as optimistic as me or his comrades in Doyle's scouts and asked nobody in particular after a moment;

"So, we walk into the den of whoever made these messages for us and ask them why they wanted to speak with us in such a remote location? And after communicating their invitation through burning crosses decorated with crucified brahmin heads?"

The young man was rather annoyed and perhaps even shocked when Lockwood and I said, "Yep."

"Or observe them from afar till backup gets here," said Hudson.

Ramos nodded silently, still more focused on keeping himself collected since this was his first scout. Then Nathan said to me, "Don't forget to ask them to change their totem designs, LT. I find a cross displayed in such a fashion rather offensive."

Some of the others chuckled and Duncan was still noticeably frustrated, leading Hudson to say, "You seem worried, Duncan? Where's all that bravado I've seen of you on other scouts?"

Duncan only said, "I'm not worried, I just don't feel like walking straight into a trap today."

Ramos, having collected his own worry to the point of speaking managed to ask, "Why not?"

We all knew where Ramos was going with this and knew to play into it wholly when Duncan said the obvious answer to such a question, "Because we could die?"

"And what's so bad about dying?" I asked, almost unable to completely hide my smirk.

Duncan looked to all of the faces around him for answers that wouldn't reveal themselves. Then Nathan said with a loud breath, "Oh! I get it, Duncan's only worried because he isn't baptized yet."

Everyone else let out loud breaths of realization as well and Hudson said, "So that's why he's scared of walking into a trap..." Then pointed to a clear little puddle off the trail, "... Well hey, we can baptize you in that puddle there as soon as Doyle's done on the radio if you want, Duncan?"

Duncan again looked at all the faces around him, not sure if we were joking or not about our casual attitudes towards the prospect of dying in an ambush. Hudson lamented "Poor Duncan, his baptism was supposed to happen this Sunday, but he didn't make it after following his friends into that trap near Rock Shack."

Nathan said, "I'm looking forward to getting killed in the ambush. I'll take Heaven over this wasteland any day."

The others chuckled at the casual statements about the ultimate reward after terrible deaths and each was said in such a way that kept the look of frustration firmly on the young scout's face.

Even my boy William Ramos joined in by saying how he was looking forward to meeting Jesus so soon.

"We set out for Rock Shack and ended up in Heaven, not a bad ending to the story of us-" said Hudson, only to be interrupted by Lockwood;

"- well… Except Duncan here."

Duncan's face remained the one of someone left out of a joke, but just then, all our snickering ended when Doyle stepped up to us and said to me but loud enough for all to hear, "Herbein's on his way, he and his boys will be here in a few hours, but we're still going to check it out, so gear up."

I nodded, and the rest of us nodded too, save for Duncan who was still unsure if we were truly joking about everything we were saying. He found out our dismissiveness towards death wasn't Really a joke when I overheard Hudson lean over to him and say as we were gearing up, "For real though, we can do that for you before we go further." Referring to the offered baptism. I didn't hear what Duncan said exactly, but the answer was a somewhat hesitant no, and that small puddle remained undisturbed as our group began slowly north off the ancient trail and into the brush surrounding the trail to Rock Shack.