Chapter 96: Camping Trip

The coroner and Robert carried back the victim to the former’s car and went back to town to properly process it. Rick stayed behind to study the new BOW a bit better. It was obvious that the T-Virus had enhanced the animal physically to absurd proportions. It wasn’t something new. Spiders, sharks and snakes of gigantic size was something he encountered plenty of times in Spencer Manor.

Something didn’t fit and he quickly found out what by looking at what was left of the head of the beast. It was too big, way too big, to have left the marks on Collins and Gallagher. One bite could take the whole head of a grown man easily, yet those two, despite the poor state they were found in, were relatively intact in comparison.

‘There might be a smaller BOW out there. This one may be responsible for the victims; only limbs were found but Collins and Gallagher were done by something else. Which shouldn’t be possible if it has territorial instincts.’

Rick’s thought led to two possibilities. The first one being the two BOW were working together. Not like accomplices but as a pack, something that hunters and cerberus had proven to be true. It also meant that there might be one or more BOW out there, one smaller for sure and maybe some bigger.

‘Unlikely or we’d have more victims.’

The second possibility was that the snow leopard came first then something else came after it and invaded its territory. It didn’t make sense however. No animals would challenge a bigger predator in its own home. Then again who knows what the scientist had created? A bigger size didn’t mean it was more deadly or dangerous. A pack of hunters and a licker was more dangerous than the giant spiders or snakes.

‘It would also explain why the leopard was there observing them then attacking.It may have thought they were encroaching into its territory instead of being simple prey.’

Rick grabbed the corpse and raised it above its head with both arms. The sight was a bit surreal and comical. It was like a human carrying a horse. It shouldn’t be possible, not when a horse weighed half a tone on average. To Rick, however, it wasn't much of an effort.

After bringing the BOW back to his rented SUV, he opened the trunk and pulled out the safety blanket to cover it. The leopard obviously didn’t fit inside the car so Rick had no choice but to put it on the roof and it wouldn’t have gone well if the whole town had seen it. To tie it up there, he used his knife to cut the seat belts to use as ropes. There was no way he was getting back its deposit for the car but that’s something the BSAA would cover so it didn’t matter much.

Getting behind the wheel, he sent the pictures he had taken of his phone to O’Brian and waited for the man to call. He didn’t have to wait long, within a minute the phone number of BSAA ’s director flashed on his screen.

“Keep it preserved.” was the first thing Clive said.

Inwardly, Rick chuckled. The leopard was a new type of BOW and they needed to study it from every angle. “I’ll tell the coroner, sir. It’s not the end of the investigation however. We have another BOW on the loose at the very least. The possibility that there is a breach in the lab and that more could escape is not low. We can’t wait for help anymore.”

O’Brian stayed silent for a moment, trying to find a solution to the matter at hand. Rick and Angela needed support on this. Raiding a lab as a pair was one thing but with a whole town near it made things far more difficult. If more BOW had escaped they might not have been able to deal with them all before townspeople were infected and an outbreak started.

Rick continued. “We got access to Collins’ files. Nothing incriminating but it’s enough for us to know where to look and what we can expect. We are moving tomorrow to the cabin.”

“Be careful.”

The call ended with that and Rick turned the engine on. The drive was uneventful but he did get the attention of a few curious pedestrians on his way back to the police station. The police officers there were the same. At the coroner’s suggestion, Rick dragged, with the help of a few agents, the leopard to a nearby restaurant which had a freezing room.

“I can’t believe something that big was hunting people.” Nicole spoke with a mix of fear and amazement in her voice.

Rick corrected her assumption on the spot. “Not just it. There is at least another.” Fear took over amazement in the policewoman. “Does the police have any camping gear for winter?”

Nicole blinked in confusion at the sudden change of topic. “No, at least not that I know of but I don’t think we do. Why?”

He didn’t answer her and instead asked where he could buy some. Not offended by it, Nicole gave him the direction of the mall. Conveniently, it was on the main street of the town, ten minutes away from the precinct on foot.

Everything he would need to spend his night in the wild was bought. It wasn’t much in truth, a single tent and a sleeping bag fitting the harsh cold of those parts of the world. Rick did have a look for everything else: small knives, lighters, fuel, pots. The latter was added to the bill.

After loading all of it into his truck he went back to the police station. The chief and Angela had just come back from warning the Gallagher family of their son’s passing and Robert was filling them in on the leopard attack.

“Learned anything new?” Rick asked his partner, wanting to know more about the possible time of the murder.

Angela didn’t seem happy about the answers she had gleaned. “The victim left three days ago and was supposed to come back this evening. From what his parents said, the first two days were supposed to be spent reaching the top of the mountain, the third getting down, and the fourth getting home. What about that leopard? Officer Thompson said it was as big as a horse?”

“It was. Very fast and agile despite its size.”

His thoughts were focused on the map pinned on the wall. Taking a marker, he added on it the location of Timothy Gallagher. It was separated, much live David Collins, from the other victims. While the whole picture presented a small area of actions, that little fact determined where the leopard’s territory was overall and where the other OBW started.

Rick was sure there were more missing people out there. The time between Collins’ death in December and Gallagher, the previous night, was too long for the second beast to not have fed. However it was on the principle they needed to feed. Zombies didn’t need food, they ate because it was a basic instinct. It was the same for the lickers and other BOW. To no more they would need to conduct an autopsy of the leopard for a start and another bunch of tests.

‘That means contacting the boss to have either Annette or Becca come here.’

That didn’t sit well with him. He would have to wait days for one of them to deal with their current work and it was too important. With all agents away investigating and sending back samples, they couldn’t put it to the side for his investigation.

After sighing, Rick shared what he had decided with Angela. With one finger, he pointed at the map. “I’ll be taking the car and will camp in this area tonight.”

Her reply was delayed because of how absurd what he had just said was. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I will set camp—”

“I heard you the first time.” Her voice was of an even level but her tone and the frown of her face were clear evidence that she didn’t like the idea at all. Angela remained polite with her manner of speech however. “It’s not wise. You’ve been awake ever since we landed and you’re going to spend the night camping?”

Rick’s eyes bored into hers. “Pretty much.”

“Why?”

“To potentially deal with the other BOW.”

He would never say it aloud but Angela’s confused expression was cute. Quickly dismissing the thought, he explained to her what drove him to the conclusion of more bio-organic weapons roaming freely up north. Pointing at the different state of the victims and the size of the leopard.

Her expression didn’t relax at all. “So… What? You’re going to play bait?”

“Yes.”

“Between the cold, the stress, the sleep deprivation and the inaction, you’re going to fall asleep and get yourself killed.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time I—”

Angela cut him off on the spot. “No. I’m coming with you and we’re taking shifts.” When Rick gave her an unimpressed gaze she doubled down. “It’s that or we’re going tomorrow once you’re rested. You will not go alone.”

Her stance was not only firm but final on this. It was something he respected. Proof, in his opinion, that Angela was not quite a rookie anymore. So far, for the past month, she had listened attentively to everything he said and learned as much as she could but there always was some sort of subservience and deference to him. For good reason. Rick was her mentor and the expert, she wasn’t. Yet while she never voiced any complaints about the tasks he had given her, she wasn’t a wallflower. He was being an idiot and she pointed it out without second thoughts.

That told him she was ready to ‘graduate’ from him and be partnered with whoever O’Brian assigned her with, for missions.

“Then you better buy some camping gear. We’re leaving in one hour.”

With nothing else to say, they exited the interrogation room. Angela left the precinct while Rick warned Chief Campbell of his intentions. The veteran looked at him as if he was a loony but could hardly protest or stop him.

Once done, Rick went back to the evidence room to pick up a few of Collins firearms. Technically the man had committed no crime so they shouldn’t be considered as evidence by the police for his murder, however, they were part of Rick’s investigation and he could deal with them as he saw fit. Usually he sent them back to the Headquarters in DC and they ended up in the armory.

For now, they’d be useful to fight. The leopard had taken quite a lot of bullets from his .45 before it was put down and even then, Rick had to make sure it was really dead with his axe. Once again he was confronted with the need to have a bigger caliber on himself.

He chose the action lever Winchester, an old but reliable model of a .357 caliber, then went with a simple Colt Python for a gun. If with that he couldn’t deal with whatever was out there or inside the lab then he’ll have to improvise.

‘Hopefully there won’t be a Tyrant.’

Packing everything up, boxes of ammo included, he loaded the trunk of the SUV. When he saw Angela walking on the side on the road he picked her up and drove her the hundred yards left to the mall. Not only did she come back with a sleeping bag but also food, something Rick had forgotten.

“I borrowed more firepower from Collins, not like he needs it anymore.” He told her when she asked about the weapons in the trunk when she put her purchase bag in there.

“Oh? What kind?”

“A .44 Python and a .357 Winchester. You can pick whichever.”

“Hmm. I think I’ll take the Python. The Winchester and the P90 together will be a bit complicated to carry for me.”

The rest of the way was done in silence, not even the radio being turned on. Angela was looking at a map of the area to determine where the best location would be to pitch their tent and make camp. All based from the memory of the discovery of the victims.

When the road stopped and the trek began, the first thing they did was to gear up. Tactical vest on, full of ammo and weapons holstered where they should be. In the case of Rick’s rifle, it was Angela who carried it under her arm, Rick carrying all the equipment they had come with. One thing surprised him however.

“You didn’t take a tent?”

“Why would I have? Two tents would have made it difficult to warn and wake the other of an attack.”

Rick gave her a lost look. “Fair enough. We’d be cramped though.”

“Then we’ll be cramped.” Angela shrugged her shoulders, not particularly caring about it. “Is that a problem?”

A shake of his head was all he gave her. “No, not at all. I’m just not used to sharing space like this.”

That little piece of information startled her. “Really? I would have thought you would.”

“I rarely get to partner up with anyone and when I do we usually have enough room for personal space.” He loaded the whole bag with the camping gear inside of it onto his back as if it weighed nothing.

“Oh, I was talking about you and Rachel. From what I understood from her stories, you were attached at the hip.”

“Yeah, but I was sleeping with her. Big difference.”

Angela walked by his side, chuckling. There wouldn’t be any sleeping tonight, not that kind at least, although she wouldn’t mind. She vividly remembered Rick's naked form from the WilPharma outbreak. It would be lying to say she had never imagined herself rolling in the sheet with him, especially with how graphic Rachel could be when she had a few drinks in her system.

“Why the past tense? Don’t you still do?”

Rick let out a long sigh. “I’m amazed that she can keep state secrets while utterly drunk yet can’t shut her mouth about us. Yes,” he confessed. “We get it on from time to time.”

“I’ll never understand why you two don’t simply date.”

It took a moment for him to formulate a proper answer. Everyone who had seen Rachel and him interact had the same question in mind. The usual answer was that they didn’t see each other that way, which was true but also very vague.

“I think… Rachel wants to keep having fun as long as she can. Beyond her commitment issues I mean. If we start dating, I wouldn’t tolerate it. I’d insist on exclusivity. Besides, we don’t want the same thing in a relationship and that’s considering, hypothetically, that we see each other in a romantic manner, which we don’t.”

“And you? You gave me Rachel’s reasons but not yours.”

“Because of my unhealthy fixation on Claire.”

His nonchalance when he said that sounded like it was no big deal but from the gossip she heard at the bar between Rachel and Jill, it was anything but. Angela had learned about the torrid night Rick and Claire had right after Downing’s arrest and the latter ghosting the former leaving only a heartfelt note behind. Her opinion of how wrong that was to her aside, she couldn’t understand the gesture. Not after witnessing first hand the chemistry between the two of them. They had acted like an old married couple.

“I suppose it’s as good a reason as… No, it's a terrible reason.”

Rick gave her a meaningful side glance. His mouth didn’t move and no sound came out of it. His facial expression revealed nothing of what he was feeling but his eyes did. Angela couldn’t tell, however, if the tiredness in them was because of the ordeal with Claire or his lack of sleep.

After an hour of trekking they stopped at a small clearing in the woods. The gear bag was put down and Rick immediately worked on putting up the tent. In the meantime Angela started with making a campfire by gathering dry wood. Not a very difficult thing to do in a forest in the middle of winter. With the fire going, Rick changed places with her to cook. She knew how to make a fire but making the system to have the pot hanging over it was beyond her knowledge, pitching a tent however was not.

It was a simple affair for Rick. First he made two tripods on either side of the fire, then with a branch put horizontally and resting on them, he made it go through the handle of the pot.

“This… is really small.” Angela commented just as she hit the head of a stake.

It indeed was. Big enough for one person only and of average height. Rick was way too tall to sleep laying straight without having his legs outside the tent. The reason for that was because it was the cheapest on display and he hadn’t intended to sleep the night.

“Having regrets?” He was opening the two steaks she had bought to cut them into pieces that he tossed into the pot into which he had put snow to melt.

“None. It will just be… awkward.”

Rick snorted. “More awkward than hanging around with me butt naked?”

Angela opened her mouth to say something but closed it. Her face reddened a bit remembering that particular event. His words didn’t leave her speechless for long however and her recovery was quick. “Not even close.”

“Then you’ll be good.”

A small laugh escaped her at the absurdity of the conversation. “I guess.” Taking a few steps to look at what he was doing she asked him a question. “Will you teach me?”

“How to cook?” Rick gave her a skeptical look, he was well aware that Angela while not a chef could cook for herself. She wasn’t the stereotypical tough woman who couldn’t make a meal for herself and bought takeouts all the time. Unlike Jill.

“No, how to…” She waved at the tripods. “Be able to cook?”

“It’s not part of your training, if that’s what you’re asking. We rarely camp in the wild in an investigation, if ever. That’s the first time for me actually.” He shrugged. “I’ll teach you if you want but it would be outside office hours.”

A pleased smile graced her face, making her full lips stand out even more. “There is no time like the present.”

Rick gave her a blank look and considered it for a moment. Exhaling through his mouth, he nodded his agreement. “I suppose.”

He finished making their dinner while Angela put up their sleeping bags inside the tent. Afterwards, she added their weapons. There was quite a bit for them to do to be prepared for a possible attack during the night and the lesson could wait.

Once everything was in place and dinner was over, Rick retreated first inside the tent. The zipper of his sleeping bag was pulled down so it could be used as a blanket. An obvious idea since he would just have to remove it from himself to be ready to act while keeping it close was simply a dumb way to die.

Making sure, he had his axe and shotgun near his hands and his shotgun at the ready he laid down. To give Angela some space, he raised his knees to be in the fetal position and went out like a light on the spot. With her P90 in hand, Angela sat on her ass, looking at the entrance of the tent despite being zipped up to let the warmth stay inside. The sun may have set not long ago but the wait was only beginning.