Chapter 87: Camping (3)

When Misha finally called back, Everly and Old John were already on their way to Red Oak Camp.

Just like Everly, Old John was also very worried about Misha’s safety. Besides, there was no way he would feel comfortable letting Everly face a killer alone. So after checking the supplies they would need in the shelter, Old John drove his Jeep Wrangler, and the two of them set out overnight toward Red Oak Camp.

Everly picked up the satellite phone.

“Misha, how are things on your side?”

“I already told everyone about the masked killer roaming around. But just like you were worried about, no one believed me. I can’t provide a reliable source for the information, so everyone thinks I’m joking. Dane and Dan also refused to lend me their car, so for now I can’t leave the campsite.”

“Did you ask about Gary’s mother?”

“Yeah. I asked the campsite manager if there was a middle-aged woman living alone nearby. They said there is, but they haven’t really seen her these past couple of days. So Everly, you’re amazing—I think the killer you mentioned probably just killed his mother recently and came out from hiding.”

“I asked the manager to take us to the woman’s house to have a look. If we could find the body, it might raise everyone’s alertness. But he refused. He said the woman had a terrible temper and didn’t welcome anyone near her villa. He didn’t want to get yelled at, and since everyone had been driving all day, no one wanted to go either… so in the end we didn’t go.”

Everly broke out in a cold sweat when she heard this.

“You’d better not go. At this stage, the killer is probably still living in his house. If you happen to break in while he’s there and accidentally anger him, you might not even know how you died.”

“Oh, got it.” Misha responded guiltily, then quickly changed the subject. “Anyway, I remembered what you told me—to call the police and try to summon as much help as possible. So while no one was paying attention, I secretly used the satellite phone to call 911 and said there was a serial killer here and that a lot of people had already been murdered. But I didn’t expect someone at the Viska police station to know the campsite manager. When they heard about the murders, they immediately called the campsite’s landline to verify it with him. So my false report was exposed.”

“….”

Just when it rains, it pours!

“Then try pretending you’re sick and call your insurance company for emergency rescue.”

The United States had a very well-developed air medical rescue system. Many insurance companies offered plans that included air ambulance services. Both Everly and Misha had purchased this kind of insurance. So if Misha pretended to be a critically ill patient and asked the insurance company for help, they would contact a specialized rescue service and send a helicopter equipped with medical equipment to pick her up.

Although doing this was a bit unethical—and might bring legal or credit consequences afterward—when your life was about to be at risk, who cared about that?

Misha sighed. “I tried that too. But unfortunately, both helicopters from the rescue company are currently out on missions. The insurance company asked if I could hold on—they could arrange an ambulance instead… but ambulances are too expensive. Night service costs even more. Everly, I don’t dare call one, waaah!”

“….”

Too realistic. Ambulances in the U.S. were really, really expensive. A single trip could easily cost several thousand—or even tens of thousands—of dollars.

Everly quickly tried to comfort her. “It’s okay. Viska City is very far from your campsite. Even if you called an ambulance, it probably wouldn’t arrive until the middle of the night. You might as well stay at the camp and wait for me. My grandfather and I are already on the way—we’ll arrive early tomorrow morning. Before that, remember everything I told you and make sure you stay safe.”

“Mm, thank you, Everly…”

The two of them continued discussing their night-time defense plans for a while longer. It wasn’t until someone at the campsite came looking for Misha to leave that Everly finally hung up the satellite phone.

After that began the long, monotonous night drive.

Fortunately, Everly had already turned eighteen and obtained her driver’s license, meaning she was legally allowed to drive according to Dwight State law. So she and Old John took turns behind the wheel, allowing the other to rest a bit. Driving through the night, it wasn’t especially tiring.

Night driving was always a bit slower than daytime driving. By 7:30 in the morning, a road sign finally appeared ahead, pointing toward the Red Oak Forest.

It was now Old John’s turn to drive. He steered the Jeep onto the small road leading to the campsite. Not long after, a massive red oak tree had fallen across the road.

The trunk was nearly a meter in diameter, the canopy wide and lush. The tree lay like a giant, open umbrella, blocking their path.

Old John slammed on the brakes and woke Everly. Each grabbed their weapons and stepped out of the car. Everly stood by the side of the vehicle, keeping watch, while Old John approached the base of the giant tree to examine the broken stump.

“It was deliberately sawed through. The cuts are fresh—probably done last night.”

“Likely the work of that killer.”

In slasher films, there’s often a scene like this: one of the protagonists abandons the group and tries to escape alone by car, only to run into some obstacle halfway—an animal, a slippery road, or debris blocking the middle of the road. Forced to abandon the vehicle, they flee on foot, only to be caught by the killer and cut in half… Yeah, this tree lying across the road probably served a similar purpose.

Fortunately, Everly and Old John were well-prepared.

They exchanged a glance, switched roles: Old John took up the handgun to watch their surroundings, while Everly went to the rear of the Jeep and pulled out a bright red chainsaw from the trunk.

The Prand 4-stroke gasoline chainsaw—high-powered, fuel-efficient, with a high-hardness steel chain—makes felling trees as easy as eating and sleeping!

Everly pulled the helmet, gloves, and protective suit from the Jeep, quickly put them on, and then, single-handedly carrying the chainsaw, approached the massive tree blocking the road.

Chainsaws are a staple in American slasher films, second only to guns in the number of heads they’ve “taken,” so Everly, of course, knew how to operate one. She skillfully opened the choke, pressed her foot on the handguard, gripped the front handle with her left hand, and yanked the starter cord with her right—once, twice, three times. When the engine roared to life with a “VROOOOM,” she pressed the throttle, planted her legs shoulder-width apart with knees slightly bent, and pressed the spinning chain against the obstructing branches.

“SSSSHHHH… SSSSHHHH…”

A screeching friction filled the air as sawdust and wood chips sprayed everywhere. The thick oak trunk, along with the obstructing branches around it, was cleanly cut in half by Everly.

Repeating the process for twenty minutes, the massive fallen tree was reduced to more than ten manageable logs. With a little effort, Everly and Old John moved the logs to the sides of the road, quickly clearing the path and restoring traffic.

“We’re almost there. Grandpa, you rest—I’ll drive the rest of the way.”

After clearing the road, the pair got back into the Jeep. Everly climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

They drove a short distance when Everly’s satellite phone suddenly rang. Old John opened his eyes and answered it for her, hearing Misha calling for help.

“What do I do, Everly? I was just too tired last night and couldn’t help closing my eyes for a bit… When I woke up, Paula and Malin were gone! I asked everyone, and no one had seen them…”

“Don’t panic. Tell me exactly what’s happening, slowly, I’ll be there very soon.”

“Okay… it’s like this…”

Last night, Misha had carefully followed Everly’s advice: don’t get separated. Using the pretext of playing games, she gathered all nine of her companions into the same cabin. While no one was paying attention, she found a chance to jam the door lock, making sure the door was completely shut.

The cabin was originally built as a guest dormitory, fully equipped with a bathroom, shower, and bunk beds. After finishing their games, because the door couldn’t be opened and it was already very late, everyone just made do with sleeping on the floor inside the cabin.

Misha’s plan was solid. Everyone was together, no one was alone, and the killer, not wanting to reveal himself, wouldn’t strike at anyone inside at night.

So she let her guard down a little and accidentally dozed off. When she woke up in the morning and counted the people in the cabin, she was shocked to find Paula and Malin were missing.

“Is the door still locked?” Everly asked while driving, checking with Misha.

“Yes. I used the method you taught me to jam the lock. No one can open it unless I do it myself.”

“What about the windows?”

“I checked before falling asleep. All the windows in the cabin were locked from the inside. No one from outside could—”

“No, no, not from outside. Check inside the cabin again and see if any windows were opened.”

“What do you mean?”

“You mentioned before that the atmosphere between Paula and Malin was a bit… flirty. I think they might be dating. And when people are in that mood, well… let’s just say, things can happen. You know what I mean.”

Horror Movie Survival Rule #24: Don’t fall in love—or get romantic—in a dangerous environment.

American slasher film directors seem to have a particular fondness for sending a young, lovey-dovey couple away from the group and the campfire, deep into pitch-black woods where they can’t even see their own hands, lying under the open sky for a little “life harmony,” only to be promptly killed together by the masked killer.

Everly couldn’t be certain if the Blood Camp prequel included a scene like that, but since a boy and a girl in a flirtatious relationship had quietly left the cabin with its doors and windows locked, the odds were overwhelmingly high that they had triggered this very rule.

Sure enough, after a brief silence on the other end of the line, Misha’s voice came back:

“The bathroom window is open! There are footprints on the sill leading outward… Everly, you were right—they left the cabin on their own!”

“Mm. In that case, you need to be prepared—they’ve likely already encountered something bad.”

Through the phone, Everly’s voice sounded calm, almost cold. There was no time to feel sad. Misha bit her lip and carefully memorized the rest of her friend’s instructions.

Everly said, “And Misha, what you need to do now is gather everyone together and tell them the bad news… Of course, your friends probably won’t believe you, but my grandfather and I will be at the campsite very soon. When we arrive, you must convince everyone to leave with us to search for Paula and Malin. Once they see the bodies, your friends will finally realize the danger here and will leave with us.”

“This is important. Only you can make it happen.”