TARYN’S OTHERLAND: Chapter 1

TARYN’S OTHERLAND: Chapter 1


Upon exiting the elevator on the lab level, my first glance down the corridor in front of me made it very clear that something dramatic had changed. I stepped forward with Bo alongside me as was now our routine for these weekend schedules. I saw several new faces for guards and any hesitation might have been an alarm depending on why there was such a new and heightened interest in security.

The area outside the elevator door was only a small room. There was only one door, besides the elevator, and it was directly opposite. In front of the door was a table and a seated military guard. That was normal. What wasn’t normal was the standing military guard with a combat assault rifle held easily across his chest. The distance separating us was only about ten steps, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the soldier who was standing easy, but fully alert while appraising me and Bo.

“Relax, Anderson.” The man behind the desk looked up at me and smiled. “How is Ms. Douglas today?”

“Pretty good, Dave … I mean, Sergeant.” I smiled at him and glanced at the Corporal just behind me. Moods relaxed on the weekends, but it wasn’t quite the weekend, yet.

I dug into the back pocket of my cutoff jeans and handed him my ID tag. We were supposed to have it clipped to us at all times inside the facility but the weekends were generally more relaxed and it was against my nature to take such protocols seriously. Besides, on these weekend schedules I was usually the only one in the lab and I tended to be very casual and relaxed. The guards never seemed to mind, either. Not that I was a purposeful tease but it made the time so much easier when the mood was relaxed, which it was when the lab and military hotshots weren’t around. Today I came dressed in cutoffs, t-shirt, and hiking boots. After putting my ID on the desk, I pulled my backpack off and placed it on the desk, all for careful inspection. He might know me very well after our association over this time, but the rules of access to the lab were very explicit and people took them seriously. As events were turning out, I guess I really couldn’t blame them despite how much I resented how my life had changed.

What really got their attention from the moment I got off the elevator was what else I was carrying over my shoulder: a classic style bow and a quiver of arrows, not to mention the survival knife, all strapped to the outside of the pack. Bo also had a pack strapped to his back and he sat erect as I unstrapped it from him. It was light, but contained some essentials for him when we were on the trail and he was quite accustomed to carrying his own. Oh, yeah, Bo is my dog. He isn’t normally allowed in the facility, but since I am in the lab essentially by myself doing monitoring of equipment and test animals, he is allowed to accompany me.

Dave unzipped the back pack and inspected everything on the desk. He finally looked up at me with a smile. The Corporal, Anderson, was perplexed to say the least.

“You have a trip planned, don’t you? It looks like you are planning on leaving from here at the end of the weekend.”

“Almost from here. I’ll park my jeep at the turn-off about three miles south and pick up a trail of some kind there. I have to get off the facility property, first. I have the rest of the week off. Since I have covered the trail to the north, I am excited to start heading south.”

Anderson still seemed perplexed so the Sergeant explained. “There is a wilderness trail a few miles west of here that runs from nearly the Washington border to nearly the Mexican border. This young woman over time has covered the trail to the north, most of it alone, if I am not mistaken.” He leaned back in his chair holding the broken down bow in his hands and looking at Anderson. “So, a word to the wise … don’t mess with her unless it is official.”

Anderson appraised me, again, from top to bottom. I gave him a sweet smile and turned my attention to Dave. I could see his interest in the piece. I put out my hand and gave him the ‘give it to me’ gesture while pulling a small finger tool on a chain from under my t-shirt. In 45 seconds I had the three pieces unfolded and tightened with the tool. It took me another 90 seconds to pull the wire string from the inside, secure both ends, and apply tension with the same tool. I then held it out to them.

“I never saw anything like that. It’s metal, light, and strong. Where …”

“My father’s own design … well, with the help of a master archer. I don’t even know what the metal is. He knew I wouldn’t stop trekking alone and he wanted me to have protection and a means to hunt for my food. A gun was certainly an option and I am not averse to them, but they aren’t legal on the trails and make a lot of noise.