The Wannabe Warrior
Chapter 136

Madison POV

We arrived at the camp site at dusk. Together we set up a number of tents and worked out a team to be on guard here at the camp site and who was going with me to view the packhouse. Peter had volunteered to stay behind and help guard and finish setting up the camp. Mitch was coming with me and the Blue River warriors would be too. I asked Graham to stay with Peter and see if he could get to know him better. He had been trying to bond, but something was not right. He agreed to try and I warned him not to turn his back on him.

‘Gerome?’ I called over the mic.

‘Here, talk to me?’ came his familiar voice.

‘I have left some warriors to finish setting up the camp site. I am about to head over to the pack grounds and see what we can replace. Have a request.’ I pushed quietly, not sure why I was whispering,

‘Ask.’ he pushed.

‘Check out Peter’s phone, see if you can see who he has been calling and if there are any texts, something is feeling a little off with him, nothing I can put my finger on.’ The feeling inside was like a little alarm going off and when I get those feelings, I can’t brush it asside, it has kept me safe more than once..

‘Will do, and I will inform Alpha, you are on the way to the packhouse.’ Gerome said and I turned the mic off and we sprayed each other with neutralising spray and shifted.

It took about half an hour to make a wide circle, before we came from upwind of the packhouse and I nearly lost my stomach on the ground myself.

I now know why. We had not heard from the pack in a while, they were all dead, they looked like they were in contact with the water from the mines, and I wondered how that could be.

I heard a number of warriors emptying their stomachs onto the ground and I suggested to Mitch that they should stay there and gather wood to make a fire. We needed to burn these rotting bodies.

Mitch ordered a group to do just that, and warned the men not to drink or touch any water from there and I headed into the pack area, looking at the dead bodies, and was sad to see it included many young children.

‘Ezekiel.’ I mind linked.

‘Madison? What is it, thought you were using mics.’ Ezekiel replied, concerned by my mind linking him, knowing my stance that mind links are for emergencies.

‘So far, they are all dead, they look like they have had a dose of the water from the mines. Do you think they sent barrels of water here to drink with the hope it would hide their scent, like the others had done?’ I asked, not sure how you could take the water from the mines and still be potent. I was under the impression that once out of the special pond in the mine, it lost its ability to kill. Now I have to revise my thoughts on the water.

‘s**t, no wonder they do not answer our calls.’ He answered in disbelief.

‘I have got men making fires. We will clean the best we can here, let Zakary know not to come here yet, that it is not a nice place to be. Oh and I have asked Gerome to check out Peter, something is not right there.’ I suddenly remembered to let Ezekiel know.

‘Peter? Really? I will get him to look into the whole pack then. Maybe his father is a traitor too, and will work on that. In this end, where is Peter?’ He asked with worry in his voice.

‘I have left him at the camp site along with Graham. I hope he is not dangerous or I have left Graham in a dangerous place, the royal warriors are with him.’

‘Send Mitch back fast. Better safe than sorry.’ he suggests.

‘Mitch, can you go back to camp fast? We don’t trust Peter and I have left Graham there.’ I am now worried, but if Peter is dangerous, then there is little I can do about that now. He is going to have to look after himself till Mitch can get there.

Mitch grabbed some of our troops and took off back to the camp, while I walked amongst the dead, trying to identify who was who, and slowly made my way inside the packhouse.

The men were gathering the dead and placing them on the now roaring fires, as we started to clean the place up. Having done this once before, we had an idea what to expect and were prepared for the disfigured bodies. It was the young that upset me the most, though we had intended for them to die, but not like this, those poor innocent lives.

In the packhouse it was the same, decaying bodies everywhere. In Alpha’s office there was Alpha and beta and one of the Elders we were looking for. There was only one left to collect.

‘Ezekiel?’ I called quietly.

‘Madison, what have you found?’ he asked, more prepared to hear my voice this time.

‘With Alpha in his office is his beta and MacMaster’s. All three are dead and have that twisted look on their faces, they have a jug of water on the table, it looks like they had drunk from it. I am surprised the water could be shipped and still be potent. I am going to throw all this water away, any container I replace. I think that only Emery has left to replace now. Any news from Mitch?’ I was getting concerned now about Mitch.

‘Not yet, I will let you know when I have news.’ Ezekiel replied with concern.

I put on some gloves and started tipping water onto the ground, reminding everyone not to touch the water and to put on gloves, just as an extra precaution.