by Lynn Landes
“Thanks for listening, Aiden. I wasn’t sure how you’d feel. It doesn’t mean I didn’t love your Dad.”
“Mom, no one who knew you and Dad would say that. He wanted you to be happy. With or without this cowboy, Mom. That's the most important thing. It's time for you to move on.”
“I know, Aiden. I love you,” she says as she thanks him. Staring at the flickering fire, she decides to write and take her mind off a certain cowboy. Four hours later, she stares at the clock, surprised by the late hour and finally goes to bed.
The next morning Delta's cell phone rings just as she's slipping her hiking boots on. “Ms. Richards, I'm calling from the main lodge. There's been a change of plans this morning. A mix up with the times for your tour. If it's okay with you the guide will pick you up in ten minutes, from your house.”
“Oh, ok. That's no problem. Thanks for the call...” Delta starts to say, but the girl has already hung up. “Two hours early, damn!” She runs around tossing water bottles in her bag, her pistol and grabs the dog leash. A few minutes later she hears a horn outside, and Sasha runs out with her. The red jeep looks relatively new, and the guide is younger than she expected, but she's too excited to think anything of it.
“Good Morning, Ms. Richards. My name is Zach. I’ll be your guide this morning. Is your dog coming too?” He asks, glancing at Sasha warily.
“Yes, she's well trained. I promise she won't be a problem.” Delta responds with a smile.
“All right, let’s get going.”
Opening the back door, Sasha leaps up inside the jeep and curls up on the blanket Delta has spread out for her. Tossing her backpack with her cell phone, gun, and water in on the floor behind the passenger seat, she closes the door and quickly climbs up front.
“Ready?” He asks as she buckles up.
“Yes, I’m so excited I could barely sleep last night.” As the jeep pulls out, she glances at the main house and notices Abby in the window, she waves before they leave. Oddly enough, she doesn’t see any sign of Daniel’s truck. No matter, today is going to be the first of many adventures to come.
“So, tell me, Zach, how many animals will we see today?” They chat for a few minutes as he goes into his speech while driving out of town. They are headed up towards the mountains.
“Western Montana is home to the most abundant wildlife in the United States, Ms. Richards.” He points out a herd of deer grazing in the meadow as they pass along the many miles of fencing. “The ranch’s varied landscape creates a perfect environment for prairie dogs, deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, wolves, coyote, beaver as well as the occasional bear and mountain lions.”
“Truly? Hopefully no bears, I’ve seen enough of those to last a lifetime. I do hope to get some pictures today, though not of the last two, thank you!” Turning to look at Zach with a laugh, “I promised my boys some pictures while I'm here. They're about your age,” she smiles as he nervously taps the steering wheel. After twenty more miles, she notes a sign that reads, Phillipsburg 12 miles.
“Really, you don’t look old enough to be my Mom,” he turns right down a dirt road made specifically for jeeps or trucks. They bounce along headed up a windy, rocky path into thick pine trees.
“Well, thank you,” she glances at the clock on the jeep and notices the time is eight fifteen. “Are we headed off road now?”
“I thought we would start at the National Forest, near Bear Lake. It's at an elevation of eight thousand feet.” He parks the jeep at the bottom of a gravel trail, and she glances around.
“Is that why it's so foggy?” She asks, and he nods.
“We're almost at the top of one of the smaller mountains. Just up this trail is an overlook. You're going to want to have your camera ready. As soon as the sun breaks through the clouds, it will burn off, and the view is remarkable.” Leaping from the jeep he tells her to leave her backpack and follow him. “Leave your coat, it's only about three hundred yards straight up this path.”
Delta grabs her leash and camera from her purple monogrammed backpack and laughs at Sasha’s excitement.
She slams the door and follows him up the gravelly path. They walk about ten minutes when Zach stops and pats his pocket. “I forgot my camera. Delta, you just keep walking up this path, and I'll be right back. Don't stop, I don't want you to miss this,” he grins and jogs back down the path before she can stop him.
“Okay then.” She continues up the path excited to capture this on film. It is forty-five degrees on top of the mountain, and she wishes she had brought her coat. “Keep moving, when the sun comes out it should warm up.”
Zach runs down the path and swears as he jumps back into the jeep and starts it. He quickly turns the jeep around and tears off throwing gravel behind him. He grabs his cell phone and punches the number in, waiting for her to answer.
“It's done. You owe me big time, Mel. I'm going to work.” He hangs up feeling bad, but confident that they will get to Delta before dark. He wonders how long before she realizes he isn't coming back?
Ten minutes later, Sasha stops walking and turns her head back, giving a soft woof. “What?” Delta slows down and looks back down the path. A beam of sunlight breaks through the cloud and strikes the ground, causing Delta to gasp with excitement. “Come on, Sasha! I don't want to miss it.” She jogs the rest of the way up the path, stopping when the trail ends on a rocky cliff.
“Magnificent,” she sighs and forgets her camera for a second. Though still foggy, it's quickly burning off, leaving the view of rolling green hills, with rivers snaking through them in the valley below. Patches of bright green pine trees are sprinkled throughout the snow-capped mountains providing a surreal landscape.
“Oh,” she quickly begins snapping pictures before she shivers in the cold air surrounding her. Now that she isn't hiking, the cold starts to make its presence known. She glances down the path, looking for Zach, but doesn't see him.
“I hope he's all right,” she mutters. Glancing at her watch, she realizes he's been gone over twenty minutes now. An uneasy feeling begins to sink in, and Sasha is straining on her leash, pulling at her to go back down the path.
“Seek, Sasha,” she orders. They walk carefully down the rocky path back to where the jeep should be. Out of breath from the elevation and exercise, Delta swears.
“Shit! He left us. Why would he leave?” Delta paces and glances around nervously. “I don’t even have my backpack or phone!” Sasha wines and paces alongside her.
“He must have had an emergency, surely he will come back soon or send someone back for us.” Delta is cussing an hour later and struggling not to cry. She stomps back up the path to the overlook, to get her bearings. In the distance, she can see single lane roads snaking up the side of the mountain and off to the left something that looks like tan hills, and buildings. “If I head back down the path, we should cross the main road we were driving on.” She remembers seeing a sign for Phillipsburg twenty minutes up that road.
“Let’s go, Sasha. Good thing I wore my hiking boots.” Delta lifts her chin to the sky above and yells, “Adventures suck!”
Daniel is frustrated when Delta doesn’t show up for her appointed time. “Good Morning, Mel, has Ms. Richards checked in yet?”
Melody checks her computer and looks up at Daniel. “No, sir.”
“Odd.” He paces around the desk and snatches the phone. Thinking she must have slept in, he dials the number for her cabin and gets no response. “Thanks, Mel. If she shows up, send her outside.” He walks outside with the picnic basket and sets it down on the front porch to think. Her SUV was parked in front of the house when he left so, she couldn't have gone anywhere on her own.
“Sorry, Daniel, but Delta got delayed,” Melody whispers and giggles as she hurries to help the morning customers. Zach owed her and Delta doesn't even know where he works or who he is. She won't be able to explain what happened. If the damn bear didn't scare her away, this definitely would do the trick. Nothing like being lost in the mountains t
o scare a city girl. Convinced her plan will work, she happily goes about her morning.
Chase pulls out front of the main lodge and finds Daniel sitting outside. “What’s going on? I thought you and Delta had a date?”
“So, did I. Somethings up. She's over an hour late now. I'm gonna drive home and see if she's inside. Call me if she shows up here. Can you watch Abby?”
“Of course, she’s at her riding lesson. I’ll pick her up. You go check on Delta.” Chase watches as his son jogs to his truck.
Thirty minutes later, Chase greets Abby as she finishes up with her lesson. “Are you hungry? Ready for a snack?” He asked, smiling hopefully.
“Always, Gramps. How about a veggie smoothie?” His face falls, and she giggles. “Just kidding, how about a shake?”
“You shouldn’t mess with an old man like that.” After visiting the restaurant, they settle out on the front porch with their treats, just as Daniel pulls back in.
“Hi, Dad,” Abby calls, and Daniel kisses her on the head.
“Hey, sweetheart.”
“Any luck?” Chase asks.
“No, and her car is still there. I knocked, and she didn't answer. I didn't see any signs of Sasha either.” Daniel is really beginning to worry now.
“It is possible that she changed her plans and forgot. Maybe she had a hot date?” Chase teases. Daniel glares at him.
“Delta left this morning, Dad. I saw her ride by in a red jeep at about eight,” Abby announces.
“What? Are you sure?” Daniel asks in surprise. “Could you see who it was?”
“Yep,” she frowns struggling to think of the boy’s name. “Oh, I can’t remember his name, but he works here.”
“How do you know that Abigail?” Chase asks his granddaughter.
“It had that funny sticker on the bumper. The flute-playing guy.” Abigail sees the concern on both men’s faces and stops drinking. “Why, did something happen to Delta?” She asks softly.
“We don’t know, sweetheart. But this is important. If I drive you around can you point out the jeep to me?” Daniel asks.
“I think so.” She jumps up at the same moment Chase does. They toss their drinks into the trash and hurry to the truck.
Daniel doesn’t argue, he recognizes his father is worried for Delta. Soon they are in his king cab truck and driving out of the lodge parking lot to the private part of the ranch. “Daddy, Go back to the stables. I’ve seen the jeep in the back parking lot.”
Quickly, Daniel turns and heads two miles down the road. “When I ride, I’ve seen the jeep out back.” Abby is leaning out the window as he slowly snakes in and out of the parking lot. “I don’t see it.”
“There it is, Daniel,” Chase points under a tree noticing that the jeep is backed into the parking space. They park and jump out to look at the rear bumper.
“Hatchetman?” Daniel murmurs. “Zach!” He quickly tries the front door and finds it locked. The passenger side in the back is not locked. When he opens it his stomach drops. There on the floor is Delta’s purple backpack from yesterday. Inside is her wallet, phone, and gun! She wouldn't just leave that behind.
“Stay with Grandpa, Abby!” He zips it closed and heads inside the barn.
Chase takes Abby and urges her to get back inside the truck. Murmuring a prayer for Delta, he wonders where she could be. It's almost noon, and she has been gone over four hours now. Grabbing his cell phone, Chase calls the head of security for the lodge and demands they get over to the barn and hold Zach for questioning. It is only a three-minute drive from the main lodge.
Daniel has a different idea. He's just gonna beat the answer out of him. “Where's Zach?” He snarls as soon as he sees the first trainer. A white-hot rage is boiling inside of Daniel, tempered with fear for her safety.
“Stalls boss. He's on clean-up duty today.”
Zach is hosing down the stalls and doesn’t hear Daniel behind him until he grabs him and flips him around. The water hose drops shooting water into the air.
“I’m going to ask you one time. Where is she?” Zach drops the hose and stumbles backward against the wood wall. Daniel lifts the purple bag and shows it to him. All the color drains from his face, and he stammers out the answer.
“She wanted to go on a hike. I dropped her off at the top of trail thirteen.” Daniel punches him in the gut, and the force of the blow causes him to drop to the ground.
“Wrong answer. Delta wouldn't go without her bag, Zach. Where is she?” He roars.
“I, I, told you,” he coughs, “she went for a hike.”
Daniel growls and moves back in to hit him again when security grabs him from behind. Two men in front and two men behind grab Daniel's arms struggling to keep him contained.
“Hold him, boys,” Chase yells.
Daniel is beyond furious, “Let me go, he's lying.”
“He's crazy!”
“Son, I know other ways to make a man talk and your daughter needs you right now.” The truth of that statement has Daniel snapping his head over to the corner, where Abby is standing. Against his wishes, she followed her Gramps into the barn in time to see her Dad punch Zach. Pale and trembling, she had never seen her father so angry.
“I’m all right, let me go.” Daniel is trembling with rage as he walks away. “Abby?” She rushes into his arms and cries.
“Where is Delta, daddy? I’m scared.” He hugs his daughter tight and squats down to look at her.
“Right now, Delta needs us to be strong, so we can find her. You are her hero, Abby. Without you, I wouldn’t have known where to look. You go wait in the truck while I talk to him.”
“Not happening, Dad.” In control now, she glares at her Dad and tosses her blonde hair over her shoulder.
“Fine, but stay back,” he grumbles.
Chase flips over a bucket for Zach to sit on and is looking down at the boy who is clearly in way over his head. “Money talks boy, if you do.” That certainly got his attention.
“How much?” He asks spitting on the ground near Daniels' feet. Abby is shocked that he would be that stupid. Chase whispers a number, and he leans back with a grin.
“I did it as a favor to my cousin. The lady is fine. Mel wanted her to miss her date with you,” he glares at Daniel.
“Mel?” Daniel asks shocked.
“Yeah, Melody your front desk clerk, remember her. The one you don’t even know exists. I don’t know what she wants with an old man, but she has a thing for you. She called and asked me to pick Delta up and drop her off in the forest. It’s no big deal.”
Security moves the second Daniel roars and leaps for him. “You fool! You left her in the middle of the rut season in a national forest with no cell phone, water or protection! Anything could happen to her up there!” The four men are struggling to hold Daniel back. All two hundred and twenty pounds of his muscles are aching to pound him into a heap.
Chase jumps up and shoves his son back with a hand to his big chest. “Enough! We need to find her before dark.” Daniel struggles to control himself and backs off for the moment. Abby grabs his hand, and he looks down at her. Her fear for Delta is as strong as his. She knows what the forest is like this time of year.
“Delta needs us, Daddy,” she urges.
“Take him to the police station and find his cousin. I want details!” Chase orders as Zach leaps to his feet.
“Hey, you said money…” Chase turns and lays him out with one punch.
Everyone freezes in shock for a moment.
“Stupid son of a bitch!” With that Chase stomps past everyone and goes outside. Abby whoops and drops her dad's hand to follow him. Daniel laughs as one of the guards, dumps a bucket of water on the boy.
He sits up coughing with a bloody, broken nose and Daniel stomps over to him. “Tell me exactly where you left her.”
Zach coughs and stammers out the answer.
“Hear me, boy, if one hair on her head is scratched, I will find you and finish what we started.” Straighten
ing up Daniel hurries to find Delta.
Common sense tells her to stay put and wait for help, but Delta's worried. None of this makes sense, and if she goes over the morning, she can see the red flags. She decides to start walking down the mountain. Delta follows the jeep trail back down to the road. Looking both ways she struggles to remember which way to go. Her watch shows ten fifteen. “Why would he do this?” There's no sign of his jeep or any cars for that matter. After waiting for another hour with no signs of life, she decides to walk some more.
Remembering a sign on the way that said Phillipsburg. “I wonder if the town I saw from the top of the mountain was Phillipsburg.” Which way was it? “Left?” She leaves the road and heads in the direction across the green valley into some pine trees.
Delta walks for two hours through thick pine trees before she decides to admit defeat. “Now what?” She's completely lost. “I must have taken a wrong turn, Sasha.”
Sasha snorts as if to say, ‘Of course you did.’ Now her head is pounding, and her mouth is dry. The change in elevation and stress is getting to her. Sasha lays at her feet while she sits on a log and thinks.
“Okay, I'm lost. No one knows where we are, except that little shit that left us, and I don't have a cell phone to call for help. Survivor training 101 is to stay put and wait for help. That's not happening here. My next option is to try to find the nearest town.” Standing up, she decides to stop panicking and look at her surroundings. In the shadows beneath the trees, she can see a break in the trees ahead. It looks like a valley or clearing at the very least.
A sound in the trees behind them has Sasha leaping to her feet and growling low in her throat. The fur along her spine stands up, and she sniffs the air. Delta freezes trusting her dog's instincts, as images of a bear flash through her mind. After a few minutes, she hears nothing.
“Come, Sasha.” She hurries towards the clearing hoping to at least be able to see something. In the distance, she spots what looks like a granite path and a sign. Breathing a sigh of relief, she urges Sasha along with her. “Yes!” They walk for about ten minutes until they get to a faded wooden sign that reads:
