The hikers stared at the path of dust as the engine roar died.
“Who was that?” Dave asked.
“I think it was the park ranger,” Zack said, recalling the empty desk inside the lodge.
A few minutes later, the sound of the engine rose again. The vehicle returned over the hill and came to stop a few feet away from the campers.
“I almost didn’t see you boys,” the man said. He turned off the ignition and glanced in their direction. “Keeping cool?”
“Trying to, anyway,” Steve said.
When the man stepped out of the vehicle, Zack immediately noticed the gun holstered at his side. The park ranger was a tall man, probably in his mid-forties. It was impossible to tell the color of his eyes given his sunglasses, but he had dark brown hair. The man’s face was covered in stubble. Zack studied the patch on his uniform. It read Park Ranger.
The man held out his hand and Will shook it.
“My name is Austin Fields,” he said. “I’m the Park Ranger at Drifter’s Folly.”
“We saw your plaque down at the lodge,” Steve volunteered.
The ranger raised an eyebrow. “Did you? You boys didn’t happen to run into old Hickory Johnson by any chance, did you?”
“Sure,” Zack replied. “Why do you ask?”
“No reason,” Fields answered. “He wasn’t in the lodge when I arrived. He must have stepped out. It’s just…” he trailed off.
Zack could tell he was uncomfortable about something. “What is it?”
Fields scratched at the growth on his chin. “Hickory rarely leaves early, and certainly not without leaving a note. His car was there too, which was odd.”
“Maybe he went for a walk,” Dave said.
The ranger nodded. “Could be. It just doesn’t sit right with me. That’s one of the reasons I’m glad I spotted you all on my way up the mountain.”
Zack could tell the others were as curious as he was. Something was definitely going on at the park to make the ranger feel uneasy.
“Is everything all right?” he asked.
“I’m not sure,” Fields said carefully. “We’ve been having some problems with poaching in the park. Over the last few days more than a few campers have reported being watched by a man in the forest.”
“Like a stalker?” Steve asked. Fields nodded.
“I never spotted the man myself, but it’s been on my mind. Ordinarily I wouldn’t think anything of it, but the reports remind me of what happened in Texas just before the last Hunter killings.”
“Hunter?” Zack’s furrowed brow was evidence of his curiosity.
“You haven’t heard?” Fields looked away, as if regretting bringing up the subject.
“He said killings,” Steve said. His eyes were wide.
“Don’t get worked up,” the ranger said. “A couple of years ago in Texas, a group of campers were found dead in one of the state parks, murdered. The press called the killer ‘The Hunter.’ Apparently it wasn’t the first time he’d killed.”
“That sounds like some kind of a serial killer,” Cole said with considerable skepticism.
Again, Fields nodded. “I only know about it because of the security measures we had to put in place after the killings, but from what I understand, it was big news at the time.”
Zack studied the ranger’s expression. The man was completely serious. His story sounded far-fetched at worst, paranoid at best. If there was a killer out there, it wasn’t likely that he was lurking in Drifter’s Folly. At the same time, Zack was hesitant to distrust the ranger’s judgment.
“Do you think we should leave?” Steve asked.
Fields chuckled. “I doubt there’s any need for that. You’re more likely to run into a bear than some unhinged maniac. I just wanted you to be aware, that’s all.”
“A heads up isn’t going to help if a serial killer comes knocking,” Dave said.
Fields’ eyes narrowed under his sunglasses. “That’s why I stopped here.” He returned to the terrain vehicle and grabbed a box. “I’m letting all the campers borrow these.” He handed the group two walkie-talkies.
“How many others are out here?” Will asked, taking the devices. He handed one to Zack. “The parking lot was abandoned.”
“At least three,” the ranger answered. “A male and female couple, and one man on his own. They’ve already set up camp elsewhere. As for the few numbers, part of that could stem from the reports I told you about, though numbers have been dwindling for a while.” Fields turned on his own walkie-talkie to demonstrate its use. “You’ve probably already discovered it for yourselves, but cellular phones don’t work out here. These could save your life.”
“Thanks,” Zack said.
“I recommend turning them to channel twenty-three,” the ranger added. “That’s where I’ll be listening if you need me. It seems to be the clearest channel. Again, you shouldn’t need them. I’m probably just being paranoid. If something—anything—does happen, I’ll be here.” Fields smiled reassuringly. The breeze drifted through the trees and gathered strength, rattling branches. The hikers fell silent for a moment.
“We appreciate it,” Zack said finally.
The ranger looked over his shoulder into the forest.
“Well, that’s all for now. I have to find the other campers before looking for Hickory. I’ll try to check in with you boys in the morning.” He opened the door to the terrain vehicle. “And boys?” he asked before he stepped inside. “Try to stay safe.”
“Well,” Dave said once the ranger was out of earshot, “that was certainly unsettling.”
Zack frowned. For once he agreed with Dave. Even Will looked unsure of himself for a moment.
“What do you think, guys?” Steve asked. “Want to head back? It’s not too late.”
Will glared at him. “Don’t even think about it. We didn’t come this far to let some country park ranger scare us away with a few horror stories. Now get your stuff and let’s go. We’ve wasted too much time here already.”
Zack didn’t agree with Will’s wording, but his friend was right. It was silly to give up at the mere possibility of danger. Life was full enough of death on its own. He understood that better than anyone.
It was then that he remembered the figure he thought he saw in the forest behind them. Zack turned back and glanced near where the figure had been standing. There was nothing there.
I must have been imagining things, he thought. He hoisted his pack up against his back and walked back toward the trail. The others quickly caught up. Steve lagged behind, and Cole dropped back to keep him company.
“Nice pep talk back there,” Zack said to Will. “Way to inspire the troops.”
Will wore a frustrated look. “We were never like that, even when we were in college.”
You can’t blame Steve, Zack thought. It’s natural to be afraid of the unknown. That’s part of the adventure.
Awe was a double-edged sword. A storm could be both beautiful and terrible to behold at the same time. Nature had a mind of its own and didn’t hesitate to remind them all too frequently. Zack couldn’t count the number of times they’d encountered impossible weather in the past, not to mention smaller inconveniences like poison oak.
The forest loomed ever closer as they wandered down the path. Beggar’s Road was the only trail that avoided the woods, but they would have time to explore the forest soon enough. The trail was the fastest way to reach the top of the Whispering Reach, the place where Will had decided they would make camp. According to the map, it was at the top of the cliff right above Dire Lake.
It didn’t take Zack long to forget about the figure in the forest or Ranger Fields’ words of caution. The five campers found themselves in awe of wonders of nature. Even Steve seemed to forget his struggles as
they neared the cliff.
“There it is,” Will said. He pointed to the towering rock landmark.
“Wow,” Cole muttered. “That’s impressive.” Zack nodded. The roar of a waterfall echoed across the afternoon sky. A river materialized to their right. Zack consulted the map, which showed a tributary flowing into Dire Lake.
“Can I see that?” Dave asked. Zack handed him the map. There were three different rivers running through Drifter’s Folly, each of which emptied into the lake.
Several minutes later, the Beggar’s Road ended at a dirt trail not far from the cliff. The campers filed onto the unnamed path, one of many intersecting routes left off the map.
Zack glanced at Will. Drifter’s Folly was larger than his friend led him to believe. This was their most ambitious undertaking yet. As Dave handed the map back to him, Zack frowned. He would have to remind Will to keep Dave and Steve close by. Even Cole might have problems if he was on his own. A park this size was no place to let a couple of neophytes wander around. It was easy to get lost. Once someone was lost, their prospects grew far worse. Dehydration, or in some cases predation, were serious problems. In retrospect, the small number of staffers employed by the park was unsettling.
The breeze died down and the day grew warmer as they turned east. Zack spotted a group of buildings strewn along the mountains looming in the distance.
“It looks like those are the cabins Hickory told us about,” Cole said. “Too bad we’re not staying there.”
Steve looked wistfully at the cabins and down at the unforgiving ground. Zack knew what he was thinking; the same thought occurred to him as well. The hard earth was no help to his insomnia. Zack always found it strange how effortlessly some people managed to drift off after sliding into their sleeping bags. He, on the other hand, typically spent each night tossing and turning, alert to every sound outside the tent.
The cabins soon disappeared from view as they continued on their way. The journey up Whispering Reach took more time than anticipated. It wasn’t long before the trees grew sparse, which left them fully exposed to the sun while they traveled higher and higher. Wiping sweat from his face, Zack drained another bottled water. He was looking forward to dropping his backpack and setting up camp. For some reason it bothered him that they still hadn’t encountered any other campers, but he chose not to dwell on the subject.
After what seemed like an eternity, the five men reached the top of the cliff.
“Here we are,” Will said with obvious pride. An exasperated Steve took the opportunity to lower his gear and drop to a knee. Dave, the heaviest man in the group by about thirty pounds, appeared exhausted. He pulled off his cap and ran a hand through wet hair. Zack too dropped his pack as he walked toward the edge of the cliff.
He looked out over the precipice and surveyed the park. Directly below them, Dire Lake shimmered under the sunlight. The serene waters expanded in all directions. Zack closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the waterfall. When he opened them, Will was standing beside him.
“What do you think?”
“It’s stunning,” Zack answered.
He thought he’d lost the capacity to be amazed. He was happy to be wrong. Something about the peaceful park below evoked strong feelings of emotion from him. There was majesty mixed with sadness, a sense of loss he understood well.
Will slapped him on the back. “Let’s get everything together. There’ll be plenty of time for sightseeing later.”
Zack nodded and went back to the others.
The group went to work, unpacking the equipment in their bags under Will’s guidance.
“We can put the tent over there,” he said while motioning toward a cluster of trees near the slope of the cliff.
“The regulations say we can build a fire,” Cole said.
“We were going to anyway,” Will replied. Cole looked at him reproachfully. “What? Like Ranger Fields was going to stop us.” He shook his head. “You think he’s ever actually fired that gun?”
Steve was standing close to the trees, his back turned to the rest of them. Zack froze. Steve was staring down at something on the ground. The others noticed and looked in Steve’s direction.
Steve gripped his nose. It looked as if he was about to vomit. When Zack reached him, the smell of death filled the air.
“That’s gross,” Dave muttered.
There was a decaying corpse lying in the hot sun. Covered in flies, it was impossible to determine how long the animal’s body had been there.
“What is it?” Steve asked.
“Probably a possum,” Will said.
“It’s too big to be a possum,” Cole replied.
“Something did this,” Steve said. “Do you think it was a coyote?”
“That’s another reason we’re building a fire,” Will said. “It’ll keep predators away.”
Zack wasn’t entirely sure it was a predator that had killed the rotting creature. “Look at its chest,” he said. The animal’s torso had been ripped apart. Its heart had been torn out.
Dave looked disgusted. “You sure picked a great spot for the tent,” he said to Will. He lifted his foot and attempted to kick the corpse off the cliff. The kick wasn’t strong enough, and the carcass instead landed a few feet from their tent. There was something callous about the way Dave kicked the animal that caused the others to look at him with disgust. Dave shrugged and kicked the corpse a second time. Blood stained the tip of his boot as he drew it back. Zack watched the bloodied carcass careen through the air and vanish in the water below.
“Okay, we need two people to stay here and set up the tent,” Will said. “The rest of us will gather some firewood from the forest.”
“I’ll stay,” Dave volunteered. “I don’t feel like doing anymore walking for a while.”
“Cole and Steve, you two can join me in the woods,” Will said. “Zack, you stay with Dave.”
Zack wanted to protest. The prospect of being left alone with Dave wasn’t appealing to him in the slightest. He didn’t particularly care for how Dave had treated the dead animal, his mocking comments earlier on the road, or his snide attitude either. It didn’t help that Zack already found himself on edge. He hadn’t been around the same people for an extended period of time in several months. Only a few hours into the trip, and he was already wearing thin.
“We should be able to do this quickly enough,” he said once the others were gone. “Then we can relax until everyone else gets back.”
“Suits me,” Dave replied. “I’m just glad I didn’t get stuck with Steve.”
Zack didn’t reply. Instead, he focused on laying out all the parts of the large tent. Dave had trouble following his instructions, and it took them a while to get everything in order.
Dave hit his finger while hammering in a stake. He swore loudly, and the sound echoed off the cliff. Zack finished with his stake and moved onto the next.
“You’re doing it wrong,” Zack said reluctantly as they continued. “Let me help.”
Dave scowled at him. “I don’t need your help.”
Zack threw his hands up in the air. “Whatever.”
His tone apparently conveyed his annoyance, because Dave looked up at him. “Did I say something wrong?” he demanded.
“It’s nothing,” Zack answered. “It’s been a while since I’ve been out like this, that’s all.”
Dave looked at him funny, like he couldn’t comprehend what Zack said. “That’s right. Will mentioned you having problems adjusting to something. It’ll be all right,” Dave said. “Just give it time.”
Zack froze. He remembered the last time he heard those words. “Don’t you ever say that to me again.”
Dave stood and threw down his stake. “What’s your problem, man?” He walked up to Zack until their chests were practically
touching.
“You should shut up about things you don’t understand,” Zack said. He shoved Dave forcefully, and the big man stumbled back.
“Psycho,” Dave whispered under his breath.
That was enough for Zack. He punched Dave hard in the face. The blow sent the heavy man to the ground. Blood poured from Dave’s nose. He looked up at Zack with disbelief in his eyes.
Zack stood there, looking down at Dave. His left fist was still clenched tightly shut. He glanced at the fist and back at Dave. As his blood cooled, he realized he’d completely lost control of his temper.
“Zack?” Cole said from behind them. Zack turned and saw Cole and Will climbing the slope. Steve materialized seconds later. Cole looked from Zack to Dave.
“Don’t,” Zack said, storming off in the direction of the woods. “Just don’t.”
Cole started to follow him, but Will grabbed his arm. “Let me talk to him.”
Cole nodded and exchanged looks with Steve before walking over to Dave. “Are you okay?” he asked the big man, helping him up.
“I think so,” Dave said. “What the heck is that guy’s deal?”
“He’s going through a tough time,” Cole answered reluctantly. “His ex-girlfriend died a few months ago.” Steve’s expression softened, though Dave remained angry. Cole peered off into the distance.
“She committed suicide.”
Chapter Three
3:05 pm
Lily cast a last furtive glance in his direction before finally walking away. When she reached the hallway, Lily stopped at the door. Zack stood in the kitchen doorway, waiting for her to leave.
“For what it’s worth,” she said, still not meeting his eyes, “I am sorry.”
A Sound In The Dark Page 3
