“Steve, that’s still telling me nothing!” Pete complained in exasperation, as he was forced to double his own steps to catch up with Steve. “Does it have something to do with the wedding next weekend?”
Steve shook his head. “No, but after this weekend, you’ll be getting ready for the wedding, then getting married, and then leaving on your honeymoon, and I don’t know when we’d get the chance to look again.”
So far, Pete reflected, Steve's 'explanation' was clear as mud! Pete looked long and hard at his friend, and then shook his head. He folded his legs under him and sat down on a rockwall that lined the path. “No further,” he declared stubbornly.
“Pete!”
But Pete shook his head mutinously. “Tell me what we’re doing, or I’m heading back down,” he threatened Steve.
Steve ran his fingers through his hair, eyeing Pete doubtfully. They were still a long way from the ravine. Would Pete still accompany him if he knew what he hoped to do? Even he felt as if it was a shot in a million, and all for what?
“Fine,” Steve agreed at last. “I’m doing this for Alyssa.”
Pete raised an eyebrow. “Alyssa?”
“Yeah, when Kelly was up here with the girls last weekend, I had to drive up the trail to help this guy with a sprained ankle off the top. Alyssa was riding with me when I got the call. While I was helping this guy down to the truck, she took off in the other direction. She went behind the barrier fence to the ravine.”
Pete’s eyes blinked in surprise. “Is she crazy? Didn’t she get it through her head last time how unstable that area is? She could have slipped again and not been so lucky this time!”
Steve smiled grimly. “Don’t think that I didn’t cover those points with her! But she finally confessed the real reason – that backpack she was wearing when she fell had three hundred dollars zipped inside.”
Pete whistled, impressed. “That’s a lot of cash for a kid her age to carry on a hiking trip,” he commented.
“She stole the money from Kelly!” Steve told Pete. “She was planning to buy a bus ticket home to her boyfriend. That’s why she disappeared last year in the first place. Then she got nervous about leaving, and tried to climb up the gully wash.”
“Stupid kid,” Pete muttered. “How did Kelly react when she found out?”
Steve sighed. “That’s the thing. According to Alyssa, it’s part of Kelly’s emergency stash. She keeps it in an envelope in a safe, and Alyssa believes she still doesn’t know that it’s missing.”
“So,” Pete said slowly, taking all this new information in, “Alyssa asked you to climb down and bring back the money so she can give it back to Kelly?”
Steve flushed. “Not exactly. She didn’t ask me to do anything. She had a half baked notion she might be able to reach down and get it herself, that it was still hanging in that little scrub bush . That’s why I thought I would try. She doesn’t need to be slipping off the trail every time she comes back up here!”
“But she told you that if she had the money, she’d ‘fess up and give it back to her aunt?” Pete prodded.
Again Steve flushed. “Well, it’s what I advised her to do, even if she didn’t find the money. She does need to tell Kelly, regardless. I just thought that if I could find the money, she would have an easier time making the confession. She did seem pretty sorry for taking it.”
“Anyway,” Steve hurried on, choosing to ignore Pete’s cynical laugh. “She and Kelly have had a really difficult year, and I’m wondering if this has been part of the reason Alyssa’s seemed so angry. It hit me that the anger might just be her guilty conscious making her be so hateful to Kelly. Kelly’s really been hurt by it, and if I could fix part of the problem by finding the money, I figured it was worth it!” He stared defiantly at Pete, daring him to make another comment.
Pete shook his head, thinking back to the rescue. “She never would have been able to get the pack anyway, Steve. Even if she could reach that far over the side, which she couldn’t, the pack had already fallen out of the tree by the time we got there. I think I remember seeing it, though. It was still tangled in that broken branch. The whole mess was wedged in some rocks on that ledge she was on.”
They were both silent, Steve waiting for Pete to finish his thoughts. Pete’s lips thinned to a narrow line on his face and he frowned at his feet for a moment. Finally, he
looked up and spoke hesitantly. “Steve, I’ve met Alyssa too, you know. She’s a pretty irresponsible and manipulative young lady…are you sure she wanted to give the money back to Kelly? Or are you just hoping that she would?
Steve hunched his shoulders and shrugged. “I want to give her the chance to do the right thing.”
Pete cocked his head to one side and smiled cynically up at Steve. “And what if we retrieve the money for Alyssa, and she suddenly goes out and buys a new summer wardrobe, and never tells Kelly a thing. You’d be the only one who knew about it, and it would be your word against hers. What then?”
Steve looked at Pete as if he had gone a little mad. “That would be crazy!” He said with a little laugh. “She knows that I would tell Kelly the truth!”
Pete snorted. “Look, Steve. You might be partially right about her attitude, but I think you are being way too optimistic that this will be an instant happy ending! She’s just too self-centered. If we do find it, you should give the money straight to Kelly, and let her deal with Alyssa however she sees fit. Somehow, I just don’t see Alyssa letting go of that much cash once she gets it in her hot little hands!”
Steve stared at Pete in disbelief. “That’s not a very Christian attitude!” He retorted in surprise.
Pete returned his look calmly. “And Alyssa’s no angel, Steve. Just thought you should consider everything before you play the hero for her and wind up getting burned. How much do you think it would matter to her if she causes problems between you and Kelly?”
Steve’s face was wooden with resentment at Pete’s words, and the uncomfortable knowledge that Pete might be right in his assessment of Alyssa’s ability to resist the temptation of so much ready cash. And if he did give the money back to Kelly and tell her what Alyssa had done, would Alyssa feel that her confidence had been betrayed? He kicked at the gravel path angrily, unsure if he should continue with the plan or just forget his impulse to get the money for Alyssa.
Finally, Pete stood up and stretched. “Well, I suppose that we’ll never know what she would do if we don’t give her the chance. You’re a good man for going to these lengths just to give her the opportunity to make good.” He grinned at Steve. “I just can’t believe that you are asking me to risk my life to rescue a back pack just one week before my wedding!”
Steve rolled his eyes. “Please! I’ll be the one going over the side. You can stand wayyyyyy back from the edge. I just want you to verify the spot, and …” Steve flushed slightly. “Just in case I freeze again, I wanted some backup,” he mumbled.
Slightly embarrassed, Pete slapped Steve on the shoulder. “You know I’ve got your back, even if I don’t think you’re entirely sane. Let’s get this over with, though. I didn’t even get breakfast yet this morning,” he grumbled.
They set off at a quick pace, Pete still shaking his head at the ludicrous idea of giving three hundred dollars back to a rebellious teenager. “I wish you’d told me up front where we were going,” he grumbled to Steve. “We probably should have brought a life jacket and a snorkel after last week.”
“What are you talking about?” Steve asked in bewilderment.
“Steve, it’s rained all week and that ravine didn’t just carve itself. It could be a regular waterfall by now!”
Steve paused, his face serious. “I didn’t even think about that possibility.”
“Well, we’re almost there now,” Pete pointed out. ‘Let’s go check it out.”
They heard it almost as soon as they had skirted the barrier fence. Pete had been right. Water gushed and tumbled over the rocks of the gully wash that Alyssa had
wanted to try and climb last fall. It plummeted out of sight over the ravine where the edge had crumbled from under Alyssa’s feet, causing her to drop twenty feet down to the tiny ledge that had saved her life.
Pete studied the fractious little cascade and looked sideways at Steve. “Are you sure that you’re up to this?” He asked in real concern.
“I guess I’ll find out,” Steve replied, fighting the all too familiar bubble of fear that liked to sit on his chest every time he faced a cliff now. “Just find me a really solid rock to anchor to, okay?”
“Sure, give me a sec.” Pete glanced around at their position and kicked at the leaves covering the forest floor a couple of feet from where they had been standing. “Yeah, here are the ones that we put in last year,” he said. “They should be solid enough for you.”
Steve whistled, impressed. “You didn’t even have to hunt for it.”
Pete pointed to an oak tree stump about 20 feet back from the cliff and a twisted scrub pine that dangled on the edge with half of its roots exposed. “I remembered that it was about halfway between those two points,” he told Steve. “Not so amazing, really.”
“Still, good memory.” Steve opened his bag and lifted out a coil of rope. “Will you tie me off while I get into the harness?”
“Sure,” Pete agreed, taking the ropes.
In a few minutes Steve was ready. He tested his weight against the knot and clipped onto the line. He gave Pete a condescending grin. “Are you sure you’re at a safe distance from the edge? I don’t want Deborah coming after me for putting her groom in harm’s way this close to the wedding!”
Pete snorted in derision. “Don’t you worry about me, just watch what you’re doing!” Pete admonished him, picking up their bags. “As for me, while you’re diving for dollars, I’m gonna just take a little nap over there next to that stump. Wake me when you get back!”
Pete set Steve’s yellow nylon gear bag on top of the old oak stump and tossed his own backpack against a large root to use as a pillow. He turned back to Steve, swatting at a bug on his neck. “Quit stalling, Steve!” He ordered. “I don’t want to still be here at – ouch!” He swatted another insect on his arm, and then another.
Steve was taking a few deep cleansing breaths, gathering his focus before he dropped over the side. “Don’t rush me!” He complained. “I’m jus…Owe!” He swatted something that had just stung his hand. A sleek black and yellow body fell to the ground.
“What…?”
Steve looked up. Pete was literally dancing now, brushing and slapping frantically at about ten black dots hovering in the air around him. Suddenly, Steve was aware of the angry hum of a thousand tiny wings taking flight.
A yellow jacket stung him on the cheek and another pierced his arm. A burning hot needle of pain lanced through his neck.
“Run!” Pete shouted. Steve unsnapped his D ring and raced after Pete’s retreating back, the swarm driving the men before them in a furious onslaught. They burst from the tree line and onto the main trail, but the yellow jackets were not content with chasing them from their territory. Pete and Steve covered another quarter of a mile at a pounding run before the angry swarm faded into the distance. Gasping for air, the two men stumbled to a stop and began slapping and brushing the last of their attackers off of their clothes and out of their hair.
Steve looked at Pete’s face. At least ten angry red welts dotted his cheeks and neck. One eye was already swelling shut. Steve was sure that he looked no better.
Pete was also staring at Steve’s face, knowing that he was essentially looking in a mirror. “Deb is gonna kill me!” He groaned miserably.
“Kill you? You mean, kill ME! I’m the best man! I’m supposed to be taking care of you! – ouch! – he hissed as he a straggler got in a final sting on his leg.
Still breathing hard and looking thoroughly miserable, Pete started walking determinedly toward the Park Headquarters three miles away. “Come on,” he said grimly. “We need to get back to civilization and take some antihistamines to counteract the venom.”
Steve hesitated, looking back up the trail. “What about my equipment? My bag and ropes?” He asked.
“You’ve got to be kidding!” Pete said with a laugh. “It’s sitting on a wasp nest, remember? That’s the best guarded piece of personal property in the park!”
“Right,” Steve conceded after a moment, falling in beside Pete.
It was a long walk back to the headquarters building. They limped in, sore and miserable, and headed for the first aid kit in the lounge. Jill had just come on duty when they arrived and she stared in shock at their swollen and misshapen faces.
“What happened to you two?” She asked in an awed whisper.
Steve found the antihistamine tablets, shook out a couple and tossed the bottle to Pete, who did likewise. “He threw a backpack at a wasp nest,” Steve mumbled through swollen lips.
Jill continued to stare aghast at the two men. “But Pete, you’re getting married next weekend! You’re a mess! What did Deb say?”
“She hasn’t seen me yet,” he answered, scooping a handful of ice out of the freezer and rubbing it over the fiery welts on his face.
“She’s going to kill you both!” Jill informed them solemnly.
Steve glared at her. ‘Thank you for those encouraging words, Jill,” he mumbled in irritation as he grabbed a handful of ice too and slathered it over his face.
Slightly chastened, Jill opened the medicine cabinet again and rummaged around for some aspirin to feed them as well. “I’ll call Chuck and Terry,” she told them. “They were supposed to be off today, but I think I can talk them into covering for you two. You should probably go lie down for awhile, don’t you think?”
“Thanks, Jill,” Pete said with genuine relief at her offer. “I think you’re right about that.”
They drove the short distance back to the trailers, and arrived in time to see Deborah dash out of her trailer and stare wildly down the private drive, watching for them. Pete looked at Steve and shook his head in disgust. “I think Jill called more people than Chuck and Terry,” he commented in resignation. He had hoped to slip into his trailer and be in bed before Deborah had a clue about what had happened.
As it was, he barely made it out of the truck before Deborah was at his side, staring at his face and arms in shocked horror. “Oh Pete!” She cried out as she counted more than twenty stings on his face and arms alone. “Oh honey! What were you two thinking, playing stupid games so close to the wedding? Are either of you allergic to bee stings?”
Pete rolled his eyes in disgust. “They were yellow jackets, not bees. And I've gotten stung before so there's not much chance of that, is there? I mean, we’ll be miserable for a day or two, but there's no need to make it worse than it is. I bet you’ve never even met anyone who’s allergic to bee stings!”
“Then you’d lose!” She retorted. “Both Sarah and David Bolton were allergic – remember Steve?
Steve paused and thought back. “Yeah, I guess they were.” He recalled at last. “It wasn’t something I ever really thought about, though.”
Deborah gave a short laugh. “He wouldn’t ever let me forget -every time David gave me flowers he informed me that he was risking his life!” Suddenly her thoughts swerved back to the present. Her eyes narrowed. “Why were you two messing with yellow jackets for, in the first place?” She demanded, back on track again. “I don’t even understand why you’re out of bed this early! In two years you’ve never gotten a single bee sting, and now here it is just days before our wedding and you look like you have the mumps and the measles both!” Her voice had risen a notch and was taking on a hysterical note that made Steve wince.
“We didn’t do this on purpose, Deb!” Pete finally told her heatedly. “If you don’t want to help pull out these stingers, then I’d appreciate it if you’d just save your lecture for another time!”
Pete rarely raised his voice to anyone, let alone Deborah, and the effect was immediate. She
blinked as if just coming out of a trance and her hand flew to her lips in contrition. “Oh Petey! You’re so right! What am I doing? Let’s get you two inside and do what we can.”
Steve waved a farewell and turned with relief to his own trailer. “I’ll be over to check on you later, amigo.” He told Pete. “I’m sorry to have gotten you into this mess!”
But Deborah had a different plan. “Steve! It’s not a good idea to stay over there by yourself! What if you do have some kind of reaction? Or what if Pete does after I leave for work? You two need to stay together! As soon as you get a shower and change clothes, come back over to Pete’s trailer. It will be much easier for me to check on the two of you today.”
Pete’s eyes met Steve’s as Deborah took him by the hand and towed him toward his trailer. “I told you she’d make us pay for this!” He whispered darkly.
Steve watched them disappear into the trailer with some trepidation. He’d been looking forward to stretching out on his bed and letting himself succumb to his misery, but now it looked as if he would have to hang out at Pete’s for regular observations. Glumly he headed for the shower. He let cool water pour over his sore body and said a prayer of thanks for running water. Slightly less miserable than before, he slipped into a loose fitting pair of shorts and a clean t-shirt, and then he made his way back to Pete’s trailer.
Steve and Pete catnapped throughout the day, waking only to eat, take more pain pills and antihistamine tablets, and to answer Deborah’s careful questions on her periodic house calls.
At the end of her shift, Jill dropped by with an ointment to rub on the welts. It was guaranteed to reduce soreness and swelling. Deborah all but snatched the tubes from her, and smeared the contents over most of Pete’s swollen face.
Steve watched her careful ministrations to Pete for a full minute before finally saying, “What am I? Chopped Liver?”
Far Country Page 38
