Into the Wilderness

by Traci DePree

  “You’d be surprised how many adventures”—he sniffed at the word—“like this I get to participate in every year. I know this park as well as my own house. We’ll find them...if the bears don’t first.”

  Kate looked anxiously at Sam, who shook his head at her and smiled kindly.

  “We have a picture of the men for the rescuers.” Sam showed the women a photo of Marcus and Paul kneeling in front of the group under a stone arch of some kind.

  “I took that today,” Eli said, “under Arch Rock. The ranger cropped it, enlarged it, and printed it.”

  Kate touched Paul’s likeness. He was smiling, looking happy to be there.

  “You need to know that you ladies can’t be part of the official search and rescue,” the ranger informed them. “Too complicated for us to try to babysit civilians.”

  “But that doesn’t mean we can’t search on our own, right?” Kate asked.

  “I guess there isn’t much I can do about that. As long as you have a park pass, you have every right to hike in the woods.”

  “And if we happen to be hiking in close proximity to where search and rescue is looking?”

  The ranger smirked in response. “I guess I can understand why you’d want to do that, but I have to warn you, it’s dangerous out there. The weather can change at a moment’s notice, you can encounter wild animals...And if you get in the way, I have the authority to send you back to your motel.”

  “I understand,” Kate said. She appreciated that the man had a job to do, and she in no way wanted to interfere with that. But she also knew she had to help look for Paul and Marcus. She would go crazy sitting in a motel room or at the ranger station.

  “So, tell us what happened, Sam,” Livvy said from across the table, drawing Kate’s attention.

  Kate glanced at her and wondered why Danny and the boys hadn’t waited up with Eli and Sam. Then she realized that Danny had no idea Livvy had decided to come along.

  “Everything was going great,” Sam began. “We’d had a nice hike yesterday after we set up camp, and the group really seemed to be bonding. Marcus seemed to be enjoying himself too. Even had his first s’more last night.” Sam shook his head and smiled. “I’ve never known anyone his age who hasn’t tasted s’mores. Anyway, he was fitting right in, enjoying everyone’s company, having good talks with your dad.” He looked at Rebecca. “Those two seemed to be hitting it off from what I could tell.”

  Kate saw Rebecca bite her lower lip. She gave her arm a reassuring squeeze.

  Eli picked up the story from there. He glanced kindly at Rebecca as he spoke. “Then we had a good climb to Alum Cave Bluffs today. We ate some lunch and went on to Mount LeConte. No big deal, right? But on our way back to camp, we had some trouble with an old coot who had taken up residence in one of the abandoned cabins in the woods. When we got back to camp, it was like someone threw a switch inside Marcus. He got real nervous and paranoid.”

  “What kind of trouble?” Rebecca asked. She straightened in her chair to look at Eli while she folded and unfolded a piece of scratch paper that was on the table.

  Eli ran a hand through his blond hair, sat down in the chair next to Rebecca, then glanced up at Kate. “This squatter was a crazy old guy. Looked like he’d been living quite a while in that ramshackle cabin not far from the trail. He accused us of trespassing and held a shotgun on Marcus. That really flipped Marcus out. But nothing happened, really. The old man told us to get out, and we did.”

  “He held a gun on Marcus?” Kate said. “Did you call the police?”

  “We were in the middle of nowhere. Couldn’t exactly call for help...It was scary, for sure,” Eli said, “but Marcus really lost it when we got back to camp. It was weird, like he was expecting the guy to come track us down. Kept referring to him as ‘Sacco,’ but the guy never told us his name.”

  Kate made a mental note of the name.

  “Paul tried to reason with Marcus,” Sam added, “but Marcus was really jumpy. Said he needed to take a walk to clear his head.”

  “We didn’t think anything of it, even though we should have because he carried his backpack with him,” Eli said to Rebecca. “If we’d known that he’d take off like that, we would’ve never let him go. I’m really sorry.”

  “You think Marcus did this on purpose?” Rebecca asked.

  Kate could hear the disbelief in her tone.

  “No. I don’t think he got lost on purpose, but he didn’t stay nearby, and he wasn’t on any of the trails.” Eli shrugged. “It’s hard to know what to make of it.”

  “What time was that?” Livvy asked. “What time did Marcus leave the campsite?”

  Sam thought for a moment, then looked at Eli to see if he remembered.

  “It was five thirty, maybe five forty,” Eli said. “I remember I’d just finished washing up the supper dishes, and I looked at my watch. The sun was just setting. Paul said he’d go check on Marcus. After a while, we all went to look for him, and then we realized that they were both missing.”

  Kate shook her head, still disbelieving what had happened.

  “When Paul left the campsite, he told us he was going to head south toward the Jakes Creek Trail,” Sam said. “And when we got there, we found his bandanna.” Sam held up the red cloth, then pointed at a spot on the map. “But who knows where he went after that. I just pray that he found Marcus.” He glanced at Rebecca. “That city boy would have a rough night out there alone.”

  “It’s obvious where we need to start,” Kate said. “We need to find that squatter.”

  KATE COULDN’T SLEEP. She kept going over the details of the briefing in her head. There had been no mention of two strangers poking around the campsite looking for Marcus. Had Marcus simply wandered off and gotten lost, or was it more than that? Had the two men given up and gone home? Was all of this an odd coincidence? Were the men connected in some way to that squatter? When Eli described the man, he sounded nothing like either of the strangers in Copper Mill, but maybe Marcus knew him. Kate remembered that Marcus had called the man ‘Sacco.’ Maybe the man had been following the hikers, waiting for a chance to get Marcus alone. But that seemed unlikely, since Eli had said it looked as though the man had been living in the cabin where they’d found him. She at least had to talk to the man and see for herself.

  She sent up a prayer for Paul and Marcus, then finally let herself drift off.

  THE OFFICIAL SEARCH-AND-RESCUE team gathered at the Sugarlands Visitor Center at the crack of dawn the following morning. Sheriff Roberts and Joe Tucker had arrived sometime during the night, along with a handful of reporters who jotted notes as they listened in on the search officials’ instructions.

  The barrel-chested sheriff stood at the back of the conference room, arms crossed in front of his ample belly. Sam and Eli were at the other end of the room with several strangers in blaze-orange and black garb gathered round. Joe Tucker walked over to Kate.

  “Kate, I want you to know that I’m here to help you look for Paul,” he said with a nod. White tufts of hair stood out at odd angles around the crown of his head, testifying to his lack of sleep. Kate knew exactly how he felt.

  “Joe, I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”

  He waved a dismissive hand. “You’d do the same. Now,”—he tugged on his angular chin and cleared his throat—“like I said, I’m pretty familiar with the park, as you mighta heard. My Uncle Warren was in the Civilian Conservation Corps when the park was being developed.”

  “Really?”

  “Of course, Uncle Warren was based at Cades Cove, but he worked all throughout the park. Showed me a lot of it in my younger days, so I know trails that aren’t on those fancy park-service maps.”

  Kate reached to squeeze Joe’s hand, and the older man stiffened. But Kate could tell by the shimmer in his eyes that he was deeply concerned.

  Rebecca came over to them, with Eli and Sam at her side.

  “Search and rescue’s going to look along the Jakes Creek Trail and t
he Cucumber Gap Trail, heading south from there,” Eli said.

  He pulled three walkie-talkies and fresh batteries out of a shopping bag and handed one each to Joe and Livvy before tucking his own into his backpack. “I picked these up last night in Gatlinburg. They have a pretty good range, so we can keep in contact if we need to. The ranger told me what channel they use so we can keep informed of what the officials are doing.”

  “I’m glad you thought of that,” Kate said.

  “I figured we’d split up for now,” Eli went on. “Joe and Kate can come along with me and Sam to talk to that man I told you about last night. Rebecca and Livvy can trail the search-and-rescue team with Sheriff Roberts and the rest of the men from our group.” He handed each person a map and a bottle of water. “Did you get something to eat?” he asked Kate and Rebecca. His eyes lingered on Rebecca.

  Kate nodded, breaking his stare. “We had some cereal at the motel.”

  “Good. We’re going to need our energy.” His gaze shifted to Joe. “Are you up for this, Joe?”

  Joe rose to his feet and picked up the walking stick he always carried. “If you are, young’un.”

  “So, I’m going with Sheriff Roberts, Mom?” Rebecca asked, then looked at Eli.

  “If that’s all right,” he said.

  Rebecca nodded. Kate could see disappointment in her eyes.

  “They’re going to be okay.” Kate said the words to encourage herself as much as Rebecca.

  “I’ve been so angry with Marcus,” Rebecca said, “but now that he’s really missing, I just want him back.”

  “I know,” Kate whispered.

  “I have to believe that he and Daddy will be okay. That by this time next week, Daddy will be back at the church, and Marcus and I will be auditioning for another play—” Then she caught her breath.

  “What is it?” Kate asked.

  “I need to call my boss and let her know what’s going on. Maybe she can notify Marcus’ family.”

  “Isn’t it too early to call?” Kate asked.

  “They’re already open for breakfast.” Rebecca reached into her handbag for her cell phone. “Only two bars! I’m glad I thought of it now, or I’d never have been able to call later.” She dialed the number.

  “Hey, Connie. This is Rebecca.” She told the woman the whole story, then she paused, a frown on her face. “Are you sure?” She paused again as Connie talked. “When did that happen?” Another pause. She turned to face the wall and pressed the phone closer to her ear. “Why wouldn’t Marcus have told me? No, I know you wouldn’t know that. I just—” Then she turned back toward her mother, and Kate could see the cloud that had settled in her gaze. Finally Rebecca hit the END button and looked at her mother.

  “What is it?” Kate asked.

  “Marcus was fired right before we left New York...” Her sentence fell away. Then tears filled her eyes. “He lied to me about that too.”

  The hurt in her expression was unmistakable. Kate pulled her close.

  “He might’ve been too embarrassed to tell you,” Kate offered. “Maybe he—”

  “No.” Rebecca shook her head and pulled away. “He hasn’t opened up to me once, not really. He’s told me so many lies. He doesn’t trust me with the truth.” Then her gaze shifted around the room as she realized that the others had heard her conversation. She looked out the window and whispered, “How many other things has he lied about?”

  KATE AND THE OTHERS made their way outside to begin their search for Paul and Marcus. Kate saw Livvy standing nearby and noticed the terse look on her face. She was talking to James, who towered over his mother. His arms were crossed over his chest and his jaw muscle flexed.

  “I said this isn’t the time for this,” Kate overheard Livvy telling her son.

  “Hi, James!” Kate knew how tired Livvy was of this argument, so she thought that maybe if she interrupted the conversation, it would simmer down. She placed a calming hand on Livvy’s back.

  “I have other commitments, Mom,” James said, ignoring Kate. “I made a promise to the guys. You act like that doesn’t matter!”

  “I didn’t say your promise doesn’t matter.” Livvy shook her head and glanced at Kate.

  Kate felt uncomfortable standing in the middle of their discussion, but she wanted to provide moral support to her friend.

  “And don’t twist my words,” Livvy continued. “You knew you wouldn’t be back to Copper Mill until later today anyway. So I don’t understand why you have to do this. Kate’s husband is missing! You need to think about someone other than yourself.”

  “I am thinking about someone else. The band—”

  Livvy held up a hand. “I don’t want to hear another word about the band. Maybe you need to drop out of the band until you can get your priorities straight.” She leaned toward her son in a way that said “You had better listen to me, or else!”

  “Whatever!” he said, then stomped off toward the van, where his younger brother and father were waiting.

  Livvy turned to Kate, a look of exasperation on her face. “I am so sorry, Kate.”

  “You don’t need to be sorry. Believe me, I understand completely.”

  “I hate that he’s being so selfish. Paul and Marcus are missing, and he’s still pushing the band thing. It’s just not right.”

  Kate looked kindly into Livvy’s eyes. “There are a lot of things that aren’t right about today.”

  Chapter Twelve

  The sky was still dark, but a faint edging of orange was visible on the horizon. The fifteen or so official search-and-rescue members pulled out of the parking lot in a large van, while the searchers from Copper Mill piled into Kate’s Honda and the borrowed van to follow them. Kate, Joe, Sam, and Eli headed down the Newfound Gap Road to search for the ornery old man with the shotgun.

  Once everyone was settled in Kate’s Honda, Eli said, “I think we need to offer up a prayer.”

  The men removed their hats and all heads bowed.

  “Lord, we don’t know where Pastor Hanlon and Marcus are,” Eli prayed, “but you do. Please guide us to them. Keep them safe and encourage them wherever they are. Amen.”

  A chorus of amens followed, and heads lifted.

  The rising sun crested the eastern ridges of the Smokies, lighting the mountains in glorious color as mist wove through the autumn treetops. Kate felt numb as she watched the sunrise. Weariness threatened to overcome her, and it was only the beginning of the first day of searching. What if they didn’t find Paul or Marcus? She wondered. It was cold enough at night with all the right gear, but without a sleeping bag...She shivered at the thought.

  Eli told them that the squatter’s camp was just north of the trailhead between two spots where the path curved back in an almost full loop. When they reached the trailhead, Kate found a parking spot, and they climbed out of the car to begin the hike. A canopy of color whispered overhead as birds lent their morning song to the sky. The trail was narrow, and in some spots, barely discernable through the ferns and undergrowth. Kate was glad she’d worn good hiking shoes and had brought along a sturdy hiking stick. Many parts of the trail were quite steep, and her arthritic knee was already complaining. Joe, despite his advanced years, proved himself nimble, though he wasn’t as quick as the others. Every now and then, Eli held out a hand to steady Kate.

  Within the hour, they were in sight of the rundown cabin. There were many such abandoned places in the park, old homesteads that had been left behind when the park was established in the 1930s. Most had fallen to decay until the park committee decided that preserving the homes was in its historical interest. This cabin was in the dogtrot style, with a simple porchless exterior and two fireplaces. Vines grew all over it and into the windows that had long since lost their glass.

  “Hello?” Eli called out.

  Kate wondered how the man would react this time to the intrusion. Would he come out bearing his shotgun again, or would he simply fire without warning? Her stomach tightened.

  �
�What do you think he would’ve done if Paul and Marcus came back here?” she whispered to Eli as she glanced around the place.

  “Hard to tell. But it isn’t likely they came back,” he said. “Marcus was pretty eager to get away from the guy.”

  The place was littered with all manner of debris—rusted farm machinery, a pot-bellied stove, an old bed frame, as well as tin cans in a heap that Kate assumed was a sort of dumping area. An outhouse with a crescent moon cut into its door was at the back of the cabin.

  Sam and Joe walked out ahead, inspecting the edges of the property.

  “Paul didn’t think the man was dangerous. Just a little kooky,” Eli whispered.

  “But he did have a gun,” Kate reminded him.

  “True. And anyone pointing a gun can’t be trusted.” He looked around the area. “Is anyone here?” he called.

  “Who’s out there?” a raspy voice shouted from within the dark cabin. The barrel of a shotgun appeared at the corner of one of the two front windows, and Kate froze.

  “We don’t mean you any harm,” Eli said, lifting his hands into the air. “We just need your help.” He sounded so calm, yet when Kate glanced at his hands, she could see that they were shaking.

  The shotgun lifted a notch.

  “Please, put the gun away, sir,” Eli said, sweat beading on his brow. “You don’t want to hurt anyone.”

  There was a moment’s hesitation, and then the gun disappeared from the window. Kate exchanged looks with everyone as they waited to see what the old man would do. Sam and Joe were nearest the house. Kate hoped their presence wouldn’t startle the man. Finally a greasy-looking bearded man appeared in the doorway, shotgun still to his shoulder and pointed at them.

  “Whatever you sellin’, I ain’t buyin’,” he said.

  “What kind of foolishness is this?” Joe said, his tone gruff. He moved face-to-face with the man, who looked to be about his own age. “We aren’t door-to-door salesmen or the IRS. We just want to ask you some questions.”

  The man lowered his gun a bit, then Joe grabbed the barrel and pushed it down farther.