Into the Wilderness

by Traci DePree

  Kate could hear the thunder booming around him, and her heart sank. She glanced at Livvy, who pursed her lips and nodded toward the computer that was still open at the far end of the conference room.

  “Sheriff?” Kate ventured. “Have you looked toward the east? Livvy and I thought that perhaps Paul followed that stream toward Chimney Tops Trail.”

  The radio went quiet for a while, presumably as he turned to talk to the others responsible for search tactics. “It’s not a bad idea,” he said when he came back on.

  Kate smiled up at Livvy.

  “We’ll get some men on it as soon as we can, but with this rain...” Static buzzed across the radio, and Kate’s frustration rose as she waited for a clearer signal. “...until then...”

  “You’re cutting out,” Kate said. “Until when?”

  There were a few more moments of static, then the sheriff’s voice returned. “Until the storm lets up, we’ll be sitting tight. The stream’s high, and it’s too dangerous to try to cross it.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  At just past lunchtime the rain finally tapered off to a low pattering. Kate couldn’t stand waiting another minute and went in search of Joe and Sam. She found them near the water fountain and announced to no one in particular, “We have to go!”

  Sam looked up at her. “The sheriff said he’d call when it was time.”

  Kate met his eyes. “Sam, Paul’s out there. The weather is still bad, but it’s improved. And I can’t wait any longer.” Her voice rose in intensity.

  Joe nodded his bald head in agreement. “The woman’s right. Let’s get our supplies.”

  Within fifteen minutes, the borrowed van was loaded and ready to go, despite the drizzle that continued to fall. Joe had radioed the ranger and demanded directions to the search area.

  “This is highly irregular,” the ranger said.

  “None of this is regular,” Joe said. “Truth is, Ranger, we’re coming, whether you like it or not. If you want to be looking for another lost party, well that’s on you...”

  Kate was unspeakably thankful for his determination.

  There was a long silence on the other end of the radio, but the ranger finally came back on. “I’ll give you our coordinates.”

  Everyone seemed eager to get back to the search even if it meant a day spent in the cold. Thankfully, they’d brought warm clothes and rain gear. Joe told the driver to head toward Chimney Tops Trail. He knew a path just short of the trailhead that would take them down toward the valley.

  “Pull it over here,” Joe instructed when they neared the section of road where a trail disappeared into the valley below. The driver looked at him as if he were insane.

  “How do you propose to get down the mountain from here?” the portly man asked.

  “I know a way,” Joe insisted.

  “But the trailhead is just yonder.” The driver pointed up the road.

  “Too steep for where we’re going.” Joe shook his head, and the man finally pulled the van against the cliff wall and stopped.

  Everyone piled out, and Joe went to look down into the valley. Kate stood next to him. The grade would be treacherous, and she wondered how the old man would fare on it.

  “Are you sure about this, Joe?” she asked.

  “As sure as I need to be.” His eyes crinkled into a smile just for her.

  Once they were headed down the trail, however, she realized she needn’t have worried about Joe. He was like a mountain goat; his spry seventy-year-old body could handle far more than her own, arthritic knee and all.

  Livvy followed right behind Kate, and Kate could hear her breathing heavily. But Danny was by her side, helping his wife down the rock face and the sometimes-slippery sections of loose gravel. James and Justin followed closely behind.

  The rain had turned the trail to mud, making the trek particularly dangerous. The group struggled to keep from slipping and falling. Rebecca and Eli brought up the rear. Kate noticed that her daughter seemed to be more reserved with the antiques dealer since they left the visitor center. She wasn’t surprised after the exchange she had witnessed. No doubt Rebecca was feeling guilty for betraying Marcus, though that didn’t really make sense. It wasn’t as if the man had been truthful with her. Yet Kate knew her daughter; she was as loyal as a Labrador retriever.

  Shortly after they had begun their hike, a section of the gravel-and-dirt path gave way under Kate’s feet, and she started falling down the slippery trail. She reached for something, anything, as the hillside moved past in a blur of brown, green, and orange. She could feel tree branches and rocks digging into her skin. Finally her hand caught on a sapling. She held on tightly as the two-inch-thick tree bent with her weight. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she realized what could have happened. Eli was quick to save her, helping her to stand.

  “Are you all right, Kate?” he asked, his eyes filled with concern as he looked her over for injuries.

  Kate laughed as her nerves eased. “I almost bought it, Eli!” Aside from being dirty, she had no cuts or broken bones from the fall.

  He smiled at her and held onto her elbow. “I’ll be here to make sure you don’t buy it, okay?” He helped her down the rest of the incline.

  Finally the trail leveled out somewhat, though they were still headed downhill. The group fanned out in a line as they moved along a distant stream that was to their left. The rain pattered on the treetops in a rhythmic sound that was almost soothing. Many of the leaves in this area had fallen so that the forest canopy was an etching of branches against a gray sky.

  “Paul!” the group called. “Marcus!”

  It wasn’t long until they could hear the voices of the search-and-rescue team headed toward them, just at the top of the next ridgeline.

  Kate was happy at the sound of their approach, and she continued to carefully scour her surroundings, looking for any sign of the men. As Ranger Morton’s voice grew clearer, Kate saw something in the distance.

  “What’s that?” she shouted. She hurried to the item, amazed that she’d been able to see something so small in this vast wilderness. Set on the top of a boulder alongside the trail was a small orange bottle with a white cap. She studied it, then grinned. She handed it to Joe, who smiled in return.

  There on the front of the prescription allergy medicine was the name “Paul Hanlon.” Relief welled inside her.

  “He was here!” Joe turned to the others, then held up the bottle for the rest to see.

  “I think he left it for us to find,” Kate said, trusting her husband would continue to leave “breadcrumbs.”

  Joe was looking around for any sign of where Paul might have gone, but by then the rest of the searchers had reached them. Sheriff Roberts was in the lead. He was dressed in rain gear, with a plastic cover over his hat. Joe handed him the bottle, and the sheriff turned it over in his hand before looking up at Kate.

  “He always hated how the stuff made him sleepy,” Kate said, smiling.

  “You think he left this on purpose?” the sheriff asked.

  Kate nodded. “It was sitting on top of a boulder as if he’d set it there intentionally.”

  “But when?” Ranger Morton moved up to inspect the item.

  “The way the rain was coming down last night, it must have been recently,” Kate said hopefully. “The wind would’ve knocked it over otherwise.”

  The ranger glanced around. “Maybe not. Seems pretty sheltered in here.” He paused. “So, why didn’t he stay here if he was so confident that we’d find it?”

  “Maybe he still hasn’t found Marcus,” Rebecca offered.

  Kate glanced at her daughter. Dark circles rimmed her eyes, and her cheeks looked hollow, sunken.

  “Well, either way, we’re dealing with an irrational pattern here,” Ranger Morton said.

  THE SEARCHERS LOOKED for signs of Paul’s trail near the spot where the medicine bottle was found. They spread out fanlike and swept the area for any indication of his presence. Kate prayed th
ey’d find two sets of prints. The thought of Marcus trying to manage on his own was frightening. She knew that Paul had the skills to help the young man survive the cold nights as well as the dangers of wild animals. Paul also knew how to find food in the wilderness. He’d taken their kids camping and hiking regularly during their growing-up years and had taught them the basics of wilderness survival.

  When the film The Adventures of the Wilderness Family came out, he’d already been on a kick to “get back to nature,” as he’d called it, though Kate managed to convince him that she’d never survive in such a rugged environment. If people had been meant to sleep on the ground, she’d said, God would have made it out of feathers.

  Rebecca came alongside Kate, interrupting her musings. Her hair hung in a long ponytail from the back of her Bucs ball cap, and she wore a thick green fleece.

  “I was just thinking about when Dad saw The Adventures of the Wilderness Family,” Kate said.

  Rebecca laughed, and the sound of her voice echoed into the distance.

  “Do you remember how he taught us the proper way to cut down a tree? I thought for sure we’d be building a cabin in the middle of nowhere,” she said. “I could just see you flagging down a bush pilot to take you to the nearest shopping mall!”

  They chuckled together at the memory. Then Rebecca sighed. “I miss him, Mom.”

  “I do too, honey.”

  They grew quiet for a while as they walked and searched with their eyes. The sound of leaves crunched underfoot, and a red squirrel darted away.

  “So,” Kate cleared her throat, “it seems like something’s going on with you and Eli...”

  Rebecca darted a look at her mother. “Is it that obvious?”

  “You seem to like each other’s company.”

  “He’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.” She shrugged.

  “But...?”

  “But I told Marcus that I love him.” She kept her voice low, and Kate sensed that she didn’t want the wind to carry her words to Eli’s ears. “I shouldn’t be attracted to another man.”

  “But you are.” Kate had seen the way they looked at each other, the way they stood close when they talked, as if no one else was in the room. And, of course, she had overheard them talking earlier that day at the visitor center.

  “I guess I just need a friend right now,” Rebecca admitted. “And learning that Marcus lied to me about his name and losing his job, and then wondering why those men were looking for him...well...”

  “It’s shaken your confidence.”

  Rebecca nodded. “Absolutely. Doesn’t it shake yours? I wonder if I ever knew Marcus. And Eli is so...sincere and kind...and honest.”

  She lifted woeful eyes to her mother and went on. “It’s not fair to Marcus. I haven’t had the chance to hear his explanation. Maybe this is all just a big misunderstanding.” She shook her head. “Oh, who am I fooling? I’m too confused right now to even think of Eli as more than a friend, not to mention the fact that he lives here and I live in New York.”

  Kate patted her shoulder. “You’ll figure it out, honey.”

  “I hope so. Sometimes I’m so mad at Marcus, but then I remember the Marcus of a few days ago, and I miss him so much.”

  Just then someone ahead began shouting. Kate and Rebecca glanced at each other and hurried to see what was going on.

  “Kate!” Sam called, his wrinkled face turning up in a smile. “We found a print!”

  Elation bubbled in Kate’s heart. She moved to see where he pointed. Sure enough, there in the mud was a clear boot print.

  “Not two sets?” she checked, but as the words left her mouth, Eli began shouting ahead. Kate met Sam’s eye, and the two of them rushed to the young man.

  “More prints!” he shouted. “And two more granola wrappers.”

  Kate closed her eyes in relief. She moved from one tree to the next, following the path Paul had left as the men followed behind. There were only three wrappers, but it was enough of a sign, along with his prints, to know where he’d headed.

  After examining the first set of prints, Ranger Morton and the other searchers approached Kate. “The prints are headed in two different directions,” he said.

  “Could Paul and Marcus have missed each other?”

  “At this point, that’s my only explanation, unless one of them changed direction. But we can’t tell for sure,” Ranger Morton replied. “What we do know is that these prints are fresh.”

  “So, we split up, then?” Kate asked.

  The ranger nodded. “Seems we’ll have to.”

  “This has to be Paul’s track,” Kate went on. “He’s the only one who would tie granola wrappers to the trees. I’m going to see where it goes.”

  “I’ll go with her,” Sam, Joe, and Eli said at the same time.

  Then Joe spoke again. “We aren’t far from the road, and I know a thing or two about tracking.” He met the ranger’s eyes. “We can radio back if we find anything.”

  The ranger nodded his consent. Finally Sheriff Roberts said, “I’ll come too.”

  So the five climbed toward the Appalachian Trail, east of Clingmans Dome, while Rebecca and the Jenners and the Wilsons kept up their search for Marcus with the ranger and his men.

  Kate and the others had an easy time following the footprints at first, because the boots had left deep impressions in the muddy terrain. But when the path crossed a small stream, the prints disappeared. The group walked up and down the other side of the bank, then finally stopped to talk through where to go next. Kate’s legs ached from walking and her arthritic knee begged for a rest. She sat on a fallen log to allow herself a reprieve.

  “It looks to me like he was headed toward where the Spruce-Fir Nature Trail meets Clingmans Dome Road,” Joe offered.

  “Or he could’ve walked in the stream for a ways,” Sam said. “That would account for us not being able to find footprints.”

  Kate thought it over. After the rain, Paul probably would have been doubly concerned for Marcus’ safety. Perhaps he’d decided he couldn’t find the young man on his own. If that were the case, it would have been logical that he’d have gone to the road, looking for help. . .

  “How far is it to the road?” she asked Joe.

  “I’d say another half mile. Not too bad.”

  Though the way her legs were aching, he may as well have said another six miles. She glanced at the others, who seemed as tired as she felt—especially Sam, who looked a bit pale.

  “You holding up okay, Sam?” she asked.

  He waved a “Don’t worry about me” hand at her and stood back up.

  That half mile was a steep one, with some straight climbs over rocks. Eli helped Kate up the trail. She was glad the young man was so strong.

  When the group finally reached the road, they sank on a boulder alongside the roadbed. Kate’s feet and legs throbbed from all the exertion.

  The men sat down too. She could read the exhaustion in their bodies. Their shoulders drooped, and dark circles ringed their eyes.

  Kate glanced at Eli, who was on her left. He pulled a water bottle from his pack and took a long drink. A part of her wished something more would come of the mutual attraction between him and Rebecca. Kate had such affection for him and, since this experience, a greater degree of respect too. He’d shown himself as a person of character, someone who could be trusted, someone whose faith would challenge Rebecca’s. The fact that he lived in Copper Mill didn’t hurt either.

  “I think we’ve completely lost his trail,” the sheriff was saying. Kate glanced at his somber face. “There were no signs of Paul after we crossed that stream, and I don’t see any evidence that he was on this road.”

  “He could’ve walked along the stream for a while as Sam suggested. It wasn’t more than a few inches deep.” Kate had to admit that the more she thought about it, the more she realized the sheriff was probably right. Paul would have left another sign for them on the road if he had been here. When she voiced her tho
ughts to the group, Eli and Sheriff Roberts decided to walk in opposite directions along the roadbed, looking for just such a sign. That gave Kate the perfect opportunity to rest on a nearby boulder.

  After a good half hour of walking, the men returned to the group and confessed that they hadn’t seen any signs of Paul.

  Eli shook his head. “I think you’re right, Kate. Your husband’s gotta be in those woods.”

  The half-hour rest on the boulder had refreshed Kate. She felt ready to press on with the search. Rising to her feet, she said, “Then let’s radio the others and head back down into the valley.”

  Everyone but Sam stood. Kate turned back to look at him. His face was ghostly pale, and his eyes were closed.

  “Sam, are you okay?” Kate bent over to touch his forehead. He was cold and clammy.

  He nodded but remained motionless.

  “You’re not okay,” Kate finally said. She looked to the other men, fear rising in her throat.

  Sam reached a hand to his chest and laid his palm across his heart. “Just a little...pain,” he managed to get out.

  “How long have you felt this way?” she asked, frowning.

  “A couple days.”

  “A couple days? Oh, Sam. You need to go to a hospital.”

  “It’s nothing...just some pressure.” He placed his hands on the rock to brace himself to stand.

  Kate looked the sheriff in the eye as worry for her friend’s health grew. “Where’s the nearest emergency room?” she asked.

  “I think it’s in Sevierville.”

  “Let’s get an ambulance in here. We’re going to the hospital,” she said.

  “No!” Sam protested. “We need to be here...for Paul.”

  “Paul would never forgive himself if something happened to you while we were out looking for him. You know that, Sam Gorman.” She hadn’t meant to scold him, and yet she couldn’t help herself.

  Sheriff Roberts radioed Sugarlands and ordered them to call for an ambulance immediately, giving the group’s location. “An ambulance will be here any minute now, Sam,” he assured, bending down to feel Sam’s pulse.