This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described herein are imaginary and are not intended to refer to specific places or living persons. The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.
Faithful Shadow
All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2012 Kevin J. Howard
v1.0
Cover Photo © 2012 JupiterImages Corporation. All rights reserved -
used with permission.
This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
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This book is dedicated to my wife and children.
My wife Melissa never stopped believing in my abilities,
and my children inspire me to write every day.
KYLIE PAIGE HOWARD, age seven;
LOGAN ANTHONY HOWARD, age five;
To my best friend Justin Van Uden for shaping and molding
this twisted brain of mine for over twenty-seven years.
To Hillary and Luke Melin for offering unconditional
support, wisdom, and for always being there to offer a
different way to view the world. To my parents, Barbara
and Keith, for bringing me into this world and keeping
me alive. To my sisters Kimberly and Karie.
1
“Are you going to help me or not?” Emily Locke stood over the misshapen tent with a set of poles in her hands. “It’s getting dark, Alex.”
“Keep your panties on.” Alex Boone was getting frustrated; squatting over the pathetic excuse of a flame he’d been working on for over twenty minutes. “Come on you bastard.” Alex shoved some crumpled paper into the flame, cupping his hands around it, blowing gently in the hopes of feeding the fire. “I swear to God, this shit never works when I want it too.”
Emily squatted behind Alex, wrapping her arm around his shoulders while casually setting the poles down before him in the dirt. She nibbled on his ear, the one sure way to get his fire roaring. He lifted his head up to the sky and closed his eyes, allowing her full range of his neck.
“You know, this would be a whole lot sweeter in a nice, dry tent.”
“You have a very annoying, yet sexy habit of nagging.” Alex turned and kissed her, enjoying their first camping trip all the more. “Fine, I’ll put up the damn tent.”
“Did you remember to call your mom and tell her we made it?”
“There’s no reception way the hell out here.”
Emily pulled her cell phone from her pocket and grunted, no bars just as Alex had said. Emily leaned back and allowed him to stand, smacking his ass playfully as he passed with the poles lying across his arms. She looked back at the sad excuse of a flame and inhaled the subtle breeze filled with the strong scent of ash and burning wood. Their camping spot above Fairy Falls gave them the perfect vantage point to view the massive fire in the distance, consuming millions of acres in Yellowstone. As tragic as it was to see a national treasure burn, she sure as hell wasn’t going to pass up this camping trip. Not when she knew how close Alex was to popping the question; he didn’t know the woods would be on fire when he made the reservations six months ago. No question about it, this was an important trip.
“Do you really think we need this fire? They told us not to have one outside of a fire pit.”
“I put stones all around the wood, it’s contained. Don’t forget, your man is a rugged woodsman.” Alex bent the poles between his hands, grunting as if it took a lot of effort. “Besides, do you really want to eat your wieners cold?”
“The faster you put that tent up, the sooner I can eat a hot wiener.”
“Damn, girl.”
Alex laid the tent flat and slid the poles across the top and through the loops, securing the tips into the brass holes at the tent’s base and then stood it up. He stepped back and folded his arms, glad at least one thing was working the way it should. Alex turned to share his architectural genius with Emily, only to discover she wasn’t there. Before he could say her name, a pair of familiar hands slipped into his front pockets.
“Come on big boy, let’s hit the tent.” Emily turned him around and planted a passionate kiss on his lips. She slid a firm hand behind his head and held him, loving the warmth of his lips.
Alex pulled Emily in and led her into the tent. He laid her gently to the floor, sweeping the sleeping bags and duffle bags out of the way. Alex turned and zipped up the tent, falling on her with a little laugh and a brief spat of tickling that turned into a slow lingering touch. She let out a soft moan and tugged at his belt, eager to have him. Their lips met and they were locked in a long bout of heated passion.
“Wait.” Emily looked past his shoulder to the top of the tent. “What was that?”
“What are you talking about?” Alex only took a few seconds of interest before moving back to her lips, but she pulled away. “What is it?”
“I heard something?” Emily tilted her head and listened.
“It’s probably some kind of animal. We are in the woods you know.”
Emily let the heat of the moment get the better of her. She grabbed Alex by the back of his head and pulled him in, letting her nerves settle as Alex kissed her. She heard the rustling in the bushes behind them, but this time dismissed it. Alex was right; they were in the middle of the forest after all, a place where everything was moving almost all the time.
Emily screamed as the tent began moving, dragging them through the woods. Alex and Emily tumbled helplessly about inside, rocks and branches digging into them as they were pulled over it. Emily smacked her face against Alex’s knee, shattering her nose. The pain was excruciating, but it was overshadowed by the sheer terror of being carted off into the unknown. Suddenly the movement stopped.
“Oh my God.” Emily mumbled over and over, lying on her side while shivering uncontrollably and the taste of her own blood filled her mouth.
Alex lay silent, incapable of moving. Never in his life had he been so scared, his heart beating inside his head. A few seconds passed without a noise, nothing but a random breeze rustling the thin fabric of the tent. He’d built up the courage to sit up, searching the dark interior of the tent for a flashlight, or anything that could be used as a weapon. He was almost positive they’d been dragged by some kind of animal, perhaps caught on a deer’s antler. He prayed that was the case, because a scared animal would just scurry off the second it was free of their tent. It had to be, because no human could drag them along at such a speed. His nerves were slightly calmed.
“I found the zipper.” Alex whispered, his voice choked with tears. “Stay inside, I’m going to make sure the coast is clear.”
“Please don’t go out there!” Emily grabbed his arm, squeezing tight. “You can’t go out there. Don’t leave me alone.”
“I’m just going to make sure the animal isn’t hurt.”
“Animal?” Emily nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Okay, yeah. Like a buffalo?”
“I’m sure we
just got snagged on its horn.” Alex gave her a hard hug, offering comfort even he wasn’t sure he had. He held her a moment, giving a final squeeze before turning back to the front of the tent. “I’ll be back in just a second, I promise.”
“Okay.” Emily began to cry, not wanting to let him go but too terrified to know what else to do.
Alex lingered a moment, unsure if he really wanted to go outside. He gripped the zipper and pulled it down, letting out a yelp of surprise as he was knocked from the tent, falling hard to the damp grass of the forest. Alex turned and watched in horror as the tent was pulled deeper into the forest, Emily trapped inside, screaming his name.
“Emily!” Alex jumped to his feet and ran after her, running harder than he ever had in his life. He watched as the tent was pulled down into the ground, her screaming voice muffled. Alex dropped to his knees and leaned over the hole, screaming down into the darkness for the love of his life, but she never answered back. “Emily, answer me, please. Emily!” Alex begged, crying like a lost child.
Out of the darkness beneath him, two glowing spheres looked up at him, followed by a deep growl. Running on fear and scared out of his mind, Alex sprinted into the woods without supplies or direction. Otherwise he would have never left her. But he had to. Alex looked behind him, crying uncontrollably out of fear and guilt, stumbled over a tree root and skidded along the ground to a rough stop. Those same glowing spheres were locked on him and tracking his movement. Whatever had taken his Emily was now after him, watching him.
2
God, he needed a drink. Joe’s hands were already shaking as the morning sun began to climb over the horizon. He could feel that familiar headache creeping forth from the depths of his brain. But nature called and Joseph Rand had the deepest respect for nature. He was a park ranger; it went with the job description. But there was more to it than just understanding nature’s lack of compassion and even empathy when it came to matters of human intrusion. That’s why Joe’s primary responsibility wasn’t to protect the park from man, but to protect the morons from the raw power of nature.
Far too often he had been the first on the scene of a horrible mauling, or a tourist stepping off the path. Too many drunken idiots had slipped into a river or tried to feed the bears. His number one annoyance—other than the smokers of course—were the goddamn speeders. Why hurry in a National Park? Why even come here if you just want to rush through? Most people who come to the park never leave the main road. Something like only three percent of all yearly travelers got out of their cars and hiked into the back country. Probably a good thing the percentage was so low. Too often they received reports of missing travelers, or stumble upon mountains of litter these idiots were too tired or hung-over to carry back with them.
Joe saw the trouble up ahead, same old scene—an animal carcass lying on its side and a smashed vehicle abandoned on the highway shoulder. Joe pulled in behind the car with the crumpled hood, killing his engine with a sigh. Not the way he had planned to start his morning. He leaned to the right and opened the glove box, shuffling through the papers until he gripped the cool amber glass of his flask. He ducked down beneath the dash and took a quick sip; just a little morning comfort before he started another hard day. Joe slipped the flask into the inside pocket of his jacket as he straightened in his seat.
“Good morning.” Ranger Juarez waved as she came around the front of the car. “Nothing like an early start to mayhem.”
Joe smiled, enjoying his morning all the more now that Rita Juarez was involved. She’d been working with him at the Old Faithful ranger station for the past three years; the seven years before that she’d been over at Canyon. She was thin and short, very sweet but also very stern. She could comfort a frightened motorist while turning toward a raging drunk on the verge of a brawl. Joe was easily attracted to her, but he would never pursue it. He figured a few witty remarks and occasional glances were the best he could hope for. Besides, he was old enough to be her father.
“Where’s the driver?” Joe asked as he stepped out of his truck.
“Had him taken over to Lake. He had some minor injuries, sore neck and all.” Rita motioned with her hand at the car’s nearly flattened hood. “Boy’s lucky this is the worst of it.”
“Looks like this elk wasn’t quite so lucky.” Joe bent down over the mutilated carcass, guessing from the growth of its antlers that the creature had been a young buck. Joe touched the only part of the elk that wasn’t matted with blood and tissue, giving the poor creature a gentle pat. “Sorry fella.” He gripped the elk by the head and pulled it over onto the shoulder.
“Listen, I wanted to tell you how sorry I am to hear about Ryan. I hope I’m not being too forward.” She felt bad, looking at the tension in his shoulders and the sadness in his eyes.
“Yeah…” Joe closed his eyes as he stood, working hard to keep a professional front. He turned to Rita and forced a smile. “Thank you, but I’m doing okay.”
Rita knew a tortured soul when she saw one, but she wasn’t going to pry. Joe was her superior and the death of one’s son was far too touchy to risk a blow out. She gave a single nod and hurried off to the back of her truck. This was a procedure she’d gone through far too many times. She pulled out the cones and began setting them around the accident, agitated that this young man had chosen a sharp curve to hit the elk rather than a straight shot of road. But accidents were never accommodating. She set the last cone down and looked up, spying Jackson’s unmistakable tow truck heading toward them.
“Have you been shooting tourists again?” Jackson laughed as he pulled up beside her. “Looks like you need to work on your aim.”
“Maybe I need bigger targets.” Rita smacked the passenger side door of the tow truck.
“Ouch.” Jackson smiled, giving her a wink. “Now if you don’t mind, I’ll be pulling out my hook. Wanna help?”
“Get to work, jackass.” Rita stepped back as he drove toward the front of the vehicle, backing up as best he could without running over the elk. “Such a sad affair.” Rita shook her head.
“Whatever. Stupid ass tourists going way too fast on these roads.” Jackson hopped out of the truck and grabbed the towing cable. “Probably texting.” He got down on his knees and attached the hook.
“It was an employee’s car,” Rita said, feeling the comments were undeserved.
Joe shook his head, looking from the crumpled hood to the dead animal. It had become a tradition of his to give a little speech at the new employee orientation every May. He started it off the same way every time, a slide show that began with a photo taken from one of the worst car accidents he’d ever seen within the park. An employee working in Mammoth had taken a drive after a few too many drinks. He’d turned a corner and plowed right into a herd of buffalo as it was crossing the road. The car was smashed like a pancake. Joe took in the new employees’ stunned silence and added another bit of shock. He told them that every year, every single year since he’d been there, he’d had to place one employee in a body bag. Whether from a car accident, falling, drowning, or an animal goring, every year someone is killed. The warning faded from their minds after the first solid month of casual sex and drinking. Still, looking at the hood of this young man’s car, Joe thought he’d come close to fulfilling his yearly quota.
“It’s going to be a very long day.” Joe lifted his face up to the morning sun, watching it make its way up into the sky. “Have this towed over to Fishing Bridge,” Joe instructed Jackson. “Rita, please inform the driver of the vehicle’s location and take a statement.”
“Will do.” Rita gave a tip of her hat and was off. She got into her truck and did a slow U-turn, giving Jackson the middle finger as he gave her a suggestive wink.
Joe went back to his truck and watched Jackson work, shaking his head. This was just nature’s way of reminding them that they were in its domain. Fast machines weigh
ing four thousand pounds mean dick against nature. Sad the poor elk had to lose its life to remind the employee not to be such an ass. But such is life.
3
This was exactly why she’d decided to come up here in the first place. The morning sun’s rays seeped through the curtain and spread across the floor of her cabin. Kelly Foster sat on her bed, tying her new running shoes with the cushion of air built right into the soles. She was excited to try them out. She and her roommate, Sonia, had driven into Bozeman yesterday morning for some much-needed shopping. Who would have ever imagined that spending three hours in a podunk town like Bozeman would feel like a day at Disneyland? Of course when the small stores throughout the park charge five dollars for a stick of gum, a two-hour drive is worth it.
“Sure you won’t come with?” Kelly asked as she stood, hopping up and down to warm up her legs.
Sonia rolled onto her back and opened her eyes, scowling at her. “Are you insane? It’s still dark out.”
“Sun’s coming up.”
“No,” Sonia groaned as she rolled onto her side, facing the wall.
“Suit yourself.”
Kelly opened the door to their cabin and stood for a moment, closing her eyes as she took her first deep breath of fresh air. It’s her ritual, something she does to usher in a good day. With a final look back at her roommate, Kelly shut the door and began her walk; a brisk walk from her cabin, past the inn, and through the parking lot. Once she reached the tourist cabins across the street where the trail started, she’d break out into a light jog. There was no traffic this early in the morning, nothing to break her stride as she hurried through the nearly empty parking lot. Not too many tourists staying at the inn, given the state of things. Kelly looked up at the unnatural redness of the morning sun shining through the black smoke of the fire. She shook her head, angry that such a tragedy should befall the park the one year she’d decided to work there. It was a family tradition for the Foster clan. Her mother and father had first met working there. Her brother Phil had even worked there, but he had entirely different reasons for making the trip. He once told her it was the best place to sell pot since the market was virtually wide open. Kelly had come for the beauty of nature, the peace, and experience. It would be so sad if her time here were cut short by the fire and horrible if the uncontrolled burn made it to the inn.
Faithful Shadow Page 1
