He held out a hand, stopping her. Pointing to the ground, he said, See this?
She stooped down to look closer and could make out a faint impression. What is it?
Not sure. Could be the pad print of a mammal, like a fox, cat or raccoon. Or even a porcupine. His voice hardened. Or the heel of a boot.
A shiver of apprehension shimmied down her back. She bent to inspect the liquid and the surrounding earth. Either this fluid has been flowing for a long time or someone has made a shallow trench.
She hated that someone had deliberately funneled toxins into the lake. She couldnt imagine for what purpose other than to poison the water. Someone who would have such little regard for the environment and human life wouldnt think twice about killing them. A ribbon of fear snaked through her, raising the fine hairs at her nape.
In a low crouch, Jeff searched the ground in a wide radius. Thats the only impression I see.
Is that good or bad?
Shrugging, he straightened. Both. Other than right next to the moist dirt, the ground is dry and solid. The dead leaves and fallen branches create a barrier, so the soil isnt exposed enough for more prints. But that doesnt mean we cant tell if an animal or a person passed through the forest duff.
He pointed out a broken twig. Something came this way.
Tessas anxiety kicked up, making her tightly strung nerves even more taut. The forest grew thicker, more oppressive the farther they ventured in. She pointed to their left, where the leaves of the forest floor had been disturbed. And went that way.
They pressed on. Jeff halted abruptly, putting a hand out to gently touch her arm.
Apprehension crawled up her neck. Her mouth went dry. What?
He glanced around, behind them to the sides. I dont know. I thought I heard something.
They stood still and silent for a long moment, letting the sounds of the forest settle. Tessa clenched her hands tight to keep from reaching for Jeff.
A bird chirped high in a tree off to the right.
A chipmunk scurried out of the bushes and darted past them.
Some of the tension visibly drained from Jeff. Tessa reached for her water bottle and drank a few sips to relieve the dryness in her throat. But the lukewarm water did nothing to ease the strain wreaking havoc on her system. They pressed on. Fatigue pulled at the muscles in her legs, making the journey more labored.
Jeff broke the silence. Whered you grow up?
She slanted him a quick look. Chicago. You?
Seattle. Do you have a boyfriend?
Her steps faltered. Thats a little personal, dont you think?
Is it? Seems like a reasonable question to ask someone youre running for your life with.
Does it matter?
Not to me, he said. Just a question.
For some reason his answer annoyed her. Why wouldnt you ask if I was married?
He reached out to help her over a branch that lay across their path. You dont wear a ring.
Placing her hand in his, Tessa stared, fascinated with the way his bigger, stronger hand engulfed her smaller one and by the contrast in their skin tone. Her white skin, dotted with freckles, was a trait handed down by her Irish heritage.
His suntanned, olive skin was earned protecting the border, but she wondered what he did on his days off. What were his hobbies, his passions? Did he have a family? She gave herself a mental shake. What was she doing? His personal life was none of her business. She yanked her gaze to his face and stepped over the branch. Neither do you.
Releasing his hold on her, he moved away. Which means Im not married.
She hurried to stay in step with him. Some guys dont wear rings.
Neither do some women. But I would if I was. But Im not. He arched an eyebrow. So?
She clenched her hand around her water bottle. Not that its any of your business, but no, I dont have a boyfriend. Do you have a girlfriend?
No time for one. Whats your excuse?
She let out a wry laugh. The same, I suppose. Seemed they both had reasons for not being in a relationship, reasons that, apparently, neither cared to share.
What do your parents do?
She frowned. She didnt like discussing her family. Jeff glanced at her, clearly waiting for her answer. When she didnt respond, he stopped and glanced around. This would be a good time for a break.
He led the way to a fallen maple and sat. He accepted the snack bar she offered and continued to stare at her as he ate. She wondered if he used the silent stare as an interrogation tactic.
She sighed and sat on the ground with her back against a tree. Dads a lawyer. Mom owns a floral-design shop. Yours?
Doctors.
The clipped way he answered sounded almost derisive. Interesting. Two could indulge in a little interrogation. She knew how to cross-examine. Shed certainly been on the receiving end of her fathers inquiries enough. She leaned forward and placed her elbows on her knees. What type?
He crossed his arms over his chest. Dads a cardiologist and a professor at the University of Washingtons medical school. Moms a neurosurgeon.
Impressive. Those are specialized practices. How come you didnt go into medicine?
He scoffed, Not my forte. Why did you become a fish biologist?
That was an easy question. One she was often asked. I grew up in the city but longed to be outdoors. I knew early I wanted to work for the Forest Service. After receiving my B.S. in environmental studies, I went on to get my masters in water science, then my Ph.D. in ecology.
Your parents must be proud of you, he said.
She shrugged, wincing inwardly at the shaft of hurt tearing through her. I suppose.
She was loath to admit she didnt have much of a relationship with either one of her parents so had no idea if they were proud or not. Neither had ever said the words to her.
He leaned forward, studying her as if she were a bacterium in a petri dish. You dont know?
Mom thinks I should get married and have babies. Dads glad I have a job. That was about as close to an affirmation from him as shed get. Dad was a perfectionist who expected everyone else to live up to the same standards that he had set for himself regardless how impossible. Few people could keep up verbally with her father. A great trait in a lawyer, but not so much in a father or, apparently, a husband.
Thats pretty typical, isnt it?
She tucked in her chin. Why? Because Im female? Arent you getting pressure from your mom to settle down and give her grandchildren?
He gave a resigned shake of his head. No. My mom didnt have time for her own kid. She certainly wouldnt have time for grandchildren. I doubt shes given it any thought.
What do you mean, she didnt have time for you? What kind of father would Jeff be? Involved and committed or one who showed up late or not at all, like her dad?
Doctors, remember? He rose and placed the strap of her duffel across his body. Their patients came first. Always.
Though his tone was even, she detected a hint of pain underlying his words. Her heart cramped with empathy. She scrambled to her feet. Are your parents still together?
Yep. Nearly forty years. They still live in the same house.
Yep. Nearly forty years. They still live in the same house.
Wow, good for them.
He gave her a quick glance, then set off again.
She caught up to him. Not many married couples stay together that long anymore. Marriage commitment doesnt seem to matter.
He appeared to be rolling her words around in his mind. Yeah. I guess youre right. Ive never thought about it that way. What about yours?
Sadness invaded her chest. Dad lives in a high-rise in Chicago and Mom moved to the Florida coast years ago.
He glanced at her. When did they divorce?
When I was five. Each has been married a couple times more since then. New family units built. A new set of stepparents, and sometimes stepsiblings, to reject her, making her feel so very alone and unacceptable.
Thats rough.
Yeah, it was. But I made it to adulthood in one piece. But not without scars.
The terrain climbed. Tessas lungs grew tight from the change in altitude and the labor of their hike. She consulted the compass. They were on track, though the woods grew denser and more overgrown. The tangled tree branches overhead kept the forest shrouded in shadows and made the air cooler as the afternoon turned to dusk. Autumn temperatures in the Cascades could dip into the teens after dark. She hoped they found their way out before then. She didnt relish the idea of spending the night in the forest.
Hey, hold up a sec, Tessa said. I need something from my bag.
She moved to stand in front of him and couldnt help noticing the stubble on his firm, square jaw, or the width of his shoulders. They looked like they were made to carry heavy burdens. Her attraction to him was growing with every step they took. Why? She wasnt sure.
Maybe deep down in places she hated to examine, she was lonely.
But crushing after only a few hours with him was absurd. She didnt want to be attracted to Agent Steele. She wanted to be professional, to earn his respect. But being shot at and forced to hide in the woods werent exactly circumstances that led to professionalism.
Frustrated with herself, she used more force than necessary to unzip the duffel and retrieve her lightweight hoodie. She yanked it over her head, thankful for the extra layer of warmth.
A rustling in the bushes off to the right drew her focus. The leaves of the shrubs danced. Something moved through the brush. Something bigger than a chipmunk. A lot bigger. A knot of dread tightened her chest. Somethings in there.
Jeff touched her arm and whispered, Behind the trees.
He motioned to their left, where a grouping of alder grew together, their trunks nearly touching, their branches interwoven in an embrace. They hurried behind the shelter of the tree trunks.
Tessa held her breath. Her heart slammed against her ribs. Was it a cougar? Were they being stalked? Or was the predator in the bushes something even more dangerous than an animal protecting its territory?
THREE
A loud guttural noise emanated from the rustling bushes. Alarm zipped through Jeff and raised the hair on his arms. He tucked Tessa safely at his back as they took refuge behind a stand of alder trees. He searched for a weapon other than his sidearm. Shooting an animal would be his last resort.
The large brown head of a bear poked over the top of the bushes.
Its a grizzly. Jeffs stomach sank like a rock in the lake. Whats he doing here?
The creature stomped through the brush, snapping limbs and branches like toothpicks. Dark eyes stared in their direction. Jeff moved farther behind the tree, trying to keep as little of himself visible as possible.
The bear rose onto its back legs, making the beast well over eight feet tall. He lifted his nose in the air.
My bag, Tessa whispered. I have a can of bear spray.
Of course she did. Part of her essentials. Bless her preparedness.
He slipped the strap of her duffel off and laid it on the ground at her feet.
She dug around in the bag and then handed him a long, slender canister. Here.
The spray consisted of hot red pepper and could shoot up to twenty feet. An effective deterrent in the case of an attack. Jeff hoped it wouldnt come to that. He held the can nozzle out, his finger hovering over the button. He kept his gaze to the left of the bear so the animal was in his peripheral vision.
Making eye contact could be perceived as a challenge. He didnt want to give the creature any reason to charge.
Tessa clutched the back of his shirt. Should we climb the tree?
Bears can climb, too, he said softly in a neutral tone. If the bear heard them talking, he didnt want the beast to sense any panic.
Not grizzlies.
I wouldnt want to risk my life on that myth, he said. I saw a YouTube video of a young grizzly that climbed fifty feet up a fir tree.
Her hand tightened on his shirt, pulling the fabric taut against his chest, much like the band of anxiety squeezing his lungs. Then what?
We wait and hope he goes away? he quipped, not sure what their move should be. He rested his free hand on his holstered gun. Taking down a bear with his Heckler & Koch P2000 service weapon wasnt impossible, just improbable. Not the best scenario.
Please, Lord, make the bear go away, Tessa prayed aloud.
Amen to that, he said.
The bear dropped back to all fours, his nose going to the ground. No doubt sniffing their trail, looking for his next meal.
Tension balled in Jeffs gut. Do you have any snack bars left?
A few of them, Tessa said. What are you thinking?
A distraction.
You shouldnt feed the bear. He could get sick from human food.
Would you rather he got sick off this human food? He bumped his fist against his chest. She shook her head vehemently, her eyes wide with fear. Do you have a better idea?
She grabbed four bars from her pack. Here.
Trade places with me. Jeff stepped back to allow Tessa to slip in front of him. Hold the spray. If he moves any closer, use it.
She nodded, her red curls bobbing softly. Shed lost her hat somewhere along the way. The elastic band holding back her hair had slipped almost all the way off. Hugging the tree, she gripped the can with one hand.
Quietly, he slit open the top of the bars, then chucked them to the right behind the bear. The food crashed through the bushes. The bear swung around with a growl. He pawed the ground. Waited a moment, then cantered off in the direction of Tessas snacks.
Jeff snatched up Tessas bag, grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the tree. They hustled in the opposite direction of the grizzly, moving quickly yet trying hard not to make much noise.
Every broken twig, every crunch of dried leaves beneath their feet rang out like the discordant notes of a gong calling the grizzly to his dinner feast. They continued onward, keeping parallel to the toxic runoff, but staying where the trees and bushes provided some cover.
Twenty minutes later, Tessa tugged her hand free from Jeffs. I dont think he followed us.
Jeff drew to a halt and listened. The noises of the forest whispered over him. A bird flapping its wings in the trees. The rustle of branches in the early-evening breeze. And an out-of-place humming sound.