Part 5 (1/2)
”Can we a.s.semble it in the tree?” She smiled, but her tone was half-serious.
”You'll be fine. I brought wind chimes to make a racket, and you've got Oscar to protect you. They may be curious and check you out, and that's okay. Kipp wants that to happen so he can video them for the doc.u.mentary.” He dumped the little dog out of his backpack. Oscar went to Haley and jumped into her lap.
”I'll gather some wood,” Augusta said.
”I brought some protein bars.” Haley rummaged in her pack. ”Anyone else want one?”
”I'll take one.” Tank knelt to begin a.s.sembling the tent.
Haley stroked the dog's head while her grandmother began to pick up wood. Haley's steady gaze never left Tank as he put their tents together. He piled rocks into a firepit.
”Why do we need a fire? It feels pretty warm today,” she said.
”The smell will tell the bears we're here and keep the mosquitoes bearable, no pun intended.” He grinned.
Her nervous laugh was too loud. Her gaze darted toward the thick forest of spruce. Was that a shudder? She didn't say anything, but she got up and began to pick up small logs at the edge of the clearing, though he noticed she didn't step into the forest itself. The pile she started by the firepit grew steadily. Dusting her hands on her jeans, she sat on a log. ”Anything else?”
Before he could answer, a shriek rang out. It sounded like Augusta. The sheer horror in her voice made him fumble for the can of bear spray fastened to his waist. ”Stay here!” he told Haley.
”Augusta!” She already had her can of bear spray in her hand. Though her eyes were dark and wide with terror, she s.n.a.t.c.hed up her walking stick and ran after him. She matched him step for step as he ran toward the river. Brambles barred their path, and he thrashed through them and held them back for Haley. They broke free from the th.o.r.n.y shrubs and stumbled onto the mud that surrounded the river.
Augusta stood with her hands over her eyes. Kipp and Denny stood with their arms over their chests. They were staring at something on the ground. Haley ran to her grandmother, and Augusta turned into Haley's embrace.
”What's wrong?” Tank demanded. The men's ashen faces turned toward him. He paused to look around but saw no immediate danger. No bear or anything else threatening, just the gurgling river.
Denny wet his lips and pointed to the ground. ”I think a bear got him.”
”Stay here,” Tank told Haley. He stepped past the men and looked at the figure on the ground. There wasn't much left of the man. Tank forced himself to stoop and examine the pitiful remains. From the prints around it and the evidence in front of him, Tank knew Denny's a.s.sessment was correct-a bear had attacked the man.
The bear had also partially buried the remains. Tank carefully dug around the body to reveal the face. He inhaled sharply. Joe Wooten. No wonder no one had seen the doctor for a few days.
”Who is it?” Kipp knelt beside him. He seemed to have recovered his composure.
”A doctor from town. I need to call Chet Gillespie, the trooper. I'll have to hike back to the cabin and use the radio.”
”We brought a satellite phone,” Denny put in.
That would save him a two-hour hike. Tank stood. ”Show me. Stay away from the site.”
”You don't have to tell me twice,” Denny muttered.
They all went back to camp, and Tank placed the call to Chet's office. His father-in-law wasn't in, so he left a message on the machine. When he hung up, he found Denny and Kipp taking down the tents they'd put up.
”You heading back to the cabin?” Tank asked. Kipp shook his head. ”We'll join you off the path.”
His voice was deadpan, and he didn't look at Tank.
Tank decided not to comment or say, ”I told you so.”
Maybe Kipp had learned a valuable lesson about bears today. ”There's a clearing over here.” He led the way to the meadow, where he found the women trying to get a fire started. Haley had a book in her hand that she was referring to. She laid the book down and picked up the axe and a piece of wood.
She pressed the blade on the wood. ”It says to shave off small slivers, but this isn't working very well.”
”You need some kindling and paper at the bottom.” He took the axe and shaved slivers of wood from the driest log he could find and layered the kindling on top of the paper, then finally stacked logs on top. He was conscious of Haley's interested gaze.
”Making a fire looks like an art form,” Haley said. ”I would have figured it out though. The book had step-by-step instructions.”
”Better to learn from someone directly than to read it in a book,” he said.
”Don't you like to read?”
”Not really. I'd rather be out doing than have my nose stuck in a book.”
”Everything I need to know can be found in a book.”
”You must like to play it safe.”
”There's nothing wrong with safety.” She clasped her arms around herself.
”There is if it keeps you from really living.” The newspaper flared and began to crackle. Moments later, the kindling took fire.
”I enjoy my life. I'm perfectly safe and happy in Phoenix.”
Her words were a sharp reminder that she didn't belong here. He studied her face a moment, noting her paleness, as her gaze darted to the woods beginning to deepen with shadows.
”The wilderness has a compelling beauty if you take time to see it.”
”It's savage and horrifying,” she said. ”I don't know how you stand to live here. And what about Brooke? What kind of life is it for her to grow up with no friends? Don't you worry about some kind of animal hurting her?”
”Now you sound like my sister-in-law,” he said grimly. Tank clamped down on the anger that began to rise. ”Brooke is happy and loves the woods.”
”What about her musical ability? Libby says she has an amazing talent.”
”And she has the best possible teacher in Libby. When she's ready, she can go to Juilliard or somewhere good.” That day was eons away. Light years. He wouldn't lose his daughter for a long, long time.
”But what about your sister-in-law? She disagrees?”
”You might say that. She's suing for custody.”
Haley put her hand to her mouth. ”I'm sorry. That must be difficult for you. But surely she won't succeed.”
”She has the judge in her pocket. There's no telling what will happen. But she's not taking my daughter.”
”I believe you. You look ferocious.” She clasped her arms around herself. ”I could never live out here.”
He wondered why she was so afraid. It was none of his business though. He turned to Kipp. ”If you all want to rest for a while, I'm going to go try to catch some fish for supper. Chet should be here in a little while.”