Backwoods (6 page)

“Did you try calling out to her?” she asked Brooke.

“No one answered,” Brooke said.

They waited at the edge of the trees, dripping wet. This side of the lake was cloaked in shadow, and it made all the difference. The temperature was ten degrees cooler. Abby shivered in the cool air, her skin and hair damp.

“How many screams did you hear?” Abby asked.

“Two. I’m not sure where they came from.” Brooke wrapped her arms around her body, glancing over her shoulder.

Abby studied their surroundings. It was called Echo Lake for a reason. The granite rock formations caused sound to bounce off in all directions. She could have sworn the cries rang out from here, but she wasn’t sure. “Could an animal make that noise?”

“Maybe a mountain lion.”

“It sounded like a woman.”

“Or a girl,” Brooke said quietly.

Abby remembered the drowning victim’s age: seventeen. The missing hiker was twenty-five, the lost girlfriend twenty-one.

Brooke wasn’t the type to sit on the sidelines. She searched the branches by the shore and picked up two hefty sticks. Passing one to Abby, she tilted her head toward the woods. Abby debated the wisdom of following the men, but she couldn’t stop Brooke from going, and she wanted to stay together.

Brooke tiptoed into the foliage, stealthy and silent. Abby crept close behind, wincing as her bare foot encountered a sharp rock. They inched forward, ears and eyes peeled. Abby saw no signs of humans or large animals. She heard no sounds, other than birds chirping and lizards rustling through the leaves.

Brooke continued through a small clearing. They were straying too far from the lakeshore, but Abby kept moving. She squinted at a strange shape in the trees ahead. Insects swarmed in a dark cloud. Her nostrils tickled with a muddy, metallic smell. She became aware of a stretching sound, like swaying rope.

“Ugh,” Brooke said, wrinkling her nose.

Abby pushed past Brooke to see. Her stomach dropped as she examined the gory scene. A full-sized deer hung from the tree, eviscerated. Its entrails lay in a neat pile on the leaves. Blood dripped from the flayed belly, streaking the animal’s dark fur.

Nathan and Leo entered the clearing a moment later. When Leo saw the hanging deer, his handsome face went gray. He stumbled away and retched in the bushes.

Nathan gave him a disgusted look. “Pull yourself together, Leo.”

Abby couldn’t believe he’d criticize his son for getting sick at a time like this. Brooke threw down her stick and went to see if Leo needed help. He shrugged off her attempts to rub his shoulder.

“It’s fresh,” Nathan said, inspecting the deer.

Abby stepped forward to investigate.

“They took the choice cuts and left the rest. That’s illegal.”

She noted the missing chunks at the animal’s sides. “Those hikers, you think?”

“Maybe.”

“What about the screams?” Brooke asked.

“We didn’t see anyone,” Nathan said.

“Neither did we,” Abby said.

“A mountain lion can scream like that,” Brooke said.

Nathan nodded. “They’re drawn to the smell of blood.”

Abby glanced around the woods, studying the dark shadows as if a big cat might spring from the depths at any moment. “Let’s get out of here.”

CHAPTER SIX

T
HE
TRIP
AROUND
the lake took a lot longer than the swim across.

As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, the temperature dropped into the 70s. Comfortable for hiking, if they weren’t wet, half-naked and barefoot. Nathan’s shorts were soaked. He’d have suggested swimming back, but they were all cold, and Leo was still pale. Nathan didn’t want him to throw up again.

The sight of the hanging deer brought back old memories. Nathan had hunted with his father in the woods of Wisconsin, where he’d grown up. He hadn’t enjoyed the sport. He’d always felt a little queasy, pulling the trigger. Dressing the kill was no picnic, either. He’d never complained, of course. His dad would have cuffed him for whining or showing weakness.

He felt disloyal for remembering his father that way, as if being strict was a crime. Maybe it was, in California. Now Conrad Strom was dead and gone. Former military, he’d been tough as nails, unaffectionate and slow to praise. A parent from another era. But there was nothing wrong with a man wanting his son to be strong.

Was there?

Nathan owed a lot of his success in baseball to his stern Midwestern upbringing. If his dad hadn’t pushed so hard, Nathan wouldn’t have achieved half as much. He’d been drafted into the minor league right out of high school. His father had encouraged him to reach for the stars. Whenever Nathan tried to do the same for Leo, it backfired.

This whole situation was a mess. One minute he was palling around with Leo and getting cozy with Abby. The next, he was creeping through the woods with a club, searching for a screaming girl.

Maybe he’d needed an interruption. His comments to Abby had been too suggestive. After a few minutes in her company, he’d forgotten his vow to keep his distance. She was just so...beautiful. Her curves made his mouth water and his palms itch. In his defense, he hadn’t gotten laid in a
really long time
.

It was more than that, though. They had great sexual chemistry, but he liked her personality. She had depth. If she’d been vapid or conceited or shrill, his urge to fuck her would have faded already. Instead, it kept growing with every smile he coaxed from her, every laugh that escaped her lips.

Damn.

She seemed interested, too. He assumed she was single. Her signals weren’t so obvious that he knew he could score with her. With some women, he could tell right away. Others were more of a challenge. Abby was the type he’d have to work for.

But never mind that. He wasn’t here to put the moves on Abby. His main priority was bonding with Leo. He wanted to be a better father. When this trip was over and they were back in San Diego, he could call Abby. Unless he kept making a jerk of himself and ruining his chances, which was possible.

Anyway, he had other things to worry about. Lawbreaking hunters and strange sounds and gutted animals. Nathan held the tree branch in a firm grip, just in case. He didn’t want to tangle with a hungry mountain lion.

When they reached the other side of the lake, he drew in a sharp breath. Their backpacks had been tampered with. Zippers and pockets were gaping open. A few stray items were strewn across the sand.

“Son of a bitch,” he said, tightening his grip on the club. They’d been robbed! “Check to see what’s missing.”

While Nathan stood watch, the others searched the packs.

“My cell phone’s gone,” Brooke reported.

Abby’s eyes widened with dismay.

“At least it’s my backup, so there’s no information to hack.”

“Why would they steal a phone they can’t use?” Abby asked.

“They can wipe it and sell it,” Leo said.

Nathan narrowed his gaze at the trees along the trail. Those long-haired creeps had drawn them away from their belongings to rob them. He didn’t know who or what had made the screaming sound. This was some sneaky, sinister shit.

“My stuff is all here,” Abby said. “I didn’t bring any money.”

“I did,” Nathan said. “It was in the side pocket.”

She reached into the zippered pouch of his pack and pulled out an empty clip. The wad of cash was gone.

“Fuck,” he muttered, raking a hand through his hair.

“How much was it?” she asked.

“Three hundred.”

Leo snorted at Nathan’s stupidity. “There goes our fancy dinner at that four-star restaurant down the trail.”

Nathan didn’t bother to respond. He always carried cash for emergencies, and it was a trifling amount. When they were done looking for missing items, Brooke reorganized the backpacks and they put on their discarded clothes.

“What should we do?” Abby asked.

“We have to make camp,” Brooke said. “It will be dark soon.”

Abby studied the trail, her lips trembling. It went without saying that this situation freaked her out.

“They’re gone,” Nathan said.

“What if they come back?”

“They won’t. We don’t have anything left to steal.”

This logic didn’t appear to convince her.

Nathan tried again. “Fresh venison is worth more than my cash and Brooke’s phone. In this weather, they have to get it to cold storage right away.”

“How do you know?”

“I’ve hunted before. Meat has to be kept at forty degrees. The nightly lows have been in the fifties.”

Abby exchanged a nervous glance with Brooke. “They might have a cooler.”

“No. Ice is too heavy to hike in, and it won’t last a day out here. The lake isn’t cold enough, either.”

She blinked a few times, close to tears. “I want to go to the cabin.”

“Mom,” Brooke said in warning tone.

Leo stayed silent, as if he had no opinion either way.

“Three young women have disappeared in this area,” Abby said in a rush. “One right here at the lake.”

“She drowned,” Brooke said.

“They didn’t find a body.”

“You’re overreacting! They’re thieves, not serial killers.”

Abby flinched at the accusation, crossing her arms over her chest. Her anxiety seemed like a direct response to Brooke’s nonchalance. Abby had to be twice as careful to make up for her daughter’s lack of fear.

Nathan fell somewhere in the middle. He doubted the hunters were a serious threat, but he’d been wrong before. “Whatever they are, they’ll be on that trail. It’s the quickest way back to Monarch. If they think we’re following them, they might get defensive. Camping here is the safest option.”

“I don’t know,” Abby said.

“My dad and I can take turns keeping watch tonight,” Leo offered.

It was a good suggestion. Nathan agreed immediately.

Abby stepped away from Brooke and Leo, waving Nathan toward her for a private chat. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

“What choice do we have?”

“I’m scared,” she whispered.

“Don’t be,” he said, his chest puffing up a little. He liked the idea of protecting her. But he also felt conflicted, as if he shouldn’t enjoy the ego boost. One day in the wilderness had turned him into a caveman. “I won’t let anyone hurt you or Brooke.”

“What about tomorrow?”

“We can look at the map and choose an alternative route back to the cabin.”

“Not Lupine Meadow.”

“No.”

She exhaled a ragged breath. “Okay.”

They put on their packs and prepared to leave. If they delayed much longer, they’d be pitching tents in the dark.

“Let’s switch up the hiking order,” Nathan said. “Leo should go first.”

Leo didn’t have to ask why. He found another good-sized rock to use as a bludgeon. Nathan had a buck knife in his pocket. He hadn’t drawn it on the other side of the lake, and he didn’t pull it out now, but he was glad to have a weapon. Before they walked away, Nathan noticed a small rectangular package on the sand.

Rolling papers.

Leo saw them at the same time. Guilt flashed across his features, replaced quickly by belligerence.

“Are those yours?” Nathan asked.

“Yeah. So?”

“Tell me you didn’t bring pot with you.”

“I didn’t bring pot with me,” he said in a flat voice.

He was lying. Nathan could read the truth all over his handsome, grown-up face.

“Take off your pack,” Nathan said through clenched teeth, resisting the urge to shove Leo to the ground and rip it from his shoulders. When Leo didn’t comply, Nathan whirled him around and unzipped the front pouch.

“Don’t bother,” Leo said, shrugging away from him. “They stole it.”

“Goddamn it, Leo!”

Leo stepped back another few feet. He still had a rock clenched in his fist. He looked stubborn and rebellious and...scared.

He
should
be scared. Nathan couldn’t remember being this angry with him before. Tenderness and concern were difficult emotions for him to express, but rage rose right up to the surface, spilling over. “What the fuck were you thinking? Were you going to light up after we went to sleep? Share a joint with Brooke?”

“Brooke doesn’t smoke weed.”

“I did once,” she corrected.

“Who gave it to you?” Nathan asked.

Her nonresponse spoke volumes.

“I only brought it because I couldn’t leave it at home or in the cabin,” Leo said. “I wasn’t going to ‘peer pressure’ Brooke.” He made quotation marks in the air, as if he was talking about something that didn’t exist.

“Ray could have you arrested if he found your stash,” Nathan said.

Leo shrugged, playing hard-ass.

“I can’t believe you’d be so stupid.”

His eyes narrowed. “Okay,
boozehound.
”

Nathan felt the insult like a punch in the gut. “You know I don’t drink anymore.”

“I know you’re a hypocrite.”

They stared each other down for a moment. Leo had put on at least twenty pounds of muscle in the past few years. He wasn’t a kid anymore. Fine grains of stubble darkened his jaw. He’d started shaving. Nathan had missed his transition from boy to man.

He’d missed a lot of things.

Nathan glanced at Abby, who was watching from the sidelines. She looked sad and sorry and full of sympathy—for Leo. Maybe she thought Nathan was wrong for calling him out like this, but he didn’t know what else to do. He couldn’t ignore the problem and hope it went away. Leo needed help.

“Let’s talk about this later,” Abby said.

Nathan scrubbed a hand over his mouth, nodding. He remembered his first drink, given to him by his father on a hunting weekend the summer he’d turned twelve. He’d raided the camp for more beer and gotten tipsy as hell. His uncles had laughed as if Nathan was the funniest thing they’d ever seen.

He’d always considered that a good memory. Now it was sour, like the taste in his mouth when he was jonesing.

Nathan trudged forward until they reached the campsite. Although it was less than a mile from the lake, the uphill climb tired him out. They’d had a long day of emotional stress and physical activity. The campsite was located in a hilly area with a good view of the trail. It had a clearing for tents and primitive fire pits. There was a ramshackle outhouse about a hundred yards from the clearing.

Abby grimaced at the sight.

“This is great,” Leo said with sarcasm, taking off his backpack. “And to think I wanted to go to the Bahamas.”

“Were you expecting a hotel?” Brooke asked.

“No, I was expecting a bug-infested shit hole.”

“This is a nice camp,” she said. “There probably won’t be many gnats or mosquitoes this far from the lake.”

They set their backpacks down by a log in front of the fire pit. Abby stretched her arms over her head while Brooke removed a water filtration system from her pack. They’d passed a rushing creek on the way here.

“I have to get water,” Brooke said.

“Why don’t you go with her?” Nathan said to Leo.

“Why don’t you?”

“Come on, Leo,” Brooke said. “Let’s try to make the best of it. I’d be happy if my dad was here.”

“Yeah. Too bad he can’t be bothered to spend time with you.”

This cracked Brooke’s sunny persona. Her brows slanted downward. “If it wasn’t for your mom and her stupid ankle, he wouldn’t have canceled.”

“Leave her out of it.”

“I don’t think she wanted to come on the trip.”

“For good reason.”

“What?”

“They’re getting a divorce,” Leo said.

Nathan hadn’t heard this news. He glanced at Abby, who appeared as shocked as he was. She sat down on a log in front of the fire pit and cupped a hand over her forehead. Nathan hated the way Lydia had left him, but he didn’t wish another divorce on her. Abby didn’t seem happy about it, either.

“Why?” Brooke asked.

“Ray’s cheating on her with one of his nurses.”

“Wow,” she said, after a long pause. “Karma
is
a bitch.”

“Brooke,” Abby warned.

“What are you talking about?” Leo asked.

“Your mom cheated with him, too.”

He shook his head in disbelief.

“My mom walked in on them in his office,” Brooke said. “He had her bent over the couch with her skirt up.”

Abby’s eyes widened with horror. “How did you know that?”

“I heard you crying to Aunt Ella over the phone. I listened through the door.”

“Oh my God,” Abby groaned.

“My dad moved out the next day,” Brooke said.

Leo looked to Nathan for a confirmation he couldn’t give. He’d never mentioned Lydia’s infidelity to Leo, and he hadn’t been aware of the specific details of the affair. Lydia had told Nathan that she wanted a divorce because she was seeing someone else. When Nathan asked if she was sleeping with him, she’d said yes. It was probably the worst moment of his life, next to the YouTube debacle and his career implosion.

Brooke’s bombshell brought back a rush of bad feelings. The image of Lydia in Ray’s office stung, even after all these years.

“You’re a fucking liar,” Leo said.

“No, Leo. I’m not. And neither is my mom, so you better watch your mouth.”

Abby rose to her feet and grabbed Brooke by the arm. “Apologize to Leo. You had no right to hurt him like that.”

Brooke pulled her arm from Abby’s grasp. She stared at Leo, seeming conflicted.

“She doesn’t have to apologize,” Nathan said. “Leo started it.”

Leo turned to Nathan, his dark eyes gleaming. “Why didn’t you tell me?”