A Sound In The Dark

by Kyle Alexander Romines

  ***

  “I’m sure Zack would answer if he could,” Cole said defensively.

  At least Zack was alive. It was one small comfort at the moment. Cole wondered how his friend was managing the stress. He remembered walking into the lodge earlier with Zack and felt a pang of pity for him. When he tried talking to Zack in the cave, he briefly thought his friend was going to open up. The moment quickly faded, just like all the times before.

  Had he failed Zack as a friend? Cole tried his best to help Zack recover from the pain of Lily’s death. Anger festered inside his friend until it now threatened to explode. Nothing seemed able to help suppress that rage. Cole understood Zack couldn’t find peace on his own.

  “I said we need to get a move on it,” Will said. Cole looked up at him, unable to discern his facial features. “I can’t afford to have you lose focus.”

  “Sorry,” Cole replied. “I was thinking of Zack.”

  “We need to think about ourselves for now.”

  Will was right. Cole reproached himself for thinking ill of Will before. His friend had probably saved his life in the valley. It wasn’t Will’s fault the others were dead—it was the killer’s. They needed to work together.

  “Zack was right about one thing,” Cole said as the two made their way through the forest. The lack of vision was a problem, but in the dark he couldn’t see very well anyway. “We need a plan.”

  “We’re not about to try getting back to the tent on our own.” The forest lay still around them, in contrast to the deafening destruction they had fled from.

  “I agree. If we can’t find Zack, it’s too risky.” After a slight pause, he continued. “There might be another way.”

  Will stopped. “What way?”

  Cole carefully removed his cell phone from his pocket. Its light illuminated the darkness for small interval until it faded after a period of disuse.

  “We don’t have to escape. We just need to get close enough to get service.”

  Will considered the idea for a moment. “That could work.”

  They could feasibly reach the lodge, perhaps by force if necessary. After all, Will was carrying the shotgun. A well-placed phone call would have the park swarming with police before the Hunter had a chance to finish his work.

  “Since the killer was near the river, we know he’s not blocking the path to the lodge,” Will added.

  “Exactly. And if Zack and the others meet us on the way, we can still try to get the keys.”

  Will seemed about to reply when an unmistakable sound echoed through the quiet forest. It was an engine. Could it be?

  They had heard the same noise earlier in the day, long before the madness began. It was the sound of an ATV.

  “Fields,” Cole whispered. As the noise of the engine grew louder, the wind picked up again. The sound of the engine started to vanish.

  “No!” Will roared. “Come on!” he shouted to Cole.

  The two men took off in the direction the sound came from. They raced down a leafy hill, running as fast as they could. Even if the radio wasn’t working, maybe Fields heard the shots and came after all. If so, there was a chance the ranger could drive them to safety.

  To Cole’s horror, the sound continued to drift away.

  “Fields!” Will shouted, abandoning any effort to remain silent.

  Cole lumbered down the hill above him, slowed by his lack of vision. The sound was now almost out of earshot. As a last-ditch effort, Will stopped and discharged the shotgun into the air. It might bring the killer in their direction, but surely Fields would have to hear it. Cole caught up with him, and the two men continued running, hoping for a rescuer to materialize in the woods.

  The sound of the engine finally died away. Cole kept racing blindly, unable to see anything other than his friend’s image.

  Without his glasses, he never saw the shimmering metal buried in the leaves.

  Metal snapped up, and what felt like knives ripped into his leg just above the foot. Cole’s scream echoed across the night sky.

  Will turned around in time to see his friend go down. Cole whimpered on the ground, his face marked by an expression of agony. He had stepped on a bear trap.

  ***

  The lonely cabin was cast in shadow by the mountain peak above. There were other cabins strewn across the mountains, but each was located almost a mile away from the next. Each cabin sat in solitude, waiting for a new visitor to set foot inside. The cabin closest to the injured man was fairly large, an impressive wooden structure resting under the pale light of the moon. Built over fifty years ago, the cabins had languished in disuse for a long while. Despite the lack of customers, they remained looked after in case someone came looking to rent.

  The front door was locked. A trembling hand gripped the doorknob and slipped off, leaving a bloodstain in its place. Dave was covered in blood. Most of it was from his wounds, although he was certain some of Bart’s blood was mingled with his own. Dave slammed his body against the doorframe. It buckled under his weight. Moonlight spilled into the musty interior, and Dave stumbled inside the cabin. Exasperated, he fought the urge to sink to his knees.

  He retained the presence of mind to check to see if the cabin was unoccupied. There were no signs to the contrary. In fact, the entire building was practically bare. There was no phone inside, not that he expected to find one. Dave glanced out one of the dark windows, searching for the man who was after his friends. From what he could see, he was alone.

  I made it, he thought. The others were out there scurrying in the dark. They were wrong to try to escape. He warned them. Dave took two steps and had to press his hand against the wall not to fall. He was dizzy from the loss of blood. It didn’t matter. Here he could be safe. The cabin was located in the mountains, which lined the boundaries of the park. While the killer was hunting the others in the forest, Dave could wait for morning or rescue, whichever came first. After all, the Hunter had promised them he would spare anyone who lasted until morning.

  Dave searched for a place to hide. He passed through the empty hall and walked slowly up the steps. No one would look for him here. He found a closet in one of the rooms on the upper floor. Dave crawled inside the closet, closed the door behind him, and peered out the blinds. The room was empty. He no longer had anything to fear. He fumbled in his pocket for the two-way radio. Dave turned it off so it wouldn’t make a sound that might alert anyone nearby to his presence. If he needed it, he would have it just in case. He briefly considered attempting to contact the others, but decided it was too risky.

  His shoulder throbbed with pain. He had broken the arrow shaft, but the tip remained buried in his flesh. It was a stinging, constant pain.

  Dave could feel himself losing consciousness. He decided not to fight it. He was alone, and he was so tired. Why not give in? He was safe now. Dave closed his eyes. A few seconds later, he was asleep.

  Chapter Eleven

  1:02 am

  She was so full of life. The more Zack grew to know Lily, the more he realized his life before her was merely scraping by. With Lily, he enjoyed almost every second. There was always a new experience to be had, a new adventure to set out on. Almost four months into their relationship, she once spontaneously dragged him along on a ten-hour drive all the way to the coast. It wasn’t until later that he saw another side to her. There was brightness in her eyes that he remembered even in her worst bouts with depression. Now that light had been put out, and the world was darker for it.

  Zack felt dirty. His clothes were stained with blood, mud, and sweat. He was no longer aware of the time. It felt like an eternity had passed since he first saw the killer moving outside their tent. He wished he’d done something when he had the chance. Instead, Steve was dead and they were scattered at the mercy of the Hunter’s deadly game.

  “I don’t
know where we are,” he said finally.

  Zack glanced at Beth, who gave no response. He repeated himself in case she hadn’t heard him, but didn’t make a difference. Sighing, he trekked across the leaves and joined her on the ground. They were surrounded by mounds of gravel in front of a tunnel of some kind. Two rusted bulldozers rested nearby, both far from operational. The area was somewhat walled off by a broken mesh fence. Dozens of tree stumps covered the area. It looked like a mining or logging operation of some kind, though he wasn’t sure. The site wasn’t on any of the maps he’d seen.

  He almost put a hand on Beth’s shoulder, but drew it back.

  “I know what it’s like to lose someone,” he said. The words felt hollow. Not long ago, Cole said them to him. Zack knew firsthand they were of little comfort.

  Whatever effect the words had on her, his voice stirred Beth from her trance.

  “We should go back,” she said. “Ron needs our help.”

  There were tears in her eyes, and Zack was struck with the overwhelming need to wipe them away. Instead, he rose and started pacing. The anger at the unfairness of it all welled under the surface.

  When he looked at her again, he saw the realization in her eyes. Ron wasn’t coming back. Even if the Hunter hadn’t caught up to him, the trap had done its work too well.

  “Ron wanted you to focus on staying alive,” Zack said. “That’s what we’re going to do.”

  Beth nodded and stopped sniffling. Maybe she was stronger than she looked. Under the open light of the moon, she no longer looked anything like Lily. Zack wasn’t sure how he made the mistake before.

  His promise to Ron hung in the air like an unfinished sentence. Zack didn’t know how, but he would keep his word.

  I won’t fail her, he thought. Not like I failed Lily.

  Beth looked around, as if only now aware of their surroundings. “Where are we?”

  “I’m not sure.” Zack stared at the black hole dug into the mountain. “There are a couple of caves across Drifter’s Folly. This could be one of them, or some kind of mining operation.” The truth was, he didn’t care. They were still trapped inside the confines of the park. That was all he needed to know.

  She pointed at the bulldozers. “Do those work?”

  Zack shook his head. “I already checked.” He leaned against a pile of lumber and tried radioing his friends. Once more the radio had fallen silent.

  “What’s wrong?” Beth asked. Even in the darkness, she was perceptive.

  “Nothing,” Zack started. “I heard shots before we were attacked, coming from the place where my friends were calling. I’m not sure, but while we were running I thought there were explosions in the distance.”

  Beth looked confused. “I don’t understand.”

  “If the Hunter was chasing us, why was there any shooting going on at all on my friends’ end? The man can’t be in two places at once.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Beth said. “We have to get out of here either way.” There was a lull in the conversation.

  They were both thinking the same thing. How?

  “What about the lake?” she asked suddenly. “It flows into rivers and creeks. If we could find a boat, we could take it back to the park entrance.”

  “We’d be sitting ducks in a canoe, even if we could find one.”

  Beth shook her head emphatically. “Not a canoe. There are motorboats here somewhere. Ron and I saw the dock on the drive to Drifter’s Folly.”

  For a moment Zack started to hope. He remembered seeing a sign for a boating rental area earlier.

  “I think I know what you’re talking about it, but I don’t remember where it was.”

  “The dock was only a few miles south of the lodge.” Beth’s expression quickly darkened. “I think all the boats were covered. I doubt they see much use this time of year.”

  Zack hadn’t thought of that. There were so few campers in the park, there weren’t likely to be any motorized boats just sitting nearby. The Hunter picked his time perfectly.

  That doesn’t mean the boats wouldn’t be of use, he thought, if we get that far. At the moment, there were other matters to consider.

  “Don’t forget my friends,” he added hastily. “We have to see if they’re okay.”

  “What if we can’t find them?”

  Steve’s face flashed before his eyes. Zack saw an image of Lily in the casket, her face locked in a lifeless expression so unlike her.

  “Are you all right?” Beth looked concerned.

  “I’ll be fine,” he said, a bit too forcefully.

  Snap out of it, he ordered himself.

  “We can start by finding one of the trails. We’ll follow it back to Whispering Reach. If we can’t find them over the radio, the others will know to meet us there.”

  “Why not stay here?” she asked. Beth looked up at the mountains towering over them. Zack spotted at least two cabins looming in the distance. “We can hide in the tunnel.”

  “A tunnel would be the worst place to hide,” Zack said. “Once you go inside, you’re cornered. There’s no way out. I wouldn’t go there unless there wasn’t another choice.”

  Beth was quiet. “I don’t want to go back there,” she whispered, staring into the forest. “I’m afraid.”

  Zack didn’t blame her. Normally innocuous, the trees had taken on a sinister appearance. The once-beautiful landscape was twisted into something far more horrifying. Going back into the forest would mean voluntarily returning to the trap-covered labyrinth of darkness constructed by the Hunter.

  “So am I,” Zack said, “but we don’t have a choice.”

  Even so, he made no move to compel her to rise. He wouldn’t force her to move. If Beth wanted to remain there, he would stay also. She was counting on him, and he suddenly found himself with a reason to stay alive.

  “The person you lost,” Beth said. “Who was it?”

  The wind blew around him, and this time his voice was like a whisper.

  “Someone I loved.” He trailed off slowly. That was when he heard the engine. “Do you hear that?” he asked, alert.

  “What?” Beth asked. She craned her head to one side as the noise grew louder.

  “I think it’s a motor,” Zack said. Beth jumped to her feet. “It could be help.”

  “Or it could be the killer.”

  Zack frowned. “Stay close to me,” he said softly. “Let’s go.”

  Together they headed back into the dense forest, pursuing the sound of the engine.

  “It’s getting closer,” Beth said when they passed a creek. Zack still didn’t know where they were. If they could locate the source of the sound, maybe it wouldn’t matter. He ran down a hill and almost slipped in the mud.

  “Over here,” Zack said.

  A large form sprang into view as he stepped from behind a tree. When he approached, Zack could see the shape more clearly under the beam of his flashlight. He was almost certain it was Austin Fields’ all-terrain vehicle. Although the motor was still running, the vehicle was flipped over on its side. There were skid marks on the ground where the tires had left a trail.

  “What happened?” Beth asked. She knelt down and turned off the engine.

  “This is the park ranger’s vehicle,” Zack whispered. He was crestfallen. They were on the verge of being rescued only a few seconds ago.

  “How long do you think it’s been here?” she asked.

  “Not long, I’d guess. We probably just missed him.”

  “Two of the tires are flat,” Beth said. Zack pointed his flashlight at the tires. There were two large tears in the rubber. “He must have hit something,” she said.

  Zack doubted the ranger’s accident was coincidence. More likely it was by the killer’s design. Now Fields was also dra
wn into the Hunter’s game, if he even remained alive.

  “What do you think happened to him?”

  Beth didn’t bother to reply.

  Zack stared down at the wreckage. The ATV was of no use to them in its current condition. Having fled from the relative safety of the quarry, the two were lost again. Zack needed to find a trail quickly. Whispering Reach couldn’t be too far way.

  When he looked toward the creek, he froze. There were footprints in the mud leading away from the vehicle.

  ***

  Cole Wallace’s father was a hero. That’s how he would always remember him. Brandon Wallace was everything his son wanted to be. A towering giant of a man, Brandon’s long hours as a police officer never prevented him from tucking Cole into bed every night. When the shy, small boy found himself picked on by neighborhood kids, it was his father who put a stop to it. Moreover, everyone else respected Brandon too. A deacon in his church, Cole’s father was always willing to lend a helping hand to someone in need.

  Cole’s fondest memories were of his father reading to him before bed. He especially loved the comics his father bought him. Cole’s favorite was Daredevil, a hero who was also a blind lawyer by day. Since he was legally blind without his glasses, Cole identified with the costumed vigilante. He hoped that when he grew older, he could emulate his two heroes. When Brandon Wallace was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer Cole’s sophomore year of high school, Cole’s life came crashing down around him. He watched his physically powerful father slowly waste away before his eyes.

  Through it all, Brandon Wallace never lost hope. Even when Cole or others were angry or fearful, Brandon never succumbed to despair. When his father finally passed away, Cole decided to pursue a career in law to honor his memory. Whenever things grew difficult, he always looked to his father’s example.