Fool's Bluff

by Lee Gregg

  “Hmm.” Fiona smiled and took a moment to reflect. “Sam was probably around seven when Dottie got spayed and had to wear the cone of shame. All dogs look sad when they wear it, but Dottie? She was so miserable and she wasn’t shy about telling everyone either, with all her whimpering and whining. Well, we run into Sam and guess what she does? Fifteen minutes later, she comes running up to us with her little umbrella saying that she didn’t want Dottie getting sprayed again because it looked like it might start raining. She said she didn’t like getting wet too much either but that Dottie needed the umbrella more.”

  Lorne chuckled, but the smile quickly disappeared from his face as his gaze wandered over to the window facing Black Mountain.

  “Did you contact Chief Constable Joe? Is he going to notify everyone that Sam isn’t a person of interest anymore? That she was out of reach because she was up on the mountain probably looking for Ben?” Fiona asked.

  “Said they still need to talk to her. But he didn’t seem much interested in talking about the case anymore. Didn’t want to ‘fuel the fire,’ so he said.”

  “What does that mean? The buzz around town is that Sam is involved in the kidnapping, which is utterly ridiculous. And did you see this new interview with the little brother in the Times? What was it?” Fiona tapped on her phone. “Oh, yeah, right. ‘Black Family Demands Jail Time for Samantha Shepherd.’ How can he not address that? Isn’t that, like, slander or something?”

  “The Chief didn’t actually say that, so no, it’s not slander. And the family’s response is just their opinion.”

  “But doesn’t he want to address it at least? Correct the assumptions?”

  “I don’t know what to tell you, Fee.” Lorne shook his head and walked back over to the window while he bit down on his right thumbnail. “I have no idea what the Chief is thinking. Y’know, truth is, I don’t know what anyone’s thinking. Like Ryder and Sam. Why’d they do what they did? Wander out there in the middle of this storm all by themselves, ignore the protocols, make such high-risk decisions. We just lost Elaine. Now Ryder…and if Sam doesn’t….” Lorne’s voice was wobbling again.

  Still facing the window, he wiped his eyes before turning back around to face Fiona. “I know what I’m thinking though. How the heck are we going to rescue Sam in these conditions?”

  * * *

  Dan Shepherd was sleeping in a Vancouver motel room when he received the call from Chief Constable Joe. His voice was calm and neutral throughout the conversation: “Yes, sir, I understand,” “No, sir, I do not know,” “Thank you, sir, I appreciate that.” But he hadn’t felt calm at all.

  Dan jumped out of bed and was driving home on the Sea To Sky Highway when he realized that he hadn’t formally checked out. He returned to the motel and settled his bill quickly, frustrated with himself for wasting time.

  For the past few months, he had been feeling like there was a ticking time bomb attached to his life. Like there was a runaway tanker truck with a full load of gasoline behind him, but the road he was on was full of blind twists and turns with one side hugging a steep rock face and the other a straight drop to the sea. He just had to make it to the finish line. He had a long list of things to do and they had to get done before the tanker caught up to him, before he missed a corner and crashed into the mountain or plummeted over the edge. But every day, the list of things to do grew longer and the tanker was picking up speed.

  Back on the highway, Dan kept both hands locked on the steering wheel, his knuckles white from his intense grip. Except to wipe the sweat from his palms onto his jeans, he didn’t move, not even to change the radio station or adjust the climate control. He drove in sweaty silence, listening to white noise and pushing the speed limit the entire way.

  * * *

  “Did the Glacier Times site get hacked or something? I mean, seriously, these headlines don’t even make sense. Drew, you’re going to have to read this. I can’t even. I must be allergic to stupid. I mean, what are they going to come up with next? ‘Ten Reasons Why Samantha Shepherd Should Rot in a Prison Cell for the Rest of Her Life. The Last One Will Shock You!’ or maybe ‘Samantha Shepherd Stole Sleeping Kid From His Bed. What Happens Next Will Blow Your Mind!’” Penelope rolled her eyes as she handed her phone to Drew.

  “Wow. I can’t believe Wes said all this stuff to Elle MacTavish. Sam and Wes are not going to be friends after this.”

  “The Times has turned into pure clickbait. Misleading headlines, one-sided stories. They must be getting a ton of clicks and raking in a lot of cash churning out this garbage. How can anyone take what they write seriously?” Penelope asked, peeking over Drew’s shoulder.

  “Well, have you seen the Pique’s website? Mrs. B hasn’t posted anything about this yet. Their top story is still the one they printed last week. Photos from the snow carving contest. Can’t blame people for wanting to know about what’s going on.”

  “Look at the comments under the articles though. I’d feel a lot better if everyone wasn’t jumping to the conclusion that Sam did something wrong.”

  “It’s not everyone. There are people leaving positive comments about Sam and her dad too, they’re just a little buried, is all. But hey, once it’s on the Internet, it must be true, right?” Drew smiled as he zoomed in on Elle MacTavish’s photo of Wesley standing on a snowy slope, arms crossed, chest puffed out and face stewing with anger. Underneath, the caption read:

  Wesley Black is fighting for better training and background criminal checks for mountain guides after his brother was kidnapped while under supervision of Samantha Shepherd, who has allegedly left Glacier Village. Wesley wonders if she could have kidnapped Ben alone or if she was working with other villagers who are also suspiciously absent. Reporters from the Glacier Times have been trying to reach Dan Shepherd, Samantha’s father, for comment, but have been unsuccessful in locating him.

  “Yeah because fake news stories never lead to any bad consequences, do they?” Penelope said, taking her phone back from Drew.

  “Well, they do have a point. Where is Sam? Wesley doesn’t seem bothered at all, but until I see Ben with my own eyes.…” Drew rubbed his neck with a pained expression on his face. “I don’t know. This is all so crazy. Getting Ben back is what really matters, right? I don’t think the headlines are a big deal. What’s the worst thing that could happen from a few stories in a tiny local paper?”

  * * *

  “Are you sure, Lorne?” Sunny’s hands were clasped together, one thumb rubbing nervously against the other.

  Lorne didn’t look up from his inspection of the main load line attached to the helicopter. “If we don’t go now, I don’t know when we’ll get another chance. Winds are finally starting to calm, but looks like there’s another system coming. We have no idea what condition Sam is in, y’know. She might not have the luxury of a few hours. If we wait this thing out and we get there too late.…” He stopped and cleared his throat, afraid his voice might betray the calm confidence he was trying to exude.

  “It is just that…if the winds do suddenly pick up…and you are using the long line.…”

  “You’re not asking me to tell you my favorite story about the Helicopter External Transport System, are you? You’ve heard it so many times, I’ll bet you could lip sync along.” Lorne looked up at Sunny and winked. “You do know who was part of the Parks Canada team that pioneered this system, right? In the ’60s! I’ve been doing this longer than you’ve been alive, Sunny girl. No need to worry.”

  “What if I came with you, maybe the chopper could unload us over here?” Sunny pointed to a map, but Lorne didn’t bother looking. “We could carry the aerial rescue platform in, just in case. But I will bet we can hike in and hike out without having to use the long line.”

  “That’d take too long. Terrain could be difficult. And if we have to carry her out on a stretcher? Nope. Wouldn’t work.”

  “Lorne, I should at least come with you. We have practiced tandem rescues. I do not see why you have to go alon
e.”

  “You’ve gone up already, Sunshine. If I’m going up, I need you here in charge of the command center.”

  “Well, I could go up myself then. You are always in charge here.”

  “Nope.”

  Sunny let out a frustrated sigh. “You do understand how much we need you, right? You are not just the leader of the Glacier Rescue team. All of us are not just volunteers.” Her tone was now as sharp as a razor. “Would this rescue be happening, right now, with you, if it were anyone else but Sam up there?”

  “Now, c’mon, Sunny girl.”

  “In chess, you would never send your queen out to save a pawn.”

  “But this isn’t chess, and I’m no queen, though, once, when I was a little boy, I wanted to be a princess.” Lorne smiled, hoping Sunny would soften. She didn’t. “Glacier Rescue is like a hand. A helping hand to those who need it. And every one of us are fingers, no one more important than the other. When one is broken, we all feel it, we all suffer. And we stick together until the broken one is healed.” Lorne held three fingers up together, like a Boy Scout salute.

  “Okay then, a thumb is not the same as a ring finger. Would you try to tie a thumb to a broken ring finger?” Sunny tried to align her thumb with her ring finger and held her hand up awkwardly to prove her point, as if to say, “See how idiotic this is?”

  “Please! That makes no sense at all,” Sunny continued, her voice now impatient. “What I am saying is that you are too valuable to us, too valuable to the community. You are taking a huge risk because you are emotionally invested. That can only lead to disaster. If it were my call, we would wait. Think about the worst case scenario. Is the life of one worth the lives of many? Fiona would never say ‘no’ to piloting the chopper, but are you sure she thinks it is a good idea to go up? We cannot risk more lives, not to mention the chopper and all the equipment that we would lose. We would be severely crippled, no chopper, no rescue team, no rescues. People could die. People will die.”

  Lorne placed a reassuring hand on Sunny’s shoulder. “You’re in charge down here, Sunshine.” He turned towards Fiona in the helicopter and signaled a thumbs up.

  17

  Lorne spotted a figure waving up at him and felt a burst of relief. It was Sam. She was up, walking and apparently in good health. His fears had made his mind wander to dark places, horrible thoughts he would never dare share with anyone. So, the entire time he was in the air, he forced himself to do one thing — pray. He didn’t consider himself to be a highly religious man, but while he dangled from the end of the long line, he prayed that Glacier Rescue wouldn’t suffer another loss, that one of his “little fingers” — this specific “little finger” — was still working, still whole, and, most importantly, still attached.

  Lorne waved Sam in upon reaching the ground, not bothering to even unhook himself from the line. “C’mon, let’s get you on the line,” he shouted over the helicopter noise above them. “We haven’t got much time.”

  “We need this, Lorne. He’s in there,” Sam said, unhooking the aerial rescue platform attached to the line and gesturing towards the cave under the large cedar tree.

  Lorne stood motionless in confusion as he watched Sam walk away with the stretcher. Slowly, he unhooked himself from the line and followed after her.

  “His leg is broken,” Sam said, nodding towards her tent while she cleared space outside the opening to make room for the stretcher.

  Lorne unzipped the tent entrance and peered inside. He jerked his head back so quickly that he fell back on his heels and landed on his rear end. A large, nasty-looking dog curled up against a body was growling at him.

  “Is that...Ben Black? You found him, eh.” It was half question, half statement.

  “It’s okay, buddy. Lorne is here to help,” Sam said as she patted her dog and coaxed him out of the tent. She then crawled inside, dragging the rescue platform in behind her. “He’s had some hot chocolate. He’s on the border of mild to moderate hypothermia, I think.”

  “Right, okay. Good job, Sam,” Lorne said, snapping into action. “Immobilized the leg, looks good. Let’s get him on the stretcher, get him strapped in.”

  “Ready Lorne? On three. One. Two. Three.” The two carried the stretcher out into the open where the long line from the helicopter was waiting.

  “The extra harness is in that bag. Strap yourself in it while I secure Ben to the line. Leave your stuff for now. We can hike back up and get it when the storm’s gone. We have to get out of here now.”

  “We need a harness for my dog too.”

  “Now Sam, we don’t—”

  “I’m not leaving without him, Lorne. I’d rather hike down with him.”

  “That’s not happening Sam. We don’t have time—”

  “I’ll have him all prepped with rope. Bring a harness for him.”

  Lorne looked up at the clouded sky before his gaze settled on Ben. There was no time to argue, he thought, he had to get the boy back down the mountain as soon as possible. “Okay Sam. Be ready. If the weather doesn’t hold, just hang tight. We’ll come get you when it’s safe,” he yelled as the helicopter pulled away.

  * * *

  Sam waved at Lorne as he and Ben dangled below the chopper and became specks in the distance. She ran back to the cave, worrying that she wouldn’t be ready before Lorne came back.

  First priority is my dog, she thought as she surveyed the mess inside the cave. Weaving two different ropes through her dog’s legs and body, Sam fashioned a makeshift harness. If one failed, there would be a backup, she reasoned. She took a deep breath and pulled up on the ropes, lifting her dog off the ground slightly. He flinched and his big eyes widened, but the knots held tight. He was secured.

  Sam checked her watch. Taking care of her dog had taken longer than she had expected and she still had to clean everything up — her tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, dirty dishes, all the first aid gear. Packing had always been one of her least favorite parts of camping even though she knew it was always worthwhile to fold items nicely, roll out air pockets, keep things organized. She had learned that lesson the hard way when she had lost her crampons. But there was no time to wash dishes or pack properly now. She would take care of everything as soon as she got home. First, she would put the tent back up, air it out so it wouldn’t get musty. Then she’d wash all her cooking gear so it would be ready for the next trip. And finally, she would just chill with her dog for a few days, alone. The Challenge hadn’t been the fun experience she was hoping it would be, but at least she had succeeded in not killing Ben. At least there was that.

  After pulling out the poles from her tent, Sam collapsed them and put them in her backpack. She collected her cooking gear and rolled up her sleeping pad, packing them away next. Lastly, she hastily folded her tent up — the sleeping bag, hot packs and blanket still inside — and stuffed it, along with Ben’s empty bag, into the top of her backpack. Her pack now overflowing, she tugged on the sides with one hand while she used the other to squish the contents down. After a bit of a struggle, she finally managed to close the top and secure everything inside.

  Sam left the cave and waited for the helicopter to return. She glanced back at the cave one last time, making sure it was empty and that she had taken everything that she had brought up. But she didn’t just have everything she had packed. She had more. She had everything that was there when she found Ben.

  * * *

  Dan stepped out of his car and arched his back, stiff from the long drive home. Inside, he found a note from Sam about a dog, but there was no dog anywhere in the house, only a strong stench coming from a dog bed that was next to some meds and his favorite mug. He sniffed the mug and confirmed his suspicion that it was now the dog’s water bowl.

  Dan walked into his wife’s office, opened the closet door, dusted off his backpack and methodically laid out its contents for close inspection. He hadn’t done anything outdoors for months. Backpacking, hiking, skiing and all the fun associated with those adv
entures ended the day Elaine died. But today wasn’t a day for fun and adventure. Today, he was going to find his daughter.

  The community center was packed when Dan arrived. He searched for Lorne at Glacier Rescue’s main rescue base but found Sunny instead.

  “Hey Sunny, what was her last known location? Where did the boy go missing?” Dan asked, studying the map.

  “Dan! You are here, finally!” Sunny turned around from her post at the window. “Did you not get notified by the rescue coordination center? You should have. Sam sent out a distress signal. Lorne went out on the long line with Fiona.”

  Dan checked his phone. No messages. Elaine’s contact information had been used when Sam had registered her beacon and he had forgotten to update the registry. He cursed to himself. He had avoided dealing with his wife’s death for too long and would have to start thinking about it soon.

  “She is here, Dan.” Sunny had joined Dan in front of the map and was pointing to an area circled in red.

  “What the — how did she end up over there?”

  Sunny told Dan everything she knew. She told him about the callout, about Ryder and about the articles that were being published in the Times. As Dan read the stories on his phone, more and more people stopped to stare. He had been so focused on Sam, her rescue and getting caught up on all the news that he hadn’t noticed the looks of curiosity, distrust, fear and anger on the faces of those around him. He hadn’t heard their whispers. He wasn’t even aware of the calls they made immediately after spotting him, the calls to 911 to report him to his own colleagues.