by J C Fuller
“Listen, Lane. There are two ways they could have gone.” Philip waited until she had climbed out and walked around to the front. He pointed to a marked trail on their right, a weather worn wooden park sign at its head. The sign stood adored with paper plates stapled to it, the names “Pilgrim” and “Tripp” scrawled in black marker. “That way or…” He looked behind, “This way.” He pointed to the dense woods facing Lane, with no clear trail she could see. “This leads to the waterfall at the beginning of the creek and the other way…” He nodded his head towards the wooden park sign again, “Heads to a small camping ground. There’s an abandoned logging mill way back there.”
“Which way do you think they went?” Lane asked, pondering their choices, her impatience rising.
“I don’t know. It’s a tossup. Both would be great places to plan an accident or hide a body. I think maybe…”
“Time is of the essence here, Ranger. He’s not safe. We’re going to need to split up.” Lane started to make her way past him, walking towards the unmarked trail. “You know where the logging mill is and you’ve got longer legs than me. You’ll make better time. If you find them, let off a shot, and I’ll head back your way. If I find them, I’ll do the same.”
Philip debated on arguing with her. He didn’t like the idea of splitting up, but she was right. They had to find them before another convenient accident happened. With a determined look, Philip shook his head, stalking over to where she stood. Towering over her tiny frame, he suddenly cupped her face, bowing his head down to her eye level, making sure he had her full attention.
“You be careful, Lois,” he said firmly, his eyes riveted to hers. “I mean it.” He then let go and headed towards the marked trail in a steady jog.
Lane turning around, watched him till he was out of sight, her heart racing. Taking a deep breath, she faced forward, unsnapping the button on her holster. She then made her way to what she thought looked like a trail and stepped upon it.
Unsure if she was indeed heading in the right direction, Lane’s eyes scanned the forest ahead as much as the light would allow, the woods being dense and dark. Trying to use what little tracking knowledge she possessed, she was fairly certain, someone had recently been through there. Though she wouldn’t have put money on it.
Creeping forward, there were several fallen trees lined along the path, blocking her way and causing her to climb either over or through them. A few times her duty belt caught and she had to reverse direction so as to unhitch herself from whatever she snagged. At her current rate of speed, if Philip didn’t find anything, he might actually make it back to the truck and follow in behind her. But then, that was most likely wishful thinking on her part.
She knew she was walking into a potentially dangerous situation to confront a very treacherous murderer. Not everything was clear, but pieces were starting to come together. Who had been following Janie… The manner in which the missing photo had been discovered… Everyone’s recollections of who first discovered the floating body. Even the EpiPen made perfect sense.
Lane was forced to slow her pace even more, pushing back on the low hanging boughs of pine as she started to make out the sound of running water. Looking up, she could see the small waterfall, white-water cascading down over dark stone, running into the small creek etching its way through the island. She continued forward, now having a point of reference.
As she grew closer, the sound of the waterfall became louder and the trees started to thin out, replaced by large bushes and brambles surrounding a small clearing. She pulled her gun from its holster, gripping it in both hands. She then pushed through the bushes, using her shoulder to bulldoze her way through.
The waterfall mist brushed against her face, the cold air a mixture of fresh pine and the peppery smell of bear spray. She paused for a second, listening. There was only the loud rush of water crashing over the rocks below.
Her eyes drew to the top of the waterfall coming completely into view and then panned down to its base. There, laying halfway in the running water, was a pair of sprawled legs. A can of bear spray floating beside them, a water bottle laying on the opposite side. Her eyes roamed up to the face of the young man and then quickly moved to who was standing over him. She half-lurched, half-stepped into the small clearing, leveling her gun.
“Gabe! Stop!”
At Lane’s shouted command, Gabe’s head snapped up, his eyes red and swollen, large streaks of tears coming down his cheeks. His arms were raised high in the air, still hefting a large rock over Lucas’s head, his muscles ridged, veins bulging. She’d caught him seconds before crashing the rock down onto Lucas’s skull.
“Gabe, I want you to slowly toss the rock to the side,” Lane said firmly, taking a small step towards him, her gun aimed. Lane watched him hesitate, the large stone dangerously hovering above his unconscious friend.
“Sheriff, you don’t understand. He’s suffering.” Gabe’s arms wavered, his voice sounding harsh and strained. “I’m…I’m just putting him out of his misery. He…he fell. Trying to climb the waterfall…and…”
“Gabe, I’m not going to ask again. Put the rock down. It’s over.”
“Sheriff, please.” Gabe chucked the large rock to the ground, the stone sounding a heavy thump as it hit the wet soil. He took a step back from Lucas and wiped his eyes. “Look at him, he’s suffering.”
Lucas’s face was a mask of blood, red liquid running freely from a large gash on his forehead.
“Gabe, you need to step back further.” Lane’s blue eyes were cold, her face blank. “I can guess what happened here.”
“NO… that’s not…this isn’t. He actually attacked me! It was self-defense. He…he just went nuts. He told me he killed Janie.” Gabe started to walk towards Lane, his hands out in a beseeching manner.
“Stay there!” she warned, her eyes darting between Gabe and the sight of Lucas’s chest, watching for the tell-tale signs of breathing.
“He lured me out here…and…I’m so glad you’re here.” Gabe tried to take another step forward.
Lane, using her gun, motioned for him to move back. Not seeing the rise and fall of Lucas’s chest, she started walking towards the two, her gun still tracking on Gabe.
“Not a step closer, Gabe. Don’t move a muscle,” she said firmly, bending down over Lucas.
“Listen, I’m just trying to explain!” Gabe took a halting step back, his voice pleading.
Grabbing Lucas’s limp wrist, Lane felt for a pulse. After a few seconds, she switched to his neck, her face pensive. She looked up at Gabe, her eyes watering.
“Thank God, there’s a pulse.” she said quietly to herself, and then stood up. Louder, she said, “Gabe, up against the rock wall. I want you to slowly put your hands behind your head.”
Gabe didn’t budge, his face etched with complete and utter shock.
“Sheriff, please. I’m not the bad guy here.” Gabe pointed over to the prostrated Lucas, “He attacked me! With bear spray! I need medical attention. It’s in my eyes…my throat.”
Lane shook her head, reading the scene. To her it looked as if Lucas, in an effort to protect himself, had used the bear spray to ward off Gabe’s attack.
“Lucas attacked you? I don’t think so. That’s not what happened here.”
“I told you, it was self-defense. We need to get him help.” He edged forward. “If you let me, I can leave and go get someone. You were right. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I panicked. He needs a doctor.”
Lane aimed her gun a few feet above Gabe’s head and let out a single shot.
“Help is already the one way,” Lane said coolly, knowing Philip would be making his way to her. “Now, turn around slowly and put your hands behind your head!”
Gabe shook his head, putting his hands up in the air, but not behind his head. He continued to face her, his eyes intent on her gun.
“I’ll comply. But I just don’t think you’re understanding what happened here. And…Lucas needs my help. You know…I�
� I can help him medically. I was in medical school! I work at Doctor Hadley’s office! You know that, right? If you’ll—”
Lane cut him off. “You’re right, I do. I imagine with working at Doctor Hadley’s office it wasn’t hard to come across an expired or used EpiPen. Even easier to replace Brent’s good EpiPen with the expired one,” Lane’s voice hardened. “You brought the brownie’s made with almond flour, convincing Brent they were safe to eat, causing him to go into an anaphylaxis shock. Forcing him to use his EpiPen. Which you knew was no good.” Lane shook her head, amazed at the young man’s audacity. “I also know, I completely misunderstood Lucas. I’d made the mistake of thinking it was Brent he was talking about, when he said the picture fell out of his pocket. But he hadn’t meant Brent’s pocket. He’d meant yours.”
Gabe’s smile fell and his stance changed, becoming guarded and ridged.
“Sheriff, you’ve got it all wrong,” he said, desperately. “Lucas did all of that. Not me.”
“Lucas will make it,” Lane said, with more confidence than she felt. “You can’t make him your scapegoat like you tried to do with Brent. He’ll attest to what happened here and he’ll testify how the picture fell out of YOUR pocket. The picture which was missing from Danie’s backpack the day she was pushed off the cliff.”
“Danie?” Gabe shook his head, laughing. “You mean, Janie!”
“No, Gabe. Just like you, I figured out the two girls had switched identities last summer.” Lane smiled as Gabe blanched. “You know what else I figured out? You were the one driving Lucas’s truck and stalking her in Seattle.” Lane darted a quick look down at Lucas, surprised to see his eyes fluttering open and then closed.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Gabe said, anger in his voice.
“You also drove his truck that morning. You gave her a ride into the park, didn’t you?” More pieces were starting to come together. “Came across her walking and offered to give her a ride in and then pretended to go your own way?”
Gabe licked his lips as he stared down at his friend, concern no longer lining his face. He looked back up at Lane and smirked. “I said, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“How’d you find out she was on the island? Did you just happen to come across her? Did Brent tell you?”
Gabe’s smirk widened and he haplessly shrugged his shoulders, “Don’t know what you’re talki—"
“Doctor Hadley….” Lane’s head fell back in comprehension, remembering Sue had said the doctor and his wife were at the restaurant when she and her niece had dinner at the Royal Fork.
Gabe’s smirk flatlined.
“You followed her up the trail and then what? Realized Brent was behind you? So, you made your way back down? I know you followed him afterwards. We’ve got you on a trail camera. It shows you clearing following behind Brent, back UP The Mole Hill.”
“Sheriff, this is insane! I have no idea wha—”
Lucas suddenly jerked and groaned, drawing both set of eyes. Lane bent down and tried saying his name a few times, but all she got was a mute fluttering of eye lashes, his head wound still bleeding freely. Lane frowned, frustration clearly lining her face. All this talk wasn’t getting Lucas any help. The poor kid was starting to come to and would be in a world of hurt soon.
“Okay, then.” She stood up. “Gabe, you’re going to help me carry him out.” She decided Lucas didn’t have time to wait on Philip. “I’ll have you sling him over your shoulder and we’re going to walk out of here. Then I’m putting you under arrest for the murder of Janie and Danie Engles and Brent Allister. If we don’t hurry, I’ll be adding Lucas to the list and another lifetime sentence to your mounting tally.”
“Lane!” Philip’s voice boomed through the air.
“I’m at the waterfall! Lucas needs medical attention!” Lane hollered, and then said to Gabe sternly, “Stay put.”
A few seconds later, Philip broke through into the clearing, his shotgun held against his shoulder.
“What happened here?” Philip asked, panting out of breath.
Lane stood a couple of feet away, looming protectively over Lucas. She nodded towards Gabe.
“He tried finishing Lucas off by crushing in his head with a rock. Lucas is barely holding on. He needs medical attention.” Lane stepped up next to Philip, “You want to help me out here, Ranger?”
“Happily,” Philip growled, laying his shotgun down on the ground and stalking over to Gabe, who withered at the sight of Philip’s expression.
Quicker than Lane would have imaged, Philip manhandled Gabe onto his stomach so Lane could put a knee in his back. She did just that and grabbed his wrist, pulling it tight and high behind his waist, slapping on the cuffs while reciting his Miranda rights.
Seizing the closed cuffs behind Gabe’s back, Philip pulled him to his feet, then pushed down hard on his shoulder, causing the young man to flop down onto the ground in a sitting position.
“Philip, this is just one huge misunderstanding,” Gabe said, nodding towards Lane. “She’s got it all wrong! She’s convinced I—”
“You stay there and shut up,” Philip ordered firmly, turning his back on Gabe’s words and walking over to Lane, who was tending Lucas’s head wound. She had wrapped his t-shirt around his head, applying pressure to the gash.
“Let me have your pocketknife.” Lane stuck her hand out while looking down at Lucas, her eyes worried.
Philip, curious to why she needed it, pulled the small knife from his pocket and placed it in her hand.
“He’s starting to come through.” Lane curled her hand over the pocketknife, then looked up at the tree line, “This clearing isn’t big enough to get a Coast Guard chopper in here, let alone the stretcher. We’re going have to take him out of here ourselves.”
“I’ve got him.” Philip carefully hoisted Lucas into a sitting position. Gripping under Lucas’s armpits, he brought him to his feet, a weak groan escaping the injured young man’s lips.
“You sure you got him?” Lane looked skeptical, watching as Lucas wobbled on his feet, his muscles weak.
Philip simply grunted, steadying the young man.
Bending over, Philip put his arm through Lucas’s legs and pulled him down tight over his back. With a weight lifters jerk, Philip stood up, hefting him onto his shoulders. Grabbing Lucas’s limp arm with his one hand to stabilize him, he then walked over and retrieved his shotgun still lying on the ground.
“See, no sweat.” Philip gave her a cocky smile.
Lane looked unimpressed.
“Head out, Ranger. We’ll follow behind.” She nodded towards the trail while starting to unbutton the bottom of her uniform shirt, working her way up to her breasts. Philip raised a questioning eyebrow as Lane flicked open the pocketknife, giving her tank top a quick sideways slice.
“What are you doing?” Philip asked seriously, giving her a hard look as she handed back the pocketknife.
Lane yanked down on her white tank top, ripping the fabric into a long strip leaving her mid-section bare.
“Don’t wait on us,” she said, sternly. Ripping the strip into two, she made her way over to the creek.
Philip glowered at Gabe, a silent warning to behave himself, and then started his way back to the truck with Lucas slung over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry.
“On my way.”
“Right behind you,” Lane said over her shoulder, giving him a quick smile before dunking the strips of fabric into the water.
Chapter 40
Wringing out the torn strips, Lane picked up Lucas’s left behind water bottle, clipping it onto her duty belt.
“Looks as if Lucas managed to get at least one good shot in with the bear spray,” she said, approaching Gabe. “Your eyes are all bloodshot.”
“They really burn.” Gabe squinted up at her, his eyes red and puffy.
“Oh, I don’t doubt it.” Lane tilted her head, a small smirk on her face.
“It’s not funny.” Gab
e scrunched up his eyes, blinking hard. “And I can barely see!”
“Here.” She bent over him, tilting his head back. “Your sweat is causing the pepper residue to run into your eyes.”
“Well, if you’d uncuff me, I could do something about it,” Gabe said miserably, shaking his head free of her hand, trying to shimmy the drops of sweat from his brow.
“Hold still!” Lane gently grabbed his chin, tilting his head up. “I agree. You need to be able to see where you’re going,” she said grimly, taking the wet fabric and carefully wiping his face clean, focusing around his eyes and forehead. “See, that should help.”
She took the second strip and tied it around his head in a makeshift headband.
“Hopefully, this should keep the sweat from getting into your eyes.”
Stepping back, she took a look at her handywork and stuffed the excess fabric behind his ears so the headband wouldn’t slide down.
“Okay, now let’s get you up.”
Circling behind, Lane grabbed Gabe by the handcuffs and helped hoist him onto his feet.
“My mouth and throat feel like they’re on fire,” Gabe complained, starting to walk forward.
“That’s the bear spray,” Lane acknowledged, knowing how he felt. She’d never been bear sprayed, but she had been pepper sprayed before, which was more intense. He would have had her sympathies, if he hadn’t been a killer. “I’ll get you some medical attention when we get to the truck.”
Moving to the edge of the clearing, Sheriff Lane with her prisoner in tow, entered the dense woods. She pushed back the long brambles, determined to leave the waterfall behind and started looking for the path. Spotting a gnarled tree she thought looked vaguely familiar, she headed in its direction.