by Mac Flynn
Susie and I slipped on our hiking clothes that comprised of thick but airy shirts and pants, and some thick-soled boots. We stepped out and found Linda on our stoop. She smiled at us. "You two look great."
I tugged on the waistband of the pants. All the clothes were new, bought at the insistence of Susie, so they hadn't been worn to comfort. "Are these hikes tough?" I asked her.
She shook her head. "Oh, no. We try to make them very easy while giving our guests enough exercise to stretch their leg muscles. You two shouldn't have much trouble with my brother as leader."
Linda led us to the lodge. The sun was no full in the sky and the other cabins were alive with activity. Gone were most of the weary guests, and those that remained were youthful in step and happy in face. Many went to breakfast, but there was a small crowd of a dozen who congregated beyond the front doors of the lodge.
My heart unwillingly fluttered as I looked for our guide and my lover. I spotted Scott at the far side of the group. He wore a clean tan shirt, matching pants, and hiking boots. A silly tan hat with a short brim and floppy top adorned his head. Even though I understood he was our adversary in our quest to find the truth, I couldn't help but notice that he couldn't have looked more handsome.
Linda guided us to her brother. "Good morning, Scott," she greeted him.
Her voice caught his attention and he turned to us with as bright a smile as that of his sister. "Good morning. I see you've managed to get your charges up and here with time to spare."
Linda shook her head. "They were up when I called on them."
He raised an eyebrow and his blue eyes flickered to me. "Is that so? I hope you slept well."
I shrugged. "Strange dreams, but I'm sure it's common in this lonely mountain air."
He smiled, and I saw a twinkle of sensual mischief in their depths. "Not as common as you think, but I'll make sure you sleep well tonight. Our hike takes us on a four-mile path that skirts the lake-"
"Even the other side?" Susie spoke up. I glared at her in warning, but the damage was done.
He shook his head. "No, only the west side. The path turns away and goes into the woods." His eyes flickered between us and there was still that devilishly handsome smile on his lips. "But I'm sure you ladies haven't forgotten the opposite side of the lake is off-limits to guests."
Susie let out a strained, obviously fake laugh that was so loud those guests entering and leaving the lodge stopped and turned towards our little group. She slung an arm over my shoulders and grinned at Scott. "Nope. I was just testing your knowledge of your own rules."
"And did I pass the test?" he wondered.
"With flying colors."
"If you'll excuse me from the finals, I need to lead you on a tour of our beautiful woods," he informed us. He stepped to the side and looked past us at the rest of the group. "Ladies, gentlemen, if you're all here than we can get started and finished before the hottest part of the day. We'll follow a course past the beach and follow the edge of the lake for a half mile before we turn into the woods."
I took an early turn when I grabbed Susie's arm and led her a few yards from the group. "Are you trying to make them even more suspicious?" I hissed.
She shrugged. "I didn't think it'd hurt to try."
I rapped her on the head with my knuckle. "Does that hurt?"
She cringed. "Yeah."
"Ladies?" We turned to find the group halfway down the cabins and Scott waving to us. "Are you coming?"
"Yep!" Susie quipped. She wrapped her arms around one of mine and rushed me down the gravel path.
Chapter 3
Scott led us behind the cabins and towards the lake. Susie and I, though the youngest, lagged behind the others. Susie leaned towards me and spoke in a low whisper. "So when do you need this distraction, anyway?"
"As close to the other side of the lake as we can get," I told her.
"That's pretty vague for you."
"It's a vague plan."
"I still like my canoe plan." She nodded at the mentioned water vehicles as we passed them.
"If this doesn't work we'll do that tonight," I promised her.
Our little group traveled past the beach and onto a hard-packed dirt path that followed the lake shoreline. To our right was the thick nest of trees that bordered the entire Garden. We had traveled about fifty yards down the path when the trail turned into the trees.
I glanced across the lake at the small, white buildings in the distance. The lake was so large that they were still specks to my sight. I looked at the path ahead and saw it twist and turn among the trees, but keep a steady direction northward. If it kept on that path it would lead closer to the white buildings.
"Now?" Susie whispered.
I shook my head. "Not yet."
Her shoulders slumped and she frowned. "Damn. There goes my plan to pretend to drown."
"Save it for Nelson," I advised.
"But you keep saying he's the enemy," she reminded me.
"He still likes you enough to save you," I countered.
The hiking group marched into the dark, thick woods. The area behind the cabin was tame compared to the wild mass of trees and shrubs that grew as nature intended, but twice as thick. At every turn the trunks blocked the view further down the path. The bushes and shrubs pushed against the boundaries of the path and occasionally caught an unwary hiker by the sleeve or pants leg.
Scott broke the silence with an explanation of the wild plant and animal life, though he hardly broke his stride when speaking. "If you'll look here you'll see some bluebells. These grow very well in the mountains so long as they have enough water. That indicates that beneath us is one of the underground springs that feeds the lake," he explained as gestured at the ground to his left. A few of the hikers oohed and aahed, and cameras flashed. "Ahead you'll see that the path turns to the northwest. That will take us to the entry road above the lodge and lead us back to the Garden."
Susie looked at me. I nodded. Now was the time. She cringed and shrugged. "I got nothing."
I narrowed my eyes. "Come on, think of-"
Susie and I almost crashed into the rear of the group. They'd all stopped and Scott was turned to face us. "Miss Lee, was there something you wanted to tell the group?" he wondered.
I shrank beneath the dozen eyes on me. Even Susie stared at me. "No, nothing."
"Good, then please kiss your words to a minimum and-"
"And follow like a good dog," a voice spoke up.
Scott spun around and we looked past him down the trail. Blackwood rounded the corner, and with him was a woman of about thirty with beautiful black hair and a cold look in her eyes. They bore wore hiking gear, but no backpacks.
Scott held out one arm to prevent them from passing him. "I'm afraid you're trespassing, Blackwood," he growled.
Blackwood and his dark protege stopped a yard from Scott. The neighbor's eyes swept past Scott and to our hiking group. His gaze stopped on us and his eyes lit up. "But it's worth it to see this sight. What a surprise to meet you both again. Lee and Baker, wasn't it?" he called to us.
Young stepped in front of them and blocked Blackwood's view of us. "I warn you to leave or-"
Blackwood frowned and held up his hand. "Threats aren't very neighborly, especially when I have reason to complain. You see, one of my relatives is missing, and I was wondering if you had seen her," he inquired.
Scott's voice was strained when he next spoke. "We will discuss this another time, Blackwood," he insisted.
Blackwood shook his head and clucked his tongue. "So little sympathy for a lost soul. I wonder what your patrons think of such a cold heart?" His eyes swept over our little group and he leaned to one side to catch the gazes of Susie and myself. "Perhaps these young women would wish to help me find my relative? She seems to have gone missing these last couple of months."
"After that long you sure she didn't run away?" Susie quipped.
A dark look passed over Blackwood's face and his eyes narrowed. "What a
stupid suggestion. My loyal followers-relatives would never do such a thing."
Our hiking group gasped when Scott leapt forward and grabbed Blackwood by the collar. He raised him a few inches off the ground and stuck his face into that of his neighbor's. "I am giving you one last warning to leave now, and if I find you once more on my property you will regret it."
Blackwood clamped his hands around Scott's arm and pulled himself free from his grasp. Blackwood landed on the ground and stumbled back a few feet. The woman steadied him in her arms and scowled at Scott. "Infidel," she hissed.
"No, a free man," he corrected her.
Blackwood straightened and rubbed his neck. His narrowed eyes glared at Scott. "It seems we're no longer wanted here, Celeste. Let's go." He turned away, but I noticed his gaze caught on Susie and me for a second before he strode down the path with his companion in tow.
Scott ran a hand through his hair and turned to our little group with a shaky smile. "I'm sorry you had to see that, folks, but some of our-well, neighbors aren't fond of the Garden."
"What's not to like?" Susie spoke up.
"They dislike other people and prefer to keep to themselves. Sometimes they feel the need to remind us how much we're bothering them by paying us an impromptu visit," he explained.
"How horrible," one of the other women commented.
"You should sue them," a hefty man spoke up.
Scott shook his head. "I'd rather not make things worse, but I'm glad none of you were too bothered by my lack of control. The neighbors have been getting a little less polite of late." He straightened and his smile brightened. "But what are we doing standing here? We have a hiking trail to explore and a hearty lunch waiting for us at the lodge. Come on!" Scott turned and marched forward, and our little group eagerly followed him.
Susie sidled up behind me. "We still up for the distraction?" she whispered.
"With those two out there looking for their 'relative?'" I pointed out.
A sly grin slid onto my friend's face. "So canoes at midnight?"
I sighed and reluctantly nodded my head. "Canoes at midnight."
With our decision made we followed the hike with noticeable distraction. That is, until the woman in front of me suddenly stopped. I collided into her back and we toppled together onto the hard-packed earth. Our legs and arms tangled in a mess of humanity.
"Oh dear! Oh bother!" the woman shrieked. Her husband slipped his arms under hers and lifted her away from me.
Scott did the same for me. "What happened?" he asked us.
"I'm so sorry," the woman apologized. "I didn't mean to stop so fast, but I saw something strange in the dirt there." She pointed at the mentioned spot three feet off the trail. The rest of the group crowded around for a glimpse of what had caused the train wreck.
I was close enough I could see to what she referred. It was the footprint of a large dog. Sort of. All the parts were there, but the length of the three toes, arch, and heel were too long, longer than even that of a human foot. My heart skipped a few beats when I recalled last night's tryst with the man, or monster, who even now held me in his strong arms. Scott righted me and let go so he could step closer to the strange footprint.
"Lemme see!" Susie insisted. She half-climbed atop me to look over my shoulder. "Wow, some big and ugly made that."
"It looks like the footprint of a wolf," he commented.
Several ladies in the party gasped. The husband of the discoverer frowned and pointed at the footprint. "That's too big to be a wolf," he argued.
"The footprint was made when the soil was loose. Perhaps it skidded in the mud and that's what gives it that elongated look," Scott explained.
Several members of the group nodded, including Susie. I glared at her and she scowled back. "What?" she whispered.
I shook my head and looked away. "I'll tell you later."
Scott straightened and smiled at our little group. "Now we should get going, or we'll end up coming back by dinner instead of lunch."
Susie looped one of her arms through mine and tugged me so we fell back well behind the others. "'fess up, what did you want to talk about?" she whispered.
I shook my head. "Not here."
She turned her head left and right. Around us was the trees and shrugs. Twenty yards ahead of us was the rear of our group. "Why not?" she asked me.
"The woods might have ears," I replied.
An evil grin slid onto her lips. "No, not eyes, just a mouth so they can bark." I rolled my eyes, but she thought it so funny she cackled like a witch.
"Ladies, please don't lag behind," Scott called from the front.
I dragged my maniacal friend onward towards the group, and the rest of the hike was blissfully uneventful.
Chapter 4
In two hours we reached the road that passed the lodge. The structure itself lay a couple of miles below the mouth of the trail. At the end of the trail was a warning sign with a silhouette of a golf cart with speed lines behind it. At the bottom was the warning Watch For Golf Carts.
Susie jerked her thumb at the sign as we passed. "Seriously? How dangerous are those things?"
Scott turned to face the group and stood a few feet in the road. His grin was full of mischief. "I'll tell you, but only if you swear to secrecy."
"So if we don't swear then you might tell us, but then you'd have to kill us?" Susie wondered.
He chuckled. "Something like that. Do you all swear." Many people nodded their heads, a few murmured a soft 'yes.'
Susie went the extra mile. She crossed her heart and raised her right hand as though she were in a court of law. "I swear," she promised.
Scott lowered his voice and leaned towards the group. "Then I'll tell you a company secret about the golf carts. They've been-well, slightly modified."
I rolled my eyes when Susie replied to him in her own whispering voice. "Modified how?"
"Their engines are larger than is normal for golf carts," he explained.
"So they have more horses?" Susie wondered.
He smiled and nodded. "And thus more oomph."
"That sounds dangerous," one of our fellow travelers commented.
Scott shook his head. "Not at all. All of our staff are trained to drive them, and they're not allowed to use the full strength expect in emergencies when they have to quickly leave or return to the lodge."
At that moment we heard a car engine come up the road. Scott stepped into our little group and coincidentally ended up beside me. We all watched one of the golf carts came around the nearest bend. It wasn't moving at the usual break-neck speed of five miles-per-hour, but at the suicidal fifteen miles-per-hour. It zoomed by and the two passengers in the rear, a couple, waved to us while their driver, their attendant, stared straight ahead at the road.
They were soon out of sight, but not forgotten. Susie squealed and jumped in front of Scott. "Please! Please! Please!"
He grinned. "Please what?"
"Please let me drive one of those!"
He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but only attendants can drive them, and their only to be used for those guests who need longer for their youth to return."
Susie pulled out all the stops. She clasped her hands in front of her, slipped out her lower lip, and made it tremble like there was a nine-point-nine earthquake happening. "Please?" she whimpered.
"No exceptions. Now let's head down, but mind the road and keep your ears open for traffic," he advised our group. "We don't have too many golf carts, but it only takes one to cause an accident."
Scott led us down the road and in an hour we reached the lodge just in time for lunch. Our attendants greeted us at the lodge, Linda among them. She walked up to us with her bright smile. "How did it go?"
"Great!" Susie exclaimed. She paused, tilted her head back and rubbed her chin. "Well, except for Blackwood coming and saying he was looking for somebody."
The color in Linda's face drained. Her smile slipped and her voice came out as a nervous whisper. "H-he did?"
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br /> "He won't be back," Scott spoke up as he came up behind us. He looked Linda in the eye and smiled. "I've made sure of that."
I realized she'd been holding her breath when she breathed out. "That's good. Now that your hike is over I'm sure you're both very hungry."
"Starving! What's for lunch?" Susie spoke up.
"Why do you bother asking? You'll just eat it like a Hoover vacuum, anyway," I teased.
"My stomach likes to be prepared for what's to come," Susie defended herself.
Linda hid her chuckle behind her hand. "If you'll follow me we'll see what's on the menu," she suggested.
"Lead on, gentle attendant!" Susie proclaimed.
Linda and Susie turned and walked towards the lodge doors. I moved to follow, but a heavy hand fell on my shoulder. I turned and found myself staring into Scott's worried face. "Can I speak to you alone for a moment?"
My female companions noticed my lack of following and half-turned towards us. "You coming?" Susie shouted.
"In a moment," I yelled back.
Linda looked to her brother, and he nodded. She took Susie's arm and led her into the lodge.
"This way," Scott requested. He led me away from the lodge and across the dusty road. We stopped at the edge of the woods far from anyone else. Scott gently grabbed both my shoulders and turned me so I faced him. His eyes bored into mine with more seriousness than I'd ever seen in a human. "I feel I must warn you not to wander tonight as you have in the past."
I frowned as I recalled memories of last night. "So what happened last night was true? We really did turn into-into something?"
He shook his head. "I can't explain anything to you right now, but you can believe me when I say it isn't safe for you to be anywhere near the woods tonight, or any other night." His eyes swept over me looking for confirmation. "Do you understand? Don't go out. No matter what, stay inside."
"Be safe from what?" I questioned him.
He pursed his lips. "I can't tell you that right now, either, but-" I twisted my arms out of his grasp and took a step back.