Into the Canyon

by Michael Neale

  As they approached the group, one of the federal agents stuck out a hand toward Jacob. “I’m Special Agent Fowler; this is Special Agent Brighton.”

  They all exchanged handshakes and introductions. Gabriel thought that Agent Fowler looked more like a well-groomed middle-aged businessman than an FBI field op. Agent Brighton had a firm handshake, dark hair pulled back in a bun, and she wore no makeup.

  Jacob looked down at the FBI agents’ outfits. He spoke up loudly as the rain was beginning to come down harder.

  “It’s a bit of a hike from here, maybe twenty minutes or so. It’s going be slick because of the rain, so be careful. You got any boots you can wear?”

  “We’ll be fine,” agent Brighton said, gripping the small sifting box.

  “At least you have pants on,” Jacob said, smiling.

  She did not seem amused.

  “You sifting for gold?” Jack chuckled at his own question.

  The sheriff broke in. “We aren’t getting any drier. Show us the way.” Steve motioned to Jacob.

  Jacob and Gabriel went out in front and the others followed close behind. They traversed through misty forest on a muddy path. They wound around giant boulders and through towering trees. Jacob and Gabriel glanced back every few minutes to make sure the officers were with them.

  Occasionally, Jacob would call out cues. “Here’s where we descend a bit. It’s slick.”

  Jacob and Gabriel went first, bracing themselves on the rocks, slipping intermittently as the wet clay gave way under their boots. The local officers stayed close behind and the FBI agents behind them. After descending about thirty feet or so, they came to a level clearing. Agent Brighton was moving slower and was still up the hill a ways.

  “Be careful!” Jacob cupped his hands over his mouth to project his voice over the rain.

  As soon as the words left Jacob’s mouth, Agent Brighton left her feet. She dropped to her backside and started sliding. She careened over a couple of small rocks and tore the back of her pants halfway up her thigh. By the time she came to a stop, red mud covered every inch of her.

  The men all scrambled to help her.

  She held up her hand, looking embarrassed, and stated emphatically, “I’m fine. I’m fine.” She got up, holding the flap of torn material back to her leg.

  “I’ve got some tape up in the Jeep if you need it,” Steve said, averting his eyes from her bare leg.

  “Thank you, Sheriff, but I’ll manage,” she replied with a tinge of disgust.

  “I told her she didn’t need to come out here. She’s a rookie,” Agent Fowler mumbled to Gabriel.

  Now that they’d confirmed the agent was alright, Gabriel wanted to get back to hiking. “Wasn’t it right over there?” Gabriel asked Jacob, pointing across the hill.

  Gabriel started walking toward the large boulder. It’s gone! He spun around looking everywhere. How could that have happened?

  “This is exactly where it was.” Gabriel pointed to a large mud puddle that had formed in the clay.

  “That’s what I thought,” Jacob commented as he walked over to Gabriel. Both men looked all over the area.

  Gabriel held one arm straight toward the water. “We were fishing right there. This is the only rock like this around here. The bones, the tarp, it’s all gone.”

  “Gentlemen, what’s going on here? I got up at three a.m. and drove three hours for this?” Agent Fowler’s tone turned condescending.

  “I’m telling you. This is where the skull was, and there were other bones as well . . . lying right here.” Gabriel motioned, his heart racing.

  “Look!” Gabriel crouched and pointed to a couple of smaller holes. “This was it. Those are from the pegs we hammered to hold the tarp.”

  Jacob knelt next to Gabriel. “The wind would not have been strong enough to pick that up.”

  “You sure?” Agent Brighton agent asked.

  “I’m sure.” Gabriel noticed Jacob sounded irritated, something that rarely happened.

  Gabriel splashed some of the water out of the hole and scraped up some of the mud. “It’s pretty deep now, deeper than what Rio did. I think somebody dug them up.”

  Agent Fowler grabbed the small spade he brought. He dug around the area and dumped the mud into the small sifting box. Agent Brighton sifted through the clay, assisted by Gabriel, for a half an hour, but to no avail.

  “There are no prints, no tracks, nothing thanks to this rain.” The sheriff got up and brushed the clay from his knees. “I’m done.”

  The rain finally let up a little as they made the arduous climb back to their vehicles.

  “If you see or hear anything, don’t hesitate to give me a call.” Agent Fowler handed Jacob and Gabriel his card.

  Gabriel was still trying to make sense of everything. “I’m just curious. Are there any open cases regarding missing children in this area?”

  “Yes, unfortunately,” the agent responded. “Let me know if something comes up.”

  The two agents loaded in their Wagoneer and motored off.

  Just then, an alert came over the two-way radio in Steve’s Jeep.

  “Carrington, come in, over.” The static made it difficult to understand.

  The sheriff leaned into the vehicle. “This is Carrington.”

  “We’ve got a drunken disorderly at the diner, assistance needed.”

  “Jack and I are on it. Over.”

  Steve turned his attention to Jacob. “Let me know if anything comes up.”

  Gabriel and Jacob got in the Jeep and started the journey back to camp.

  For a while, neither spoke. But frustration got the best of Gabriel, and he suddenly slapped the dashboard in anger. “Who in the world would have come out here between yesterday evening and this morning in the pouring rain to dig up those bones? Who even knew they were there?”

  Jacob shrugged, unphased by Gabriel’s outburst. “Somebody must have been watching us. That’s the only way.”

  Gabriel’s mind immediately flashed back. “I haven’t thought too much about it, but you remember when I went back to Splashfire, to visit my dad’s grave?”

  “Yeah.”

  “While I was down at the falls, I caught a glimpse of some guy leaving the woods on the other side of The River. It was like he was sneaking away.”

  “What did he look like?”

  “All I could see was his red jacket and black knit cap. It was spooky. Just the two of us out there and he didn’t say a word. He just scooted off into the woods like a hunted animal. Tabitha saw him that day too. And then I saw him again while we were camping along The River.”

  Jacob didn’t reply. He looked into the rearview mirror. Without warning he cut the wheel sharply to the left across the road and slid to a halt. He executed a three-point turn on the narrow road and sped back the way they came.

  “Where’re we going?” Gabriel asked, nervous.

  “I want to check something out.” Jacob’s tone was perturbed, almost angry.

  “Is it about the bones?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  7

  Billy

  After a twenty-minute drive of steep switchbacks, Jacob downshifted the Jeep as he rumbled off the road onto an unmarked path.

  “So you never said where we are going,” Gabriel said, still feeling trepidation. He was trying to read Jacob, but his normally calm demeanor was intense and concerned.

  Jacob didn’t take his eyes off the road, but he frowned. “I’m not totally sure. I saw a truck turn off here a few weeks ago. I’ve never seen anything or anyone coming in or out of here before, and what you said just got me thinking.”

  They wound through the trees on the uneven path and to the precipice of a steep and rocky descent. Jacob stopped the Jeep abruptly and pulled the parking break. He stepped out and locked the wheel hubs, then jumped back in and jammed the shifter of the old CJ-7 into four-wheel drive.

  They actually leaned back in their seats, the path was so steep. The Jeep rock
ed back and forth as it traversed the rocks and potholes like a mountain mule. After about two hundred yards, the path leveled and turned to the right. As they made the turn, Gabriel saw a small, rustic cabin.

  “Somebody lives down here?” Gabriel noticed smoke coming from the other side of the cabin.

  A frown still creased Jacob’s forehead. “Looks like it.”

  The sun was beaming, not a cloud in the sky, but the forest was so dense here it felt like the evening twilight.

  A couple of old, faded green kayaks were lying in some overgrown brush at the base of some large firs next to the cabin. The red tin roof had pine needles, moss, and twigs strewn about on it. The small front deck had a lone rocking chair with a couple of kayak paddles leaned up against it.

  As Gabriel and Jacob got out of the Jeep, a few tiny chipmunks scampered out of a stack of two old truck tires lying to the right. Gabriel heard the rushing of the white water that was close but out of sight. The two men walked up onto the small wooden porch. Jacob dropped his sunglasses around his neck and banged on the door hard.

  No answer.

  “Anyone home?” Jacob called.

  Still nothing.

  Jacob seemed troubled, as if he knew something about this, but Gabriel didn’t feel like he could ask any questions yet.

  Jacob started to walk around back. Gabriel cupped his hands and took a peek in the dirty window. He could barely make out a small wooden dining table with a couple of chairs. A couple of books lay on the table next to what looked to be a leather-covered flask of some sort. He couldn’t see much else. He followed Jacob around to the back. There he saw a fifty-five gallon, rusted-out barrel still smoldering and spitting smoke from some debris that was burning.

  Some old tools lay up against the back of the house: a pickaxe, a shovel, and a wood splitting maul.

  Jacob rattled the back door. It was open. He stuck just his head inside.

  “Hello?”

  Still no response.

  “I’ll be right back.” Jacob eased himself inside, but Gabriel couldn’t do it. This place just didn’t feel right to him.

  After a few seconds that seemed like hours, Jacob returned from checking out the one-room cabin.

  “No one here. Let’s go.”

  Jacob pulled the door closed and led the way. As soon as Jacob made the turn around the corner, Gabriel heard another voice.

  “What are you doing here?” The slurred growl was venomous. Gabriel turned just in time to see a tall, wiry man with a shaggy beard charge at Jacob in a full sprint. Jacob quickly stepped to the side, deflected the blow, and the man fell hard into the dirt.

  “Easy, man, easy.” Jacob held up his hands toward the man.

  Gabriel wasn’t sure what to do. The two men stared at each other, circling like wrestlers in a ring.

  The tall, wiry, drunken man wiped his mouth. His faded denim shirt, torn jeans, and boots were covered in mud, and it looked like he hadn’t slept for days.

  “Why can’t you leave me be?” he slurred angrily.

  Gabriel watched, shocked, Jacob’s face paled, and his mouth dropped open.

  “Billy? Is . . . is that you?” Jacob squinted as he stared.

  The man waved wildly at them. “Get off my property!”

  “I thought you were dead!” Jacob shook his head. “Where have you been?”

  Suddenly, the man seemed calmer. “Billy? Billy? Oh, he’s dead . . . he’s been dead for years.”

  Jacob looked confused. “How did he die, then?”

  “Who’s the pretty boy with you?” The drunk ignored Jacob’s question and pointed at Gabriel. “What are you doing here?” he yelled, but Gabriel stayed quiet.

  The man pulled a large hunting knife out of his boot and pointed it straight at Jacob. His veins in his neck pulsed as his face burned red with anger.

  “I’m done talking!”

  “Okay. Okay.” Jacob held up his hands again and then motioned to Gabriel.

  The two men backed up toward their Jeep.

  The man kept the knife pointed at them, but it shook as he tried to keep it straight.

  “Another time, Billy; it’s okay.”

  Jacob and Gabriel got in the Jeep. They didn’t speak as they made the rocky descent back out onto the main road.

  Jacob slammed his hand on the steering wheel. He was mumbling under his breath.

  “Who was that guy?” Gabriel finally asked.

  Jacob stared ahead as he drove. His demeanor looked shaken. “I . . . I haven’t seen him in a long time. I thought he was dead.” Jacob pushed his right hand through his salt-and-pepper curly hair. “I tried to find him for years. He’s going to kill himself if he doesn’t stop.”

  Gabriel puzzled over this information. “Have you known him long?”

  Tears welled up in Jacob’s eyes. “All my life.”

  Gabriel felt a shock like electricity run through his body. “You are related?”

  Jacob nodded. “That’s . . . that’s my little brother.” He took a breath and paused, seeming hesitant. “He disappeared after . . . He’s had a rough time, a really rough time . . . more than his share of tragedy. I know everyone has some suffering, some tragedy in life . . . but for some, it seems to overwhelm and get the best of them. God, he looked terrible.”

  Gabriel didn’t know what to say. His bushy blond hair blew in the wind as he processed what he saw and heard.

  “Are you going to try again?” Gabriel looked over at Jacob.

  Jacob took a shaky breath. “I have to. Unfortunately, there’s a lot more to this story that I can’t talk about right now. Hopefully Billy will come home. I want him to come home. There is life after mistakes. Everyone has a past. But everyone has to choose. He has to choose life.” Jacob gripped the steering wheel with both hands. “I hope he chooses life.”

  Jacob dropped Gabriel off at the lodge and drove away, saying he needed some time to think.

  Gabriel paused on the porch, running his fingers through his hair. He felt overwhelmed by what had happened during the last twenty-four hours. Surely he was due for a break by now.

  He glanced in the lodge window before he opened the door, and what he saw made his heart stop—Tabitha, a steaming mug in both hands, gazing up at Samuel, his hand in her hair.

  Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. What is going on? He threw open the lodge door, making Tabitha and Samuel both jump.

  Tabitha stood up from her chair, smiling awkwardly. “Oh, Gabriel! Hi! How did it go?”

  Gabriel ignored her question.

  Tabitha put her mug down and walked toward him. “Whatever you think is going on, isn’t. I had a leaf in my hair, and Samuel was getting it out.”

  Samuel stomped toward the door, slamming it behind him.

  Gabriel didn’t know what to think.

  Tabitha pulled him into her arms, but he didn’t return her embrace.

  “Gabriel, listen to me. There is some history with Samuel. We are just friends. Honest. Samuel wanted more, but I didn’t. I see him like an older brother. Which is definitely not how I see you.” She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, and Gabriel felt his anger softening.

  “Join me for some tea?” she asked.

  A few moments later, they were both settled on the couch, sipping tea.

  “So, tell me how this morning was with the sheriff,” Tabitha said.

  As Gabriel filled her in, her eyes widened with shock. A few moments passed.

  “I can’t help it. I just keep wondering what happened. Why here?” Tabitha’s tone escalated. “Who could’ve done such a thing? I wonder how long ago it happened.”

  Gabriel didn’t have an answer for her.

  Tabitha eventually continued, “It’s interesting that we ended up here at The River. I could have grown up in Chicago or Georgia or somewhere. Colorado is all I’ve really known. Sometimes I wonder . . . I don’t know . . . if there’s more out there. I wonder what I’m missing.” Before Gabriel could respond, she kept going. “Y
ou didn’t hear me say that . . . Dad would lose it.”

  He paused for a moment. “I’ve often wondered the same thing, how we all ended up here. And I don’t know what life would have had for you in Georgia, but I can say this with absolute certainty: I don’t want you to be anywhere but here.”

  She smiled and laid her head down on his shoulder. “I know you’ve had a lot of loss in your life, Gabriel, but I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me. Never worry about that.”

  8

  Gabriel’s Cabin

  October 2, 2012, 8:15 p.m., Gabriel’s Cabin

  “You’re like a moth to a flame with that thing.”

  Gabriel caught me checking to see if I’d gotten any messages or e-mails on my phone at the first lull in the conversation.

  “It makes your face glow and everything,” he said, nodding at the phone.

  “Habit, I guess.”

  There was not one bar of service out in the wilderness. I felt pretty stupid as I put it back in my jacket pocket. Where the airport conversation left off, the conversation at the cabin picked up. The adventure seemed palpable. It was a welcome distraction to my own misery. I still had so many questions.

  What happened to Tabitha? Did he marry her? What about the bones? Where is Jacob now? Or Billy?

  “You hungry?” The early-sixties mountain man dumped the last bit of coffee over the railing.

  “Actually, yeah, I am,” I replied.

  “Let’s head back up to the lodge. I’ve got some steaks in the fridge up there that are begging to be grilled over the open flame.”

  “Oh, man, you don’t have to go to any trouble. We can just go to a restaurant or something.”

  Gabriel looked at me and chuckled. “There’s a diner in town, but if I were you, I’d have one of my steaks.” He smiled. “Besides, preparing a meal for a friend is a privilege.”

  “Okay, sounds great. Just didn’t want you to go to any hassle.”

  Gabriel set the coffeepot down on the ledge. He slid his arms into the sleeves of his flannel overshirt.

  “Serving others isn’t a hassle. It’s a joy. Come on. Let’s go eat.” He lifted his eyebrows and smiled as he started down the steps of the porch. I followed.