by Ed Robinson
I settled in and waited, trying to get comfortable. Hours passed, and nothing happened. My legs were getting so stiff I had no choice but to get up and walk around. I stayed quiet, using the trees for cover, but stretching my legs enough to resume the watch. All the fires were out, and most of the campers were inside their tents, if not asleep. There was nothing else to do out there; not even play on your phone. That was something that didn’t bother me, of course, but I knew that most people who camped here were disappointed to discover they had no signal.
The night dragged on. I took up a station inside my tent, with the flap open so I could see out. I couldn’t see the other tents, but I could hear anyone who came within the boundaries of the campground. No one did. As the sun came up, I lay down and went to sleep. Brody buzzed me on the radio just before noon. She was on her way to pick me up. Nothing had happened near the RVs either.
We fixed sandwiches back at her place, yawning the entire time.
“Did you get any sleep at all?” I asked.
“Not long after I laid down the other campers started making noise,” she said. “How about you?”
“Same thing,” I said. “I’m right in front of the restrooms and showers. I was dozing, but I could hear them coming and going.”
“We should try to get more rest before dark,” she said.
“I want to walk around down there and get a better feel for things,” I said. “I can nap this afternoon.”
“Not much to see up here,” she said. “I’ll come down and walk with you.”
We had a nice little hike on the trail running along the river. I took note of who was where on the way by the other tents, double checking on the return trip. The day was bright and sunny with calm winds. There was no feeling of tension in the air. Everyone was relaxed and carefree; basking in nature. There was no road noise down here at all. The noise of the river dominated the sounds of the woods, but it was pleasant and reassuring.
We drove back up to the RV and cooked burgers for an early dinner. After Brody dropped me off again, I fell hard asleep in the tent. I didn’t wake up until well after dark. The sound of someone running brought me to life in a hurry. I caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure as it disappeared behind the bathhouse. It was a man carrying something that I couldn’t make out. By the time I got my shoes on, I knew that following him was hopeless. I had failed miserably at my assigned duty.
I called Brody to report my defeat. I was embarrassed, but she pretended that it was okay.
“Could have happened to anyone,” she said. “Don’t beat yourself up.”
“I doubt he’ll strike again tonight,” I said. “But I’m awake now.”
“If I drive down to get you he’ll know people are about,” she said. “He certainly wouldn’t try anything knowing that.”
“Our neighbors will be safe,” I said. “Come get me.”
I spent the night in the RV area with her, talking softly over a late night campfire.
“Maybe we should rethink our plan,” she said. “We can’t be expected to stay awake all night every night.”
“Harder than I thought,” I admitted. “This was child’s play when I was younger.”
“We should stay together and take shifts,” she said.
“That will leave half the place unguarded,” I said.
“It’s unguarded if we’re sleeping when something happens anyway,” she said.
“Maybe we should bag the whole mission,” I suggested. “We’ve got no cop on site. The ranger doesn’t want to help much. This is looking impossible.”
“It’s only been two nights,” she said. “So, we had a little setback.”
“I’m going to speak with the Sheriff in the morning,” I said. “Explain the facts on the ground.”
“If you’re good for a few hours, I’m going to catch forty winks.”
“Go ahead,” I said. “I’m awake now.”
I stood watch while Brody got some sleep. Nothing stirred for the rest of that night, not that I expected any action. As soon as the rangers arrived in the morning, we were there to discuss matters.
“We need a cop or a ranger here to assist us,” I said. “He could at least make sure we’re awake and on duty.”
“Talk to the Sheriff,” he said. “This was their idea, to begin with.”
“You must have called him to report the problem,” I said.
“I was just doing what I had to do,” he said. “I didn’t hire you.”
“Park rangers don’t protect and serve?”
“Not after hours,” he said. “I don’t get paid for that kind of duty.”
I used the office landline to call the Sheriff. I suggested that either he post a man in the park at night, or I would assume police authority to detain and arrest the suspect once I caught him. I hinted that I would use whatever extreme measures were necessary. I could see him frowning on the other end of the line.
“Now Mr. Breeze,” he began. “I was warned about this type of behavior from you.”
“Don’t Mr. Breeze me,” I said. “I was told there would be a cop here, that we would have police radios, and that I would be given handcuffs. Three strikes and you’re out, Sheriff.”
“Maybe you should just call it quits,” he said. “Before you get yourself in trouble.”
“Maybe you should cooperate before the taxpayers find out you’re not willing to do your job when it gets inconvenient.”
“You ruined that police chief in Banner Elk, didn’t you?”
“Only because he needed to be ruined,” I said.
He was silent for a minute. I could hear him breathing; stewing it over.
“I’ll send a man tonight with cuffs and radios,” he said. “He won’t be happy about it.”
“Thank you,” I said. “Hopefully, we can end this thing quickly.”
Eleven
Deputy Roger Palmer arrived just before the gates were locked for the night. He came in a four-wheel-drive pickup, complete with a gun rack in the back window. He wore good canvas bush pants and expensive hiking boots. He was openly carrying his pistol on his right side. He looked formidable. There was a cooler in the bed of the truck and a rifle in the rack.
“We appreciate you coming out here,” I said. “We know it must be an inconvenience for you.”
“I would have volunteered sooner,” he said. “But I didn’t know about it until today. Sheriff said go, so here I am.”
“Do you know your way around this place?”
“I’ve been here a few times,” he said. “I’m pretty good in the woods. I can help with this detail.”
“Excellent,” I said. “Welcome aboard.”
“How did you two get enlisted in this duty?” he asked.
“We’ve had some similar experience in neighboring counties,” I explained. “I’m a tracker. Brody is former FBI. We’ve been around a bit.”
“A tracker, eh?” he said. “Lost art these days. You got a dog?”
“I do but he’s not with us,” I said.
“So what’s the plan?”
“We tried splitting up,” I said. “We’ve got an RV up here. Brody took it, and I fell asleep on the second night, allowing someone to run through and grab what he could.”
“Do you know what he got?”
“A bag of something,” I said. “Food, maybe.”
“Did you get a look at him?”
“Not a good one,” I said. “But he headed uphill from the bathhouse down below.”
“He was running, and he went uphill,” he said. “Must be physically fit.”
“We’re open to any ideas you may have.”
“Let’s go down there and talk to the campers,” he said. “See who is missing something.”
“Should we try to enlist more eyes down there?”
“Can’t hurt,” he said. “If you want, I can stay down there alone tonight. I’m fresh. You got a tent set up?”
“First site on the riverside,” I told him. “Right a
cross from the bathhouse.”
“Let me get you two some radios,” he said. “I was told to bring cuffs too, if you want them.”
“Both would be great,” I said. “We can take shifts up here tonight. Reassess things tomorrow.”
He gave us quick instructions on the radios and gave us each a pair of handcuffs. We shook hands and wished each other a safe night before he drove off to the walk-in tent sites. I felt much better about things. An extra man was just what we needed, and he didn’t seem to be pissed about being there. He carried himself with confidence like he was comfortable in these surroundings and not just a street cop. He looked and dressed like he had experience in the wilderness. I figured we could count on him to do his part.
“I think he’s got a little cowboy in him,” Brody said. “A little cocky, maybe.”
“He’ll be a real asset to us on this one,” I said. “Seemed competent to me.”
“Cuts our work in half,” she said. “How do you want to work the shifts?”
“Three hours each,” I said. “I’ll be happy to take nine to midnight. You take watch until three, and I’ll handle it until sunup. We can switch that up tomorrow night.”
“If we don’t catch him tonight,” she said.
“He just hit us last night,” I said. “I’m guessing he won’t be back for a night or two.”
“You never know.”
“That’s why we’ll diligently keep watch,” I said. “I can’t be asleep again when he returns.”
“What if he comes when I’m up alone?”
“Yell at me on your way after him,” I said. “You’ll be fine. I’ll be right behind you.”
“Sleeping with your shoes on?”
“Probably not a bad idea,” I said.
We ate a light meal and sat around a fire until nine when Brody went to bed. I let the fire die on its own and stayed up until twelve. No one sprinted through grabbing stuff. I woke Brody with a kiss, which almost led to extracurricular activities.
“Go catch a bad guy,” I said. “We can take this up another time.”
“Spoil sport.”
“Duty before personal gratification,” I said. “I can’t believe I just said that.”
“Me either,” she said. “You are getting old.”
“I prefer to think of it as growing up.”
“God, we can’t let that happen,” she said. “You’ll lose your boyish charm.”
“Get to work, missy,” I said. “Wake me at three.”
I had no trouble going to sleep. Midnight is about two hours past my bedtime these days. It seemed like minutes later when Brody came for me, even though three hours had passed.
“All quiet on the western front,” she said. “Nothing.”
“I’ll take it until the sun rises,” I said. “Then we can continue what we started earlier.”
“Best idea you’ve had lately.”
My second shift was just like the first. I sat in a lawn chair up against the RV, looking and listening. The shadowy man did not visit us that night. The radio Palmer had given us was quiet. I allowed myself to relax slightly when the first signs of light crept over the campground, but I stayed vigilant until it was full-on daytime. I snuck up on my sleeping beauty and gently nudged my way into bed with her. She didn’t object, not even when I started taking her pants off. It felt like we were stealing a few moments of intimacy, which added a new element to our lovemaking. We were always alone and isolated in our cabin. Now we were literally surrounded by close neighbors with thin walls. We both appreciated the change of pace.
“Pretty damn nice for a man who’s been up most of the night,” she said.
“I’m going to lay right here and wallow in the afterglow if you don’t mind.”
“No, go ahead,” she said. “I’ll check in with Palmer and greet the new day.”
“Thanks, babe.”
“No,” she said. “Thank you.”
I got another solid two hours of sleep before I heard Palmer’s truck pull up. I rolled out of bed, put my pants on, and went out to greet him. Brody had already been briefed. Nothing out of the ordinary happened for him either. One couple had reported that a bag of lunch meat and cheese had gone missing from their cooler the previous night. The thief had left the bread. They hadn’t even noticed until lunch time. Palmer had explained what we were doing and asked everyone down there to keep their eyes open.
Brody invited him to join us for breakfast, but he declined. He had a favorite breakfast spot not too far away. We decided to follow him and let someone else cook for us for a change. He took us to Shatley Springs Restaurant, a southern family-style place with good coffee. I pigged out on biscuits and gravy. Brody and Palmer both got pancakes and eggs.
“So where are you from, originally?” Brody asked Palmer.
“North Texas, ma’am,” he replied. “Damn near Oklahoma.”
“What brought you here?”
“The job,” he said. “It was the first opening I found after the academy. Nice country.”
“Did you ride horses and rope bulls and shit?” I asked.
“Daddy had a pharmacy,” he said. “That wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life.”
“How long have you been on the job?” Brody asked.
“Five years now,” he said. “I do like it here. The mountains, waterfalls, a little hiking, and camping now and then. Trout fishing.”
“Us, too,” I said. “We’ll have to swap favorite fishing holes when this is over.”
“That’s a negative,” he said. “Secret spots remain just that in these parts.”
“Gotcha,” I said. “I’d expect nothing less.”
“But you tried anyway,” he said. “Guess I can’t blame you for trying.”
We were all quiet for a few minutes, intent on our meals. I was glad that Brody and I had our little get-together that morning. I realized that Palmer was a good looking dude. He was much younger than I, masculine and charming in a southern sort of way.
“You married?” I asked.
“Not yet,” he said. “Working my way through Ashe County. I’m hoping to parlay this job into something better somewhere else.”
“You don’t want the Sheriff’s job someday?”
“Not here,” he said. “Podunk stuff is all we get. Occasional meth case. Petty theft. Domestic disputes are far too common.”
“I don’t see you in an urban setting,” Brody said. “You’re a country boy.”
“I’ll spread my wings when the time is right,” he said. “Meanwhile, I’ll do the best I can with what I have.”
“What’s your take on the man we’re hoping to catch?” I asked.
“Recently homeless,” he said. “Doesn’t have the skills to survive on his own. Maybe kicking some habit. Still young. Probably just came out here recently, after the weather broke.”
“Reasonable assessment,” I said. “Is homelessness a big problem around here?”
“Funny thing is you don’t see them in the winter,” he said. “They always seem to find a place to be when it’s freezing cold and snowing. Family mostly. When spring finally arrives, they get all big in the britches thinking they’re Jeremiah Johnson or something. That’s our guy, but now he’s reduced to stealing bologna from campsites.”
“So he’ll disappear when it starts getting cold again?” I asked. “Go back home to mommy and daddy.”
“He would,” he said. “But we’re going to catch him first. Try to get him whatever treatment he needs. Make the campground safe for law-abiding folks.”
“I like your attitude,” I said. “Glad you’re here with us.”
“We’ll get him in the next day or so,” he said. “Keep on your toes. One of us will nab him.”
After breakfast, we all went back to the park to rest up for another night of diligence. I was feeling rested, so I offered to take the tent area by myself, but Palmer refused. Brody took our first shift, which was the more demanding one. I woke early to take over fo
r her, feeling guilty about not doing more. It was almost two in the morning when I heard something. It was barely a sound at all, but I was tuned into the night sounds. I had my pistol and a flashlight, which wasn’t on just yet. I crept towards the source of the noise. I should have alerted Brody first, but I was too focused on catching an intruder. I didn’t stick with our agreed upon plan.
Our borrowed RV was near the middle of a row. The sound came from the end, nearest the woods. I moved with stealth from camper to camper until I could see the last one. A man was creeping in the shadows, looking for something to steal. I raised my weapon and flashlight simultaneously.
“Stop right there,” I yelled. “You’re in my sights. Don’t move.”
The man didn’t hesitate. He took off sprinting towards the tree line. I holstered my gun and went after him. I didn’t start at full speed. I let my creaky joints loosen up a bit before picking up the pace. I saw where he entered the woods and got to that spot fifteen seconds later. I couldn’t see him, but I could hear him crashing through the brush at a dead run. I followed the noise, using my light to see where I was going. My knees were holding up okay, but the noise was getting further away. I wasn’t keeping up with the camp raider. I didn’t give up, though. I kept plodding along, occasionally stopping to listen. Eventually, I could no longer hear the man. He had either left me too far behind or stopped himself to hide. If it was the latter, I could easily walk into an ambush. I switched off the light and stood still, trying to reconnect. I waited for a full five minutes but heard no movement. I was deep in an unfamiliar forest with no backup; not the place to be in the middle of the night.
I called off the chase. I wasn’t going to get myself killed over some cheese and lunchmeat. I picked my way slowly back towards the campground, feeling defeated. At least I didn’t get lost. Some tracker I was. Brody was awake when I returned and none too happy that I’d run off without waking her.
“Sorry,” I said. “But he got away again. I don’t think he scored any prizes, though.”
“The two of us could have boxed him in,” she said. “We’re supposed to be a team.”