Burning Ridge

by Margaret Mizushima

  “I wonder who that is,” Stella mused under her breath.

  “Ed Lovejoy, Parks and Wildlife manager,” Mattie said.

  Stella exited the SUV and introduced herself to Lovejoy while McCoy gathered his things and got out of his vehicle. Mattie went to the back of her Explorer to get Robo.

  “Cole said you’d want to ride with us to the site,” McCoy was saying to Lovejoy.

  “That was my plan. My boss, Tucker York, is already up there, securing the area.”

  “I heard that, too.” McCoy gestured toward Lovejoy’s horse and trailer. “Go ahead and get ready. You can ride with us.”

  Mattie raised the hatch and Robo met her at the opening. He danced on his front paws with his mouth open in a silly grin, waiting for her to tell him he could jump down.

  She took a moment to pat him and give him a hug. This dog had become her comfort zone during the past few months, and she wished she could cover the ground on foot with him as they climbed the mountain. Since she used the foothills around Timber Creek for exercise and training, both she and Robo were capable of handling the rugged terrain. She thought she could keep up with a party on horseback, but didn’t want to argue about it with the sheriff.

  Stella came to get her pack from the storage compartment. “I guess it’s time to bite the bullet and climb onto the back of one of those beasts,” she muttered, apparently unconcerned about showing her own discomfort with the situation.

  They exchanged knowing looks, Mattie somehow consoled by the fact that she wasn’t the only one who was afraid.

  Stella gave her a wink. “At least you can make the most of it. Have that man of yours flex some muscle and make him lift you up onto your trusty steed.”

  Mattie made a face at her before switching her attention back to Robo and the preparation of her supplies. While they strapped packs behind saddles and drew cinches up tight and secure, Robo ranged around the parking lot sniffing everything he came across and marking truck and trailer tires. Before Mattie could psych herself up, it was time to go.

  Cole helped Stella mount Honey and gave her brief instructions. When he approached Mattie, her knees felt weak, but she pasted on a game face as she turned toward Mountaineer. Cole helped her put her foot in the stirrup and before she knew it, he’d boosted her into the saddle.

  He adjusted the stirrups so that her weight rested on the balls of her feet. “Keep the stirrups out here on the toe of your boot. Don’t let them slip back into your arch.”

  She’d worn hiking boots with a heavy tread, and she could feel the stirrup hang up as Cole scraped it along the sole.

  “We’ll get you some riding boots with a smooth sole before your next trail ride,” he said. “But you’ll be fine for today.”

  As if there’ll be a next time, she thought.

  He brought the reins back along either side of Mountaineer’s neck and tied them in a knot as he gave her an encouraging look. “When you want him to turn, just pull the reins toward the direction you want to go. Pull back when you want him to stop. For the most part, I think you can relax and enjoy the ride.”

  She nodded, and Cole raised his brows and smiled, trying to reassure her before turning toward his own mount. Robo bounded up, looking at her with excitement as the riders formed a line and headed toward the trailhead.

  That was Robo, always ready for something new.

  Once they reached the narrow trail, Brody took the lead, his Colt AR-15 rifle slung across his back. The sheriff followed him as Lovejoy, Stella, and then Mattie and Cole fell into line. Mattie clutched the saddle horn with both hands, the ends of the reins clasped between her fingers. An experienced trail horse, Mountaineer seemed to know what to do, and he followed Honey without guidance.

  Mattie felt small and helpless sitting atop such a large animal, and she held herself stiff and rigid in the saddle. When the trail broadened, Cole rode up beside her. “Keep the weight of your legs balanced on the balls of your feet and let your hips relax, so that you sway with the saddle. When we reach a steep section, lean forward. Lean back slightly on the downhill.”

  She did her best to follow his instructions and sometime during the first half hour on the trail, her heart rate slowed to normal. Although Robo frequently darted ahead, he always came back to look for her. After a bit, he settled in line and seemed content with sticking close.

  The forested foothills closed around them as they climbed, blocking their view of the ridge and diffusing what was left of the sunlight. Despite it still being early in the day, towering cumulus clouds had risen from the western horizon and boiled above them, finally opening to splash down huge cold raindrops. Brody guided his horse off the trail into the shelter of some trees, stopping so they could pull rain jackets out of their packs and put them on. Cole dismounted and hurried forward to help Mattie with hers while Ed Lovejoy turned back to help Stella.

  They headed upward again while the rain continued to fall, making Mattie worry about the integrity of their crime scene. Rivulets formed everywhere as the mountainside shed the runoff, small streams rushing across the trail and down the middle, turning it slippery and treacherous. Mountaineer continued his steady plod, and when Mattie observed Lovejoy’s horse brush his rider into a low pine bough that her own mount avoided, she realized what Cole meant when he said Mountaineer would take care of her.

  It didn’t take long for the damp cold to seep in and steal warmth from her body. If she’d been on foot, she could’ve maintained her body heat. She shivered as she withdrew her running gloves from her jacket pocket and pulled them on. Water resistant instead of waterproof, they offered only slight protection from the icy spring rain.

  It seemed like it took forever, but when they came to a swollen streambed, Mattie saw the beginning of the old burn area on the other side. Mountaineer eased down the bank, his hooves sinking into the mud. He picked his way across the stony bed, and then lurched up the bank on the other side. By this time, Mattie had practiced leaning forward and back, and the movements seemed to come more naturally. Still, she kept both hands tightly around the saddle horn, her fingers stiff from holding on.

  This region wasn’t entirely new to her since she’d hiked up here years ago, but this trip felt eerie, knowing that she was headed uphill to look for human remains. Charred human remains.

  New forest growth had filled in the open spaces between blackened trees, their crooked limbs twisted like bizarre dancing skeletons. Their destination was only a short distance farther up the trail, and she was glad for it. This place had begun to give her the creeps.

  SIX

  When Mountaineer topped the last hill, the meadow with its carpet of red flowers took Mattie by surprise. The rainfall had let up, and sunlight warmed the scene. It seemed an odd contrast that they had arrived to search for a body in such a beautiful place.

  The rose-tinted ridge rose up sharply ahead, rocky crags jabbing skyward above the ridgeline, while pine and spruce skirted its base.

  “Hello,” a male voice called as they broke through the tree line.

  Mattie searched out the sound and saw a rider coming from the direction of the trees at the base of the ridge.

  McCoy rode forward, and Cole kneed his horse around Mattie to join him. She tightened the reins to hold Mountaineer back while Stella and Lovejoy drew up beside her.

  She called Robo and told him to stay. He edged forward before going into a down, pushing the boundary so that he could get a clear view of the action. He waited there, his tongue lolling in a pant, watching the newcomer.

  She could hear Cole introduce Sheriff McCoy and Brody to Tucker York.

  “Have you seen anything?” McCoy asked.

  “Nothing out of the ordinary. I didn’t do much of a search, because I thought you’d want to head that up. I just secured the area.” York waved a hand toward the evergreens at the base of the ridge. “I moved over there so that I could watch both the meadow and the sheep. There’s no sign of a body where I’ve been.”

&
nbsp; “How about a recent fire?”

  “Not even a campfire. I didn’t see any signs of human activity in that direction.”

  “I appreciate that you didn’t disturb the meadow,” McCoy said. “We don’t know what we’re going to find out there.”

  “It’s wet. I figured you didn’t want me tracking it up. And my main concern was to scout the sheep. I have an appointment back in Denver tonight and didn’t want to delay my return.”

  “Well, I’m glad you didn’t run into any trouble, coming up by yourself,” McCoy said. “You’re free to go whenever you need to.”

  “Then I’ll be leaving after I finalize some plans with Ed for our project.” York turned away to consult with Lovejoy.

  Mattie’s sore legs told her she’d spent more than enough time in the saddle. She knew that she should dismount on the left side, so after securing the knotted reins at her saddle horn, she swung her right leg over Mountaineer’s rump and stretched it way down, reaching for the ground.

  Cole dismounted and led his horse back to join her.

  “We might as well get ready to search,” Mattie said, feeling unsteady as she straightened her knees.

  “Walk around and stretch,” Cole said. “It’ll help with the soreness. That’ll get better with more experience.”

  Mattie followed his suggestion while she scanned the blood-red meadow. “Where did Bruno come from when he brought the boot?”

  Cole pointed off to the left. “He came from the far end over there. I think he might have entered the forest, but I don’t know for sure. I thought he was bringing back a chunk of wood.”

  She began to untie her pack from behind her saddle.

  “I’ll tie the horses here in these trees.” Cole moved to help her, his closeness sending a rush of warmth to her face. She hoped the others wouldn’t notice, and if they did, that they would think the cool air had reddened her cheeks.

  Brody came up, leading his horse. “Where do you want to start the search?” he asked Mattie.

  She gestured toward the left of the field. “The remains came from that direction, but we don’t know how far out. So here’s as good a place to start as any.”

  Brody began untying the ice chest from behind his saddle.

  “Robo’s never done something like this before, Brody. We’ve always been tracking someone we thought was still alive and used clothing for a scent article. I’ve never asked him to find a body based on decomposed remains.”

  Brody acknowledged her concern with a nod as he worked out the knots in the leather ties. “I expect he’ll know what to do. It’s close enough.”

  The rain had most likely affected the scent. A trail from a living human could have been washed away, but the odor of an exposed body might well be enhanced. “I plan to give him the scent and then cast him out into the meadow. We’ll let him search the area without putting too much pressure on him. If he doesn’t find anything out here, I’ll take him into the woods.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  By this time McCoy and Stella had dismounted and tied their horses with the others. Cole had placed Mattie’s pack on the ground nearby.

  McCoy was scanning the meadow with a pair of binoculars. “When do you want to start the search, Deputy?”

  Mattie slipped off her rain jacket, turning in a partial circle as she tested the feel of the air on her face. “There’s hardly any breeze, so now’s a good time to start. I want to give Robo a chance to search with only me and Brody following him. Later, the rest of you can go in and do a thorough visual search.”

  “All right.” McCoy swept the lenses toward the left, adjusting them to zoom in on the tree line.

  Mattie opened her pack, removed Robo’s collapsible bowl, and filled it with water from her own drinking supply. He’d drunk freely from streams on the way up, but she wanted him to moisten his mucus membranes now to enhance his scenting ability. Besides, it was a valuable part of their routine.

  After he lapped at the liquid, she took off his collar and put on his tracking harness, his signal that it was time to search. Robo assumed his all-business face, adopting a serious attitude for the first time on this outing instead of acting like he was along for a picnic.

  “Robo, heel.” Taking the ice chest with her, she led him a short distance from the rest of the group and began to tousle his fur and pat his sides. She used the high-pitched chatter meant to rev up his prey drive. “Robo, are you ready to work? Are you? Let’s find something.”

  He waved his tail and looked into her eyes, telling her he was ready to go.

  Mattie bent to open the container about two inches, holding the lid firmly so that Robo couldn’t push his nose all the way in. “Here Robo. Scent this.”

  The odor of rotting flesh wafted out, attracting Robo like a fly to a carcass. He poked his nose into the open crack as far as Mattie would allow. Then she gently closed the lid, forcing him to withdraw.

  She secured the lid on the ice chest and straightened. Raising her hand above her head, she said Robo’s name to draw his attention. After he lifted his eyes to her face, she flung her arm out in a gesture toward the meadow, at the same time telling him, “Search.”

  Robo dashed into the meadow with its red flowers. She swallowed the tension that had tightened her throat and jogged after him, Brody following behind.

  The grass was slick from the rain, and the ground beneath it uneven and muddy. Very soon, she realized she wouldn’t be able to keep up with Robo on this type of terrain. Placing her feet carefully on tufts of grass rather than sinking into the sometimes swampy muck in between, she did her best to keep up with her swift-footed dog. She’d take a rocky hillside over this any day.

  With his larger feet and heavier build, Brody struggled even more than she did. They fell into a strung-out line as they crossed the meadow, Robo out front and Brody bringing up the rear. Robo quartered the area back and forth while his humans stayed on a straight line down the middle. Mattie kept her eyes on her footing, glancing up frequently to see if Robo had hit upon something.

  Most of the time Robo held his head up, nose in the air, telling her that he was air-scenting rather than following a ground-track. Occasionally he put his nose down to sniff, boosting her heart rate as she wondered if he’d found a corpse or other remains, but then he would raise his head and dash forward, continuing in a general trajectory toward the forest at the meadow’s far edge.

  He reached the tree line when Mattie was about halfway across. She didn’t want him to disappear within the woods before she got there, so she called to him. “Robo, wait!”

  He paused at the forest’s edge, watching her pick her way forward.

  “Good boy,” she said as she neared. Then, not wanting to slow his momentum more than necessary, she once again sent him on. “Go ahead. Search.”

  Robo entered the forest with her not far behind. She could still see him as he slipped through the sparse pine, but lost sight of him where the evergreens grew dense. When the footing became less soggy, she pushed herself into a sprint.

  Sunlight dimmed as the forest closed around her. Mattie pressed forward, searching for Robo as her eyes adjusted to less light. She spotted him about thirty yards ahead following a faint trail, his nose in the air. She raced after him, using the firmer footing to catch up.

  A Steller’s jay, its blue feathers iridescent in the filtered sunlight, flashed ahead and then landed high in a pine to scold her, its chirrup echoing in the stillness.

  Too still? When they’d reached the meadow, they’d ridden out of the sounds of the forest—the murmuring twitter of birds and jabber of squirrels. Were the animals and birds aware of forbidden human activity back in here? Did they avoid this area?

  Her feet thumping on the trail, Mattie closed the distance from Robo to about twenty feet. Her proximity did nothing to slow his pace—in fact, he held his head high and broke into a lope, his gaze straight ahead, his attitude purposeful.

  The trail rose up and dipped back down
, winding around boulders, current bushes, and mountain juniper. She heard Brody’s footsteps at her back and saw that Robo remained intent on what lay ahead. They rounded a curve where a stream rushed beside the trail, and Robo veered to cross it. He apparently thought nothing of splashing through the clear water. Mattie slowed to pick her way on stones where she could, but when her foot slipped, cold water filled her boot.

  She hoped Robo knew what he was doing and wasn’t leading them on a wild-goose chase. She pounded after him, one foot squishy inside her wet sock.

  Robo breeched a short rise and shot into a small clearing that contained a circle of rocks surrounding a campfire. The brook burbled behind her while he paused to sniff the blackened ash inside the fire ring. The pit was soggy and wet, no warm coals left to indicate a recent fire.

  He sat and looked at her, his signal that he’d found something. And in this case, it appeared to be something outside of the environmental norm—one of Robo’s basic search skills, well practiced and highly accurate.

  Her hopes fell. Had he been chasing the odor of ashes instead of decomp? Although disappointed, she followed him into the clearing, bent over and patted his side, telling him what a good boy he was. She needed to reinforce what he’d been trained to do, not be discouraged over his failure to perform a brand-new task.

  Looking up into Mattie’s eyes and waving his tail, Robo accepted his praise and then stood and faced the forest, ears pricked.

  “What else has he got?” Brody said, arriving at the campsite behind her.

  Both of them had worked around Robo enough to know what his posture meant. Full alert. He’d hit on the scent she’d given him earlier.

  “Let’s see,” Mattie murmured. And then, in an excited voice meant to encourage him, she said to Robo, “Go ahead, buddy. Search!”