by Joan Rylen
“Oh, hey,” Vivian said. “Didn’t see you come outside.”
“I need to ask you a few questions.”
“Okay.”
Vivian and Nelson walked to the fire pit and sat down.
“Were you aware that your phone has an application installed that details your location?”
“Is that something from the manufacturer to help find it if I lose it? Like GPS?”
Nelson shook his head. “No, this was purposefully installed on your phone.”
“I don’t remember putting anything like that on it.”
“Where did you buy it?”
“From the service provider. I’ve been with them for years.”
“Is there anyone else, other than Craig, who could have access to your phone and installed this?” He showed her the app.
“I don’t think so. It’s rarely far from me.”
Nelson went to push a button on the screen. “I’m going to uninstall the app.”
“Wait.” Vivian put her hand on his. “We’ve decided we are going on that bike ride. Screw Craig.”
30
NELSON did his best to talk the girls out of the bike ride, to no avail.
Vivian was emphatic. “I’m not going to let him make me feel like a victim. We’re going, and I hope to hell he shows up.”
“I think it’s a bad idea.” Nelson turned and went inside.
The girls grabbed their stuff and went upstairs to get ready.
Nelson met them in the room and sat them down. “Since I can’t stop you from going, I’ll be tracking your whereabouts.” He handed Vivian a black pager-sized device. “Keep this on you at all times.”
“Sure,” Vivian said and slipped it in her pocket.
“I planned for us to toodle around Vail Village, have a picnic in the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens and then ride along Gore Creek on the Vail Pass Trail,” Lucy said. “You okay with that plan?”
Nelson sighed. “This bike ride needs to wrap up before the sun goes down. I don’t want you out after dark on the bikes. You need to go straight to the Gardens for the picnic. And before you ask, no alcohol.”
“Dammit,” Wendy said.
“After the picnic, head down to Vail Pass Trail and continue west along Gore Creek until you get to Lionshead Place. You’ll take that directly back to the bike shop.” Nelson paused and looked each girl in the eye. “Understand?”
Vivian, Kate and Wendy said “yes” and nodded.
Lucy added, “We might do dinner at Hail-Yeah in Vail.”
“Call me after the ride and let me know if you do. But for now, pack up and get going. It will be dark in a few hours and I’d like you to be back here.”
Lucy and Kate packed crackers and sliced cheese into a small cooler and Vivian grabbed her can of Easy Cheese. They said goodbye to Nelson and scooted out the door.
Lucy drove down the mountain and into Vail Village. The girls walked into the bike shop and were greeted by a guy with jet-black, long hair, his arms covered in tattoos. Vivian smelled a hint of patchouli. He handed each of them a pen and paper. “You’ll need to fill this out and sign the waiver.”
Vivian read through the disclosures. Ruff Riders Bike Shop was held harmless for injury, death, dismemberment, accidents resulting from stupid people doing stupid things, pedal impalements, rabid dogs, bear attacks, you name it.
“I feel like I’m reading the mumbo-jumbo of mortgage papers,” Wendy said, holding the pen above the signature line. “I get enough of this at work.” Wendy was a loan officer at a mortgage company, and while she liked her job, the underwriting blah blah got old.
The clerk gathered the signed papers and passed out helmets as Lucy put on her backpack. He led the girls outside and got the bikes adjusted to each individual height. “Be careful and have fun,” he said as they pedaled away.
Vivian fumbled a little, then got her balance and rode ahead a few paces.
Lucy quickly caught up. “No getting ahead of us, Viv.”
“I’m just getting back into the swing of things, here. Trying to figure out gears and stuff.”
Kate whirred up next to Vivian. “This town is so cute!”
They cruised past a hotel that looked like a chalet, then a ski shop, a confectionary and a couple of artsy boutiques.
They approached Vail Valley Drive and Lucy squeezed the brake, leaned to the right and made the turn with ease.
Vivian wobbled as she tried to coordinate the brake and turn.
Wendy zoomed past. “Problems?”
“It’s been awhile. The only bikes I own right now have three wheels and sit two inches off the ground.”
The girls pedaled, four across, down the street . It wasn’t long before Lucy led them off the main road and onto a trail. They followed it a mile or so, then came to their stop — the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens.
Vivian’s phone rang as she put down the kick-stand. It was Nelson.
“Everything all right so far?” he asked.
“Yep,” she answered, “except my bike skills are rusty.” She clicked off.
The girls parked their bikes and walked past the pavilion, through the gate and meandered along the path. They stop to admire plants and flowers along the way. Vivian tried to look like she didn’t have a care in the world as she shuffled around some downed needles of a lodgepole pine.
“I sure hope Craig has kept tabs of your location, Vivian, and shows,” Kate said and took a picture of tulipas maximowiczii. “I’m ready for him to go down.” Another click.
“Me, too,” Lucy said. “We need to get back to our regularly scheduled vacation.”
“I’m a little nervous about what will happen if Craig shows,” Wendy said. “How fast can the Vail PD get here? What if he tries to kidnap you?”
Vivian shook her head. “With y’all here, no way. You’re as bad as Lucy and her mob fixation. If it makes you feel better, Wendy, you can be in charge of calling the police.” Most of her believed that.
The girls decided the meditation spot was the best place to picnic. All was quiet except for the rhythmic splash of the waterfall and occasional bird cries. Vivian sat on one of the benches overlooking the pond and looked around. “Too bad I don’t meditate.”
Wendy gave a nervous laugh. “Who can calm their mind enough to meditate? Mine won’t shut off.”
Kate sat down on the bench next to Vivian. “With everything that has happened, meditating has helped me put it all into perspective. The brakes, the spa.”
“When did you meditate?” Vivian asked.
“This morning, before you got up.”
Lucy sat her backpack on a boulder. “Meditating is overrated, but if you were going to do it, this is a magnificent spot. We need a picture.”
Kate perked up. “Go over by the waterfall and I’ll get one of y’all.”
Vivian, Lucy and Wendy hiked up a trail encircling the pond. Halfway to the waterfall, Vivian heard something, stopped, and turned to pose.
“I can’t get the waterfall from there, keep going!” Kate yelled and waved them on.
The waterfall was loud, but Vivian heard something else. She didn’t see anything and kept going around a curve, toward to a big boulder. The sound intensified. She looked by the path, next to the boulder, and her heart skipped a beat.
“RUN!”
31
VIVIAN took off back down the path, grabbing Lucy’s shirt and pulling her along. “Run!” She yelled at Wendy as she passed her. Vivian screamed at the top of her lungs the rest of the way down the trail.
“What? What’s wrong?” Lucy asked, for once scrambling to keep up with Vivian.
Wendy hurdled over a rock and landed next to Vivian at the base of the trail. “Is it Craig?”
“SNAKE!” she screamed and jumped up onto the meditation bench next to Kate. She danced around, unable to stop moving her feet, still in fight or flight mode. “Holy shit. Holy moly. Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” Vivian rasped and bent over, hands on knees, breathing hard.
Lucy and Wendy jumped onto the other bench and Kate stood up next to her.
“What kind of snake?” Lucy asked, not winded.
Even though he hadn’t touched her, she could feel him sliding up her leg. “Oh my god, a rattlesnake.” She took a few huffs, then continued, “It almost got me. It was all curled in a ball and its head was stickin’ up, ready to strike. I almost died! Again!”
An older gentleman in khakis, white long-sleeve shirt and wide-brim hat approached. “Everything okay?”
She let out a big sigh. “Heyzoos Kristo, there’s was one pissed off snake back there!” She pointed toward the waterfall.
Lucy jumped down from the bench and put her hand to her chest. “I thought you were being attacked by that maniac or something!”
“At this point I’m not sure which would be worse,” Vivian said and sat down, being sure to put her feet up on the bench. “That was one ticked-off reptile!”
Wide-brim hat guy said, “Good news is since it’s springtime the snake most likely cannot move very fast. It was out sunning, or warming, its core body temperature.”
Vivian narrowed her eyes and looked at him. “Who are you?”
“I’m an employee here. Joseph Phillips, ma’am. We post warnings about snakes and other potential dangers near the entrance.”
She pointed into his chest. “Well, that slimy, little guy seemed quite able-bodied to me.”
He nodded his head, hesitated, then said, “In reality, snakes are not actually slimy. Their skin appears—”
Vivian outwardly cringed and Wendy butted in. “Thank you, but I think we’ve had enough reptile facts for the time being.”
“Enjoy the rest of your visit,” he said and ambled off.
“Let’s go have our picnic snackage over there,” Lucy said, pointing to a sunny spot near the pond but further from the waterfall.
Vivian didn’t feel like eating anything, but remembered the squirty cheese awaiting. Cheese always made things better. “Excellent idea.” She hopped of the bench determined to get over the willies from the snake.
The girls sat down in the grass and Lucy dispersed the goodies.
Kate took a bite of asiago and cracker and said with a full mouth, “You know what would make this much better?” She swallowed, then continued, “The Moose Crossing’s rattlesnake sausage!”
Wendy laughed and choked on a cheesy cracker. Crumbs flew out of her mouth.
“I know where we can get some fresh!” Lucy said, then popped a grape in her mouth.
“That’s my first time to hear a rattlesnake!” Vivian said. “Thank god they come with a built-in alarm system.”
They finished up, loaded the remaining items back into Lucy’s backpack and walked back to their bikes. Joseph, the employee, nodded as they took off for Vail Pass Trail. It wasn’t far to the trail and Lucy made a sharp right turn onto it.
A three foot iron fence separated them from the creek. The mountain cliff went straight up on the other side and trees sprouted out from between the rocks along the banks.
They went along for a mile or so, Lucy and Kate out in front, then Vivian and Wendy brought up the rear. There were no additional snake or nature incidents and no sign of Craig. They came upon the wooden plank bridge crossing Gore Creek and Vivian came to a stop quickly. Wendy had to swerve to keep from slamming into the back of her.
“Is something wrong?” she asked hopping off her bike, looking around.
“My calves are on fire,” Vivian said, kicking her legs and flexing her feet. “They burn like an inferno in hell.”
Wendy propped her leg up on the rail, touching her nose to her knee. “Hell is an inferno, Viv.”
“Exactly!” Vivian watched her stretch. “Geez, you’re so bendy!”
“I may not be the most fit, but I’m flexible!” Wendy threw her other leg up, touching her fingers to her toes.
Lucy and Kate reappeared from around the bend.
“What the heck?” Kate said, skidding to a stop beside them.
“I needed a break, my legs are burnin’,” Vivian said, looking at her feet and considering bending over to relieve the burn in her calves. “It’s official, I’m outta shape.”
“Have some water,” Lucy said and handed Vivian the line to the CamelBak.
Vivian had a sip of water and looked around, but didn’t see anything odd. Like she’d know what odd was for the trail, but she didn’t think Craig was lurking close-by. “Let’s get a quick picture.” She pointed to Wendy and Kate, still on their bikes. “Y’all get together. Let me take a picture of you on the bridge.” Snap!
“Now take one of me and Lucy real quick.”
Vivian and Lucy posed playfully on the bridge with their bikes as Wendy took the picture. “I really love those neon yellow shorts you’re wearing,” Wendy said to Lucy. “They really pop against the evergreen background.”
“Hey! These are my favorite biking shorts,” Lucy defended.
“Yeah, you just like that extra padding on your tush,” Vivian said, smacking her ass.
She heard a splash and looked over Wendy’s shoulder. “What was that?” A few baseball-sized rocks splashed into the creek. Her gaze traveled from the creek up the mountain. “I see something moving up there.” Oh shit, maybe Craig is closer than I thought!
Lucy pointed to a guy hustling through the trees. “Is that Craig?”
Not taking any chances, Wendy pulled out her phone.
Vivian squinted. “He’s too far, I can’t tell.”
The man was approximately 50 yards away and hauling ass up the cliff.
Kate started pushing Vivian. “Abort! Abort! Let’s get out of here!”
32
VIVIAN and the girls hopped back on their bikes and pedaled as fast as they could away from Gore Creek. In town, Vivian saw a cop getting on his bike in front of a restaurant.
“Help!” She called, squeezing the brake handle. She wobbled as she approached.
“What’s the matter?” The officer caught her bike and helped her stop.
Vivian steadied herself with one foot on the ground. “I think the guy that might being trying to kill me is across the creek running on the mountain. You have to help me, please!”
“Slow down and give me some details,” the officer requested.
As calm but quickly as she could, Vivian gave him the CliffsNotes version of the Craig situation.
“You can verify all of this with Agent Wade Nelson with the FBI,” Wendy said when Vivian was done.
The officer turned around and barked commands into his walkie-talkie. “Go directly to the bike shop and stay there until an officer meets you.”
Vivian heard shouting coming from across the creek as they made their way back to the bike shop. The black-haired guy greeted them like he didn’t have a care in the world and asked about their ride. Vivian briefly wished she could have a little of whatever he looked like he was on.
Wendy called Nelson and told him what had happened. He promised to be there within 15 minutes. After what felt like much longer, a grim-faced Nelson joined them.
“Did they catch him?” Wendy asked, letting down her ponytail and shaking out her long, brown hair.
“Was it Craig?” Kate asked.
“Vail PD chased the suspect a good way across the mountain and was able to apprehend him.”
“And?” Vivian asked.
“It was a local man training for an Ironman, not Craig.”
Vivian shook her head in disgust. “Dammit. I was hoping this was over.”
Nelson looked at her. “I was hoping so, too. But good job on being vigilant and getting help from the police immediately.”
“Thanks.”
Bike riding adventure over, Nelson led the girls back to the car.
Kate sat in the passenger seat, legs dangling out of the car. “Son of a biscuit eater, that was freakin’ stressful.” She let out a big sigh. “I need to relax.”
“Amen!” Wendy said. “Where are we goi
ng?”
“I’m not going anywhere with Lucy wearing that.” She smacked Lucy’s banana-yellow ass. “And I think I’ve had enough excitement for one day.”
“Let’s just order a pizza and take it back to The Ridge,” Lucy said. “There’s a Pop’s Pizza a few blocks down. It’s good stuff.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Agent Nelson said, opening the back car door for Wendy. “I’ll be right behind you the whole time.”
Lucy called Pop’s as she drove and ordered two large pizzas, a veggie and a pepperoni. She and Wendy ran inside to pick up the goods.
“Sorry all this crap is ruining our vacation,” Vivian said to Kate as they sat in the SUV. “I know it’s not turning out like we planned.”
“It’s okay,” Kate said. “It’s not your fault. We still got in a nice, scenic bike ride and an unexpected encounter with nature! It just ended with a little more excitement than I was expecting, but I should be used to that with you by now!”
Vivian smiled at her. “I’m not generally a chaos creator. Troublemaker, yes. But not usually chaos.”
A few minutes later, Wendy opened the car door and sat down with the two pizzas in her lap.
“I can’t wait to get back to The Ridge before I have a piece.” Kate turned around from the front seat and flipped open the lid. “It smells fantastic!”
“Mmmm.” Vivian reached for a slice.
They munched on pizza while Lucy drove back to the hotel. They dropped the car off with the valet and took their pizza to the fire pit where a middle-aged couple lounged with glasses of wine. Vivian noticed a couple of bottles poking out of a bag.
Nelson had followed them back to the hotel and walked with them out to the fire pit. He sat at a table on Felix’s patio and got busy on his phone.
The woman had stylish, cropped black hair. She looked over at Wendy, who carried the pizza. “Gosh, that smells good.”
“We’ll share if you do.” Wendy gestured toward the bag. “We have more than we can eat.”
The man wore a sweatshirt depicting a stick figure falling out of raft that read, “I survived the Royal Gorge.” He pulled out one of the bottles of wine and sat it on the ledge of the fire pit. “I’ll run inside and get a few more glasses.”