Rocky Mountain Mayhem

by Joan Rylen

  Lucy passed out tissue, then the girls got their business out of the way, without singing, and returned to the cabin. Nelson peered through a gap, watching the trail leading to the Grand Traverse, and Shick leaned against the front wall, watching Cervantes hike down the path.

  The girls sat on the floor and leaned against the back wall. Vivian checked her phone, the signal wasn’t the strongest, one bar, but it was there.

  “So where should we go on our next trip?” Kate asked.

  “Bali. Fiji,” Lucy suggested. “Thailand.”

  Kate coughed and Wendy laughed. Vivian gave Lucy an ‘are you crazy?’ look.

  “Okay, maybe not.”

  “Spain, Italy and Portugal would be nice,” Wendy said.

  “They sure would,” Vivian said. “But how about somewhere more affordable? I’m on a budget here.”

  “We all are,” Wendy said. “But we can dream, and one of these days we’ll make it there.”

  “What about the Adirondacks in the fall,” Lucy said.

  “You just want to get close to Canada and Pierre,” Kate teased.

  “Vegas!” Vivian said.

  “Nah, we’d never get you out of the casinos, and that would defeat the purpose of traveling to spend time together,” Wendy said.

  “If I’m on a lucky streak, yep!” Vivian said.

  “New Orleans is one of my favorite cities,” Wendy said.

  “That’s a good one,” Kate said.

  Lucy interrupted. “My hair does not like New Orleans. Frizz-a-rama.”

  Wendy laughed. “San Francisco and the wine country?”

  Lucy nodded. “That would be a great trip!”

  “How about a dude ranch?” Kate suggested. “Like on our high school band trips!”

  “Ouuueeeeee, ride ’em, cowboy,” Vivian said, rubbing her hands together. “I could do me a dude. At a ranch.”

  Wendy laughed and started to stand. “I don’t know about y’all, but I’d like to giddy-up outta here about now.”

  Vivian was tired of being cooped up, too, but disappointed Craig hadn’t showed. “Think we could get out of the cabin for a bit? Maybe hike up the trail just a short way to the Grand Traverse?”

  Nelson checked his watch and peeped out a gap. “I’d like you to stay right around here in the clearing, don’t go up the trail. Pick more flowers or something.” His eyes cut to Wendy.

  Wendy coughed, blushed and reached the door in three strides. The girls followed, and they all walked to the middle of the meadow. Vivian covered her mouth and fought to contain a giggle.

  Kate picked a lily and handed it to Wendy. “I bet this one ends up with ‘he loves you.’ ”

  Lucy wandered toward the tree line. “Let’s move around, warm up our muscles for the hike down.”

  Vivian walked in a circle. “I need him to show. Where is that crazy jerk? Doesn’t he see I’m wearing the damn necklace?”

  “We’ve been on this trail for hours,” Wendy said, bending to the side, stretching. “If he was going to show, I expect he would have by now.”

  Lucy stopped and turned to face them. “He’s probably long gone to Mexico or other parts south.”

  Kate walked toward the trail leading to the Grand Traverse. “Maybe he just hasn’t made his presence known.”

  “If he doesn’t show, I’m going to have to learn karate like Karate Kid Kate over there,” Vivian said, arms raised over her head, right foot up, knee bent at 90 degrees. She did her best Daniel-san impersonation. “Hiiii-ya!” she said, kicking her left foot at an imaginary Craig.

  “No karate for now,” Nelson said over the airwaves. “Are you ready to go?”

  Vivian was torn but finally said, “Yes, but I’m going to karate chop every hiker we pass on my way down. Be prepared.” With that, she did a wax-on, wax-off, ending with Daniel-san’s memorable knee-up, kick-the-sky move.

  52

  THE sun was getting low on the mountain behind them and the air chillier. Even so, Vivian wiped sweat off her brow. More and more of her curls had pulled free from her ponytail and hung in unruly ringlets. Her legs felt pretty good since the trek was on the downhill, but her knees ached.

  “Are we there yet?” Wendy bellowed from the back of the pack. She’d been complaining more about her ankle in the past 20 minutes.

  “We have a ways to go,” Lucy said. “Do you need help?”

  “Not yet, but crossing that creek again is going to suck.”

  “We’ll just have to cross that bridge then,” Lucy said.

  “If only there was a bridge,” Wendy moaned.

  Music rang out from Vivian’s jacket, startling her. Figured I had crap for coverage, she thought.

  She fumbled with the pocket zipper, yanking it upward to open, and pulled out her phone.

  “Not a number I recognize,” she said.

  “Answer it,” Nelson said in her ear.

  Wendy, Kate and Lucy were right by her, yet she hesitated. What if I don’t want to?

  Then she thought of her kids. Audrey, Lauren, Olivia, Ben. They must never be in danger.

  The phone sounded a repeat chorus. She hit the button.

  “Hello?”

  No sound on the other end.

  The girls stared at her. None of them said a word.

  “Hello?”

  “The signs of spring…a bumblebee and a flower…”

  Vivian couldn’t speak. She touched the pendant and then her ponytail and felt the flower Lucy had put there not an hour ago. The girls stood by her, no doubt seeing the fear in her eyes.

  “No, don’t take it out.” The words were cold and deliberate. “I like it.”

  She slowly covered the phone and whispered, her voice shaking. “He can see me. He saw me touch my hair. The flower.”

  “We’re all on our way,” Nelson said. “Don’t panic. He’s toying with you.”

  I’m seriously about to panic. Vivian’s heart rate shot up. She uncovered the phone.

  “Craig, let’s talk this out.” She turned her head to the left, searching for any sign of him. Nothing, just trees.

  “You can stop looking, Vivian. You’ll never find me. I’m invisible.”

  She looked the other direction. A large boulder and more trees. Lucy grabbed her arm.

  “Hayes and Cervantes are almost to you,” Nelson said.

  Vivian heard rustling. She knew they were close. Or was it Craig?

  Hayes and Cervantes came into view but Vivian’s relief was short-lived. Craig dropped out of a tree, knocking them to the ground. Cervantes struggled to get out from underneath Craig, and Hayes reached for his weapon. Craig kneed Hayes in the face, and then with a zap, Cervantes went limp. Hayes tried to raise his gun, but Craig was too fast. Zap! Hayes twitched alongside Cervantes.

  Craig was dressed in camouflage from head to toe and had painted his face to match. He smiled at Vivian, white teeth shining through the dark paint. His eyes were bright green and wild. Terrifying.

  “Run!” Vivian yelled to the girls.

  They dashed from the path toward a large boulder, but Wendy’s ankle gave way and she went down. Lucy reached to help her.

  Craig ran directly toward them.

  “Keep going, don’t stop! Go! Go!” Wendy swatted Lucy off. “RUN!”

  Wendy used her good leg to push herself behind the boulder and watched as Vivian, Kate and Lucy ran through the trees — zigging, zagging, ducking under limbs. Pain seared through her ankle and she fought off tears.

  She heard someone coming from the other side of the boulder. There wasn’t time to crawl into the forest and hide. She couldn’t walk, much less run. Her ankle was busted.

  Pop! Pop! Pop!

  Gunshots rang through the forest. Agent Nelson appeared from around the boulder, ducking down, gun drawn. “Stay down!”

  Wendy covered her head with her arms.

  Shots pinged off the boulder and Nelson leaned out from behind it, firing at Craig, who had taken cover in a clump of trees.
>
  “I can’t move. My ankle. I might have torn something,” Wendy told Nelson.

  “Assailant is wearing full camo. I can see Hayes and Cervantes. Both are down,” Nelson reported to the team. “I have Wendy with me. The other three ran west, off-trail through the woods.”

  Nelson peeked out from the boulder and another shot rang out, striking the rock. He returned fire, crouching and running to the tree closest to the rock. “Assailant has multiple weapons,” he said as he cut behind another tree. He fired, missed and skidded behind a log. He popped out from the tree and squeezed the trigger three times, then scurried back behind it. “Can’t get a clear shot!”

  Craig sprayed the boulder and tree with bullets. Rubble rained down on Wendy. She covered her face and screamed.

  Nelson gave up his cover and ran in her direction while shots rang out. He lunged for the boulder, grunted and fell onto Wendy.

  She panicked and tried to roll him over. His head wasn’t bloody, nor was his chest. “Are you okay? Where are you hit?”

  Nelson ignored her and shouted information to the team. “I’m hit. Assailant running after the girls. Get here!”

  He sat up, dragging his left leg and using the boulder for support. Blood gushed from his thigh. Wendy threw off her fleece jacket, hesitated for a moment as Nelson groaned in pain, then gave it to him. He pressed it down, cringing a little.

  “Do we need to make a tourniquet?” Wendy asked.

  “No, I don’t think it hit anything major.” Sweat covered his pale face.

  Wendy didn’t quite believe him. She spotted Lucy’s backpack on the trail and tried to stand. It wasn’t easy, but she used the boulder as leverage and hobbled to her feet. Managing to hop to the backpack and back to Nelson, she fumbled with the zipper but got it open. The contents spilled to the ground and she picked up the first-aid kit.

  Footsteps pounded down the trail in their direction. Wendy tried to scoot to see who it was, but Nelson held her in place.

  He shakily lifted his gun. “Keep your cover.”

  Finck ran down the trail and checked on Cervantes and Hayes, both of whom were still down. “They should be okay.” He started to run to Nelson, but Nelson waved him away.

  Nelson pointed in the direction Craig had run. “Take that asshole down.”

  “Yes, sir.” Finck took off.

  53

  VIVIAN, Lucy and Kate ran as fast as the terrain allowed, breaking branches and jumping over fallen trees.

  “Should we try to hide?” Kate said.

  “Keep going,” Lucy yelled and ducked under a limb. “Keep going!”

  Vivian ran faster, looking for a clearer route. Her legs burned and she could hardly breathe but she knew if she stopped it could be over.

  The trees around them thinned out and the ground sloped. Then the earth ended.

  Vivian skidded to a stop just before the edge, holding her arms out to either side. Lucy stopped, too, but Kate’s momentum careened her forward and she almost went over.

  “Whoa!” Vivian said, reaching for her.

  Kate caught her balance and they stood there, frozen for a beat, looking straight down. The cliff dropped 50 feet to a swiftly running stream.

  Vivian got a little dizzy and took several steps back. “That was almost bad.” She looked around. They didn’t have many options. “We need to keep running or find somewhere to hide.”

  “There is no more running.” A malicious voice came from the woods.

  Oh my god. There’s nowhere to go.

  Craig took slow, deliberate steps, staring at Vivian as he advanced. His bright green eyes flared against the paint on his face. Gun in hand.

  “We’re meant to be together.”

  Kate and Lucy were on either side of her, holding onto her arms.

  “Craig, this isn’t how it’s supposed to be.”

  “We will be together.” He tapped the gun to his chest. “Even if we die together.”

  Lucy tightened her grip.

  “Let’s talk, Craig. I know you love me. No one needs to get hurt.”

  “You shouldn’t have listened to your boy toy, Brandon. None of this would have happened.” Tap…tap tap.

  Vivian took a step back, toward the cliff.

  “You should have come with me at the hotel.” Craig pointed the gun at Vivian. “It would have been much easier.”

  She held her hands up in defense. “I wasn’t ready, but I am now. It’s not too late for us to be together, Craig. We have this,” she yanked the pendant off her neck and held it up, “and we don’t need anything else. Let’s just go.”

  A twig snapped behind him and he turned.

  Finck took a defensive stance. “Drop the weapon! Drop it!”

  Craig made no move to do so. Instead, he let out a deep-throated laugh. “I’m not giving up on my girl now. She needs me.”

  Finck took two steps forward. “It’s over. You’re surrounded. Now drop the weapon.”

  Craig, still laughing, said, “Make me.”

  Finck fired two shots in front of Craig’s boots.

  Craig quit laughing. “Okay, okay.” He held his arms out to his side, then dropped the gun.

  “Kick it away,” Finck yelled.

  Craig kicked it back, toward the ledge.

  Finck approached, gun pointing at Craig’s chest. “Hands on your head. Get on your knees. Slowly.”

  Craig dropped to one knee, then the other.

  As Finck moved in, Craig’s hand slid down his neck, into the back of his shirt. A blur of black appeared above his head.

  “Gun!” Vivian yelled, but it was too late.

  ***

  Wendy crept up behind a tree. Her ankle throbbed, but the adrenaline kept her moving. Nelson had passed out. Hayes and Cervantes were still out, and Shick had been the last to leave the cabin and wasn’t there yet. She knew Vivian, Lucy and Kate needed her.

  Then she’d heard gunshots and screams. It was up to her.

  The girls were huddled together, inches from the edge. Craig was laughing like a maniac, waving his gun in the air.

  “You see, Vivian? You see?” More laughing.

  Wendy looked down at the only weapon she had and flicked the tab off. She closed her eyes for a second, opened them, and moved toward Craig.

  ***

  Finck was down, bleeding from his shoulder and holding his knee. Craig kicked Finck’s gun away, then searched him. He removed a gun strapped above Finck’s ankle, then turned his attention back to Vivian.

  She was paralyzed with fear. She, Kate and Lucy remained at the cliff’s edge.

  “I told you, we’re meant to be together. Everything is going my way. I can’t be beaten. I’m smarter than these yahoos.”

  Behind him, movement in the trees. A flash of blue.

  “You know now, right?” Craig aimed the gun at Vivian. “You know we’re supposed to be together forever.”

  She glanced behind him and couldn’t believe what she saw.

  “Craig, this isn’t you. Look at yourself. I know this isn’t who you are.” Vivian spoke as calmly as she could, hands clasped in front of her. “I know you love me, and I… I love you so much, too. We’ll start over. Forget about everything that’s happened.”

  It was the time Wendy needed. She jumped from behind Craig, aimed and mashed down the trigger. Bear spray hit the side of Craig’s face.

  “Get out of here, now!” Finck yelled.

  Lucy dragged Vivian by the arm away from the scene, Kate on their heels.

  Craig, yelling obscenities, waved his gun in Wendy’s direction. She moved behind him but kept the bear spray trained on his head. When he spun around, she got him full in the face. He screamed, clutching at his eyes, and dropped his gun.

  “Run! Go! Go!” Finck said.

  Kate had other intentions. “Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-yaaaaaaah!” She karate kicked Craig right in the nuts. “Take that, you monster!”

  He doubled over, then fell to the ground. Tears, snot and slobber s
treaked his camo-painted face. He howled in pain.

  That was enough for Wendy, who kicked his gun over the cliff, then turned and hobbled away. Kate wrapped an arm around Wendy for support, and they hurried after Lucy and Vivian.

  Craig’s unintelligible screams carried through the forest, and it wasn’t long before Shick crashed through the trees. Passing them, he yelled, “Keep going. Help is by the trail.”

  Vivian wanted to watch Craig go down. Literally, over the cliff would have been perfect, but arrested would suffice.

  Shick, gun in hand, descended on Craig. He grabbed his legs and dragged him away from the cliff. Shick attempted to flip Craig on his stomach and pull his right hand behind him, but Craig maneuvered onto his side, clawing at him like a wild animal. Shick shielded himself as best he could, then punched Craig in the face with a hard right.

  Lights out.

  Shick flipped Craig over and handcuffed him. He stood up and kicked Craig in the ribs.

  Vivian and the girls hustled back to the trail as quickly as Wendy’s hurt ankle would allow.

  “Is everyone okay, well, except for you, Wendy? I know you aren’t okay,” Vivian asked as she helped Wendy hop over a log.

  “My sinuses burn,” Kate said. “I got a whiff of bear spray. That is what that was, right?”

  Wendy smiled despite the pain. “Yep. Bought it in Aspen after seeing those trash cans. Gotta be prepared.”

  The hiker couple with the German Shepherd ran past them. The guy pulled medical supplies out of his backpack, handing it to the girl as they ran.

  “Keep heading straight that way,” Lucy said. “They’re at the cliff.”

  They continued on.

  “You’ve had that spray the whole time?” Kate asked Wendy.

  “In my jacket pocket.”

  Vivian held a branch back for the girls to pass. “Where’s your jacket?” she said to Wendy.

  “I gave it to Wade. He got shot in the leg.”