Chapter 34
CHAPTER 34
W HEN T HURSDAY MORNING ROLLED AROUND, all Dry Oaks fire personnel were released from the fire line. County and state firefighters continued the fight. Jared was glad to be back in town. Dry Oaks was no longer in danger, and without the wind, the fire was laying down.
The county had one large station in Dry Oaks on the west side, near the reservoir. His first morning back, he and a couple of other guys, Paul Stokes and Bryce Fallow, were on a fitness run that took them to the east trail around the shrinking body of water. He’d never seen Buckley Lake so low. California was often in and out of drought, but this one was the worst he could remember.
As they jogged along the trail, he noted that the launch ramp was all the way exposed. To launch a boat, a person had to travel some distance on mud. A couple of people were out on the lake in kayaks, and a few people were fishing from the shore, which was way, way down. It was early in the day, not too hot yet. Since their shifts were twenty-four hours, the best time to exercise was first thing, after they’d checked in to work.
They came to the turnaround point, and Jared saw a couple of guys out a ways, on rocks that in a normal year would be underwater. They both appeared to be struggling with something. A big fish? That was unlikely. There were plenty of fish in the lake but not many big ones. Jared and his coworkers stopped to stretch for the run back. They would most certainly sprint part of the way in impromptu races.
Jared stood with his hands on hips and watched the fishermen.
“What’s got your attention, Hodges?” Stokes asked. He was the one with the radio in case they had to head back fast for a call.
“Those guys; they hooked something.”
One of the men jumped off the rock into the water. It was about knee-deep. He appeared to be struggling mightily with a large object.
“Maybe a boat that sunk?” Paul guessed.
“I don’t think so. Let’s go help.” Jared turned to Paul. He did not look as if he were curious at all.
“Go ahead. I’ll give you five minutes.”
Bryce joined Jared, and together they jogged toward the fishermen. The exposed bottom had hardened in the unrelenting sun so it was not a difficult path.
By the time Jared and Bryce reached the men, they were both in the water struggling with what looked like a large metal drum.
“You guys need some help?” Jared asked.
He got an affirmative answer, so he and Bryce waded in.
It was an oil drum, old and rusted. Water drained out of several holes as the men dragged it along, and it lightened a bit. As they got it out of the lake, more water drained out.
It smelled musty, moldy, and old.
“Let’s open it,” the first fisherman said.
“It’s old and rotted,” Bryce noted. “Shouldn’t be difficult to open.”
Jared felt the hair rise on the back of his neck. He wasn’t certain he wanted to see what was inside the barrel. Before he could voice disagreement, the fisherman jerked the top rim and it gave way, splitting off the top with a metallic groan.
The pungent smell of death wafted from the barrel. Jared peered in, then stepped back, shocked. “I think it’s a body.”
“No, no, it’s not,” the fisherman protested. “It’s just rocks—”
He was about to reach in but Jared stopped him. “That’s a skull, not a rock. Look at the eye socket.”
Bryce stepped forward and peered in.
Jared caught his gaze and knew his coworker saw the same thing. There was no question—it was a human skeleton.
“Oh, wow, you’re right,” the fisherman agreed. “What have we found?” He stepped back, a mystified expression on his face.