Chapter Eleven
I
When Tanner pulled into the driveway the next morning, he saw Casey standing on the porch in slippers, a thick down jacket over her pajamas. She was prancing from one foot to the other, hugging her arms while Arlo sat patiently beside her. Tanner had already donned the fluorescent orange windbreaker and equally orange baseball cap that he’d purchased at Walmart. Next to a loaded backpack on the front seat was a small electric tag and an orange vest, and he grabbed them before climbing out of the car. Light was just beginning to infiltrate the morning sky.
Casey snorted. “You look like a traffic cone.”
“And Arlo will be my twin,” he said. “It pays to be cautious.”
On the porch, he introduced himself to Arlo before sliding the loop of the vest over the dog’s head and securing it. Next, he took out the electronic tag and hooked it to the collar around Arlo’s neck.
“What’s that?”
“GPS,” Tanner answered. “It’s linked to an app on my phone.”
“Smart.” She rubbed her arms, trying to ward off the chill. “Do you think you’ll be able to find Mr. Jasper? If he’s out there, I mean?”
“There’s a lot of ground to cover,” he said. “But I’m hoping Arlo will lead the way. What can you tell me about his truck?”
“It’s super old and beat-up,” she said. “I think it’s beige or white, but I can’t remember for sure. I think I’ve only seen it once. Sorry.”
“There can’t be too many out in the woods matching that description.”
She nodded. “You probably need to know where he lives so you have an idea of where Mitch saw Arlo enter the forest. I don’t know Mr. Jasper’s address, but I can tell you how to find his place. It’s close.”
While she offered the directions, Tanner hooked a leash to Arlo’s collar and Casey walked with him as he led the dog to the car. Opening the rear door, he helped Arlo into the backseat.
“What are you going to tell your mom?” he asked. “When she notices Arlo is gone, I mean.”
“The truth,” Casey answered with a shrug. She peeked at Arlo before looking at Tanner again. “How long do you think you’ll be out there?”
“As long as it takes, I guess.”
Tanner opened the driver’s-side door and got behind the wheel. He offered a quick wave through the window at Casey and backed out of the driveway. He made the turns Casey had indicated, and a few minutes later, he pulled to a stop at a ramshackle cabin at the end of a short gravel drive.
Staring through the windshield, he thought with a twinge of surprise, I know this place, before pushing the thought aside, aware that it wasn’t relevant right now. Getting out with the bag, he removed two strips of orange, fluorescent sticky tape and ran them down the sides of his jogging pants, checked the app to make sure the GPS was working, and flicked the flashlight on and off to test it. Next, he rechecked the backpack he’d loaded earlier with a first aid kit, a canteen filled with water, power gels, and two space blankets, then put it onto his shoulders. Finally, opening the back door, he let Arlo out and unhooked the leash.
It was clear the dog knew where he was, but he didn’t head toward the house. Instead, he trotted to the edge of the property before stopping and turning back to gaze at Tanner. A moment later, the dog vanished into the Uwharrie. Though the sky was beginning to brighten, Tanner flicked on the flashlight and began to follow, first at a walk and then a slow jog.
II
Jasper, in his delirium, experienced the world without conscious thought, only physical sensations. Darkness. Light. Exhaustion. Hunger. Thirst. Cold. Pain.
He no longer knew he was in the Uwharrie, no longer knew what had happened. He continued to shiver, and what once had been agony now registered only dimly. He felt someone squeeze his hand, and he knew that Audrey had finally come for him.
“Audrey,” he whispered, and for a fleeting instant, Jasper was able to see her in his mind’s eye. But then just as quickly, her image was gone.
In its place was the shifting shadowy outline of a dark figure, drawing ever closer.
III
Kaitlyn was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking her first cup of coffee, when Casey descended the stairs and padded into the kitchen.
“Good morning,” Kaitlyn said, looking at her watch. “You’re up awfully early.”
“Tell me about it.” Casey groaned.
“If you’re still tired, go back to bed. It’s a cold, gray day, perfect for sleeping in.”
“I’m awake,” Casey said. She plopped in the seat beside Kaitlyn and explained what she’d done. Kaitlyn could only stare at her over her coffee cup.
“You went to see Tanner last night?” she asked, stunned. “Without asking me first?”
“I assumed you’d tell me not to.” Casey shrugged.
“You’re right,” Kaitlyn snapped, feeling her irritation rise.
“Someone had to go look for Mr. Jasper, Mom.” Casey’s expression was earnest. “If the police won’t, and you won’t let us, why not him?”
That might have been true, but…Tanner?
IV
Tanner alternately walked and jogged, trying to stay a consistent distance behind the dog. He didn’t want to crowd Arlo, hoping that the dog would lead, but he wasn’t convinced Arlo knew where he was going. The old Labrador regularly changed directions, heading right and then left. Twice, he’d even started heading back the way they’d come before finally correcting himself.
Despite the slowly brightening morning, mist hugged the forest floor and Tanner was grateful that he’d thought to put a vest on Arlo. The dog stood out in the gray landscape like a glowing neon sign. Though the woods seemed to be otherwise empty, his senses were on hyperalert, and he continually scanned the ground, searching for tracks. He peered in every direction, looking for an old truck or signs that anyone had been in the area, and halted periodically, listening carefully for anything out of the ordinary.
The terrain undulated, alternating between dense forest and rocky patches. Up ahead, Arlo disappeared over a small ridge. Tanner checked the app on his phone and adjusted his backpack before settling into a jog. Reaching the crest of the ridge, he spotted Arlo between the trees. The dog trotted forward before slowing to a walk, his nose to the ground.
Tanner followed.
V
Jasper hovered in the twilight between consciousness and unconsciousness, his mind a carousel of frozen memories.
His father sitting with a Bible open in his lap.
Audrey hanging sheets to dry on a clothesline.
His children gathered around the dinner table.
But the darkened figure cast a shadow over them all.
VI
From the kitchen, Kaitlyn overheard Mitch talking to Casey in the living room.
“Do you think he’ll find Mr. Jasper?” Mitch asked. It was midmorning, and Mitch’s anxiety had been rising since he awoke to find Arlo gone.
“I do.”
“How do you know?”
Casey was quiet for a moment. When she spoke, her voice rang with absolute certainty. “Because I’m pretty sure he’s the kind of man who won’t stop looking until he does find him. And he knows how important it is to you.”
Kaitlyn brought a hand to her mouth, thankful that the kids couldn’t see the warring emotions on her face.
VII
They’d been in the forest for more than two hours now, and Arlo was beginning to slow. Tanner kept him in sight, his senses still on high alert. Fortunately, the mist was beginning to burn off, but to that point, he’d yet to see anything that caught his attention.
Despite Arlo’s meandering, Tanner knew exactly where he was. His training was invaluable, but Tanner had also been blessed with an internal compass that rarely failed him. The cabin, he estimated, was less than two miles away, even if he and Arlo had probably covered twice that distance.
Now, though, Tanner noticed that Arlo seemed to be walking in a straighter line. Tanner pushed aside a branch, ducked under more, and hopped over a fallen tree. Arlo, with his nose to the ground, was moving as though he’d caught a familiar scent. Again, Arlo disappeared beyond a ridge and Tanner sped up.
Tanner was panting when he reached the top of the ridge. He spotted Arlo right away, but his gaze was quickly redirected when he noticed something that didn’t belong.
He zeroed in on the rusting bed of an older-model pickup, light in color, the rest of it partially blocked by a small hill or berm in the dense forest.
Tanner jogged toward it, quickly closing the distance. When he glanced over his shoulder, Arlo had vanished again.
VIII
The pickup truck appeared old and battered enough to have been abandoned in the forest for decades, but as Tanner drew near he saw that it wasn’t covered in decaying leaves or fallen debris. It had probably only been out here a few days.
Jasper had indeed driven it into the woods, but why?
He looked through the windows before scanning the forest again. He opened the driver’s-side door.
On the passenger seat was a hand-drawn map on the back of an old receipt; he guessed it traced the roads through the forest, though he wasn’t positive about that. Crawling in the driver’s seat, he unlatched the glove compartment. It was stuffed with yellowing papers and receipts; on top was a wallet and Tanner reached for it. Opening it, he pulled out a driver’s license. For a long moment, he studied Jasper’s photo and his name and age, struck by the possible power of coincidence.
He doubted that the old man would have ventured far. So where was he? Getting out of the truck, Tanner scanned the forest, trying to spot Arlo. Pulling up the app on his phone, he located the dog, wondering if Arlo had led him here because of the truck, or because Jasper was close. He started jogging in Arlo’s direction, keeping an eye on the glowing dot in his app. As far as he could tell, the dog was no longer wandering and seemed to have come to a stop.
Tanner sped up to a run, recalling how cold the last few nights had been. His lips compressed in a tight line, he found himself hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.
IX
Jasper tried and failed to summon the image of Audrey again. Where had she gone? he wondered. Wasn’t she coming to comfort him?
In his delirium, he saw instead the dark shape of his nightmares. And yet, just when it was almost close enough to touch, the black shape suddenly seemed to resemble Arlo.
X
According to the app, Tanner was getting close to Arlo, but he still couldn’t see the dog. He slowed to a walk and a moment later realized he’d reached the top of a small, steep ridge that had been camouflaged by the rolling topography.
He spotted the dog in the same instant he made out a prone figure on the ground. Scrambling down the ridge, he clawed at the straps of the backpack, his instincts taking over. He’d gone through medical and first aid training multiple times and had treated friends in the field more often than he cared to remember. In a flash he was on his knees by Jasper. He gently nudged Arlo to the side, making room.
“Hey there,” he said softly, while simultaneously scanning Jasper for injuries. He cataloged the evidence on hand: the blood on Jasper’s skull meant possible brain injury; dry lips and swollen tongue meant probable dehydration. His skin was colorless and pasty. One foot was angled the wrong way, indicating a compound fracture in the lower leg. The knee, too, looked awfully swollen. “Can you hear me, Jasper?” Tanner sang into his ear. “How you doing, buddy? I’m here to help you.”
The old man seemed to be mumbling something. Tanner leaned his head closer but made out no words, only a wheezing, croaking moan. He reached for Jasper’s wrist to check for a pulse, but the old man’s skin was alarmingly cold and the fingers held a bluish tint. The skin at the wrist was scarred with grafts and Tanner felt nothing, so he tried the carotid instead. Here, the skin was pink and scaly; concentrating, Tanner barely detected a weak, thready vibration. Using the flashlight on his phone, he checked for dilation of Jasper’s pupils; to his relief, both pupils responded. On his phone, the signal showed only a single bar and he desperately hoped it would suffice for a call.
It did. To the emergency operator, he spoke slowly and clearly, explaining the situation and the extent and severity of Jasper’s injuries. He pinned his location and warned them that the ambulance or EMT might not be able to navigate the nearby terrain, necessitating a hand-carried stretcher. He made the operator repeat everything, making sure she had it.
After disconnecting, he turned his attention back to Jasper. He continued to speak to the old man in a soothing voice, assuring him that help was on the way and that he was going to be fine. As he spoke, he rummaged through the backpack, pulling out what he needed. In the first aid kit, there was nothing he could use to splint the ankle, nor would he have risked it in anything but a life-or-death situation. It could wait. Instead, he tried to discern the extent of Jasper’s head wound. He didn’t want to rotate Jasper’s head for fear of further damage, but using the flashlight, he was relieved to see that the wound had clotted and there was less blood than he’d first imagined. It was possible that only the scalp had been injured.
He tore open the space blankets and gently tucked them around Jasper, hoping to raise his body temperature. It seemed clear what had happened—Jasper had stumbled and then fallen, fracturing his ankle and hitting his head. The pain of the fracture was probably too great for him to even attempt to move, so the old man had simply lain here for God knew how many days and nights.
Unscrewing the canteen, Tanner poured some water into the cap and dipped his finger in. He gently moistened Jasper’s lips and directed a few drips into Jasper’s open mouth. The old man probably needed an IV of fluids pronto, but in the interim he hoped this would help. He did it a few more times before pausing. Too much water too soon might cause Jasper to cough or choke. After a minute, Jasper brought his lips together, his tongue slowly emerging. Tanner continued to moisten Jasper’s lips while he waited for help to arrive.
Pulling out his phone again, he decided to text Casey. In the end, he put Kaitlyn on the text as well, then sent a simple message that he’d found Jasper and that he was alive, but that he was severely dehydrated, with a head injury, and had a broken ankle as well. He closed by noting that help was on the way.
He offered Jasper a couple more drops of water, and for the first time, Jasper’s eyes fluttered open briefly before closing again.
“Audrey,” he whispered. Or at least that’s what Tanner thought he said, before Jasper whispered a string of other names. They were barely audible, but again Tanner found himself pausing, marveling again at the mysteries that can sometimes reveal a hidden order.
XI
Tanner felt his heart jump at the sight of Kaitlyn’s name on his phone screen a few minutes later.
“Tanner?” she said, as soon as he connected the call. “You’re on speakerphone with the kids. You found Jasper?”
“I’m with him now, waiting for the EMTs and an ambulance.” He summarized again Jasper’s condition before briefing her on what he was doing for Jasper in the meantime.
“Don’t give him too much water too quickly,” Kaitlyn cautioned. “But he’s going to need an IV as soon as he can get one.”
“I told them that,” he said, “but I’m not sure where the closest road is, and I have no idea how long it will take them to get here.”
“Is he conscious?”
“He’s mumbling, but I wouldn’t call it conscious. He opened his eyes for a second but closed them again.”
“Maybe I should head out there with my medical kit. Where are you?”
“I’ll pin you my location,” Tanner said, pulling his phone away from his ear. “Hold on…”
“Got it,” Kaitlyn said, businesslike, before disconnecting the call.
XII
Tanner kept up a soothing patter with Jasper and proffered additional drops of water as he waited. He also checked Jasper’s pockets, tossing the truck keys into the backpack. As the minutes passed, Tanner took Jasper’s hands beneath the space blankets and tried to warm them; finally he called the emergency dispatcher a second time, asking for an update. He was told that someone was on the way.
Half an hour into his vigil at Jasper’s side, Tanner heard a siren in the distance. He listened as it slowly grew louder before eventually cutting out completely. He estimated the distance at three-quarters of a mile, maybe more, but in this terrain, it was impossible to tell for sure.
After another fifteen minutes passed, Tanner climbed up to the top of the ridge. He began calling out for help, hoping the paramedics could hear him. When they finally appeared, he waved his arms overhead and shouted, relieved when the two men spotted him and began to hurry toward him. One of them, he noticed, was carrying a foldable stretcher.
Unfortunately, they didn’t have much in the way of medical equipment with them, other than a neck collar and the stretcher. Up close, both looked to be in their twenties, and after they gently set the neck collar, Tanner helped them lift Jasper onto the stretcher. Though Jasper wasn’t a large man, it would be tough going for two people, considering the terrain and distance, so they willingly accepted Tanner’s offer of assistance. Their intent, after getting him into the ambulance, was to transport Jasper to the local hospital in Asheboro, where he would be evaluated before the doctors decided whether to send him on to the larger hospital in Greensboro.
Before setting out, Tanner hoisted his backpack and dashed off a quick text to Kaitlyn and Casey, letting them know they were underway with Jasper and that it might be best to meet the ambulance at the hospital. Then, when everyone was ready, they lifted the stretcher. Tanner called to Arlo, and they were off, Arlo walking beside them.
It was much farther than three-quarters of a mile, Tanner realized, over difficult terrain, and they stopped to rest twice. Finally, Tanner spotted the ambulance on the side of a narrow dirt road, which he recognized as a fire road. They loaded Jasper into the back, one of the EMTs staying with him while the other climbed into the driver’s seat. Tanner stayed behind with Arlo.
Soon the ambulance was on its way, siren howling. When it vanished from sight, Tanner turned and headed back to Jasper’s truck.
He loaded Arlo into the back and tried to start it, but a loose belt squealed like a banshee and the engine failed to turn over. Tanner tried again and then a third time, gently pumping the gas while trying to avoid flooding the motor. After a few more attempts the engine finally cranked, and he let it idle for a minute before shifting it into gear.
He drove slowly around trees and over fallen branches, bumping over rocks and scrub brush in the general direction of the road he’d just left. When he reached it, he drove in the same direction that the ambulance had gone. He stopped the truck for a moment to try to understand the map Jasper had drawn, but he couldn’t make sense of it. He couldn’t even tell which way was north or south, so he set it aside.
Fortunately, the dirt road eventually led to a paved one; he took a guess at which way to turn and ended up being correct. After exiting the forest, he drove first to Jasper’s, where he left the truck in the driveway, stashing the keys in the glove compartment next to Jasper’s wallet.
Loading Arlo into his own car, he swung by a fast-food place for some hamburgers, feeding two to Arlo before driving to Kaitlyn’s. The SUV was gone, and when he knocked, no one answered. No doubt they were at the hospital, but because he wasn’t comfortable simply leaving Arlo to his own devices, Tanner let Arlo lap some water from the hose before taking a seat on the porch. He leaned back in one of the rockers while Arlo curled into a ball at his feet and fell asleep.
He desperately hoped the old man would make it. He was in bad shape, no question. Given the weather conditions over the last couple of days, it was a wonder Jasper had survived as long as he had.
Pulling out his phone, he began searching the internet. In the silence, he thought about Jasper; he also found his mind turning to thoughts of Kaitlyn, already knowing that coming to Asheboro had changed everything.