Chapter Two
Serious Business
Eli
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J UST LIKE EVERY GROUP of city-dwelling, pampered little darlings who had come before them, the four of them gawped at me. Pulling in a breath, I surveyed the group with my normal level of disinterest. Parties like the one standing before me were always the same. Bordering on middle-age, they were usually demoralizingly unfit, and at least one of them would be on the brink of a personal crisis. That was what the hike into the wilderness was all about, finding themselves, although even after all the years I’d been taking them out into the woods, I still had no idea what that meant.
“What do you mean, we won’t be leaving your side?” James, the one who’d been badgering me with messages for days, edged closer. “We’ve paid you to be our guide, not a dictator.”
“Let me be clear.” My smile was forced, but I doubted he was smart enough to notice.
I’d been dealing with annoying little pricks like James—men who thought the contents of their wallets abdicated them from personal responsibility—for too long. I knew their types and the hazards their egos could muster in the wilderness if left unchecked.
“If you want me to be in charge of your health and safety, then you follow my rules. That’s how I keep you alive.”
“I understand.” James’s chin rose. “But we wanted someone to lead us, not control our every movement.”
He glanced around, expecting his cronies to take up his cause, and inevitably, the blonde, Chelle, did just that.
“We want to take pictures!” She piped up. “And maybe have a little time to ourselves...” Her gaze slid to James in the least subtle gesture I’d ever witnessed. My stomach churned at the idea of the two of them coupling in the woods. None of the wildlife deserved to be witness to such an atrocity. “Will that be possible?”
“That depends.” The short answer was no, but seemingly, it would be too difficult for some of them to comprehend.
“On what?” James demanded.
“On how you behave.” I speared him with my scowl. “If you get into trouble up there, it’s on me. That means I’d like us to all stay together until I can trust you.”
“Trust?” The guy who hadn’t identified himself burst into laughter. “Gee, James, I hadn’t realized what a fun-loving guy our guide would be.”
“Me neither.” James shook his head, disdain oozing from him.
“Want to know how ‘fun-loving’ the forest is?” I turned my attention to James’s friend. “Do you know how many guys just like you went into the woods last year and never came home again?”
Usually, I reserved my horror stories for when energy levels were starting to wane, but this lot was pushing all my buttons before we’d even left the bridge. They deserved the brutal reality check.
“People d-die up there?” Chelle gazed past me with nervous brown eyes.
“That’s right.” Scanning the assembled tourists, I noticed the blood drain from their complexions. Even the red-faced Erin looked suddenly pale.
Good.
I liked to set expectations before we left the bridge. They might as well know what they were getting into.
“Every year, the wilderness claims its sacrifices.” I rolled back my shoulders.
“Sacrifices?” Erin glanced around the trees nervously.
“That’s what the locals believe.” I definitely had their attention. “They say the gods only allow them to live in such beautiful surroundings if they pay the blood sacrifice. Once upon a time, that meant selecting their own people, but now, with so many tourists...”
Pausing, I suppressed a smirk as four concerned faces waited for me to go on. There were natives deep in the forest, and it was true a number of na?ve hikers did fall foul of the terrain, but the rest was all a product of my juicy imagination. The tale worked, though, captivating my audience as it warned those about to step foot in the forest of the potential risks. “Well, let’s just say the indigenous people can live in peace nowadays.”
“I don’t remember reading anything about any indigenous people,” James scoffed. “Are you sure about all of this?”
“All you’re proving is that you need to do better research.” I was going to have fun bringing that jerk down a peg or two. “There’s been a tribe of people living in these parts for more than a thousand years and they only accept the constant intrusion and pollution of tours like ours because the inevitable consequences appear to appease their gods.”
James’s brows knitted as though he wanted to argue but had finally realized he had nothing smart to say.
“The environment can be inhospitable,” I went on, “and the weather can change fast, so it’s imperative you stay with me and listen to my instructions. Do you all understand?”
I glanced from James to the other three, waiting for someone to summon a wisecrack, but to my surprise, my question was only met with contrition.
“I understand,” Chelle started. “Thanks for letting us know how serious this can be.”
“ Is ,” I corrected. “This is serious. Listen to what I tell you and I’ll get you out of here safely, but nature can still be dangerous. It should be respected.”
“We get it,” James replied after a moment. “And okay, we’ll stay close and listen.” He looked around the group as if he was the leader, but I had the sense only Chelle was hanging on his every word.
“And you?” My focus flitted to the other guy. “What’s your name?”
“Miles.” He blew out a breath. “I understand.”
“Which only leaves you.” My attention landed on the diminutive brunette who’d first spoken. Closer inspection revealed a more youthful complexion than the one I’d first surveyed, but her soft, green eyes spoke of her experience. “Do you agree?”
Her jaw tightened as she nodded, conveying how little she liked being put on the spot. “Yes, I agree.”
“Excellent.” Maybe the group wouldn’t be as ridiculous and unruly as I’d first feared. First impressions could sometimes be wrong, after all. “Then I suggest we get going. There’s a lot to see and a long way to go. The sun sets at around seven at this time of the year. No one wants to still be in the woods when that happens.”
***
“T HIS PLACE IS INCREDIBLE .”
I liked the awe in Erin’s voice as she gazed up at the green awning overhead. I rarely heard wonder from those who paid me to take them into the forest. Most tourists were so interested in reaching their destination that they almost entirely ignored the journey. Her reverence was unique.
“Yes.” I watched as she strained to take in the view of a particularly enormous pine tree. “It certainly is.”
I’d known that tree for years, having laughed, cried, and shed blood by its roots. As though the memory had awoken the ghoul, a dark silhouette materialized behind the trunk—the outline of a man who’d once walked the same path but never came home. Peeking out from behind the pine, the black spaces that should have been eyes gazed at me, expecting absolution, though I had none to offer.
He was only a fragment of my shadowy past, a ghost sent to haunt me. He had no power over me or what happened next, and turning to survey the others, I knew nobody else could even see him.
His spectral presence existed only in my mind.
“It just looks like a lot of old trees to me!” Miles’s tone was sardonic, but his comment jarred regardless. “The real feat is getting past where the forest meets the mountain and reaching the top.”
“I hope you’re being sarcastic.” Erin frowned. “You can’t come to a place like this and not recognize its splendor.”
“I see it.” Miles tutted as though she were a fool. “I’m just saying that’s not what I’m here for.”
“It’s not what I’m here for, either,” James purred, tugging Chelle, closer. “I’m gonna need a little one-on-one with my girl before the terrain gets any tougher.”
“James!” Chelle giggled like an intoxicated schoolgirl as they stumbled forward. “Not here!”
“ Definitely not here.”
They all turned at my insistent tone.
“We talked about this.” My attention slid from one face to the next. “And you all agreed we stay together.”
“I only need five minutes.” James chuckled, pulling her against him.
“Hey!” Chelle whacked his chest playfully. “No way! You need much longer than five minutes!”
“We’re happy you’re happy, but can’t you guys give it a rest?” Erin leaned against the tree she’d been admiring. “This trip isn’t about your sex life.”
“I think your little friend is jealous, Chelle,” James sneered.
“You don’t need to talk about me as though I’m not here.” Erin’s gaze narrowed.
“You need some cock of your own, Erin.” Pulling away from Chelle, James motioned to Miles. “That’s why I brought him along.”
“No offense, but she’s not exactly my type.” Miles sniggered.
“Fuck you!” Erin spat the words at Miles. “I don’t want anything to do with you.”
Lifting my hand to my temple, I rubbed at the throbbing in my head. Its volume grew louder with each new cutting remark. So much for not trusting first impressions. I’d been right all along. James and Miles were acting like morons.
“Listen!” Raising my voice, I drew their collective focus.
“What?” Chelle’s brow creased.
“What can you hear?” It was always fun to play the listening game at that particular juncture. Most hikers were so intent on the climb that they failed to notice what was right on top of them.
“You talking nonsense!” Miles snorted.
“Try harder.” I pushed the words through gritted teeth, raising my gaze skyward. The blue skies that had welcomed us by the bridge had seeped away to reveal their grayer cousins. There had been no precipitation forecast, but I hoped everyone had been sensible enough to pack their waterproofs, just in case.
“Wait.” Erin turned in the direction of the nearby waterfall and leaned toward the noise of the running water. “What is that?”
“Come this way and I’ll show you.” Holding back the neighboring branches, I motioned for her to go ahead.
“Oh, yeah!” James jeered. “I thought there was no time for woodland nookie?”
“ All of you ,” I hissed, tiring of the men’s incessant witticisms. “This way.”
Erin’s gaze lingered my way as she wandered past. “Thank you.”
“What’s this way?” Chelle asked, following her friend.
“Wait and see.” I smiled at her daunted expression. “It’s nothing awful.”
“I bet you say that to all the girls.” James rolled his eyes as he pushed past me.
His bravado poured salt on the wound his attitude had already created, but Erin’s voice cut through my irritation.
“Wow! I didn’t expect this!”
“Careful.” Stalking to the front of the group, I strode out into the tiny clearing to ensure everyone was safe. “Stay back from the edge.”
The trees broke cover about nine feet from the edge of the first of many breathtaking waterfalls in the area. Our elevated position and thousands of years of weather ensured fresh water cascaded from the rocks, falling ultimately to the river below.
“Nice!” Miles barked as he joined us. “This looks like a photo opportunity.”
“Good thinking.” James dropped his pack to the ground. “Let’s do this!”
“Okay.” Sensing where the conversation was going, I interjected, “How about we take a quick break?”
The four were fitter than I’d given them credit for and had matched my pace until the gradient started to become more challenging. That meant we’d made good progress and gave us a chance for a break. I was certainly ready for a holiday from their relentless banter.
“About time!” James clapped his hands together. “We’ve been going for hours.”
“Just over one hour,” I corrected, checking my watch to confirm the point. “We’ve only scaled the first incline.”
“Hmmm.” James scowled as though I was conflating an irrelevant point. “Whatever. Come on, Chelle. Get your camera out.”