Chapter 10
Many of them were already packed, their suitcases in the lobby by the time Ryker followed Ellery out of the dining hall. Considering this bunch, their haste would be impressive, if not for the obvious tension in the room.
The excitement from the impromptu murders and the “bear” attack had worn off slightly, enough that most of the discomfort coming from where his peers stood was aimed not at the exits, but at the pacing woman clearly unraveling.
Darae wrung her hands as she walked a line back and forth in front of the check-in counter.
She’d changed clothes, but was still pale, and kept sending fleeting glances at the entrance across the room.
A set of keys, no doubt to the bus, were clutched in her left hand, and she vehemently shook her head whenever her daughter, who was standing nearby, suggested taking a break and sitting down to wait.
“Uriel said to leave her be,” Ellery told Ryker. “That having her best friend die in her arms was too much for her to handle. He’s right. No one should have to go through that, but still. She’s freaking everyone else out, and you know what happens when people aren’t thinking straight.”
They made mistakes.
Like the one Ryker had made last night.
And the one Rue had made when he’d gone outside in search of that idiot Bowie.
“Mom,” Esti rested a hand on Darae’s arm, “calm down, please. They’ve got the man responsible locked up, and this is hardly the first time a bear has attacked someone. We’re in the middle of nowhere, it’s to be expected even.”
“The fog most likely confused it,” Hollis added reassuringly. “I bet it attacked that worker because it was scared.”
Frenzy bears were dangerous even when you could see them coming.
They accounted for more than forty percent of all bear attacks this side of the planet, but were mostly known for living in the deep woods.
Despite that scary sounding statistic, they were solitary creatures, meaning it was typically easy enough to avoid them if spotted in time.
What Hollis said made sense. This particular type of bear relied heavily on their sense of smell.
Their hearing and vision weren’t very strong, which was one of the reasons they’d been given their name.
When startled, the creatures went berserk, attacking anything and everything in sight.
Due to their poor hearing, extremely loud, or sudden noises could surprise them and send them instantly into fight mode.
Ryker hadn’t been able to get a good look at the creature he’d shot, but he was certain there’d been more than one.
That was odd behavior for frenzy bears. Unfortunately, he didn’t know enough about this area, or what resided within it, to make an estimated guess on what else it could have possibly been.
“Where is Cosima?” he asked Ellery. The coordinator hadn’t been in the dining hall when he’d gone there.
“Went to go check the staff quarters,” Ellery replied. “Apparently, none of the kitchen staff got up for their shift. They’re meant to start breakfast at six so it’ll be done in time.”
“Think they’re being lazy because there aren’t that many guests?”
“Unlikely.”
Yeah, Ryker had figured that too, but needed to ask. He blew out a breath and ran a hand through his dark hair. “Any take on the murderer?”
“Honestly?” Ell shrugged. “The Smiths probably did something to piss him off. You know how they were.”
Shit people. True.
They tended to look down on others, and wouldn’t hold back their distaste or act with decorum the same way Rhys would. It was very likely they had said or done something insulting toward the worker, causing the man to snap.
“Does it really matter?” Ellery grunted. “Either way, he ruined a perfectly good vacation.”
“Don’t tell me you were having fun.” They’d been at the lodge for less than twenty-four hours. All of the programmed activities were meant to begin today, but even if the Smiths hadn’t been killed, the fog outside would have prevented them from doing anything they’d planned to do.
Rhys and his associates were the only ones who’d risen before the sun and set out.
Ryker wondered if they’d lost their way, or if they even noticed. The lake was a small trek from the lodge, about a fifteen-minute walk if one was brisk about it.
Ellery leaned in closer, dropping his voice so his words wouldn’t carry. “I was hitting on Hollis last night. Pretty sure I can steal him away. Alas, if we leave, we may never know.”
“Hollis isn’t even your type.”
“Yeah, but Esti is a total bitch.”
He rolled his eyes. “What’d she do?”
“Broke Souvi Glass’ heart.”
“…Your rival?” Ryker pinched his brow. “Why can’t any of us have normal relationships?”
“Illya’s is pretty normal,” Ellery said.
“He’s dating your cousin. Speaking of,” Uriel wasn’t in the lobby, “where is your other cousin?”
“Never left the lounge.”
Ryker frowned. “He hasn’t packed?”
“Told me not to bother,” Ellery replied.
“He’s insistent we aren’t getting out of here any time soon.
With the fog as thick as it is, I have to agree.
Only an idiot would try steering a bus through this.
Doesn’t matter how good the driver is, they’ll end up driving us off the road.
If we’re lucky, we’ll hit some trees. If we’re not, we’ll go off a cliff or roll down a hill. ”
Ryker wasn’t fond of either of those options.
Eulalie appeared on the stairs, trying to get a signal on her multi-slate, which she’d unstrapped from her arm and was holding up in the air. When she finally looked up and spotted Ryker, she huffed dramatically and descended the rest of the way quickly.
“Apparently, the fog rolled in before dawn and half of the staff never showed,” she said. “Including the maintenance worker.”
“They don’t have one who boards on site?” Ellery asked.
“Since our party is so small, she was given the week off. Another of her colleagues who lives in town was meant to cover the position if anything happened.”
The fog was causing a lot of complications.
“My father didn’t think to cancel his fishing outing when he looked outside?
” Ryker already knew Rhys wouldn’t allow anything to deter him, even the weather, but he had to point out how asinine that decision was, all things considered.
“It was already bad enough that employees refused to come up the mountain, yet he hiked to a lake he’s only seen on a map. ”
“I tried to convince him to wait,” she agreed with a sigh. “You know how he is.”
“You should never have married him.”
Eulalie gave him a look. “Now, now. Don’t say that. He’s…”
Ellery snorted. “Even you can’t say he’s a good man.”
“He’s a pretentious snob,” Ryker filled in for her. “But he comes with security and is easy on the eyes.” He smirked to lessen the blow. “No judgment from me. However, if this fog clears enough for us to safely drive, I suggest we go without him.”
“We can’t leave your father behind,” she scolded.
“At least one of you is loyal.” Too bad she hadn’t properly taught her son how to be.
“Cosima is gathering the staff members who did come,” Eulalie returned them to the original topic. “Then we can figure out how to proceed. I was told the fog typically lasts a day or two, so with any luck, we’ll be able to leave tomorrow or the day after at the latest.”
“Absolutely not,” Darae interjected. “I’m not staying here. Not after what happened to Delta.”
“I know this is hard—” Eulalie began, only for her friend to cut her off, voice rising with every word.
“We are leaving, before another one of these workers decide to attack us for no reason! I will not subject my daughter to this!” She spun on her heels and motioned to Hollis and Esti.
“Grab your things. We’re going to the bus.
I’ll drive us out of here myself. Anyone else who wants to join us is welcome. ”
“As soon as service is back, we’ll contact the police,” Eulalie promised. “There’s no reason to overreact.”
“She’s got a point,” Penn chimed in. “I mean, what are the odds another person dies, really? That worker got eaten by a bear, and the Smiths were the unfortunate victims of a man with a few screws loose. That’s all.
Statistically speaking, this should now be the safest place to wait out the weather.
The likelihood of there being another person with sociopathic tendencies is slim. ”
Ellery broke out in a laugh and then tried to cover it with an unconvincing cough.
Ryker didn’t say or do anything. His friends aside, just because the worker had killed two people randomly in seemingly cold blood didn’t make him a sociopath, but he wasn’t about to waste his breath correcting Penn.
The only reason Ryker had ever even tolerated him was because of his father’s position on the board.
“The kitchen staff apparently are no shows, and I’m guessing the staff in charge of the indoor amenities are as well,” Darea stated.
“I refuse to stay here twiddling my thumbs doing nothing. I don’t know about the rest of you, but my time is money, and spending another coin in a place as unprofessional as this one is out of the question. ”
Darae instructed her daughter and Hollis to follow and then started confidently for the front entrance, her heeled boots clicking against the polished wooden floorboards.
Eulalie went after her, calling her name and trying to reason with her, while the rest of them stood around watching.
Penn and Ishleen’s fathers were still out fishing with Rhys, so it wasn’t surprising when neither of them made moves to join. Rue and his friends appeared at the end of the hallway leading to the dining hall, no doubt drawn by the noise, but Ryker wasn’t worried about them either.
Bowie and Lenore weren’t stupid enough to suggest driving through the fog, so there was no fear of them attempting to convince Rue.
Not that Ryker would allow him to leave even if they did. As far as he was concerned, Rue wasn’t going anywhere without him ever again.