Chapter Twelve
“How the heck do I get myself into these situations Pepper?” As Morgan rode a different trail back down the mountain, her intended trip of solitude ending all too quickly, she questioned the events of the last few days, talking to an animal that she knew would never let her down.
When she’d first arrived at the cabin, it was all so bittersweet, a place from her childhood. Somewhere she could go by herself for some worry-free, much needed R & R. If she’d only known beforehand how not alone she would really be.
What would possess her uncle to meddle in her personal life she just couldn’t understand.
Hadn’t she been through enough? Well to his credit, he probably didn’t know about the last guy.
Tyler was the only one she’d told about that idiot but Uncle Bill and Tyler were pretty close so who knows.
Maybe the whole thing was orchestrated by them both and Tyler was just keeping his distance knowing he’d be strangled for his involvement.
Makes no matter, as of today, she was wiping her hands of it all.
“I’m tired of being hurt.” It’s time the men in her life knew they had no business making decisions for her.
“I must be doing something seriously wrong.” Not paying much attention, Pepper suddenly stopped.
“Hey boy, what do we have here?” Morgan jumped from the saddle to inspect a large group of logs that had lay across the route toward home.
“We can’t move all of these boy.” The horse whinnied while bobbing his head.
“Awe buddy, I know you’re strong but there are just too many and I don’t have any rope or anything to have you pull them with.
Guess we’ll have to find a way around.” She remounted and looked around the area, stopping a minute to think.
“We shouldn’t have to go too far out of our way as long as we can meet up with the trail again in a mile or so.
” Morgan nudged Pepper’s reigns to veer them off the path into the brush and around the fallen trees.
The timber in the area was so old and tall, it was a surprise to see so much in one spot.
Kind of like it’d been planted there for some reason.
Kind of gave her the creeps to think someone else would be there messing around.
“I know I’m just over-reacting. There’s no one else up here and you’ll protect me anyway right Pepper?
” She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, looking in every direction, telling herself everything was fine.
She’d never felt uncomfortable before being alone in the woods, she needed to stop thinking about it.
Before they’d walked off the path very far, Morgan noticed the ground getting mushier and Pepper’s feet started to slide a little with each footfall.
“Oh boy, Pepper take those steps slow. I don’t want either of us falli…”
Things happened so fast her words were cut off then a scream escaped from her lips.
* * * *
Luke reached Bill’s just as the sun was going down and the old man met him out on the front porch.
“What the hell are you doin’ back here?” Bill wasn’t one to mince words.
“It took me an extra forty-five minutes with some downed trees blocking the path but I wanted to get here as fast as I could before Morgan took off again.” Luke climbed from his horse and tied her reigns to the front porch post.
“What are you talking about? I thought you convinced her to stay a while longer. What did you do now?” Uncle Bill came to the top of the steps, hands rested on his hips and a questioning look across his face.
“What do you mean? Isn’t she here? She left long time ago.
Where else would she have gone?” He could have sworn she’d come back to her Uncle Bill’s.
Tyler’s apartment was too far away and he couldn’t imagine she’d go all the way there on a horse.
Well I suppose she can do anything she wants obviously but she loves her horse too much for that.
“Well, what happened?
“Bill, I need to use your phone.” Ignoring the question, Luke climbed the front porch stairs two at a time and rushed through the front door, the old man hot on his heels.
After dialing the familiar number, he waited for an answer. “Hey Ty, its Luke. Have you seen your sister?” After a few seconds, he shook his head.
“Yeah she showed up too, that’s what started the trouble.
Margie said you had a run but you’d be there later.
Your sister took off right after your girl walked in.
She got a decent lead but I followed her as fast as I could until the trail closed down from downed trees.
I had to take a small detour that turned into a huge loss of time.
Bill said she hasn’t been here.” He could feel his blood pressure rising and panic was itching to rear its ugly head.
“That’s not what Margie said but we don’t have time to go into detail now. She was less than thrilled at the company you’ve been keeping. Can you just get here already?”
Tyler said something ridiculously Tyler and Luke rolled his eyes, displaying little patience.
“Whatever. I don’t care about your love life. Just hurry damn it. She knows that mountain better than anyone and unless she’s just being stubborn, she could really be hurt.”
He slammed the cordless down on the counter and turned to Bill.
“Tyler’s on his way. He hasn’t seen or heard from her and we all know she wouldn’t have gone anywhere else so we’re going out to look for her.”
“Well here then.” Bill led the way to the kitchen, pulling out four radios that looked brand new along with extra battery packs for each.
Shaking his head, Luke glared at Bill as he picked up the first radio.
“If you had new radios, why did you send me that cheap piece of shit that went dead five minutes after I left here?” He made quick work of turning the radios on and switching them all to the same channel while he waited for Bill’s response.
“Guess I forgot about these new ones and there wasn’t nothing wrong with that radio I sent you. Maybe you need to learn to use it.” He could tell Bill was trying to keep from laughing.
“Whatever old man. You did it on purpose. You and I both know it.” Before Bill could mouth out a retort, Tyler burst through the back door.
“Alright, let’s go. We need to find my sister.” He started to grab the radios but stopped when neither of the other two men moved.
“What are you all standing around for? We need to go. Uncle Bill, do you have any extra flashlights?” He didn’t wait for an answer and started pulling open cabinet doors and drawers.
“Oh I’m sure he keeps those right where he keeps the new radios he conveniently forgets about.”
“That’s enough out of you two. Now get out of here and find my niece!”