Evil in the Woods Page 2

  "Alright. I'll head back over there and talk to Mr. Blevins myself. Let me go back inside and pay my tab." Part of him is happy to be put out of his misery, not sure how much more awful singing he could take. However, this is one aspect of being sheriff that he hates the most. No matter what he is doing in his personal life, he is expected to come running at the first sign of something serious.

  "You probably have time to grab the microphone and belt out an old country tune. Sorry, I shouldn't have said that." Sloane is aware of how her comments can be taken as flirtatious, but she only apologizes when she says them at the wrong time. "Do you think this is somehow connected to the calls that came in earlier today? The ones about the man with the axe."

  Chapter 4

  Mitch walks quickly back through the bar and lays a twenty near his half full beer. He nods at the bartender and walks even faster out of the building. He fires up his truck with his mind more focused on the flirtatious female deputy than it is on the reason he needs to head back to the station. He has had a few girlfriends in his twenty-one years, none of them ever got past the innocent kissing stage. Since he started on the police force immediately after graduation, he never really had time to get serious with anyone. Now, he has no idea what to do regarding members of the opposite sex, and with his father no longer around, he has lost the person who would normally teach a young man about such things.

  The moon is full over the Oregon night, coating the town in the warm glow of its light as Mitch steers his truck into his reserved spot. He throws in a piece of gum to mask the smell of the beer on his breath as he takes the steps two at a time and slings open the front door. The glass door hits the back wall much harder than he expected it to and the sound it makes reverberates through the long hall. He can see the back of Mr. Blevins as he enters the primary office. The man is short, and his gray hair is tucked under his familiar black hat. Mitch has seen him dozens of times over the years and has never seen the man without that hat on.

  "Mr. Blevins, how are we tonight?" He makes his way to the opposite side of the desk and smiles at Deputy Nichols in the process.

  "I'm good Sheriff, it’s good to see you again. Before I forget, I never had a chance to give you my condolences about your father. He was a good man and this town will miss him." The man looks like he has aged severely over the last few years. The missing teeth are far more prevalent as he gives the new sheriff his sympathetic smile.

  "Thanks Tom, I appreciate it. My deputy here tells me you have some concerns about a couple of hikers who didn't check out?" The office is the last place Mitch wants to be at this particular moment, but it does give him a second chance to see Deputy Nichols.

  "They were supposed to check out this afternoon. A young couple in their early twenties who were in town from Seattle. I try not to pay too much attention to the people that stay at the campground, but it isn't usually very crowded during the week. Plus, I can’t stand people from Seattle. They come down here with their long hair and those brightly colored football jerseys and they think they own the place. Anyway, I noticed them leaving with backpacks yesterday, sometime around noon."

  "Let me stop you there. Is there a chance that they had a tent in those backpacks? I'm thinking maybe they left out on a hike to spend the night along the creek and then they got turned around and couldn’t find their way out of the woods tonight." His father always had a way of looking at the obvious solutions to the problem, hoping that there is always a simple solution. Mitch spent much of his youth watching his old man diffuse situations in this manner and has learned a thing or two. “It’s possible that they decided to set up camp for another night and they’ll turn up in the morning.”

  "It's possible, but they looked to me like they were experienced hikers. They had plenty of equipment with them." The old man stops speaking and considers the possibility of what Mitch said once more. "I mean, I guess it could be possible. It wouldn't be the first time we had some city folks who got lost in the woods, would it?"

  Mitch lets out a smile and looks at Deputy Nichols, herself being a transplant from Los Angeles. "It certainly would not. They call it Hidden Creek for a reason." The fact that it takes a twenty-minute hike to even find the creek usually scares away the beginner hikers.

  "Yeah, I guess you're right. What do you suggest I do with their belongings? You know how busy the weekends have been this season and I can't really afford to lose the rental money." Once again, he stops before finishing his thought and it's clear to both men that worrying about money seems slightly inappropriate when they could be talking about two missing hikers. "I care about the well-being of the couple as well, but you know we depend on the revenue during the peak season to survive the winter."

  "Tom, I know as good as anyone the importance of the tourist revenue. I suggest you gather up their things and store them in your cabin. If they aren't back by the afternoon, then give me a call and we can go from there. That way you will have ample time to get the site ready for your weekend renters." He looks at the old man waiting for a response. The silence in the room causes everyone to become uncomfortable.

  "You know that means more work for me," says Tom. The thought of more work has made the old man slightly agitated. "I'm getting a little too old to be cleaning up after these yuppies, let alone packing up their personal effects."

  "I understand what you're saying but maybe you can add a little fee to their total when they check out. You can call it service fee or a cleaning fee. Heck, you can call it whatever you want. You’ll have their belongings and if they refuse to pay, you are within your rights to keep their things.” Mitch knows that mentioning more money will get the man’s attention and hopefully bring a satisfactory resolution to the issue.

  The man looks at the sheriff with bigger eyes and turns his head toward Deputy Nichols. Mitch might be young, but he has been around long enough to know that the business owners in the small town will do just about anything if it means they will be able to make more money. He uses this to relieve the tension in the room and judging by the change in Mr. Blevins’s facial expressions, it’s working.

  The man nods in agreement, extends his hand to shake Mitch's and turns to head out of the station. He seems satisfied as he leaves, never looking back to Mitch or Sloane. As soon as Mr. Blevins leaves the room, the two officers look at each other and there is an obvious tension between the two. Luckily, the awkwardness is broken when Deputy Johnson and Carter enter the room. They are finally returning from their trip to Hidden Creek and have the look of two men who have gotten a little too close to nature.

  "Welcome back boys. Looks like you guys had fun playing in the woods today." Mitch is happy to see the other two deputies, so he is not forced to talk to Sloane more than is necessary. "Were you able to find any trace of the mystery man with the axe, or as one caller stated, did you find Bigfoot?"

  "We found nothing, but I was able to give the new guy a good workout. These young people have no endurance." Stuart has always been the one in the office to be able to poke fun at his fellow officers. His comedic relief has been much needed and even more appreciated through the last few months.

  "I needed more endurance, so I could pick you up every time you tripped over a branch." Deputy Jerome Carter has a deep voice and stands head and shoulders above the other men. "We could have been back a half an hour ago, if Stuart didn't get the truck stuck in the mud."

  It’s a rare occasion that all four officers are in the station at the same time. With the two new officers being thrown into service without much time for training on how things are normally done in Twisted Timbers, these moments of comradery are the best times for them to learn how each other works and get used to the array of personalities.

  "Well you may have seen Mr. Blevins leaving as you came in. He claims there's a couple of hikers that failed to check out this afternoon and he thinks they are lost in the woods. I convinced him to gather their belongings, so he can rent the space tomorrow, and if the couple doesn't turn up, we may have to head out to the creek again. I'm thinking they may have lost track of time or gotten off the path and decided to camp for the night and will show up in the morning."

  "Well if we need to hike back in there tomorrow, I need to get my old body home and in bed." Stuart is twice the age of Mitch and has never been on the athletic side. "Anyone want to stop at the diner for a bite to eat?"

  "I thought you need to get to bed?" Carter is already taking off his black boots and looks like a man defeated. "I could go for a bite to eat though. Let me get out of this uniform and I'll go with you."

  "You boys go ahead, I'm going to head on home. As long as Sloane has things under control, that is." He looks at the female deputy and she gives him the smile that shows off her white teeth.

  "You guys go feed your faces. I am more than capable of handling this place alone. Besides, I'm tougher than any of you fools anyway." Nichols loves to make the men feel like she can do anything better than they can. Her competitive nature is one of the things that Mitch finds the most attractive about her.

  Carter and Johnson both head to the locker room to change out of their uniforms. Mitch turns and heads to his office. He didn't really need anything from his office, but he also didn't want to be left alone with Sloane. He has an uneasy feeling whenever they are alone. Not like something bad is going to happen, but more of a feeling that he wants to get closer to her than is acceptable, especially since he is her boss. He sits down in his chair long enough to steal a look out the window and see her leaning against the main counter in the reception area. Her blonde hair is pulled up in a ponytail, forming a curl at the bottom. She waves to the other two male officers as they leave for the night and turns her head quickly and catches his eyes affixed on her backside.

  Mit
ch reacts as if he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. His face immediately turns red, cheeks flush from embarrassment. He grabs a file from his desk, not really knowing or caring about what's inside. He walks past her on his way out of the building and smiles. "I'm headed home now, feel free to call if anything comes up." Mitch is proud that he was able to turn the situation around and put their focus back on business.

  "No problem, but I should be alright." She grins at him, her rose colored lips separating just enough to allow her teeth to show. Her hair swings behind her head as she turns around and sits down at her desk. "Have a good night."

  Chapter 5

  The sound from his alarm throws Mitch into a panic. It's not that he has woken up at an extremely early hour, which is the best benefit of having the title that he does, it’s more the feeling that his body has not had ample time to rest. It's only eight but he feels as if he barely slept a wink. He remembers flipping through the television channels hoping to find something to take his mind off the female deputy and her flirtatious ways. He had very little success and ended up falling asleep with an old western on the screen.

  Following a quick shower, Mitch fires up his truck and heads for his usual spot to get his morning coffee and breakfast. Maddie's Diner is the only place to get a real cup of coffee in town, unless you count the trendy shops that pop up in the summer to cater to the tourists. It’s still early enough in the morning that he can drive straight through the red light in the center of town, another fringe benefit of the job. He hangs a sharp left into the parking lot on the side of the building, walks around the corner and enters the diner.

  Maddie's Diner consists of a long counter, with low stools for patrons to sit on. On the opposite wall, there are about five booth style tables, for groups wanting to sit together. Mitch does a quick search of the counter and sees a familiar face with an open stool next to him. He sits at this same counter almost every morning and he has never seen Deputy Jerome Carter here before.

  "Deputy Carter, how are we this morning?" The sheriff rests his hat on the counter and smiles at the waitress as she drops off a menu for him. The same waitress delivers a menu to him just about every morning, but Mitch can’t remember the last time he opened it.

  "Sheriff, I didn't expect to see you. I'm just getting some nourishment in me in case we have to trek back out to the creek today." Jerome shoves the last bite of toast into his mouth after speaking.

  "That's probably a good idea. Mind if we have a talk? I haven't really had a chance to get to know you much." After the events of Graham Park, it was a mad scramble to find at least one more officer to join the force. Mitch was relieved when he got a call from Agent Walker from the F.B.I. stating that he had an agent who was having some issues and needed to relocate. "You got here right at the start of the busy season. Things got very hectic and I don't really know much about you."

  Deputy Carter adjusts himself in his seat to present his over-sized body in a more upright position. The man is well over six feet tall and has spent his fair share of time lifting weights. He is an impressive figure to look at, not to mention that the people in this area aren't really used to seeing a black guy in town. Mitch never worried about the color of a person's skin, but he knows several people in town who might. He remembers having a conversation with Jerome about this very subject when he first showed up at the station. "I’m not afraid of these small-town hicks" was the exact response he gave to the sheriff. Carter comes across as a tough guy, he rarely smiles and walks around as if he is mad at the world.

  "You can ask me anything you want Sheriff, I have never been good at hiding things from people. I guess that's part of the reason why I'm down here in your lovely village." He rolls his eyes at the last statement making it obvious that he is not fond of the small town, lovely or not. "Back in Portland I had issues with the people up the chain of command. I voiced my concerns and now I'm here. I wasn’t given much of a say in the matter. I guess that's it in a nutshell."

  Mitch takes a moment to ponder what Carter just told him, tells the waitress he'll have his usual and adds a little sugar to his coffee. "Seems pretty legit to me. How are things at the office? How are you getting along with Johnson and Nichols?" Mitch knows more than he is being told from Carter, but he elects to keep his cards close to his chest.

  "Stuart is an odd bird, but I get along with him alright. As far as Sloane goes, let's just say I’m trying to keep my distance. She is one feisty woman." Again, he must reposition his body, this time swinging his left leg around to the other side of the stool. "If I didn't know any better, I would think she had the hots for everyone she talks to. I guess that's just how some women talk, but man, it can be too much for me sometimes. It seems like she is either flirting with you, or ready to kick your butt."

  Mitch nods in agreement and reaches for his cell phone in his pocket. As he pulls it out the ringer is far louder than he expected, and he fumbles over the buttons before answering it. He responds with a few groans of approval and heads out the door to speak in private. Deputy Carter is left at the counter alone, but he pays little attention to the sheriff. He has been kept out of the loop on matters before, it is standard operating procedure in the F.B.I.

  "Don't worry, I'll be there in two minutes." He slams the phone shut and heads back into the diner. After throwing a ten on the counter, he gives Carter a look to let him know the message relayed to him on the phone was not good. "We need to get to the station immediately. It looks like someone left us a little present this morning."

  Chapter 6

  His heart is racing. The feeling is very similar to how he felt three months ago, when the lights of the Ferris Wheel pierced the dark night sky. He runs up the steps and into the police station, finding Nichols and Johnson standing at the counter with a cardboard box in between them. He races to the other side of the counter, nods at the two deputies before beginning to examine the box and its contents.

  "Where did you find this?" He aims the question at Nichols, who has been here all night, but instead he hears the deeper voice of Stuart Johnson. The senior officer tells him that it was just sitting on the top step when he came in to work. The flaps to the box are still closed, showing the message on the outside. There is nothing else remarkable about the box, it's just a typical moving box with the written message on the top.

  YOU DIDN’T SAVE THEM THEN

  YOU CAN’T SAVE THEM NOW

  The message is written with a large black marker, much how a person would label a box prior to putting it on the moving truck. The letters are legible but have the appearance of being written by a child. Mitch reaches into one of the drawers behind the counter and pulls out a pair of latex gloves. As he slides them on, he can't help the feeling of fear that has begun to creep through his body. He made certain that the other two officers did not open the box before he got there. Much like his father, he takes the role as sheriff to mean that he is the one to be put in harm’s way far before anyone else.

  Deputy Carter slides into the room and stands on the opposite side of the counter, observant yet silent. Mitch pulls out his pocket knife and carefully slices along the seam of the box, splitting the tape and allowing the flaps to rise slightly. As his knife easily slices through the final piece of tape, he notices the other deputies all take a step or two away from the counter. He looks at them, thinking that if they were afraid that there was an explosive of some kind inside, the few feet they just retreated would not be nearly enough to keep them safe.

  Using the end of a pencil to pry back the first side of the cardboard, Mitch himself is relieved that nothing happens. Even after everything that he went through a few months ago, he is still a bit unclear as to what dangers the world holds. It's easy to become complacent when you don't deal with the same problems as the larger cities on a daily basis. Confident that the box will not explode, he uses the same pencil to fold back the opposite side.

  With the box now open and the contents exposed, Mitch is left breathless and at a loss for words. The others all move in closer, so they can see what gift had been left for them on the front steps. Once he gets sight of the contents of the box, Stuart Johnson heads straight for the garbage can to empty out his stomach. He has never been fond of gore or seeing blood, both of which he sees inside the box. Carter has the most experience of the group in dealing with serious crimes, and he studies the contents closely, moving his head around so he can see everything from as many angles as possible, surely a technique that comes straight from the F.B.I. handbook.