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She sucked in a breath of stale air. Thinking about all the things that could go wrong was borrowing trouble. Her mother would’ve told her to pray about it and turn her fears over to God. That was something she hadn’t done in a long time. It wasn’t as if she didn’t pray, but those quick pleas were sent up spur of the moment when she had an urgent desire to ask for His help. Getting down on her knees and pouring her heart out was a thing of the past. When she’d been locked in that hidden room inside of the Ricketts Estate, it was the first time in her life she’d felt as if God had abandoned her.
When her mother died, she’d accepted the loss knowing her mother was safe in the arms of the Lord who loved her, but why had He allowed her friends to go through what they had? And if her brothers and Samantha hadn’t rescued her, would she feel like part of her soul had been stripped away? That’s how Brittany described it. Emmaline seemed to take everything in stride and moved on with her life, but Brittany had been taken as the wife of a cold-blooded psychopath. Cate couldn’t understand why God had allowed it. Why hadn’t He helped Cate save her closest friends from that monster? Tears slipped past her lashes and she swiveled her chair around, dropped her pen on her desk, and grabbed a tissue to dab at her eyes.
But Cate had been rescued. Samantha had shown up in the nick of time. Was that answered prayer? Was she blaming God for the actions of evil men? Why was it so hard to get back to fellowshipping with the Lord the way she had before her time at the Ricketts Estate?
Dwelling on the past wasn’t helping. There was work to be done. Virginia expected a telephone call this morning, and that meant finding the strength to dial the number. A task that sounded so simple in theory, but it wasn’t easy for her. She rested her head on the desk and sobbed. Normal people didn’t panic over making a telephone call. It was times like these when she missed her mother the most. And her relationship with her Savior.
A text came through, and she smiled at the Yoda meme Samantha sent. She made a fabulous big sister. Maybe God did care about her. Somehow, Sam was always there when she was needed. That couldn’t be a coincidence.
She sucked in a sharp breath and gathered her strength, then dialed the number. Her boss answered on the third ring just as she was about to hang up. “Hello?”
“Hi, Virginia. It’s Cate.”
“Oh! I’m glad you called. We got a tip from a civilian that there is a bear denned up in Loyalsock State Forest. I need you and your team to check it out to see if it’s a sow and whether or not she has cubs. If she does, it’s perfect for placing the final cub from Worlds End.”
“That’s great news.” A smiled tugged the corners of her mouth. Even her phone phobia couldn’t ruin this for her. Placing Bruce so close to where he’d been taken would be perfect. Her team was finishing up a project they started while she was away, but she could check it out on her own and then bring them in once she knew what they were dealing with.
“As long as your team can get there this week, it should be a go. If not, we’ll have a conservation officer tag the bear denned there.”
“We’ll prioritize that site since it’s ideal for the cub.”
“Good to hear. Let me know what you find when you scout the location.”
Malachi slogged through the rain and mud looking for the missing fisherman. Probably took shelter, but his wife called claiming he should’ve been home hours earlier. For all he knew the man had decided to stop somewhere on his way home and was chatting with a buddy, but he’d seen enough instances of people being swept away in the fast-moving creek waters to take the lady’s concerns seriously.
A flash of orange in the distance caught his eye, and he trudged toward the bright spot. When he neared it, he recognized it as a ball cap. It rested on a log. Not their missing man. Something reflective snagged his attention. A fishing pole with a flashy lure tied on it leaned against a tree, but still no sign of the man to whom they belonged. Shaking his head, he surveyed the area. Nothing to indicate where he’d gone.
Malachi had never been one for fishing this time of year. He preferred to wait until trout season opened. Not only was it better fishing, it was safer with more people around.
The wind carried a faint sound. He strained to identify its source. His feet moved downstream as he recognized the shout for help. Thirty feet farther, he found the source of the noise—an elderly man clinging to a tree branch as water rushed around him. He called it in and moved closer. “I’m going to get you out there, Mr. Gray.”
The man didn’t respond. Probably had a sore throat from screaming for help. And too worn out to do anything more than cling to his lifeline.
Malachi pulled a rope from his backpack and tied himself to a tree. He ventured into the creek, fighting against the strength of the rushing water with each step. After hooking himself to the other man, he helped him to the shore. “The EMTs should be here shortly. You okay to walk?”
The man struggled for breath, but he nodded. “Thank you. How did you know where to find me?”
“Mr. Gray, if you hadn’t told your wife when to expect you home, we wouldn’t have found you in time. She called in a panic, and gave us an idea of where you planned to fish.”
“Celia. A good wife is a blessing from the Lord.”
In that moment, Malachi didn’t doubt the truth of the man’s words. Without someone waiting at home, Melvin Gray likely would’ve been carried to his death once he grew too weak to keep hanging on.
Malachi slapped the back of the ambulance when the doors closed. When it pulled away with Mr. Gray inside, he drove back to the office. A good wife. Yes. That was what Mr. Gray had, and maybe, just maybe it was what God had in store for him, too.
Quitting time couldn’t come soon enough. He changed into dry clothes and poured himself some coffee, but what he wanted more than anything in that moment was a long hot shower. Kevin sauntered into the back office, frowning. “That lady who made the report about the bear cubs a couple of weeks back is at the front desk demanding to see you.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cate parked her truck and glanced at her cell. She should’ve texted before leaving the house. No service. Maybe the message would send if she hiked through a spot with service. Otherwise, she could show up at the office and hope Malachi was working. They hadn’t spoken since arriving back in Pennsylvania two days ago. On her end, she hadn’t wanted to appear desperate by texting right away, but she wasn’t sure what his excuse was. Maybe he was busy. He had mentioned a spring training game he was looking forward to watching. Restoring her communion with the Lord required trust on her part. Trust that His timing was perfect, and He knew what she needed better than she did.
Cate: I’m nearby. Loyalsock State Forest. Want to meet for dinner?
As expected, her screen kept blinking the ‘sending…’ message, so she stuffed her phone into her coat pocket and grabbed her backpack. She probably should’ve let someone know where she was headed and when to expect her back, but she’d scouted sites alone plenty of times in the past. And this one was a priority. It would take time to assemble her team. Time she didn’t have.
A quick trek in and out of the woods, and she’d be on her way to the park office at Worlds End to see if Malachi was available for a meal. Her stomach growled at the thought. All she’d had for breakfast was a protein bar and a thermos of coffee.
-five minutes later, when she arrived at the spot indid by the coordinates given to them by the hikers, she squatted before what appeared to be a discarded truck cap. How it could’ve found its way so deep into the woods, she couldn’t begin to guess, but it’d been there for ages. Debris covered it to the point where it looked like it belonged. Part of the natural landscape. A sow snoozed in the makeshift den beneath it with a single cub. It would be the perfect place to bring the final cub. The mama bear would easily accept Bruce as her own when she awakened in a few short weeks. If they managed to get him there in time. But Cate didn’t expect that to be a problem.
