“Higher. I’d rather be above it.”
“Good call.”
We back up until we see a clear way up the side of the foothill. Then we climb. Anders takes the lead. I fall into the rear with Storm—no one wants to be caught under a hundred-and-forty-pound dog if she slips. Also, Dalton wants the middle spot so he’s free to watch and listen for the grizzly.
Anders finds a path, and he’s walked along it for about ten paces when he whispers back to Dalton, “You win.” Dalton grunts. Yes,thisis the path we take to the cave system. It’s familiar and relatively easy to traverse.
We’ve gone maybe fifty feet along it when Dalton says, “Hold up,” his voice low.
I lean left and see what he’s talking about. Movement behind bushes maybe twenty feet below. I frown. We’d climbed at least fifty feet before we found the path. That can’t be the bear, which had been farther down the hillside—
A tawny rump comes into view, one with a white scar on the haunch. It’s a grizzly’s backside, which has my frown growing, until I see the bear’s jerky movement. It’s pulling something. Dragging prey to higher ground so it can eat at leisure. This time of year, it won’t want to share with scavengers.
“Retreat?” Anders whispers.
“Yeah,” Dalton says, obviously annoyed. “Head back to the lower path.”
We turn around. Then Anders says, “Uh, guys?”
I glance back down the hillside toward the bear. It’s out in the open, and I think that’s what Anders means—don’t turn our back on it. Which is correct, but the bear is paying us no attention. It’s too busy dragging its kill, now that those pesky interlopers have left.
What it’s dragging is a leg. A human leg.
Attached to a human body.
CHAPTER SIX
“Casey…” Dalton says slowly.
“Yes,” I say. “That’s Blake.”
The bear is maybe fifty feet away—thirty ahead and twenty down. But even from here, I can make out the body it’s dragging, and recognize it as the man I spoke to yesterday.
“And yes,” I say. “He’s definitely dead.”
“Fuck,” Dalton breathes.
He motions for us to keep backing up. That’s not easy when we don’t dare turn our backs. I actually do—I need to guide Storm and I can’t risk tripping over her. I get her in front of the others. She’s spotted the bear, and her hackles are up, but she is well-trained in this and mature enough to obey.
Retreat from the threat. Do not make a sound.
If I’m right, there’s a cave entrance just past where we climbed up. We would never crawl in where a bear might trap us, but we can duck into the entrance and regroup.
I find the cave, and it’s not one of the small holes we often squeeze through. This is a big opening that doesn’t go far. I tuckinside with Storm. The guys arrive a few moments later, and Dalton bustles Anders in while he stands guard.
“Did it spot you?” I whisper.
Anders shakes his head. “Didn’t seem to. We’re downwind, too.”
I move past him to Dalton. “I’m going out.”
“What?” He stares at me. “Going where?”
“Oh, I thought I’d just hop out and run back to Haven’s Rock. Look after the baby.” I give him a look. “Going back for a better look, I mean.”
“That’s what I figured you meant.” He points at his face. “Hence this expression.”
“I won’t go far. I have these.” I lift a small pair of binoculars.
