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“Well, I don’t mean to alarm you two,” the ranger answered, putting his hands up, as though trying to convey that he meant us no harm. “We believe the man was apprehended. It was earlier in the week…He tried to attack a woman a little closer to the normal trail and she got away. She identified him in a lineup and after doing a little digging, we found out that he recently purchased some distressing items from the local hardware store.”
“Did you find them?” I asked the ranger, starting to settle down slightly, but still not completely convinced that this conversation was going to end well.
“No, we haven’t. He didn’t have anything on him when we arrested him and, even though we found the receipt for the items in question, we didn’t find any of the items.”
“I think I know where you can find them. Were they a knife, duct tape, rope, and Diazepam?”
Now, it was the ranger who was a little taken back.
“I found a bag at the place where he and Carrie last set up camp, the night he attacked her.”
“Do you have the bag?”
“Hell, no. I didn’t want to be caught with a murder bag like that,” I insisted, but realizing that I probably shouldn’t be so blunt, I added in a more reserved tone, “But, if you want, I can point out where I found them on a map…or I can take you to it.” I shrugged, “The last time I saw it was a while ago, I can’t guarantee it’s still there, but I want it to be found.”
“You can pinpoint it on the map?” The ranger insisted, and I affirmed it with a nod.
With that, the man took out a map of the area and asked me to show him where it was. I circled the area, knowing exactly where the cabin was and using my knowledge of the surrounding mountainside to give an estimate that I was confident was accurate.
“In this clearing, you’ll find a broken tent and a tent that is still intact. Inside the tent that is intact, there should be the bag.”
“Thank you,” the ranger insisted, calling over one of the other rangers and asking them to check this area out right away.
After the other ranger left, with the map, his superior turned back to us.
“Hopefully, we’ll find the items on the receipt and that’ll be even more evidence against him,” he insisted, “But, for my initial questions…” he redirected the conversation quickly, “First, Carrie, I wanted to know if you wanted to press charges and I wanted to ask you both if you were willing to testify against the guide.”
“Wait, you caught him? He’s in jail?” Carrie seemed not only surprised, but relieved and kind of lost. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see any of that. He attacked me…He did use the Diazepam on me though, I think. He tried to give me something that knocked me out.”
“Did you tell the paramedics?”
Carrie nodded, “But, getting back to what you said, you caught him?”
Again, she seemed surprised and honestly, I couldn’t blame her.
Usually, what happens in the mountains stays in the mountains, unless there was an extremely good reason it wouldn’t, so it was an unlikely surprise to find out that he was caught.
The ranger nodded, “Now, the only reason I ask you this here, is so that when we get back down the mountain, you aren’t pressured into a decision. I want you to know that while he isn’t a danger to society anymore, you will have to be in the same room with him, while you testify and if you press charges, it might be a long process, but if you were willing to testify, at least, you would be getting justice for yourself, in addition to helping get justice for everyone and anyone he might have hurt in the past…and this could also prevent him from hurting anyone in the future.”
“Of course. Definitely,” Carrie insisted, now coming out from behind me fully for the first time.
“Yes, I would like to testify too. I want everyone to know what that bastard tried to do,” I insisted.
“Okay, then,” the ranger nodded as he tipped his hat and stood up, “Now that we’ve got all that unpleasant business out of the way, let’s get you two back to civilization.”
It was then that my stomach dropped. Instinctually, I looked at Carrie, who was staring back at me, with an odd expression.
I knew this was the time to decide, though I there were still so many factors floating around in my mind.
The conversation about the psycho guide had distracted me for a few moments but now that time had run out and I had to make a choice, I had wished that I had given it more thought.
Although, I doubted more thought was what I needed.
We must have stared at one another for a good minute, while the ranger looked between us, wondering what the issue was.
“Are you both okay?” The ranger finally asked, “Is there a problem?”
“He lives in the woods. In his grandfather’s cabin…” Carrie spoke up first, breaking the connection of our eyes to look at the ranger.
