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“I checked this area in here thoroughly. Nothing either," Zach said. "How about we head back? I need to breathe some clean air.”
His friend chuckled. “I’m with you.”
As Zach headed out, he became more and more convinced that he had help. If he’d climbed around all these boulders, he would have remembered.
Once they exited, they removed the pink plastic tape where his sister had marked the trees.
“What’s the plan now?” Mike asked.
“I’m not sure. Even if we found some indication—other than the brush on the outside of the cave—that I had help, I can’t imagine a woman would be staying in a tent for the last two weeks. More importantly, why she would she want to? But I won’t give up.”
“I never thought you would. However, I don’t recall seeing any other caves nearby that anyone would want to camp in. Mice, in particular, like to take shelter in them during the winter, not to mention a few other critters.”
“True.”
“Don’t forget there is the Granger cabin,” Mike said.
“It’s locked. I doubt anyone would break in, especially with a bar across the path indicating it’s private property.”
“If they are desperate enough, they wouldn’t care about that. Even if they did care, who could they ask for permission?” Mike stopped in his tracks. “Come to think if it, are you certain the weather hasn’t corroded the lock? Maybe a strong shoulder could open the door.”
“Tawny said she used the key when she, Alex, and Liam came, but I can’t remember if my sister said she locked up afterward or not. She might have been too distraught over the fact I was missing to be thinking clearly.”
“Did you remember the key?”
“Of course. No door breaking required. And as promised, I have some beer and food with me. You still up for a quiet evening at the cabin?”
“Absolutely. It will be a nice change from my cramped apartment.”
What was he talking about? Both Mike’s apartment and the Granger cabin each contained about five hundred square feet of living space, but Zach was just happy Mike was willing to stay there. “Let’s go.”
The cabin was not on any path that a hiker would take in part because years ago, his Granger ancestors had purchased a large chunk of the land in the forest. Just in case someone happened upon it, they’d installed a bar across the path to discourage people from investigating what was back there. As far as his family was aware, it had worked.
“I’m actually looking forward to living off the grid for a night,” Zach said.
“If I recall, we have to haul the water from the stream and then boil it using firewood we have to chop.”
“Living in the wild requires some sacrifice, my friend.” He faced Mike. “Aren’t you the one who takes people on wilderness excursions?”
“Yes, but I get paid for it.”
“Are you telling me that you’ve never wondered what it would be like to live in the woods?”
Mike stepped next to him. “I’d enjoy it for a few weeks—in the summer—but I’ll admit I like being able to drive to the grocery store and watch my sports on television.”
Zach liked that too. “I hear you.”
For the next half hour, they more or less hiked in silence, enjoying the peace nature had to offer. The wind had died down, and the scent of the pine trees had sweetened the air. It helped relax Zach’s mind.
At the entrance to the property, they climbed over the metal bar that had aNo Trespassingsign dangling from it. This was the first time he’d been back to the cabin all winter. The lack of electricity and running water, not to mention the lack of insulation, failed to make it a desirable vacation destination.
When they rounded the corner, they both stopped. Smoke was pouring out of the chimney. “That’s not good,” Mike said.
He tried to think if any relative said they planned to stay there this weekend, but he came up empty. “Unless it's some random cousin, someone is trespassing.”
“Are you going to throw them out?”
Zach looked over at Mike. “Either we leave or they do. I have no intention of sharing. It would mean we’d have to stay in our human form, and Tawny said it was cold as ice upstairs despite having a blazing fire downstairs.”
