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“Alright, let’s call the Clarks, then get dressed,” Kevin announced. “Also, thanks. I understand that none of you have to do this for-”
“Yeah, no,” I said, stopping him. “That’s not the kind of people that we are, Kevin.”
He smiled sadly. “All the same, thank you.”
Twenty minutes later, everyone was back in the courtyard, waiting for the Clarks to show up. Though Marilyn and Donovan had gone into town to pick up some supplies, we had managed to get in touch with Richard Clark, and he had assured us that he’d meet us straightaway. He had also promised to call the police and Marilyn to let them know what was going on.
I also felt way better when he had insisted that none of the guys go looking for Sarah beyond the trail until he arrived. Richard was taking this seriously, and as much as I didn’t want my friends out there, having Richard with them made me feel better.
Chapter 21
Saint~
When Richard Clark arrived with a map in his hands, I felt like I could finally breathe. While I didn’t know Kevin and Sarah well, I kept imagining what it’d feel like if Verity was the one that had gone missing, and I could hardly breathe with the very notion. No matter what I thought of them as a couple, it was obvious that Kevin loved her very much, and the guy looked like he was about to lose his shit.
After Richard had instructed us to follow him into the dining room, he had laid out the map, then had quickly excused himself to go grab some lanterns and flashlights from the maintenance shed. While it wasn’t dark yet, it would be soon, and with dinner forgotten, I looked over at Verity.
“I know that dinner is the farthest thing from your mind right now, but I want you to grab something from the vending machine while we’re looking for Sarah,” I told her.
“Same for you, Lulee,” Cree said.
“Now that I think about it, I think that we can help,” Lulee said, but she was Cree’s problem, not mine. I’d already made my position clear with Verity.
“You’ll be able to do more waiting here for Marilyn and Donovan,” Cree told her. “I’m also not going to argue with you about this, Lulee.”
Before Lulee could comment, Richard was back, carrying a rather large duffle bag with him. “I got us some flashlights, lanterns, high-visibility vests, and some cans of mace.”
“Mace?” Kevin asked.
Richard looked over at Kevin as he set the bag on the dining table. “Even though it doesn’t seem like it, there really are some dangerous animals out there, son. While we’ll go out there in pairs, we’ll still need something more than a partner if we come across something.”
“Pairs?” Cree asked. “Won’t that limit us?”
Richard nodded. “Yes, it will,” he confirmed. “However, it’s the safest way to look for someone if we’re going to go off the trail.” He straightened as he looked at all of us. “I know how panicked you must feel, honestly. However, this isn’t the first time that someone has gone missing here. I know what I’m doing, and I know the safest way to do it. Another lost body isn’t going to help us find Sarah.”
“With all due respect, Mr. Clark,” Kevin said. “You don’t know how I feel. Unless your wife or son have ever gone missing, you can’t possibly know what I’m feeling right now.”
“You don’t know my life, son,” Richard replied coolly, chastising Kevin properly.
Kevin let out a deep breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Richard said graciously. “We all understand what a difficult time this must be.”
Without another word, Richard started pulling the supplies out of the duffle bag, and along with the flashlights, mace, and lanterns, he had ten large bundles of climbing rope. It was thick and looked extremely durable. He also had the clips to go with it. It honestly looked like we were going rope climbing more than we were going out to search for someone.
After placing all the items on the table, Richard said, “Okay, the ropes will be used to find your way back to the trail. Between all the warning signs that are lined along the pathway, you can attach the rope to any of the posts, then hold onto it as you venture into the surrounding trees.” He kept eyeing us. “Gentlemen, I’m not trying to insult your intelligence, but I cannot stress to you how important it is to tie the rope as tightly and securely as you can.”
“Well, I don’t understand why we can’t do that,” Lulee argued. “We’re perfectly capable of using that same technique to stay safe.”
“This isn’t about you, Lulee,” Cree snapped, using a voice that I’d never heard him use on her before. Hell, it was enough that Verity stepped closer to me.
“I’m not trying to make this about me,” she denied hotly. “I just don’t see why we can’t help.”
“Because I’m not going to be able to concentrate on searching for Sarah if I’m being too worried about what you’re doing,” he bit out testily.
Lulee bristled at that. “Well, you don’t need to worry about me,” she shot back. “I’m not stupid, Cree. I know how to take care of myself.”
“Oh, I know exactly how you can take care of yourself,” he sneered. “You don’t have to keep reminding me.”
