Page 53 of High Country Escape

A shadow fell across them and they looked up to see Debra standing before them. “Sorry to bother you,” she said. “But I’m wondering if there’s a restroom somewhere nearby.”

“Good question.” Dalton stood and brushed crumbs from his shorts. He put two fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly. When he had everyone’s attention, he said. “If you need to use the facilities, the ladies’ room is on that side of the road.” He pointed across the road to the left. “The men’s room is on this side. You have your choice of any bush you like. Watch where you walk and don’t stray too far. If you have to do more than pee, I have some handy little bags for you. We’re required to pack out all human waste.”

Groans and nervous laughter greeted this announcement. Debra turned to Roxanne. “Want to come with me? We can be lookouts for each other.”

“Sure.” Roxanne stood. “That’s a good idea.”

They had to wait for a trio of Jeeps to pass before they could cross the road. Debra headed down a narrow trail between a thick growth of shrubs. After they had walked a hundred yards or so, she looked back over her shoulder. “I guess this is far enough,” she said. “Watch to make sure no one else comes over here and I’ll do the same for you.”

Roxanne turned her back as Debra moved into the bushes. She could see a couple of hikers—a man and a woman, she guessed from their relative sizes—some distance away, but there was no one else near them. She closed her eyes, savoring the warmth of the sun on her skin and breathed in deeply the crisp air that smelled of dust and greenery.

Debra bounced up behind her. “Okay. Your turn.”

Roxanne relieved herself quickly, then caught up with Debra, who had moved farther down the trail. “Look at those flowers over there,” Debra said, and pointed to a thick stand of fireweed downslope from where they were standing. “I want to get a picture.” She started forward.

Roxanne hesitated. “We should probably go back,” she said.

“It’s not like they’re going to leave without us,” Debra called over her shoulder. “You go on. I’ll catch up.”

Roxanne turned and started back toward the road. She hadn’t gone far before a yelp, followed by a curse, made her turn around. “Debra?” she called.

Another string of curses, then a single, pitiful “Help!”

Roxanne began retracing her steps. She spotted the cluster of fireweed and headed toward it. But she couldn’t see Debra. “Where are you?” she called. “I can’t see you.”

A pain-filled groan came in answer. Heart pounding, Roxanne increased her steps, but the ground here was rocky and uneven, and she had to focus on where she was going. She heard footsteps behind her. Someone else must have heard Debra cry out and come to help. “Thank goodness—” Roxanne began, and turned to welcome the new arrival.

Something covered her head and tightened around her neck. Strong arms encircled her and pulled her down, into the thick brush and out of sight.

Chapter Fourteen

Dalton checked his watch for the third time. At least fifteen minutes had passed since Debra and Roxanne had left to use the bathroom. They should have been back by now. The other tour participants had already gathered around the Jeep, ready to go. “I’m sorry about the delay, folks,” Dalton said. “Looks like I need to go hurry the other two along. I’ll be back in a minute.”

He crossed the road and headed up the path where he had last seen the two women. “Roxanne!” he called. “Debra! Time to get going.” He stopped and listened, but heard nothing but his own breathing.

He turned a complete circle, and tried to remember what they had been wearing. Roxanne’s jacket was gray and purple, and she had on a black ball cap. Debra had worn red. That should make her easy to spot, but there was no sign of her. He pulled out his phone and called Roxanne’s number. After a dozen rings, the call went to voicemail. “Hey, Roxanne, where are you? It’s time to get going again. Let me know you’re on your way back to the Jeep.”

He pocketed the phone once more, anxiety growing. Even if Roxanne had gotten distracted by something, she should have answered his call. He set out to look for her and Debra, stopping every few steps to call out the women’s names.

He reached the top of a long ridge. From here, the ground sloped away to a field of fireweed, the bright pink blooms standing out against the yellowing foliage. Another trail came up from this valley, and he spotted a pair of hikers on it and wavedfor them to stop. They did so and he ran up to them. “Have you seen two women around here?” he asked. “One has on a red jacket. The other is wearing a purple and silver jacket and a black ball cap.”

“I think we saw them a while ago,” the man said. “They were up on that ridge.” He pointed behind Dalton.

“Did you see which way they went from there?” he asked.

Both shook their heads. “But I thought I heard a scream,” the woman said.

Dalton froze. “When was this?” he asked.

She looked at her companion. “Maybe ten minutes ago?”

Dalton checked his watch again. Five minutes had passed since he set out to find Roxanne and Debra. “And you didn’t see any sign of them since then?” he asked.

Both shook their heads again. Dalton stared out over the fireweed. Everything around them was absolutely still. The way sound carried up here, with the surrounding peaks acting as amplifiers, he should have been able to hear anyone in distress. The couple were still standing beside him, shifting from foot to foot. “Thanks for your help,” Dalton said.

“Yeah, well, hope you find who you’re looking for,” the man said. He and the woman started down the trail again.

Dalton hurried back to the group waiting around the Jeep. “Did you find them?” one of the women asked.