Page 20 of Trolling For Love (Monster Match season two)
FLYNN
T he two of us slept in the small tent and somehow it worked. I was warm all night and felt protected. Not that I knew what I needed protection from. The monsters who had come to call Elder Ridge home did not harm humans, and I never felt threatened by any of them. The only threat I’d ever felt here was from my uncle, but I still didn’t understand why or what he wanted.
“Morning,” a voice said from outside the tent. Gunnar jumped out and tore the tent apart in the process.
“Who are you and what do you want?” he shouted while shoving me behind him. I found this was his reaction to danger and while I appreciated it, I wasn’t sure it was always necessary.
“Calm down now, we mean you no harm,” one of them said. He was wearing a small backpack but somehow, I knew he wasn’t a tourist. “I’m Ricky Ruas and this is Ricky Ruas, I work for the park service in this area and Ricky is a scientist with the research facility. We saw the smoke from your fire and wanted to make sure it wasn’t more than a campfire.”
He had a scowl on his face as he looked at both of us while the one he called Ricky gave us each a friendly smile. “I’m Flynn Davies, and this is Gunnar. We work for the lumber company that’s been clearing underbrush and logging nearby,” I explained.
“Oh yes, Frank Madron is your boss,” he said and smiled.
“Yes. We have the weekend off and Gunnar wanted to see more of the forest,” I said.
“Is that all he wanted to see?” he asked and stepped closer to us.
“Jason, I know you. I didn’t know you were working out this way.” Jason Bosco had grown up around here, the same as me, but he was older than me and while I recognized him, I didn’t know him.
“I took a job looking over the forest in this area,” he said. I knew Jason worked in the forest, but I didn’t know enough about him to know exactly what it was he did.
“I’m out here so much I’m surprised we haven’t crossed paths before. We do plan on moving the operation deeper into the forest so we might run into you more often,” I said. I might not know him well, but it would be good to know someone connected to the park service while we were working out here.
“Have you noticed any unusual monster activity nearby?” Gunnar asked surprising me.
“What do you mean unusual?” Ricky asked.
“Do you remember my uncle Vince Drummond?” I directed at Jason.
“Not really. I have heard rumors for years of him being some great monster hunter, but I thought those were all stories he made up. He doesn’t have the best reputation you know,” he said and crossed his arms.
“He’s a dick, and always has been,” I said. Something told me to trust them. “We should tell them what we know.” Gunnar narrowed his eyes before nodding.
“We have reason to believe he has it in for Gunnar.” I told them everything we knew and even though it wasn’t clear evidence, I could feel it in my gut something was wrong. “One of the leshy came out here to warn us against him. Bo, he and his wife were at the restaurant when Vince showed up.”
“Bo Bosco?” Jason asked and glanced at Ricky.
“Yes, that’s what made us think there was more to it than Vince just being weird and staring us down while we were there. Plus, the fact he’s been gone for months then just shows up out of the blue.”
“Maybe he was on vacation,” Ricky said.
“We think he’s been going to the monster realm and hunting monsters. He has a little band of followers in town and Gene at the camp. Gunnar hasn’t hurt anyone while he’s been here, but I don’t trust my uncle not to try something,” I said as both of them listened.
“You think he’s using a portal?” Ricky asked.
“I’m not sure. I know there is one that was recently discovered in the forest, but I don’t think he’d use it if it meant anyone finding out what he’s doing.”
“We can lead you to the portal, so you know where it is. It is being guarded but nothing like the main one in Elder Ridge,” Ricky said. “We’re still studying it and working on making it more stable. It is highly likely there could be another portal we don’t know about since we’re not sure how they’re formed.”
“That would be great,” I said, and they waited while Gunnar and I packed everything up and made sure our fire was all the way out.
“Are you sure we can trust them?” Gunnar asked me as our backs were to them.
“We have no reason not to. We need to know if he’s been using that portal.” After our bags were packed the four of us walked along the narrow trail that they said led to the newest portal. The forest was alive, and Gunnar stopped along the way to touch the older trees now and then.
“As you can see this portal is not easy to get to. It would be hard for him to go all the way out here without eventually being detected,” Jason said.
“That wouldn’t stop him, and if he is using this portal, we have no clue how long he’s been doing it. He might have a camp nearby and only go to town for supplies,” I said and realized that made sense. “He’s always been a loner. I’m surprised he was able to get anyone to go along with him.”
“There are a few in town that do not approve of the monsters we help integrate into our society. They don’t understand them or fear them, and no matter how much outreach we do they will not be swayed,” Jason said.
“Gunnar is the first monster that I’ve taken the time to really know. Not that I didn’t want to, it’s just that I’m not in town often and we’re isolated out here. But he means no harm to anyone, he just wants to live his life in the forest.”
“With my mate,” Gunnar added making me blush.
“You two are mated?” Ricky asked.
“Yes, but we have been trying to keep it quiet at camp since we weren’t sure if it would cause any problems there, and more because we suspect Gene after the log incident,” I said.
“It’s best to use caution. Trust your instincts,” Ricky said. “The portal is just through there.”
We stepped through an opening in the trees and for a moment I didn’t see anything, then we rounded a corner and there it was. From a distance it appeared as a freestanding door surrounded by thick foliage. A canopy protected it from the elements and made it a little easier to see but it blended in easily with the lush forest.
“Wow,” I said, unable to control my reaction. “This is how you got here?”
“The portal at the facility,” Gunnar said and walked around the entrance. “Is this one unguarded?”
“There is a guard. I’m not sure why he’s not here,” Ricky said and glanced around. The place looked deserted. But it was obvious that someone had been here.
“Excuse me, can I help you?” A man wearing a uniform that I knew was similar with those at the facility walked over to us.
“Isn’t there a guard on duty?” Ricky asked.
“That would be me, but we’ve been short staffed the past month,” the man explained.
“I’m one of the scientists working on this portal,” Ricky told him. “I haven’t been out to check it for a few weeks, but I was assured there would be a guard here at all times.”
“You’d have to check with the facility. I’m here by myself until Wednesday then someone else takes over,” he said.
Ricky, Jason, and the man continued to speak while my mind raced. If the portal was left unguarded, anyone could slip through. Gunnar’s eyes met mine and I knew he was thinking the same thing. Vince could be going into the monster realm and doing horrible things without anyone on this side knowing.
“Would it be okay if we camp nearby tonight?” I asked and the three of them stopped talking long enough to look at me.
“As long as you stay clear of the portal it shouldn’t be a problem,” the guard said.
“This portal should never be left unguarded,” Jason said.
The guard held his hands up in frustration. “Hey, I just work here, take it up with the higher ups. I do what I’m told to do then I go home. I have a camp nearby where I have a clear view of the entrance.”
A look passed between Jason and Ricky as my hand found Gunnar’s. Something wasn’t right, but I didn’t know exactly what it was.