Page 19 of Vanish From Sight (High Peaks Murder, Mystery and Crime Thrillers #2)

As he rounded the final bend of the trail, Noah reached the steel bridge that arched over one of four waterfalls cascading over rock into a deep crevice carved thousands of years earlier. It was one of the Adirondacks’ most breathtaking year-round attractions, drawing in thousands each year.

Tonight, however, it was barren, empty, cold and dark.

“Ray!” he yelled, his eyes scanning the river.

His mind raced with possibilities of what might have happened. Had he gone deep into the forest, seeking solitude to hunt? Was he injured and unable to respond, or worse — fallen into the crevice?

The sound of rushing water echoed through the park, reminding Noah of the dangerous beauty. Taking out a flashlight, he scanned his surroundings, moving along the trail, searching for any signs of life.

That’s when his heart skipped a beat.

There, lying motionless against the rocks further downstream, he spotted a figure. He immediately recognized the brown leather jacket and the white insignia.

Without a second thought, Noah raced toward him, clambering down the rocks as quickly as he could. The water was icy cold and the rocks slick, but he pushed himself on, driven by the sight of his brother lying there.

“Ray!”

When he finally reached the water, he waded in. His toes numbed instantly in his boots. The current pulled at his knees, trying to drag him down. Noah grabbed Ray’s jacket, flipped him over and placed two fingers on his neck.

There was a pulse. It was weak. But he was still alive.

Noah dragged him to dry land, heaving his body up the slippery slope until he could get him to a flat piece of land. There, with trembling hands, he began performing CPR. His chest compressions were quick and forceful as he fought to bring him back from the brink of death.

He had no way of knowing how long he’d been out here, only that he was in a bad state. “I’m not burying another. Don’t you die on me,” he implored.

Tears welled in his eyes.

The crash of water continued behind, a cool mist blew over him, chilling him to the bone. Yet now it was all at the back of his mind as Noah focused solely on the task of saving his brother.

“C’mon!”

For what felt like an eternity, Noah worked tirelessly to revive his brother, his arms aching and his heart breaking with each passing moment. And then, just as he was about to give up, Ray’s chest suddenly rose and fell, and he spewed water.

Relief hit Noah as he moved him into the recovery position and watched life return.

Adrenaline dumped out of his system, leaving him numb and panting from tiredness as he tried to make sense of the situation. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and rose to place a call for emergency service.

“I need an ambulance,” he began.

“Noah, hang up,” Ray cried, waving him off.

Noah glanced back, his face contorting in confusion. “Hold on a second,” he said to the dispatch as he put his hand over the phone. “I’ve got to get you to a hospital.”

“Hang up!” he said, struggling for breath.

“Sir?” the dispatch asked.

Against his better judgment, Noah got back on the phone. “Sorry, um. Cancel that request.” Getting off the phone, he stared at Ray. “How long have you been out here?”

“I don’t know,” he said, out of breath and coughing hard.

Noah removed his jacket and wrapped it around his shivering body. “You need a hospital. Hypothermia is setting in,” he said, helping him to his feet, a task that wasn’t easy. He curled an arm around him and had to use all his strength just to get him up.

“You take me to the hospital; they will put me on a 5150 hold. Then they’ll take away my badge and…” He coughed hard.

“No. You fell in, they’ll…”

“I’m not going. ”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m not going.”

“Give me one reason why not?”

“Because I never fell in,” he croaked out.

Noah glanced at his brother. He didn’t need to explain.

Often those experiencing a mental health crisis could be involuntarily detained for 72 hours while they were evaluated to see if they were a danger to themselves or others.

Shivering hard, Noah carried Ray in a fireman’s lift just to get him back to the Bronco as his legs were too numb and barely functioning.

He dumped him into the passenger side, took a blanket from the back and covered his body while he went and got his IFAK kit out.

It was designed for high-stress emergency situations.

Inside were survival items: a tourniquet, hemostatic gauze, adhesive bandages, trauma shears, chest seals among other things.

He tore out the emergency blanket used to keep patients warm and prevent hypothermia.

It was also known as a space blanket because of its highly reflective plastic and its ability to retain body heat and maintain temperature. Noah wrapped it around his body.

He got in the other side and fired up the engine, blasting the heat to warm his body.

“Ray, just let me take you to the hospital.”

“No. You do that, I’ll do it again. I swear.”

Noah stared at him as heat pumped into the cab. “I can take you home.”

“No, Tanya will return if she’s not already there.”

“Then dad’s or Maddie’s?”

“His place is out of the question. Somewhere else. It can’t be family.”

“Ray. C’mon. People are looking for you.”

“Please. Noah. ”

Ray shivered hard.

Noah shook his head. “Damn you!” he said under his breath. He was sure his brother heard. He wanted to pepper him with questions. He wanted justification for the attempt. To understand why he didn’t reach out. But there was none. He didn’t smell of alcohol. He sure as hell knew Ray wasn’t on drugs.

He understood falling into a dark place, he’d been there many a time himself, but this… Noah shook his head as he reversed and peeled away into the night, taking him to the only person who he knew would say nothing.

The familiar sight of dense forest along with the smell of pine needles and damp earth brought a degree of peace. Tucked away, not far from the clearing that had once held Alicia’s cabin, was the abode nestled near the edge of the lake with the small dock stretching out into the water.

Noah eased his brother out and carried him toward the home.

A small light outside the door illuminated the wraparound porch and two Adirondack chairs.

Noah knocked and after a few moments, the door opened to reveal Ed Baxter.

The old-timer looked surprised, but then scoffed.

His expression changed to concern upon seeing Noah holding his brother.

“Do I look like a damn hospital?” he snapped.

“Sorry, Ed. He didn’t give me much choice,” he replied, unable to hide his own anger.

“I would ask if you’re out of your damn mind but I think we established that months ago.” He moved out of the way. “Bring him in.”

Without saying another word, Ed ushered them deeper into the cabin .

The warmth of a roaring fire and the smell of woodsmoke washed over them.

Ed helped Noah lay his brother on the couch, then he shuffled away to gather a few blankets and towels.

“Get him out of those wet clothes,” Ed said.

Ray’s strength was all but gone. As Noah peeled the layers off, he could see the fear and exhaustion on his brother’s face.

“I’m sorry, brother. I’m really sorry,” Ray repeated.

Behind them the fire crackled, casting a warm glow throughout the room.

Noah stepped back as Ed took over, covering Ray then giving him some water. Ray’s eyes closed; his shivering barely noticeable.

Noah watched from the fireplace, turning back every so often.

“You!” Ed jabbed a finger at him. “Outside. Now,” he said in a demanding tone.

He followed him out the rear sliding doors, then closed them for privacy.

“What the hell is going on, Noah, and when did you return?”

“Two weeks ago.”

“Two weeks? And only now you decide to show up. With another problem, I might add. I’m pretty sure the last time you were around, I ended up with a concussion and several days in a hospital.”

Noah couldn’t hide his amusement.

Ed wagged a finger near his nose. “I’m glad you find it funny. What happened? Did you two idiots decide to go skinny dipping? I mean, you, I could expect it from, but him. He’s with local PD, right?”

He said it in a way to suggest that State investigators were out of their mind .

“Something like that.” Noah let out a sigh and took a seat. “You think you’ve got a drink?”

“You don’t drink.”

“You’re right, but at this rate I probably will again.”

Ed observed him before taking a seat. “So?”

Noah sighed, running hands over his wet pants. “I pulled him out of the river at High Falls Gorge.” He shook his head. “Fuck knows how long he was in there. I was going to take him to the hospital but he refused.”

“Tough shit. You take him. I don’t like the damn place any more than him but I know my limits.”

“I’m with you on that but you don’t know Ray. Hell, you don’t know my family.”

“Actually, I think I’m the only one who can say I do. And so far, I’ve begun to think you are all a little batshit crazy.”

“Being a Sutherland will do that to you.” He gave a pained smile before staring out across the lake toward the three islands. “They’ll detain him on a 5150. He could lose his career.”

“By the looks of him, he was ready to ditch it anyway. I gather he didn’t slip?”

“No,” he said again. “That’s what makes this difficult.”

“For you or for me?”

Noah took a seat in a wicker chair, feeling chilled to the bone. “Ed. Look. I appreciate this. I just need a place for him to get warm, somewhere he can put his head down for a day or two until we can work this out.”

“And what happens if you don’t? What happens if he decides to go take another dip in the lake, outside my house? What then?”

“He won’t.”

Ed grumbled. “You know, most people when they haven’t seen someone for a long time, they usually show up with a gift, a six-pack of Buds, a bottle of wine. You show up with a drowned rat.”

“I will make it up to you.”

“I look forward to that,” he said, eyeballing him.

Noah gazed across at the property where Alicia’s cabin had burned down.

The charred remains had been cleared away, nothing remained except the foundation.

Ed followed his eyes. “Oh yeah. That. What a damn mess. I’ve been waiting on Alicia to tell me when they’re going to rebuild or if she plans to sell the land. ”

“She is. To me. At least, she’s looking into it.”

“To you?”

“Yeah, that a problem?”

“Ugh. Why me, Lord, why me?” he asked, looking toward the dark sky.

“You don’t want me as a neighbor?”

“I want you as a neighbor as much as I want another dose of hemorrhoids.”

Noah chuckled as he rose and took out his phone. He stepped away to make a call to Tanya. “And it’s good to see you again, my old friend.”

“So what now?” Ed asked.

Noah brought the phone to his ear, waiting for Tanya to pick up. “Damage control.”