“I’m out at the lake this weekend,” Amy said. “Could we do lunch on Tuesday? I’ve got something I need to talk over with you.”
“You can come over now for tea.”
“Let’s talk over lunch on Tuesday.”
“Your call,” Molly said. “But before I forget, I had a curious conversation with Ginny Cunningham yesterday.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know her.”
“She’s one of the Boy Scout moms. Her Randy is about the same age as Michael. He’s at the Park for the big Camporee this weekend, too. I tried to call Dieter to tell him what she’d told me, but couldn’t get an answer.”
“Not sure where he is this weekend,” Amy replied. “He wasn’t very open about what he was up to. You heard something I should know about?”
“Ginny told me she was surprised that Michael was going on the backcountry trip. She had a hard time talking her Randy out of it. She felt they’re just too young. And with all that’s going on with the wolves—”
“Don’t worry. Dieter didn’t let Michael go.”
“But Michael told Randy that he got his dad to sign for permission. He was actually bragging about it.”
Mr. Little Bear had insisted on tagging along with Amy to the campground, but she was determined to handle it alone. She had filled him in on the episode with old man Loudermilk and told him to stay at home, be on the lookout. He promised her that if the bastard put a foot on their property, he’d deal with him. She should cross that concern off her list.
When Amy arrived at the Indian Creek campground, the likes of a three-ring circus greeted her. Boy Scouts were scattered around, running, shouting, playing games. She found a scout leader with badges pinned all over his uniform like Christmas ornaments and assumed he might be in charge. After introducing herself, she said she was looking for Michael Harmon.
“Yes, ma’am, we were hoping his dad would be here today.”
“He had an unexpected emergency.” The words were the first thing to pop into her head.
“That’s really too bad. We are short a couple of adults.”
“He’s a busy man. Can you please help me find Michael?”
“I believe he’s on the list for the overnight hike. They’ve already started on the trail.”
“That’s not possible. His dad didn’t give him permission.”
The scout leader sorted through the papers on his clipboard while Amy searched the gaggle of boys.
“I’m sorry, Miss Bear, I—”
“That’s, Little Bear.”
“Pardon me, Miss Little Bear, while I go inside. I’m sure the list is there.” He ducked into a large tent that looked to serve as a makeshift headquarters. Amy twisted her head about to find anyone near the size of Michael. Most of the boys were much taller. When she remembered that Michael didn’t have a uniform, that ruled out every kid she saw.
The troop leader emerged from the tent. “Well, what do you know! Michael Harmon is right here.” He held the list out for Amy to inspect, pointing to Michael’s name.
“I can assure you; that’s a mistake. Michael Harmon did not have permission to go on any—” She stopped herself as a group of Scouts gathered around. With her hands on her hips, she looked up and took a deep breath.
“We plan these activities well in advance, Miss Little Bear.”
She shot back a squinted stare. “Oh, I’m quite confident you do!” She flipped back her hair with both hands and lowered her head. “I’m sorry. Just a little taken aback at the moment.”
“Please, Miss. We wouldn’t have him on the list if we didn’t have a parent signature.”
“But… he didn’t even have a sleeping bag… or a tent.”
“Not a problem. He didn’t need either. They’ll camp tonight in a patrol cabin on the other side of the pass. There’s a large cleared area for the older Scouts to pitch a tent or sleep under the stars. The Tenderfoots will be bunked in the cabin.”
“Okay, okay. I understand. But let me make myself clear. I need to find Michael Harmon.”
“I wish you’d registered with us, Miss Little Bear,” he said with a firmer voice.
“Registered?”
“As an adult leader.”
“Good. I’ll do that now.”
He drew in his chin. “Not really. You see—”
“Perhaps gender is an issue?”
“Oh, heavens, no!”
“You did say you were short on adults this weekend.”
“Of course, but—”
“And here I am, ready and able to help. Eager to get started, in fact.” For the first time, she smiled.
He quickly explained that wasn’t the way things were done in Scouting. She didn’t apply and wasn’t cleared by the district as an adult leader. There was paperwork… and an interview.
“May I have a word with you alone?” Amy asked.
They moved to the shelter of a tree and she spoke more softly. “I believe there’s a lone wolf roaming the Park. It attacked and killed a hiker yesterday. It’s somewhere between here and the border near Colter.”
The troop leader glared at her as if she had just walked out of an asylum. “Miss Little Bear, we know about the Grizzly incident on the Fawn Pass trail.”
“Who told you it was a Grizzly?”
“Our regional scoutmaster was briefed first thing this morning.”
“Briefed? By who?”
“The Park’s chief ranger.”
“Chief Corey?”
“You know him?”
“He didn’t have you cancel the hike?”
“You don’t need to get upset, Miss Little Bear. He told us to take normal precautions. He’s making flyovers throughout the weekend for our protection.”
“But this is the largest wilderness area in the lower forty-eight!” She lowered her voice. “How the… how do you think they’ll protect you? I can’t believe you didn’t cancel the hike.”
“If it wasn’t safe, why would Yellowstone’s chief ranger give us the go-ahead?”
Seething inside, she tried to look calm. “Do you have a map?”
The troop leader shuffled back into his canvas headquarters while she paced outside it. After a minute, he stuck his head through the tent opening and invited her in to see a trail map spread out on a folding table. They explored it together, beginning with the Bighorn Pass trail out of the campground. The first few miles followed Panther Creek, then it broke through the Bighorn Pass between the Three Rivers and Bannock Peak. From the Bighorn Pass, the trail turned northward to follow the Gallatin River.
Amy traced along with her index finger and paused. A few miles beyond the pass, a spur of the Big Horn connected with the Fawn Pass, the very trail where the attack on the hikers was reported. It linked directly with the trail Michael and the other Scouts were hiking. She leaned with both hands on the table and shook her head back and forth as she stared at the map.
He asked if she were okay. She lifted her head and thought for a moment before speaking. “How long have they been gone on their hike?”
He looked at his watch and pursed his lips. “A couple of hours. But I hope you don’t plan to catch up with them. They’re at least four miles ahead of you by now.”
She lifted the tent flap and looked back at him. “I’ve always liked giving guys a head start.”
FORTY-FIVE
“The weather should blow through today,” Bantz Montgomery said. “Probably best we put off the search till tomorrow.”
“Remember Mother Superior’s orders,” Corey replied.
“But if the weather’s not cooperating, Jack?”
“McFarland said we begin today.”
The problem was Montgomery’s latest observation at Gardiner: high winds and overcast skies with a ceiling of twenty-five hundred feet. Visibility, three and a half miles and dwindling.