“Unless they come back down again when they realize what we’re doing,” Andrea said.
Bonnie got up from the log where she’d been sitting, and crouched behind Bert to look at the new route. “I don’t know,” she said. “That would take us right to the edge of the wilderness area. Look at that road. The trail runs almost over to it.”
“Afraid we’ll get hit by cars?” Andrea asked.
“It’s just a crummy little dirt road,” Bert said. “Not like we’ll be back in civilization.”
“I guess this is better than having to cope with those jerks.”
“Who are probably gonna jump us before long.”
“For godsake, Andrea.”
“She has a point,” Rick said. “It’s all well and good to make plans for tomorrow, but the main thing is getting through tonight.”
“They could be watching us right now,” Andrea said, gazing into the darkness beyond the campfire. “Just waiting for the right moment to make their move.”
“What are we going to do?” Bonnie asked. “We’ve got to turn in sooner or later.”
“We’ll just have to post guards,” Rick said. “Can you two hang in for a couple of hours?”
“Sure,” Bonnie said.
Andrea nodded.
“Stay by the fire and keep watch while Bert and I get some sleep. Then we’ll relieve you, stand watch for a couple of hours, and get you up for another turn.”
“Funzies,” Andrea muttered.
“Whatever you do,” Bert said, “stay together.”
“Right,” Rick agreed. “Nobody should go off alone for any reason.”
“Not even to pee,” Bert said. “If you have to do that, stay close to camp. Better yet, don’t even leave the clearing.”
“And let out a shout if anything starts to happen.”
Rick had considered giving the revolver to them before he and Bert turned in. He decided not to. That way, he would still have the final control over everyone’s safety. Though the tent flaps were down, they weren’t zippered shut and neither was the mosquito netting. He was fully dressed except for shoes. He could be out of the tent, gun in hand, at the first sound of trouble.
He wished he could sleep. Bert had dropped off almost at once. At first, he had been able to hear the hushed voices of the girls. Though their words were masked by distance and the rushing sound of the wind, at least the talking had assured him that everything was okay. During the past half hour or so, however, he hadn’t heard them at all.
He heard the wind. He heard the crackle and pop of the campfire. Sometimes there was a soft crunch like a footstep near the tent, which could have been a pine cone or limb hitting the ground; could have been almost anything—including a footstep.
Mr. Shadow Man?
The girls are fine, he told himself. They just ran out of things to talk about.
They’ll come along pretty soon to wake us up for our turn. Rick pulled his arm out of the sleeping bag and checked his wristwatch. Ten forty-five. Their turn at standing guard wasn’t supposed to start until eleven-thirty. He returned his arm to the warmth of the bag.
Maybe the girls fell asleep, he thought. Sure. Bonnie’s sitting on a log, Andrea on a rock. They might drowse a little, but they aren’t going to conk out.
What if the cougar shows up? Nosing around for a late-night snack ...
Why don’t you just crawl out of your bag and take a quick look?
What if they’re not there?
He pictured them sitting close to the fire while Jase, Luke and Wally crept up behind them. Arms hooked the girls across the throats and jerked them backward off their seats. Choked, unable to shout for help, they were dragged away from the camp. Taken far off into the trees.
They’re right outside the tent, Rick told himself quickly before he could start imagining more. Nothing’s happened. It’s all in your mind.
He slipped the revolver out of the boot near his head and sat up. The fluttering light of the fire was faintly visible through the translucent tent flaps.
He squirmed out of his sleeping bag, picked up his rolled parka, and crawled to the front of the tent. There, he parted the flaps a bit and peered out through the gap.
Bonnie and Andrea were sitting by the fire, Andrea leaning forward to add a stick to the blaze.
I knew it was all in my mind, he thought.
You didn’t know any such thing.
Rick put on his parka. The warmth felt good. He slipped into his jogging shoes and tied their laces. He put the revolver inside his coat and clamped it against his side. Then he crawled out.
Bonnie saw him coming and looked at her watch. “You’re early,” she said.
“Couldn’t sleep, anyway. How’s it going?”
“No problem,” Bonnie said.
Andrea grimaced. “No problem if you don’t count freezing your ass numb.”
“Stick it in the fire,” Rick suggested.
“Then she complains about the rivets in her jeans burning holes in her butt,” Bonnie said, smiling.
“You can’t win,” Andrea said.
“Well, I’ll take over the watch. You two can go ahead and sack out. That should thaw you out,” he told Andrea.
“What about Bert?” she asked.
“I’ll let her sleep for a while.” He sat down on a flat rock, leaned forward, and held his hands out over the fire “No point in both of us suffering.”
“I’m not sure there’s a point to any of this,” Bonnie said. “They haven’t tried anything yet. Maybe we’ve just blown this whole thing out of proportion. You know? I mean, who’s going to look the other way if he’s seen a couple of gals in bikinis. And, when you think about it, that’s really all they did, isn’t it?”
“They didn’t come all the way down the mountain,” Andrea said, “just for a closer look.”
“They claimed they were never up there.”
“They lied.”
“It’s very possible they won’t try anything,” Rick said, trying to sound as reasonable as Bonnie. “But we should be prepared in case they do. All it’ll cost us is a little discomfort. I think that’s preferable to letting our guard down and hoping for the best.”
Andrea nodded her agreement. “I don’t want to wake up and find a strange cock in my—”
“Cut it out,” Bonnie said.
“That’s the first thing I’d do.”
Bonnie shot her a sour look and Rick grinned. “Anyway, I’ll keep watch. So you won’t have to worry about that.”
“Are you just going to let Bert sleep?” Andrea asked.
“Might as well.”
“I’ll stay for a while then.”
“What about your frozen ass?” Bonnie asked.
“I think somebody should stay out with Rick, don’t you? If he’s alone, he can’t cover his back.”
“Whatever you want,” Bonnie said. “I’m turning in. And if you’re asking, I’d advise you to do the same, Andrea.”
“Yeah, sure. See you soon, Bonnie.”
After Bonnie was inside her tent, Andrea got up from her rock. She turned her back to the fire and bent over. Her jeans were tight and faded, their rear pockets frayed. There was a butterfly patch over her left buttock. “Pardon the view,” she said, looking over her shoulder at Rick.
“View’s not bad.”
She rubbed her seat with both hands. Then she stood up straight and turned around. “It’s true about the rivets, you know. They heat up really fast. I’ve probably got little red burn spots on my butt.” She sat down again and pushed her hands into the pockets of her puffy down vest.
“Don’t your arms get cold?” Rick asked. They were covered only by the sleeves of her plaid shirt.