Hiking Trip

I don't own these characters. I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.

AN: It's been a while since I've written anything longer than a one shot for this fandom so it's entirely possible that I may have missed something or made a mistake somewhere. If I did, please ignore it. Harsh criticism of said lapses will not be necessary. Also, I know this will be out of canon, so no need to tell me about that either. This is placed somewhere around season 2.

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Lee knelt under a tall spreading oak tree in the Shenandoah Mountains and tried to catch his breath. He was in excellent physical shape and prided himself on taking the best care of himself possible. But this was something else entirely. This wasn't a leisurely hike or job in the country. This was a hunt for some very bad, self-proclaimed mountain men.

If it weren't for the fact that these 'mountain men' had set themselves up as kings on federal property and were robbing people and sometimes worse, from anyone they came upon, Lee wouldn't have cared much at all about them. To his way of thinking, the mountains of Virginia as well as mountains in any other state, belonged to the American people. Anyone who was tough enough to live there and strong to thrive, deserved applause, not jail time.

But these people were something else entirely. His intel indicated that the 'Mountain Men of Virginia" as they had been dubbed by the locals, were actually little more than a gang of cutthroats who had moved into the mountains and preyed on anyone they encountered. So far, they had held three different families at gunpoint and taken everything the people had before releasing them. They had broken into cars had been parked too far into the mountains to be near security. And they kidnapped one lone woman hiker and held her for several days, raping and beating her. She survived and managed to make it out and to a ranger station, but just barely.

When Billy first briefed Lee on these men, Lee wondered aloud why they released their victims, knowing they could identify them.

"Because," Jake answered. "They are not afraid of anything or anyone. The leader, one…" Jake picked up a folder from his desk and checked his information, "Deacon Rainey, was born close to the base of those mountains. He knows every acre of them, or there about. He joined the Marines right out of high school and had reached the rank of Sergeant before being kicked out for beating up a man who 'looked at him wrong."

"Is that all?" Lee had questioned. "I mean, wasn't he prosecuted for that?"

"He was arrested." Francine answered as she consulted her notes. "But when it came time to go to trial, the man he was accused of beating backed out of testifying. Said he really couldn't remember what happened. They didn't have any other witnesses or valid proof so they had to let him go. He tried to get back into the Marines but they had a whole dossier on him of wrong doing and used it to keep him out."

"So, how'd he go from there to being the leader of a band of thugs in the mountains?" Lee asked.

"When he was kicked out of the military, he went home to his folks. We don't really have a lot of information on him for a few years after that, except scarce employment records with a local trucking company and an occasional scrape with the law." Francine answered, looking at the file in front of her.

Billy picked up the narrative. "But about three years ago, local authorities started getting reports of a couple of men harassing and sometimes even threatening hikers in and around the Shenandoah Mountains. A few months later, the reports came in that there were three men and then four and so on. The latest report shows he has about 10 men with him."

"And we're sure it's the same gang and that this Rainey character is leading them?" Lee wanted to be sure.

"That's about the only thing we are sure of." Francine put it. "That and the fact they usually target hikers who appear to have money. You know, expensive gear and clothing. It's possible that they have someone watching the parking areas and are targeting people driving expensive cars."

"So, what exactly are I supposed to do?" Lee finally got down to the question he most wanted answered. "I mean, I know it's federal land but sending out one man against 11 well-armed men…"

"I don't want you to go against them." Billy shook his head at him. "I just want you to go up there, pretend to be a hiker and see what you can find out."

"Well, what about the locals?" Lee frowned. "They're more likely to know that area better than anyone and the people as well."

"The local authorities have done their best but they are known up there. The people that live in that area are scared half to death of Rainey and his men and clam up when they see anyone that even remotely resembles the law. That and the fact that it IS federal land, is why we were called in."

Lee shook his head and looked around him again. What Billy hadn't told him and what Lee found out when he got there, was that there was one more reason why he was out there and not some other federal agency. No other federal agency wanted to tackle it. Two agents from the FBI did initially go up but were chased out of there in short order, promising never to return. Lee didn't know if Billy just kept that piece of information to himself or truly didn't know but it didn't matter now.

"You about ready to go on?"

Lee looked up at Sherriff's deputy Cliff Rand. He was Lee's point of contact for the area. He'd agreed to bring Lee up into the area where Rainey and his men were suspected of being and showing him around. Tall, with dark brown hair and chiseled features, piercing blue eyes and well-trimmed mustache, he looked more like the Marlboro man than a local yokel.

"Yeah," Lee got to his feet. "The terrain around here is steeper than I expected."

"Yeah and it doesn't get any easier from here." Rand agreed. "But somewhere up here is where Rainey and his men are so this is where we have to be."

"Well, I do at any rate." Lee looked at him speculatively. "It is my job to be up here but you were only told to bring me up, show me around and leave."

"Yes and I am." Rand agreed. "I have to check in with the Sherriff in a little bit. I just wanted to show you a high spot that you can get up on to have a better look around."

"Well, I appreciate it," Lee shook his head. "But I've got a good enough sense of the surroundings now. Besides, it's a hike back to where you parked. I wouldn't want you to be late checking in."

Rand studied Lee for a moment, before finally nodding. "Well, alright, guess you're right." Rand nodded. "But you take care up here, okay? These boys ain't nothing to be messing with. I would suggest you get out of here before too long yourself, if you don't find what you're looking for before then. You just call me on that radio and I'll come back for you."

"I will." Lee nodded. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"Well, then, I'll take my leave." Rand put a hand shaking, Lee's firmly. "You take care. I'll see ya later."

Taking a deep breath, Lee nodded and watched as Rand turned and headed back to where he'd parked. Looking for the best way to go, Lee had taken just two steps before coming to another halt and turning his head to the left, listening intently.

"Okay, fellas." A cheery female voice could be heard. "Let's all take a break here. Phillip, don't call your brother worm brain."

Lee swallowed hard and the blood instantly drained from his face. "Amanda?!"

TBC