Murder in the Forest, Chapter 29

In the dark, Peter and Ashley ate, and then sat up under a blanket and watched stars with the binoculars that he'd brought. They swapped off with using his Zeiss Victory model 10X56B/GA and a Docter 15X60. Both were rubber armored to lessen the possibility of damage in wilderness or military use. The larger glass was hard to hold really steady, and Seaver had to brace it on a tree limb to see stars sharply. Although it revealed detail in far stars and the Orion nebula, the smaller 10X56 was better for seeing larger amounts of sky. It was also very effective at finding what showed of the crescent Moon. The Moon being small, the dark sky was astounding and he had to explain to her how to find constellations under such a myriad of stars as was here, in this dark place far from city lights. Seaver had forgotten what it was like to view the Milky Way from a remote location, and the sight was breathtaking for a city dweller. Even the more compact 8X32BA Leica gathered enough light to show surprising details in the heavens. Finally, Peter had brought along a brand new Zeiss 8X42, their newest, most expensive model. He wanted to try it out under dark skies and see how he liked it in the wilderness. It offered amazingly bright, sharp, images, although all of his binoculars were exceptional items, from the best makers of such instruments. He was an admitted "optics nut" and spent more than he really should to buy top quality. But these binoculars were wonderful for hunting, birdwatching, and police surveillance as well as for astronomy and general nature observation.

In time, they adjourned to the car, where he explained that a terrible cry in the night was from a loon, not from a tortured soul or a grim beast. "Probably headed south for the winter," he explained. "Loons and other waterfowl pass though here and their call is rather eerie if you don't recognize it, what? But pretend this is a scary film and the call frightened you. You'd snuggle next to me and beg to be held, right? Feel free to do that now. I gather that is the main reason why men like to take dates to horror films. It seems a reasonable return to the fellow for what movie tickets cost, at least if the girl is pretty enough."

Seaver laughed. "And am I pretty enough to take to a scary movie, Peter?"

He held her face gently, looked into her eyes, and kissed them. "Oh, yes, Ashley. I think you're pretty enough to take anywhere. But out here, where I so love the woods and the feel of nature generally, you seem a special delight."

There were other sounds, including owls that she recognized. But one scream nearly unnerved her. "What the devil was that?"

"Cougar," said Blacklaws, and he checked to see that the windows were closed nearly to the top and loaded his Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum, even more potent than his .357. "I hope it doesn't come here and make a nuisance of itself. Those cats do sometimes attack people and have to be treated with caution. I need to load the .44 anyway, though, against the possibility of Bigfoot or the bear finding us. A rifle is too awkward to manipulate in the SUV, if one does try to break in. And I sure don't want to be in a car or a closed room if we fire a rifle shot. The concussion would probably deafen us, at least temporarily, maybe forever. If it walks out in front, I'll turn on the lights and that may scare it away. A bear may smash a window, and Bigfoot could throw a rock through the windshield or use a branch to break it. But hopefully, these things won't happen. If they do, the game department be hanged. I'm going to shoot, bear license or not! With a killer bear on the loose here, I don't think the warden will make an issue of it if we shoot a bear under what looks like clearly defensive conditions. But a broken window would confirm to the snittiest warden that we were at risk. As for Bigfoot, they aren't listed game animals, so if we seemed at risk, I don't see us being charged with anything, even if it proves to be a primitive human or close relation. After all, we can kill a human in self defense, eh? And if we do have to shoot a Bigfoot, it'll save Chris's career if he says they exist and some conservative scientists claim they can't. We'd have positive proof. And I can write magazine articles, maybe a book, about how we killed the first Bigfoot ever verified. The downside is, if he breaks a window, the night would be a mite chilly. So, there are tradeoffs. Little in life is wholly without a downside."

Seaver chuckled softly. "Peter, I think you're teasing me a little. If you're just trying to scare me into your arms, I'm already there. But, seriously? Could that happen? Do you really think the animals, either, might try to get at us in the car?"

"Hell, yes! The cougar, maybe not. But it might jump on the hood and dent it or try to swipe a paw at us if the window was down. Keep those up. It won't get hot. The night will just get colder, and we may need a second blanket. But don't lower the window for anything unless you tell me first and we're alert in case of any attack. In June of 2015, a Yank lady tourist was at a lion park in Johannesburg and lowered a window, despite warning signs. She leaned out and tried to film the cats. One got her and it was all over for her. The lion must not have realized that she was an animal hugger and was a special effects editor for a TV show, and was therefore exempt from the laws of Nature. Not! Wildlife is often not as depicted on warm, fuzzy nature programming designed to appeal to the naïve. I love Nature and animals, but I know them for what they are, and I don't take bloody foolish chances. If I watch a lion or a bear, I do it through a binocular at a reasonable distance, and I have a gun in case things go awry. I shot my first lion at 15, and I've only gained more respect for them since. One day, they'll run from a shadow. The next, they may lay still, bored stiff. The third day, you may be charged, and if that happens, you're about six seconds from eternity if the lion comes from within 100 yards. They're fast, and a single bite in the thorax may be all it takes to do you in. Even the impact of a 450 pound lion slamming into you may break bones. And the claws…Heard enough? The bears here and a cougar, mountain lion, or puma, all the same cat, is less large, but they'll make a thorough mess of a person in short order. Most people attacked don't even know the cat is there until it's on them.

"The moral of this for tonight is, leave the damn windows up. Even if they try to get in, the noise may wake us in time to shoot. I'd rather risk a punctured eardrum from the noise of a gunshot indoors than be torn apart by a bear that wants to consume me. And if one smells food in the car, they may indeed become aggressive. The closed windows also prevent them from sniffing any food we have. By the way, we don't see many grizzlies here, but it's possible. They're even more dangerous than black bears. But to the surprise of many, most predatory bear attacks come from black bears. I think that's partly because there are a lot more of them, south of Alaska.

"Tired? We need to decide how to sleep. I can lower this back seat and make a bed. We can both sleep back here. Suit you?"

"Sure, but what if I need to tinkle later? "

"In that event, wake me. We'll go together and I'll wait just out of sight as you manage. We'll take lights and guns and hope. Probably, nothing will happen. But look for snakes, too. Remember that rattler that we saw earlier? It's still warm enough for snakes to be out, even at night."

"Okay," she agreed. "Let's open the seat and snuggle. I am tired. I don't suppose you brought eggs for breakfast? I'm not looking forward to having sardines or canned tuna then. "

"I did indeed bring eggs, in the cooler chest. And we have whole wheat bread. And Spam. When entertaining beautiful ladies, a Blacklaws man thinks of everything."

Seaver laughed and hugged him. "Keep that up, and the lady may entertain you right back. How soon do you think the road crews will get here and open that landslide?"

"The better part of morning until noon, I think. But we'd better have our clothes on again by ten, if you mean what I think you do. I'll set an alarm on my phone for seven. And we need to call our bosses and be sure they don't plan to somehow rescue us before we finish being really affectionate. I don't want that chap Reid or that feisty Morgan to trek over the rocks and surprise us, trying to save you from my evil designs. That could prove embarrassing, maybe even detrimental to our careers."

Seaver nuzzled his ear. "Maybe sex first, and then cook breakfast? The sun will be up by then, too, so we can see bears and snakes better."

"What an intelligent suggestion for a woman, and a blonde, at that! Ashley, I think you may be a real gem. Look, have you got any vacation time coming? I could do with a house guest, if so."

"Let me think about that. I may take you up on the offer, if Hotch agrees. But I'd need a way back to Seattle when I have to leave."

"Absolutely not to worry. I can drive you. Just tell Hotchner that you have a unique opportunity to remain with me and study trout flies and other fascinating things. I'm sure he'll understand. And I have some vacation time coming, too."

"We'll see, "she promised. "A lot may depend on how long it takes to solve these murders and save those girls."

And on that note, they opened the seats and made their bed. They had no idea as yet what they would see later that morning. But it would prove to be a singular event for both.