ACT III
The terrain had changed drastically since they'd left Oakland behind.
Steve squinted against the bright sun rays blinding him on their steady travel out east, as the Galaxy worked its way up the winding mountain roads at a steady pace. Grassland and the occasional stand of trees had been their constant companions as they'd jogged their way along 24, then headed due south, then found a crossroad going east to bring them closer to the nature preserve Mike had insisted on checking out.
Unusually quiet, the Lieutenant was staring at an old map in his lap, seemingly oblivious to the changes in scenery, including herds of cattle and sheep that adorned the landscape around them.
"I told the Sheriff in Moraga that we'd be checking in briefly as we pass through town. We can grab a quick bite to eat there, and then head into the forest."
As if he could sense his partner's attention solely focused on him, the Lieutenant never glanced up when he said that. Instead, his blue eyes remained focused on the map, as if to see something beyond the squiggly lines indicating back roads they'd be taking in the not too distant future.
With civilization as he knew it slowly making room for vast prairie land and large mountain ranges, Steve felt an involuntary shudder run down his back. Even though he trusted Mike and his bloodhound instincts with his life, there was something about the sparsely populated area they were about to head into that gave him the chills.
Part of him doubted that their suspect would be there to begin with. The other part worried about the dark clouds looming over the Bay, a foreboding sign that their travel would soon be made a lot more difficult by pouring rain and the occasional thunderstorms.
Steve knew he wasn't exactly dressed for the outdoors. Even the change of clothes he'd brought along only featured another suit and dress shirt, along with some bottled water and two granola bars.
Compared to the ex-island hopper sitting next to him, this college boy from Modesto definitely still lacked some of the more intricate survival skills for the slim chance that their day trip would turn into a bigger adventure than anticipated.
"You've been out this way before?", Mike asked casually, sensing his deep brooding and wanting to make small-talk to offset it.
"No. Never. Haven't had too many opportunities to go camping and such."
"It's very different from the city, that's for sure. Hopefully, if all goes well, we'll be here for a few hours only. I just can't shake the thought that this apothecary guy is hiding more from us than just the car."
Placing the map back on the dash, Mike let his eyes drift over the vast landscape, his jaws clenched tightly.
"You really think we're going to find some sort of gingerbread house with all the evidence we need for a solid indictment somewhere out in the wilderness of Las Trampas?"
His peculiar choice of words made Mike look over, a grin on his face as he shook his head.
"Since when are you worried about a little game of hide and seek, Buddyboy?", the Lieutenant teased and pointed to the large mountain range ahead, "If he wants to play his games in our town, I think it's time we play in his sandbox a little bit too, see what we can find. In the best case, we find evidence that links him directly to Sarah Roberts' murder, worst case, we step right into the middle of a nudist camp. I've had worse Thursdays than that…"
