Page 27 of Little Girls Sleeping
Katie stood for a few more minutes without anything happening.
No noise.
No wild animal slamming through the brush.
Cisco went back to his sniff and search.
She decided to walk the area, on and off the trail, then circle back in the opposite direction until returning to the starting point.
Her first impression was of the clusters of beautiful trees, some dense, while others appeared to grow in circles or perfectly straight lines as a natural barrier. Most were various California pines, including the ponderosa pine trees that proliferated throughout the forest hills, along with a mix of sequoia and oak trees in the lower canyon sections.
She was able to maintain a vigorous pace, keeping a steady eye out for anything that appeared to have been caused by a person rather than nature, such as strange worn pathways, broken or cut branches, or disturbed soil; anything that looked out of place or caught her attention.
She stopped at five different locations. Each time she focused Cisco and had him do a sweeping search. He wasn’t trained specifically for cadavers or gravesites, but he could track anything to do with human scents. In addition, German shepherd dogs invariably alerted on features that appeared out of the ordinary.
He initially made a large circle around the designated area, and then honed his sniffing to each section as Katie moved behind him. Every once in a while she would gesture with her hand for him to keep searching, and he would obey. She looked at every area but nothing required a closer inspection.
After a little over an hour, she began to make her way back to her Jeep. She wanted to see if she could access the upper roads near the trails. The trees were more crowded there, nestled together, but designated spots were open along some of the hills.
Her stomach rumbled and her energy was waning, so she decided it was an appropriate time to take a lunch break to refuel.
Within five minutes, she was back at the car. It was still deserted and eerily quiet around them. She brushed her right hand against her sidearm to make sure that it was still in the correct position and ready to use at any given moment. She didn’t expect anything to happen, but she reminded herself that she was quite a distance away from any place where there were people around, and she wanted to be prepared if something went sideways.
Deciding to drive the Jeep deeper into the forest before lunch, she jumped behind the wheel, Cisco riding shotgun, ready for anything. They continued for about two miles along the uneven road, the Jeep bouncing and rattling though they were barely going above idling speed.
Parts of the road had been washed out, but there were still sections that were barely wide enough for the vehicle. Slowing down to scarcely five miles per hour, the Jeep did its job and inched forward to start climbing at a steep angle.
“Hang on, Cisco,” Katie called.
The dog faced straight ahead, sitting motionless on the seat, even in the bumpiest areas. Katie held her breath and kept a steady pressure on the accelerator.
The road turned to the right, where there was a narrow entrance.
Katie stopped the Jeep and referred to the GPS on her phone, which now wavered in signal strength. She found that the road on the right led to an area she had never noticed before. It looked accessible and an interesting location to search.
She drove the car a little ways up the main road before cutting the engine and jumping out, leaving the driver’s door open so that Cisco could join her.
She retrieved a special bag and had the dog’s undivided attention. First she unfolded a collapsible water bowl and filled it with water. While Cisco lapped up the refreshment, she opened a Ziploc bag and emptied out organic chicken pieces and rice.
A chicken salad sandwich with mayonnaise, tomatoes, and arugula lettuce was her own lunch choice. She carefully peeled away the deli paper and began eating.
“Yum,” she managed to say through a mouthful of food. Hiking and searching had made her ravenous; the cool chicken mixture had just the right amount of seasoning and tasted like the best food in a fancy restaurant.
A loud crash interrupted her enjoyment.
She jumped to attention facing the direction of the noise and instinctively drew her weapon. “Return,” she said quietly to Cisco. Once he was safely back in the Jeep, she shut the door until she was able to establish the source of the noise.
Cisco watched her every move as she inched toward where the sound originated, across the dusty road.
Slowly at first, and then gaining momentum, the sights and sounds of approaching enemy territory flashed through her mind. Her mouth turned dry. The normal sounds around her had a funny tinny noise. Her pulse raced, pounding in her chest. She was catapulted from the present moment into an earlier time with her entire team behind her, relying on her skills.
She stopped in her tracks.
Blinking several times, she managed to regroup into the present moment. It frightened her that she could recall with such clarity everything that had been around her back then.
She re-evaluated her current situation and realized that she was in a non-hostile place. Her perspective changed, and she inched stealthily toward where the sound had originated.
A slight breeze blew through the trees, carrying the unmistakable aroma of pine. It was a scent that could conjure up past memories of camping and hiking. The branches and leaves made a musical harmony rivaling most orchestras.
