Page 38 of Trail to Trouble
The bells on the glass door clinked, and an officer stepped through. His salt and pepper hair and lines around his eyes indicated he was older than the chief, who looked to be in his early thirties. He stepped up to the counter, joining their conversation.
“Where did this happen?” Chief asked.
“Lover’s Leap Falls. We were on top of the falls. They shot Alyssa, then Hunter. He grabbed me and we jumped over the falls. He shielded me from the shooter, and he got banged up as we went over the falls and landed in the water. Bianca stayed at the campsite. She didn’t want to hike today.”
“Where’s Hunter?”
Her mind spun. “I don’t know exactly. Near the pool of the falls. He’s unconscious now. I hid him in a hole of an uprooted tree and ran here for help.”
The chief looked at the other officer. “Get Hunter’s Uncle Lee in here. We’re going to need his help to find Hunter and the other woman.”
So, they knew Hunter and his uncle.
The bells on the glass door clinked again, and a firefighter carrying a red medical bag walked through. He was a small man who looked to be about the police chief’s age. Short dark hair with a few gray strands that matched those in his mustache.
“Matt,” the chief said.
“Jack. What do we have here?”
“I’m guessing she’s got a pretty nasty gash under that bandage,” the chief replied.
Matt pulled up a waiting area chair and motioned for her to sit. His brown irises emitted warmth and concern.
“Go ahead and sit. We’ll keep talking and get your friends some help,” the chief said calmly.
She slipped out of her backpack and sat, and the firefighter undid her blood-soaked bandage with gentle hands.
“Yeah, that’s going to need some stitches for sure. I’ll put a new bandage on, but she’ll need to get to the hospital pretty quickly.”
She didn’t have time for the hospital. They needed to find Bianca and Hunter.
“Dammit,” Dewey said, drawing all gazes to him.
“What?” Chief asked.
“Lee’s out of town. In Illinois for his friend’s son’s wedding. Seven hours away. He’s leaving now.”
“What about Hunter’s sister and brother? Other than Lee and Hunter, they know these woods the best.”
“I asked Lee that. They’re both home in Door County, Wisconsin. That’s only three hours away. But they may already be on their way up here. They’re filling in while Lee and Heidi are gone.”
“Call them. Let them know what’s going on. We need them. Also, have Lee reach out to the other guides in the field to see if they’re okay. Without alarming them.”
“Okay.”
Chief turned his attention back to her. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
Hannah blew her nose and swiped her moist cheeks with a tissue.
“Me, Alyssa, and Bianca are on the last night of our three-night trip. Hunter is our guide. Bianca stayed at the campsite today because she didn’t want to hike. Me, Alyssa, and Hunter hiked to the top of Lover’s Leap Falls. Alyssa was taking pictures. A shot sounded and Alyssa fell forward...” She paused to choke down the golf ball-sized lump in her throat that cut off her words.
“It’s okay. Just take a breath,” the chief advised.
She nodded. “Hunter threw himself in front of me and was hit in the shoulder. Then he wrapped around me and launched us over the falls. He hit his head on a rock, busted up his ribs and who knows what else. He was able to walk for a while, but it was just too much. He insisted I come here for help without him because he’d slow me down too much. After pointing me in the right direction, he passed out. I wasn’t sure what to do. I just couldn’t leave him for the shooter to find, so I dragged him over to a hole in the ground caused by a fallen clump of trees, shoved him into it, and covered him up with my survival blanket. Then, I covered him with some dirt and branches and ran here for help. Please. You have to find him,” she pleaded.
“Do you have any idea who the shooter is and why he’s after you, your friends, or Hunter?”
“No.”
