Page 2 of Ranger Belief
Where were the campers?
“Park Ranger. Anyone here?” Her gaze swept over the chairs and fire pit, noting the package of graham crackers and chocolate. A half-cooked marshmallow on a prong rested in the dirt as if it'd been dropped. Drinks sat in cup holders in each of the chairs.
Maybe they'd gone for a late-night swim? The lake was beautiful this time of night, and young couples did spontaneousthings. But even as the thought crossed her mind, unease tightened in her chest. The marshmallow in the dirt. The drinks sitting there. Something felt... off.
Strange. She drew closer, her light sweeping over the campsite. The tent was big enough for two people and had a portable fan run by a generator. Two trash bags hung from a nearby tree, and a drinks cooler secured by a bungee cord rested on the picnic table. Other than the food discarded on the ground, the area was pristine. Judging from the tent setup and the care taken in handling the food and trash, the campers were experienced.
Laney bent and turned off the speaker. “Hello! Park Ranger!”
Technically she was acting superintendent, but most civilians wouldn't know what that meant. Park ranger was universal.
Hair rose on the back of her neck as the sensation of being watched crept over her. She turned, her light cutting across the still waters of the lake and nearby bushes. Her heart thundered against her rib cage.
Nothing stirred. Still, the unease that plagued her from the moment she entered the campsite didn't abate. Her hand dropped to the holstered weapon at her hip, but she didn't draw it. “My name is Park Ranger Torres. Show yourself.”
Silence followed. Laney drew in a breath. The humid air was thick, like soup, and scented with the heady smell of pine. Uncertainty warred with training. She'd always been thorough—some called it perfectionism—and her military training reinforced the importance of assessing threats carefully. But right now, she couldn't tell if her unease was justified or if she was being overly cautious.
Lord, help me know the difference between fear and wisdom,she prayed silently, the familiar words bringing a measure of calm to her racing heart.
But she could rely on the facts. The campers weren't responding. They could be injured or in trouble. Either way, she needed to find them.
She turned and stepped closer to the tent.
That's when she smelled it.
The coppery scent of blood.
Her heart skipped a beat even as her fingers undid the button securing her weapon in its holster. She rounded the side of the tent, her flashlight beam illuminating the horrific sight in front of her. A young man lay face down on the ground. Dark blotches stained his T-shirt. Stabbed? Shot? She couldn't tell. His eyes were open and unseeing. She’d seen enough death to know. He was gone.
Where was the other camper? Laney vaguely remembered seeing him with a young woman when they checked in at the main lodge this morning. She yanked her weapon from its holster and swept her flashlight beam over the woods behind the tent.
A twig snapped. She whirled toward the sound, but a dark shadow exploded from the undergrowth, tackling her before she could react. She cried out as her gun was flung from her hand, landing in the dirt beyond her reach. Pain exploded through her body as she collided with the hard ground, the breath driven from her lungs as her attacker's weight slammed down on top of her. She struck him with the flashlight. He howled in rage.
A fist connected with her temple, sending stars dancing across her vision. Before she could recover, strong hands encircled her throat. They were slick—gloves, maybe—and the scent of aftershave cut through the pine and blood. Something familiar about it tugged at her memory, but panic scattered the thought.
Her pulse hammered. The man straddled her, his weight trapping her arms against her sides. He was a dark blotchagainst the night. She tried to use her legs in a defensive move to wrap around his torso and throw him, but the angle was all wrong and his grip was too strong.
The pressure on her throat tightened. Darkness crept in at the edges of her vision. Panic took hold. She wriggled in a desperate attempt to get one hand free. Her lungs burned. She was seconds from losing consciousness when she felt the hard plastic of her SUV's key fob digging into her hip.
Scout! The dog was trained in search and rescue, but she'd also been trained to defend her handler. With blackness threatening to take over completely, her fingers fumbled desperately with the fob. Just as her vision began to tunnel, she found the button that would automatically open the rear door of the SUV, releasing Scout from her crate.
The sound of barking erupted through the night, fierce and protective.
It was the last thing she heard before the darkness claimed her.
TWO
Something felt…off.
Jonah Foster checked his phone again. An hour had passed since his last text to Laney, and she still hadn't responded. That wasn’t like her, especially when her shift was winding down. He’d taken photos of the celebration and sent them to her, along with one of him looking miserable. They were designed to get a snarky reaction, but she hadn't replied.
He leaned back in the booth. Ingrained habit had him scanning the room. Half-eaten cake slices littered the sticky table. Country music blared from the speakers set up near the bar, and couples whirled on the dance floor. In another ten minutes, he could leave without being rude. Part of him felt guilty for bailing on Ryan and Catherine's party early. He liked them, but the honky-tonk scene wasn't for him. The drinking, the loud music, and the crowds gave him social anxiety.
He’d only come to the event in the first place because Laney talked him into it. They hadn’t seen each other in weeks, a byproduct of hectic schedules. He’d just closed a weeks-long investigation into a mall shooting, and she’d been pulling extra shifts. Summer was high season at the state park, and withLaney becoming the acting superintendent, her workload had doubled.
Jonah missed her.
Denise, Ryan’s younger sister, weaved through the crowd to the table. Her cheeks were flushed from dancing, and her eyes bright with happiness. The pretty blonde had been flirting with Jonah for most of the evening, and he braced himself to make polite conversation.
