Read Online Unbearable by Tracy Cooper-Posey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tracy Cooper-Posey
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center of the park. Miguel pointed to it. “That’s the Florida Trail. Goes from one end of the state to the other. We’re here.” He pointed to the Juniper Springs Recreational Centre. Then he scored a cross in red pencil, just north of where the main trail did a big kink around something that wasn’t marked on the map. “There. Off the main trail, right among the big cliffs.”
“Sounds promising,” Nyanther said. He looked at Nick. “Still think this is a bear?”
“They do.” Nick nodded to where the trail began. There were placards nailed to trees warning people of bears in the area and suggesting they avoid leaving the trail for any reason and to carry pepper spray and bells with them.
Miguel snorted. “It’s January, man. All the bears are asleep.”
I think even I jumped in surprise. I had forgotten that bears hibernate, too. That made a difference. A big difference.
“It’s a couple of miles to get there,” Miguel added. He looked at Tally. “Maybe someone should stay back here with the little one?”
I kept my mouth shut. On any other day I would have volunteered. I was the default caregiver because Nick and Tally were uniquely talented and the only ones who could do this. Only, I’d promised to help Tally any in way I could to find Valdeg and Lirgon and now I had even more reason to want this whole gargoyle business finished, done and over with. I wanted Nick undistracted and guilt-free. I wanted him back.
Nyanther shifted uneasily. “I suppose….” he began.
“No. No more wasting time,” Tally said sharply. She moved around to the trunk, fitted the key and lifted the lid and hauled out the folding stroller, all while holding Riley on her hip. I don’t know how women do that. I would have had to put her back in the car seat while pulling gear out of the trunk.
“Riley can come with us,” Tally said. “It will make us look more like tourists, anyway.”
* * * * *
The farther north we moved along the well-marked trail, the more isolated we began to feel. Even Miguel grew quiet and he is usually irrepressibly chatty. It wasn’t just that there were so few people around, because we did pass couples and groups. It was the silence in the forest itself.
“No small animals or birds,” Tally observed.
“Winter quiet?” Nick suggested.
“Or a bigger predator is keeping them hunkered down,” Tally replied. She was pushing the stroller. The big wheels moved easily along the trail, which was bare, flat earth with sections of boardwalk planking. Riley was asleep, her thumb corked firmly in her mouth.
The verdant southern forestation was thick overhead, cutting out the sunlight and leaving us in shadows. I was glad to have my coat, even though I had put it back on in order to carry my sword, as had everyone else.
Ahead, through the thick growth, I spotted something white and watched it until I had identified it. There was bright, pure white cliff face just ahead, peeking from among vines and trees.
The trail turned sharply to the right, the cliffs were to the left. A faint trail ran off to the left.
I halted.
Nick turned back instantly. He was hyper-alert.
I pointed to the secondary trail. “And there are cliffs, through there.”
Nick glanced at Tally. It was a silent question.
“Yes,” she agreed and turned the stroller carefully, to avoid waking Riley.
The going was slower on the narrow trail, yet there was still enough of a clear path and room for the stroller and we hurried ahead, not talking.
The trail opened out into a clearing. Ahead was the back slope of the cliffs and the entrance to a cave mouth, which had been framed with concrete and featured concrete steps leading down into the cave itself. There were a dozen or more cross-country bicycles chained to the guardrail running along the footpath, with helmets slung over handlebars.
“People inside,” Nick said, pushing his sword back into his coat. “Lots of them. Slow and stealthy, while we look
“Sounds promising,” Nyanther said. He looked at Nick. “Still think this is a bear?”
“They do.” Nick nodded to where the trail began. There were placards nailed to trees warning people of bears in the area and suggesting they avoid leaving the trail for any reason and to carry pepper spray and bells with them.
Miguel snorted. “It’s January, man. All the bears are asleep.”
I think even I jumped in surprise. I had forgotten that bears hibernate, too. That made a difference. A big difference.
“It’s a couple of miles to get there,” Miguel added. He looked at Tally. “Maybe someone should stay back here with the little one?”
I kept my mouth shut. On any other day I would have volunteered. I was the default caregiver because Nick and Tally were uniquely talented and the only ones who could do this. Only, I’d promised to help Tally any in way I could to find Valdeg and Lirgon and now I had even more reason to want this whole gargoyle business finished, done and over with. I wanted Nick undistracted and guilt-free. I wanted him back.
Nyanther shifted uneasily. “I suppose….” he began.
“No. No more wasting time,” Tally said sharply. She moved around to the trunk, fitted the key and lifted the lid and hauled out the folding stroller, all while holding Riley on her hip. I don’t know how women do that. I would have had to put her back in the car seat while pulling gear out of the trunk.
“Riley can come with us,” Tally said. “It will make us look more like tourists, anyway.”
* * * * *
The farther north we moved along the well-marked trail, the more isolated we began to feel. Even Miguel grew quiet and he is usually irrepressibly chatty. It wasn’t just that there were so few people around, because we did pass couples and groups. It was the silence in the forest itself.
“No small animals or birds,” Tally observed.
“Winter quiet?” Nick suggested.
“Or a bigger predator is keeping them hunkered down,” Tally replied. She was pushing the stroller. The big wheels moved easily along the trail, which was bare, flat earth with sections of boardwalk planking. Riley was asleep, her thumb corked firmly in her mouth.
The verdant southern forestation was thick overhead, cutting out the sunlight and leaving us in shadows. I was glad to have my coat, even though I had put it back on in order to carry my sword, as had everyone else.
Ahead, through the thick growth, I spotted something white and watched it until I had identified it. There was bright, pure white cliff face just ahead, peeking from among vines and trees.
The trail turned sharply to the right, the cliffs were to the left. A faint trail ran off to the left.
I halted.
Nick turned back instantly. He was hyper-alert.
I pointed to the secondary trail. “And there are cliffs, through there.”
Nick glanced at Tally. It was a silent question.
“Yes,” she agreed and turned the stroller carefully, to avoid waking Riley.
The going was slower on the narrow trail, yet there was still enough of a clear path and room for the stroller and we hurried ahead, not talking.
The trail opened out into a clearing. Ahead was the back slope of the cliffs and the entrance to a cave mouth, which had been framed with concrete and featured concrete steps leading down into the cave itself. There were a dozen or more cross-country bicycles chained to the guardrail running along the footpath, with helmets slung over handlebars.
“People inside,” Nick said, pushing his sword back into his coat. “Lots of them. Slow and stealthy, while we look
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