he didn’t see.
“This guy Noah …” the ranger went on, then he trailed off. “Listen,” he said finally. “There are a lot of guys out there who’ll take advantage of you. Tell you a scary story to make you vulnerable.”
“It wasn’t like that!” she yelled. “He didn’t make this up, I saw it!”
“Are you sure?” he said, gesturing at her head and leaning over the counter with a condescending look. “That is quite a nasty blow.”
Madeline grew more and more frustrated. Forced herself to take a deep breath. Normally, rangers were so helpful, but this guy was pure aggravation. “Look. Regardless of whether or not you believe I was attacked by some thing , there is a guy named Noah out there, and he’s in danger.” She paused, her eyes falling to the registration book on the desk. “Please,” she asked, trying to hold back the anger she felt at that moment. “Could you just look in the book and at least see when Noah’s supposed to get back? Maybe he’s already overdue.”
The ranger remained still for a few moments, then shrugged. “If it’ll make you feel better,” he said.
“It will.”
“Okay.” He slid the book over toward himself. Scanned the first page of people who’d signed up for backcountry passes. Flipped backward. Scanned that page. Then the one before, and the one before, and the one before that. Then he went back over them again, and flipped even farther back. “I’m at three weeks ago now. No one named Noah has taken out a pass.”
She raised her eyebrows. “You’re sure?”
“No one. I can read, you know.”
She ignored the rude comment. “Could he have gone without one?”
“Well, that’s always possible. It’s illegal, you know, but there’s not someone standing guard at the trailhead or anything, if that’s what you mean.”
“I know,” she said, sighing. “Then I guess he didn’t get one.”
“Or he lied about his name.” He eyed her intently. “He might have lied to you, you know.”
She couldn’t believe this guy. “What kind of ranger are you, anyway? Don’t you even care?”
“Of course I care!” he responded, his tone softening. “I care that you might have gotten mixed up with the wrong sort of company.” He gestured at the book. “There’s no Noah in here, so I can only assume he lied about his name to one of us or just didn’t get the pass at all. Either way, it’s pretty shady.”
Madeline fell silent. Was this guy right? Had Noah deceived her? Certainly not about the creature—that had been real enough. But had he really given her a false name? Why would he do that?
Their meeting had been so brief it was hard to be certain. But she did believe that Noah had tried to protect her.
No, she thought. Why would he lie? It didn’t make sense.
“Look. I don’t know what to tell you. I think this guy wasn’t on the up-and-up,” the ranger went on.
A sudden thump resounded from down a corridor that lay beyond the small bookshelves. They both turned in that direction but saw nothing unusual. Another thump followed shortly afterward. It was dull and heavy, echoing down the corridor. Madeline started violently. She didn’t see anything there.
“Huh,” said the ranger, wrinkling his brow. “That doesn’t sound good. I better go check it out. Sounds like the generator is acting up again.”
Hurriedly he moved around the end of the counter and filed past her, heading in the direction of the noise. Madeline waited for a few moments, then looked down at the backcountry reservation book. Maybe the ranger had overlooked Noah’s name.
Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the ranger halfway down the corridor, still headed away from her. Quickly she spun the book around to face her.
The instant she touched it, she saw blood.
Instinctively she pulled her hand away. She had seen nothing else specific. Just a pool of blood on a brown cement floor. Forcing herself to touch the book again, Madeline flipped back and forth until
“This guy Noah …” the ranger went on, then he trailed off. “Listen,” he said finally. “There are a lot of guys out there who’ll take advantage of you. Tell you a scary story to make you vulnerable.”
“It wasn’t like that!” she yelled. “He didn’t make this up, I saw it!”
“Are you sure?” he said, gesturing at her head and leaning over the counter with a condescending look. “That is quite a nasty blow.”
Madeline grew more and more frustrated. Forced herself to take a deep breath. Normally, rangers were so helpful, but this guy was pure aggravation. “Look. Regardless of whether or not you believe I was attacked by some thing , there is a guy named Noah out there, and he’s in danger.” She paused, her eyes falling to the registration book on the desk. “Please,” she asked, trying to hold back the anger she felt at that moment. “Could you just look in the book and at least see when Noah’s supposed to get back? Maybe he’s already overdue.”
The ranger remained still for a few moments, then shrugged. “If it’ll make you feel better,” he said.
“It will.”
“Okay.” He slid the book over toward himself. Scanned the first page of people who’d signed up for backcountry passes. Flipped backward. Scanned that page. Then the one before, and the one before, and the one before that. Then he went back over them again, and flipped even farther back. “I’m at three weeks ago now. No one named Noah has taken out a pass.”
She raised her eyebrows. “You’re sure?”
“No one. I can read, you know.”
She ignored the rude comment. “Could he have gone without one?”
“Well, that’s always possible. It’s illegal, you know, but there’s not someone standing guard at the trailhead or anything, if that’s what you mean.”
“I know,” she said, sighing. “Then I guess he didn’t get one.”
“Or he lied about his name.” He eyed her intently. “He might have lied to you, you know.”
She couldn’t believe this guy. “What kind of ranger are you, anyway? Don’t you even care?”
“Of course I care!” he responded, his tone softening. “I care that you might have gotten mixed up with the wrong sort of company.” He gestured at the book. “There’s no Noah in here, so I can only assume he lied about his name to one of us or just didn’t get the pass at all. Either way, it’s pretty shady.”
Madeline fell silent. Was this guy right? Had Noah deceived her? Certainly not about the creature—that had been real enough. But had he really given her a false name? Why would he do that?
Their meeting had been so brief it was hard to be certain. But she did believe that Noah had tried to protect her.
No, she thought. Why would he lie? It didn’t make sense.
“Look. I don’t know what to tell you. I think this guy wasn’t on the up-and-up,” the ranger went on.
A sudden thump resounded from down a corridor that lay beyond the small bookshelves. They both turned in that direction but saw nothing unusual. Another thump followed shortly afterward. It was dull and heavy, echoing down the corridor. Madeline started violently. She didn’t see anything there.
“Huh,” said the ranger, wrinkling his brow. “That doesn’t sound good. I better go check it out. Sounds like the generator is acting up again.”
Hurriedly he moved around the end of the counter and filed past her, heading in the direction of the noise. Madeline waited for a few moments, then looked down at the backcountry reservation book. Maybe the ranger had overlooked Noah’s name.
Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the ranger halfway down the corridor, still headed away from her. Quickly she spun the book around to face her.
The instant she touched it, she saw blood.
Instinctively she pulled her hand away. She had seen nothing else specific. Just a pool of blood on a brown cement floor. Forcing herself to touch the book again, Madeline flipped back and forth until
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