The Beast of Rocky Mountain Falls (closed for AmbrosiaCaress & I)

[Malvolio]

“Run!”

“RUN!”

“FASTER DAMMIT! IT’S GAINING ON YOU!”

Tara continued to scream at herself mentally. She was running for her life and running faster than she’d ever run in her 22 years of life. But the Beast – whatever it was – was gaining on her!

She’d come out here in the woods this night to meet someone she’d thought a friend and thought she could trust. If only she’d known how wrong she was!

She knew that the deeper into the woods she plunged, the less likely her chances of surviving. Her car… the road… hope… was behind her in the opposite direction. Ahead lay only the darkness of the wild, lit only by the glow of the full moon above. But the Beast was behind her… between her and hope. In order to double back, she needed to put distance between herself and it… if that was possible!

The Beast had been right on her heels just moments ago. She’d expected to feel the heat of its breath on her neck and the slashing of its claws across her back any second. But it never came. Suddenly, unexpectedly… she was alone. With that realization, she’d lost her focus on where she was running, her foot caught a rock and she went tumbling forward, face first.

She laid on the ground motionless for a few seconds, again expecting the Beast to be on top of her. But once again… nothing. She scrambled to her feet, looking about wildly in every direction. Where was it? Where had it gone? Had it left? Gotten distracted?

No, she realized. It couldn’t have. It was intelligent. Too intelligent. It was part human. Or it had been before it had changed… transformed before her.

The memory of the transformation caused her to shudder. It had been so terrible, so violent and seemingly painful, yet… as the Beast emerged, the human side seemed to revel in it, as if enjoying it. She had stood there on the side of the road, frozen in terror by the sight of the changing Beast before her. Only when its face had elongated into a wolf-like muzzle did she regain her senses enough to begin running.

But where had it gone?

Unless…

It was playing with her. Hunting her. Stalking her. For fun.

Suddenly a howl rang around from someplace nearby. She couldn’t quite make out what direction though. It almost seemed to be coming from every direction. Howl wasn’t quite the way to describe the noise. It was almost a roar and a scream at the same time. Wolves would howl to communicate and mark territory. This sound was, it seemed, meant to invoke fear.

“RUN!”

Once again it flashed through her mind and Tara began to run back toward the road. It couldn’t be more the 60 or 70 yards. Half a football field. Just like track back in high school. If she could make it to the road, to her car, the keys were still in it…

Again, Tara expected every second to be her last. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been running… when she saw the headlights of her car just ahead. Her heart leapt with excitement. She was almost there! Almost safe!

She burst past the tree line and onto the paved road. Her driver’s side door was still wide open, just as she’d left it. The console lights were visible now!

Tara practically dove into the driver’s seat and slammed the door shut behind her. She threw the stick in drive… and suddenly realized the engine wasn’t running!

“What? But, I left it…”

She reached for the ignition where the keys were to restart the car, but…

GONE!

They were GONE!

“HOW???”

And then, she remembered once again… “it’s intelligent”.

A sound to her left caught her attention. It was low, quiet, almost undetectable over her gasps for breath after her sprint through the woods and the incessant thudding of her heart in her chest.

She slowly turned her head and realized what the sound was.

Growling.

It was standing there… looming over her door, staring down at her with a malevolent glow in its yellow eyes. Its black lips curled back to reveal a mouth full of sharp incisors.

The door opened. The Beast, which walked on two feet and towered over six and a half feet tall, actually opened the car door from the handle.

Tara screamed. The Beast roared in triumph.

Seconds later, Tara Marie Carson was dead.

--------

OOC: So begins our tale.

This werewolf story is set in the odd little town of Rocky Mountain Falls, Colorado. Population: 4,000. Tara Carson, a local beauty queen and Miss Colorado runner-up, is but the first victim. There will be more blood.

However, Sheriff Sam “Eagle Eye” Earp will attempt to get to the bottom of this mystery. Not realizing what he’s dealing with at first, Sam will believe he has a psychopath on his hands. He will learn otherwise soon enough. Too soon.

When the morning sun rises, 35 year old Sam Earp, together with his trusty 2 year old bloodhound Bo, will be eagerly anticipating the arrival of a new deputy in town. Sam has been sheriff for just over 6 months now, having inherited the role from the previous sheriff, old Earl Doughtry after Earl retired and moved up to his ranch in Montana with his wife, leaving his former deputy as the new sheriff.

Sam was born and raised in Rocky Mountain Falls. His father was the sheriff while Sam grew up and Earl was his deputy. When his father retired, Earl became the sheriff and Sam, fresh out of the Army, applied for and became deputy.

At 5’11” with sandy brown hair that is always in need of a haircut, Sam is popular among the townsfolk. Descended from the legendary lawman Wyatt Earp, Sam had been an Eagle Scout, the captain of the high school football team and led the team to the State semi-finals his senior year, thereby ensuring his own legendary status in this small logging town where high school sports are considered a major entertainment outlet. Humble with an easy going nature, Sam is tolerant of the townspeople's quarks and proclivities.

After a 6 month search for a new deputy, Sam finally has one arriving from the big city today. Not that it matters… crime is virtually non-existent in Rocky Mountain Falls. The worst offenses are hunting accidents, bar fights and teenagers pulling pranks around Halloween, which is hardly enough to keep Sam busy. Nevertheless, he finds ways to keep himself occupied by looking after everyone and helping out those in need, no matter how great or small. His beloved wife Wendy passed away just over two years ago and he has coped through work. Old Earl even got him a new friend, Bo, a few months after the funeral. Most days now Bo rides shotgun in Sam’s cruiser, like a true partner, albeit one with floppy ears, cheeks droopier than Old Earl’s and a coat of brown fur.

Little does Sam know that his life will change forever this day...

 

[AmbrosiaCaress]

Lauren

Karyn Mary Kerrick
That was the name etched into the gravestone. Karyn Mary Kerrick. 18 years old. A cheerleader at her high school, planning to go to the prom, dating Ron, some football kid for the team she cheered for. She should be standing at the sidelines of the football game, watching Karyn cheer, smiling when she drops her pom pom.... that's where she should be... NOT standing at her graveside, on a gloomy, dark morning.

"I'm sorry Karyn, but I have to go"

Lauren Elizabeth Kerrick.... No, wait, Detective Lauren Elizabeth Kerrick.

It had taken some people, no, wait again, some MEN, many years to reach the grade of Detective. And in fact, despite this being the 21st century, despite equal rights, despite any of the rhetoric spewed by whichever politician was currently in the limelight, being a Detective, a Homicide Detective in Los Angeles was still a Man's world, ruled by... well... MEN.

Lauren had her sex going against her. But that wasn't all. Perhaps she would have been accepted if she had been the grizzled, old maid cop who had managed to get that promotion based on the fact she had been in the department so damned long.

Lauren had that going against her as well.

She was far from old. She was very far from a grizzled old maid.

Lauren was the ripe old age of 24. And she was knock out gorgeous, even if she didn't think it herself. With crystal blue eyes and a mane of spiraling dark hair, her skin was flawless, supple, soft.

http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a360/AmbrosiaCaress/lauren.jpg

Detective Lauren Elizabeth Kerrick, daughter of Captain Edmund David Kerrick, killed in the line of duty when Lauren was 16 years old. It was then, standing at her Father's grave, cheeks wet from her tears, eyes red from crying, head hurting from wondering why?? It was then she decided she would be a cop. And she attacked that goal with a vengence.

It was her calling.

She had earned her gold shield. She had earned her Homicide Detective badge. She was cunning, smart, fast, and had brought in more killers in the span of a year and a half then any of the seasoned old "men" had. She had figured out and trapped, the serial killer known as Guts&Glory, who had a nasty habit of kidnapping, torturing, and then gutting his prey. Most had been streetwalkers. But a victim was a victim to Lauren. Guts&Glory, also known as Robert Colton, insane, given life in prison. Took him all of 6 months to escape. He had one target, Lauren. He hunted down and killed everyone important to her. Her mother and father were already gone, but he searched out and found, her grandfather, her aunt.... and her younger sister.

Karyn, found dead, raped and gutted.

If Lauren had been one of the "boys" she may have had the support she so desperately needed. A pat on the back, a shoulder to lean on, a ear to listen. But despite what was happening, the men still shunned her. This was her own fault, many of them said. She deserved what she got. She was a young upstart in a man's world. A MAN was teaching her a lesson.

Guts&Glory was caught again, but for Lauren it was too late.

To save her sanity, to save herself, she had to get out.

The Deputy position in the little podunk town called Rocky Mountain Falls, was what she thought she needed. Any of the larger forces in the country were sure to have the same "old boys" network, the same carbon copy detectives.

At 24, Lauren felt so alone, that leaving to take a job in Rocky Mountain Falls seemed to be her only option. So she answered the search, submitted her qualifications, and spoke to the Mayor, a woman. It had been that small fact that had sealed the deal for Lauren.

"I'm so sorry Karyn" she laid the yellow rose down on the grave. It had begun to finally grow over, the grass peeking up thru the dirt.

"I .... have.... to... go"

Checking her watch, her flight was scheduled to leave in 3 hours, a short hop to Denver, where she would pick up her rental car and head out to Rocky Mountain Falls. It was 7:30 now, she figured she would be there by 5.... in time to settle in to her new place. The Mayor had been nice enough to point her in the right direction for a small apartment, fully furnished. That's all she would need. She had everything else she owned packed in her 2 bags in the car, another rental. She sold hers after getting the new job. She'd pick one up once she got settled there... she had always wanted a pickup truck anyways.

"Bye my sweet Karyn, I love you"

Her life was about to change, and Lauren hoped it would be for the better.

 

[Malvolio]

Monday morning in Rocky Mountain Falls

Sam had just arrived and unlocked the door to the sheriff station. Bo, his faithful sidekick, bounded into the office, eagerly sniffing around as was his morning ritual. Sam smiled to himself. "Ah, Bo... nothing's changed since Saturday."

"Nothing ever seems to change in this town," he sighed.

But... today would be different. The new deputy would be reporting to work. They'd spoken over the phone a few times, but hadn't met face to face yet. Lauren Kerrick had flown up to Rocky Mt Falls to meet the mayor and city council, but Sam had gotten called away to Denver at the last moment to be the Best Man in the wedding of his flighty cousin Webber.

Sam shuffled through the papers on his desk, finding her personnel file. He refreshed his memory with the details of her resume and accomplishments. "Why the hell do you wanna come all the way out here," he said aloud to nobody. He looked at the LAPD photo of her again, neatly dressed in her police blues. Her features were soft, but there was a steely look of determination behind those sparkling blue eyes. She was young, for certain, but Mayor Williams and Councilman Lewellyn were absolutely convinced she was the right person for the job.

Well, that and she'd been the only applicant. Except for Willy Huber, who wasn't fit to lead a hunting party into a bar in search of beer.

Sheriff Earp sat back in his chair and yawned. Bo had plopped himself down in his usual place beside the desk and was busily chewing on a rawhide bone. Sam stretched, closed up the dossier and picked up the morning paper.

"Well, almost nothing new..."

 

[AmbrosiaCaress]

The flight had been non-eventful. The renting of the car and drive to her new home, Podunk, as she had begun to call it, was uneventful as well, save for the fact that it was absolutely gorgeous. Mountains, trees, she has seen a hawk overhead and the brief flash of a deer darting into the woods. The sun had sparkled off a nearby river that paralelled the road for a bit.

This was truely God's county. And He had done a damned good job, she thought to herself.

She had gotten to Podunk just before 5, just as she had predicted. She was to meet the Mayor, a couple of the local yokel higher ups, and her new "Boss" the Sheriff. She was a bit nervous about meeting him. If he turned out to be some redneck "good ole boy" she was going to turn right around and head back to LA, altho the Mayor had assured her, he was far from that.

But the Sheriff had been a no show.

"He got called away to a family wedding"

What, a shot-gun wedding, her bemused mind wondered. Oh well, she would meet him soon enough. Monday morning. At least this way she could get herself settled.

Lauren spent the weekend at her new apartment. She hit the local grocery store, got some fresh sheets and blankets for the bed, got herself a new, warm, bathrobe.... "gonna be cold up here at night" she had thought. She needed the time to unwind, to think, to find herself. She spent the better part of Saturday and most of Sunday writing in her journal, and enjoying the fact she had a fireplace in this apartment.

I think I'm going to like it here....... she wrote, under the heading of .... Life is changing... for the better.


<To Be continued........ >

 

[Malvolio]

Sam's quiet reading was interrupted by the ringing of his desk phone.

"Sheriff Earp speaking."

"Sheriff, this is Barry Carson. My daughter, Tara, didn't come home last night. She took her car to meet somebody a little before dusk and didn't come home. My wife left to open our clinic a little bit ago and I have to leave shortly myself, but I got a little worried. Have you seen or heard anything from her?"

"No, no I haven't, Barry," Sam said with genuine concern in his voice. "Maybe she had a drink and stayed, uh, with a girlfriend? Maybe Cassie or..."

"Yeah, I know. Let's be straight on this. She usually calls when she's gonna stay out. And she wasn't dating anybody and it's not her style to sleep with a guy on the first date. She's 21 and an adult, but she didn't like to worry us. I called Cassie and a few of her other friends and nobody's seen her. They were at Wild Billy's last night and said she never came in."

Dr. Barry Carson sighed deeply.

"Look, it's... it's probably nothing. She'll... she'll probably turn up any minute now, but I... I just wondered if..." his voice trailed off.

"Barry, I promise you if I see or hear anything I'll call you and Amanda right away. You have my word. I'm just waiting on the new deputy to arrive for work and then her, Bo and I will go looking for Tara."

Barry breathed another sigh into the phone, his voice beginning to crack with emotion.

"Th-thank you, Sam. I 'preciate it. I really do."

"No problem. And Barry... it'll be ok. She's a smart girl."

After hanging up, Sam ducked into one of the back rooms and pulled a high school year book off the shelf. Old Earl Doughtry had started keeping copies of each year from RMF High School after a pair of kids had gone missing 15 years ago. "It's always best to know who's who" he'd said.

Not that Sam needed a picture. Tara Carson, Miss Colorado runner-up 2007 was one of the most famous and beloved people in town. She was the all-American girl next door and just about everybody had something nice to say about her. She'd worked in her parents' veterinarian clinic, been Editor of the Yearbook, Captain of the cheerleading squad, and a straight-A student. She'd won a scholarship to U of C and studied veterinarian medicine with a goal of joining her parents' clinic. In college, she'd done some modeling and, after having he face flashed on national TV at a football game, been approached by a talent scout and gotten involved in beauty pagents. During the summer, she'd come back to Rocky Mt Falls and had continued working with her parents. It was late August now and she was due to head back to U of C for her Senior year in another week or so.

Sam photocopied the picture from the year book and enlarged it. Scribbling some notes on a notepad, he placed the pad and photo in the corner of his desk.

 

[AmbrosiaCaress]

She was up long before the small alarm clock next to her bed began to chime.

"It's too quiet here" she said to herself. Much tooo quiet, her mind confirmed. Hopefully this kind of quiet was something she could get used to.

Sipping her tea, she stood by the glass doors that opened out onto the deck. This sure was a hell of an apartment ... and cheap. Anything this cheap in the city would have gotten her nothing more than a hole in the wall, if that. This place was gorgeous. One side of a house, the other side occupied by the owner, and elderly man, reminded her of her grandfather in a way. 1 good sized bedroom, a nice bathroom, a great kitchen and the living room with the fireplace. Sliders onto a deck, the woods just beyond and the shadow of a mountain not more than a mile away.

Just gorgeous!

As the sun began to awaken, the golden light peeking over the tops of the trees, Lauren put the now empty mug of tea down. She had showered, and was dressed. She didn't have a uniform yet, so she wore her black slacks and red turtleneck. A black jacket completed the look, along with her boots. She had her long dark mane pulled back in a pony-tail. It was easier to deal with that way. She had learned to NOT give the enemy, the criminal, anything to grab onto should the need arise, and hair, long hair, was much too tempting.

Sitting down at the small, round, kitchen table, Lauren wrote in her journal...

It's so peaceful here... so quiet.... as if the world outside has never ventured in this far, or tainted this land. I am hoping that the people, the job, have the same calming influences that I so desperately need...

She paused... letting a smile creep along her lips....

Maybe I'll get a cat... a kitten.......

She had purposely avoided the news, or newspaper. Lauren did not want any TV or Reporter's coverage to taint anything that she would need to know. And what could be happening here anyways, in Podunk... a high school kid busted for smoking pot? Lauren would welcome that, after dealing the Guts&Glory!!!

By the time the sun was full up in the sky, Lauren was on her way. It was just before 8am when she pulled into the parking lot outside the small building in the center of town that served as the Police Department. She had to stifle a laugh. The cell block at her own precinct was larger than this, and this was the whole department.

Taking a deep breath, she climbed out and headed in.


She was silent on her feet, that was something very unique about Lauren, and she must have been standing in the doorway to his office for a good 10-12 minutes before he looked up. He was intently staring at a photo, propped up on the corner of his desk. Lauren could see a bit of it, looked like a high school cheerleader. Did she get busted for smoking pot? Or was it his daughter?

But.... the look on his face, and in his eyes, told Lauren it was much more serious than that....

"Hi, I'm Lauren..... Lauren Kerrick, your new Deputy..." she stepped forward, hand out.

 

[Malvolio]

Sam looked up, his wandering mind summoned back to the here and now rather than the what if scenarios it was contemplating.

"Oh! Hey there! Welcome. I'm Sam Earp. Good to finally meet you."

Sam rose from behind his desk and made his way around to shake Lauren's hand. Her grip was firm, but not overly so. "Confidence," he thought admiringly. "At least she's not overcompensating."

Sam gave her a friendly smile. She was beautiful, better looking than her photo had let on. "But she's your new partner," he reminded himself and focused his mind on the business at hand.

"AAARRROOOOWWW!"

Bo came bounding out from his place on the other side of the desk to greet the new arrival, curiously sniffing Lauren up and down.

"Bo! Down boy! Down!" Sam pulled Bo back and pushed him off to the side. "Oh yeah, and that's Bo. Hope you don't mind dogs. He's harmless really, but he's a good tracker."

"Hope the trip in was smooth. Sorry I couldn't meet up with you last Friday. My flighty cousin decided to get married and needed a groomsman. C'mon, I'll show you around the station. Not much to see really."

Sam showed Lauren around the station, showed her to her desk, gave her a service revolver and the uniform they'd ordered for her and outlined recent crimes and incidents... a break-in at the town's trailer park, a drunken and disorderly conduct at Wild Billy's (the town pub), a cat that went missing and was found mauled, apparently by a mountain lion, and a citation for the Barnaby Brothers for spray painting on the back of Mr Weathermere's autobody shop.

"Yeah, they were pretty dumb about the whole thing... they'd changed out of their clothes and washed their hands, but had gotten a little bit of red spray paint on their shoes. More discerning was the cat. Old Mrs Suthers loved that thing, although it was darn near mean to everyone. She let it roam outside and the neighborhood kids knew not to try to pet it, lest it take a swipe at them. Doc James practically made a cottage industry out of stitching up kids that got to close to it. Well, whatever got ahold of the cat really did a number on it."

"There's also a little matter of a missing persons report."

Sam lifted the picture of Tara Carson from his desk and passed it to Lauren.

"Tara Carson. Local beauty queen. Home on break from college. Her Dad and Mom run the local veterinarian clinic. He just called and reported she didn't come home last night, which is unlike her. Said she wasn't with her friends either. She's a good kid, clean cut, stays out of trouble. I promised him I'd take a look around. It's probably nothing, but..."

His voice trailed off, the concern evident on his face.

"Look, I told you about the other crimes that happen in this town. Nothing ever happens here. This is just a little unusual."

Sam sighed deeply.

"Why don't you change into your gear and we can go for a ride? I'll show you around town, give you a feel for the beat? We can look around for Miss Carson, get a bite to eat and get to know one another better. Figure we might as well, since we're gonna be working together now."

Sam was trying to be upbeat and welcoming, despite his concerns for Tara's wellbeing.

"Oh, and I'm sorry there's not a locker room the way there is in most big precincts. You can, uh, us the restroom or close the door to the filing room."

After Lauren had changed her clothes and they headed for the door, Bo came bounding out from behind the counter again, his tail wagging eagerly.

"Oh yeah... Bo likes to go too. We'll make him sit in the back though."

"Hope you like dogs," he muttered hopefully under his breath.

Sam put Bo in the back of the police SUV and he and Lauren climbed into the front. As they pulled out of the station lot, Sam finally asked Lauren about herself.

"So... do you mind if I ask what brought you out here from LA? Your resume doesn't indicate any history in Colorado and your record is... well, pretty damn impressive. I'm wondering why the heck you'd wanna have anything to do with our little Podunk mountain town."

 

[AmbrosiaCaress]

"AAARRROOOOWWW!"

The dog's boisterous welcome outweighed, and outvoiced the Sheriff's by a mile. But she already knew his name, and had to fight the sudden urge to call Him Wyatt.... Wyatt Earp... Podunk USA... It just .... fit....

The large dog, definitely a hound from the looks and sound of him, decided to give Lauren the once over, twice over, triple-times over, sniffing away along her legs, tail wildy wagging.

"Bo! Down boy! Down!" Sam pulled Bo back and pushed him off to the side. "Oh yeah, and that's Bo. Hope you don't mind dogs. He's harmless really, but he's a good tracker."

"Bo!!" she smiled. "I love dogs!!" Lauren got down on Bo's level, reaching over to rake her nails gently behind the dog's floppy ears, trailing down beneath his jaw. If dog's could smile, Bo would have been, his eyes nearly rolled up in his head. "he is gorgeous" lauren said appreciatively. Truth was, she had always wanted a big, ole, dog... a friend... someone who would love and support her no matter what....

"Hope the trip in was smooth. Sorry I couldn't meet up with you last Friday. My flighty cousin decided to get married and needed a groomsman. C'mon, I'll show you around the station. Not much to see really."

Lauren spent the next hour, talking about her non-eventful trip, about Sam's flightly cousin, and her first weekend in town. She purposely left out exactly where she was living now. Trust did not come easy for Lauren. She had told no one that in her last job, a couple of the cops, drunk after a long shift, had shown up at her front door, thinking they were going to "get some"... Obviously it was some sort of dare. It had almost ended badly, very badly, for Lauren, but the men were a bit too drunk to be any more than a nuisance. Tho they had "almost" gotten in.

The talk slowly shifted from her trip and the tour of the station to the more serious matter of crime here in Podunk.

Crime? In Podunk?? Surely you jest, she thought to herself. Again, what, if anything, bad could happen here?

"There's also a little matter of a missing persons report."

That perked Lauren's ears.

"Tara Carson. Local beauty queen. Home on break from college. Her Dad and Mom run the local veterinarian clinic. He just called and reported she didn't come home last night, which is unlike her. Said she wasn't with her friends either. She's a good kid, clean cut, stays out of trouble. I promised him I'd take a look around. It's probably nothing, but..."His is voice trailed off, the concern evident on his face.

Lauren was pretty good at reading people and this was no exception. Something was just not right about this missing person. Not right at all.

"A run-away?" she casually asked.

Sam sighed deeply

That told Lauren that Sam did not believe for a moment that the wanna-be beauty queen had run off to greener pastures.

"Why don't you change into your gear and we can go for a ride? I'll show you around town, give you a feel for the beat? We can look around for Miss Carson, get a bite to eat and get to know one another better. Figure we might as well, since we're gonna be working together now."

Lauren did just that, not put off by lack of a locker room. She was modest, but not prissy. Mattered not to her where she changed. Hell surely, Sam had seen His share of bra's and panties in his time and hers were nothing special. Black bra, black panties... how exciting!!

After checking the service revolver, making sure it was loaded and the safety was on, they headed out. Bo bounding along just ahead of them. The Dog was not stupid, he knew his routine.

"Oh yeah... Bo likes to go too. We'll make him sit in the back though."
"Hope you like dogs," he muttered hopefully under his breath.

"Of course Bo should go." Lauren said, smiling as the dog climbed into the bag, drooling a bit on the seats. As they pulled away, she absentmindedly began petting him again on that large head of his, while Sam pulled out of the parking lot.

"So... do you mind if I ask what brought you out here from LA? Your resume doesn't indicate any history in Colorado and your record is... well, pretty damn impressive. I'm wondering why the heck you'd wanna have anything to do with our little Podunk mountain town."

Lauren visably stiffened, even if she tried to hide it. She knew that question would come. There was no way around it. Secrets were not something that one should keep from one's partner.

Taking a deep breath, her eyes focused on the spectacular landscape going by outside.

"To make a long story short, I collared a serial killer. He escaped. Killed again. Even tho he was captured again, I decided I needed a change, for my own safety and sanity. The Captain agree'd. He didn't want the murder of a cop on his record, and he was afraid, if that particular killer escaped again, I would be next. So..... here I am..."

The truth, with some very important facts left out. If Sam read the news, he would know who the killer was. He may even know the details of what happened, but Lauren hoped not. She did not want to relive that little peice of her life again, if she could help it.

She shivered, the trembling racing down her spine.

"Your little Podunk here was just what I .... needed. And, given you have a missing person, seems we both needed this. You needed an expierenced Deputy and here I am, needing the relative quiet."

She was not being snide about her comment. If they had not wanted an expierenced cop, they would not have gone looking in the big cities for one. And, she was not about to explain the shit she had waded thru as part of a big city department, or the harassment.

"Let's chat about our missing girl, Tara. Now, you are sure she did not just take a hike out of town, greener pastures.... ?? And if you are, why? Why do you think this is NOT a girl just looking for something better, perhaps in the city?"

Lauren wanted to know what He thought, felt... What His instincts were telling Him. She didn't know Tara, or her family, so she needed to get a feel for the girl from Sam.

 

[Malvolio]

Sam was more than a little stunned by Lauren's brazeness. She stepped into her new office and began changing clothes mid-conversation, not even shutting the door. Realizing what she was doing, Sam turned his back, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. In reality, he didn't want to make himself uncomfortable and the situation akward. Sam smiled to himself. From the little glimpse he'd gotten, he could tell she had a nice body.

"Sam, you perv," he thought to himself, a small grin in the corner of his mouth.

As they climbed into the SUV and pulled out of the lot, Sam noticed Lauren scratching Bo's head and behind his ears. She's made a friend for life now, he chuckled to himself, happy that she liked his best friend.

"You keep that up, he's gonna leave me for you, ya know," Sam joked before asking Lauren about herself.

"To make a long story short, I collared a serial killer. He escaped. Killed again. Even tho he was captured again, I decided I needed a change, for my own safety and sanity. The Captain agree'd. He didn't want the murder of a cop on his record, and he was afraid, if that particular killer escaped again, I would be next. So..... here I am..."

Sam listened carefully, committing the remarks to memory. Something was off. She was leaving details out. Why would she worry about him escaping again? Who had he killed? Why would she just up and leave her family and friends behind? Sam toyed with whether to ask more.

"Your little Podunk here was just what I .... needed. And, given you have a missing person, seems we both needed this. You needed an expierenced Deputy and here I am, needing the relative quiet."

Ok, Sam thought. Leave her with her privacy. He wouldn't pry, although he made a note to look at her file one more time. Why would she worry about him escaping again and coming after her if he hadn't the last...

Suddenly it hit Sam. The killer had escaped once and killed and she worried about him coming after her. He must have already tried once and...

Sam understood then. My God, he thought to himself, what have you been though?

As if he could sense the sadness in the cab, Bo let out a soft, low whine.

"Let's chat about our missing girl, Tara. Now, you are sure she did not just take a hike out of town, greener pastures.... ?? And if you are, why? Why do you think this is NOT a girl just looking for something better, perhaps in the city?"

As Lauren changed the topic, Sam was happy to comply.

"Yeah. Ahem. Tara. Well, for starters, she's scheduled to go back to U of C to finish her senior year in another week or two. Worked at her parents' clinic all summer. Not dating anybody that her folks know of. If she wanted to skip out, I suspect she would have done it sooner. But, you're right... we just don't know the facts yet. I wanna ask around town, talk with some of her friends, find out if anybody saw her last night or if she said anything to anybody.

"I figured we could start with Cassie Walker. Cassie and Tara have been friends since they were little. Cassie lives with her family a couple blocks from here."

As the SUV wound its way through the main thoroughfare of Rocky Mountain Falls toward the Walker residence, Sam pointed out a couple of local landmarks for Lauren.

"That's Tom's Diner over there. Best coffee this side of the rockies. None of that Starbucks stuff... which ain't bad... but this is really good stuff. Trick is the mountain spring water they mix it with. It's also the social epicenter of the town in the daylight hours and a good place to sniff around. We'll check there after we talk with Cassie. And I could go for a bite to eat too."

Sam mixed some details about himself into the conversation, explaining how his father had been Sheriff while he was growing up, eventually retiring and handing it over to his longtime deputy, Earl Doughtry. When Sam had come home from the Army, he'd become Earl's deputy and had always liked small town life.

"That's the local grocery store over there. Ben and Celia Treymore run it. Nice folks. Their son, Ben Junior, is a bit of the black sheep... stays out drinking at Wild Billy's a lot, gets into fights. He hangs out with the Barnaby Brothers a lot. I'd say the three of them were the closest thing we have to local troublemakers.

"Across the way there is the post office. It's run by Dolores Kimble. She's the town gossip and has her nose so far up everybody's skirts..." Sam rolled his eyes.

"That's Ted Welch's hardware store over there. He and his son Alan and daughter Melissa run it. His wife Ethel is... er, not well." Sam tapped the side of his head. "Claims to... well, you know that movie with the kid that see's dead people? Well, she kinda went a little off her rocker a few years ago. Car accident, as best we could tell, and she musta hit her head and then got out, and wandered a few hundred yards. Claims she can see and talk to spirits now. She kinda wanders around town now. Seems ok, most of the time, but can get a little creepy every once in awhile. Ted tries to keep her close to home, but she insists on getting out, so what can he do?

"Roy Van Tassler's taxidermy shop is over there. Roy just moved back to Rocky Mountain Falls a few months ago after a stint in the army. Ok guy, but a little intimidating. Big guy... really big guy. He was actually my center back in high school on the football team. He just ain't been the same since he came back. Not as friendly, a little more distant. He was in Iraq and saw some pretty screwed up stuff, I heard. He doesn't talk about it though, but his mom told somebody and word gets around...

Sam stopped at a red light. A thin, greasy looking man wearing dusty black leather pants and a dirty black and white shirt was crossing the street in front of them, clearly doing his best not to look at the car and risk making eye contact with the sheriff. The man appeared to be in his mid to late 30s, had about a week's worth of black facial hair that grew in patches and walked with a slight limp.

Sam's hands tightened around the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white, and his lips pressed tightly together, forming a grimace. From the backseat, Bo emitted a low growl.

"And that's Dave Cambio, the town drug dealer. SOB keeps a low profile, but he's a real sleeze bucket. Always has been, always will be."

The light turned green and Sam slowly pressed the gas. Dave had reached the far sidewalk as the SUV moved forward and had his back turned as the vehicle passed. Sam's eyes were glued on Dave as they passed, his hands still tightly gripping the wheel. They were almost past when Dave suddenly extended his right arm to the side and, without turning around, raised the middle finger in the direction of the sheriff's automobile.

Bo snarled from the back seat, his muzzle pressed up against the window.

"Bo!" Sam yelled, his voice clearly full of anger and emotion.

The vehicle continued on in silence, turning right a few blocks later into a residential neighborhood set a few blocks back.

"Sorry. There's history there. Dave and I haven't gotten along for a long time. It's personal. I try to keep that part out of my job, but knowing he's dealing meth to the local kids gives me a professional reason to hate his guts too. Problem is I can never catch him in the act or with it on his person. He's really really good at what he does."

After a few more turns, Sam eventually pulled into the driveway of a small, well kept two story home. An aging Toyota Camry with a "Pfish" bumper sticker was parked in the driveway.

Sam and Lauren disembarked, stepped up to the front door of the house and knocked.

 

[AmbrosiaCaress]

Lauren listened quietly, with a well placed nod or Mmmm-Hmmm here and there. The man was a wealth of information. He knew the people and the places of this little Podunk town, that was obvious. But then again, He had grown up here, that was to be expected.

But, Lauren had grown up just outside LA, in Torrance California. That was her home "town" and she did not know near as much as Sam did about where she grew up. But then again, Sam grew up here. How much was there to know? Torrance was huge compared to this place.

A thought came to Lauren... He knew alot about Rocky Mountain Falls, yes, but there were things that He didn't know. Like, what happened to Tara. Lauren didn't like the chill that creeped over her at that thought, not at all.

"Bo!" Sam yelled, his voice clearly full of anger and emotion.

The sound of Sam's voice, coupled with the growling dog in the back, pulled Lauren back into the here and now. She had been listening... Tom's Diner, Ted's Hardware Store, the former Iraq Soldier's Taxidermy shop... and Dave the Drug Dealer. But truth be told, she had not been "paying attention" as she knew she should have been.

"Sorry. There's history there. Dave and I haven't gotten along for a long time. It's personal. I try to keep that part out of my job, but knowing he's dealing meth to the local kids gives me a professional reason to hate his guts too. Problem is I can never catch him in the act or with it on his person. He's really really good at what he does."

That peaked her interest. Had Tara gone looking for a fix? Maybe she didn't have the cash and wanted to trade for it. Maybe things got carried away. Maybe.

Lauren had no doubt that Sam knew Tara, but talking to Cassie would hopefully open things up for Lauren. Best Friends were like sisters in alot of cases. Most did not keep secrets from their best friends... or their sister....

Sister.... Karyn......

Lauren visably shook her head no just as they were pulling into the driveway of the small yellow Walker house. She did not want to think about Karyn right now.

As they stepped to the door, Lauren took a moment to observe her surroundings. The house was small, but the yard itself was well kept. Mowed, grass was green, a good-sized tree, was that a maple tree?... off to the side. The garden had a pretty splashing of various colored flowers, accented with a birdbath. No small kids in this house, she thought to herself. The porch was covered, a swinging chair for 2 occupied the left side.

The ring of the bell brought a man to the door. Lauren could see the glint of recognition in his eyes as he looked at Sam, that and concern.

"Of course you can speak to Cassie" was his answer as he stepped aside.

"My wife's still at work." he explained when Sam questioned. "Seems there's been a rash of birth's lately in the city" he joked. Sam nodded. "my wife's a maternity ward nurse" Mr. Walker acknowledged to Lauren. She smiled in return. "A wonderful area to work in" she commented.

Lauren quietly observed Mr. Walker. He was tall, perhaps and inch taller than Sam, and Sam was easily 6'1 at least. He was a bit spindly, not as solidly built as Sam. Lauren guessed he was in is 50's. He had dark hair, a sprig of grey. His hair was close cropped now, but a look at a picture on the wall, a family picture, revealed a younger version of Mr. Walker with dark, and quite wavy hair, on the longer side. He looked like a hip college professor to her.

"Cassie!!!"

"Cassie, Sam's here to talk to you!!"

Cassie came racing down the stairs.

Lauren had to step back. She looked so much like Karyn, it was like looking a a ghost. The same flawless pale skin, the same expressive eyes, only Cassie's eyes were green, Karyn's was deep blue, and the same long, curl laden hair in a deep midnight black. The differences were that Cassie was petite, almost doll like... Karyn was taller, athletic, and strong. Cassie's voice was pretty, whispy, Karyn's had been more like Lauren's, deeper, smooth, like silken jazz.

"did you find her Mr. Earp?? Did you??" Cassie's eyes and voice betrayed her worry. She was genuinely scared to death. Tara disappearing like this was not something her best friend did.

It was Lauren that took the lead, stepping forward.

"Cassie, I'm Lauren, Deputy Lauren Kerrick." She reached her hand out to the girl "I'm sorry, but Tara has not turned up as of yet. I wish we had better news. We were... No... I ... I am hoping you can tell me a bit about Tara. Since I'm new here, I need your insight into your friend....."

"my insight?" Cassie stammered.

"I need to see her thru your eyes." Lauren said, slowly walking Cassie thru the house and out onto the back deck. It was always better to get the person out of the confining spaces of the house, and into the open. It often eased fears and made them more comfortable. Cassie was not in any kind of trouble and Lauren wanted to make sure that she did not feel as if she were being interrogated.

"Tara was..... IS... Tara IS my best friend" Cassie quietly said. "We've been friends since 1st grade."

Lauren let Cassie talk, letting her ramble on about grade school, middle school, summer vacations, Christmas's, high school, boyfriends.

"Does Tara have a boyfriend now?" Lauren asked. She figured Sam already knew that, but Lauren wanted to hear it. "well, no, not really" Cassie answered. But the tone of her voice and the choice of words perked Lauren's ears up.

"Not really?"

"well, she dated a guy, Joshua. Only a couple of dates tho, nothing serious. Tara wasn't looking for serious, just a friend. But he's gone now"

"Gone?"

"yeah... he didn't live here. He lived in Summer Valley, about 10 miles from here. But 2 months ago, he told her he was moving. He was going to Colorado City and probably wouldn't be back. He said he was sorry if he was hurting her, but that he just couldn't be friends anymore. Tara couldn't understand why. Colorado City is only 100 miles or so from here, but Joshua made it like it was on the other side of the world. Tara said he said something about it being better off for her. She was not happy. But that was 2 months ago. He's been gone since then."

Lauren's heartbeat began to hammer slightly in her chest. This was just what she needed to hear. Who was this Joshua guy? Was he really gone?

"I'm sorry, I didn't think of him til now" Cassie apologized.

"You did nothing wrong Cassie" Lauren said. "I just need to know all you know about Joshua"

 

[Malvolio]

Lauren seemed a little lost in thought as they drove to the Walker residence. At first, Sam thought he was boring her, then began to wonder whether she wasn't one of those "spacey west coast types". However, once the questioning of Cassie began, Sam's concerns evaporated as he witnessed Lauren's questioning technique.

Once inside the Walker home, Fred Walker summoned Cassie to speak with Sam and Lauren. As they waited, Sam and Fred exchanged pleasantries, with Sam inquiring about the Walker family. Sam was a people person with a natural, easy going manner in the way he made inquiries. Growing up in a small town of friendly people had taught him the value of caring about one's neighbor, both because it was often reciprocated, but more importantly because it was the right thing to do. As a boy, Sam had loved riding shotgun in the back of his father's patrol car and he and Earl drove around the then dusty streets of Rocky Mtn Falls. Watching and listening to his father had taught him to always be listening to what people were saying. Listening and watching. Body language, he learned, said alot about whether a person was telling the truth or hiding something.

As Lauren took over the questioning of Cassie and led her outside, Sam allowed his eyes to scan around the home and to study Cassie. Throughout the questioning, Cassie seemed a little nervous. Sam wrote this off to fears about her friend's well being.

"Does Tara have a boyfriend now?" Lauren asked.

"Well, no, not really" Cassie answered.

Sam did his best to not sit straight up in his chair. He could tell Lauren had also keyed in on this.

"Not really?"

"Well, she dated a guy, Joshua. Only a couple of dates tho, nothing serious. Tara wasn't looking for serious, just a friend. But he's gone now."

"Gone?"

"yeah... he didn't live here. He lived in Summer Valley, about 10 miles from here. But 2 months ago, he told her he was moving. He was going to Colorado City and probably wouldn't be back. He said he was sorry if he was hurting her, but that he just couldn't be friends anymore. Tara couldn't understand why. Colorado City is only 100 miles or so from here, but Joshua made it like it was on the other side of the world. Tara said he said something about it being better off for her. She was not happy. But that was 2 months ago. He's been gone since then."

"I'm sorry, I didn't think of him til now" Cassie apologized.

Sam didn't buy it. Something was fishy here. Cassie was fidgeting now, looking down at her nails, picking at them.

"You did nothing wrong Cassie" Lauren said. "I just need to know all you know about Joshua."

Cassie shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"Um, like, um, what?" she asked nervously.

She said that just a little bit too quick, Sam thought to himself. He'd been taking notes and now stopped completely to keep any eye on Cassie.

Sam spoke up now. "Cassie, can you tell us anything about how often Joshua and Tara saw one another? And do you know his last name?"

"McClaren. His name is Joshua McClaren. And didn't have anything to do with his disappearing. I mean, he couldn't have. I KNOW he couldn't have because..." her voice trailed off.

"Cassie? Please, we're trying to help find Tara," Sam said gently in a slow, soothing manner.

"Ok... ok," she half whispered. Tears were starting to well up in her eyes.

"Joshua and Tara met at the University. He was a year ahead of her and graduated back in May. They were just friends he drove up here with some friends back in June. We all went white water rafting together for a day. I guess things sorta started between them then. There was a sort of tension, playful at first, and then growing. Anyway, they sort of saw one another a couple more times, but then... well..."

"Go on," Sam urged.

"One night, Joshua drove up to see her. To surprise her. We were all hanging out at Wild Billy's. And Joshua walked in and saw her dancing with Benny Treymore. She'd had a lot to drink and Benny's kinda... well, he kinda has the effect on girls sometimes. I saw him and he stormed out. I went after him to apologize for her and explain she was just drunk... and well, we wound up sitting in the parking lot talking for over and hour and then we... um..."

Sam cleared his throat. "Ok, so you started seeing Joshua then?"

"Only in secret. I mean, we agreed we didn't want to hurt Tara. He broke it off with her right away. She was going to back to college, he was done and was taking a job with a company in Colorado City and I was looking at going to community college there since I'd finally saved up enough money to go. And, well, we just figured... neither of us wanted to hurt her... and it would be best this way.

"So, um, Joshua came down to see me last night and we thought we were being discreet. We went up to Lookout Point and hiked down the trail to the Falls and were hanging out there a little before sunset. And when the sun started to go down, we came back up the trail and Joshua said he had to go and that's when we saw Tara.

"She'd somehow found us or followed us or I don't know what. But she was there and she was really really pissed off. She started screaming at us and crying. I tried to talk with her and she told me she'd never speak to me again. Josh left right away and I stayed and kept trying to reason with her. I tried to explain, but she didn't want any part of it. Anyway, she told me to leave her along and she was sitting on Lookout Rock crying. I don't think she was suicidal or anything. I was backing my car up and she got up and was walking back to hers then. I just assumed she followed me back down the mountain then."

Sam inhaled deeply and fetched a hanky from his pocket. Handing it to Cassie, he spoke. "Cassie, thank you for telling us this. I know it was hard. Did you actually see her following your car down the mountain then?"

"No," Cassie whispered.

"Did any cars or trucks pass you going up when you were going back down?"

"I... I don't... wait, wait... yeah, I think there was one. Um, I think it was an SUV, but it was moving so fast I didn't get a good look at it."

"What color was it?"

"I... I don't remember."

Sam looked over at Lauren, gaging her reaction and trying to tell if she had any further questions, then began furiously scribbling down the details they'd just learned. At the bottom of the page, Sam wrote 'Lookout Point' and circled it.

 

[AmbrosiaCaress]

Lauren didn't need to write anything down... she filed away the information in her mind like a computer. There really was not a whole lot of information here that was worth saving... other than...

1. Tara obviously never made it to her car, or in the least, had not driven down the road right behind her younger sister

2. Joshua was off the hook, as long as Cassie was telling the truth, and there was nothing in her eyes, or demeanor, to indicate otherwise..

There were obviously 2 things that needed to be done right now. Talk to Joshua, BEFORE Cassie had a chance to call him. She wanted to get his version of events, and not a cooberation between the 2 of them. Lauren already knew Joshua's story would match Cassie's. She just had that "feeling".

Go look for the car, that was the next step. Was it still at Lookout Point? Was Tara still at Lookout Point?

A deep, cold, slithering feeling came over Lauren when that thought panned across her brain. "Tara's dead" ... Did she say that outloud? Her eyes widen as she scanned from Sam to Cassie to the Parents. Nope, only she heard the words "Tara's dead". For a brief moment, the voice that repeated those words, "Tara's dead" sounded exactly like G & G... Lauren shook her head, as if to vehemently say NO to someone or something.

"Um, are you ok?" It was Tara's father, looking at Lauren with the most confused look on his face, the same look that both his wife, Cassie, and even Sam had.

"Sorry" Lauren stammered for a moment. "I have a bit of a headache is all, just trying to get used to all this clean air".

"Sam, we need to get to Lookout Point" she said, her voice taking on it's normal candor again. She then turned to Cassie, " sweetheart, I need you to do me a favor. Write down what happened for me please, so that I can refer to it as needed. It will be a huge help." Lauren didn't need anything written down, but that was a way to get Cassie to go back to her room, which she did with a slight nod.

Turning to her parents, "Listen, I need you to make sure Cassie does not call or speak to Joshua until after we speak to him. We are heading to Lookout Point now, but we will be seeking out Joshua tonight to have our chat. Just keep Cassie away from the phone. Once she writes up her version of the events, keep her occupied. Remember, none of this is her fault, make sure she knows that. If she needs to talk again, please call me on my cell." Lauren handed him her card. She hoped her cell would work out here. "or call the office, and they can reach me."

Maybe she should have said "us" but Lauren knew Cassie would never open up to Sam the same way she more than likely would open up to her.

As they walked back to the car, that chill that had settled over Lauren would not go away, and as she sat down, a shiver rattled her frame.

 

[Malvolio]

“Nice work.”

Sam flashed a quick smile to Lauren as they pulled out of the Walkers’ driveway. He was impressed with how she had taken charge of the investigation and had gotten Cassie to open up.

“You did great back there. But I think you already know that. There’s no way Cassie would have shared with me what she told you. I’m already liking having you as a partner.”

Sam glanced over at Lauren again. She was a beautiful woman, but beauty was common. Her intelligence and analytical skills, on the other hand, were a rare quality that had quickly earned Sam’s respect. For the first time since his wife had passed away, Sam felt a genuine attraction to another woman.

She’s your colleague, Sam. Get over it.

Clearing his throat a little uncomfortably, Sam quickly began to explain Lookout Point to Lauren. It was a mountain overlook about 20 minutes outside of town on the edge of a large forest range with a view an enormous waterfall cascading down from another nearby mountain. It was a popular spot with the local teenagers, hikers, out of town tourists, and lovers seeking a beautiful location to propose. Sam had proposed to his now deceased wife, Wendy, at this very spot, although he left this point out for whatever reason. Lookout Rock was a slightly secluded spot offering an even better view of the waterfall and the canopy of trees below. From the Rock, hikers could descend down a gradual slope into the treeline and explore the forest.

As Sam turned the SUV up the winding mountain road, he spotted an older man with a white Santa Claus-like beard and a thick mane of curly white hair. The man carried a large wooden walking stick, was dressed in brown hiking boots, older style black and green military fatigue pants, a tie-dye t-shirt with a Grateful Dead logo, a bright orange tassel cap and carried a small backpack with the smiling faces of Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie imprinted on it.

“That’s Paul Shambowski. He’s a little… eccentric. He was my scouting master growing up, but his brain is… well, sorta half baked at this point. He did a lot of LSD and it eventually caught up to him. He knows a lot of about things that happen out here though, so it might be a good idea to talk with him.”

Pulling up beside the man, Sam called out to him.

“Hey Paul, where ya headed today?”

The old man turned with an annoyed look on his face. A look of recognition appeared over his face and he suddenly smiled at Sam. “SAMUEL! How fare thee, youngster? How fare thee, indeed, eh?” Paul cocked his head to the side slightly. “Oh, I see thou hath a friend. Greeting, fair Miss! Paul Shambowski at thy service. I am the Overlord of the Mountains. Normally I would require a toll from YE [he practically yelled the word], but THOU is with Samuel so I pardon YE.”

Sam flashed a quick see what I mean look at Lauren.

“Paul, this is Deputy Lauren Kerrick. She’s new to town, but she’s going to be helping me and Bo from now on. Please extend her every courtesy, Overlord of the Mountains.”

“IT SHALL BE DONE!” Paul called out in a booming voice, his arms raised like Moses parting the Red Sea.

“Can we offer you a ride up the mountain, Paul?” Sam offered, suppressing a small smile at Paul's grand gesture.

“CERTAINLY!” Paul quickly scrambled into the back of the SUV and was greeted with a sloppy wet lick from Bo. “Down, down, now, noble beast!” he lectured the dog.

Sam continued the drive up the mountain, making small talk with Paul at first to introduce him to Lauren and establish some comfort between his new deputy and one of the town’s more unusual characters.

“So, Paul… we’re looking for a missing girl. Maybe you can help us.”

“ALIENS, I tell thee. ‘Twas ALIENS that hath abducted the fair maiden!”

“Er… what?”

“ALIENS, SAMUEL! They have been killing the animals of my mountains as of late and then dissecting them for their foul experiments. But now they may be abducting humans. It ‘tis best for us to send out patrols of our strongest warriors to guard travelers and fair maidens from these dastardly creatures!”

Sam cocked an eyebrow and glanced over at Lauren. “Uh, Paul, when did this start?”

“About a month or two ago. They always seem to return for a few nights per month to haunt my mountains, preying upon the defenseless creatures of the kingdom. I hear them. They howl like animals, trying to disguise themselves, yet the howls are so unearthly that they must be ALIEN! In fact, I can show you the remains of their prior experiments.”

“Yeah, I think we should check that out, Paul. You direct us.”

The vehicle wound its way up a steep and windy hill that offered breathtaking glimpses of the surrounding mountains over the tops of tall evergreen trees. At the top, Sam pulled off the road and past a weathered wooden signpost with the words “Lookout Point” clearly carved into it.

The bluff’s pull off could accommodate about a half dozen cars and offered an amazing 360 degree panoramic view of the region’s mountains and forests. Below them and in the distance, the first buildings of Rocky Mountain Falls could be made out, including Wild Billy’s. Off to the left side of the lookout was a narrow walking path that led slightly downward and into the tree line.

A large, shiny black Dodge Escalade sat on the edge of the lookout closest to the walking path. The driver side door sat open, but no occupants were visible.

Sam glanced down at his note pad. Sure enough, the plate matched that of Tara Carson’s vehicle.

“The remains aren’t far down the mountain. Just a little bit into the treeline.” Paul’s voice seemed to have a hint of excitement to it. He seemed eager to show them.

Sam put the SUV in park and he and Lauren stepped out. “Paul, stay inside for a minute and keep Bo company.”

Sam gave a quick look to Bo. “Bo, watch Paul.” Bo growled softly in acknowledgement, his eyes fixed suspiciously on Paul now.

Sam and Lauren walked around the Escalade, carefully looking it over. Sam’s suspicions were now raised and he was concerned with further contaminating the scene, or whatever it was at this point. He wasn’t sure what they had here, but he had a bad feeling in his bones.

“Looks like somebody left in a hurry… keys are still in the ignition, but it ain’t on. What do you make of this, Lauren?” He hoped his perceptive partner might have picked up on something and he began looking around the surrounding ground. Things were dry, but he could just make out a set of boot prints. There were also a few sneaker prints… small… maybe a woman’s? Some were partially wiped away as it appeared that something had been dragged over them. More disturbing was a set of large canine looking paw prints. The prints were enormous, easily the size of Sam's hand. He'd never seen a dog or wolf with feet this big.

"What the fu...", he began to mutter under his breath.

From the back of the SUV, Bo began a series of slow, but steady and alert barks, his eyes trained on the walking path.

“Bo? What’s bugging you, boy?” Sam called to the dog.

“That’s where the aliens hath committed their vile deeds!” Paul eagerly volunteered, pointing to the tree line. “’Tis none too far!”

Sam began carefully moving down the path with Lauren close behind. It looked as if something had been dragged down the path and few prints were visible, including two more of the enormous canine's.

"Lauren, can you hand me that stick near your foot? I wanna flag this one and get an imprint later. We don't get animals with prints like this around here... or anywhere I've ever seen."

Shortly after the path entered the tree line, it reached a clearing. The smell hit Sam and Lauren first.

Death.

They were greeted with the sight of blood… splattered across three closely growing trees, from pools on the ground to 7 feet up the trunks. It was also sprayed across the ground and outward several yards. Chunks of flesh lay amid the pools of blood, some mere strips a few inches long, others were large chunks and entrails.

“Christ,” Sam hissed. “Paul wasn’t kidding!”

Sam gave Lauren a concerned look. She’d come from the big city, but he didn’t know what her reaction to this horror scene would be.

As they carefully picked their way through the scene, Sam noticed a large brush pile a few yards behind the blood splattered trees. A chill ran up his spine as he spotted what appeared to be a human hand poking out from under it.

“Lauren, I think we have a homicide…”