Wildfire (2 page)

Although she wasn’t exactly thrilled with the notion of dealing with some whiney lab geek, it was better than being stuck indoors at headquarters. She’d much rather spend her time in her favorite place on earth…the mountains of Washington State.

She packed her neatly ironed olive green uniforms. She would much rather wear jeans than her federal issue uniform pants, but she knew there were bound to be times when they would be necessary so she opted to pack only a few pair of regulation pants and then added some jeans to her bag, making sure to include her favorite, most comfortable pair of Levis. She may be a ranger, but by God she was going to be comfortable.

She grabbed her toiletries and her hairbrush and tossed them into the bag. She made several trips back and forth to the truck as she composed a mental list of things that she still needed to do. Brad was going to pick up her mail and water her plants. She smiled to herself. At least she could always count on her crew. None of the eight men and women under her command had known about Grace’s infidelity and Elaine knew that fact had been by design. If they had known, it was a certainty that she would not have been left in the dark. She was as loyal to her crew as they were to her and she loved them all like family. When the office gossip finally reached them, they had all offered their unconditional support. In some ways, this assignment would allow her to escape not only her embarrassment, but the pity she saw in the eyes of her beloved crew.

She double-checked the items she had gathered. She had made sure to pack plenty of cold weather gear. The weather in the mountains in late March could be unpredictable and it wasn’t her intention to be unprepared, even if she did have the comforts of a nice cabin at her disposal. Once she was satisfied that she had not forgotten anything else, she locked up her house and climbed in her truck. She would have to make a few stops for supplies and make a few calls, but those could be made from her cell phone on her way out of Sandpark Point. Now that she’d put all thoughts of Grace aside and accepted that the relationship came to an end not only because it was time, but because it was what she had wanted, she was more than ready to get out of town and to the heaven awaiting her.

“Jesus, this is beautiful,” Elaine mumbled to herself, several hours later. Spring was a picturesque season at this elevation. Wildflowers were starting to dust the roadsides and the trees were regaining their beautiful hues and bursting with buds just waiting to blossom.

Elaine didn’t get out to this part of the Cascades very often, at least not as often as she would have liked, but the beauty of northern Washington wasn’t lost on her. The mountains, the trees, the smell of the ocean air in the distance that mingled with the moist forest floor were surreal. This was definitely going to be good for her. She would enjoy the solitude and the opportunity to process the recent events in her life. It would also afford her the opportunity to get away from all the drama and scandal surrounding her breakup with Grace. She couldn’t stand drama.

As she drove up the winding access road to the forestry cabin, she looked out over the Tillamook Canyon and was reminded of why she had become a ranger. Not that she ever truly needed to be reminded, but the view was breathtaking. This assignment was a blessing. The best part, no Grace! Hell, no women period.

She spent a good twenty minutes opening up and airing out the ranger’s cabin. It hadn’t been occupied over the harsh winter and things had become old and stale. The main room was large with an old worn, but reasonably comfortable couch.

There was a huge bed against the opposite wall which was built to accommodate some of the larger burly men she worked with. The mattress probably needed to be aired out but the damn thing would be a pain in the ass to move. She decided to improvise. She might not be a girly-girl, but she certainly knew how to use linen freshener. Fresh sheets and blankets would make it much more inviting when it came time to retire for the night.

She had almost forgotten how nice, almost luxurious, this cabin was compared to most. Some of the cabins were little more than a one-room shed with a small fireplace and bed. Of course, those were intended for shorter assignments or unexpected stays. The rangers who found themselves assigned to this particular cabin referred to it as the Taj Mahal. Each cabin had a government issued structure number, but Elaine and her crew just referred to them by their nicknames.

The wall to her right and perpendicular to the bed had a large stone fireplace and next to that was a door that led into a small bathroom. She was thankful that although there wasn’t a bathtub, she would be able to take hot showers. When you worked for the Forest Service for as many years as she had, you didn’t take running water for granted.

Just to the left of the cabin door was a small kitchen area equipped with an electric stove and refrigerator that would work just fine once she got the generator running. Next to the stove was a huge pantry that she knew would still be partially stocked with canned goods. She would have to let the refrigerator cool down for a few hours before transferring the food from the ice chests she had brought. The front wall of the kitchen had large windows that overlooked the canyon below. There was a forestry issue radio that sat on a small table between the main door and the door that led out onto the observation deck. Just glancing out the windows at the view took her breath away. The deck would allow her a perfect vantage point for telltale signs of people in the closer woods—smoke, sudden flights of birds and so on—without having to hike up to the lookout tower.

Best of all, the overlook provided an unobstructed view of the eastern ridge and the basin below. She stepped out onto the deck and took in the Chinook River reflecting the sunlight into the clear blue sky. She took a deep breath and was thankful to have the clean fresh air fill her lungs. There was no cigarette smoke, no perfume, no stares or whispers…nothing to remind her of Grace.

She made multiple trips up and down the wooden steps between the cabin and her truck. She hadn’t thought she had brought that much stuff. She planned only to be at the cabin for a little over a month, but after unloading the four ice chests, the canned goods and fresh vegetables she had bought en route, along with her clothing, toiletries, bedding and rifle, she felt as if she were moving in.

Elaine looked around outside before pulling the truck under the deck. The building had been built into the side of the mountain with tall beams that supported the deck and formed a carport. The last ranger had provided a dry stack of wood before departing his post. She noted that she would need to remember to return the favor before she left the cabin. The propane that was remaining combined with the emergency supply she had brought would be more than enough to run the generator until she met up with Donovan to replenish her supplies. Donovan had been part of her crew the longest and he would be her direct correspondent should she need any unexpected supplies. He would also be working the area north of her cabin searching for the poachers by day, while returning home at night. His wife and five kids wanted him home at night and Elaine completely understood and issued him evening or overnight duties only when necessary.

She pulled one of the fuel tanks out of the back of the truck and toted it into the adjacent storage area housing the generator. Once she’d checked the gauges to be sure there had been no tampering and leaks, she started the generator with little effort. She knew she could count on her crew to follow not only her orders, but the directives set by the U.S. Forest Service when it came to maintaining their equipment. All her crew members balked at the task, but it was better than answering to the captain if it wasn’t done. Elaine found it amusing that the men on her crew complained more about it than any of the women. But they all knew that in an emergency situation, it was essential that all cabins be ready.

After carrying the rest of the propane tanks into the storage area, she replaced the padlock on the door, gathered an armful of wood and returned to the cabin. There was still a small pile of wood inside and with the armload she had carried in, she was confident she would have plenty to keep the cabin warm all night and well into the next day.

Once settled in, she turned on the radio. She checked in with the ranger station letting them know that she had arrived. She left the radio on and gave it a cursory glance before moving back out onto the deck. Walking to the edge she rubbed her hands along the railing enjoying the rough wood beneath her hands.

After another deep breath, she felt the pressures of her everyday life fade. A narrow trail led down to the river below and about a quarter of a mile from where the trail ended was Big Rock Natural Spring. She thought that if the weather held she would hike down and take a swim tomorrow. She knew that the water would be cold, if not freezing, but it would be refreshing and she looked forward to it. She looked out over the rolling greens darkening as the sun began its descent and accepted the reality of how their relationship had evolved and realized that they were simply not meant to be together.

One of the hardest parts for Elaine would be to forgive herself for not ending the relationship the moment she recognized she wasn’t happy and wasn’t in love with Grace. She would spend this time of isolation trying to forgive and move on.

The last glimmer of sunlight disappeared, leaving the horizon painted with a thin line of orange. As the full chill of the evening air finally penetrated her clothes, she realized that she had been single for a very long time, but had been unwilling to admit it to herself or anyone else.

Tomorrow she would take her swim in the fresh mountain spring and let nature cleanse her body, mind and soul. Tonight she would be content to sit by a nice warm fire, snuggled in her favorite pajamas with a cup of hot tea.

Devon heated water over her campfire and opened one of the freeze-dried packets she had brought. Reconstituted noodles weren’t really food and it didn’t sound the least bit appetizing, but tonight it would have to suffice if she wanted the grumbling in her stomach to cease. She had learned to tolerate the tasteless packets out of necessity. They enabled her to pack plenty of meals and she didn’t have to worry so much about attracting animals, but the freeze-dried meals always made her look forward to going home and eating real food.

She forced down her so-called dinner and secured its packaging in an airtight bag. Since this was a restricted area, unfortunately there were no bear resistant garbage cans or food storage lockers which forced her to be creative. After checking her campsite one last time to make certain that everything was secure and she hadn’t left anything out that might draw curious animals, she crawled into her tent to don the sweats she would sleep in. She really wished that she could shower, but that would have to wait until the next day when the sun could warm her solar shower. She was in no mood for an ice-cold shower tonight. Leaving her moccasins in the vestibule of her tent she secured the door flap before crawling into the warm bedding.

After fulfilling her promise and checking in with Stacey and getting a tinny and crackling but understandable update on Raine’s prenatal checkup, Devon snapped her phone closed and with a long yawn snuggled in for the night. She listened to the nightlife of the forest come alive, the sounds of nature calming her with their peaceful rhythm until she was lulled to sleep.

As she stood on the deck and drank a cup of cocoa, Elaine surveyed the area one last time before retiring for the evening. The night was peaceful and the stars bright and so clear that she had opted for a cup of cocoa on the deck rather than tea next to the fire. She couldn’t get enough of the cool crisp nights that allowed her to enjoy her flannel pajama pants, huge comfy sweatshirt and fuzzy bear slippers. The cold temperature had forced her to wear her parka which she pulled tighter around her. Only after several years of wear had the government issue parka become a favorite, transforming from stiff and abrasive to being silky-soft and broken in perfectly.

As she let the cold air fill her lungs she could tell there was another storm on its way. She could smell the moisture in the gentle breeze. The moon was bright and reflecting off the top of the pines.

What the hell?
She scanned the basin again. The moonlight was sufficiently bright for her to see the plume of smoke wafting up from the trees. It was obviously from a campfire.

“Who would be stupid enough to be up here this time of year and camping
,
no less?” The botanist hadn’t checked in yet so Elaine knew he couldn’t be the culprit. Those geeky lab guys weren’t exactly known for roughing it.

“Of all the stupid idiotic things to do. I swear if that is those fucking poachers, their asses are mine! Why in the hell would they draw that much attention? Why not just send me a map to their whereabouts?” Nobody answered, of course and Elaine gave herself a self-conscious shake—talking to herself was a habit that came with the job.

They are slaughtering animals on federal land, she reminded herself furiously. As if courting federal charges isn’t stupid enough. She took a deep breath trying to calm herself. She would check it out tomorrow when she hiked down to the stream. If it was her poachers, she wanted to be safe and nab them in the light of day. At the very least, whoever it was would definitely receive a citation for an illegal campfire.
That’s for damn sure!

She was almost certain the smoke was coming from the area surrounding the environmental spill site that she and her crew had worked the year before. She knew the area well having spent weeks there in the aftermath of the accident.