Chapter 6
The following morning, Scott Lyndon stepped out of the cabin and started across the yard toward the garbage drums, his usual morning jaunt before breakfast. He spotted the empty tray long before he reached it. As he stopped at the last drum a movement caught his eye and he looked toward the underbrush to see something black there. He frowned at it then took a step closer before he recognized fur. Fur? The bear? He looked around for the little girl but did not see her. What was the bear doing sleeping here? Scott decided he did not want to find out and picked up the tray silently and started back for the cabin. Before he had gotten four steps he heard a low throaty growl behind him and knew he was about to find out anyway. He stopped and turned slowly to see the bear was still lying in the same place but had turned its head around and was looking at him. While Scott was debating his next move a blonde head appeared from behind the bear. He could see sleep still in the little girl's eyes and realized this is most likely how they slept at night; with the little girl curled up in the protective legs of the bear. He smiled. "Hello."
A small smile touched the little girl's lips before she got to her feet. "Hello."
It was a tiny voice and one that Scott thought might belong to an angel. He was not sure what to say next or even if he should move. That decision was made for him when the little girl came around the bear and took two steps toward him then stopped and held out her hand. Behind her, Scott saw the bear rise up then turn around and drop to its haunches facing them. Scott slid his gaze back to the little girl and her outstretched, upturned hand. Did she want help again? Food? He decided to try the same approach they had both used. "Show me." He expected her to point somewhere but instead, she came forward slowly, her hand still extended. Her gaze, filled with question, never left his.
Eight steps later and the little girl stopped in front of him. She looked down at his hand then, with a touch as soft as a feather, reached out and stroked the back of it.
Scott tried to keep his frown inside but failed and it creased his brow with confusion. "I don't know what you want," he said almost sadly. "I don't understand." He felt the touch on his hand again and he extended an open palm toward her. To his surprise, she laid her tiny hand in his. He searched her blue eyes to see a gleam sparkle to life as a soft smile touched her lips.
"Hello," she said in the same angelic voice. She looked at his hand then lifted her other hand and slowly closed his fingers around her hand before looking back up at him. "Show you," she said slowly then she nodded her head and added, "It's ok."
Scott Lyndon did not know what to make of this. They had come close to touching before but this confused the hell out of him. What was she trying to say? What was she trying to do? It was almost as if she were trying to introduce herself. He glanced at the bear to see him watching them. The animal seemed totally content with what was going on. Scott surveyed the blue gaze again then did the only thing he could think of; he squatted down in front of her, bringing their gazes to equal level. He smiled and leveled an index finger at himself. "Scott." Would she understand?
The little girl looked at the hand that was holding hers then mimicked his gesture, leveling a finger at herself. "Sid-ney."
It came out broken into two distinct syllables but Scott understood it and he smiled. "Hello Sidney."
She smiled. "Hello Scott." Her words were as if she had to concentrate to speak them but they were understandable. She swiveled her head and looked at the bear then pointed at him as she looked back at the man in front of her. "Tongo," she said and smiled. "My bear."
Scott grinned and looked at the bear. "Hello Tongo." To his surprise the bear emitted a soft growl. He saw her look around quickly as a small frown touched her forehead. She looked over one shoulder then the other and Scott got the distinct impression she had lost something. A soft howling cry erupted from her throat. A split second later a rustle in the underbrush was followed by a silver coyote appearing less than six feet from the bear. Scott blinked his gaze to the animal's paw, saw the place he had bandaged then saw a smile touch the little girl's mouth again.
"Duke," she said and looked at the man in front of her. "My dog."
Dog? Close enough. Scott smiled at the coyote. "Hello Duke." Again, to his surprise, the animal responded with a soft growl before it sank to its haunches. If they had gotten this far Scott wondered how much further they could get. "Sidney," he said gently and saw her gaze become expectant. "Where's your Mommy and Daddy?"
"Slee-ping," was the innocent response.
He frowned at that. "Sleeping, where?"
She swiveled her head and looked around as if to get her bearings then pointed to the north, northeast.
Scott forced the frown from his forehead. There was nothing up there but steep mountains and deep gorges. "Is the place they are sleeping far away?"
Sidney seemed to think about that for a moment before she shook her head. "Not far away."
Scott had to know if the vision that kept coming up on the screen in his mind was right. "Show me?" he asked.
She nodded and, removing her hand from his, then took a step back.
"Wait here," he told her and picked up the tray before he got to his feet. He turned and hurried to the house. "Steve?"
"Yeah?"
Scott hurried in and tossed the tray on the counter. "The little girl's back. I've been talking to her."
Steve Lyndon turned from the coffee pot, a fresh cup of coffee in his hand. Both of his eyebrows shot upward. "Talking?"
He nodded. "Her name is Sidney. The bear and coyote are with her. She said her Mom and Dad are sleeping up in the mountains to the northeast of here."
"That's some damned rough terrain up there."
"I know. I asked her if she would show me where they're sleeping and she said she would. I'm taking the truck up as far as I can go then will hike the rest of the way."
"You'd better take a two way."
"Good idea," Scott said and headed for a door in the opposite wall. "I'll be back when I can," he informed as he removed a two-way radio from one of the shelves there then put in new batteries. He grabbed a set of high-powered binoculars from the same shelf then went out the front door. Scott was not sure if the little girl would still be there but, to his surprise, she had not moved. He slowed his pace as he neared her for fear of spooking her guardians. He smiled as he neared her and received a smile in return. "Ready to go?"
The blue gaze slid to the truck and back. "Go in blue car?" and she pointed to the truck.
He nodded.
She lifted her hand and slipped it into his then smiled. "Ready to go."
Scott was glad she was so willing to go in the truck. The trek by foot would have been too lengthy. He led her toward the truck. When they were about halfway across the compound he heard a yip and looked back to see the coyote bound forward about ten feet, its ears pricked forward.
Sidney looked back then up at him questioningly.
Scott smiled and nodded. "It's ok. They can come too."
Her smile was instant and she looked back at the two animals, emitted a gurgling cry then watched both of them come forward at a trot.
Scott was not all that keen about having a coyote and a black bear tag along but they were Sidney's friends and that, alone, made it necessary. He led Sidney to the truck then let go of her hand and opened the back tailgate. "They will have to ride back here," he told her.
Sidney turned and looked at the two animals that were less than six feet behind her and she touched the tailgate then emitted a soft growl.
Scott watched the coyote come forward and leap up into the back of the truck with the bear following a second after. He stifled a chuckle as the truck's shocks took the full weight of the bear. He looked down to see the little girl nod and Scott closed the tailgate then looked at his cargo to see them both lay down, almost side by side and look at him. He led Sidney to the passenger side and opened the door, was surprised to see her climb right in. He buckled her seatbelt, saw her qu
estioning frown and smiled. "It's ok." The frown disappeared and she smiled and nodded. He closed the door then went around to the driver's side and slid in behind the wheel, laying the two-way on the dash. He buckled his seatbelt then started the truck. He glanced over his shoulder at the two animals in the back and said, "Hang on fellas," before he gave the passenger a smile then headed for the dirt road that led to the north slopes. He knew there was a secondary road that was used by the forest service at the top of the second ridge and knew it led east. If they could get even part way, they could hike the rest of the way as long as it was not too far. He looked at Sidney to see her looking at all of the buttons and dials on the dashboard with wide eyes. He smiled at her when she looked at him and received a return smile before she looked out the window. Any other child in a truck that had tons of buttons would be pushing them and wanting to see what they did. Sidney was obviously a very well behaved child and he wondered about that.
It was a silent ride that had Sidney looking back through the window often to check on her pets. She seemed to be satisfied that they were fine each time she looked and once, she even stretched her arm out the open back window and smiled when the coyote nuzzled her hand.
"Are we getting closer?" Scott asked as they turned off on the forestry road and headed east.
Sidney straightened as much as the seatbelt would allow and craned her neck to see where they were. She nodded. "Get-ting closer."
Scott hoped she knew what he had meant. He was not one for wild goose chases. He steered the truck around several large boulders and knew they would not be able to go much farther by truck. He saw his passenger crane her neck again and she seemed to be examining the mountains.
"There," she said and pointed toward the north.
Scott slowed the truck and got his bearings before he turned left at the next dirt road and headed along the top of another slope. He was in unfamiliar territory now and on land owned by the federal government. It was set aside as a nature preserve and off limits to people and vehicles. Scott slowed the truck's speed to twenty. It would be best if they did not try anything faster in case a drop off loomed up in front of them. He watched Sidney out of the corner of his eye and saw she was watching the mountains closely now. She seemed to be looking for something. Less than a mile farther, she found it.
"Stop."
Scott did as instructed and looked at the landscape. It was mostly deep rolling hills on this side of the terrain. But across the gorge to the east, it was nothing but a sheer mountain cliff. A wide, deep gorge separated the two. He met the blue gaze. "Here?"
She nodded.
He checked the angle of the truck, turned the wheels to the left, then set the brake and turned off the engine. He unbuckled his seatbelt, grabbed the keys and the two-way then slid out and hurried around to the passenger side. After releasing the little girl's harness, he stepped back and watched her jump to the ground. He closed the door then looked around the area. It was definitely beautiful here. He heard a low throaty growl and looked at his cargo at the same time Sidney did. When he saw her look up at him he smiled and nodded then went to the back and opened the tailgate. "Everybody out," he said brightly and grinned when the two animals rose and came forward. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would be hauling around a coyote and a black bear. After the coyote and bear had leaped down and moved away from the truck he turned back to Sidney. "Show me."
When she started toward the edge of the eastern slope Scott followed with the coyote and bear close at his heels. The going was easy at first but, a few minutes later the hill started sloping downward. Scott watched the little girl move down the slope easily and thought she looked like a mountain goat. When she stopped on a flat part of the hill he frowned then came up beside her to see she was standing less than 8 feet from a drop-off. He watched her drop to her stomach then crawl slowly toward the edge. When she stopped and looked back at him Scott could see the "Well?" expression and he smiled then dropped to his stomach and crawled up beside her. She smiled then crawled forward again, stopping at the edge of the drop-off.
"There," she said and pointed straight down.
Scott moved forward slowly then looked over the edge to see a deep gorge that was at least two hundred foot deep. At the bottom of the gorge he could see something blue and, nearby, something red. He lifted the binoculars, brought them into focus and looked at the objects again. Backpacks. He scanned the area then sighed as he saw two human skeletons sprawled over the jagged rocks. Now what? Scott lowered the binoculars and looked around the area. There was no way to get down there without breaking your neck, unless you were a bird. He looked at the opposite side of the rocky gorge, searching desperately for some kind of easy way down. There was none. He looked at the little girl to see her watching him. "How long have your Mommy and Daddy been sleeping down there?"
The little girl's expression twisted in thought before she swiveled her head and looked over her shoulder at the two animals. She emitted a soft growl, received one back from the bear. Another growl, this one more of a cry and the bear responded with a warbling growl. Sidney looked back at Scott and held up her hand, spreading her fingers. "This many winters."
Scott took a deep breath. "Five?"
The blonde head bobbed.
Five winters? This little girl had been in these mountains for five years? The winters here were horrid. It was not uncommon to have blizzards that lasted for days and the mountainside to be covered in several feet of snow during any one of those massive snowstorms. And the snow never fully melted until spring. "Where do you sleep in the wintertime Sidney?"
Her smile was instant and she pointed to the bear. "Sleep with Tongo."
Bears hibernate. Humans cannot do that. "Tongo sleeps all winter," Scott told her. "Do you sleep all winter too?"
"No. Duke visits me."
Hmm. But what about food? Certainly the coyote could not bring her food. He had not even considered that she had spent winters here. "Where do you get food in the winter?"
"Keep food from summer to eat in winter."
That's how she did it. Hm. It might work if she had a way of drying the food. But was she that well versed in living in natural surroundings to know that? Scott's mind was flooding with questions he did not think Sidney could answer. He smiled at her. "Oh," he decided would be the best response. He looked over the edge of the dropoff again. "Do you ever go down and see your Mommy and Daddy?"
Her nod was instant.
"How do you get down to see them?"
Sidney pointed to the north. "Show you?"
"Yes." Scott said then crept backwards a safe distance before he got to his feet. When Sidney crawled backwards the garment he'd determined was an oversized t-shirt hiked up and his gaze widened on the tiny bare bottom. He turned his gaze away quickly and looked at the animals to see them lying on the grass watching, obviously quite content to stay where they were. When she stood up, Scott turned back to her and smiled. "Ready to go?"
She nodded then turned and, with the animals behind them, they went along the hillside for almost a quarter of a mile before she stopped. Scott came up beside her.
"Here," she said and pointed to a gradual incline.
Scott looked back over his shoulder and realized the cliff had turned and this way would be quite easy. When he saw her start down the path he called, "Wait." She came back to him with a questioning expression. He smiled. "I need to call my brother and tell him where we're going." Her expression told him she did not understand and he smiled and held up the radio then said, "Wait." He lifted the radio and keyed it. "Portable two to base."
The reply was instant. "Base. Where are you?"
"Beyond the back forty from what I can tell," Scott said with a frown as his gaze slid around the area.
"Find anything?"
"Yeah, at the bottom of a two hundred foot gorge."
"Oh hell. What are you going to do?"
"We're going down there. Sidney showed me an easy way to get down.
I doubt I'll be able to get out while we're down there though." He looked over his shoulder. "I've left the truck just beyond the end of fire lane forty-four, in the preserve. We're about half a mile east of that then a quarter-mile north along the rim is the path we're about to take."
"Got it. How much time do you want?"
"Give me at least three hours or maybe a little more," Scott relayed after keying the radio. "I don't know how long it's going to take to get down there. The path is gradual and winding then we have to backtrack about a quarter of a mile over the rock bed."
"Ok. It's just after nine. You got the animals with you?"
"Yes."
"Ok. Be careful Scott."
"I will. See you in a few. Portable two clear."
"Base clear."
Scott clipped the radio to his belt then looked down at the upturned face to see a smile.
Sidney looked at the radio then grinned. "Ten-four."
Scott laughed then nodded. “Ten-four." Evidently she'd had some kind of contact with a radio, most likely CB. He smiled. "Ready to go?"
She nodded then turned and started down the path again with Scott right behind her.
The path was a gradual one that wove along the hillside much like a switchback. It seemed well traveled. But, by what? Scott had no idea what kind of animals lived in the preserve. He glanced over his shoulder to see the coyote and bear a few yards behind him and he smiled. If they encountered anything in the gorge, they would be well-protected. Or, to be more precise, Sidney would be. They reached the end of the trail forty-five minutes later. Scott looked up at the sheer cliffs and then looked south. The going would not be easy. The gorge floor was littered with rocks of all shapes and sizes. He looked down at Sidney's bare feet and wondered how she was going to fare on the rocks. He saw her smile and returned it.
“Ready to go?” she asked then looked back at the coyote and bear. She emitted a throaty cry and the coyote came forward. Sidney stroked its fur then emitted another cry that sounded something like a warbled yip and the coyote moved forward down the ravine.
Scott thought the animal looked a lot like a point man. As they moved along the bottom of the gorge he watched Sidney go from rock to rock and realized she had done this many times. He followed her path and found the going quite easy. When he heard the coyote emit a low, throaty growl he looked up to see Sidney stop.
"Wait," she said quietly.
Scott stopped a few steps behind the girl and looked at the coyote to see the hair on the back of its neck was standing straight up and it seemed to be looking at something in the rocks ahead. Moments later the animal released a piercing growl and leaped forward. When it came up with a snake in its mouth Scott's eyes shot to full width. He watched the coyote shake the snake then throw it to the side and Scott saw the motionless reptile land on top of a large flat rock twenty feet away. Although it was not a rattlesnake Scott realized the coyote was taking no chances. When he saw the animal look back at them and heard a soft yip before it moved forward again Scott realized the coyote was protecting them. He looked down at the tiny blonde when she turned and looked up at him.
"It's ok," she smiled and was off again.
Less than twenty minutes later the coyote stopped and dropped to its haunches. Scott saw the blue backpack a few feet ahead of the animal and realized they had arrived at their destination. When Sidney stopped by the blue backpack Scott came up beside her and looked at the twisted mass of bones.
"Daddy is still sleeping," she said quietly before she took several more steps and stopped at the red backpack. "Mommy is still sleeping too."
Scott wanted to pick Sidney up and give her a tender hug but he did not think she would understand why and he was sure the coyote and bear wouldn’t either. He looked at the backpacks. Could there be something in them that told him their names? He knew the rules of the mountains were that hikers always carry some form of ID. Had they followed that rule? Would the little girl even let him look in the backpacks. He had to try. "Sidney?"
She looked up at him.
He gestured to the blue backpack. "Can I look in your Daddy's backpack?"
She looked at the bones then nodded. "Daddy is sleeping so it’s ok."
Scott thought her words were coming easier now and wondered if it was because she had not had much reason to talk in five years. He squatted down by the backpack and unzipped it carefully. After pulling out a jacket and a pair of gloves Scott found several days of rations and a map book for hikers. No identification and there was nothing else in the main compartment. He opened the map book, found no name or address on the page it was designated for then leafed through it to a page that was dog eared. The map had several blue and red lines on it, each one marking a trail that was in this part of the mountains. But no writing of any kind. Scott stuffed the book back in then looked at the rations. They were generic rations and displayed no store logo. They also had a four year old expiration date. He put them back in then looked at the jacket and gloves. After checking the pockets of the jacket Scott put everything back into the backpack and zipped it up. He checked the outer pockets, found some very old gum, a box of waterproof matches, a pair of sunglasses and a receipt for the map book. He tried to read the store name on the receipt but it was too faded. Scott closed that pocket and went to the next only to find it empty. He checked the backpack for a nametag, found it and lifted the leather flap only to find it blank. Damn. Scott pulled the nametag paper out, turned it over and found a price tag. The backpack had cost $20 and was bought at Sears. No help there. He put the nametag paper back in and sighed before he straightened. He looked at the bones and the shreds of faded fabric that still shrouded parts of them then searched around the hip area for a wallet. "Sidney, does Daddy carry a wallet?"
She frowned for a moment before her hand went to her backside, where a wallet would be placed. She nodded.
Scott looked around the bones again but saw nothing that even closely resembled a wallet. "I don't see your Daddy's wallet."
Sidney smiled. "Before they went to sleep Daddy asked me to keep his wallet safe for him."
Scott smiled. "That's very nice of you Sidney. Where are you keeping it safe?"
"At my house." She pointed back toward the camp. "Show you?"
He shook his head. "Not yet." He looked at the red backpack. "Can I look in Mommy's backpack too?"
Sidney nodded then moved over to the next rock, stepping away from the other bones.
Scott went to the other backpack and knelt down, took a look at the hand that was still clutching the strap and sighed before he opened it. The second backpack contained pretty much the same thing except the map book was replaced by a romance novel. He checked the front and back covers for a name but found nothing.
"I took some of Mommy's shirts," Sidney admitted and tugged on the t-shirt she was wearing. She blinked innocently. "Do you think Mommy will be mad when she wakes up?"
Scott smiled at the innocence. "No, I'm sure she won't be mad."
That made the smile return.
Two bodies, two sets of bones, and no identities. Who were these people and how did they get here? "Sidney? Did Mommy and Daddy drive a car?"
She nodded. "A big red and white car."
"Where's the big red and white car?"
If there was an unattended car somewhere, certainly the sheriff's department would have discovered it before five years had passed. That would have generated a report and an investigation. He saw Sidney's gaze slide along the mountains as deep crevices furrowed her tiny forehead.
She looked around the mountains for several seconds before sighing softly. "I don't 'member," she said sadly.
He smiled. "That's ok. You are doing very well."
Her smile reappeared.
As Scott turned he saw something catch the sunlight and he looked down into the rocks. What was that? He reached down and picked up a locket that was dangling from a golden chain. It was a beautiful locket; simple yet elegant with tiny scrolls on the
front of the heart-shaped piece. He held it up. "Is this Mommy's locket?"
Sidney took a step closer and looked at it then nodded as a big smile curled her lips. "Yes."
Scott opened it to see two pictures. They were slightly faded but easily discernible. On one side was a man and a woman; a handsome couple, and they were smiling. On the other side was a little boy and girl and Scott's eyes shot to full width. He recognized the little girl as a younger Sidney. "Sidney? Do you have a brother?"
The little girl sighed softly. "He went away," she said simply. "Mommy and Daddy said he had to go to sleep and would sleep for a really long time."
He looked at the picture and guessed the children were maybe four and five, the boy being the oldest. "How old was your brother when he went away?"
She held up five fingers.
Scott nodded and looked at the picture again then closed the locket and smiled at the innocent eyes. "We should take this and keep it safe for Mommy, don't you think?"
Sidney looked down at the bones then smiled and nodded. "Mommy would like that."
Scott considered ways of getting the bones out of the gorge but there was no way of doing that now or maybe ever, without disturbing them. He looked at the little girl. "Shall we go and let Mommy and Daddy sleep?"
She looked down at them and nodded then turned and looked at the coyote who was only a few feet way. She emitted a soft gurgling cry and the coyote moved past them and took the point again.
After one more look at the skeletons, Scott tucked the locket into his jeans pocket and followed the little girl back along the same path. How was he going to find out if the sheriff's department had discovered a big red and white car in one of the mountaintop parking lots in the last five years without raising suspicions or questions? How was he going to get these people up out of this gorge and buried without raising suspicions? How was he going to handle it when Sidney showed him her Daddy's wallet and he learned who they were? Did she have relatives somewhere? Was there family who had been searching for them? Why hadn't the sheriff discovered a car? Why hadn't the bodies been discovered? So many questions. Scott knew if he contacted the sheriff they would all be answered but what would happen to Sidney? He looked at the little girl that was moving along the rocks. He had to think of her first. The rest would come later.
It was just over an hour before they reached the top of the hill and Scott pulled the radio from his belt and keyed it. "Portable Two to base."
"There you are. You're late."
"Sorry," Scott said and glanced at his watch and realized they were almost thirty minutes late. "We got a little tied up down there going through a couple of backpacks."
"Find anything?"
"Not a thing."
"You coming back to camp now?"
"Yeah. We're still a quarter-mile from the truck. I'll keep the radio on and let you know when we get back to the truck."
"Ok. Base clear."
"Portable Two clear." He returned the radio to his belt and looked at the innocent blue eyes then grinned. "Ten-Four."
The grin was returned. "Ten-Four."
Together they hiked along the hillside in silence, reaching the truck in record time.
To Scott's surprise, the coyote and bear leaped into the back of the truck without instruction and settled down, seemingly happy to get a ride back to civilization. Scott pulled the radio from his belt and keyed it.
"Portable Two to base."
"Base."
"We're back at the truck. Should be home in thirty minutes or so."
"Roger. See you then. Base clear."
"Portable Two clear."
He shut the tailgate then opened the passenger door and watched Sidney climb inside. Scott buckled her in before he closed her door and locked it then went around to the driver's side. He laid the radio on the dashboard, slid the key into the ignition then buckled his seatbelt and met the blue gaze. "Ready to go?"
She grinned. "Ready to go." She swiveled her head and looked through the back window and said, "Hang on fellas," in the same tone he had used earlier.
Scott laughed then started the truck, gave his cargo a quick glance then turned the truck around and they headed back up the dirt road and out of the preserve.
It was just before they reached the logging road when Sidney spoke. "Scott?"
"Yes Sidney?"
"Mommy and Daddy aren't going to wake up are they."
Scott Lyndon felt a chill careen through him. Oh how sorry he felt for this innocent child. He could not lie to her, not when he had come so far in reaching her. "No Sidney," he said gently. "Your Mommy and Daddy are going to sleep for a really long time."
She sighed heavily then looked out the window. "They went to sleep like Sammie did."
"Was Sammie your brother?"
She nodded.
Scott had the urge to stop the truck and hug the little girl but chased the desire away, even if her guardians were at a safe distance. "Yes Sidney," he said gently. "They went to sleep like Sammie did." He heard her sigh and his heart went out to the little blonde haired girl that had no family. Scott Lyndon decided he had to try to find any family she might have. He would just have to find a way to do it and protect her at the same time.
When Scott pulled the truck into camp he eased it to a stop at the end of the cabin and turned off the engine. Sidney had been very quiet and had kept her gaze out the window during the entire trip back. "Sidney?"
She swiveled her head and looked at him.
He searched her face for tears. "Are you ok?"
She smiled and nodded.
Scott wasn't so sure about that but he took her word for it and grabbed the radio then slid out of the truck. He opened the tailgate on the way around the truck; unbuckled Sidney's seatbelt then stood back as she hopped to the ground. As he closed the door he reached into his pocket and pulled out the locket and held it out in his hand.
Sidney looked at it then looked up at him. "Will you keep Mommy's locket safe for me?"
He smiled. "Yes, I will."
She looked at the coyote and bear who were now on the ground nearby then looked back at the man in front of her. She gave him a gentle smile that was followed by an angelic "Thank you" then turned and after emitting a gurgling cry, took off on a dead run toward the underbrush with the coyote and bear at her heels.
Scott sighed then turned to see his brother standing on the office porch.
"Looks like you made some headway."
"Yeah." Scott looked back at where the trio had disappeared. "I feel so sorry for that little girl." He went into the office behind his brother and sank to a chair then looked down at the locket he was still holding.
"What do you have there?"
"This is a locket I found by her Mother's skeleton," he relayed and held it up. "Sidney told me they've been down there five years."
"Five years?" Steve cried. He took the locket and, opening it, looked at the two photos inside. "That little girl has run wild in these hills for five damned years?"
Scott nodded. "She said she's been here five winters."
"How in the hell did she survive?"
"She said she sleeps with the bear and the coyote visits her. Evidently she stores food somehow then eats that during the winter."
"That kid has more guts than anyone I know."
"Tell me about it.” Scott relayed what they'd found in the gorge and how he'd found no ID in either backpack. "She said they came in a big red and white car." He frowned. "You'd think if the sheriff found a big red and white car that he'd have started an investigation."
"You'd think so. If they found it."
"Well these people had to live someplace. Sidney said she had a brother Sammie but he had died when he was five. He had to have been buried."
"What do you plan on doing?"
"I want to try to find out if she has any family."
"That'll bring the sheriff."
"I know. But I think I know of a way to get the ball rolling and sti
ll protect her."
"How?"
"Report that I found those two skeletons."
"Might work. But what if the sheriff finds out they had a little girl with them?"
"I don't know. I guess I'll have to cross that bridge when I get there."
"What are you going to do about Sidney?"
Scott smiled. "Well, the first thing I'm going to do is get that kid some jeans. She said she had taken some of her Mommy's t-shirts and that's all she has on."
Steve chuckled. "I guess we need to take a trip into town."