Niles Gule might be a vampire, but he could find joy in simple activities. His current adventure was one such joy. He had traveled with his partner, Mariella Cruz, from Baltimore to the wilds of northern California on the hunt for a serial rapist named Haldeman Berricks. Rumors told that Berricks had hidden himself away at a campground north of … well… pretty much everything, somewhere near Bluff Creek. The closest town with an airport was the booming metropolis of Hoopa (population 3,348). The pair of detectives had taken lodgings at the Klamath River Lodge which predominantly catered to the fishing, hunting, and hiking crowd, given its remote location on the banks of the Klamath River. The lodge was small and intimate and provided few amenities given its size. What it did offer was peace and quiet in a stunningly beautiful location for those who wanted to get away from it all.
Niles had learned that obtaining a rental car in that isolated locale was impossible. And so, to reach the Fish Lake Campground where Berricks was supposedly hiding, he’d rented a horse instead. Now, on a sparkling spring morning, he, Cruz, and Tuni the mare set off for the long climb to the campground. Because if the lodge was remote, the campground was close to unreachable.
Birds twittered and darted above Rt 96, bright yellow warblers, vibrant blue jays, and the always stalking hawks and eagles that soared far overhead in leisurely circles. The forest that crowded close to the road was a mixture of pine and deciduous trees that rustled pleasantly in the warm breeze. Butterflies flitted in the row of wildflowers that bordered the mowed section alongside the road. Bees hummed. Not a single car disturbed the tranquility.
Niles rode in relaxed style because Tuni didn’t possess an anxious bone in her body. The plump palomino sauntered along the side of the road with an easy stride, her ears flicking mostly to chase away flies, because little in the Klamath River valley existed to frighten her. Cruz sat behind Niles, clutching his waist, her chin on his shoulder.
“How are we going to bring Berricks back, assuming we catch him at the campground?” she asked.
Niles shrugged. “Personally, I think on the return trip, you and I ride and tote him behind us tied with the lead shank.”
“Sounds a bit medieval,” Cruz said.
Niles half twisted in the saddle. “Don’t you think our rapist deserves a little medieval justice?”
“Seven women that we know of so far,” Cruz murmured.
“Exactly.”
A small, paved road unmarked by any sign, shot off into the woods on their right. Niles tapped Tuni with his right heel and the mare dutifully turned. After a few strides, the path curved into the woods, and they began to climb. The need for equestrian transportation became obvious after venturing a few hundred yards along Bluff Creek Road because the paving gave way to a grass and dirt path that scrolled in switchbacks up a sharp cliff that rose above Bluff Creek. The first switchback brought them to the very edge of the cliff, granting them a panoramic view of the rocky creek below and the picturesque bridge that carried Rt 96 over the creek where it spilled into the Klamath River.
The path dove back into the woods for another hundred yards, followed by another switchback and a return to the cliff. Four more such zags brought them to the top of the ridge and a place where not too long ago a massive landslide had carried away a chunk of the cliff.
Niles reined in Tuni for a rest after the hard climb and sat gazing at the gash in the forested hill where the landslide had cut away many tons of stone and rock.
“I’m sure glad we weren’t here when that happened,” Cruz said as she gazed at the gray rocks that formed a chute down to the creek.
Niles grunted an affirmative. Then he nudged Tuni with his heels and the mare set off for the next rise in the trail. This took them deep into the forest which shifted to primarily pine. Spent needles cushioned Tuni’s hooves. The clop of her feet changed to a soft thump. The mare heaved a sigh as the temperatures mounted. Sweat formed on her neck. She plodded on.
At the top of the ridge, they encountered another trail marked as the Bluff Creek Trail. A sign indicated Fish Lake Campground could be found five miles to the right. Once again, Niles tapped Tuni’s side, and the mare obligingly turned.
The sun had shifted to their left shoulder. Eventually, they would lose it behind the higher ridge that ran almost due north/south to the west of them. The forest, meanwhile, had grown thick and mysterious. While occasional thinner patches of younger trees indicated that at one time the place at been logged, most of the trees were old and large. Their branches cut off the sunlight so that the trail drowsed in a murky green darkness. Birds still shrilled, mostly in warning of the horse and riders. Otherwise, not a sound could be heard from the vast reaches of empty wilderness that had swallowed Niles and Cruz alive.
Cruz’s arms clutched the vampire’s slim waist more tightly. “This place is starting to give me the creeps.”
Niles had not been keeping the best watch on their journey. Instead, he’d simply been enjoying the ride. The trail was clear enough that Tuni didn’t need much guidance. He merely tapped her occasionally to keep her moving or tugged on the reins to pull her head up when she wanted to graze on something tasty. At Cruz’s comment, he shook himself alert and peered around. Green darkness, barely penetrable, crowded around them.
“That’s because you’re a city girl,” he said to lighten her mood.
“And you’re a city vampire,” she shot back. “Try to deny this place gives you the willies.”
Niles swallowed. Okay, she was right. The dense woods could conceal almost anything. Mountain lions. Bears. Haldeman Berricks. Hell, half the population of Baltimore could have been hiding in those woods and remain unseen. They were as far off the beaten track as two people and a horse could travel. His hand tapped the silver hunting knife he wore on his hip. He consoled himself with the thought that Cruz carried her service pistol with her. He’d also thought to invest in a can of bear spray which sat in a small pack attached to the saddle along with their food and water supplies. Not that Niles had expected to need much in the way of supplies. He’d hoped they’d find Berricks and hightail it back to the lodge before sunset.
As Tuni’s footfalls continued, the mare more asleep than awake, Niles scanned the forest for threats. He assumed Tuni would sense danger even before he did, and her relaxed posture calmed him. And yet, he couldn’t argue with Cruz. The forest felt malevolent. Like it didn’t want them there.
After another twenty minutes of riding, Cruz murmured, “No bars.”
“Did you expect any this far into the wilderness?” Niles asked.
“No. But I don’t like it.”
Niles grunted in agreement. No question. Being alone in the sticks without the ability to call for help was unnerving.
“Don’t you feel it?” Cruz whispered. “I swear we’re being watched.”
Niles shivered. He didn’t possess the same instincts a human did, and yet he sensed as she did that something unpleasant lurked in the depths of the forest. He was struck by the same sensation he received when he neared another vampire. Yet that was unlikely. Vampires primarily hunted humans for food. The last place any of his brethren would lurk was deep in the wilds of northern California, not when a cornucopia of food sources abounded in Los Angeles.
“Knock it off,” he chided. “There’s no one for miles of this place.” And yet, he didn’t believe his own words.
The sense of isolation only grew stronger as they proceeded deeper into the mountains. The trail had flattened and straightened and now tended due north, tracking the ridgeline to their west. The forest continued unabated, not even a clearing now to indicate humans had ever been there. And the sense of being watched only increased with every step Tuni took.
By now, the mare had woken from her half daze. Her head was up and alert, her ears scanning for trouble. She rattled her mane and snorted as if uncomfortable. At one point she stopped, her ears slammed hard forward. Her body quivered.
“What is it?” Cruz whispered.
His hand edging towards the can of bear spray, Niles shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“What do we do if it’s a bear or lion?”
“Honestly, I’d rather it was a bear or a lion,” he responded. “Humans are the most dangerous predator of all, you know.”
“But what do we do?” she insisted.
Niles nudged Tuni to keep walking. She did and whatever had alerted her seemed to have faded away. He rummaged through his knowledge of bear lore.
“Depends on the type of bear,” he answered, thinking his talking would soothe her. “Grizzlies tend respect and fear humans. If we encounter one, we should make ourselves look as large as possible. Hold your arms out and I’ll do the same. We move away from it slowly. If it charges, we tell Tuni to book it. But given we’re mounted, I don’t think a bear would try to attack.”
“Reassuring,” Cruz murmured. She clutched him tighter.
Niles smiled and with his free hand, gave hers a squeeze where it gripped his stomach.
Another hour brought them to Fish Lake. The lake didn’t deserve its title. The pool of water was little more than a large pond covered in water hyacinth and weeds. As they approached, Niles reined in Tuni.
“Let’s dismount,” he said. “Leave Tuni here and go ahead on foot. Maybe we can sneak up on Berricks.”
With a gulp of dismay, Cruz nodded and slipped off the back of the horse. Niles dismounted and tied Tuni to a tree with the long lead, allowing her to graze on what little grew between the trunks of the soaring redwoods. Then, on stealthy toes, he headed towards the campground.
As he’d been warned by the folks back at the lodge, the campground was little more than a cleared spot between the trees with a view of the lake. A handful of picnic tables felt as if they’d been dropped from the sky. No other amenities were available.
At that time, the campground was virtually abandoned. As they moved cautiously towards its center, they spotted a single blue tent. Niles held his finger to his lips as he pointed. Cruz nodded. She gestured she’d wing left and for him to go right. He nodded and soundlessly slipped through the trees to circle around the tent.
Keeping his ears alert for the sounds of his partner’s movements, Niles edged around to approach the tent from the lake side while Cruz would approach from the forest side. The smell of woodsmoke indicated a campfire. Someone was home. Niles drew his knife.
Movement stirred inside the tent. A figure bowed under the flap then straightened and arched its back. When the man planted his hands on his hips to look around, he stared directly at Niles. The man froze. For two seconds, the pair stared at each other. The figure bolted.
“Cruz! Coming at you!” Niles shouted.
Berricks, because the long lean individual was indeed their quarry, darted away from Niles, headed for Cruz. Niles pelted after him.
Cruz stepped out from behind a tree, her pistol in her hands. “Stop! Police! Haldeman Berricks, you’re under arrest.”
Berricks didn’t even flinch. He barreled into her. His blow knocked her sideways and she fell. Berricks hauled ass into the woods.
Niles stutter-stepped when he reached Cruz. “You ok?” he asked.
Cruz rolled over in the leaves to shout at him. “Yes! Catch him before he gets away!”
Niles danced around her and raced off.
His fleet strides carried him into the woods on the trail of Berricks. The rapist was an equally fast individual, however. He ran like a gazelle uphill, zigzagging between the trees like a trained barrel racer. Fangs gritted, Niles gave chase.
Birds screeched in protest and squirrels bolted as the pair dashed desperately through the woods. Niles could smell the stench of Berrick’s body, unwashed after so many days in the wilderness. It filled his nose and his heart throbbed with hunting fervor. His eyes, normally a brilliant blue, shifted to yellow. Saliva filled his mouth.
Niles now hunted like a wolf running down its prey. His hunger gave his feet wings. He cut the distance between himself and his desperate quarry with every stride. When he was within reach, he leaped.
With a soaring of his outstretched body, Niles landed on Berricks’ back. They went down with a grunt, and a rolling battle through the pine needles ensued. Berricks kicked and fought, but Niles was tremendously strong. He forced Berricks beneath him and scrambled for his hands. When that didn’t work, he reared back and punched the man full in the face.
Few humans could withstand a vampire’s strength. Berricks’ head snapped and his eyes glazed. All the fight gushed from him with a whoosh of lost breath.
Niles lay atop the man, breathing hard, and fighting the instinct to sink his fangs into that thin, stringy neck. Berricks remained frozen, his eyes wide at the sight of a vampire’s grimace.
“Haldeman Berricks,” he panted. “Consider yourself under arrest.”
Berricks started. Surprise widened his gaze. “You’re kidding, right?”
Niles grunted as he shifted to his knees. “No. Normally, I’d haul out my Baltimore PD badge, but let’s just agree I’m police and leave it at that.”
“Baltimore?” Berricks blurted. “Well shit.”
Niles half laughed. He rose and dragged Berricks to his feet. “Never mess with Baltimore,” he growled.
An eerie howl soared through the trees. Both Niles and Berricks stiffened. As he grappled with Berricks to assure a strong grip on him, Niles darted looks around the forest. It had grown weirdly silent. Birds no longer sang. The chirp of insects had died away. A strange heaviness fell over the mountainside.
“What the hell was that?” Berricks squeaked.
“It wasn’t a mountain lion,” Niles replied.
A second call, closer than the first, echoed through the trees. It was a hollow sounding call, deeper than a coyote’s howl, too resonate to be a bear’s growl. It sent a thrill of terror along Niles’ nerves. When still another call, from the general direction of the first, repeated the signal, he gulped in fear.
He tugged on Berricks. “Let’s get out of here.”
Berricks didn’t argue. Stumbling ahead of Niles, he headed back towards the campground. As they neared it, Niles heard Cruz scream.
“Niles! Damnit! Niles!”
Niles shoved Berrick to hurry. When they stumbled into the campground, they found Cruz storming towards them, her pistol in hand.
“Niles!” she yelled in relief. “Some weird howl scared the horse. She broke her tether and took off!”
“Hell!” Niles complained. He shoved Berricks to a picnic table and ordered him to sit. Then he whirled around as yet another call came from the forest.
“What the hell is that?” Cruz demanded. Her eyes were wide and shining with fright.
Niles shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“What do we do?” Cruz was spinning around, pistol ready.
Niles considered the sky above. Between the pines, he could make out blue shifting to red. Sunset was imminent, arriving early due to the ridgeline to their west. “We’ll never walk out of here before dark and I don’t recommend following that trail at night.”
“No freaking way!” Cruz agreed. “I told you I sensed something in these woods. It’s out there and it’s hunting us.”
“Let’s not overreact,” the vampire complained. With a gritting of his teeth, Niles considered the tent. “I don’t think we have much choice, Mari. We’re bedding down in Berricks’ tent.
“Not with whatever’s howling out there!” Berricks complained. “It’s gonna kill us!”
“Shove it!” Niles and Cruz said together simultaneously.
“We wouldn’t be in this mess if you weren’t an asshole,” Niles said, glaring at Berricks.
Still another howl echoed through the woods, long and mournful. Cruz and Niles gathered near Berricks’ picnic table in fear.
“So what do we do?” Cruz asked. She pressed her back against his to keep watch on the darkening forest.
Niles considered. So far, whatever caused that howl hadn’t approached them. But that didn’t mean it wouldn’t grow braver once the sun had set.
“First, we secure Berricks.”
While Cruz cuffed their prisoner, Niles kept watch on the woods, given his was the best eyesight. “Next, we build up that fire.”
“I’m not hunting for firewood!” Cruz protested.
Niles gestured to the pistol. “No. I’ll do it. I can better defend myself from whatever’s producing those calls. You stay here and guard Berricks. If anything comes out of those woods that’s not me, shoot it.”
Cruz swallowed. Her eyes flashed with nervousness.
“Once I’ve got a good fire going,” Niles continued, “you and Berricks can sleep in the tent. I’ll keep watch for the night.”
Visibly fighting her fear, Cruz nodded. She prodded Berricks to head to the tent. He did so gratefully.
Niles waited until they were inside the slender safety it offered before he dared to venture to the edge of the woods to collect some firewood. When he broke off branches with a great crack, he heard something in the woods answer with a hollow knocking sound. Also fighting to swallow her terror, Niles collected an armload of wood and hastened back to the tent. Then he set the fire blazing, and accepting Cruz’s pistol from her, settled down to wait.
The night would be long and terrifying.
© 2022 Newmin