binoculars that Alex had bought for me. "See a lot more around water."
He nodded and flexed his legs a few times to stretch what were no doubt sore muscles from yesterday's hike. I added an incentive.
"I think there's a pool further up. We can stop and do a quick cleanup if you're interested. Just no hanky-panky.
Chances are we won't be alone for long."
107
A Forest of Corpses
by P. A. Brown
"I'll save the hanky-panky for tonight, then." And there was dark promise in his intense look. I got hard just thinking about it.
"Well, Sir," I said softly. "Let's get on the road so tonight comes sooner, why don't we? We have a long way to go today. I'd like to try for at least ten miles."
Our time was slow in the beginning. I knew Alex was probably stiff from his unfamiliar workout yesterday and face it, I was too. What with school and the demands of taking care of Alex and our home, I hadn't done as much hiking lately as I would have liked. We both needed to get our sea legs.
I paused frequently, ostensibly to scan the overhead limbs and nearby bushes for elusive birds, but also to give us both a break. At one point, I followed the chattering call of a mountain quail and found a female and her newly hatched brood. When I pointed them out to Alex he gave me a big dopey smile as a reward. Even hardened police detectives can be charmed by half a dozen one-ounce balls of fluff scurrying after their more sedate black and gray mom.
Ahead of us, golden sun streaked through a break in the trees. Dust motes and flying insects danced in the still air while nearby, something croaked. As the day lengthened and the heat mounted, cicadas began their electronic singing.
It wasn't long before I cracked open the bug lotion and we paused long enough to cover each other in the gel. My hair was plastered to my scalp. Even Alex had sweat collecting under his armpits and trickling down his face.
108
A Forest of Corpses
by P. A. Brown
"Almost there," I muttered when I heard the change in pitch from the steady whisper of moving water to our left.
"Want to head down?"
He nodded and I led the way downhill. A gangly, brown shape flew across our path, darting under a dense cluster of gray-green brush. Twigs rattled, then quieted as the rabbit passed. Then just as we started down again the most God awful scream rent the air.
We both froze, hearts trip hammering behind tense rib cages. The sound was not repeated. Belatedly, I realized what it was.
Alex started off the path toward the sound. "What the hell was that?"
"The rabbit. They scream like that."
"A rabbit? You're telling me that was a rabbit?"
"I know. It spooked me the first time I heard one. Thought some kid was being murdered. But trust me, it's nothing."
Alex came back, grumbling. I thought I caught something about cities being a whole lot safer. There the only thing screaming were people, and he knew how to deal with that.
It took us another twenty minutes to find the pool, a collection of water ranging from a few inches to several feet deep. It only took another five to get down to our skivvies and plunge in to the icy bath. I shuddered and braced myself to duck my head under, holding it for the count of ten, then lunged to the surface and shook myself like a dog. Alex did the same, gasping for breath when he came back out of the water. We ended up sitting side by side on a large boulder at the head of the pool, dangling bare feet in the water. Sun 109
A Forest of Corpses
by P. A. Brown
reached us through breaks in the leafy canopy. A faint breeze danced over our bare skin, cool at first, then as we dried it grew pleasantly warm. Across the pool a scattering of rushes and cattails swayed in the soft, gentle wind. A frog croaked and dragonflies buzzed the smooth surface in search of lunch.
Alex lay back on the rock, hands laced behind his head. His eyes were half closed.
I rolled onto my elbow to stare down at his sculptured chest with its dark, jutting nipples. When he
He nodded and flexed his legs a few times to stretch what were no doubt sore muscles from yesterday's hike. I added an incentive.
"I think there's a pool further up. We can stop and do a quick cleanup if you're interested. Just no hanky-panky.
Chances are we won't be alone for long."
107
A Forest of Corpses
by P. A. Brown
"I'll save the hanky-panky for tonight, then." And there was dark promise in his intense look. I got hard just thinking about it.
"Well, Sir," I said softly. "Let's get on the road so tonight comes sooner, why don't we? We have a long way to go today. I'd like to try for at least ten miles."
Our time was slow in the beginning. I knew Alex was probably stiff from his unfamiliar workout yesterday and face it, I was too. What with school and the demands of taking care of Alex and our home, I hadn't done as much hiking lately as I would have liked. We both needed to get our sea legs.
I paused frequently, ostensibly to scan the overhead limbs and nearby bushes for elusive birds, but also to give us both a break. At one point, I followed the chattering call of a mountain quail and found a female and her newly hatched brood. When I pointed them out to Alex he gave me a big dopey smile as a reward. Even hardened police detectives can be charmed by half a dozen one-ounce balls of fluff scurrying after their more sedate black and gray mom.
Ahead of us, golden sun streaked through a break in the trees. Dust motes and flying insects danced in the still air while nearby, something croaked. As the day lengthened and the heat mounted, cicadas began their electronic singing.
It wasn't long before I cracked open the bug lotion and we paused long enough to cover each other in the gel. My hair was plastered to my scalp. Even Alex had sweat collecting under his armpits and trickling down his face.
108
A Forest of Corpses
by P. A. Brown
"Almost there," I muttered when I heard the change in pitch from the steady whisper of moving water to our left.
"Want to head down?"
He nodded and I led the way downhill. A gangly, brown shape flew across our path, darting under a dense cluster of gray-green brush. Twigs rattled, then quieted as the rabbit passed. Then just as we started down again the most God awful scream rent the air.
We both froze, hearts trip hammering behind tense rib cages. The sound was not repeated. Belatedly, I realized what it was.
Alex started off the path toward the sound. "What the hell was that?"
"The rabbit. They scream like that."
"A rabbit? You're telling me that was a rabbit?"
"I know. It spooked me the first time I heard one. Thought some kid was being murdered. But trust me, it's nothing."
Alex came back, grumbling. I thought I caught something about cities being a whole lot safer. There the only thing screaming were people, and he knew how to deal with that.
It took us another twenty minutes to find the pool, a collection of water ranging from a few inches to several feet deep. It only took another five to get down to our skivvies and plunge in to the icy bath. I shuddered and braced myself to duck my head under, holding it for the count of ten, then lunged to the surface and shook myself like a dog. Alex did the same, gasping for breath when he came back out of the water. We ended up sitting side by side on a large boulder at the head of the pool, dangling bare feet in the water. Sun 109
A Forest of Corpses
by P. A. Brown
reached us through breaks in the leafy canopy. A faint breeze danced over our bare skin, cool at first, then as we dried it grew pleasantly warm. Across the pool a scattering of rushes and cattails swayed in the soft, gentle wind. A frog croaked and dragonflies buzzed the smooth surface in search of lunch.
Alex lay back on the rock, hands laced behind his head. His eyes were half closed.
I rolled onto my elbow to stare down at his sculptured chest with its dark, jutting nipples. When he
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