“Nah.” He turned to look at the sign. “There’s nothing to worry about today. I wasn’t followed here, and as far as I can tell, neither were you. And no one will be able to follow us on this hike without us noticing.”
“What a relief. That’sjustwhat I was fretting over,” Lynn said flatly.
Mike chuckled. “Do you think you’re up for it? The views are great, but the climb can be tedious.”
“I think I can hack it.”
They started on the trail and were quickly engulfed by the tall mountain forest. Everything seemed wet and lush. Ferns grew all around them and the tall trees filled her view.
As they walked, Mike caught her up on Lenny’s shenanigans. Lynn was happy to just listen; she needed her breath. The trail was mostly flat until about half a mile in. At that point, they crossed a creek, pausing to admire the view from the bridge, and then began a steady climb.
“I feel like I’m close to a breakthrough. It could come at any time, so I’m going to plant a bug on Lenny’s phone. I’m glad that he went away for the week so I can get supplies.”
Lynn didn’t like the sound of this. If Mike got caught planting a bug, Lenny might turn on him. She listened to him for another half mile before speaking up. “Lenny said that he’s working with the FBI, right?”
“Yes, I suspected it and he basically confirmed it.”
“Ah.” Lynn stopped to get a drink of water, and to admire the enormous trees around them. These were red cedars, she was sure of it. Some of the trees had to be six feet across. “Why don’t you just tell them that he’s lying? Tell them about the safe house, and your suspicions, and then they can investigate.”
He let out a sigh. “I considered it, but there’s no way to be sure that Lenny will come clean. Even if they watch him closely, they may not be able to figure out what he’s up to. I’m with him almost twenty-four hours a day and I haven’t figured it out yet.”
They started walking again, and Mike started going over what he’d seen so far with Lenny. He always used to do this – talk things over with her – and she always liked to listen.
Especially now. They left behind the lush forest with all of its waterfalls, and the trail turned to rocks. The climb continued – worsened, really, in Lynn’s breathless opinion.
Lynn was beyond any hopes of not breaking a sweat – the hike was strenuous. But the further they went, the more magnificent the views became. She looked out to her left at the sweeping scene beside her. There were thousands of trees dotting her view, and green peaks were off in the distance. If it were later in the year, she imagined that this was where the wildflowers might be.
She cleared her throat. “Perhaps you could use more resources, though, if you work with them.”
“No, I don’t think it’ll work.” He shook his head. “They’d tell me to get out of there immediately. Resources are good, but nothing can replace human intelligence. That’s the thing with some of the new recruits rolling in these days. They think you can do everything from a computer, but you can’t.”
“Kids these days, huh?”
Mike stopped, breaking into a smile. “I know, listen to me. When did I get old?”
She stared at him as he took a swig of water. He didn’t look old. Not to her. He was perfectly healthy – strong, muscular, tall. Despite talking throughout the most difficult parts of the hike, he had no trouble catching his breath.
It made Lynn feel a bit sheepish. Perhaps she needed to get that gym membership that her daughter was always on her about. “I wouldn’t call you old. But if you keep making comments like that, you’ll end up there in no time.”
He laughed. “How’re you doing? Are you tired?”
“I’m okay. It’s breathtaking, but you know. A challenge.”
“I know. I packed some things for when we reached the lake, but I could get some snacks out now if you’d like?”
Lynn shook her head. Although she’d lost her appetite that week with worry, seeing Mike helped to reset her. She wanted to wait and see what he’d packed. “I’m good, but thanks.”
They kept going, and just as Lynn was starting to doubt if she was going to make it, there was a break in the trees. The trail opened up, leading them to a wooden bridge that skirted the stunningly blue alpine lake.
Though there was snow on the ground, she wasn’t cold. Lynn had worked up quite a sweat.
“Are you cold?” Mike asked. “Here, take my coat.”
“No, I’m okay,” she said, unable to tear her eyes away from the scene in front of her. It gave her gooosebumps. The lake was surrounded by tall, vertical rock. In the distance, she could see another two waterfalls. “I’m just taking in the view.”
“Looks like a water bottle label, doesn’t it?”
She laughed. “Something like that.”
