Primal Threat - Earl Emerson [20]
“Uh, I think they might not want to be grilling steaks with us,” Kasey said.
“Why not? We have way too much food.” Turning to Chuck, Jennifer bounced up and down and said, “Come on, honey. I think we should introduce ourselves. It’ll be fun.”
Chuck said, “Why not?”
Kasey watched Jennifer walk away in her tight pink shorts and white deck shoes, her astonishing legs long and sleek and tanned. She was about the only one in the group who didn’t know Zak Polanski was the reason they were here. When he looked back toward the camp, Fred was watching him watching her, so he winked, hoping Fred wasn’t going to tell Chuck later. Maybe he shouldn’t have brought the steroid brothers. On the other hand, as long as the Finnigans were along, nobody was going to mess with them, which would be a good thing once Zak and his group realized who had showered them with dust.
Zak was the first to spot them walking up the hill. They were having such a hard time, Zak wondered how he and his four friends had pedaled up the steep slope. Moments later the two were standing in front of the cyclists’ somewhat disorganized encampment trying to catch their breath. They looked like brother and sister. He was tall and thick through the neck and chest, blond and blue-eyed, with legs like tree trunks. A sheen of sweat glistened on his upper lip, and his muscle shirt was damp with it. She was a long-haired blonde, also with blue eyes, also somewhat thick, though attractive. Zak recognized her as one of Nadine’s friends. As Zak recalled, she’d played years of soccer, thus the legs and the lungs—she wasn’t breathing nearly as hard as her companion. Zak noticed that Muldaur had slipped into his thick Coke-bottle glasses and put his bicycle helmet back on, pulling it low on his forehead.
“Hi. I’m Jennifer Moore, and this is Chuck Finnigan. We’re camping just down the hill here.” Finnigan nodded but didn’t say anything. She gave a start when she noticed Zak. “Oh, hi, Zak. Funny running into you here.”
“Hello, Jennifer. What are you guys doing?”
“We’re just out for a lark.”
“Odd that you should end up right next to us, huh?”
“That is weird.”
Stephens, Morse, and Giancarlo stepped forward and shook hands with both of them while Zak busied himself with some bike gear.
Jennifer bit the inside of her cheek and said, “I guess we passed you kind of too fast earlier. Was that you guys?”
“I think it was,” said Muldaur, altering his voice and staring down at his lap. “I think maybe it was.”
Zak recognized Muldaur’s voice and demeanor as those of Hugh, an alter ego the lieutenant sometimes adopted around the fire station as a practical joke. Why he was playing Hugh now was a mystery, though.
Stephens and Morse, not realizing what he was up to, turned in unison and stared at Muldaur. Stephens turned back to the young woman and helped her with excuse making. “You were already going so fast when you came up on us, it was probably just best to keep going.”
“I got a ton of dust in my boogers,” said Muldaur. Again Morse and Stephens stared at Muldaur, who was now hiding his face in a towel.
“We’d like to make it up to you,” Jennifer said. “We’re putting some steaks on. We’ve got plenty. Why don’t you all come on down and meet the others?”
“Fine with me,” said Giancarlo, who was easily as large as Chuck Finnigan. Morse nodded, and so did Stephens. Zak said, “Sure.” Muldaur shrugged, his face still hidden in the towel.
“Are you planning to stay all night?” Morse asked.
“We thought we would,” said Jennifer. “We’ve got a campfire. It’ll be fun.”
“You’re not supposed to have a fire in these mountains,” said Zak. “You know about the fire alert, don’t you?”
Neither Jennifer nor Chuck replied.
“So you guys are just out here for the one night, or what?” Morse asked. “You have plans after that?”
“I really have no idea,” said Jennifer. “Do you know, honey?” She turned to Chuck.
“We follow Kasey, I guess.”
“Kasey’s here?” Zak said.
“Down the hill with the others.”
“How about we’ll be down in five minutes?” Stephens said.
“Sounds