Voracious - Alice Henderson [21]
She cut him off. “This was not wildlife. This was a … thing. It specifically, methodically, went after me and this other guy.”
“Who?”
“Noah someone. I don’t know his last name. He went after the thing to lead it away.”
“You were in the backcountry with someone whose last name you don’t even know?”
“No,” she shook her head. “I don’t know him, he just pulled me out of the river and then the creature showed up and—”
“Wait … slow down.”
“Well, I’d never seen an animal like it before, but it was really smart. It was hunting us. Noah seemed to know what it was,” she went on, hoping the story would sound better if she filled it out more. “He went after it. And now I want to send a rescue for him.”
The ranger was just silent. He stared at the bandage on her head. “Nasty blow there.”
She touched it gingerly and then waved her hand, dismissing it. “It’ll heal. But Noah’s in real danger.”
The ranger remained silent.
“Well? Aren’t you going to do anything?” she demanded. “Radio somebody?”
“Are you saying you were caught in the flash flood?”
She nodded.
“Well, look, that thing was bad. It’s amazing you even got out. Just about every available person we’ve got is helping people who were caught in it.”
“Well, ‘just about every person’ must mean you have someone who can help.”
“Only for genuine emergencies.”
“This is an emergency!” she practically yelled.
The ranger crossed his arms. “Did you see the creature after you bumped your head?”
Madeline became flustered. “Well, yes, but I don’t see …” And then she did. She saw perfectly. He thought she imagined the whole thing.
Exasperated, she said, “It all really happened!” Looking down at herself in Noah’s clothes suddenly reaffirmed that.
“Look at these clothes. They’re huge on me!”
“So?”
“They’re Noah’s. He gave them to me before the thing attacked.”
“I see,” he responded.
But she could tell that he didn’t see.
“This guy Noah …” the ranger went on, then he trailed off. “Listen,” he said finally. “There are a lot of guys out there who’ll take advantage of you. Tell you a scary story to make you vulnerable.”
“It wasn’t like that!” she yelled. “He didn’t make this up, I saw it!”
“Are you sure?” he said, gesturing at her head and leaning over the counter with a condescending look. “That is quite a nasty blow.”
Madeline grew more and more frustrated. Forced herself to take a deep breath. Normally, rangers were so helpful, but this guy was pure aggravation. “Look. Regardless of whether or not you believe I was attacked by some thing, there is a guy named Noah out there, and he’s in danger.” She paused, her eyes falling to the registration book on the desk. “Please,” she asked, trying to hold back the anger she felt at that moment. “Could you just look in the book and at least see when Noah’s supposed to get back? Maybe he’s already overdue.”
The ranger remained still for a few moments, then shrugged. “If it’ll make you feel better,” he said.
“It will.”
“Okay.” He slid the book over toward himself. Scanned the first page of people who’d signed up for backcountry passes. Flipped backward. Scanned that page. Then the one before, and the one before, and the one before that. Then he went back over them again, and flipped even farther back. “I’m at three weeks ago now. No one named Noah has taken out a pass.”
She raised her eyebrows. “You’re sure?”
“No one. I can read, you know.”
She ignored the rude comment. “Could he have gone without one?”
“Well, that’s always possible. It’s illegal, you know, but there’s not someone standing guard at the trailhead or anything, if that’s what you mean.”
“I know,” she said, sighing. “Then I guess he didn’t get one.”
“Or he lied about his name.” He eyed her intently. “He might have lied to you, you know.”
She couldn’t believe this guy. “What kind of ranger are you, anyway? Don’t you even care?”
“Of course I care!” he responded, his tone softening. “I care that you might have gotten mixed up with the wrong sort of company.” He gestured at the book. “There’s no Noah in here, so I can