Page 21 of Dead Air
“Shhh!” Chance’s thumb tapped his lip. “I’ll explain later, alright? This isn’t really the place either. What if Mama Bear comes back for a rematch?”
“I have a feeling we’ve scared her away for a while.”
“Maybe.” Chance gestured at the net they had left in the stream and their catch. “Let’s turn the rest loose and head back. It sounds like we have some work to do before we can eat.”
Niall’s excitement returned. He had made this meal so many times, it was one of his favorites and used ingredients that flourished around his cabin in the spring.
“I’m going to grill the rampsanduse them in a salad!” he said and cheered as he went to select the fish for their dinner. “I’ve got good news and bad news, friends,” he warned them, making Chance laugh as he gathered their fishing gear.
Five hours later, dinner had been a smashing success and Niall had finally enticed Chance to join him for a mealinsidehis cabin. Chance had explained that he had sensed that Niall didn’t like having people inside his cabin and was wary when anyone entered his personal space outside.
“You noticed?”
“When we first met those hikers and later at the creek with the deputies and Shelby, after things had cooled down from the shooting,” Chance said gently but Niall shrugged it off.
“It’s not a big deal. I’ve always been touchy about my personal space and a little claustrophobic.” That was true. Hedidn’t like being in crowds or in crowded spaces as a child and Niall didn’t want to ruin the mood or think about certain people.
Chance’s eyes clouded with worry. “Niall…I—” he started, then looked toward the door.
“What is it?” Niall leaned and listened carefully but he didn’t hear anything. He gave Chance a questioning look but his eyes had shut and he was so completely still, Niall wasn’t sure if he was breathing. “Chance?” he said loudly and gave him a shake.
“Yes!” Chance jumped and blinked at Niall. “Sorry. You said something that reminded me of a line from a song but I just couldn’t place it.”
“Are you sure? You looked sad or worried and then you…tuned out.”
“Sad? Why would I be sad? I’ve had a lovely day and tonight has been a dream,” Chance said softly, his voice lowering to a hypnotic rumble. He swept the hair away from Niall’s eyes and traced his cheek. “Listen to me, Niall.” He tipped Niall’s chin back and swept a hand over his eyes, making him drowsy.
“I’m listening,” Niall murmured, smiling at the heady rush of joy.
“Good. I want you to turn on your radio and take a relaxing bath. Will you do that for me?”
Niall nodded faintly. “I’ll turn on my radio and take a relaxing bath.”
“That’s a good boy. But don’t do anything naughty without me.” Chance stroked Niall’s cheek lovingly, lulling him deeper into giddy warmth.
“I won’t.”
“Take a relaxing bath and go to bed, sweet Niall. You’ll see me later.”
“I’ll see you later,” Niall repeated with a tipsy giggle.
“Don’t forget your music. Play your sassy tape.”
“Okay, I’ll go get it now.”
“Good boy,” Chance said, his voice fading as he disappeared into the shadow behind the door.
“It’s under my bed,” Niall recalled and went to get the tape player and start his bath water. He’d dance while he waited for it to heat up. “I wonder what Chance is up to tonight…”
Eleven
That wasn’t the elegant exit Cenn had planned and he regretted having to leave Niall so abruptly. But another monster had wandered into Cenn’s territory with treacherous intentions. He had committed a terrible deed and was going to frame Niall. Given that Cenn had inspired this unfortunate act, he felt obligated to remedy it.
With quick and brutal justice.
He had heard Niall’s name whispered into a phone, on the other side of the park. Within a few moments, Cenn had put together the horrible details of Steven Hyland’s plan, inspired by the recent deaths of Roger Tompkins and Buck Fulton. The fellow park ranger had killed his wife, Wanda, and was currently riding an ATV up the access trail toward the summit with her body tied to his back. An experienced hiker and weightlifter, Steven planned to ride as far up as he could without being detected, then carry her the rest of the way. He was going to leave her where Roger’s body had been found and had saved Niall’s and Albert Wallace’s contact information to her phone.
Steven and Wanda had visited the summit several times and had befriended Niall, often camping on his lawn so they couldenjoy meals together. There were even pictures of Niall and Wanda on her phone and Steven intended to use them as proof of an affair between the two. That was obviously not true but only a few people knew that Niall was queer and he had never explicitly said he wasn’t bisexual.
