Chapter 2: The Mysterious Man In The Mountains

Emma.

I'd had enough of the wild animal attacks. Benny was injured and I knew I had to do something. My backpack was stuffed and detective Shaw would be meeting me later.

“Hello, Mr. Karl," I said, “I won't be coming in today. I've got a family dinner and all."

Mr Karl hummed, “Are you upset about yesterday? Look, Emma. One day you'll write the big headlines but now, you've just gotta stick to the articles and__”

"Yeah, I get the drill. I'm just busy, I'll drop by tomorrow with the articles, bye." I said all in one breath and hung up.

As I stepped outside, I could feel Mom’s eyes on me from the window. She hadn’t said much after I arrived from the hospital, but she was clearly worried.

As I reached the car, Alec was already there, leaning, his fingers absentmindedly playing with the onyx ring he always wore. That ring was the only thing we had left from our father.

He passed months after my birth. Alec didn’t talk much about him, but that ring meant something to him.

“Work?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as I tried to avoid eye contact.

“Yeah,” I lied, nodding as if I could convince myself, too.

Alec squinted at me. “You’re a little late. It’s afternoon already.”

“I just need to tidy a few things up at the office. Then I’ll head back,” I replied casually, opening the door to the car and tossing my backpack onto the passenger seat.

His eyes lingered on the bag. “What’s with the backpack?”

“Documents. Some basic Work stuff,” I shrugged, hoping he wouldn’t press further.

He smiled faintly, but his expression remained cautious. “Alright. Just be safe. We can go check on Benny later.”

“Don't worry, I'll drop by the clinic before I get to the press house." Alec nodded.

Once he stepped back from the car, I pulled out of the driveway, my heart doing a little dance. Of course I wasn’t going to the office. No. I was going to the mountain.

But first, I needed to see Benny.

“Emma!” Benny sat up in bed as soon as I entered the hospital room, her face lighting up in that familiar, cheerful way that made her look like she hadn’t just been hospitalized.

I forced a smile. The sight of her bruises and bandages still made me upset. “How are you feeling?”

“Oh, I’m fine!” Benny waved off my concern with a laugh, “It’s just a few scratches. I’ll be up and about in no time.”

“Benny, this isn’t a joke.” My voice cracked, betraying the calm front I was trying to keep. “You could’ve died. What happened out there?”

Her smile faded a little, and she leaned back against the pillows. “I didn’t see much. It was dark, but it looked like a dog. A really big dog. I was lucky I managed to get to the road before it could do any real damage. Some van picked me up and brought me right here.”

I sat down at the edge of her bed. “A dog?”

Benny shook her head. “I don’t know. A crazy mountain dog, a rottweiler. I'm glad it was just a few scratches.”

“Well, I am going there tonight,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Her eyes widened. “What? Are you out of your mind, Emma? It’s not safe!”

“I know it’s not safe, but someone has to figure out what’s going on. I can’t just sit around and do nothing.”

“Emma, you can’t just—”

“I’m not going alone,” I cut in. “I’ve got an officer who’s coming with me. It’s all arranged.”

Benny looked at me like I had completely lost it. “This is insane. What if something happens to you? Who’s going to tell your story when you’re the one getting dragged out of the woods?”

I forced a weak smile, trying to lighten the mood. “You’ll write it for me, won’t you?”

“Not funny.” Benny frowned, but I could tell she knew I was hell bent on this.

I stood up and gave her a hug. “I’ll be fine. Promise.”

But as I walked back to my car, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

“Detective Shaw,” I answered, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. He was my backup for this crazy plan.

“Emma, I’m sorry,” his voice came through the receiver. “I’ve been pulled onto a missing person case. I can’t make it to the mountain today.”

“What?” I froze, disappointed. “But we had a plan!”

“I know, but this is urgent. I’ll catch up with you as soon as I can. Just stay out of those woods, okay?”

I hung up without saying goodbye.

“Great!" I bit out.

No backup. No detective. Just me, alone. But I wasn’t about to back out now.

By the time I reached the edge of the forest leading up the mountain, it was dark.

Armed with just a camera, a notepad, a flashlight, and a pocket knife, I followed the trail into the woods. Suddenly, I heard a twig snap behind me. I froze.

“Who’s there?” I called out, my voice echoing through the trees. Silence.

Then came the growl. My flashlight trembled in my hand as I spun around, trying to see where it was coming from.

But before I could react, something slammed into me from behind, knocking the light out of my hand and knocking me down.

It was a wolf. A huge brown wolf.

“Arghhhh!" I screamed, scooting back, scrambling up in the dirt.

But a snarl ripped through the air and I froze. The wolf howled, its fangs glistening in the moonlight. Saliva dripped from its wide mouth, claws elongated.

My job. Benny. My family.

Terrified, I fumbled helplessly to pull out my pocket knife. But the wolf lunged at me.

I yelled, shutting my eyes and bracing for the pain. But it never came.

Out of nowhere, the creature was thrown off me with incredible force. I heard a rumble and a brutal groan.

A man stood between me and the creature. He moved faster than anything I’d ever seen. In a blur, he tackled the beast to the ground.

Frozen, all I were terrifying growls and snarls then the creature fled into the darkness with a whimper.

“Get up!” A deep baritone commanded, rough and angry.

I scrambled to my feet but my head spun, my vision darkened and my legs gave away just as I felt his strong arms wrap around me.