Martin looks at Nemeth. “You and I will take the endpoints.” They’re the fastest hikers, so that makes sense. He glances at Bob next. “You get one of the halfway downs, head northwest or southeast, I don’t care.”
Bob nods. Martin’s gaze goes to Luciana and Daisy, the next most qualified hikers.
Luciana’s already shaking her head. “No. Daisy needs to rest so she can be ready for the main event. We’ll hold down the fort. That’s it.”
Martin doesn’t love the news but surrenders to the realities of the cadaver dog’s limitations. That leaves him with myself and the three bachelor buddies. If we didn’t realize we were the B team before, we certainly know it now. If Nemeth and Martin were picking hiking teams on a mountain playground, we’d definitely be the last kids they tapped.
“Someone needs to hike to the opposite halfway-down point from Bob.”
Scott raises his hand. “I’ll do it.”
“No. You’re injured. Someone else.”
Neil speaks up. “I got it.”
Miggy grumbles briefly, but not too seriously. He and I suffered the most on yesterday’s hike in. We’re the logical fits to start searching from the middle. Which leaves Scott as the odd man out once again.
Marty doesn’t pretend to care. He waves a hand in Scott’s direction. “You can either assist one of them”—a vague gesture at Miguel and myself—“or remain with Luciana.”
“I can help search,” Scott states stubbornly. He eyes me, then moves closer to Miguel. I nod in understanding. At this stage, I might be the more comfortable pairing option, but best friends are best friends, and Scott is trying hard to rebuild a relationship with his.
We all rise to standing. My sore muscles, having stiffened up, scream in protest. Miggy, Neil, and Scott don’t look like they’re doing much better. But no one protests, even as Martin greets our muffled moans with a look of contempt.
“We only have a matter of days. You can do this.”
It’s delivered less as a reassurance, more as a command. It might just be me, but Martin seems to be turning into a bigger asshole by the minute. I can’t decide whether it’s the anxiety of being this close to discovering his only child’s remains, or if he just hates his son’s former groomsmen that much.
“If anyone spots anything of note, or gets into trouble, use your whistles,” Nemeth instructs. “Stay close to the cliff face and you can’t get lost. Also, pay attention to your footing. Easy enough to twist an ankle on these rocks. Oh, and don’t step on any snakes.”
“Snakes?” I freeze, mid backpack shrug.
“Don’t worry, they’re more scared of you than you are of them.”
“I sincerely doubt that.”
“Then you’ll be happy to know we don’t have much in the way of venomous snakes around here. Prairie rattlers don’t care for this elevation and most of the midget faded rattlesnakes live to the south.”
“Most?”
“Pay attention to your footing,” Nemeth repeats crisply. “You’ll be fine.”
I don’t feel fine. Rats and cockroaches I’ve learned to live with, given some of my housing options. Even tarantulas on occasion. But snakes. I’ve never been a fan of snakes.
I finish shouldering my pack, then we all follow Martin to our new base of operations.
Luciana and Daisy settle in near a circle of particularly large, flat boulders. Daisy is eyeing Luciana with clear expectation of something. Probably more treats.
Nemeth glances at his watch. “I want everyone back here in two hours. Got it? If you haven’t met up with a fellow searcher by then, mark where you are along the wall, then return. And no going too deep in any of the caves. You never know what kind of creature considers it home.”
Great, now I’m navigating boulders while keeping an eye out for snakes and creatures.
Apparently, that was Nemeth’s version of a pep talk, because without another word he turns and strides away. Martin immediately heads out in the opposite direction, his steps equally rapid. Watching the two men power effortlessly around and over the mounds of sand and rock, I realize for the first time how much they’ve adjusted their pace over the past two days to accommodate the rest of us. Which confirms that they are indeed superhuman.
Bob nods once at Neil, then takes off after Nemeth. Neil in turn heads out in Martin’s direction. Leaving me, Miggy, and Scott to work from the inside out.
“I’ll go left, you go right,” I offer, putting the two friends on the path that doesn’t intersect with Martin. They nod gratefully.