Romancing the Tree Hugger - Copyright 2017 Linda Louis Rigsbee
Chapter 1
The shadows were growing long in the forest as Barrett Monroe headed back to the car. He had all the information he needed and was looking forward to a good night’s rest. It was probably a good thirty miles to a hotel. Uncle Del was waiting for a phone call but he hadn’t been able to get a signal for hours. He’d lived in northwest Arkansas for several years, but he’d never seen country as remote as the mountains in Madison County. It was like traveling back in time sixty years or more.
An ATV would have made his job less difficult, but he didn't want to attract attention. His permission to be on the land was in his pocket - a letter of consent - but he could easily run across someone who would shoot first and ask questions later. If he was going to continue this new line of work, he'd have to get used to that idea.
He’d been traveling one-lane dirt roads, winding around mountains all afternoon. In that time, he’d met few cars. As much as he enjoyed the wilderness, places like this made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. It wasn't because it was remote. He would have felt better if he had seen no indication of human presence. That hadn't been the case. The ATV tracks were well worn and they didn't branch out over the forest as they would if it were hunters looking for a good spot. They all ended up in one place - a hidden spot. It was hidden from aerial surveillance and anyone on the road but they had made no attempt to conceal the path leading there. This wasn't a place to be caught alone.
He had completed the observation. Now all he needed to do was report. So far he had not seen a person. The owner of the land was in Little Rock but it looked like someone was using his cabin. There were chickens free-ranging in the yard, but there were no vehicles. The roof was of rusted corrugated tin and there was an old leaning privy behind the house. He saw no indication of electricity. It would have to be a meager existence but it would provide shelter for someone without a home. He wasn't foolish enough to show up on their doorstep, but he'd let his boss know someone was using the cabin.
Autumn was in full swing and brilliant yellow hickory leaves contrasted with the deep red of sumac. Deep purple-blue chicory, orange-yellow brown-eyed Susan and delicate tickseed flowers all refused to submit to the chilly nights of the season. The forest was still alive and incredibly beautiful. Daytime temperatures were still comfortable, but it would be different after the sun set.