some fairly major improvements to allow him reasonable access. Once again it crossed his mind that this was something of a wild goose chase and probably a waste of time. But as soon as the thought occurred to him, he realized that that was pretty much all he had to do today: waste time. He relaxed and started to enjoy the hike and the day.
About a quarter of a mile from the gate, Ray could see some kind of structure off the road a hundred yards or so. There didn’t seem to be a driveway or any kind of path toward the structure, although there might be something on the other side of the cabin or whatever it was. The more Ray looked, the more it seemed like some kind of outbuilding, maybe used for storage. He decided to stay on the road, which curved, and see if maybe it went around to the other side of the building. Anyway, he felt better staying on the road than blazing his own trail through the trees.
Ray remained on the road. It did slowly curl around to the other side of the outbuilding, and once he got clear of that he could see a pretty good-sized cabin further along. Sticking with the road, he soon came upon a small road or driveway that looked like it led to the cabin. There was no gate and no indication of the address or who might own the cabin. He started up the driveway.
After a walk that probably seemed longer than it really was, Ray reached the cabin. While it was obviously very old and in need of some repairs, it was, at least from the outside, in surprisingly good shape. It was a large structure made of logs. The rustic nature of the original construction had allowed the building to maintain its condition, even though it looked like it had been many years since anyone had been here. He climbed the few steps up to the large wraparound porch. On his right, he saw numbers on the cabin: 405. The five was dangling, and looked like it would fall any minute, but there it was, proof that this was the old cabin once owned by Max’s dad. He felt like he’d just discovered a lost land or something.
Ray stood back and examined the outside of the cabin. It was an impressive structure—two-story, with an elegant design. The quality was obvious, even after being neglected all of this time. He was impressed.
He walked the length of the porch trying to look in through the windows, but they were all boarded up from the inside. The last person to leave this place wasn’t expecting to come back any time soon. Although he still felt like he was likely wasting his time, he was also intrigued by the mystery of the place. Not sure what he wanted to do next, he made some detailed notes and a new map of the location of the road, gate, and cabin.
The time had slipped by and it was now almost noon. Ray had spent several hours poking around and making his notes and diagram. Deciding that his next priority of the day was a nap, he settled on heading home. Walking back down the road everything was quiet, but he had an eerie feeling that he was being watched. He made up his mind that it was just the result of being out in a remote place and brushed it off. Normally when his instincts raised a red flag he heeded them, but who would be watching him up here?
He headed back home. The trip had been uneventful, and once home he enjoyed a long nap—a habit that had been his Saturday afternoon secret for some years now. He awoke at the sound of his phone. Slightly embarrassed that someone had caught him napping, he took his time picking up so he wouldn’t sound sleepy when he answered.
“Ray Pacheco, is that you?”
Ray hadn’t even said hello before the person started talking. “Yeah, this is Ray Pacheco. Who is this?”
“Pacheco, nobody wants you sticking your fucking nose in Sierra County business—if you’re smart you’ll find another place to retire. It could be real dangerous, got it asshole?”
“Max, is that you?”
Click.
What the hell was that about? Ray was used to some strange calls but seldom at home. His
About a quarter of a mile from the gate, Ray could see some kind of structure off the road a hundred yards or so. There didn’t seem to be a driveway or any kind of path toward the structure, although there might be something on the other side of the cabin or whatever it was. The more Ray looked, the more it seemed like some kind of outbuilding, maybe used for storage. He decided to stay on the road, which curved, and see if maybe it went around to the other side of the building. Anyway, he felt better staying on the road than blazing his own trail through the trees.
Ray remained on the road. It did slowly curl around to the other side of the outbuilding, and once he got clear of that he could see a pretty good-sized cabin further along. Sticking with the road, he soon came upon a small road or driveway that looked like it led to the cabin. There was no gate and no indication of the address or who might own the cabin. He started up the driveway.
After a walk that probably seemed longer than it really was, Ray reached the cabin. While it was obviously very old and in need of some repairs, it was, at least from the outside, in surprisingly good shape. It was a large structure made of logs. The rustic nature of the original construction had allowed the building to maintain its condition, even though it looked like it had been many years since anyone had been here. He climbed the few steps up to the large wraparound porch. On his right, he saw numbers on the cabin: 405. The five was dangling, and looked like it would fall any minute, but there it was, proof that this was the old cabin once owned by Max’s dad. He felt like he’d just discovered a lost land or something.
Ray stood back and examined the outside of the cabin. It was an impressive structure—two-story, with an elegant design. The quality was obvious, even after being neglected all of this time. He was impressed.
He walked the length of the porch trying to look in through the windows, but they were all boarded up from the inside. The last person to leave this place wasn’t expecting to come back any time soon. Although he still felt like he was likely wasting his time, he was also intrigued by the mystery of the place. Not sure what he wanted to do next, he made some detailed notes and a new map of the location of the road, gate, and cabin.
The time had slipped by and it was now almost noon. Ray had spent several hours poking around and making his notes and diagram. Deciding that his next priority of the day was a nap, he settled on heading home. Walking back down the road everything was quiet, but he had an eerie feeling that he was being watched. He made up his mind that it was just the result of being out in a remote place and brushed it off. Normally when his instincts raised a red flag he heeded them, but who would be watching him up here?
He headed back home. The trip had been uneventful, and once home he enjoyed a long nap—a habit that had been his Saturday afternoon secret for some years now. He awoke at the sound of his phone. Slightly embarrassed that someone had caught him napping, he took his time picking up so he wouldn’t sound sleepy when he answered.
“Ray Pacheco, is that you?”
Ray hadn’t even said hello before the person started talking. “Yeah, this is Ray Pacheco. Who is this?”
“Pacheco, nobody wants you sticking your fucking nose in Sierra County business—if you’re smart you’ll find another place to retire. It could be real dangerous, got it asshole?”
“Max, is that you?”
Click.
What the hell was that about? Ray was used to some strange calls but seldom at home. His
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