From the elevation of his campsite, and by standing at the ridge, Josh saw the detective fishing on the pier and knew he had plenty of time to do what needed to be done. He entered their site and intended to cause fear. That time, he planned to empty their cooler of food he would otherwise have to buy.
The sound of gravel crunching under tires caused Josh to take cover. He hid behind the tent then cautiously peeked around the side to see a black truck zoom by.
With the cooler emptied of all the food and his arms full, he carried the goods to his car and stashed everything in the trunk. Josh walked to the ridge and took his position on the log. Unnerving the detective and his woman would be fun for a while, but sooner or later, he’d get down to serious business. McCord had to pay, and any person or pet that got in Josh’s way would unfortunately be collateral damage.
A good hour had passed before the detective packed up his fishing gear and left the pier with the dog and his lady friend. Josh cracked his knuckles and laughed.
It won’t be long now. The detective is going to lose it when he sees that the cooler is empty.
Within minutes, the three of them rounded the curve in the road and walked the shoulder to their campsite. McCord placed his gear on the picnic table, unzipped the tent and looked in, then stood and gave the woman a thumbs-up.
Ha, just wait until you open the cooler. You won’t be so happy then.
Josh watched as they milled around the campsite. The detective tossed the Frisbee for the dog, who caught it in midair every time. The woman asked McCord something, he nodded, then she walked to the cooler.
“Here we go.” Josh chuckled with anticipation as he moved in as close as he dared.
His vantage point was perfect, and he had a bird’s-eye view. It was like watching an accident unfold—you couldn’t look away.
The woman unlatched the cooler, opened the lid, then stared into the void as if her mind was betraying her. She finally came to her senses and did a three-sixty, causing Josh to duck behind a bush, then yelled out to McCord.
“Jesse, the cooler is empty! What in God’s name is going on?”
Josh was fixated on the scene playing out in front of his eyes. The detective raced to the woman’s side and peered into the cooler. He kicked it and knocked it over, and what was left of the ice spilled out onto the ground. The detective yelled at the woman to stay put and then leapt into the vehicle with the dog at his side. Spinning tires threw dirt, and gravel sprayed out like exploding missiles as he tore down the road.
“That was definitely worth the risk. The question is, where the hell is McCord going now?”