As Kelly drove toward Michael Grander’s home, Matt and Amy were camped deep in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. Daylight-wise, it was an hour earlier for them than it was in Ohio. Even with the holiday weekend, they had seen no one in over four hours. Matt knew the park well—it had been his favorite rock-climbing destination since he was a teenager. Particularly in the heat of the summer: the hard red rock, the sculpted riverbeds, the magic of timeless vistas—he loved it all. The sun seemed brighter, the sky larger. Perhaps the isolation erected a bridge to another dimension, he did not know.
It was not only because Amy was a fugitive that he had chosen a secluded spot to set up camp. When he was in nature, he disliked being around people. He felt there was something intrinsically incompatible about humanity and untouched beauty. When he fell asleep beside a gurgling stream with a million stars in the sky, he felt at one with the universe, and almost, but not quite, believed in God.
He had bought camping and rock-climbing equipment before they had entered the park, and plenty of other supplies. He was certain they had not been followed. Yet Kelly had spoken of the Acid Man with superstitious fear. Matt believed there could be another attack, and he wanted to see his enemy coming from far away. Of course, if he believed everything Kelly had to say, he was already sleeping with the devil.
Not today, though; Amy was her old self, even better. She refused to talk about what had happened in Susanville, but she showed no signs of lingering trauma. They had spent the first couple of hours becoming familiar with their gear and playing with Jimmy in a nearby stream. Matt had taken them to the exact spot he and Amy had visited almost
two years ago. He had thought the happy memories could be rekindled.
The afternoon was great. After playing with their son, and putting him down to rest, they made love on the bank of the stream, then dozed in the shade in each other’s arms. But he spent at least half the time awake, staring at her face.
And he thought about a lot of things while she slept.
When she awoke he told her he wanted to go rock climbing.
That evening. The two of them. Before it got dark.
Her eyes flashed with interest. That would be lovely, she said.