Wildfire Read Free Page B

check it out tomorrow when she hiked down to the stream. If it was her poachers, she wanted to be safe and nab them in the light of day. At the very least, whoever it was would definitely receive a citation for an illegal campfire. That’s for damn sure!
    She was almost certain the smoke was coming from the area surrounding the environmental spill site that she and her crew had worked the year before. She knew the area well having spent weeks there in the aftermath of the accident.
    If the woods weren’t still wet from recent rainfall, she would be more concerned about a fire, but it was highly unlikely that anything would ignite. She decided this was a problem that could be handled in the morning as she pulled her arms tighter across her chest and took another sip of her cocoa.

Chapter 2

    Elaine awoke just as the sun crested Somerset Peak behind her to the east. It was late for her to start her day—she would have to set an alarm since the shadow of the mountain made sunrise artificially late and she couldn’t always depend on her internal clock to wake her. Filling her cup to the brim with coffee, she stepped out onto the deck. An appreciation for the strength of her coffee was lost on everyone else, but for her it was perfect. It was the only way to jumpstart her day. She looked back in the vicinity of where the smoke had been the night before and the morning sky was clear. Whoever had been there had probably pulled out by now. She took a sip from the steaming mug and sighed appreciatively. She usually had to get her coffee on the run in a travel cup. This morning she mindlessly fingered the ceramic cup with the chipped handle and appreciated the peace.
    While Elaine dressed she caught a glimpse of herself in her complete ranger’s uniform in the mirror and was reminded of why she had become a ranger. It wasn’t necessarily the uniform, although she felt a profound sense of pride when wearing it, especially now that she was captain, but it was more for what her uniform represented. The Cascades were in her blood. They had been here for thousands of years before her and they would continue to be here long after she was gone, but while she was alive, she would help to protect them from people who didn’t appreciate their majestic beauty.
    Elaine finished her second cup of coffee and set it gently in the sink. She chose to leave her rifle at the cabin and opted for her holster instead, attaching it firmly to her belt. She slung her pack over her shoulder, already filled with a towel, brush and bottled water and headed out the door into the crisp new day.
    There wasn’t much more than a deer trail leading down into the basin and she was thankful for the thickness of her uniform. The underbrush was still a little thin but it tore at her. This summer, hundreds of thousands of these acres would be a prime feeding ground for wildfire. Elaine knew that she should search for the campsite, but no evidence of fire in the morning made it likely the culprits were gone, so there was little urgency.
    The area where she had seen smoke was in the opposite direction of the spring. She had built up a slight perspiration and the fresh cold water was calling for her. She had been anticipating this swim since her arrival the evening before. She wanted to wash away all thoughts of the old and embrace the new.
    From the edge of a large boulder above the sparkling natural spring, she shed all of her clothing and plunged into the water. The cold was a welcome shock. After a few minutes her teeth quit chattering and the goose bumps faded from her nude body. She dunked her head in the water and as she came up for air she could feel all the worries and tension that she had been harboring wash away and with it the heaviness that she hadn’t even realized had been resting upon her.
    She spent several more minutes in the water before pulling herself up onto a rock to let the air dry her. The sun felt good on her naked body although the breeze