JJ rocked from side to side, whimpering.  Beads of perspiration shone on her face and strands of hair stuck to her skin as her head swung back and forth.  With hands palms-up beside her shoulders and feet flailing about, her face contorted in that grotesque way of a sleeper struggling to cry out in the midst of a nightmare.  Her movements were rapidly escalating into a crescendo when a jagged streak of lightning sliced through the sky within view of the bedroom, followed almost immediately by a deep rolling clap of thunder that shook the house and rattled windows.

She bolted upright and sat cringing, the bedding twisted firmly between her fingers and drawn up tightly under her chin, her face reflecting utter horror, as if she were still living in her nightmare.  Slowly she closed her eyes and forced her breathing to return to normal.  At length she sank back down, trying to relax her muscles.  Within seconds, panic rose within her and she tossed the covers back and sat up, swinging her legs over the side.  Just as her left foot brushed the floor, she heard a thumping sound.

She froze and held her breath, listening.  When there was no further sound, she decided it was her imagination and put her foot firmly on the floor.  She stood and stretched, then heard a scraping sound followed by a thump, only this time she felt the vibration in the floor, close by.  She glanced at the clock.  Two-fifteen in the morning.  Why would he be under her house?

Strange.  The question of who never entered her mind, she knew.  She started to cower back on the bed, but caught herself.  Why should she fear letting him know she was awake?  No, it was time for him to feel uncomfortable.  She deliberately shifted her step to put her weight on just the right board, making the characteristic squeak of old wood rubbing against rusted nails.  She walked heavier than usual, hitting every loose board on her way to the kitchen.

JJ turned the faucet on to the loudest flow, filled her kettle and clanged it firmly on the burner.  She deliberately made every conceivable noise while keeping focused on any sounds that might come from under the house.  She instinctively knew he was still there.  When the kettle whistled, she dropped in a bag of chamomile tea and sat at the kitchen table, letting it steep.  From her vantage point, she could see the handlebars gleam in the light emanating from the kitchen window.  The sky lit up with lightening, allowing her full view of the bike, one bike only.  He was alone.  Thunder rumbled through the house once again, then the large drops began to splat, the kind that left silver dollar size drops on the sidewalk and could hurt when they hit you.  She imagined they would especially hurt if you were traveling on a motorcycle.  The thought made her smile, but it was fleeting.

She sipped her tea slowly, not sure whether she was prolonging what she hoped was his agony or postponing returning to sleep and possibly resuming the nightmare.  At least she now knew the connection.

*   *   *   *  *

JJ drove through Hollingsworth campground, heading for the gorge.  There were a number of campsites there that afforded more privacy than the others.  She felt sure that was where the bikers would be.  The turnoff to them was narrow, nearly hidden among the trees and tall bushes.  It was so private that, unless you knew the sites were there, you could miss them altogether.  The gorge also had a small stream running through it, making those sites the most sought-after in the park.

She came through one particularly narrow bend where branches brushed the sides of her truck and the first motorcycle came into view.  She slowed even more until she spotted his bike.   Somehow she’d known he would be in that particular site.  It was separated from the others by boulders.

“Good morning,” she said, hopping out of the truck.  She reached back in the cab and pulled out a thermos and a couple of cups.  He accepted the cup without a word, apparently too startled to speak.  “You had a rather late night, so I thought you might need a strong cup of coffee,”  she continued, tossing a plastic bag of sugar packets and creamer cups at him.

Without a word he put a pack of sugar and one creamer in the cup and poured coffee.  JJ sat down on a lower jut of a rock and sipped her coffee, watching him.  He didn’t exactly squirm, but it was clear that she had the advantage.  She suppressed the urge to smile.  Gloating wasn’t going to help the situation.

“You don’t have anything to say?  I thought you would.  What’s the matter?  Didn’t you find what you were looking for last night?”

“No, as a matter of fact, I didn’t.”

“Well, I imagine it’s rather difficult, crawling around on your stomach in the dark.  Why not come back during the daylight hours.  You might have better success.”

“Sure, like you’d allow that.”

“I might, if you’re truly looking for something and not just trying to harass me.”

“And just why would you do that?” he asked, a look of genuine surprise coming into his eyes.

“Because I know the ranch was empty for a couple of years before the previous owner bought it and started raising alpacas and during that time it was a hangout for bikers.  Since you weren’t trying to scare me, it must be that you left something of value under the house.  After all, that was only about five years ago.”

“Well, aren’t you the detective.  I suppose you’ve told the local fuzz?”

“No.”

“No?  Why not?  I thought you’d be just dying for a way to get rid of me.”

“I am, but not for the reasons you think.  I just want you to come get whatever it is you left behind and clear out.”

“Aren’t you even interested in knowing what it is?”

“Normally I would be, but not in this instance.”

“Yeah.  All you care about is that I clear out.”  He tossed the remainder of his coffee out and slammed the cup hard on the ground by her feet.  “Well, I guess I found out what I wanted to know.  So, I’ll stop by this afternoon, pick up my ‘package’ and clear out.”

JJ snatched everything up and stalked over to the truck.  By the time she was ready to climb into the cab she was shaking with anger.

“So, you think you have it all figured out, don’t you?” she said, her voice low and filled with such fury that she saw shock in his face.  “You find out a few things and you’ve made yourself judge and jury.  You spoke of us all having veiled pasts.  Well, that’s true enough, but you seem to forget that veils can protect as well as conceal.”

“Yeah.  Protect the guilty.  What about the innocent?  I’ve nothing to be protected from.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.  You stand to be hurt more than anyone.”  JJ hopped up into the cab and started the truck, anger and fear surging through her.  She backed up to get back on the path and saw him in her rearview mirror.  She tromped on the gas and popped the clutch, spinning her tires and spewing gravel at him.