The Wilds

In the Rocky Mountains of Canada, roads can get treacherous in winter. Black ice, avalanches, and snowstorms weren’t unfamiliar to the rangers working in the area. Not to mention wildlife—bears, cougars, wolves and other animals could pose a threat. Especially during those long and cold winters where hunger drove animals into desperation. Admittedly, in recent years snow storms proved to be the biggest danger as they became increasingly unpredictable.

Jasper flicked on his blinking emergency lights as he pulled up behind a car that had gotten stuck in a snowdrift. Tourists he assumed—they didn’t even have winter tires. Clearly travelers unprepared for the storm that had hit hard yesterday. The snow had fallen so heavily he hadn’t even been able to see beyond the steps of his front porch just outside of his small hometown. This morning though the sky was clear, and the air was crisp as Jasper closed the door to his truck, flashlight, and snow scraper in hand.

The frost gathered on the windows of the vehicle was thick and probably would remain that way. The temperature was below freezing and being situated right in the valley, it was unlikely to get any warmer. Jasper scraped at the frost, slowly clearing away a big enough patch to take a look inside the vehicle. He cursed. Whoever was inside wasn’t moving. Jasper tried the lock, but the door was frozen shut. Running back to his truck he radioed back to the office.

Layla’s chipper voice came over the speaker, “What did you find Jay? Over.”

“Nothing good. Send me a tow truck and let the doc know we have a body,” he said, leaning against the steering wheel, “I’ll ah—”

He paused mid-sentence. One of the vehicle's taillights was smashed, and were those claw marks? Jasper dropped the radio and went to inspect the back of the vehicle, finding large gash marks, the metal torn like paper. It wasn’t unheard of for grizzly bears to be out of hibernation. The grain falling on the train tracks sometimes kept them up all year. He tugged his toque lower over his ears and looked for tracks but with the storm, Jasper couldn’t see any sign of an animal. From the radio Layla called out to him, “Damn it Jasper! Did you forget how to use a radio you—”

“Sorry darling, how long for the tow? Over.”

“At least an hour unless you want Oscar to send the kid out,” she said. He could picture her leaned back in her office chair; feet propped up on her desk. Probably wearing those ridiculous bunny slippers, she loved so much.

“Alright,” Jasper sighed, “Get the kid out here.”

Even with the kid—his name was Matthew—running the tow truck it still took the better part of the morning for Jasper to get the vehicle moved into the impound lot. Basically, a cage next to the station with a chain link fence and an extended roof. The body was moved to the morgue shortly after that and Jasper, in need of a fresh cup of coffee stomped his boots on the doormat of the small police station. Layla greeted him with a happy smile, fuzzy pink bunny slippers on her feet. It had been just the two of them on day shift ever since his father, Sheriff White, had suffered a heart attack about a month ago.

Grabbing his large mug from his desk Jasper shook his head, “Why is it that every time a dead body shows up you look like a kid on Christmas morning?”

“You exaggerate Jay! Anyway, you have a lunch visitor,” Layla informed him between bites of salad. Her fork indicating the diner across the street.

“Oh?” Jasper feigned surprise. The old man refused to take it lying down. With his mug of coffee in hand, he walked across the street to the dinner. After piling his heavy jacket and hat on one side of the red vinyl booth Jasper bumping knees with Jasper White Senior as he slid into the booth. The diner was fairly empty still, being a bit early for the lunch time crowd. Red booths lined one wood paneled wall while matching stools lined the long counter. A taxidermy beaver hung above the door and old historical photos covered the walls of the hallway that connected the diner to the only hotel in Edward River County.

Jasper took a sip of coffee, nodding thanks to the waitress as she set a club sandwich in from of him and a plate of steak and eggs in front of his father. The waitress, Tracy, gave his father a look, her lips pursed in disapproval. One of those ‘this is why you had a heart attack’ looks as he started cutting into the red meat.

Jasper, reorganizing his sandwich as he always did peeling apart the lettuce and tomato and lining it up on the triangles of toast. He said, “Don’t you worry about the Sheriff. He is a tough old turkey, the type you wouldn’t serve on Thanksgiving.”

His father grunted, “I missed your steaks Tracy but your turkey has always been dry.”

Tracy scoffed at the two men and went back into the kitchen of her diner. Each of them chuckled to one another, enjoying their lunch in silence for a few moments like they always used to before his heart attack. When the older man had finished half his eggs, the yolk leaking across the plate he set down his fork and knife, “Now son, about me returning... I think it is about time you take the captain's chair for real.”

Jasper dropped the french fry he had been holding, “What will you do then?”

“I’ll be... shuffling paperwork. Layla just passed her officers test. We can easily hire on a receptionist or admin assistant.”

“I suppose so,” Jasper said. Layla was like a sister to him but he was having a hard time picturing her backing him up in the field, gun in hand. She was always pestering him about getting out from behind the desk more often he admitted to himself as his thoughts suddenly interrupted by the person in question, dressed in a matching set of pink gloves and a toque. She slapped a photo down onto the table, a ring of coffee wetting the image.

“Another animal attack! I told you I heard wolves last night!” She exclaimed, breathing heavily and leaning back to sit on a red vinyl bar stool a few feet from the booth. Jasper pushed the photo of an animal carcass away from his lunch, slightly annoyed by the interruption. Layla lived and worked with Jasper, she could have easily waited until after his lunch break instead of rushing over just because someone’s dog had gotten killed-- Jasper sat back, “Now I get it. You told her first! That’s why she was grinning like a loon.”

Jaspers father shrugged, “Better get to it Sheriff.”

Shaking his head the younger man dressed, stacking his coffee mug, the photo, and his lunch on top of each other, “Taking this to go Tracy!”

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Written by Kelsey Reich on March 1/2021 in Ontario, Canada.