Delta's Dawn

could barely sleep last night.” As the jeep pulls out, she glances at the main house and notices Abby in the window, she waves before they leave. Oddly enough, she doesn’t see any sign of Daniel’s truck. No matter, today is going to be the first of many adventures to come.
“So, tell me, Zach, how many animals will we see today?” They chat for a few minutes as he goes into his speech while driving out of town. They are headed up towards the mountains.
“Western Montana is home to the most abundant wildlife in the United States, Ms. Richards.” He points out a herd of deer grazing in the meadow as they pass along the many miles of fencing. “The ranch’s varied landscape creates a perfect environment for prairie dogs, deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, wolves, coyote, beaver as well as the occasional bear and mountain lions.”
“Truly? Hopefully no bears, I’ve seen enough of those to last a lifetime. I do hope to get some pictures today, though not of the last two, thank you!” Turning to look at Zach with a laugh, “I promised my boys some pictures while I'm here. They're about your age,” she smiles as he nervously taps the steering wheel. After twenty more miles, she notes a sign that reads, Phillipsburg 12 miles.
“Really, you don’t look old enough to be my Mom,” he turns right down a dirt road made specifically for jeeps or trucks. They bounce along headed up a windy, rocky path into thick pine trees.
“Well, thank you,” she glances at the clock on the jeep and notices the time is eight fifteen. “Are we headed off road now?”
“I thought we would start at the National Forest, near Bear Lake. It's at an elevation of eight thousand feet.” He parks the jeep at the bottom of a gravel trail, and she glances around.
“Is that why it's so foggy?” She asks, and he nods.
“We're almost at the top of one of the smaller mountains. Just up this trail is an overlook. You're going to want to have your camera ready. As soon as the sun breaks through the clouds, it will burn off, and the view is remarkable.” Leaping from the jeep he tells her to leave her backpack and follow him. “Leave your coat, it's only about three hundred yards straight up this path.”
Delta grabs her leash and camera from her purple monogrammed backpack and laughs at Sasha’s excitement.
She slams the door and follows him up the gravelly path. They walk about ten minutes when Zach stops and pats his pocket. “I forgot my camera. Delta, you just keep walking up this path, and I'll be right back. Don't stop, I don't want you to miss this,” he grins and jogs back down the path before she can stop him.
“Okay then.” She continues up the path excited to capture this on film. It is forty-five degrees on top of the mountain, and she wishes she had brought her coat. “Keep moving, when the sun comes out it should warm up.”
Zach runs down the path and swears as he jumps back into the jeep and starts it. He quickly turns the jeep around and tears off throwing gravel behind him. He grabs his cell phone and punches the number in, waiting for her to answer.
“It's done. You owe me big time, Mel. I'm going to work.” He hangs up feeling bad, but confident that they will get to Delta before dark. He wonders how long before she realizes he isn't coming back?
Ten minutes later, Sasha stops walking and turns her head back, giving a soft woof. “What?” Delta slows down and looks back down the path. A beam of sunlight breaks through the cloud and strikes the ground, causing Delta to gasp with excitement. “Come on, Sasha! I don't want to miss it.” She jogs the rest of the way up the path, stopping when the trail ends on a rocky cliff.
“Magnificent,” she sighs and forgets her camera for a second. Though still foggy, it's quickly burning off, leaving the view of rolling green hills, with rivers snaking through them in the valley below. Patches of bright green pine trees are sprinkled throughout the snow-capped mountains providing a surreal landscape.
“Oh,” she quickly begins snapping pictures before she shivers in the cold air surrounding her. Now that she isn't hiking, the cold starts to make its presence known. She glances down the path, looking for Zach, but doesn't see him.
“I hope he's all right,” she mutters. Glancing at her watch, she realizes he's been gone over twenty minutes now. An uneasy feeling begins to sink in, and Sasha is straining on her leash, pulling at her to go back down the path.
“Seek, Sasha,” she orders. They walk carefully down the rocky path back to where the jeep should be. Out of breath from the elevation and exercise, Delta swears.
“Shit! He left us. Why would he leave?” Delta paces and glances around nervously. “I don’t even have my backpack or phone!” Sasha wines and paces alongside her.
“He must have had an emergency, surely he will come back soon or send someone back for us.” Delta is cussing an hour later and struggling not to cry. She stomps back up the path to the overlook, to get her bearings. In the distance, she can see single lane roads snaking up the side of the mountain and off to the left something that looks like tan hills, and buildings. “If I head back down the path, we should cross the main road we were driving on.” She remembers seeing a sign for Phillipsburg twenty minutes up that road.
“Let’s go, Sasha. Good thing I wore my hiking boots.” Delta lifts her chin to the sky above and yells, “Adventures suck!”
Daniel is frustrated when Delta doesn’t show up for her appointed time. “Good Morning, Mel, has Ms. Richards