"So, they’re headed for the mountains," Kevin said happily. "There are lots of things that could go wrong out in the wilderness, and it would look like an accident. It’s perfect!"

Robert had finally come to terms with what he and Kevin were about to do. He was NOT going to prison, no matter what!

When Robert heard Kevin’s enthusiastic comment, he simply replied, "Let’s just get this over with."

"What’s the matter man?" Kevin teased. "Don’t tell me you’re losing your nerve."

"I’m not losing my nerve; I just don’t get some sick thrill out of killing people," Robert replied curtly.

"Oh, but you will. Before you know it, this part of the job will be second nature," Kevin said with an evil grin.

The look on Kevin’s face, and the words he had just said sent a chill up Robert’s spine.

*****

Vanessa sat quietly holding Joe’s hand, watching contentedly, while he slept. Joe had fallen asleep a while ago, and Vanessa didn’t have the heart to wake him. As Frank took the exit that would lead them to the mountains, Joe started to stir. He opened his eyes to find a pair of beautiful blue-gray eyes staring at him.

"I love you," Joe whispered.

Vanessa felt her heart flutter. No matter how many times she had heard Joe say those words, she still melted each and every time.

"I love you too, sleepyhead," Vanessa replied with a giggle.

"I’m sorry," Joe said timidly. "I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you again. I really want this day to be perfect."

"Don’t be silly, Joe," Vanessa said seriously. "You had a rough day yesterday, you needed the rest. Besides, when I’m with you, every day is perfect."

Joe leaned over and sweetly kissed Vanessa, thinking how lucky he was that God had brought her into his life.

"Break it up you two, we’re here," Frank called to his brother and Vanessa.

Vanessa broke away from Joe, giggling. Joe however, was not laughing. ‘Man, I can’t catch a break. First, Mom caught us last night, and now Frank has messed things up!’

Joe was determined that he was going to spend some time alone with Vanessa; he just wasn’t sure how. He was certain that Frank would not let him out of his sight, and he had promised his brother that he would be careful.

‘Maybe I can get Callie or Chet to help me distract Frank,’ Joe thought, as he tried to come up with a plan. He really hadn’t thought about how; he would worry about that later.

Vanessa could tell that Joe was up to something; she just hoped it wouldn’t mean trouble.

****

"Relax, man. Everything is starting to fall into place," Kevin said as he pulled the car off the road. He had stopped the car about a quarter of a mile from the entrance to the park.

"Why are you stopping here?" Robert asked. "They just turned into the state park."

"Look," Kevin said pointing to his right.

Robert was amazed; they had a bird’s eye view of the entrance and the picnic area.

"All we have to do is watch and wait. When they go into the woods we’ll follow them. Joe Hardy will be a sitting duck," Kevin said as he loaded his gun.

*****

At Joe’s insistence, the group had decided to eat lunch after their nature hike. Chet and the girls watched curiously, as Frank and Joe loaded the non-perishable picnic items into a large canvas bag.

"What are you guys doing?" Chet asked, voicing the question that was on everyone’s mind.

"This is called a bear bag," Frank began. "It’s used to discourage bears from coming down from their mountain homes in search of food. Careless campers leave food and trash out, just inviting trouble. Bears have an incredible sense of smell, and they come down to find the source of the scent. They’re only doing what comes natural."

"We learned about these bags on our survival hike last spring," Joe replied. "The guide taught us a lot about black bears, and their habits. When you’re out camping or hiking, it’s a good idea to use the bear bags. It cuts down on the chance that you will come face to face with a hungry bear. The Adirondacks are home to several hundred black bears."

Frank was impressed; he hadn’t realized Joe had learned so much.

"I’m not sure I understand guys," Callie said questionably. "If a bear wants the food from the bag, won’t it just rip the bag apart?"

"It would if it could reach it," Frank replied as he pulled two very long lengths of rope from his backpack. "I’m going to climb this tree, and Joe’s going to toss the rope to me, after he secures it to one end of the bag. You see, the bag will be suspended between these two trees about twelve feet up, and at least four feet from each tree. That way, the bear can’t get to the food."

"Maybe we should give them a crash course in bear safety," Frank said as he looked at Joe.

"Why?" Chet asked. "Shouldn’t most bears be heading high into the mountains, preparing to hibernate?"

"Not black bears, Buddy," Frank replied. "They actually don’t hibernate; they only become dormant during the coldest part of winter."

"Oh," Chet said. "In that case, I’m all ears."

The little group stood listening intently to Frank and Joe.

"Don’t worry guys," Joe began, "black bear attacks are rare."

"Yeah, they are rare, but they do happen," Frank pointed out. "If a black bear feels threatened, or you surprise it, you might be attacked. They’re VERY territorial; after all, we’re roaming through their homes."

"Worst case scenario, if you are approached by a bear, DON’T RUN! They will chase you, and they can run up to thirty miles per hour," Joe stated.

"Is there anything else we can do?" Cassidy asked shyly.

"Well," Frank said, "the experts say if you are attacked by a bear, you should fight back. Punch it and kick it; anything you can do to hurt the bear. Black bears don’t like pain, and they run. You can also try yelling and waving your arms, this has also been known to frighten them away."

After completing the task of hanging the bear bag, and giving everyone some basic safety tips, Frank and Joe led their friend and girlfriends to the nature trail.

"Looks like it’s show time," Kevin said evilly as he watched Joe Hardy disappear into the woods.