Searching

The next morning, feeling refreshed, the doctor gets directions for the nearest diner… with some name he doesn't dare try to pronounce… and heads out that way. It's a pleasant half-hour drive through winding country roads, culminating in arrival at an intersection with maybe four buildings, one of which is the diner. It's obviously a ‘converted’ house… where they didn't do much remodeling beyond putting up a sign. The doctor goes in through the front door into a living room that's set up with a half-dozen small wooden tables and twice as many chairs… it's nice oak woodworking, but that's all the place has going for it. At least the food is good: Eggs, some kind of spicy sausage, and beer. The doctor stops at one of the other buildings as well, getting a hiking pack, dried foods for a few days, bottled water, iodine tablets, a cotton bathrobe, a tent, sleeping bag, some solar panels, a few portable phone chargers, bear spray, and some other supplies.

Benjamin then sets his GPS for the center of the area, and heads off. Again, it's a pleasant drive through hills, mountains, and forests… at least until the doctor runs out of road. Then it's a pleasant hike.

The doctor is finally at the center of the area at about noon. He eats, then takes the time to set up his tent and solar panels in a large clearing, collect stones for a fire ring, and collect deadwood for the fire. By evening, he has wood for a few days, and his base camp is complete. So he lights a fire, sets it up for a long slow burn, eats dinner, sets an alarm for midnight local time, and goes to bed without worry. At midnight, Benjamin gets up with his alarm just long enough to reload the fire for another long slow burn, and goes back to bed. He doesn't really expect anything: Large predators tend towards territorial, and there's a lycanthrope about: The only predator around big enough to even think about going after the doctor is the one they're doctor is after… but still, precautions are important sometimes.

In the morning, Dr. Beaux gets serious about searching. Using his phone, he maps out a route for the day: A spiral out from his base camp. He eats, and heads out following the path, looking for several things: Sources of water, decent shelter, and signs of human habitation: Cut wood, cleared areas, trenches, that kind of thing. Even a mindless animal needs water and shelter. For the third… if Angela has any time away from the madness, she'll do at least some human things. As all of the attacks are at night: There's fair reason to believe she's fine during the day… or just asleep, but hope springs eternal. Additionally, he plays music on his phone: That serves both to keep animals away (in the natural world, anything that doesn't care if something hears it is probably confident for a reason: As a result, animals stay away from any loud sounds they don't recognize, like the big band music the doctor currently favors) and attracts people (at least, those who aren't trying to avoid others).

On that first day of searching, the doctor finds a creek that wasn't on his map (which he marks for his own use of refilling his water) a few rabbits (for which he sets snares) and little else of note. Lots of trees, lots of hills, lots of rocks, lots of flowers, lots of walking… but nothing around the stream or anywhere else that would indicate Angela's presence.

So Dr. Benjamin Maddox Beaux goes back to camp a little before sunset, makes his fire, has a meal, sets his alarm, and goes to bed. He refreshes his fire at midnight, goes back to bed, and gets up in the morning to check his snares (and collect the rabbits for food) then continue the search. He keeps the routine up, slowly expanding the search spiral, and occasionally taking a day to refresh his stock of firewood.

At midnight of day four, the good doctor catches a glint of eyes at the edge of the circle of fire when he refreshes the flames. He chooses to ignore them, but takes them as a good sign. The night of day five is uneventful, but the eyes are back on night six… and seven, and eight.

Then comes the morning of day nine….