Alive to Tell

Note:This should read as an obituary.

A young couple ventures far into the Arizona wilderness to discover new trails, incredible sunsets, and the myriad of wildlife surrounding them. Over forty miles off the barely beaten path they notice tire tracks ahead of them. Someone must be on the same trail...maybe they are mineral enthusiasts or photography buffs? The couple reaches a ridge where they see a looming mountain in front of them. Carved into the side of this peak is the remains of an old silver mine. Intrigued, the couple pushes on and climbs higher up the steep, rocky mountain road. They reach the top and park, hoping to hike around and get a better look at the mine. The young man inspects the trail and finds that the set of tire tracks that are not his own have kept going down the hill in the opposite direction. They assume the road doesn't end and move on to hike further up the mountain. Armed with no binoculars ( pistols or rifle) the couple maneuvers their telephoto lens on their camera to get a better look across the valley.
They spot this.The tire tracks did belong to another vehicle. However, judging by the mounds of scrap metal in the antique pick-up truck, it is safe to assume that they are neither bird watchers or hikers.
The couple watches the truck slowly make its way around a sharp bend in the road below them. They follow it through the lens of the camera as it stops near another mine shaft. Two men emerge from the vehicle, and the truck continues slowly down the hill.

Okay this is where I'm going to stop and be honest and brutal with my audience. Since we've arrived in Arizona we've almost been killed by a rattlesnake AND now we're about to witness each other's death in the middle of the desert by some crazed, drug addicted, family who are out in the dead heat of the summer (on a Sunday I might add) searching abandoned mine shafts for scrap metal. This could mean a lot of things. Heith and I decided to calm ourselves and think clearly...these people would obviously see us as soon as they turned the corner and we didn't want them to feel threatened by our presence. (No matter what they might be up to.) We decided it would be best to get back in the truck and follow the road. This is the part in the horror movie where you think you are safe...but oh no, Kubrick has something just around the CORNER for you where you end up CENSORED your pants.
We watched the truck turn around (obviously not finding what they wanted) and pick up the two men and then slowly, very slowly, make their climb up the hill.
We knew that from past experiences with crackheads and other narcotic enthusiasts, that money is a big issue. These people need money badly or else they would be at home in their 75 model travel trailer nestled under the A/C unit, sipping cold Bud Light. The temperature outside was over 110 degrees. They needed cash badly--to fight rattlesnakes and Gila monsters for scrap metal on a day like today, we figured they'd take our truck, cash, and possibly me before any questions were asked. Remember we were at least an hour from civilization. Another plus was the numerous amounts of open mine shafts and vent holes that our bodies could be conveniently deposited into, alleviating any evidence that we ever existed.
Our brains kicked into high gear and so did the four wheel drive. The road was treacherous, and our truck was at least 30 years newer than theirs. We knew we had to pick the right road and get out of sight just to avoid any confrontations with these "people". We set off down the hill and approach a fork in the road. I reach forward and uncoil the rosary hanging from our rear view and say several prayers asking for guidance to the quickest way out. I also wrote a note to my family, in case it was ever found telling them I do love them and to have me cremated.
We chose the road to the left. Just as we began to turn off, I looked over to the road at the right...and just like the perfect scene in the perfect slasher...the sun glimmered on something that made my skin crawl and my stomach churn. It was the windshield of the truck coming up the road. They obviously knew the roads well and knew they'd catch us if they took the short cut.
Chevrolet will receive a letter from me later this week on how much I appreciate the suspension and four wheel drive capabilities in a matter of life and death. Maybe I was overreacting? But you audience, what would you have done? So many times in this life we assume everything is safe...but is it better to be safe than sorry? Who are you to judge me?
Our truck brought us further down the road to where we had to cross a wash (for those back East, it's a dry creek bed that you can drive in unless it's monsoon season and suddenly you're SOL or up the creek literally without a paddle). We looked behind us and they were gone. We knew their truck couldn't go as fast as ours, so we had a few precious moments on our side to get down the road and find somewhere to hide the big heehaw wagon. (I figure go with a bit of comic relief to relieve the audience from all this building suspense, right?)
Heith was nervous, I could tell. Something wasn't right. Why are they following us? We saw their tracks in front of our truck so we knew they had already been down this road AND back out again. Whatever their reason, we didn't want to find out.
Heith found a turn off that held several Palo Verde trees that we could park the truck behind and watch them go by...if we could get to it fast enough. We pulled up the hill and as Heith put the truck in reverse, I saw them. It was too late, they knew where we were going...we pulled back out as they disappeared in a low spot in the road and we took off again. This time we found a road where we parked before they saw us. Our tracks going in and out of the previous turn would hopefully confuse them into thinking that's where we were. We sat in the truck, praying, sweat drenching our clothes.
We turned the diesel off and listened, only hearing our hearts beating louder in our heads. Finally we spotted the truck...it creeped past us and kept going! I will not reveal what the people looked like inside that truck, only that they were not the type "people" any of my audience has EVER seen.
I checked our cell phone, and no service. What else could make this horror movie any better? Heith peered around the corner to make sure they were out of sight and the big heehaw Chevy carried us up the mountain to safety. Once we knew we were far enough away, we stopped and got out. Heith checked the tire tracks and they belonged to "them"...mud tires on the back. What did they want? We'll never know if they saw us or not. I'm alive to tell this story, that is what matters.
Arizona is a place where the term, "wild west" still applies in so many ways. There are still gun fights down on the border towns and drug smuggling on old stagecoach roads. A little modern twist in this rugged, woolly atmosphere. This land is untamed, untouched and harbors so many ghosts from years past. Our history back East is very different from theirs of Arizona. The gold rush, the greed of the miners, the murders and massacres with the Indians, the boom towns, gunslingers, cowboys, cattle rustlers, and the pioneers.
There's still so much more to experience...around a campfire, late at night, near the old Belmont Mine!