Chapter 451

The caravan pulled into Red Rock Canyon.

The canyon was spectacular, averaging thirteen miles in width, and the south bank of the canyon was drier and warmer, with very little vegetation.

The north side was higher and the air was wetter, so there was more vegetation and it was more lush.

Luke and Walker talked it over and instead of going straight into the bottom of the canyon, they drove along the south bank of the canyon, a direction with less vegetation and flatter terrain, making it easier to drive and stand tall enough to observe the terrain inside the canyon.

The car didn’t drive fast, stopping and going, the two of them got out of the car from time to time to check and use binoculars to observe the terrain around them, to find the terrain that fit with the map.

The scenery along the way was beautiful, and occasionally you could see animals in the canyon, fire lizards, groundhogs, rattlesnakes, wild goats, and so on, with bald eagles skimming the sky.

With so many animals accompanying, Luke two people do not feel boring, but also really have a few points of travel feeling.

Luke glanced at his cell phone, the signal was very poor, otherwise he really wanted to video with his family, let them see this canyon full of wildness and roughness.

In the evening, the wind picked up a bit, and there was a “oooh ……” sound in the valley.

Seeing that it was getting dark, and the terrain in the distance was a little hard to see, the two of them found a place to camp with the wind at their backs.

Luke got out of the car, the scenery around them was beautiful, the view over the distant canyon was spectacular.

Walker looked at the sky, “We should make dinner, that damn chicken burger at lunch made my dentures hurt, can you understand that feeling?”

“No, I don’t need to understand.” Luke showed his big white teeth.

“I’m hungry now, and I’m sure the feeling should be the same.” Walker took a big gulp of beer.

“You’re right, what are we having for dinner?” Luke’s stomach was indeed hungry, and the lunch bit wasn’t even close to hunger.

“Barbecue! Is there anything better than barbecue at this point in time?”

“I agree, but can you eat roasted meat with your false teeth?”

“To be honest, the beef does seem a bit of a chore to eat, but I bought some lamb chops, that one has a much more tender texture, and I’ve just taken it out to defrost it.”

Luke raised his beer bottle and clinked it with him, “I’ll grill the charcoal.”

Walker nodded, “I’ll take care of the grill.”

Luke lifted the folding grill out of the RV, put in charcoal, an alcohol lamp, and lit it with a cassette burner, “I like the feel of this, we’re not just here to hunt for treasure, we’re here to travel as well.”

Walker agreed, “You’re right, in my opinion treasure hunting is an adventure trip, the process is more important than the result.

Whether we find the treasure or not, at least we enjoy the process.”

The charcoal was burned, Walker started to roast the meat, Luke sat on the folding recliner to drink beer and watch the scenery.

Soon the lamb was done, and Walker placed two servings of quick-heating spaghetti on the grill.

The two men ate the grilled lamb chops and drank wine while discussing plans to find the treasure.

After eating, the sky was darker and the wind was cooler, being in an empty canyon had a bit more chill.

“Ow ……” came a wolf howl in the distance.

“I think it’s time to go home.” Walker got up and returned to the RV, his temporary little home, a cozy harbor.

Luke looked at the dark canyon, it was indeed a bit daunting, luckily he was more courageous, if he was a timid person, he might not dare to spend the night here.

Luke extinguished the fireplace and also returned to the caravan, which was like a bright castle, isolating the darkness of the canyon.

Walker pulled out the treasure map and laid it flat on the table and began to study it as Luke poured two glasses of whiskey and handed him one.

Walker took a sip of the whiskey and turned on his tablet, the photos of the canyon’s terrain that he had taken today were all present in the tablet, and Walker flipped through the photos to compare them to the treasure map.

The same place, the terrain was different when viewed from different locations and angles.

Walker was patient, adjusting the angle of each picture to compare it with the treasure map.

“Luke, look at this picture.” Walker pointed at the computer screen, “Isn’t this photo somewhat similar to the terrain on the treasure map?”

Luke looked at the photo and then looked at the treasure map, it did look somewhat similar, but when he looked closely there was something different.

Walker said, “This topographic map was hand-drawn, the angle that the painter stood at is different, the terrain drawn will also be different, and it is normal to have discrepancies with the actual terrain.”

After listening to Walker’s words, Luke took a closer look, and also felt that there are a few similarities, but this canyon has nine curves and eighteen bends, and a lot of the terrain looks a bit similar, so he really can’t be sure: “Let’s go to the canyon tomorrow to check it out on the ground, and we might find something.”

Walker was a little worried, “Can our RV go down there?”

That was indeed a problem, the RV was comfortable to live in, but not very passable, “I remember we passed a flat downhill road this afternoon, not too far from here.

We can go back around and take that road downhill, or if it’s impassable, walk into the canyon.”

Walker nodded, “That’ll have to do. Still a little underprepared, we should get a smaller motorcycle to hook up to the back of the RV, it would be easier to explore or travel.”

“Good idea, we’ll have experience next time.” Luke’s Harley obviously wouldn’t do, it was too big.

The two finalized their plans for tomorrow, talked for a while, and got ready for bed.

“Ow ……” Suddenly, there was another wolf howl.

This time the sound was significantly closer and there should be more than one, more like a pack of wolves.

Luke checked the doors and windows to make sure they were all locked to avoid any animals getting in during the night.

“Ow……” another wolf howled, this time much closer, and Luke had a vague bad feeling.

Soon, his premonition was fulfilled.

The cries of the wolves came from far and near, and Luke had already seen the shadows of the wolves through the caravan glass.

The wolves were small, probably only seven or eight. With gray fur, they were small in size, only forty to fifty centimeters tall, and their length should be less than a meter.

At this moment, the wolves ran to the vicinity of the caravan.

Luke could see their appearance clearly, their mouths were a bit narrow, showing sharp teeth, their long ears stood up, and their tails naturally drooped, most likely coyotes.

Walker also began to check the RV monitor, “Why are these ugly little guys surrounding my RV? Is something attracting them?”

“Bam ……”.

A wolf pushes over the grill.

Another wolf ripped open a garbage bag and licked its contents.

Luke guessed, “They were probably attracted to the smell of the roasted lamb chops, these guys have noses like dogs.”

Walker said, “I don’t want them hanging around in front of the house, I’ve got to find a way to get rid of them.”

Walker opened a drawer and pulled out his revolver.

Luke asked, “What are you going to do?”

“Open the window and give them some credit, and show you how good a shot I am.

This revolver of mine sure beats your Glock.” Walker loaded the revolver with larger caliber bullets.

“Are you sure you want to open the window? They might jump up and bite your hand off if they get a chance.” Luke looked out the darkened window, there could be more coyotes hiding in the shadows.

“So what do you say? Do we just stand by and watch these guys run wild out there.

Jesus Christ, I’m seeing things! That beast is pissing on my RV.” Walker was getting more and more pissed off.

The two men’s conversation inside the RV may have caught the attention of the coyotes.

One coyote began to paw at the door of the car and made a ‘jabbing, jabbing’ sound.

“FUCK!, this is my new RV.” Walker was furious, “Luke, we have to do something to get rid of these beasts immediately.”

Luke said, “Unload the bullets and empty the guns to see if we can scare them off.”

“Will it work?”

“That’s something we won’t know until we try it, it’s better than sitting around being stupid.” Luke suggested a more prudent approach.

If the coyotes were at a distance it would be possible to open the windows and shoot them, but the coyotes were all around the RV, and you could shoot them with a gun and they would charge you through the windows.

Coyotes have better vision in the dark and are more proactive.

“Bang!” The sound of a gunshot rang out.

Luke and Walker both froze.

Walker had just opened his revolver and hadn’t finished unloading the bullets, the shot wasn’t from him.

Walker hurriedly reloaded the unloaded bullets back.

Luke also stood up and gripped his right hand on the handle of his gun.

Walker checked the RV monitor and looked out through the window again, “I don’t see anyone, but it sounds like a shotgun, it shouldn’t be far from here.

The good news is that the coyotes are running away.”

The sound of gunshots echoed through the canyon.

For the coyotes the shotguns were much more intimidating, a threat that came from their deepest fears.

It wasn’t good news for Walker and Luke either.

The coyotes were threatening, but not dangerous enough to scratch and spend the RV at best, unable to threaten the safety of the two men, just a minor inconvenience.

But the man with the shotgun was a different story, he was likely nearby, Luke hadn’t been spotted by either of the two men, and it was unknown if he was a friend or foe.

If it had been daytime, Luke would likely have gotten out of his car to check and get to know the other man.

But now it’s night, the surrounding is dark, can’t see how many people are on the other side, also don’t know what kind of weapons, Luke also don’t dare to get out of the car rashly.

Walker asked, “What should we do now?”

“Stay alert and wait for a while.

If my guess is good, the person who shot just now should make another move. Whether it’s a foe or a friend, be careful.”

Walker frowned tightly, “Could they be here to rob our treasure map?”

Luke thought about it, “I think it’s unlikely.

First of all, we didn’t tell anyone that we are here to hunt for treasure, and the other party can’t be sure of that.

Secondly, if they were really running for the treasure map, they wouldn’t have hastily shot to get our attention.”

Walker shook his head, “How many people are really traveling when they run to such a faraway place?

By the way, didn’t we meet an administrator this afternoon, should we contact him and ask what’s going on?”

Luke also recalled that administrator of Mexican descent, to be honest, he didn’t really trust that person, and always felt that the other party was hiding something.

This kind of concealment could be because of disciplinary reasons, it was inconvenient to tell the public.

It could also be that he was trying to cover up something.

Moreover, he said he was the administrator of Red Rock Canyon without showing any documents, so who knew if it was true or not?

Let’s wait a little longer.

Luke still decided to continue to watch, he took his looking glass and looked out through the window, it was very dark outside, he couldn’t see too far at all.

Luke observed for a while, and did not find any suspicious figure, the surrounding is silent, quiet terrible, neither the shadow of the coyote, also can not see people.

After most of an hour, still nothing happened.

“Did the guy who shot the gun get picked up by a coyote?” Walker snickered, the pitch blackness also making him vaguely uneasy inside.

Luke rechecked the doors and windows again to make sure they were locked, “We’ll take shifts on watch tonight, you go to sleep first.”

Walker this time did not put the revolver away, but put it on the bedside position, took off his shoes and sat on the bed: “This is the charm of the adventure, full of all kinds of uncertainty, dangerous but with excitement.”

That gunshot made Walker a little uneasy at the same time, there was also a hint of excitement inside, he lay on the bed vaguely enjoying this feeling.

He felt that this caravan was the right buy, if they were living in a tent, even with Luke traveling with them, he would still feel uneasy; but the caravan was different, it was equivalent to a tin barricade, able to give them enough protection.

Take the pack of coyotes for example, if he and Luke were living in a tent, the pack of coyotes would be able to threaten their safety and leave them in a lurch, but living in the caravan there was absolutely nothing to worry about.

However, he vaguely felt that something was missing again.

Seeing that Walker lay down and didn’t move, Luke also turned off the headlights, which were like a living target in the dark canyon.

After the RV went dark, he was instead grounded.

Luke kept watch for the first half of the night, running around all day he was also a little tired, lying down on the bed to make himself comfortable, but open eyes dare not sleep, quietly listening to the movement around.

“It occurs to me, we should have brought a dog with us so we could sleep soundly at night.” Walker’s voice suddenly rang out.

“I thought you were asleep.” Luke laughed, “Good idea, but you can’t just get a dog because you’re going on a treasure hunt.

Having a dog is also responsible, and we’re too busy to take care of it.”

Walker said helplessly, “You’re right, I was just thinking about it.

How about we borrow a dog for our next treasure hunt?” Before Luke could say anything, Walker denied himself, “No, a borrowed dog may not be obedient.”

Luke said, “Just sleep soundly. I can keep a good night’s watch without a dog.”

“I know you’re the best detective in LA.

If we do get attacked, how do we fight back?”

“If you get shot at in the middle of the night, all you have to do is take care to stay hidden, don’t lie in bed, hide somewhere else, protect yourself, and never turn on your lights.

We’ll judge the situation on its merits only when we’ve calmed down.” Luke didn’t say anything about counterattacking, because staying in the caravan was a safeguard in itself, but also a restriction, trying to counterattack either from the window or the doorway, but instead, it was easy to become a target for the other side.

“Take cover and don’t turn on the lights, I’ll remember that.” Walker repeated and stopped talking.

Luke wasn’t sure if he was asleep or not, but he was silent anyway.

Luke also lay back and rested for a while, occasionally walking over to the glass to check his surroundings, a vague urge to get out of the car and scout around the RV in his mind.

But after thinking about it, he gave up, first of all, they weren’t attacked, that gunshot scared away the coyotes, and so on, indirectly helping them.

If Luke really got out of the car to scout, and both sides ran into each other in the dark, would they shoot or not?

Luke wasn’t afraid of scrambling, he was afraid of accidentally injuring the good guys.

After thinking about it again and again, Luke still honestly stayed in the caravan.

However, until the latter part of the night, there was still no movement outside.

He called Walker up and poured him a cup of coffee.

The old man poured two cups of coffee and washed his face before he was somewhat refreshed.

Walker kept watch for the second half of the night while Luke rested.

Having stayed up most of the night, Luke was tired and lay down on his bed and fell asleep, but not a solid sleep.

When he woke up in a daze, the day had already dawned, and the sun had risen high, sleeping late and getting up late, it was already nine o’clock in the morning.

Walker didn’t get out of the car and was already in the RV preparing breakfast.

Luke washed his hair, his person was much more refreshed, and said with a yawn, “Your Honor, good morning.”

Walker put the omelette on his plate and shook his head, “Not good at all, I’ve decided I’d rather have a dog.

That way on our next expedition we can sleep in the RV without the damned shifts on watch, which makes me feel silly.”

Luke sat down at the table and glanced at the breakfast on the table, sliced bread, fried eggs, ham, tomatoes, milk, and coffee, a simple breakfast, but fairly even in nutrition.

Not wanting to discuss the dog any further, Luke changed the subject, “Do you think the man who used the shotgun was helping us?”

Walker put slices of ham, fried eggs, and tomato slices on slices of bread and said, “Helped us get rid of the coyotes, but caused us to be scared all night.

If so, I don’t know if I should thank him.”

Luke shook his head, and out of the corner of his eye, he glanced absently at the window and saw an extra face outside.