Justice Overdue: A Private Investigator Mystery Series by Rayven T. Hill

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    JAKE HAD SEARCHED through the forest on the opposite side of the camp from where the boys had wandered off. He thought it possible they had circled around in confusion, after dropping the backpack, and gotten lost.
    After several minutes of frantic searching, he returned to camp. He would have to go for help. He hated leaving the boys out here alone but he had no choice; he was out of ideas. A more experienced tracker would have a better chance than he would.
    He got in the van and started the engine. It idled a moment, then rattled, shook, and died. Jake frowned and turned the key again. The engine cranked, the starter whined, and the SUV hummed. He dropped the shifter into reverse, backed up a few feet, and turned the steering wheel.
    Something was terribly wrong. The power steering was stiff and unresponsive. He shut the SUV off, popped the latch for the hood, and climbed out.
    The drive belt lay on the ground in front of the vehicle. It must have been worn out and finally snapped. He picked it up and examined the frayed ends. Although the rest of it appeared to be in good condition, it was unusual for a belt to wear in one spot and snap with no warning. The RAV4 was running perfectly when they arrived.
    If he was at home he could patch it up long enough to get some help. He had every tool you could need in his garage, but that didn’t do him much good out here.
    He stood with the belt in his hands, uncertain what to do. The vehicle wouldn’t get far in this condition. The engine would soon overheat and shut down without the water pump circulating coolant. He was miles from the main gate, and probably just as far from other campers.
    Out of desperation he turned on his cell phone. No reception. He didn’t expect there would be.
    What a mess this weekend had turned out to be. The unusable vehicle was repairable, given time, but the missing boys were his prime concern right now, and without the vehicle, he would have to find another way.
    He spun around at the sound of rustling leaves and snapping twigs. Someone was coming. He stepped closer to the sound, held his breath, and strained to see.
    He expelled his breath in a whoosh, overwhelmed with relief as Matty appeared at the edge of the tree line, Kyle directly behind.
    He dashed toward them as they entered the site, knelt on one knee, and spread his arms wide. “Matty, where have you been?” He pulled them both close, overcome by emotion.
    Matty hugged his father’s neck, his voice quivering as he spoke. “We got lost, Dad.”
    “There was a bear,” Kyle put in.
    Jake held his son at arm’s length, his brows knitted in a frown, and looked at Kyle. “A bear?”
    “We got away,” Kyle said.
    “I can see that,” Jake said with a hint of a smile. He stood and leaned over. “But what happened?”
    “We saw a bear cub,” Matty explained. “And then the mother came and she was angry and we ran. The bear didn’t follow us, but we kinda forgot which direction we were going.”
    Kyle bit his lip and looked at the ground. “It was my fault. I wanted to pet the cub.”
    Matty put his arm around his friend. “It’s ok, Kyle. Everything turned out fine.”
    Kyle looked up and smiled. “I sure won’t be doing that again.”
    “What about your backpack?” Jake asked. “What about the bear spray?”
    “I tried to get the spray out when we got scared. The backpack fell and we ran as fast as we could out of there.” Matty pointed over his shoulder. “It’s back there somewhere. Sorry, I lost it, Dad.”
    A smile touched Jake’s lips. “It’s all right. I found it.”
    “You were looking for us?”
    “For a while. I was pretty worried.”
    “Sorry, Dad.” Matty paused, then, “The compass was in my pack too, so we didn’t know which way to go.”
    “Then we saw a cabin,” Kyle said.
    Jake looked at Kyle. “A cabin? In the forest?”
    “Yup. We thought maybe they could help us get back here, but there was nobody home.”
    “How did you find