Whether out of some primal intelligence or something else, it recognized no immediate danger from her presence now that Mike had intervened. Nicole carefully stepped to Mike’s side, each movement deliberate and cautious. “Did you call the police?” Mike whispered. She nodded. “Rangers, too. They should be on the way.”
Feeling marginally braver with Nicole at his side and the bear’s aggression cooling, Mike crept back to the edge of the pit. He peered down to confirm the man was still there—and still alive. The figure shifted slightly, letting out a muffled moan.