“Why has it taken me 5 hours to get ready for a bike ride?” I thought as I was finally loading my bike onto the rack on the back of my car. It made no sense. I had gotten up at 7 AM and it was almost noon. With no cell service there weren’t even any tech distractions to hold me back, but one thing after another had managed to keep me at my campsite for much longer than expected.
Was something keeping me there for a reason?
As I was securing my bike to the rack, I noticed a maroon Jeep Cherokee parked down the road from me and a man was walking from the Jeep towards me.
I was the only person around so I decided to find out what he wanted.
Tryle and I approached each other and he surprised me with his story. A fugitive had escaped custody, as he was being transported to prison, and was last seen in the area where I was camping. This fugitive had broken into Tryle’s friend’s house and stolen several guns, ammo, jewelry, and about 150 knives.
Tryle warned me this guy was armed and dangerous. I laughed and said, “So am I.”
Was this why I had been held at the campsite for so long? So I would know to approach my campsite differently? Like I would approach a potentially dangerous police call rather than just nonchalantly returning “home?”
As Tryle was telling me of how his friend, Doug, was looking for the fugitive who had stolen so much from him, I decided I wanted to talk to him. “Let’s go talk to your friend.” I said, not really caring that I knew nothing about these two gentlemen.
Tryle and I made our way down towards Doug, on the other side of the Jeep. He was just about to enter the woods as Tryle yelled out to him, “I found someone way purtier than who we’re looking for.”
Doug walked towards us and was happy to tell me his story. He was obviously upset over all that had just been taken from him. Not only were his weapons stolen, but it could have been so much worse. What if his wife had been home? He wondered aloud several times.
As Doug spoke of losing his dad’s service weapon from when he was a Marshall, or the loss of a $500 knife that had been specially designed for his wife, along with several other weapons and jewelry with sentimental value, the underlying, haunting concern seemed to be the unknown of what could have happened to his wife. His job was to protect her, but something evil had entered their home and he hadn’t been there to stop it. What if…
Doug was intent on finding the intruder, the thief, the fugitive…the evil that had invaded their lives. He showed me who to look out for and I took the screenshots below.
The more I listened to stories of where all this fugitive had been and was seen, I realized my tent could possibly seem pretty inviting to him, if he came across it. I was actually kind of hopeful that he might.
Just a few days earlier, I had learned one of my best friends had horribly betrayed me beyond anything I could imagine, so I figured I could really use someone on whom to take out my own hurt and anger…if given the chance.
The best thing about a woman who has lost everything and belongs to no one…she has nothing to lose.
I got as much information as possible from Doug and Tryle before leaving for my bike ride, but felt like there was one more thing I was supposed to do before I left.
“Hey, can I pray for you?” I asked.
“Yes, ma’am!” they both quickly responded.
I have no idea what all I prayed. I feel like the Holy Spirit just put a bunch of words in my mouth and they just tumbled out onto the men. I remember something about restoration of all that was stolen; how satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came to give and abundant life; something about opening both mouths and fists when they needed to be opened and closing them when they needed to be closed. That’s all I can really remember, but I felt like it took a long time for me to finally shut up once I started praying. I probably “thanked God for the crap” like I usually do.
We chatted just a bit longer and Doug showed me the dagger he’d been “hiding” in his back waistband that was meant for the fugitive, if he found him. It was a huge knife that I’d seen through his shirt and assumed it was exactly what it was. The funny thing is that not once was I afraid of these men, even knowing they had at least one weapon on them and not really knowing anything about them. There was not one, single ounce of fear…just a sense that I was supposed to connect with these guys and, no matter what, I am protected.
Before I left for my bike ride, I removed the only thing in my tent I really cared about, which was my prayer journal. I left my Bible, just in case the fugitive showed up and needed to meet Jesus before actually meeting Jesus.
Tryle walked me back to my car and ominously warned me that Kentucky was not safe for a female traveling alone. “Bad things happen here.” He repeated a few times, while advising me of specific areas to avoid. Tryle did not elaborate on what the “bad things” were but seemed very concerned for my safety. I know Who protects me, though.
I got in a fabulously beautiful 27 mile bike ride and when I returned, I made sure I was prepared for anything I might find.
Wearing my Glock on my hip and my Kevlar vest on my chest, I returned to find a group of college boys bouldering on a large rock near my tent.
With eyes wide in that kind of fear you have when you see police and are not sure if you’ve done anything wrong, the first boy I saw asked if it was okay that they had parked nearby.
Poor kid! I quickly explained that I was not a cop. I was simply camping alone and had been warned of an armed and dangerous fugitive in the area. The boys immediately warmed up and continued bouldering.
I jumped in the water downstream from them to clean up a bit, then left to grab dinner.
It was dark when I returned and the boys had left, so I did approach my tent with my gun and flashlight out. Nothing happened.
I was hoping for a better ending to what started off to be such a great story.
“God, is that it? You set it all up so well. How can this be it? Nothing.”
I was obviously hoping for much more excitement than just clearing the area around my tent, like I’d done so many times on patrol.
That couldn’t be it. But it was, so I didn’t write the story. There was no ending…until a few days later.
I texted Doug and asked, “Have you found him, yet?”
“Yes” was the only response.
“Wait, what?” I thought. “That’s it? I want to hear more!”
I replied with, “Seriously? I want to hear the story!”
No response. That was Sunday, July 23.
While grocery shopping on Wednesday, July 26th, I got a phone call from Doug, who excitedly told me all about spending 3 days in the woods hunting for the guy who had stolen so much from him.
Doug had found evidence that the fugitive had been in the woods near his house. He had found a boot print, an empty soda bottle, and a ski mask. Doug set booby traps for the fugitive and had his wife wash the ski mask so he could wear it while looking for its owner.
It seems that the guy later came back to take more of what he was unable to grab the first time. Doug had found some of his stolen weapons out in the woods, but not all of them.
Ultimately, Doug found who he was looking for when he saw the guy peering into his Jeep. The same guy in the photos. Doug snuck up behind him…
“I stuck my gun right up his ***hole.” Doug proudly proclaimed. I had to laugh! Don’t try anything stupid with Kentucky men! They’re like honey badgers.
There was a struggle, but Doug was able to handcuff the fugitive with a zip tie and take him into custody.
Doug excitedly told me the story and then suddenly shocked me.
He told the fugitive he had planned on killing him as soon as he found him. He fully intended on making him dead, but instead the fugitive was going to get to meet his police buddy.
Then he told the fugitive that some lone, camping lady had prayed over him and he couldn’t get her words out of his head. His heart had been softened by the prayer and the fugitive was going to get to live another day.
“Wait, what? Did I hear what I think I heard?” I thought.
Doug continued on by telling me he even informed the police that he had intended to kill the guy he had brought them, but that some lady’s prayers had changed his mind.
“Wait, was that me? Could that be?” I wondered.
It turns out it was! God did give me a fabulous ending to a great story!
Throughout this whole, crazy journey He has me on, He has repeatedly placed me on paths where there was no doubt He had created a Divine Appointment, but this was the best!
I don’t know what His plans are for the fugitive, but I truly believe those prayers were meant to keep Doug from destroying his own life. God has a serious calling on Doug’s life and I am excited to see what He does.
I believe two lives were saved from destruction. Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but his plans did not succeed, this time. God has something better for both lives involved.
If you ever hear a voice telling you to pray for someone you’re talking to, don’t argue. Just do it! I have never been disappointed by the results, but have certainly wondered what I missed out on when I did not heed that call.
Just do it! You just might save a life, or two.
UPDATE: I asked Doug to read this before I published it to make sure I had his permission and it was accurate. We, subsequently, had a really interesting conversation about use of the word “weapon.” Something that I guess I had never considered.
As a 5’1,” 100 lb. female, camping alone in remote places, I consider my guns and knives to be a means of protection and therefore weapons. Doug hunts and provides food for his family by using his guns and knives and therefore considers them “tools.” What was stolen from him were tools of provision and that sets off a whole other level of anger and hurt in a man.
Doug wanted the fugitive to feel what he felt when his tools had been stripped from him. He had wanted this guy to hurt as badly as he did and to feel the pain he felt. Ultimately, he left that up to the police, the law, and God and I think God is pretty proud of him!
Romans 12:17-21 - Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible. Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, “I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it.” says the Lord. Instead, do what the Scriptures say: “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you.” Don’t let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good.