Target on the Mountain

by Elizabeth Goddard

  Four years had changed his perspective. Now, he didn’t blame her or hold anything against her. Instead, he saw it as a cautionary lesson not to set his heart on anyone. Time could heal all wounds, the saying went, and with time and experience, he’d learned his limits.

  Ryan couldn’t take that kind of heartache ever again.

  The voices in the room died down and the room went quiet. Time for him to make his presence known. He knocked lightly on the door as he said, “Detective Bradley. Is it all right for me to come in?”

  The door swung open to reveal Sheryl Peterson. She blinked up at him, relief in her face. “Come in, Ryan. I mean... Detective.”

  She eyed him as if to ask if it was okay that she called him by his first name. He smiled and gave a slight nod as he entered the room. He had known the Petersons for years—there was no need for formality with them.

  Sheryl caught his arm, preventing him from going farther. She leaned in and spoke in a low tone. “I’m so glad you’re here. She’s not ready to listen. The doctor wanted to keep her another day. But she’s planning to leave anyway. Can you talk some sense into her?”

  Tori stepped out of the bathroom fully dressed. Next to the bed, she swayed a bit. Ryan rushed forward and caught her. He assisted her to the bed, where she should have stayed.

  “I heard you lost a lot of blood during your fight with a waterfall,” he said, his voice coming out gentle and caring. Not exactly what he’d been going for. He’d wanted to make it clear to her—to both of them—that he’d finally left their relationship in the past.

  She lifted her gaze as if just now realizing he was there, that he’d been the one to assist her to the hospital bed. “Ryan. What...what are you doing here?”

  Really? He’d been told that she’d asked for him. Maybe someone had made a mistake.

  “I need to run an errand.” Sheryl pursed her lips, still upset with her daughter. “I’ll be right back. Ryan, please keep her in this room until I get back, okay?”

  He nodded, but he couldn’t promise anything. Sheryl disappeared and left Ryan and Tori alone in the room. It shouldn’t feel awkward but it did.

  “What were you thinking, taking that waterfall?” he asked. “Kayaking alone and going over the falls?”

  Was she so devastated from the news of her sister’s death that she had a death wish of her own? No. The Tori he’d known before would never take her own life—no matter what.

  He fisted his hands, controlling the fury over her choices and fear for her safety that he had no right to feel. Swallowed the lump in his throat at the thought of what could have happened.

  He was over her. Had been for a long time. But apparently the emotional equivalent of muscle memory hadn’t gone away. When she was putting herself in danger, it was his instinct to worry.

  Dumb instincts.

  And he was done playing games or wasting time. “Why did you ask to see me, Tori?”

  But he had a feeling he knew exactly why. Tori was here to find the person behind four murders, behind Sarah’s murder, and as lead detective on this investigation, Ryan was about to get swept up in Tori’s fast-moving current.

  TWO

  Ryan Bradley. Detective Ryan Bradley is in my room...

  Blood rushed to her head.

  Sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, Tori squeezed her eyes shut and breathed steadily. She had to regain her composure and stop her head from spinning. Enduring the guy’s pensive gaze hadn’t been in her plans for the day. She’d asked to see him? She didn’t remember that part.

  Tori focused on what had happened, mentally replaying images from her fight to survive the crushing falls. The helplessness as she tumbled through the air while water enveloped her. That suffocating, painful, drowning feeling of trying to catch enough air to live while unable to stop the force that could dash her against the rocks. All of it thrashed around in her thoughts even now.

  Goose bumps rose on her arms.

  Then she remembered... One of her last thoughts had been about Ryan. Her whole life—her decisions, mistakes and regrets—had flashed in her heart, and some of those biggest regrets revolved around him. No way could she tell him any of that here and now, if ever. She was embarrassed that she’d asked for him...but now that she thought of it, it was good that he was here. They did need to talk—not about her feelings, but about facts. But not here. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”

  He studied her, obviously trying to decide if she was coherent or was suffering, both physically and emotionally, too much to think clearly.

  He crossed his arms. A sentinel complying with her mother’s demands to keep her here? “I don’t think they want you to leave yet,” he said.

  Ah. He’d made his decision—the wrong one—and had sided with her mother. Tori didn’t want to waste time at the hospital. She needed to find out who had killed her sister and why.

  Then he shifted his posture, shoving his hands in his pockets. The way his jacket bunched up, she could see his department-issue weapon at his belt. “We can talk here,” he said. “I’m assuming you want to talk about your sister’s murder.”

  Amazing blue-green eyes stared down at her. His dark blond hair was slicked back and made him look far more serious than she remembered. He sported a Vandyke beard now, as was the style. In spite of herself, warmth flitted over her as she looked at him. How had he gotten more attractive since she’d seen him last?

  Though maybe what really attracted her was that Ryan had that look of someone who knew what they were doing. The experiences of life shone on his face along with an intensity he hadn’t had before. Not really a hardening, but more the look of someone focused and determined, who knew what he wanted and how to get it.

  Just being in the room with him was almost too much.

  A shiver ran through her.

  She steadied her nerves and pushed to stand. “Yes. What I have to say has to do with Sarah, though not in the way you might think. But first you should know that I’m leaving. I’ve asked for discharge papers. I’m waiting on those now. Mom was wrong about them keeping me—she’s the one who thinks I need more time here, not the doctor. So I’m leaving and I don’t want to talk about my sister here.”

  His frown wasn’t unexpected. He had to know she wasn’t satisfied with his investigation into the four murders, including Sarah’s.

  A social worker entered. “Ms. Peterson, I have your discharge papers and instructions. If you’ll just sign and initial here.” She laid out the yellow papers for Tori’s signature and went over the instructions for the care of her wound.

  After the social worker left, Tori smiled up at Ryan. “See?” Her mother would be furious when she got back here to find Tori had gone, but at least this way, she couldn’t try to stop Tori from leaving. “But now I have a problem. I don’t have a way out of here.”

  She thought to offer Ryan an innocent grin and blink as if to give him a hint—something she’d done in the past with him—but she had to steer away from giving him the wrong impression. No need to remind him of their past. Still, why wasn’t he offering her that needed ride?

  Instead, Ryan watched her. She never liked being analyzed. She supposed that was hypocritical since she did that a lot to others in her role as an agent. But being on the other end of that wasn’t pleasant.

  Finally he said, “I’ll give you a ride. We can talk on the way. Where would you like to go?”

  “Thanks. I’ll text Mom and let her know that I’m with you and I’m okay.”

  “Are you really okay?” His wary eyes showed just how worried he was. His concern went deeper than what he’d have felt for a fellow human being, or that of a detective who cared about people and bringing justice.

  Ryan still cared about Tori.

  Before panic could swell, she tore her gaze from him to text her mother. “I’ll survive,” she said.

&nb
sp; At least, she hoped she would. And she would survive being in Ryan’s presence, too. As for surviving the attempt on her life—would there be more attempts? Would one of them succeed? Her sister hadn’t survived when someone had tried to kill her. Tori almost sagged under the weight of loss.

  A tear trailed her cheek as she stared down at her cell. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do without her sister in her life, but the truth was they hadn’t exactly been in each other’s lives that much since Tori had moved across the country. She’d told herself that they’d make up for lost time later, with phone calls or visits. That chance no longer existed now.

  The knowledge that Sarah was gone, taken from this world by a murderer, flayed her and left her raw and bleeding.

  She finished the text and looked up at him again. Waves of remorse and a thousand conversations she wanted to have with him rushed through her. Tori tried not to shudder. She didn’t think he’d missed that, because Ryan had always been sharp and could read people even when they tried to hide something. Especially when they tried to hide something.

  And years ago, he’d had an uncanny ability to read her. Had that changed?

  Fifteen minutes later, they sat in a booth at a coffee shop. Tori had suggested they have their talk over coffee. Ryan had obliged. Coffee ordered, Tori resisted the need to take painkillers. Her shoulder had been wrapped, and she’d been given blood. She’d heal, with or without the painkillers, and she wanted her mind to stay clear. Somehow, she had to toughen up and see her way through this.

  Ryan studied her. Scrutinizing her again?

  “Would you please stop?” She rearranged the condiments.

  Frowning, he shook his head. “Stop what?”

  “Please stop looking at me like you’re dissecting me. I’m not a frog. This isn’t Biology 101.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

  “No? I see you making mental notes that Tori Peterson doesn’t like to be studied. I’m not a suspect, so you can quit with your intimidation tactics.”

  He shrugged. Then he shifted forward in the booth, a frank expression on his rugged face. “I’m worried about you.”

  “This is just a gash in my arm.” He had no idea yet of the real reason why he should be worried. She vaguely remembered the pain of that rocky outcropping gouging her, but at least she wasn’t dealing with a bullet wound to her head or her chest.

  “What were you thinking, going over those falls?” He’d asked the question before and wanted an answer.

  She kept her voice low and said, “It was not exactly my choice.”

  The waitress brought their coffee. Tori poured half-and-half in hers. Ryan sugared his up too much for her taste.

  “What are you saying, Tori? That you weren’t kayaking alone? That you didn’t go over the falls?”

  “See, this is what I wanted to talk about.” She took a sip of coffee and let it warm her belly, then leaned back. She shut her eyes and calmed her breathing. Let herself remember.

  Tori opened her eyes. “I thought I was going to die when I went over the falls. I fought to survive and somehow...somehow I did survive. I woke up and coughed up water. Maybe the couple who pulled me from the river revived me. I don’t know. But I do remember now that I said your name, Ryan.”

  Deep lines carved into his forehead and around his mouth. “Tori, I—”

  “I went to the river today to travel in Sarah’s path.” That, and she’d needed to remember what it was like to be on the river at the base of Mount Shasta. She’d needed to remember Sarah. “I’m staying in her house. I’m on bereavement leave now.” She held back the furious tears that surged unexpectedly. “So I went kayaking along the river. That’s what the four of them were doing that day, wasn’t it? They were camping and had their kayaks, so we know they had planned to go down the river.”

  “Why would you torture yourself like that?” His expression twisted into one of severe pain. “Is that why you went over the falls?”

  Her heart felt like it might just rip open at the realization that he really seemed to believe it had been a suicide attempt. She’d thought he knew her better than that. “How could you even think that? I planned to turn back. But someone shot at me and hit the kayak. I tried to get away and in the end, I had nowhere else to go but into the water. I thought I could get to shore once I put some distance between me and the shooter, but the falls grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. You know how strong the current is the closer you get to Graveyard Falls.”

  Ryan’s mouth hung open as if he couldn’t quite absorb the full meaning of her words, and he appeared to search for an adequate response but came up empty. Tori decided to fill the silence herself.

  “Someone tried to kill me.”

  * * *

  Stunned at her claim, Ryan somehow found the strength to close his mouth. Then to form words. “Are you sure?” Entirely lame and inadequate words. He knew as soon as they escaped his lips, but especially after the glare she gave him. She didn’t like that he’d questioned her.

  As an FBI agent, she thought herself superior to him. He knew that with certainty because that was why she’d wanted to join the feds to begin with. And suddenly he was thrown back in time. He’d never been good enough for Tori Peterson. Nor would he ever be good enough.

  But he didn’t care to be good enough for her now. Finally, he could let go.

  Keep telling yourself that.

  “Of course I’m sure. Why would you doubt me?” She narrowed her eyes and studied him. Must be her turn to analyze him.

  He wasn’t intimidated by her FBI-schooled expression. Instead, he was terrified that her words could be true. “I didn’t say I doubted you. You’ve been through a lot. You’ve suffered a great loss. I’m concerned, that’s all.” He wanted to believe that her memories of what happened were false memories brought on by the trauma and her injury. Ryan didn’t want to even entertain the possibility that someone had actually tried to kill Tori.

  “You don’t believe me? I can prove it to you, Ryan. Let’s go find the kayak. You can look at the bullet holes yourself. We can gather evidence together.”

  “You’re not part of my investigative team.”

  She pursed her lips. “But I am going to investigate, whether you want me to or not, so wouldn’t it make more sense to work together? Especially if the attack on me is in any way tied to Sarah’s murder. What do you think, Detective Bradley? That Sarah’s death was a random act of violence—four kids killed by someone out on a shooting spree while camping? Or that maybe they stumbled upon something they shouldn’t have seen? Or did someone kill four kids to cover up one murder? On any of those possibilities, do you think the murders are drug-related?”

  Okay. Well, sure, that it was drug-related was his working theory for now. Wasn’t it almost always drug-related no matter the crime? He said nothing, wondering what she’d say next—what she’d reveal. She’d called the victims kids, but they had been in their twenties. Still, Tori considered Sarah her kid sister growing up and that obviously hadn’t changed. He understood because he had three siblings himself.

  Katelyn was his twin sister, then there was his brother Reece, who was two years older, and Benjamin—Ben—who was three years younger. He couldn’t imagine losing any of them.

  How was Tori even holding it together?

  “Fine. You don’t want to answer now. We can talk on the way to the river. Are we going or not?” Her determined tone and severe frown left no doubt as to her resolve.

  Of all the times for him to crack a smile—but he couldn’t control himself. He’d always loved it when she got fired up over something she believed in. So feisty and determined. Did she realize how much Sarah had idolized her? Sarah had wanted to be just like her sister, and had found her own passionate way to serve people by involving herself in social justice issues. Tori had taken a different route b
ut fought for justice all the same. And when she was on the hunt for answers, nothing and no one could make her stop. He knew she was right that he wouldn’t be able to stop her from investigating, but he’d torture her a few moments longer with a wry grin before he’d announce his decision.

  Meanwhile, he took his time admiring her new look. She’d cut her long brown hair shorter so that it hung to her shoulders, and she’d dyed the silky tendrils a soft golden blond that was growing out and revealed hints of brown. Ryan remembered her smile—she’d always had the most amazing dimples that drove him wild and made him want to kiss her.

  Even now, with the mere thought of it.

  He cleared his throat and forced his impartial face in place. He was such a liar. “Let’s go.”

  * * *

  In his unmarked utility vehicle belonging to the Maynor County Sheriff’s Department, he drove toward the river. He would radio for assistance once he got a look at the kayak himself to confirm Tori’s claims. He wanted to see the bullet holes first. Ryan held on to the small hope that her memory of today’s earlier events was off. If Tori really was being targeted for some reason, that would terrify him but also change the investigation.

  As if sensing his need to contemplate what she’d told him, she kept quiet and left him to his own thoughts. He gripped the steering wheel too tightly as he steered the SUV through the small town of Rainey, the town where he’d chosen to live. Rainey had proven to be peaceful and quiet—a place he could go home to at the end of a long day of facing crime puzzles and criminals and simply relax and breathe in the fresh air.

  But the murders two weeks ago—just outside of Rainey—had rocked his world. In fact, the whole town of Rainey had been shaken.