Tracking Stolen Secrets

by Laura Scott

  The baby was an added complication.

  They moved swiftly to the bedroom furthest from the front of the cabin. He eased open the window, which thankfully didn’t make any noise. Everett slipped through the opening, then reached in and grabbed the infant seat. Helena followed and stepped back as Luna jumped out.

  Without speaking, they made their way through the brush. Every one of Everett’s senses were on high alert. If the tires were already flat, then he felt certain the shooter was nearby. Maybe had even gone around to the back of the cabin, where they were trying to disappear into the forest.

  The only thing that helped hide their escape was the dark clouds swirling overhead. Afternoon storms weren’t uncommon in July, the heat rose and wind over the ice-capped mountains often created a clash of atmospheric pressure.

  As he moved from one tree to the next, he found himself praying. Please God, guide us and protect us. Keep this sweet, innocent baby safe from harm.

  Helena stopped and held up a hand. He froze and then slowly dropped to a crouch so that he could set the infant carrier behind a thick bush. He was grateful that, so far, Christine hadn’t begun to cry.

  Helena gestured to the right, and he tracked his gaze in that direction, trying to understand what had caught her attention.

  There! A man wearing all black, was creeping up behind the cabin, getting close to the window they’d left open in their haste to get away.

  With a frown, he realized the guy was not Gareth Cantwell, the man in denim who’d taken a shot at him.

  This was a new player on the scene.

  Suddenly a couple of things happened at once. The man saw the open window and turned to rake his gaze over the wooded area. Meanwhile, Christine began to cry, drawing the man’s attention to their general hiding spot. When the shooter lifted his gun, Everett shouted, “Police! Drop your weapon!”

  A sneer spread across the man’s features and he didn’t comply. Everett saw his finger tighten on the trigger, leaving him little choice but to return fire.

  Twin gunshots echoed around them. Everett saw the man flinch, but that didn’t stop him from running.

  “Get him!” Helena shouted, and Luna took off like a shot, chasing the shooter. “Stay with Christine,” she said to Everett before going after her partner.

  He knelt beside the baby, his heart thundering in his chest, hoping and praying Helena and Luna would be safe while apprehending the guy.

  He could be the link they needed to find Zoe.

  ELEVEN

  Helena pushed through the brush, following her partner and doing her best to keep her eye on Luna’s bushy tail, which was all she could see.

  Up ahead, the sound of a car engine gave her pause. Was the shooter getting away?

  No! She quickened her pace, ignoring the branches that slapped at her face. But then she heard the sound of Luna’s frenzied barking and the squeal of tires.

  By the time she caught up with Luna, all she could see were the taillights of a retreating vehicle. Sharp disappointment stabbed deep.

  “It’s okay, girl.” She bent to catch her breath, stroking a reassuring hand over Luna’s thick pelt. Luna’s gaze was still locked on the vehicle and Helena hoped the gunman hadn’t kicked out at her partner, hurting her in some way.

  She ran a hand over the K-9’s face, reassured that there were no injuries, when she noticed there was a bit of black fabric in Luna’s mouth.

  “Got close enough to get a piece of him, did you? Good girl, Luna. Good girl.” She gently pried the material from her partner’s mouth and placed it in a small evidence bag from her uniform pocket. Maybe it would come in handy down the road if there was another opportunity to track the shooter.

  Resigned, she tried not to let the guy’s escape wear her down. Luna was great at apprehending bad guys, and if there hadn’t been a car waiting, her partner would have brought this one down, too.

  They’d been so close to getting him. But all was not lost. There were droplets of blood on the ground here, indicating Everett’s shot had hit its mark. She quickly used another evidence bag to pick up a blood-splattered leaf that could be used to obtain a possible DNA match.

  Then, knowing there was no time to wallow in regret, she turned to head back to where Everett and Christine waited. “Come, Luna.”

  As she retraced her steps, the dog stayed close to her side. There were additional spots of blood, but she didn’t bother to collect any further evidence. What they had was more than enough.

  As she approached the area behind the cabin, she called out, “Everett? Where are you?”

  “Here.” He moved into view, his gaze raking over her. “You okay? Luna, too?”

  “We are, but the shooter got away. There was a car waiting for him.”

  Everett looked dejected. “I was hoping we’d get key information from the guy.”

  “Me, too. But we have a few more clues, a sample of his blood and a bit of black denim from his jeans.” She held up the twin evidence bags.

  “That’s good news but doesn’t help us at the moment. We need to call for backup and get away from the cabin, ASAP.” His expression turned grim. “The shooter could bring reinforcements, fanning out to find us.”

  “I know.” It was a horrible thought. “We’ll stay in the trees as we hike, see if we can find a spot to hunker down for a bit.”

  “I was thinking we could use someone from your K-9 Unit to provide backup,” Everett said, lifting Christine’s infant carrier. “I think they’re better equipped for this kind of thing than the rangers.”

  She couldn’t deny she preferred having her own team helping them. “I’ll make the call, but the park rangers are much closer.”

  “I know.” Everett glanced at her. “I just don’t understand how our safe houses keep getting compromised and in such short timeframes. Maybe I’m being paranoid, but I’m hesitant to trust anyone other than your K-9 team at the moment.”

  She nodded slowly. “Okay, that’s fine with me. Do you want me to carry Christine for a while? Lugging that thing can’t be easy.”

  “I have her.” Everett’s tone was firm. The muscles in his arms bunched and she hated to admit that she wouldn’t be able to carry Christine through the thick brush for very long.

  “We could try to fashion some way for Luna to help carry her,” she offered as they headed deeper into the woods.

  “Later.” Everett glanced over his shoulder. “For now, I want to get far away from the cabin.”

  It was a good plan, so she concentrated on breaking a path for Everett. She hoped the shooter and his pals weren’t experts on tracking through the forest, because she felt certain they were creating a path a blind man could follow.

  But this area of the woods wasn’t on the usual hiking trails, which meant the brush was thick and not easily slipped past.

  She tried to take solace in the facts that they were both armed and that they had Luna with them. The way the shooter had run away from her K-9 made her think they didn’t have a lot of experience with four-legged cops.

  And Luna was better than most, in her humble opinion. Although she might be a bit biased about that.

  The terrain became less rugged as it sloped upward. When she saw an opening between two jagged rocks, she lifted a hand to stop Everett. “Do you think that’s a cave?”

  “Could be.” His muscles were bulging with the effort of lugging Christine’s infant carrier, but his breathing was even, and she had to give him credit for being in such great physical shape. “I’ll check it out.”

  Thinking he might need a break, she nodded. “Okay, that’s fine. Luna and I will watch over Christine.”

  “She’s been really good through all this,” Everett said as he set the carrier on the ground. Luna immediately sat beside the baby, looking alert and on guard. “I was worried that she’d start crying again.”r />
  “I know.” Going on the run with a baby was not something she’d anticipated, but here they were. As she watched Everett approach the opening, she remembered how Will Stryker and his K-9 partner, Scout, had found a cave her first day in Denali.

  Gazing around, she tried to picture a map of the area in her head. There had to be several caves in Denali, so it wasn’t likely to be the same one. Not to mention the way they’d moved around to several different locations.

  But, per her estimation, this cave wasn’t that far from the hotels in the valley of Denali. If she was imagining the place correctly, the cluster of hotels would be located due west.

  Christine began to squirm, so Helena bent and lifted the baby into her arms. “It’s okay, sweetie. We’re okay.” She wished more than anything that they had access to a vehicle, but that wouldn’t happen until backup arrived.

  Even then, they’d have to hike out to meet up with the team. Or have the team hike in to meet them.

  Everett was right to be concerned about how they kept getting found. It didn’t make any sense. They’d been keeping a low profile and had never noticed anyone following them while driving to the hotel and back.

  But there were always park ranger vehicles around. Was it possible Everett’s paranoia was well founded in reality? She didn’t want to believe that a park ranger would be involved in anything like this, but then again, it was odd that their hiding places were constantly being breached.

  Everett returned a full fifteen minutes later. “I didn’t see any wildlife hiding in there, but there are a couple of tunnels I didn’t take the time to fully explore. Having Luna with us should help, though. She’ll sniff out anything I may have missed.”

  “Okay, I’ll call for backup and we can take shelter in the cave while we wait.” The storm clouds overhead were getting darker. “It’s going to take a while for anyone from the K-9 Unit to get here, anyway.”

  “I know. Here, give me Christine while you make the call.”

  She pressed a kiss to the baby’s temple before handing her over. It took a while for Katie Kapowski to answer the colonel’s phone. “Katie? It’s Helena. I need backup in Denali, ASAP. My police SUV is damaged, and I’m hiding in a cave with Officer Brand and Zoe’s daughter.”

  “Oh, my, that doesn’t sound good.” She heard Katie typing in the background. “I think I can free up Will Stryker and Scout, but it may take a couple of hours. Please hold while I contact Lorenza. I know she’ll want to talk to you.”

  “Okay.” Glancing at the clouds, she covered the microphone with one hand. “Will you please take Christine into the cave? I’ll be there shortly. I doubt there’s cell service in there.”

  “Sure.” Everett lowered the baby into the infant seat and strapped her in. Then he hoisted the carrier and made his way to the cave.

  Luna whined in her throat, clearly torn between going along and staying near Helena.

  “Helena? What’s this about your vehicle being damaged?”

  She quickly filled her boss in on the most recent events. “Everett shot the guy, but his wound must have been minor since he still managed to get away. I have his DNA, though, and a piece of his clothing.”

  “Okay, Katie has already called Will. He and Scout will be on the road within the next hour or so. I can try to pull another K-9 member off a current assignment if you think you need additional backup.”

  “Will and Scout are fine for now. The grand opening of the Denali Grand Chalet takes place in twenty-four hours. We may need more team members to cover that event and to help watch Christine.”

  “I’ll make a note of it,” Lorenza replied. “Although a couple of our other cases are heating up.”

  Helena thought about Everett’s cop friend. “Everett has a fellow officer helping him, maybe we’ll snag him for help, too. We’ll make it work somehow.”

  “I know you will,” Lorenza said reassuringly. “Sit tight for a while. When Will gets close to Denali, he’ll call you.”

  “Thanks.” Helena disconnected the call. “Come, Luna.” She hurried toward the cave opening, reaching it seconds before a light rain began to fall.

  Great. They’d be stuck in the cave until it stopped. No way was she risking Christine’s health by heading out into the rainfall.

  She could only hope and pray they’d be safe from two-legged or four-legged threats, at least until backup arrived.

  * * *

  Everett scooped out the cave as best he could. There were signs that wildlife had been there in the past, but he hadn’t run across any now.

  He lifted a crying Christine from her carrier. The poor kid had been through a lot, being hauled through the woods, and she was likely hungry.

  “I’ll feed her,” Helena offered as she walked Luna around the cave. So far, the K-9 wasn’t acting skittish or giving any indication that they weren’t alone in the small area.

  Everett trusted Luna’s scent better than his own attempt to check the place out.

  Helena dropped to sit cross-legged on the ground near the carrier and gestured for the baby.

  He set Christine in her arms and then handed over the bottle he’d thankfully made prior to leaving the cabin.

  “We’re going to need to find fresh water for Luna,” she said as Christine settled in. “She’s worked hard and will become dangerously dehydrated with all that fur.”

  Fur that kept the K-9 warm in winter but evidently wasn’t nearly as helpful in the brief summer months. He rummaged in the diaper bag and pulled out an empty wipes container. “I’ll use this to capture rainwater.”

  “That should work,” Helena said with a grateful smile.

  He ended up getting wet as he waited for the container to fill partway with water. He then rinsed it out with the help of some leaves and waited for it to fill up again.

  It took longer than he’d thought, considering the way the rain was coming down. Glancing at the clouds, he could see them swirling. How long would they be stuck here?

  Hopefully not all night.

  When the container was half full, he took it back in. “Do you think I could make a bottle for Christine first?”

  “Good idea.”

  He prepared the bottle then took a drink of the water for himself, offering the rest to Helena. “We need to keep hydrated, too. I’ll fill it up again for Luna.”

  When they’d quenched their thirst, he took the container outside and filled it again. Back inside the cave, he set it next to Helena, remembering what she’d said about the dog only taking food and water from her.

  “Here, girl,” she said encouragingly, offering the container to Luna.

  The K-9 sniffed it then lapped up the liquid.

  When she’d finished, Everett went back to the cave entrance for more. As he waited, he swept his gaze over the landscape. Thankfully there was no sign of anyone moving through the forest toward them. Maybe the rain would hold them off. He was thankful they had Luna to let them know if anyone came close.

  Each time their safe house had been breached, Luna had provided the initial warning, alerting them with her low, rumbling growls. He appreciated how her keen ears and sense of smell was so much more useful than any of his senses.

  He pulled out his phone and called his buddy Trent. “How do you feel about a trip to Denali?”

  “What do you need?” Trent sounded happy to help as long as he wasn’t about to be stuck doing more paperwork.

  “We could use backup.”

  “Backup? What’s going on?” the other man asked.

  “We’re stuck in the forest without a vehicle.” He quickly filled Trent in on what had transpired. “Also, we’ll need help covering the Denali Grand Chalet’s grand opening event tomorrow night.”

  “I’m in,” Trent said without hesitation. “Give me some time to follow up on that warrant, and I’ll hit the road. And st
ay safe, man.”

  “Thanks, I really appreciate it.” Everett ended the call and put his phone back in his pocket.

  When the container was three-fourths full, he carried it back inside and dropped down beside Helena and Christine.

  “Is the rain letting up?” Helena asked.

  “Not yet.” He hesitated before saying, “I’ve been wondering about these attacks. Doesn’t it seem as if they’ve had more than one opportunity to kill us, if that was truly part of their plan?”

  Helena’s green eyes grew thoughtful. “You’re right. There have been more near misses than actual harm.”

  “Exactly. They’ve fired at us several times, but have only hit the SUV, not either of us.” He had to pull his gaze from the sweet image of Helena feeding Christine, with Luna stretched out beside them. For the first time since they’d been together with the baby, he didn’t look at Helena and think of Sheila.

  Instead, he looked at Helena, wishing for the opportunity to steal another kiss.

  That was pure craziness. He wasn’t interested in heading down that path. So why couldn’t he get the brief but heated kiss out of his mind?

  “Do you think Christine is the real target?” Helena’s question brought him back to the case.

  “Maybe.” He frowned and pulled the diaper bag over as a thought struck. “Or maybe they’re somehow tracking us through the baby.”

  Helena sucked in a harsh breath. “I never thought of that.”

  He hadn’t, either. What did that say about his skill as a cop? Not much. With systematic thoroughness, he removed items from the pink diaper bag, checking everything for a hidden tracker or chip of some sort.

  Nothing in the full container of wipes, or the diapers, or the cans of formula. He pulled out the note and the birth certificate Zoe had left, examining each closely as if he may have missed some sort of clue. But came up empty. Even the seams of the diaper bag were clean. No evidence of tampering that he could see.

  “Nothing,” he muttered as he started putting everything back into the diaper bag.