Justice at Dawn

by Valerie Massey Goree

  “At last.” Cooper produced his keys and popped the remote.

  While he leaned on the hood, KC opened the passenger door, then stepped out of the way. He hopped around the door and with numerous groans, heaved himself inside.

  KC set the rifle and pack on the backseat and then climbed behind the wheel and blew out a breath. “I’ve never been so happy to see a vehicle before. Thank You, Lord God.” She bowed her head for a moment. Or so she thought. Next thing she knew, her head hit the steering wheel and she jerked awake. Whew. “Sorry, Cooper.” She glanced at him.

  His head lolled to the side, eyes closed, his breath puffed in and out.

  Was he asleep or…?

  She reached out to poke him, but he licked his lips and turned to face the window.

  Sleeping. Sounded like a good plan.

  KC adjusted the seat, pulled her cap over her eyes, and…

  28

  Pain zapped through Cooper’s knee. He sat bolt upright in the passenger seat of his truck.

  KC was asleep behind the wheel.

  He rubbed his eyes. Was this a dream? The snake. And his fall. The strenuous hike to the pickup. But why had they both fallen asleep? He punched the interior light switch. Nothing. Odd. Pressing the button on the side of his watch illuminated the time. Nearly 4:30 AM. No wonder darkness shrouded the woods. A knot the size of Houston formed in his chest. Their sleepiness was not normal. Even with all their physical exertion. He coughed, but KC didn’t stir. He shook her arm. “KC, wake up.”

  “Hmm?”

  Dappled moonlight allowed him to see her remove her cap and stare at him.

  “Why are we still in the woods?”

  “We’ve been asleep for hours. It’s four-thirty in the morning. Unbelievable.”

  She smacked her lips. “I’m parched. Hold your thoughts while I get drinks from the ice chest.” Once she returned the seat to an upright position, she crawled over the console into the back.

  “While you’re there, get the flashlight from my backpack.”

  “Here.” She handed him a dripping bottle of tea.

  He gulped the contents still cold enough to satisfy. “I didn’t realize how thirsty I was. Thanks.”

  Behind the wheel again, she swigged her tea. “OK, boss, what’s going on?”

  “I think we were drugged at the cabin.” It was the only explanation that made sense.

  “Yeah. Before we crossed paths with the snake, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. In fact, I was kinda glad you were walking slowly, because even then, I had a hard time keeping up with you. Why? How?”

  “I think I know how. The cream on the cake. We all consumed some, except Barbara.”

  “Right. She said she didn’t like it. I had two pieces, a double dose.” She whistled. “And poor Hannah. Barbara smothered her cake in cream. I pray the dose wasn’t enough to be fatal.”

  “Probably not. If she’s using different methods to control Sadie and Hannah, she wouldn’t want to go overboard.” Gut muscles tensed, Cooper slapped his thigh. “Try your cell.”

  Neither his nor KC’s phone worked.

  “Forget the clinic. Drive to the cabin. We’ve got a hostage situation on our hands.”

  She turned the key in the ignition. Click. Tried again. No response. “Something’s wrong.”

  “Dog gone it. Sorry, KC, you’ll have to check. I have a sneaky suspicion as to the problem. The hood release is right there.” He shone the flashlight at the control below the steering column.

  Yanking on the release didn’t produce the requisite sound. Had someone tampered with it? “If you can’t open the hood, I’ll get out.”

  “No, I’m sure I can do it. I’ve helped my dad and brothers work on their vehicles for years.” Her flashlight in hand, she exited and trod to the front of the truck.

  She raised the hood with no problem. The catch must be broken. Flashlight held in her mouth, she closed the hood with a quiet click.

  Mouth downcast, she returned and slid inside the truck. “The battery’s gone.”

  “Gone? You sure?” A stupid question, but he couldn’t believe her words.

  “Yes. Gaping hole where it should be. What now?”

  Anger-heated blood swooshed through Cooper’s body. Anger at whomever stole the battery, but more at himself for not heeding the subtle signs he’d read along the way. Why didn’t he let Gabe notify the authorities? He should have paid more attention to Sadie’s demeanor. Did she provide hints of her situation? He slapped his forehead with his palm. KC could have easily taken a picture of Barbara for identification purposes. Many of his and KC’s concerns were now realized.

  Barbara held the lives of Hannah and Zach in her hands. Sadie obeyed, or else…

  Cooper pounded on the center console. “I know why she drugged us and disabled my pickup. First, to keep us from contacting Bowen or Caleb, but more importantly, so she could escape.”

  “With Sadie and the kids? Still drugged? She’d have to carry them to her car.”

  “She wouldn’t risk leaving them here.”

  “Unless they were—no, not going to say it. What can we do?”

  He took a moment to weigh their options. “First, we need to find out if they’re still at the cabin. It’s about a mile and a half away. In my condition it would take us, what an hour or more?”

  “I can go by myself. Run there and back.”

  “All right. Take my handgun and the rifle.” He drew his weapon from his holster and the extra magazine from his pocket and handed them to her. “That’ll leave me with the shotgun.” His throat tightened. Reaching into the darkness, he grabbed her arm. “No. I can’t allow you to put yourself at risk.”

  The muscles in her forearm tensed. “Don’t I have a say? After all, it is my life, and I can handle myself. You taught me well. Besides, if they have all gone, the longer we wait, the less chance we have of locating Sadie.”

  “True.” Possible scenarios raced through his mind. “So, our next course of action will depend on what you find.”

  “If both vehicles are still there, I’ll make sure there’s no human activity and then get inside.”

  “What if the door’s locked? What if Barbara hears you and grabs the shotgun?”

  “The weapon might not be hers.”

  “OK.”

  “So, um, I’ll pry open a window. The one to the kitchen was accessible.”

  Was that the best course of action? Drat his knee. Of all the times to end up incapacitated, this had to be the worst.

  “I can do it, Cooper.”

  An eternity passed, or maybe only a minute. “All right.” He gave her the combination to his gun safe. Seconds later, he held the shotgun across his chest, the box of shells on the console. Now would be a perfect time to pray. Keep us all safe, Dear God. There. That didn’t hurt.

  “You have your flashlight? Good, and be careful, KC. I—” Nope. Say no more.

  “I will.” She climbed down, slid her arms into her sweater, and then tossed her cap onto the seat. “Don’t want my bling to advertise my presence.”

  A sharp beam lit the road before her. He should have reminded her to use the flashlight sparingly. If Barbara was still here, she might be on the lookout for intruders. At that moment, KC turned off the light. Another training point remembered. Kudos, kid.

  His heart pounded. This was not right. She shouldn’t be handling the situation on her own. If he taped his knee really tight, he’d be able to join her. Yes. He opened his door to call her back.

  Boom.

  A shotgun blast echoed through the night, followed by a second and third explosion.

  29

  Flat on her stomach, KC slithered toward the brush. The shots sounded as if they came from the direction of the cabin. Barbara? KC’s heart slammed against her ribs. Scenarios acted out on the firing range had no comparison to real life. Father God, please lead us out of this mess. Keep Sadie and the kids safe. And Cooper. She listened for movement. Heard nothing. Not even b
irds fluttering in the branches. At some point, she’d dropped the flashlight. Rookie mistake. And using the flashlight—another novice move. Must have alerted the shooter to her location. Although Cooper had his light, if they were to get out of this bind, she’d need hers, too. At least she still had both weapons.

  Clouds cooperated and exposed the sliver of moon just long enough for KC to spy the flashlight ten yards away. She inched toward it, snagged the light, and stuffed the cold metal down the front of her shirt. Not comfortable, but it left her hands free. She daren’t risk standing. Good thing she wore rugged boots and thick jeans. They withstood her crawl back to the truck.

  Cooper met her on the ground beside the hood. “Are you hurt?” His whispered words wrapped around her like a warm shawl.

  “No. You OK?”

  “Yes. I thought the shots came from the south.”

  “Agree. From the cabin.” KC quietly brushed dirt off her jeans and shirt.

  “Maybe Barbara and her shotgun. We have a couple of choices. You can try again to make it to the cabin, but if the shooter is Barbara, she knows these woods and can ambush you anytime. You could be injured, or worse.” He shook his head. “No. We need to head north toward the highway. Contact the authorities.”

  “Or you can hide in the dense woods while I go. Once on the highway, I’ll hitch a ride to the nearest phone and call the cops.” Being fired at sure made a person antsy to hightail it away.

  “I agree with the second part. You get to the road, but I won’t wait here. I’ll hobble as best I can after you. Help me tape my knee before you go. It’s so swollen I had to loosen the bandage.”

  She opened the back door and felt around for his pack. Then she extracted the first aid kit. He’d already used much of the tape. What remained might be enough.

  Seated with his back against the truck, Cooper had already raised his trouser leg and unwound the bandage. KC gently touched his knee. Soft and pudgy. Swollen for sure. She wrapped the tape as tight as he could bear, around and around, to provide as much support as possible. He flinched a time or two, but never uttered a sound.

  “Where’s your cane?”

  Cooper lowered his pant leg then gestured to the side of the truck. “Over there.”

  Keeping low, KC patted the ground and found the stick close to the door. She gave it to him. “I’ll help you up like before.” Easier said than done. With no branches to aid his efforts, it took all her strength to heave him upright.

  They both puffed breaths in and out.

  “Get my backpack and jacket, please.” Cooper propped his elbows on the hood, head down.

  Would he be able to trek out of here? She nabbed the items, handed him his jacket and placed the pack on the hood. He could carry the supplies since the bag was much lighter now. “I’ll wait until you set out, then I’ll run to the highway. Are you sure you’ll be OK?” She wanted to stay with him, but…

  “Yup. It’s more important that you get going.” He turned with care, jabbed the cane onto the ground and hopped forward.

  She remembered the road curved to the left ahead and trod forward. The ground was not as uneven as she expected. Faster and faster, she walked, with only an occasional jar to her ankles. At this pace, she’d be at the highway in thirty minutes or less.

  A faint glint in the distance caught her eye. She halted, rifle raised. What had she seen? No sound, no light now.

  Forward one step. Was a person plodding along some distance behind her? Cooper? No, he was too well trained to broadcast his presence, even with a gimpy leg. The hair on her nape prickled. Although she couldn’t see them, goosebumps covered her arms.

  Two people tracking her?

  She stepped closer to the brush and saw the muzzle flash. The rifle shot zinged past her leg. Another blast struck the ground inches in front of her. She took a head dive into the vegetation and rolled twice into a clearing. Then on her knees, rifle aimed, she blew air out her mouth to calm her nerves. If there weren’t two people, did Barbara have a shotgun and a rifle? Had she somehow passed their vehicle by using a shortcut through the woods?

  Where was Cooper?

  No way could she proceed to the highway now. This scenario was not covered in her training. Should she go back to him via the track, or creep through the brush?

  Chewing her lip, she nodded. Use the vegetation as cover as much as possible and return to Cooper. Yeah, that made sense. But the choice produced too much noise. After a minute of rustling through the grass and stomping on twigs, she returned to the road. The sporadic rays of moonlight pointed her in the right direction.

  Surely, she’d walked far enough to be near the truck. No sign of Cooper yet, and that worried her. Had he fallen? Been shot?

  Oh, Dear God. No.

  A few yards farther on, she recognized the curve in the track. The pickup had to be close. She stopped to listen. Someone or something moved in the bushes ahead. She backed up until a shrub concealed her.

  Who or what lurked in the darkness? Cooper?

  Blood swished through her brain. So loud, she could hear it. Sweat beaded her upper lip. Come on, Cooper—

  Boom.

  Another shot. But from the direction of the cabin.

  No way Barbara could have passed her again.

  There had to be two shooters, one with a shotgun, one with a rifle.

  30

  Behind a tree, Cooper stood as still as the cool, early morning air, shotgun aimed into the darkness. Two shots. From different directions. Had KC fired the rifle? What if she hadn’t? She might be wounded.

  No. Don’t go there. She was on her way to the highway and for help.

  Finger alongside the trigger, he waited. Alert to the slightest sound, he took advantage of a brief glimmer of moonlight to scour the area. Nothing suspicious.

  Time to move. With the cane as support, he stepped along the track. The eerie silence sent a cold shiver down his spine. Where was Barbara? Ahead or behind him? No matter. A long trek to the main road awaited.

  A twig snapped to his right. He froze, ready to release the cane and raise the shotgun. A whispered word, “Cooper.”

  His shoulders relaxed. KC.

  “What happened out there?”

  She touched his arm and drew close. “Not sure. But there are two shooters. Probably Barbara with a shotgun in the direction of the cabin, and another person with a rifle between us and the highway.”

  “So, you didn’t fire a shot?”

  “No.”

  “And you’re not hurt?”

  “Uh-uh.”

  He stepped to a tree trunk and sagged against it. “Good. For a minute I thought—”

  “Who’s the other shooter? There was no sign of another adult besides Sadie at the cabin.”

  “I don’t know. Let’s not worry about that right now. We need to get out of here.”

  “How?” KC ran a hand over her curls, an action she’d repeated several times since they began their search for Sadie.

  “Obviously, we can’t use the track. What if we head toward the other cabin? We saw smoke from the chimney, which means someone’s in residence. Possibly with a vehicle.”

  She hitched the rifle strap over her shoulder. The weapon seemed to gain ten pounds with every mile. “Good idea. And according to Barbara, that cabin is less than a mile away, closer than the highway. And remember Hannah said it wasn’t far before the woman hushed her.”

  Turning his back to her, he said, “That’s right. I’m pretty sure of my directions but get the compass out of the side pocket of the pack, please.”

  A couple of seconds later, she handed the small instrument to him. “I’d say directly west of Barbara’s cabin.”

  “Yup.” He slid the flashlight from his pocket, then used his body as a shield while he shone the light on the compass. A forty-five-degree turn, and he pointed. “That way. We’ll both start out for the cabin, but after a while, you can head north to the highway. At least one of us will reach a vehicle. Keep close for
now.” Light extinguished, he set off, albeit at a sluggish pace. The constant, burning ache in his knee sapped his energy, but no way would he let KC know.

  The thick brush hampered their progress at every step, and the threat of Barbara or the unknown shooter locating them made for a harrowing trip.

  Cooper clenched his teeth and pressed forward listening for sounds that would indicate danger.

  Although they tried to move as quietly as possible, he was aware of KC behind him. A rustle of leaves, a huffed-out breath. But he was noisier. Dragging his foot, stifling a grunt when he jarred his knee. After ten minutes or so, he leaned against a tree. Suppressing his need to gasp for breath, he checked the compass with the flashlight again. “We’re headed in the right direction.”

  “Is it my imagination, or can I smell smoke?” KC sniffed into the air.

  He shrugged. “I don’t, but that doesn’t mean you’re wrong. My sense of smell is wacky at best. If an aroma isn’t from mouth-watering food, then don’t rely on me for help.”

  She gave a hint of a giggle. Then she prodded his shoulder. “If we can’t move silently, then neither can our adversaries. I don’t hear anyone around us. Let’s get going.”

  “Right.” He shoved the compass into his pocket and sucked in a breath. As the leader, he should have been the one to prompt their forward action, but his waning physical strength numbed his common sense. He recalled an expression his last rookie, Jay Vashon, a former Marine, often quoted. Adapt. Improvise. Overcome. Cooper had adapted. He was trying to improvise and still needed to overcome.

  He pressed on through the scrub, careful not to step on small branches, but there was no way they could make progress without noise. An estimated quarter hour later, he halted while making the hand sign for KC to do the same.

  To his left came the unmistakable sound of someone thrashing through the brush. Whoever followed them was not trying to mask his or her presence. An icy shudder slid across his shoulders. He propped the cane on a tree stump, positioned the shotgun, and waited.