by Forsaken
She always hated losing even one, but right now she was more worried about Jamison. She couldn’t help worrying about him riding out of the mountains alone. What if he ran into the drug smugglers? She shuddered at the thought because she could only assume he would be outnumbered.
Lucy barked again. This time the sound was high and sharp. Maddie cocked her head, listening. She’d left Lucy watching the sheep, but apparently she’d come back to camp.
Maddie picked up her camera, stuffed it into the pocket of her coat and reached for her rifle. Lucy’s bark was closer as if she was headed for the tent at a run. Her bark had gotten sharper, taking on a sound that was more than just a warning. There was fear in it. A grizzly? Her horse whinnied in the trees near the tent. Something was out there, something that had frightened the dog.
As she stepped through the tent flap, rifle in hand, she heard an answering whinny from a different horse. Had Jamison come back for some reason? But Lucy wouldn’t be afraid of the deputy.
As Lucy came into view, she stopped just a few yards from the tent, the hair standing up on the back of her neck. Her gaze shot past Maddie as a low growl sounded in the dog’s throat.
Maddie swung around but not quickly enough. The blow caught her on the side of her face and knocked her to the snowy ground. Her vision dimmed, drawing down to a pinpoint before she was able to focus again.
As Lucy dived for the man, Maddie realized she still had the rifle clutched in her hands. It was cumbersome, too long to turn easily, especially with the man so close.
She swung it, connecting with his hip. He let out a cry just an instant before the dog barreled into him. Lucy was growling and snapping at him. The man threw up his arms to fend off the dog while he screamed for her to call Lucy off.
“I’ll kill the dog if you don’t call her off,” the man yelled as he managed to get hold of Lucy’s throat. The dog was still trying to bite him. It was so unlike Lucy that Maddie was shocked speechless.
“I’ll kill her!” the man yelled, and she heard Lucy whimper and quit snarling.
“Lucy,” she called, then louder, “Lucy, no! Off! Off!”
Lucy went limp in his grip, and for a moment she thought he’d killed her. But when he set Lucy down, she leaped up and ran over to Maddie, who was still lying on the ground. It had all happened so fast she hadn’t had a chance to get to her feet.
It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. The man had pulled a gun and now pointed it at her heart.
“Put down the rifle and get up.” The man was in his mid-thirties, she would guess, maybe a little older. Blond, blue-eyed, he had a privileged look about him, much like Jamison, she thought. Only there was a deadly coldness in this man’s eyes that Jamison’s could never have.
She stayed where she was for a moment, considering what to do. She had a pretty good idea who this man was. He had to be one of the men connected to the plane.
Knowing that, she also knew he had a fortune in drugs he desperately needed to get out of the mountains. Since she hadn’t noticed a limp, she figured he was a friend of the man who’d been injured in the plane wreck. But that still made him an accessory to murder already.
“You really don’t want to do anything stupid,” the man warned her when she didn’t move.
“No, I don’t,” she said and tossed the rifle away before she got to her feet. Lucy stood beside her, her teeth bared at the man.
“I don’t like the look of that dog. Make it go away.”
“Lucy, work,” she ordered. The dog didn’t move. “Lucy, work.” As the dog slinked off toward the sheep, Maddie turned back to the man. “What is it you want?”
“Well,” he said, glancing around. “For starters, tell me where the deputy is.”
So he knew Jamison had been here with her. That meant he’d had contact with someone out of the mountains. “He went to get firewood. He’ll be back soon.”
The man laughed. “I don’t think so.” He cocked his head toward the pile of wood next to the tent. “Why don’t we go in the tent? I could really use a cup of coffee and you look like the kind of woman who could get it for me.”
She chuckled at that but opened the tent door. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him pick up her rifle. He’d done nothing to hide his face. She could identify him in a lineup, which meant he had no intention of letting her live.
“I thought you might have some warm, dry clothing I could use, as well,” he said.
She moved to the stove and grabbed the handle of the almost-empty coffeepot.
“Just in case you’re thinking of throwing hot coffee on me or trying to knock me out with that, please know I will kill you.”
“Oh, I suspect you will kill me either way,” she said as she poured him a cup of coffee and gingerly handed it to him. “What’s your name?”
He laughed as he took the cup. “Why would I tell you?”
“Why wouldn’t you?”
He took a sip of the coffee, keeping his gaze and his gun trained on her. “Alex.”
She nodded. “You look like an Alex.”
He cocked his head. “I’m not sure I should take that as a compliment.”
“Oh, is that why you’re here? You’re looking for compliments?”
“You’re a real spitfire, aren’t you? You didn’t tell me your name.”
“You already know my name.”
He smiled at that. “Maddie Conner. Your reputation precedes you as a woman I was warned not to underestimate. I’m beginning to understand why I was warned.”
He’d been warned by someone she knew? Or at least someone who had heard about her.
“So what are you doing here?” she asked as she considered what in the tent she could use as a weapon. She wasn’t going to let this cocky bastard kill her without a fight.
He took another drink of his coffee. “Maybe I just wanted a place to warm up for a while, a cup of coffee and a change of clothing.”
“You should have been more friendly. You might have gotten breakfast.”
“Oh, I think I can have anything I want, don’t you?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ALEX GLANCED AT his watch. By now Tony and Geoff would have the horses loaded. They would be antsy and yet they would wait for him. He wondered how long before they realized he wasn’t coming back?
Geoff would be so sick by now, his wounded leg so infected that he might not even be able to get on his horse. Tony would be terrified. The man had never done anything by himself. What would he do if he realized no one was going to lead him out of the mountains?
Eventually Tony would get scared and take off. Alex smiled to himself at the thought. Would the fool try to take the coke? Or would he just run? Didn’t matter. Tony wouldn’t get far, though. Even with a map and Geoff’s GPS, he wouldn’t be able to find his way out of the mountains. He’d panic and get lost for sure, and with supplies running low, he’d starve to death—if hypothermia didn’t get him first.
Or whoever might be waiting down by Gardiner for the coke.
“You and your damned sheep,” he said to the ranch woman. “What are you doing up here, anyway?”
“Sheep ranchers have always brought their sheep up here,” she said. “I’m the last. Thanks to you.”
“Oh, yeah. I should be on a horse right now with a string of packed horses behind me headed south of here with equivalent to enough money I could buy myself a small island.”
“So why aren’t you?”
He met her gaze. “Because of you and your damned sheep.”
“So you messed up my life and I messed up yours,” she said. “That sounds like we’re even.”
He laughed. “Not by a long shot.”
The way Alex figured it, the deputy had ridden out for help—and not all that long ago. That meant he had plenty of time. He looked at the woman and smiled. This was going to be fun. He liked the idea of going out in a blaze of glory. But first he would get some satisfaction by making the woman pay.
“D
eputy Jamison will be back any minute,” Maddie Conner said. She didn’t look scared of him, but Alex knew she’d be a fool if she wasn’t. And Maddie was no fool, he thought. “He’ll kill you if he finds you here.”
His smile broadened. “I’m not worried since he hasn’t gone to get wood. I saw your deputy’s tracks. He left early this morning, no doubt to get help.”
She met his smile with one of her own. “Why would he do that? He talked to the undersheriff yesterday. With the storm letting up, the feds should be here soon.”
Alex laughed. “The feds? I don’t think so. He wouldn’t have left you here alone if he had gotten through to anyone off the mountain.”
“I would think you’d be worried about getting the drugs out of the plane and to your distributor before the feds get here.”
“Do you think it’s wise to show me how much you know about my...enterprises?”
“You wouldn’t be here unless you saw our footprints at the plane.”
“Good point.”
“If you kill me, Jamison won’t stop looking for you.”
He cocked his head at her in surprise. “So it’s like that, is it? Well, if I do get off this mountain it will be my word against...well, I guess it will just be my word. I merely came up here on a hike into Yellowstone Park, got caught in a snowstorm, stumbled onto your camp and found you...” He grimaced. “Horrible sight. So even if I’m caught running out of the Beartooths, I have good reason given the horror I’ve endured.”
“Except for the drugs on you, you could probably pull that off.”
“There aren’t any drugs on me. Nor do I have any intention of getting caught. This is big country. You should know that. As far as anyone will know, I died up here.”
He knew he was lying to her. He wouldn’t be leaving these mountains, but then again, neither would she. He put down the empty coffee cup. “But you do have a point. I suppose we’d better get busy, don’t you think?”
* * *
MADDIE FELT A COLD dread move through her. For the first time in her life, she found herself in the presence of pure evil. This man was capable of unspeakable things. One look in his empty eyes and she had known he planned to kill her. But before he did, he would hurt her. As he said, he blamed her. If she hadn’t had sheep up here and Branch hadn’t discovered the plane because of the sound the wind made...
He was just looking for someone to blame and she was it.
She promised herself that she would put up the fight of her life. It surprised her how badly she wanted to live. Just yesterday she’d been ready to quit. With Branch dead, she knew she couldn’t keep the Diamond C going. For so long that had been upmost in her mind.
Then Jamison had come into her life. He’d promised her nothing and yet, he’d given her everything, including a will not to give up on herself. He’d given her hope, something she’d been short of after losing her husband and son.
And now this man wanted to take all of that and her life away from her.
Alex took a step toward her. She felt her heart drop as he pulled a switchblade and thumbed the button, the snick of the blade sounding loud in the tent.
Maddie stumbled back at the sight of the long deadly blade as it caught the light. But nothing was more frightening than the look in Alex’s eyes.
“What? Nothing smart to say now?” he asked with a laugh.
She realized he had no intention of trying to get away with anything. He must realize he’d never get the drugs out of the mountains or get away. With Branch murdered by one of his associates, he would be going down. This was a man with nothing to lose.
Maddie could feel his anger. He planned to take it out on her.
As she stumbled back, her legs connected with the small supply box that sat between the two cots. She fell back on it, sitting down hard, and grabbed the sides of the box for support.
Alex’s smile broadened. She was trapped with nowhere to run and had less of a chance to fight him since she was no longer on her feet.
Overconfident, he didn’t see her right hand snake under the edge of the sleeping bag. She kept her gaze on his. She didn’t have to fake the fear she knew was in her eyes or the trembling of her body as he advanced on her.
She would have one chance. Everything was riding on how quickly she could act, she thought, as her hand closed around the grip of the .357 Magnum pistol. She’d told Jamison she kept it handy and always in reach. She hadn’t lied.
Unfortunately, she would never have time to draw the gun from under the sleeping bag, cock it and fire before Alex took it from her.
“I’m going to try to make this as fun as I can in the short time we have together,” he said as he brandished the blade in front of her face. “At least fun for me.”
She didn’t move—pretended she couldn’t as if struck by sheer terror—as he lowered the blade, dug the tip of it into the fabric of her shirt and cut a slice that exposed her bra beneath.
Maddie felt a trickle of blood from where the knife tip had cut her. As the blood made its way toward her belly, Alex spread her shirt open with his free hand and, sticking the knife between her breasts, cut her bra, exposing her large breasts.
He didn’t even look at them, though. She saw not lust or even interest in his expression. He wanted to humiliate her, before he really hurt her.
But being a man, she knew he would eventually look at her nipples hardening in the chilly tent. The fire in the stove had burned out hours ago, the cold quickly moving in. She stared at his eyes, waiting.
The moment his gaze dropped to her breasts, she twisted her hand under the sleeping bag so the barrel was pointed at Alex, cocked the pistol and pulled the trigger.
* * *
JAMISON RODE HARD back toward the camp and Maddie. The sun ricocheted off the new fallen snow, blinding him. As his horse lunged through the drifts, snow showered over him, the brilliant crystals hanging in the air around him against a sky of deep blue.
He rode as if the hounds of hell were on his heels. He’d known the men would be back. No one just forgot about a plane full of drugs with a street value of more than five million dollars.
Jamison wondered about the buyer who would be waiting. Did he know about the downed plane? Surely he would be getting impatient. That meant the men who’d been running this load were in trouble. Soon they would have a drug cartel after them. That gave him little satisfaction if they were in the sheep camp right now.
He’d ridden back the way he’d originally come. It seemed farther than he remembered. He couldn’t have been more anxious to get to Maddie. All his cop instincts told him he should have kept going toward the valley to notify law enforcement. But his heart thundered in his chest, demanding he go back. If Maddie was in trouble—
Ahead, he saw fresh tracks in the snow that crossed his own, the others coming up from the south and circling the camp. His stomach dropped at the sight of them. Only one rider, but he was headed straight for the sheep tent.
He knew better than to push the mare too hard, but he also feared what he would find back at camp if he didn’t hurry.
Jamison had just dropped over the ridge when he heard the gunshot. It echoed across the mountainside. He could see the tent in the distance, the meadow of sheep blending into the snowy landscape.
The snow had drifted in bad once he left the ridgeline and started for the tent. The horse labored through it. It would be even slower if he tried to go on foot.
His heart hammered in his chest as a scream followed the first shot. Another shot echoed across the mountainside.
“Maddie!” Her name broke from his lips, a cry of pain and fear and prayer as he urged his horse on. “Maddie!”
That was when he heard it. The sound of a helicopter. As he raced toward the tent, he saw the chopper in the distance. It was headed toward camp. But Jamison feared neither of them would get there in time.
* * *
ALEX SCREAMED BOTH in pain and shock as the bullet tore through his right thigh. He lunged for
Maddie and she fired again, but this time the bullet caught him in the side, barely grazing his skin.
Maddie managed to fall to the side as he came at her with the knife. The blade tore into the side of the tent, ripping down through the canvas and throwing Alex off balance.
She shoved him aside as she leaped to her feet. Her plan was to take a couple of steps and turn. She still had the .357 clutched in her hand and planned to empty it in him if she could just get far enough away from him to get a decent shot.
On her feet, she took a step—
Alex grabbed hold of her braid. He snapped her head with such force that she stumbled back into him hard. Her momentum threw them both off balance. His arm locked around her neck as he fell backward, she falling on top of him between the cots.
She struggled to lift the gun, even knowing she wouldn’t be able to get a clear shot off. But he wasn’t going to give her a chance to try. He threw his legs over her arms, pinning them at her sides and forcing her to drop the gun.
They lay like that, both breathing hard. She could hear from his breathing that he was in pain. But neither wound was life-threatening.
“You’re going to so wish you hadn’t done that,” he said through gritted teeth.
If she’d been scared before, now she was terrified. She’d wounded him. Anyone who lived in Montana knew how a wounded animal reacted. Alex was more deadly than any wounded grizzly. A grizzly would kill humanely. Alex wouldn’t.
She’d expected him to stab her but apparently he’d dropped the knife when he’d cut down through the side of the tent and she’d shoved him away. She could feel the cold air rushing in from the slit in the canvas behind them. Alex’s hot breath, though, was sickeningly moist against her neck.
“You’re really going to wish you hadn’t done that,” he repeated. His words made it clear that whatever he’d planned to do to her before would be nothing compared to what he would do now.
She tried to free her hand to get the gun, but he only held her more tightly. The choke hold on her throat was so tight she could barely take a breath. She could feel wet blood from his wounds seeping into her clothing. Maybe there was a chance she had hit an artery and he would bleed to death. Unfortunately, she didn’t think he was going to wait that long.
