Appalachian Prey (Lavender Mountain Book 1; Appalachian Magic)

by Debbie Herbert

  “She really in danger?” Jasper sprinted to the passenger’s side and climbed in. “I’m going with you. I know that area like the back of my hand.”

  Harlan hit the gas and turned on the blue light. Mossy Creek had once been a popular path leading to the main Appalachian Trial but he hadn’t walked it since he was a teenager.

  “Why are you so familiar with this trail?” he asked Jasper. He doubted Lilah’s uncle would be much help, but engaging in conversation would help keep the turmoil at bay.

  “I have my reasons. Enough said.”

  Harlan gritted his teeth. Jasper could be maddening. Stubborn as all get-out. If he didn’t want to volunteer information, nothing could pry it loose. But right now, he didn’t much care how Jasper came to know that neck of the woods as long as he proved helpful.

  He pressed the redial number for Lilah’s phone on the off-chance she’d called, but he got the same empty ring and the same voice-mail message. In disgust, he dropped it in the console.

  Jasper picked it up, palming the phone as if it were an alien object dropped from outer space. “How you work this thing?”

  “Now’s not a good time for me to bring you into the twenty-first century,” he said, rounding a curve a little too fast and fishtailing back into his own lane.

  “I’m gonna git us some help. Walk me through the process.”

  Every law enforcement officer in the county would be there, but if Lilah was lost or hurt in the woods, every person on patrol mattered.

  “Press the button on the side and then touch the phone receiver icon.”

  “Icon?”

  “Little picture on the screen.”

  Harlan slowed down. He couldn’t afford an accident along the way.

  “Now what?” Jasper asked.

  “Press the dial pad option.” At Jasper’s perplexed expression, Harlan sighed and pulled off to the side of the road. “Just give it to me. What’s the number?”

  “Don’t have to git huffy.”

  Jasper rattled off the number and Harlan punched it out before returning the phone to him. A ring echoed over the Bluetooth radio connection as he pulled back onto the road.

  “Hello,” a gruff voice answered.

  “Thad? Git out to Mossy Creek Trail and bring anyone you can find for a search-and-rescue.”

  Jasper spoke loudly, the phone held close to his ear, and Harlan didn’t bother explaining that was unnecessary.

  “Lilah’s car’s stranded out there. Our gal’s missing.”

  They arrived at the scene within ten minutes. Three police cars and a state trooper vehicle were already there. Bile rose in his throat at the sight of officers shining their flashlights inside Lilah’s abandoned car. Was she in the car and possibly hurt?

  Harlan slammed on his brakes, inches from a parked cop car, and hurried over. “What’s happening?”

  J.D. placed a hand on his shoulder. “No sign of any blood or a struggle. With any luck, she just went for a walk and got lost. We’ll find her.”

  “She left her phone in the car.” Officer Alvin Lee honed his flashlight on the passenger’s seat where Lilah’s phone lay.

  “We’ve got to find her—organize a search,” Harlan said.

  “We’re on it.” The nearby state trooper stepped over and held out a hand. “Harlan Sampson? Trooper Davis. Understand the subject is your girlfriend?”

  “Correct.” Harlan absently shook his hand.

  “Called for a helicopter search-and-rescue mission. In light of the recent murders, approval shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “Thank you.” Finally, a piece of good news.

  More cars arrived and the night filled with the sounds of people shouting commands and the crackle of static and disembodied voices from police scanners. Blue lights strobed over the scene while officers donned headlamp gear and dug out first-aid kits. Most were no strangers to these missions. Tourists got lost, or hikers on the Appalachian Trail sustained injuries and failed to report to their next checkpoint, alarming their next of kin. He’d always felt compassion for the waiting, worried families, never imagining he’d live through this particular agony himself.

  Sammy clamped a hand on his shoulder. “Hang in there, buddy. Lilah’s a mountain girl, born and raised. She’ll be fine.”

  “I’m going with you.”

  Sammy thrust a headlamp, a whistle on a chain and a compass at him. “Figured as much.” He looked past Harlan’s shoulders and whistled. “Take a look at this.”

  People streamed from dozens of parked cars. Jasper rounded them together with the help of a cop as they organized a search.

  For the first time in the past two frustrating hours, Harlan’s throat closed up and he blinked hard. That’s what he loved about Lavender Mountain. That’s what made this place home. Everyone came together in times of need—without question and without complaint. He recalled nights when he and his mom—for days in a row—were down to nothing but grits for dinner. Some kind anonymous neighbors would leave them a basket of fresh-baked food or a casserole dish warm from their oven.

  Harlan strapped on the headlamp, placed the whistle chain around his neck and joined his fellow officers at the head of the trail. Six-by-six, they entered and walked in a horizontal line, their combined lights illuminating the forest like a blazing wall.

  They would find her, alive and well. He refused to accept any other possibility.

  I’m coming for you, Lilah. Hang on.

  Chapter Eleven

  A storm of turbulence thundered through the mountain. Lilah was startled awake, bewildered and fearful. Damp stone, darkness and the metallic tinge of blood in her mouth reminded her of the afternoon’s events. But what was that roaring cacophony? From the cave’s mouth, a monochromic flash of white beams lit the trees. Faraway voices wafted faintly.

  She slowly rose and walked on wobbling legs to the entrance, then leaned against the stone aperture. Ahead, a helicopter drew nearer before circling and hovering almost directly above. She blinked, adjusting from the cave’s darkness and silence to the piercing light and noise.

  They were looking for her. She’d been part of search-and-rescue missions before, although never at night. And she’d certainly never been the objective of one.

  “Here,” she called. But her voice was weak, certainly not audible over the chopper’s engine.

  A ray of light from above shone directly on her body and she blinked and waved her arms.

  “Lilah!”

  She distinctly heard her name and turned her head to the right.

  Harlan ran toward her, his eyes frantic. “Are you hurt? You’re bleeding.”

  Without waiting for an answer, he picked her up and cradled her against his broad chest, which she buried her face in, shutting out the commotion. She inhaled the scent of clean linen blended with a woodsy note, savoring the comfort and strength of Harlan’s presence.

  Now she had the answer she’d been seeking when she’d entered the forest hours ago. No way was she leaving this man or this mountain. He deserved to know the truth. He was the father of her child and she loved and trusted him. She’d never stopped loving him, even when he’d withdrawn his affection after her spring break was over.

  “We’ll get you to a hospital right away,” he vowed, stroking her hair. “What happened? Did somebody hurt you or did you just take a tumble?”

  Before she could answer, Jasper ran up to them. “LayLay, you okay little girl?”

  “I’m fine now.”

  The harsh lines of her uncle’s face relaxed. “Had a hunch you’d head out to this cave when they found your car at the trail entrance. You always did love to play in it when you were a kid. You and Jimmy and Darla, too.”

  Ah, so that’s how they knew where to search. “Thank you, Uncle Jasper.”

  They were quickly surrounded by o
thers. Spontaneous cheers erupted from the volunteers. Lilah recognized Sammy and Alvin as they pushed their way over.

  “What happened, Lilah?” Sammy asked.

  She shot Harlan an uneasy glance. “I came out for a walk and two men took shots at me. Sounded like a shotgun. I ran to the cave and hid.”

  Harlan’s arms and chest tightened, hardening against her body.

  Alvin gave a low whistle. “Why would they shoot at you?”

  Her eyes slid involuntarily to Jasper and he gave the slightest shake of his head, as if asking her to keep quiet. He always called moonshine the “devil’s brew,” but family was family and they stuck together.

  “Who were the bastards?” Harlan’s face was pinched and his question clipped. “That’s what I need to know.”

  “I—I can’t say for sure. I never saw them, just heard their voices later, outside the cave.” Hell, she hated to tell him this next part. “I waited a long time before trying to leave, but my heart was racing and I was exhausted from running. I lay down to rest and then—” she waved an arm at the chaos. “—then I woke to the sound of the chopper.”

  “You didn’t recognize the voices?”

  Of course, Harlan cut right to the heart of the matter. She hesitated, unwilling to implicate Lavon in front of everyone. Could she really be one hundred percent positive it was him without having seen his face? If it wasn’t Lavon, she’d do him a great disservice by casting blame. And her family would be furious.

  “Maybe,” she conceded, lowering her voice so only Harlan could hear. “I’ll tell you later. All right?”

  He looked as if he wanted to argue, but relented when she cupped his jaw in her palms. “Please, I’m tired. I just want to go home. Okay? We can talk there—alone.”

  Sammy interrupted. “Any injuries other than your split lip? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

  “No. No hospital.”

  Harlan frowned. “Can you walk?”

  Lilah spied the sheriff striding toward them with his usual air of impatience, his features stern and implacable. He didn’t appear glad to see her one whit. Probably angry she’d created such a stir and cost the good taxpayers’ money and time.

  “Yes, I can walk.” She wiggled out of his arms and stood. “Let’s get outta here.”

  J.D. pulled out his walkie-talkie and informed the helicopter pilot that the mission was accomplished and the person found didn’t need a hospital emergency escort. He eyed her with his usual faint air of condescension. “Why were you out walking so late in this area?” he asked in a you-should-know-better tone.

  “Didn’t know that was a crime.” He prickled her temper. But the truth was, she felt guilty. She didn’t want to think about how much it cost for a chopper search.

  “No crime. Seems strange, though. Girl like you should know the dangers of roaming the forest at night.”

  “It wasn’t dark when I started,” she snapped. “And how was I supposed to know I’d get shot at?”

  “You saying someone shot at you?” His tone held just a tinge of disbelief.

  “Why would I lie?”

  Harlan jumped in the fray, squeezing her hand before addressing his boss. “It’s late and we’re all tired. You’ll have a full statement from Lilah in the morning, J.D.”

  “See that I do.”

  * * *

  HARLAN GENTLY DABBED a washcloth at the gash on Lilah’s mouth, relieved to find the cut was superficial and didn’t even need stitches. Had to hurt like hell, though. Who had done this to her? He tamped down the anger. That could wait. For now, he wanted to take care of Lilah and ease her mind. She stood before him in the shower, the bubbles from her bath gel enticingly covering her rosy skin.

  Harlan groaned inwardly at the temptation. Tonight was hardly the time to make love. “Go ahead and get under the spigot so I can wash your hair.”

  “I’m okay. Could have done this myself,” she grumbled but, nevertheless, stepped into the tub of steaming water.

  “Thanks for humoring me.”

  He squirted a dollop of shampoo in his palm and began kneading it into her hair. The feel of the lather in her long blond hair and the flowery smell created a tender sense of intimacy.

  “Have to admit this feels like heaven,” she said breathily, eyes closed.

  Good. This also gave him a chance to more thoroughly check out her naked body for other signs of injury. So far, only scraped knees. His stomach lurched at the thought of how horrible it could have been. If he’d lost Lilah... No, best not to go there.

  He rinsed her hair and wrapped a towel around her head. She stepped out of the tub and he gently dried her off. As always, the sight of her naked body was arousing, but tonight it was also tempered with a deep tenderness.

  “I’m sorry to be so much trouble.” She blinked back tears. “I got everybody riled up tonight, especially J.D.”

  He followed her into the bedroom where she pulled on a pink nightgown and plopped on the bed.

  “Screw J.D. Everyone else was concerned about your safety, not angry.”

  “He’s not wrong. It was stupid to go out there so late in the afternoon. Although, in my defense, I got so spent after running that I couldn’t hike back to the car. Plus, it’s weird. Inside the cave, even once I knew they were gone, my heart started racing. No matter how much I rested, it felt like I couldn’t breathe.”

  “Might have been a panic attack.”

  “That makes me sound like a weakling—a hysterical female.” Lilah removed the towel from her head and starting working a comb through her long locks.

  “No way. You were attacked in the woods and were alone and pregnant. Would have been a wonder if you hadn’t panicked. Nobody is judging you for anything. As for being in the woods, you couldn’t have known two psychos were roaming about. Speaking of which—it’s time to tell me everything.”

  She sighed. “Right. Remember, it’s all just supposition, though, as far as the shooters. That’s why I didn’t mention it in front of everybody. Darla, Jimmy and I used to play in that cave as kids because it was near one of Dad’s old stills. While he worked, we entertained ourselves there. The second I heard the shotgun blast, I instinctively ran to it. While I was hiding, I heard two men talking on the ground above me.”

  His jaw tightened. “What did they say? Any idea who they were?”

  “One asked the other if he’d only shot to scare me away and the other man said he had, but I think he lied. And the worst part is...the man that lied? It might have been my cousin Lavon.”

  He’d get the truth out of Lavon in the morning—no matter what it took. “I wouldn’t put it past that guy. But why would he shoot at you?”

  “Maybe he did it to protect the still location? Or maybe just out of plain meanness?”

  “You said it was an old still, so that seems unlikely. Unless they’re using it again?”

  She winced at a tangle in her hair and set the comb on the nightstand. “No. I checked underneath and there haven’t been any recent fires lit for cooking moonshine.”

  Harlan rose and went to the window, gazing at the dark sky. To think she’d been alone and vulnerable out there made his gut clench. Damn if he wouldn’t get to the bottom of this first thing in the morning. He’d have Lavon spilling his guts before noon.

  “The Tedders are trouble. Except for you,” he quickly amended. “They wanted to hurt—or scare you—for a reason. I aim to find out why.”

  “But I could be wrong about Lavon,” she added hastily. “I didn’t see him so I can’t swear in a court of law he was the one. What if I’m wrong? Much as I dislike him, I don’t want him locked up on a false charge. And Uncle Thad and Aunt Vi would never forgive me, either.”

  “You’ve been through enough without worrying about their feelings.”

  She bit her lip. “Lavon will be really angry. Whe
ther he’s innocent or not.”

  “I won’t let him get to you.”

  “You can’t protect me twenty-four seven.”

  “Can we at least agree that, until everything settles down, you don’t go anywhere alone?”

  “I won’t go walking alone in the woods again. Probably ever.”

  She hadn’t exactly agreed to his terms, but he couldn’t keep her under lock and key, either. “At least promise me that if you leave the house while I’m at work, you’ll let me know where you’re going?”

  “Agreed.” She flashed the first real smile he’d seen from her today. “See? I can be reasonable.”

  Whew. He sat beside her on the bed and ran a hand through his hair. He couldn’t be worrying about her safety when he needed a clear head to ponder the possibilities of what was behind the shooting. He’d question Lavon, then go back out to the old still and the cave to look around. Those men were guarding something. If not moonshine, was it drugs? His heart beat faster, the way it did when he was onto something. That area was perfect—off the beaten path but close enough to a main road for easy access to transportation.

  “Did you see anything suspicious in that cave?”

  “I didn’t look. There’s several narrow passages in the back, but I’ve always avoided them. Bats, you know. Why? You think there’s something hidden?”

  “Could be.”

  Lilah grinned. “We always knew there was hidden treasure in there.”

  “I call it contraband, if it’s what I suspect it is. I’ll know in the morning.”

  “Drugs? Could be. I want to go with you tomorrow.”

  “No way. This will be official police work. We can’t let civilians come along.”

  “Please? I think it would help me to go back there in daylight. I’ll go crazy just sitting around your home all day.”

  “J.D. would raise hell.”

  “So don’t tell him. That man’s a crook. How can you stand to work for him?”

  “I realize you don’t like him and I can’t blame you. But come on—a crook?”

  “I can’t prove it, but yeah, I have my suspicions.”