Midnight Reckoning (Leave No Trace Book 1)

by Jannine Gallant

  “Oh, don’t worry. I will.”

  They continued up the zig-zagging path, passing an occasional hiker heading down the trail, and pausing to check out each new, amazing vista. As she rounded a bend, movement in the shadow of an overhanging rock caught her attention just before a man stepped out and gave her a hard shove.

  Arms windmilling, her feet slid out from under her. She pitched over the side of the cliff as a scream ripped from her throat. A hand clamped around her right wrist, jerking her hard against sharp rocks. Scrambling for a foothold, she banged her injured arm and let out a cry.

  “I’ve got you. Hold tight, Raine. I don’t want to grab your splint.” Leaning down, Levi caught her under her left armpit and lifted her up.

  Bracing one knee on the path, she fell into his arms. Trembling all over, she held on tight.

  “Are you okay? There’s blood on your legs.”

  “I scraped them all the way down.” She pressed her face against his chest and tried to calm her breathing. “Where’d that bastard go?”

  “He ran up the trail and disappeared before I got a decent look at him. My only concern was grabbing you.”

  All I saw was movement just before he pushed me, and I got the impression he was big. Maybe the same man who ran me off the road, but I can’t be sure.”

  “I don’t believe this. Shit!” Levi rested his cheek against her hair. “My fault for letting my guard down. I was focused on Matt, not some random threat.”

  She let out a long, shuddering sigh. “I’m still in one piece, thanks to you.”

  “Can you stand?”

  “I think so.” With his help, she rose on shaky legs. “I’m going to have a few bruises.”

  “More than a few. You’re all scraped up.”

  She touched the abrasions on her thighs, which were oozing blood. One long scratch on the underside of her arm stung like fire. “I’m a mess.”

  “We’ll get you cleaned up. What about your injured wrist? I hope to God you didn’t rebreak it.”

  “It doesn’t hurt, so I don’t think so.” She clenched her fists at her sides. “That creep must have been waiting up here to ambush me.”

  “Which means Matt alerted him in advance. I’d like to shove our old pal over that damn cliff.”

  Raine gripped his arm, and the muscle tensed beneath her fingers. “Maybe we shouldn’t say anything about the attack. If we do, Matt will just deny he was involved.”

  “No doubt. That’s why he had his cohort lurking, ready to make a move.”

  “Then, we’ll let him sweat, wondering why we’re keeping quiet. If he’s on edge, there’s a better chance he’ll slip up.”

  Levi ran a hand through his hair and let out a breath as voices sounded faintly down the trail. “I hear them coming. We need to make a decision.”

  “Text Detective Gilbert. See what he says.”

  “Okay.” Pulling out his phone, he typed rapidly. He’d just slid the cell back into his pocket when two hikers appeared around the bend.

  The one in the lead, a boy probably in his mid-teens, stopped short, his eyes widening. “Wow, are you okay?”

  Raine nodded. “I’m a little scraped up. I tripped and fell. This trail is nothing to mess with.”

  “I have a first aid kit.” An older, dark-haired man with a beard moved up to stand beside his companion. “Do you want to clean those abrasions with some antiseptic? They look pretty nasty.”

  When Levi’s phone dinged, he pulled it out and typed something before tucking it away and sliding an arm around her waist. “That might be a good idea. All we have with us is water.”

  As the bearded man lowered his pack to the ground, Raine glanced down the trail. “Did you happen to see our friends? A guy in a parrot shirt and a blond woman.”

  “We passed them a few minutes ago.” The kid pulled an energy bar out of his pocket and took a bite. “They should be here soon.”

  The hiker opened his first aid kit and sorted through it. “I have wipes that will clean those abrasions.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate this.” Raine squirted water onto her legs to wash off the dirt and blood around the raw areas and then took the wipe he handed her. The medication stung as she swabbed her skin.

  “You’ll want to cover those with bandages to keep them clean.” The man held out a couple of adhesive squares. “Make sure you wash those abrasions well this evening. You don’t want them to get infected.”

  “My dad’s a nurse.” The boy stuck the wrapper in his pack. “That’s why he’s being so bossy.”

  “Hey, I’m happy to take any advice. I’ll definitely need a hot shower and lots of soap after this.” Raine looked past the man’s shoulder as Matt and Ava appeared, and her smile faded.

  “Oh, my God. What happened to you?” Ava’s eyes widened. “You’re a mess.”

  “I slipped and fell. I saw a snake, and it scared the crap out of me.”

  Matt moved closer as the good Samaritan hefted his pack and stepped out of the way. “Wow. You’re lucky you didn’t get seriously injured.”

  “I sure am.”

  “We’ll be on our way.” The hiker waved his son forward. “I hope your return trip is less eventful.”

  “So do we.” Levi shook the man’s hand. “Thanks for your help.”

  “You’re welcome.” The two headed up the trail, leaving silence in their wake.

  Raine taped the second bandage into place and straightened. “I hate to ruin your hike, but I’d better head back down. I should have asked that guy for some ibuprofen since my whole body is starting to ache.”

  “I bet.” Ava studied her for a minute. “I’m ready to turn around, too, but you guys can keep going if you want. I’ll hike with Raine.”

  “No, I’ve had enough for one day.” Levi’s eyes were sober.

  Matt nodded. “I’m easy. Hey, what kind of snake did you see?”

  “A rattler.” Raine shuddered. “Why don’t you two go first, and we’ll follow. I have a feeling I won’t be moving very fast.”

  “Sure. I’ll take the lead.” Matt headed back down the trail with Ava behind him.

  Raine winced as she adjusted her pack and glanced over at Levi. “What did the detective say?”

  “He’s waiting off the trail for us to pass him since he doesn’t want to spook Matt. Then he plans to go look for the man who shoved you. If the guy stops somewhere to wait for instructions, Gilbert may get a chance to identify him.”

  “I hope so.”

  Levi cupped her cheek in his hand. “Are you hanging in there?”

  “Yeah, I am. You had my back, just like you promised.”

  “That was far too close for comfort. I was literally feet away from you, and I couldn’t stop him. Taking a risk like that speaks of desperation and ruthlessness. Maybe we should go home and stay out of the line of fire.”

  She shook her head. “That wouldn’t stop Matt from coming after me later if he feels I’m still a threat. We need to end this here where it started.”

  “Are you two coming?” Ava shouted.

  “Yep. On our way.” Raine headed down the trail with Levi close behind her. “Next time, we’ll be better prepared. Now we know Matt isn’t the only one we have to watch out for.”

  “That’s why I’m worried. Who knows what other surprises he has in store for us?”

  “None that we can’t handle.”

  They didn’t talk much on the hike back to Mirror Lake. Raine’s legs hurt with each step, and her chest was painful where it rubbed against the straps on her daypack. A quick look down the front of her shirt showed more souvenir scrapes from her fall. By the time they reached the wider path around the lake where Matt and Ava were waiting, she had her emotions under control. No one would guess how very angry she was. She wanted Matt so confused by her actions he would do something stupid—or at least imprudent. Either way, they’d nail him and his accomplice.

  At least she hoped to God they would.

  “How’re y
ou doing, Raine?” Ava’s smile was sympathetic. “You look like you’re in pain.”

  “I’ve felt better, but I think a hot shower will help.”

  “We can walk over to Curry Village and clean up while the guys cook dinner. Does that sound like a plan?”

  “Definitely.”

  By the time they reached their campsite, Raine’s body throbbed like one giant contusion. Apparently being slammed against a cliff didn’t feel so wonderful afterward. She crawled into their tent to get her toiletries and clean clothes, popped three ibuprofen from the bottle she carried in her purse, and hoped she’d be able to walk the short distance to the public showers.

  “Want me to come with you?” Levi rested his hands on her shoulders.

  “I should be fine if you’re here with Matt and that asshole is up on the mountain somewhere. There’s no way he could have gotten down before we did.”

  He nodded. “I’ll get a campfire going and prep dinner. Maybe I’ll hear from Detective Gilbert soon, too.”

  “Right now, all I care about is a hot shower. I just hope the line isn’t too long.”

  “Call me when you’re almost finished, and I’ll run over to walk back with you.”

  “Okay.” She glanced over when Ava emerged from her tent with a tote bag. “Ready to go?”

  “I’m all set. Let’s get the blood washed off you before you scare small children.”

  Raine smiled. “Good idea.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The fire, crackling and snapping in the ring of rocks as shadows stretched across the campsite, was the only sound disturbing the early evening tranquility. Levi glanced up from slicing tomatoes and avocados for the burgers and looked around.

  Where the hell is Matt?

  He dropped the knife as his pulse sped up. A couple of minutes ago, the man had been drinking a beer and starting the briquettes in the barbeque. Now, he was nowhere in sight. Leaving the food where it was, he ran through the campground in the direction of Curry Village, only to stop short when Matt walked out of the restroom and turned his way.

  His racing heart slowed. “There you are.”

  “Had to take a leak. Where’re you going?”

  “Since everything is ready to cook when Raine and Ava get back, I thought I’d take a quick run while we wait for them.”

  “Dude, you need to learn to relax. I’ll be hanging out at the campsite drinking while you’re burning needless energy.”

  Levi couldn’t help smiling. Believing Matt was a killer wasn’t always easy. “I plan to do that after my run.”

  “Have fun.” Whistling, he strolled toward their camp.

  The hell with waiting for Raine to call. Levi started off at a fast jog, dodging through the trees along the edge of the campground to cross the road. He’d plant himself outside the showers and simply wait for her to come out.

  When he reached Curry Village, he slowed to a walk as he followed the path through the rows of tent cabins. The attendant on duty collected money near the showers, and a line snaked out the door on the women’s side of the building. No wonder Raine hadn’t called him yet. The place was packed.

  After telling the attendant he was waiting for a friend and not showering, he strolled toward a bench and sat. A few moments later, his phone rang, and he checked the screen before swiping to connect.

  “Did you find the son of a bitch?”

  “Unfortunately, no.” The detective’s voice held more than a hint of frustration. “I talked to a couple of girls who saw a big man hiking alone. He was wearing a black T-shirt and tan shorts and had dark hair.”

  “That description fits. I just caught a glimpse of him as he ran off. I was too busy grabbing Raine as she went over the side of the cliff.”

  “How is she?”

  “Sore as hell and all scraped up. I’m outside the Curry Village showers right now waiting for her.”

  “I’m sorry everything went to hell up on the trail. Foster and Ava Talbot were hiking pretty damn slowly, and there was no way for me to get past without alerting them to my presence. I wasn’t expecting someone to be waiting ahead of you.”

  “Neither was I. Our mistake.” Levi let out a breath. “So where do you think that asshole went?”

  “I can only assume he either hiked all the way around the loop and came down the Yosemite Falls trail, which is a lot of miles and would take hours. Or more likely, he stayed out of sight somewhere on the Snow Creek trail and came back down while I was still up there looking for him.”

  “Which means he could be in the valley right now.”

  “I believe we have to assume so. I’m halfway around Mirror Lake on my way back. Has Foster done or said anything odd since he arrived today?”

  “Other than spending a lot of time on his phone, potentially texting his homicidal buddy, no. He’s behaved perfectly in character and is his usual lighthearted, easygoing self. When I left the campsite, he was hanging out, drinking a beer.”

  “I wish I knew what he was planning next.”

  Levi straightened on the bench as his gaze shot toward the man who appeared from around the backside of the shower building. Tall and broad, he wore khaki shorts and a black T-shirt. A baseball cap covered dark hair that curled from beneath the edges. He had brown eyes and looked to be in his late thirties.

  “Jesus. I think I know exactly what he’s planning. A dude just showed up here, probably six-four, two hundred and twenty pounds, in clothes that match your description. I’m pretty sure he’s the same asshole who stalked Raine out in the woods.”

  “What’s he doing?” Gilbert’s tone was sharp.

  “He caught sight of me and took off the second we made eye contact. Shit! I want to follow the bastard. He’d probably beat the crap out of me if I caught him, but I’d put up one hell of a fight.”

  “Don’t leave Raine. He may be there to draw you away so Foster can grab her. Damn, I wish I was closer right now, but I’m probably at least fifteen minutes out.”

  “I’m not going anywhere. Raine’s safety is my top priority, but it isn’t like Matt could drag her away from here, kicking and screaming. There are people everywhere.”

  “He could be waiting somewhere nearby for her to walk past.”

  When his phone dinged, Levi pulled it away from his ear to check the screen. “Raine just texted that she’ll be finished in five minutes.” He stood and hurried toward the back of the building, but no one was in sight. “That creep definitely left the shower area.”

  “Then head back to your campsite, but stay alert. My bet is Foster is plenty pissed right now. Nothing’s working the way he planned so he may be unpredictable.”

  “Good. Hopefully he’ll make a mistake.” Levi responded to Raine’s text. Waiting outside.

  “I’ll be there shortly and will keep an eye out for the suspect. Sounds like he should be easy enough to spot if he’s around.”

  “A big-ass dude in a ballcap. Late thirties. Same clothes.”

  “Got it. I’ll have every ranger in the park on the lookout. Talk to you later.” Gilbert hung up.

  A few minutes later, Raine emerged from the building and headed toward him. Levi reached for her bag and studied her cleanly scrubbed face with a faint scratch along one cheek. “You look a whole lot better than you did.”

  “Cleaner at least.”

  “Where’s Ava?”

  “Still not finished. I got into the shower first. We had to stand in line for quite a while, and she said not to wait.”

  “Let’s go, then.”

  A frown creased her brow. “Is something wrong. You look kind of pissed.”

  “The guy from the trail showed up here a few minutes ago. If I hadn’t been waiting, I imagine he would have followed you and done God knows what.”

  Her face lost some of its color. “Did you get a good look at him?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  When he described the man, Raine nodded. “That’s definitely the guy who followed me out into the woo
ds last week. The one driving the gray Explorer.”

  “I’d like to know who the hell he is. Maybe Gilbert can locate his vehicle in the park and get a plate number from it.”

  “That’s an excellent idea. Tell him the SUV has a carrier bin on the top with second amendment stickers plastered all over it. I remember because they made me think he might be armed. A lunatic with a gun seems scarier than one without.”

  “Let’s head back to camp. I’ll call while we’re walking.”

  Levi was on the phone with the detective, and they’d reached the far edge of the campground when Raine stopped. “Did you hear that?”

  “What?”

  “Crying.” She turned slowly and set out through the trees.

  “Levi? Are you still there?”

  He focused on what Gilbert was saying as he followed Raine. “Yeah, I’m here. Sorry.”

  “I’ll put out an alert on the Explorer. Call me if anything else happens.”

  “I will. Thanks.” Pocketing his phone, he touched Raine’s arm. “What’s going on?”

  “I heard soft crying coming from this direction. There.” She pointed toward something green lying next to a bush. Hurrying over, she knelt on the ground.

  The lump moved as a toddler sat up, and the sobs increased in volume. “Mommy, mommy, mommy.”

  Levi glanced around. “What the hell? Where are the kid’s parents?”

  Raine ignored him and focused on the little boy. Tears ran down the child’s face, and his green sweatshirt was smeared with dirt. Blue eyes regarded them both with mistrust.

  “I’m Raine. Isn’t that a funny name? Like Snow or Sunshine.” She sat cross-legged next to the boy. “What’s your name?”

  The kid stared at her and didn’t answer.

  “Is it Grover?” At a headshake, she continued. “How about Elmo?”

  The boy stopped crying and hiccupped a couple of times before he shook his head. “No.”

  “I know!” Raine snapped her fingers. “You’re the Cookie Monster!”

  A giggle erupted. “I’m not the Cookie Monster. I’m Oliver.”

  “Silly me. Do you want me to take you to your mommy, Oliver?”