by Roxy Wilson
She jumped to her feet. “I’m on my way.” The call went through. “Hey, Reece.”
“Nya, I was about to call you. The police have called me in again for an interview.”
She stopped in her tracks. Her first instinct was to go to him, but she had a duty here. “Shit. Do you have a lawyer?”
“He’s coming in.”
The phone reception began to get bad. There was some disturbance on the line and she couldn’t hear him properly. “I would’ve like to be there to give you some moral support, but I’ve got a situation here.”
“What…?”
He said something else but she couldn’t hear him.
“There’s a fire on the eastern ridge.” Again, he said something but she didn’t catch it. The disturbance picked up pace. “What?”
“Don’t…”
“Damn it.” She huffed. “Reece. I can’t hear you very well. Message me when you get out of the station. I’ll try to come down as fast as I can. Stay safe.”
She ended the call and put the phone down. Nya felt terrible. He was in trouble, and she wanted to go, but the firefighters would need the rangers to guide them during this fight against one of nature’s deadliest offerings. If they didn’t control the fire, it would swipe through acres and acres of land. Every instinct in her body urged her to go to him and see what the hell the police were up to. She’d expected better from Officer Peterson. He was a thorough man, and he must have realized by now, Reece couldn’t possibly be the murderer.
What was the point of dragging him to the police station?
There was something wrong. She felt the stirrings of trouble in the pit of her stomach, and yet there wasn’t much she could do at this point. As soon as she finished, she would go to Reece, but right now, she had to deal with other issues. Along with her colleagues, she rushed to the place where they were instructed to make a base.
“Where is the Chief?” she asked.
“He went ahead to talk to the firefighters,” Quinnn replied. Sweat rolled down his cheeks as they took out their equipment. He set up the radio. There wasn’t a breeze. In a way, that was good, as the fire wouldn’t spread rapidly. “He will join us soon. The radio is on. Let me see if I can pinpoint what the firefighters are up to.”
She prayed for the men and women who would fight the deadly fire. They risked their lives to save the countryside, the forest, and the animals, not to mention the people who could be caught up in the fire’s deadly embrace. “Have they already evacuated all those who live downhill?”
“So far, the fire has been contained to one spot, and they’re doing their best to keep it there.”
Their job was to keep track of the firefighters and the location of the fire. If it got too much out of hand, they might pitch in to evacuate people who could be in the way. Time passed with an agonizing, slow speed. She wanted to do more. Nya fought with her own desire to take off and see what Reece was up to. He must have reached the police station by now.
What did they plan to do with him?
Surely, they would let him go soon. He had his lawyer, and he was a resourceful man. She had no doubt he would manage to smooth over things as fast as he could. Her gaze darted to the phone she’d clipped to her belt. It remained quiet. Damn it. She wanted an update, but she dared not call him when he was in the middle of a police interview.
Nothing bad would happen to him.
Nothing bad would happen to him.
It was a mantra she kept repeating as she did her job. “Any news?” she asked Quinnn who was listening to the radio with the headphones on.
“It’s not serious,” he muttered. “They think it will die down in a few hours. Luckily, the weather is cooperating. There’s no wind to send it further ahead.”
Nya breathed out a sigh of relief. It wasn’t over, but there was hope. “How did it start?”
“They don’t know yet.”
Maybe she would be able to go home in a little while. Hopefully, Reece would have gotten out of the police station by then. There was no way the police would be able to stick that murder on him. He wasn’t a killer. Her cell phone rang. Eagerly, she took it off the belt and pressed it to her ear.
It was the Chief. “Hi. Sir, we’re on the job,” she reported before he had the chance to say something. “Is the situation under control?”
“It is,” he said. “Nya, I want you to go to the south eastern edge of the forest, to the cliffs, and see if you can spot any trouble up there.”
“Trouble, sir?”
“People here seem to think there’s another fire down there,” he stated in an impatient voice.
She could hear some people yelling in the background. He was with the firefighters.
“We can’t afford to send someone from here, and we don’t have a helicopter yet. I just want you to go there and check out the area. If there’s any sign of fire, you’re to call me.”
Nya didn’t think the fire would have jumped over the chasm, but it wasn’t her job to question the orders. During times like these, it was crucial to follow orders without a fuss. This could save lives. “Sure, Sir.” After she put the phone down, Nya updated Quinnn.
“The fire couldn’t have reached there. If it’s there, it has to be a separate one,” he said.
“Maybe they saw smoke or something. I better go check. Should be back in an hour. Bye.” Nya took off. If the fire was already in two places, it was going to be an uphill battle. They might have to call down another team of firefighters. On days like these, her job was a little too adventurous. Of course, it wasn’t as dangerous as that of the firefighters who really risked their lives. She’d once seen one of them burn. The man survived, but he was hurt badly. Even though they took as many precautions as necessary, there were no guarantees. She was glad to help in any way she could.
Once again, her hand darted to the phone. She wanted to update Reece and find out what he was up to. But then he was in the middle of something serious, and she didn’t want to do anything to break his concentration. If the police were really looking to trap him, he would need all his wits to dodge them.
She trusted the police. They would let him go fairly soon when they realized they had the wrong man.
What if she was wrong? What if Officer Peterson or someone else in the police department had an agenda against him? She’d lived in this town for a long time. Nya grew up with these people, and it was hard for her to believe they could be narrow-minded simply because he was an outsider. But then they did have one murderer in their midst, and so far none of them were able to identify him.
In times like these, it was stupid to trust anyone.
But still she had faith that Reece wouldn’t be entrapped by the police. They would do their job. Maybe it would take some time, but it would get done. As she wrestled with her own thoughts, Nya moved deeper into the forest. It would take her more than forty five minutes to reach the location where the Chief wanted her to be. It wasn’t far, but she would have to climb all the way up. The view from that point was breathtaking. Those were the cliffs Reece wanted to climb. She still hadn’t done anything to get the permission he needed for rock climbing.
Oh well, she would do it tomorrow.
Nya was hopeful. Things could only look up from this point onward. Everything would fall into place. Sooner or later, they would figure out this mess and then begin a fresh chapter of their lives. She couldn’t wait for that day to arrive.
Chapter Twenty Four
Reece fought with annoyance that rose up like bile in his stomach. It wasn’t fair for the police to harass him when he’d done nothing but good for this town. Still, they had their work cut out ahead of them. He wasn’t the murderer, and there was no way they could pin this on him. As he drove to the police station, he was glad to see his lawyer had already arrived.
His phone rang. It was the investigator. “Yes, hi. I’m kind of busy right now.”
“I have some news.”
Alerted by the excited note in t
he man’s voice, Reece gripped the steering wheel harder. “What is it?”
“I figured out who the person was. It took some doing. I had to match the time he was in your factory with his access to your computers and system. He must have hacked into the accounts department, and then it was an easy matter to transfer the money.”
Reece’s heart thundered. Finally, he was close to the guy who made his life hell for the last few weeks. The embezzler had to be murderer. There was no doubt in his mind that it was the same man, and there was a good chance that the same guy shot at them. He appeared to have some kind of an agenda against Reece and of course, Nya. Or perhaps she was just in the way. “Who is it?” he asked. When he heard the name, Reece’s mouth gaped. “Are you sure?”
“A hundred percent,” said the investigator. “I’ve got proof. We have records of the wire transfers. Now, it’s up to the police to get search warrants and look for evidence in his personal data.”
“I want you to take it to the police station right now,” he ordered. Reece gave further instructions. After he ended the call, he dialed Nya’s number. Much to his chagrin, her phone was off the grid. She must have moved deeper into the forest. After he parked the car, he sent her a message. Frustrated, Reece glanced at the police station. He wanted to get to Nya first, but he didn’t have a choice but to go to the police.
Shit.
This was horrible.
He walked inside. The sooner he got this done, the quicker he would be able to get to Nya. His lawyer met him. Reece went inside the interrogation room. He didn’t like this, but they were close to the end of this nightmare. He felt the vibrations deep inside his gut. This case was going to blow open soon, and he was going to give the police enough evidence to do it. When Officer Peterson walked in with another guy, Reece didn’t waste his time. “I have got new evidence in this crime,” he declared.
“What?” his lawyer said, looking befuddled.
Officer Mason took his seat. “We’d be delighted to hear it, but first we have to go over some old information.”
“I know who killed Miles,” he said.
Officer Peterson leaned back. A sharp gleam came into his eyes. “A confession?”
Reece nearly snarled. “Everyone who knows you has been telling me you’re a sharp cookie, and I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt even though you’ve not done anything to earn it. Do you really think I killed Miles over money?” A wave of impatience curled through his gut. “I didn’t.” He gave them the name of killer.
Officer Peterson stared hard at him. He turned to glance at his fellow officer. “That’s a wild accusation, Reece.”
“I’ve got proof that this man embezzled the money from my company.”
“Where is this evidence?”
“The investigator I hired to look into this is coming in. He’ll bring it with him in a few minutes.”
Officer Peterson tapped his fingers on the table. He glanced around as if searching for answers, before setting his gaze on Reece once again. “Are you sure?” He rubbed his chin. “The man you’re accusing of this crime is a highly respected citizen of the town. We’ve never had a complaint about him.”
Reece leaned forward and pinned his gaze on the man who made his life hell. “You also don’t have any complaints against me, and yet you’re willing to believe I killed Miles. You’ll have the evidence you so desperately need to prove that this man stole my money.”
“But that still doesn’t prove he was the one who killed Miles.”
Reece put both his hands on the table. He was already tired of this conversation. They wouldn’t believe him until he gave them solid information. “That’s your job, Officer. After I give you all the evidence that my man has so painstakingly collected, I want you to connect the rest of the dots. Miles was after this guy. He must have been hot on his trail, and this guy panicked. He killed Miles, and then in order to cover his tracks, he tried to kill Nya and me. I don’t have any doubt about it.” He took a deep breath. “Yes, I don’t have proof he was the shooter, or that he killed Miles, but you can do what I can’t. Get a search warrant. Look into his house, and you’ll find the gun he used to shoot us and to kill Miles.”
Another officer entered the room. He whispered something in Officer Peterson’s ears. “Your guy is here. Let me go and talk to him.”
Reece waited as they all strode out, leaving him alone with his lawyer.
“Are you sure?” his lawyer asked.
“As much as I can be.” Reece checked his watch. He wanted to go to Nya. Where the hell was she? He had the nasty feeling she wasn’t safe. Even though every nerve in his body was stretched tight, he had to sit here and wait until they were done. If something happened to her…
No, he didn’t want to think about that possibility. She was a strong woman who was highly trained. Surely, she would be okay.
After about twenty minutes, Officer Peterson came back. There was an ashen look on his face. “We’ve got the proof of the embezzlement of the money.”
“Bring him in for questioning,” Reece demanded.
“Don’t tell me how to do my job,” Officer Peterson snapped. “I—shit. This looks pretty damning.”
Reece clenched his fists. “It’s damming enough to get a warrant for that bastard’s arrest.” He took a deep breath and then expelled it. “Is there anything else you want to ask me?”
“No, I think we’re done for today. If what you’ve claimed pans out, we’ll get him, but if it turns out that you’re sending us on a wild goose chase—”
“I’m not.” Reece stood. “I need to go.”
No one made an attempt to stop him, so he raced out of the interview room. “I’ll talk to you later,” he told his lawyer. “But right now, I need to do something else.” As he dashed towards his car, Reece checked his phone once more. There was a message from Nya. He breathed a sigh of relief. She was all right. Perhaps he was needlessly worried. Reece stopped to read the text. She’d called him to the cliffs. Apparently there was something she wanted to show him. A nasty feeling congealed in his stomach.
Something was up.
He called her, but she didn’t pick up. Rather than waste his time worrying about what could be wrong, he got into his car and raced to meet her. All he wanted to do was make sure she was all right. Reece had the distinct feeling he was walking into a trap, but he didn’t care. He would walk over a bed of hot coals to get to her. As he zoomed ahead to the meeting point, he called Laney. After he gave her the instructions, he concentrated on the task ahead.
Nya was his priority, and there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her.
Once he reached the forest, Reece had to ditch his car. He couldn’t take it all the way in. Once more, he tried to call her, but she didn’t pick up. Why the hell was she doing this? Worried, he didn’t ponder too much about the implications of her strange behavior. Reece raced into the forest and shifted forms as he ran to meet her. This was his forest. This place was his home, and he was comfortable in the silence as he streaked ahead to find her. His nose caught the scent of the fire, but it was way to the east. There was no danger here.
At least not yet.
Reece was focused only on the task of getting to her. Once he found her, they could chalk out the rest of the strategy. When he reached the cliffs, he climbed up. Her scent was all too familiar to him. She was alive, and for now that was the only thing that kept him focused. As he neared the top of the cliffs, he saw her. She was standing right on the edge, her gaze directed towards the forest. Behind her, beyond the chasm, he saw the thick, billowing smoke that spiraled up from the fire. The firefighters must have gotten it under control because he could see it wasn’t spreading. In a matter of a few hours they’d be able to extinguish it.
Reece shifted form. When he stepped into the clearing, he was human. “Nya?”
Her bulging eyes startled him. “What are you doing here?”
“You texted me, remember?”
She sho
ok her head. Tears sprang to her eyes. “You shouldn’t have come here. It wasn’t me who texted you. I—my phone was taken away.”
Reece knew the answer even before he asked it, “Who took it?”
The man who stepped out of the forest held a gun in his hands. It was trained at Nya, and there was a vicious gleam in his eyes. He was hell bent on another murder.
Reece wasn’t surprised to see him. He’d more or less expected it. Although his mind didn’t form the thought as he sprinted here to get to her, he’d somehow known this was going to happen. “Chief Sullivan. Why am I not surprised?”
Chief Sullivan’s grip on the gun didn’t waver as he smiled at Reece. There wasn’t an ounce of regret on his face. “Just like I expected. Lover boy is here to save you.” An ugly twist to his mouth was evident. “Good. I’ve got you both exactly where I wanted you to be. Now, I can get rid of the both of you.”
Reece halted. He didn’t want to startle the man and invoke a response. Yes, his life was in danger, but he was more worried about Nya. She didn’t have a clue such a thing could happen, and now, faced with this unshakable truth, she looked devastated. Her mentor and boss was the killer. If he didn’t do anything to save her, she might not survive this particular encounter.
This was the final battle, and if he wasn’t up to the task—they would not survive it.
Chapter Twenty Five
Her trust in him was absolute, permanent. As it blew up in smoke, the ashes of it darkened her heart. Nya could do nothing but stare at the man she’d looked up to, cared for, and supported for a number of years. Chief Sullivan kept his gun trained on her, and all she could think about were the many hours they’d spent working on different projects.
She was his ally.
She was his friend.
His valuable co-worker.
