Alaskan Rescue

by Terri Reed

  Lance downed the contents in a few gulps. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Thank you.”

  Hunter took out a notepad from his jacket pocket and a pen. Knowing how worried Ariel was for her friend, he asked, “Where’s Violet James?”

  “She’s not here,” Lance said. “That woman is crazy.”

  Hunter’s chest tightened.

  Gabriel stepped forward. “Tell us what happened and how you came to be here.”

  Lance put his hands on his knees and bent forward as if he was going be sick. He took a few deep breaths before he sat back up. “It was Violet. She did this to us. She shot Jared.”

  “Where did she get the gun?” Hunter demanded.

  “How should I know!” Lance raised his voice. “She conked me on the head. I lost consciousness. Jared tried to wrestle the gun from her, and she shot him.”

  Maya moved forward to evaluate the man’s injury. “It’s a through and through. Doesn’t look like it hit the bone.” She glanced at Lance. “You did a good job of stopping the blood flow.”

  When she moved back, Jared rolled to prop himself up on his uninjured arm. “Violet shot the tour guide and she pushed her friend over the side of the cliff.”

  “Poor Ariel.” Lance hung his head. “To be killed by your best friend.”

  Only she wasn’t dead as they assumed.

  “We found the tour guide, Cal Brooks,” Gabriel said.

  “Please, you have to find Ariel’s body. She deserves a good memorial.” Lance’s eyes teared up.

  “We have found Ariel,” Hunter added, unwilling to reveal more just yet. The need to protect her burned bright within him. “Why would Violet shoot the tour guide and push Ariel over the cliff?”

  Lance scrubbed a hand over his face. “Violet was having an affair with that man.”

  Tucking in his chin, Hunter stared. Really? Did Ariel know this? Had she kept that information from him? Hunter jotted down what Lance had said.

  “With Cal Brooks?” Maya said. “How do you know they were having an affair?”

  “He told me.” Lance’s wild-eyed gaze bounced between Hunter, Gabriel and Maya. “That’s why she shot him. In cold blood. Just pulled out a gun and shot him.”

  “You saw her do this?” Gabriel questioned.

  “Yes,” Lance answered as he jumped to his feet.

  Hunter put his hand on his weapon. All three dogs emitted a low growl.

  Eyeing the dogs with concern, Lance said, “She took our phones and marched us here. She knocked me out and left us to die.”

  Hunter had trouble wrapping his mind around this information. This didn’t sound anything like the woman whom Ariel had described. But then again, he should know how easily fooled some people could be. His father, a seasoned cop, had been duped by Celeste. Hunter would never make the same mistake. Maybe Ariel was keeping secrets. If so, Hunter would ferret them out just as he had with Celeste.

  However, someone had pushed Ariel over the cliff and tried to steal her dog. Those were the facts that couldn’t be denied. And his gut said Ariel was innocent. Ugh. His mind was going in circles. He needed to focus.

  Had Violet suffered a psychotic break? Hunter made a note to have Katie check with the James family about the missing woman’s medical history.

  “How were you able to call for help?” Maya asked.

  Lance pointed to the card table in the corner of the cabin. “We found that satellite phone here.” He sucked in air, his agitation growing. “Violet has lost it. You have to find her before she hurts more people.”

  “I’ll call this in,” Maya said, and she and Sarge stepped out of the cabin.

  Gabriel focused his gaze on Hunter. “We’ll take a look around outside. You okay here with them?”

  “Affirmative.” He wanted a few aspects of the men’s story clarified. As soon as Gabriel and Bear exited, he stared at the two men. “Walk me through the day. Start at the beginning.”

  Lance sat back down as if his legs couldn’t hold him any longer. “It was supposed to be a wonderful, prewedding adventure. Violet loves adventures. I thought she’d enjoy going on an off-the-beaten-path hike.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Next thing I know, Cal’s saying, I’m telling him. She hissed at him to be quiet. Then Cal said they were having an affair and she wasn’t going to marry me.” His voice broke on the last word.

  Hunter took notes, his mind going back to what Ariel had said about Violet being pregnant. Was that a lie? Or was the bride-to-be actually pregnant, but the identity of the father was in doubt? He decided to keep that information to himself until he determined exactly what the truth was.

  “Then she pulled a gun from her jacket pocket and she—” Lance covered his face with his hands.

  “She shot the tour guide point-blank in the chest,” Jared said. “There was no remorse, no nothing in her eyes. She has the coldest blue eyes.”

  “We ran.” Lance dropped his hands back to his knees. “She shot at us. When she missed she turned and ran for Ariel.”

  Hunter cocked his head. “You saw her push Ariel over the cliff?”

  Jared nodded. “I did. When Violet took off, Lance went to help Cal to see if he was alive. And I followed Violet, intending to help Ariel, but I was too late. She shoved the poor girl off the cliff. I ran back and got Lance and we started running.”

  “And Violet came after you?” Hunter tried to envision how this played out.

  “Yes, she did.” Lance’s voice shook. “She caught up to us. Took our phones and marched us here. Once we got inside she shot Jared but it was her last bullet, so she knocked me over the head with the butt of her gun. She left us here to die. No heat, no water, no food. Nothing. If we hadn’t found that satellite phone—” His breathing came in big gulping gasps.

  “Right,” Hunter said. “If you hadn’t found the satellite phone, we wouldn’t have been able to find you. But how did you know where you were?”

  “There’s a brochure,” Jared replied. “This is a public-use cabin. Apparently, nobody reserved it for this weekend.”

  “And when I came to, I used my T-shirt to dress Jared’s wound,” Lance said.

  Was what they were saying true? If so, this would devastate Ariel. Hunter didn’t have a reason to suspect they were lying, which meant they had an armed and dangerous woman on the loose.

  Where had Violet gone?

  The sound of snowmobile engines coming closer alerted Hunter of EMS’s arrival. “You two stay put,” he said and walked out the cabin door with Juneau at his heels. He tucked his notebook into his pocket. Something about this whole situation had his hackles up, yet he had no reason to doubt the two men. Why would they make up such an elaborate scenario?

  Gabriel and Bear joined Hunter and Juneau on the front porch.

  The headlights from the snowmobiles stopping ten feet away mixed with the rising sun illuminated the shiny object dangling from Gabriel’s fingers. “What’s that?”

  “I assume our suspect’s bracelet,” Gabriel said. “Look at the initials on the charm. VJ.”

  Violet James’s bracelet. Proof that she’d been in the area? Hunter’s stomach clenched. Was she close by? His gaze scanned the shadowed trees surrounding the cabin. “While you get these guys loaded onto the snowmobiles, Juneau and I are going to search the area.” He knew if there was even a trace of Violet’s scent left on the piece of jewelry, Juneau would detect it. “Let him sniff the bracelet.”

  Gabriel lowered the charm bracelet to Juneau’s nose.

  “Find,” Hunter said to the dog.

  Juneau lifted his nose to the air and then down to the ground, then back to the air before looping away from the cabin. Hunter went after him, praying he found Violet and she would come peacefully. For Ariel’s sake.

  * * *

  Morning turned into afternoon and still no
word from Hunter. Ariel had gone about her daily chores, very aware of the police car sitting on the front drive. Officer Brand had been relieved by a younger officer named Bruce Grayson. Throughout the course of the day, Ariel had checked on the officer, offering him hot coffee and use of the facilities.

  Dash was back to his old self, though Ariel noticed he was more protective of her and stuck close by while the other dogs were released into the fenced yard for some much-needed recreational time with the plethora of toys that she kept for them.

  She’d removed the bandage from her head hours ago and barely noticed any residual pain where she’d sustained a laceration on the back of her scalp.

  After putting the dogs through their exercises and training for the day, Ariel returned them to their kennels with their evening meal.

  Taking the puppy with her inside the house, she fed Sasha and put him in his crate so she could prepare her own dinner. Anxiety twisted in her chest. Why hadn’t Hunter called? There had to be a reason. Maybe he’d found Violet, Lance and Jared. Worry chomped through her like a hungry beast as awful scenarios played through her mind. Were they all dead? Killed by a bullet or a fall?

  “This is ridiculous,” she groused aloud, eliciting a howl from Sasha as if in agreement.

  With a quick twist of the knob, she turned off the burner on the stove that had been heating her spaghetti sauce and grabbed her phone. She was going to call the K-9 Unit and demand answers.

  Unfortunately, the dispatch person who answered said there was no new information they could give her but promised to have Hunter call her soon as he checked in. Why hadn’t he touched base? What was happening on the mountain? Was he hurt?

  A different kind of concern arched through her, making her shiver with dread.

  Please, Lord, no more tragedies.

  She ate only a small portion of her dinner because her stomach was too tied in knots for very much food. Needing something to do, she took a plate out to the young officer.

  “That’s mighty nice of you, ma’am,” Officer Grayson said.

  “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather come inside?” she asked. “You’d be so much warmer.”

  “Oh, no, ma’am. I’m fine here. I’m actually getting a lot of my computer work done.” He flashed her a grin.

  As grateful as she was that all was quiet and he was able to work, she couldn’t shake the trepidation making her skin crawl. Her gaze roamed over the forested land rimming her property. Was someone out there watching? Waiting to strike?

  What enemy had she made who was determined to hurt her?

  Wrapping her arms over her middle she went back inside and dug into her own bookkeeping.

  As darkness fell, casting shadows over her work, the frantic howls of her pack filled the air, causing the fine hairs at her nape to quiver with alarm.

  The dogs sounded like they had the night before when an intruder tried to steal Dash.

  Panicked, she raced out the door, her gaze going to the cruiser. She could see the deputy inside. But the dome light was off and all she could make out was his silhouette. Ariel debated going out to get him versus checking on her dogs. She knew what Hunter would want her to do—seek out the safety of the officer.

  So she went with her gut.

  As she ran for the cruiser, the sound of a rush of footsteps behind her chilled her bones. A sense of déjà vu struck her like lightning, her whole body vibrating with terror.

  She spun to face the oncoming threat just as hands grabbed her around her neck and squeezed. A blur of dark clothing registered in her brain as she fought with every ounce of strength she possessed. Using her elbows and her heels, she kicked and screamed, eliciting a high-pitched yelp from her attacker. But the hands gripping her were strong, cutting off her air supply.

  Bright lights swung across the driveway, stinging her eyes. Abruptly she was released. She crumpled to the ground in a heap.

  SEVEN

  Slamming the gear shift into Park, Hunter jumped from his vehicle while calling dispatch for EMS. His heart hammered in his chest. The image of someone with their hands wrapped around Ariel’s throat etched into his mind in the brief flash of the headlights made fear, stark and cold, run through his veins. Using his key fob, he released the side door of the vehicle, allowing Juneau to leap out of the SUV. Then Hunter ran to where Ariel lay unmoving on the ground while a slim figure dressed in a dark hoodie sprinted away, disappearing into the darkness. Juneau chased the assailant, but Hunter whistled to bring the dog back. He wouldn’t risk Juneau getting hurt.

  Gently, Hunter rolled Ariel to her back and cradled her head to keep the pressure off the head wound she’d received when she’d fallen off the cliff. “Ariel. Can you hear me?”

  Juneau licked her face and nudged her with his nose.

  He checked for a pulse, fully prepared to begin lifesaving measures. Her heart beat strong beneath his fingertips, easing the constriction in his chest a fraction. He leaned close, putting his ear near her mouth and nose. Her breath fanned over his face.

  “Hunter?”

  He turned to look at her face and found her big brown eyes watching him. He let out a silent prayer of thanksgiving that he’d heeded the urge to check on her. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

  “There was a—” She coughed, her whole body shaking with the effort to expel air through what was no doubt a painful throat.

  “Shh. Don’t try to talk. An ambulance is coming,” Hunter said. “I saw your attacker run away.” He wanted badly to go after the perpetrator, but Ariel’s safety was his first priority.

  “A woman,” she managed to say, her voice coming out raspy.

  Acid burned in Hunter’s stomach. Violet. Had she returned to finish what she’d started on the mountain? Was Violet the one who’d tried to steal Dash last night? Why? What motive had sent Ariel’s best friend on a killing rampage?

  His heart wrenched with the anticipation of having to tell Ariel what Lance and Jared had shared about Violet’s horrific actions.

  She gripped his arm and pulled herself to a seated position. “The officer.”

  Hunter’s gaze whipped around to the cruiser parked off to the side of the entrance. When Hunter had turned into the drive and had seen Ariel being attacked, all of his attention had centered on getting to her and keeping her alive. Now he realized something was definitely wrong. Where was the officer? Had Violet gotten to him, too?

  Hunter’s chest tightened. He should’ve been here to protect Ariel. “Can you stand?”

  She nodded and grasped his hand. He helped her to her feet and put an arm around her waist. She leaned into him. The flowery scent of her shampoo clinging to her hair wrapped around him, a heady aroma that he would not likely forget. Together, with Juneau sticking close to her side, they approached the Metro police cruiser. The officer sat unmoving in the driver’s seat. The interior of the car was too dark to ascertain if the man was injured.

  Afraid of what they would find inside, Hunter leaned Ariel against the front bumper. “Stay put,” he said. “Let me check on him.”

  With dread knotting his gut, Hunter approached the driver side window. It was down. The young officer sat slumped, his chin to his chest. The seat belt was the only thing keeping the officer upright. Hunter reached through the open window and pressed two fingers against the man’s neck. He was alive. Hunter breathed out a relieved breath. But what had happened to him?

  A siren growing closer heralded the arrival of the ambulance.

  “Is the officer okay?” Ariel said, her voice hoarse.

  Hunter went to her side. “He’s alive.”

  He couldn’t comment as to whether he was okay or not. Until they knew what had knocked him out, there was no guarantee that the young officer would survive this ordeal.

  Hunter waved the ambulance forward and had them park near the cruiser. The two EMS personnel j
umped out.

  “We have an attempted strangulation victim,” Hunter told the pair and gestured to Ariel.

  One paramedic tended to Ariel, checking her airway and her heart rate, while the other checked on the unconscious officer.

  “We need to get this man to the hospital,” the paramedic said. “I don’t see a wound. I’d hazard a guess he’s been drugged.”

  Like Dash had been. Hunter was confident the doctors would find the same substance in the officer as the vet found in Dash. He turned to the other paramedic and Ariel. “How is she?”

  “She should be seen at the hospital to assess damage to the vocal chords and have a CT angiogram to check if there’s injury to the vessels in the neck.”

  Ariel made a face and shook her head. “I don’t want to go back to the hospital.”

  “I don’t like hospitals, either, but you need medical attention,” Hunter said, then turned to both paramedics. “I’ll take her. You take the officer. We’ll follow.”

  Ariel tugged at Hunter’s sleeve. “The dogs.”

  “I’ll arrange for another guard to come out and watch over them.”

  “Trevor,” Ariel said. “Call him, too.”

  “Where’s your phone?”

  She pointed to the house.

  Once again tucking her close to his side and holding her about the waist, he gave the medics room to move the officer onto a gurney and put him into the back bay of the ambulance. Then Hunter helped Ariel into the house, where she directed him to her cell phone sitting on a charger. Juneau sniffed around the floor as she scrolled through her contacts, then handed Hunter the device.

  He hit the send button.

  Trevor answered on the third ring. “Hello?”

  “Trevor, this is Trooper McCord with the Alaska K-9 Unit. We met yesterday.”

  “Yeah?” There was no mistaking the wariness in the younger man’s tone.

  “I’m at Miss Potter’s place and she needs your help. I’m taking her to the hospital. Would you be willing to come and stay with the dogs?”

  “Whoa. Dude, what happened? What’s going on?”