Alaskan Mountain Attack

by Sarah Varland

  “I still don’t understand why saving lives would be dangerous in this way.” She shrugged. “I know it probably sounds ridiculous to someone who risks his life regularly, but this isn’t what I signed up for. I don’t want to be under this kind of threat.”

  Judah nodded. “I understand.”

  “You can look into my old cases if you want, but for now, could I give my statement and then go home?”

  “I don’t see anything,” Officer Cook said. “Get her inside.”

  Judah grabbed Piper’s hand and took her with him into the building. No shots erupted; nothing appeared wrong at all. There was the slightest breeze through the trees, but besides that, everything was fairly still.

  Eerily so. He couldn’t blame her for wanting to go home, though part of him was...

  What, disappointed? Who got disappointed that a woman who’d been through the kind of trauma she had been in the last few hours didn’t want to subject herself to more? He shouldn’t have assumed she’d want to be involved in trying to figure out who was after her. And definitely shouldn’t have assumed that she’d be okay with the visit to the station just because he would be there with her. They were friends maybe, barely. But she’d been through a lot.

  “Yes,” he said as they went through the front doors. “I’ll take you home right after this.”

  “My car is at the search and rescue headquarters,” she reminded him.

  “I’ll drive you there and then follow you home.”

  She opened her mouth. To argue about his wanting to follow her? But then she closed it.

  “The room where we can talk is this way.” He led her inside and told her to sit down. “All right, so tell me what happened when you climbed the rock.”

  Piper walked him through the story and he took notes, crafting the official report. Paperwork wasn’t his favorite part of the job, but while he knew some officers who rushed through it, Judah believed it was best to do it right the first time and get as many details as possible.

  “So, when you first topped out on that ledge, did you see the person?” he asked her.

  “No.” Piper shook her head. “That’s when I leaned back down and yelled to you guys.”

  “We couldn’t hear over the river.”

  “I wondered about that.” She nodded. Her facial expression was more neutral now and it seemed she had regained some of her composure.

  “Go on,” he requested.

  “I turned back to the ledge and a man came toward me,” she continued, and Judah felt his fists clenching. The idea that a man would attack a woman at all was repulsive, but that the target was this woman made it hurt more. Added to that was the fact that rock climbing was inherently dangerous, but it was a type of calculated risk. Whoever had done this had obliterated the ability to calculate those risks. It was another aspect that would be frustrating to Piper, he knew.

  As she detailed the rest of the attack, including the vague details she’d managed to remember of her assailant—probably a man, large—he had to remind himself to breathe deeply, and that she was safe now.

  But as they finished up and she asked if she could leave, he realized that was part of the problem.

  She wasn’t safe now.

  And leaving wasn’t going to make her any safer. Judah wanted to stop her, tell her that assisting him with the case could make it go faster, but he guessed it probably wouldn’t help. She seemed set in her decision, and Piper had never seemed to him like a woman who changed her mind easily. She knew what she wanted and she did it. If she wanted out of the investigative side of things, she could be.

  Judah just hoped they could get enough information about her searches without her assistance, to piece together why someone would be after her. Because they’d need to find that out in order to remove the threat against her.

  Her leaving made his job harder, but Judah was determined to do it well. And quickly. Then Piper would be back out of his life. He’d have no reason to get distracted by her all-too-compelling eyes, and could go back to his normal, predictable life.

  That was what he wanted...right?

  THREE

  Judah and Piper got back into the police car and headed for search and rescue headquarters. Her car was back there and Judah had promised to take her.

  “You want to talk about today at all anymore?” Judah asked. He didn’t usually like to talk things out, but Piper might, so it felt kind to offer.

  “No.” Her voice was short. “I don’t. I want to forget it happened and go on with my life.”

  That wasn’t an option, but maybe now wasn’t the time to make sure she knew that. Trouble had already come to her, and much as she might prefer to bury her head in the sand, the only thing to do was face the trouble. Stare it down and beat it.

  “You’re handling it better than you think you are,” he finally said.

  She looked at him and met his gaze. He forced himself not to break eye contact and she nodded once. “Thank you.”

  His shoulders relaxed as she looked away. He hadn’t realized he was tense, but Piper affected him, all of his emotions.

  “We’re here,” he commented as they pulled in, though their location was obvious and probably he was just talking to fill the space.

  “Thanks for the ride,” she said, her voice friendly.

  “You’re welcome. I’ll follow you home and check your house.”

  “There’s really no need for you to do that.”

  “Piper, I am not asking you.” He finally put a little more firmness in his voice. “And it’s not...you know... It’s something we would do for anyone. Police protocol in a situation like this to keep you safe.”

  She nodded. “Fine.”

  Judah followed her home; then he walked through her house and cleared the rooms one by one. No one was inside.

  The house itself wasn’t a surprise at all. The inside was airy and light, lots of white but also lots of random pieces that were bright colors. It was a fun, quirky look that suited Piper.

  “Thanks for checking on everything. I shouldn’t have fought you on that,” Piper started. “It’s not you, it’s just the day. I’m overwhelmed, I think, and it’s not really helping my attitude much.”

  He nodded. “Thanks, Piper.” He hesitated, debating saying anything else, and then decided it was time to leave. “Make sure you call me if there’s any hint of trouble,” he said as he climbed into his car.

  She nodded. “I will. I promise.”

  Judah sat there in the car for another minute, not quite ready to go. If he left now, would they go back to how it had been after they’d sort-of-dated? Where he worked with her now and then but there was just an overwhelming awkwardness and a giant question mark about what might have been hanging over his head?

  Besides that, there was her safety to consider. If he left now and anything happened, he would never forgive himself. And it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility. She’d been attacked twice within a matter of a few hours. Piper sighed audibly and came up to his car window.

  “Are you leaving? I’ve got to head inside.” She smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, Judah, but I’m exhausted. It’s been an awful day, and to be honest, I’d love to have some coffee and take a shower. If you want to talk more, can we do that later?”

  “Sorry.” He cleared his throat. What was wrong with him? This wasn’t him, bumbling and overprotective. With anyone else, he’d have checked the house, told them it was fine and left.

  Why did Piper have to be the one who was attacked?

  “Have a good night,” he told her as he put the car in Reverse.

  She nodded, smiled in his direction and waved as he started to pull out. So at least he was fairly sure he hadn’t offended her.

  He was halfway out of the driveway when his phone rang. Piper had already closed the door and gone inside. Judah pr
essed the brake, put the car in Drive again and pulled forward. It was easier to talk when he wasn’t driving. He glanced at the phone. It was Levi. “Hello?” He put the car back in Park.

  “Judah, you okay, man?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “I just got into work and heard about the rest of your day. Maybe you could let your brother know when you narrowly escape death multiple times in a shift?”

  Judah frowned. He’d wished more than once his brother would be less flippant about things.

  “I’m fine,” he repeated instead.

  “Seriously, Judah.” Levi’s voice was even, calm. Not like his brother at all. Judah felt his shoulders relax. Maybe Levi was capable of being more thoughtful and earnest. He had to admit he’d been impressed by the way Levi had handled the danger the woman he loved had been in. It was time to let his little brother be who he was.

  Maybe it was time for Judah to figure out who he was.

  “Really, I’m okay. I’m sitting in front of Piper McAdams’s house right now.”

  “She’s all right?”

  “Physically. Mentally she’s pretty shaken up.” He kept looking at the house, watched as one light came on and then another, as she walked through the rooms. The shades were closed, so he couldn’t see her, but he still felt a little too much like a stalker for comfort. He looked away.

  “Levi?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I don’t want to leave her here alone.” He spoke the words and then left them there, with no more explanation. Probably more wasn’t needed, but even if it was, Judah didn’t know what to say. All he knew was that now that he’d had time to think about it, he wasn’t comfortable with it. Department protocol said she was fine. The department didn’t have manpower to put protective details on people, just to respond to and investigate crime. But Judah’s shift ended in just a few minutes.

  “So don’t.”

  “It’s not that easy.” Judah ran a hand through his hair. Then again, why wasn’t it that easy? He could stay.

  But should he?

  “Judah?” Levi said his name and waited. Judah looked back up at the house.

  “Yeah?” he asked his brother.

  “It’s okay to care about somebody.”

  Judah disagreed. He had no plans to care about her more than he did any other human. But he didn’t want her to get hurt.

  He leaned his seat back. “Don’t get all sappy.” He told his brother. “Nothing’s going on between us.” He felt a little twinge at the unintentional lie of omission. Something had gone on between them a year ago and Levi didn’t know that. But it was true that nothing was now.

  “Sure.”

  “I just want her to stay alive.”

  * * *

  Piper had known she wouldn’t sleep well, but she’d thought she’d sleep some. Instead she found herself tossing and turning, replaying the fall in her head, wondering how close she’d come to dying, and if she could have done anything differently.

  She should have stuck around the police department longer, talked Judah through all her recent cases. Or they could have gotten copies of the records from Raven Pass SAR headquarters, and she could have looked through them with him.

  Maybe then she’d have had someone to talk to, to process with. But she’d been too...scared? Uncertain? Embarrassed by her attraction to Judah, which she wasn’t sure she could hide?

  The truth was, when he’d taken her in his arms to protect her earlier, she’d had the oddest feeling that he was what she’d been waiting for, her entire life. Whom she’d been waiting for. It wasn’t love at first sight. She’d seen him before, kissed him. Climbed with him. But still, today had been out of the ordinary, and the amount of attraction she’d felt toward Judah was part of that.

  Why did he affect her so much?

  It was partly because of that that Piper had decided to come home. But truthfully, she’d also felt she was in the way at the police department. Piper was good at search and rescue, but she knew nothing about investigating. Judah had asked her to help, but it seemed like he just wanted to keep her close. Judah always wanted to protect people he knew—and even those he didn’t. That was why he was such a good officer.

  The main problem, she decided, and the legitimate reason she’d come home, was that she was a liability to Judah and she knew it. Why offer to help when he had it under control and didn’t need her? What if she was there pretending to be useful and she only distracted him?

  Piper didn’t know. She was getting a headache. She rolled over again, closed her eyes tighter as though that would help sleep come.

  Of all the people who could have climbed up the rock after her, why Judah? She’d asked God that question more than once today and had gotten no answer. Judah was one of the last people on earth she’d voluntarily be vulnerable around; after all, she did tend to learn her lesson after making a mistake, and trying to date him had most definitely been that. But he had been the one who was there. And Piper didn’t believe in accidents.

  What are You up to here, God? she asked as she rolled over again. No answer. God heard her; she knew that. But it would be nice if she received immediate answers every time she spoke to Him.

  Finally she gave up on sleep, at least for now. She started down the stairs, then stopped as something outside caught her eye. There was a vehicle in her driveway. She blinked the nighttime dryness away.

  Judah’s patrol car.

  Had something happened right as he was about to leave? But that was hours ago. She ran down the rest of the stairs. Surely he’d left, right? Piper tried to remember if she’d looked out the window since then but couldn’t.

  He hadn’t stayed...

  Had he?

  Piper eased her front door open. Started toward the car.

  “What are you doing?” A low voice behind her made her jump. Judah.

  She whirled around. “What are you doing, sneaking up on people like that?”

  He laughed softly. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” He reached for her arm, moved her back toward the house. “You need to get back inside, though.”

  “And you need to go home,” she said as she let him guide her toward the front door.

  “Piper.” His voice was serious now.

  “Have you been in the car all night?” she asked as she stepped inside. He stood on the front porch.

  “Yes. And I’m staying there until morning. I was out because I heard something I needed to check out.”

  The midnight moment was over. Piper was back to earth now, fully remembering all the danger she had faced earlier, feeling like she was right back there, falling off that rock face again.

  “I was fine being here alone,” she said, though she wondered if it were true. If she were fine, would he have stayed? The answer seemed obvious.

  “You were. Now go inside and we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

  “Come inside and talk to me for a while?” she asked. “I can’t sleep.”

  He hesitated. Then nodded. “For a few minutes.”

  Piper moved aside so he could come into the house, and locked the door behind him. “Do you want a cup of coffee?” She felt her heartbeat quicken. There was something unusual about having a man inside her house at all, much less in the middle of the night. But her invitation hadn’t been meant in any kind of inappropriate way. She just...she almost felt like she’d run away after visiting the police department. Sure, it had been done calmly, but rather than get involved she’d asked to leave, had tried to hide away in her house and pretend like everything was all right.

  Even if she couldn’t quite figure out if she had been hiding from danger or from Judah. Or maybe both.

  The fact that she couldn’t sleep was enough evidence that she didn’t really believe that lie she had attempted to tell herself. Everything was certainly not okay.

&nb
sp; “I’d take a cup.”

  His eyes were tired, and she noticed for the first time the way they crinkled in the corner a little. Laugh lines? She wouldn’t have said Judah Wicks spent much time laughing.

  No, she corrected herself immediately as she moved to make the coffee. She went through the motions of grinding the beans, adding them to the filter basket. The Judah she’d first met a year ago had laughed plenty. He wasn’t like this.

  What had happened to change him?

  * * *

  Judah knew that Levi would call him out if he were here right now. Sitting in someone’s driveway because you were worried about their physical safety was one thing. Going into the living room and having coffee with them because you could tell they needed to talk and you were worried about their mental well-being was another thing entirely.

  Piper seemed okay. Better than she had earlier in the evening, in fact, even though Judah guessed she hadn’t slept well. He wasn’t sure what to ask her, though, didn’t quite know how to talk to her.

  Maybe coffee had been a mistake. He felt pressure in his throat as he realized that even if she did want to have a conversation, he hadn’t the slightest clue how to make her feel better. Even though he wanted to. He wanted to make everything better for her, give back her normal life, and then disappear from it himself. Somehow he felt like he was part of the reason she was so upset.

  He should go back outside.

  He’d taken a seat at her kitchen table, but now he pushed the chair back and stood. “I should probably...”

  “I want to help.” Piper turned toward him and spoke, her voice firm and decisive. “I shouldn’t have asked to come home tonight. I should have stayed there. I want to help.”

  “Help...?” Judah thought he understood but didn’t want to assume.

  “With the case. I want to help you figure out who is after me and why and make sure it goes away as soon as possible so I can get back to my old life.”

  Not what he’d been expecting to hear, but... “Okay.” He nodded. “You can help.”

  “Why are you standing?” she asked now with a frown. What was he supposed to say to that? Admit that he had no idea how to talk to her? Or should he just leave?