Under Devil's Snare (Under Series Book 2)

by S. Y. Thompson

  “Yeah, well I never said I was completely altruistic. I have no intention of stepping aside either. Why all the sudden curiosity about my attitude toward Ranger Thomas?”

  This was about to become uncomfortable. Jamison turned toward Lee, raising one knee onto the cushion. She took Lee’s hand.

  “I went by my office after leaving Macke and Hex. Brenda was sitting on the steps when I arrived.”

  “So, did she say I was rude to her or something?” Lee asked, seeming amused.

  “Actually, she had a busted lip and a bruised cheek. She said you punched her in the mouth.”

  “She said what?” Lee surged to her feet and Cleo growled, raising her head from the braided rug. “That’s ridiculous, I would never hit her.”

  “I told her the same thing.”

  “You did?” Lee perched on the edge of the sofa. “What did she say?”

  “She was pretty angry. I tried to get her to tell me who really hit her, but she insisted it was you.”

  Lee’s expression turned pensive. She walked over to the hearth and stood staring down into the flames. Considering the recent unfounded doubt, Jamison thought she owed it to Lee to give her a minute. It didn’t take long. She turned back to Jamison and slipped her fingers into the jean pockets.

  “On the plus side, I don’t feel so bad for her anymore.”

  “I’m sorry. I just can’t figure out why she’d say such a thing.”

  “Do you think it’s possible that Brenda hit herself?” Lee asked softly.

  Jamison was shocked by the suggestion. “I hadn’t considered it.”

  “Well think about it, honey.” Lee ran a hand through her hair, leaving it slightly mussed. “Brenda shows up with a fat lip and I’m the prime suspect. Clearly she was trying to illicit sympathy from you. I guess admiring you from afar wasn’t good enough anymore.”

  “It didn’t work.” Jamison walked over to Lee and hugged her close.

  “What are you going to do now?”

  “Nothing. I’m going to act like nothing ever happened. Regardless of her motives, now she knows that my loyalties are with you. I think it’s better if we focus on keeping things at work strictly professional. As far as Thomas goes, the ball is in her court. We’ll just have to wait and see what she does next.”

  “What if she files charges on me with Sheriff Macke?”

  Jamison shook her head. “I doubt it will come to that. She doesn’t have any proof because it never happened. Still, I think you should avoid being anywhere alone with her.”

  “Don’t worry, I will.”

  SHE WORE HER rage like a heavy cloak. It covered both her mind and body, blinding her to her surroundings. Here, it didn’t matter. Here, there wasn’t anyone to see or tell. No one alive anyway. The smell of dried blood appealed to her on a primal level. Some might have recoiled at the scent of death, but to her it proved a balm that she needed in this crucial time, a reminder.

  Eventually, her efforts would reap the rewards. On the day Jamison realized all she’d done to bring them together, that would be a glorious occasion. So why couldn’t Lee Grayson just go away?

  Every time Brenda and Jamison grew closer, the girlfriend interfered. Just a few weeks ago Jamison told Brenda what a good job she’d been doing. To another, Jamison’s words would be only a meaningless compliment, but not to Brenda. She understood what her intended couldn’t come out and say. She knew Jamison wanted to be with her too. They’d already be together if not for Lee Grayson.

  Brenda threw her head back and screamed, giving voice to her anger and thwarted passion. She realized the door still stood ajar but didn’t feel threatened. Deep in the Adirondack forest, the trees and brush absorbed sound. More than that, the forest had the strength to quickly and quietly reabsorb manmade structures. Nature had almost reclaimed this old hunting cabin, though it wasn’t really that ancient in the scheme of things. Trees hugged closely around the frame, limbs growing out over the roof and looping down. Branches and leaves twined around cracked windows. High, thin grass and scrub helped conceal the building. A crumpled and rat-eaten bit of paper, a single page from a man’s hunting magazine during the 1970s testified to its age.

  No, not that old really. Yet in this forest, damp from constant rain and the mountain elevations, it was a miracle of workmanship that a single board still stood, much less the bulk of the outer shell. Brenda saw the discovery of the abandoned cabin as another sign that she had found her soul mate. Twin mountain peaks towered over the structure. Legend had it that the mountaintops had once been a single structure and that an earthquake split the terrain in two. Whatever the truth of the situation, the peaks separated at sheer cliff faces and dropped into the valley below. The cliffs created a natural, narrow walkway between them referred to by locals as the Devil’s Snare. Fortunately for Brenda, officials had closed this section of the park years ago.

  Thoughts of Jamison helped Brenda feel more centered. For long moments she closed her eyes and indulged in her favorite fantasies. She smiled as she created a home for the two of them. Not the place she had now, only a mile outside the park. The old rental house would never do for Jamison. Maybe Lee would be gracious enough to let them have the manor once she realized how wrong she’d been to keep them apart.

  Brenda’s smile faded and her lips twisted cruelly as she contemplated her rival. Clearly, Lee didn’t understand the messages she’d received. Either that or she didn’t care. Yeah, it was probably that. That was why Lee often kissed Jamison in front of her. She was telling Brenda that she didn’t care what she did, that she would keep Jamison from her at all costs. So why couldn’t Jamison see that Lee was playing her? Why did she keep defending the woman? More importantly, why didn’t Jamison believe her when Brenda showed her the bruises? She should have believed Brenda’s story about Lee striking her without question. That Jamison still chose Lee over her when Brenda had provided the way out infuriated her beyond reason.

  Suddenly she calmed, the rage in her breast quieted. She felt stupid for forgetting how loyal Jamison was and that she wouldn’t leave a partner, no matter how justified. Brenda’s eyes narrowed as the answer occurred to her. Jamison might not leave someone, but what if that person died? She would have a way out that wouldn’t reflect on her reputation. A predatory smile graced her lips. She was wrong to leave warnings. Lee was too selfish to understand and bow out gracefully.

  “I made a mistake before. Just because they looked like you didn’t mean anything. But it’ll mean something next time, won’t it? Oh yes it will. Now when...?”

  She needed a lure, something sure to draw Lee into a trap. The dog. Brenda had already made friends with the mutt so it would probably come right to her. She’d have to be careful though. Grayson and everyone around her had an uncanny way of escaping tragedy. The teenage girls were proof of that. It still irritated her that a squalling brat had discovered them before Brenda had time for some fun. She was smart to drug them; at least they couldn’t describe her.

  She’d have to work fast though, and going to work tomorrow was out of the question. With the press release intended for the next morning, the park was going to become crowded. Even though it was technically the off-season, thrill seekers would be everywhere. The Adirondacks would be as busy as the height of tourist season. The time for cat and mouse was over.

  Feeling better than she had all day, Brenda set about readying the cabin for a guest. Getting Lee here was the hard part, but once that happened she would never leave. Somehow, it seemed fitting that Grayson would join the heap of dead animals under the cabin’s floor.

  She would be a permanent trophy. Brenda liked that idea.

  While she worked, Brenda entertained herself with fantasies of getting even with little Casey North. Maybe a bicycle accident right in front of her parents would be the way to go. She could just imagine how contrite she would appear.

  “I’m so sorry. She raced right out in front of me and I just couldn’t stop in time.”

 
; Brenda snickered in delight, sure her reputation as a hard working, trustworthy park ranger would prevent anyone from suspecting the truth.

  Chapter Fourteen

  LEE AWAKENED AND sat up quickly on the sofa. She felt like something was wrong, but she couldn’t imagine what. She could hear the birds singing outside and watery sunshine streamed into the living room through the large bay window. She had worked hard all day in her basement darkroom and decided to take a nap in the early afternoon. When Lee lay down everything was fine. Jamison was at work and Cleo sleeping on her rug by the hearth. Something had changed since then.

  She held her breath, listening. There weren’t any unexpected noises in the house, no footsteps or bangs to indicate an intruder. A light clicking sound came to her ears and she turned her head to watch Cleo pad into the doorway. The beagle cocked her head inquiringly.

  “I think I’m getting paranoid, Cleo.” Lee pushed away the gnawing sensation and threw back the light throw. “Are you hungry?”

  She sensed satisfaction coming from her canine companion and took that as a negative answer. Cleo wasn’t interested in food right now. Apparently she was just curious about Lee’s activities. Leaving Cleo to her own explorations, Lee headed for the bathroom. She needed a shower to clear away the sleep fog. Maybe it would help with this uneasy feeling as well. Lee thought it possible her feeling stemmed from an unremembered nightmare. Cranking the heat on high, Lee stripped as she waited for the water to warm. Then she stepped under the spray, already mentally planning what to do with the rest of the day. The media release had originally aired that morning, but would probably be on a repeating loop. Lee considered watching the news, but quickly changed her mind. Rehashing the gory details wasn’t her style.

  Steam filled the room by the time Lee emerged from the shower. Feeling more relaxed, she rolled her shoulders relieving the last of the kinks. She toweled off and then wiped the steam from the mirror with the damp cloth. A noise caught her attention and Lee listened intently for a moment. Was that a car engine?

  “Huh.” Her hearing was getting better all the time. Now she could hear the occasional sound of vehicles traveling down Black Mountain Road.

  Feeling far too impressed with herself, Lee whistled as she dressed and then headed for the kitchen. She found Jamison’s empty cup sitting in the sink. Though it had been rinsed out, Lee caught the lingering scent of chamomile tea. She wrinkled her nose a bit and grabbed a soda from the fridge. Glancing around the kitchen, she noted Cleo’s absence and smiled indulgently.

  Even after a year of living in the country, Cleo loved exploring outside though she rarely spent more than a few minutes at a time doing so. Her favorite area was over near the edge of the woods where Lee had discovered an old game trail. Last year Cleo often accompanied Lee on a run through the forest, but she didn’t seem as interested lately. That didn’t prevent her from nosing out all the interesting scents there, however.

  With a cold Pepsi can in hand, Lee took the steps off the kitchen to the basement. The temperature dropped several degrees from the sun-filled first floor as she descended to the subterranean level. Lee felt chills break out over her arm and run down her spine. Though she kept her darkroom down here, it often reminded her of last year’s exploits. Having an insane rogue lion-shifter using her basement for a lair would do that, she supposed, but had expected the feelings of dread to fade over time.

  Lee spent quite a while looking through her recent shots. An offer from an outdoor enthusiast magazine for a cover photo had her considering the possibilities. Unfortunately, the search proved fruitless. She just didn’t have anything that spoke to her. Pondering where she could capture just the right image, Lee sipped from the can only to discover it empty. On her way back to the kitchen, she realized Cleo hadn’t come to find her once finished outside. That wasn’t like her. The dog always wanted to be with Lee when not engaged elsewhere.

  Curious but unconcerned, Lee dropped the can into the recycle bin and then strolled to the back door. Taking a light jacket from the peg on the wall, Lee slung it over her shoulder and stepped outside. She stood on the porch searching for Cleo near the tree line. She wasn’t anywhere in sight.

  “Now where did that dog go?” Lee muttered.

  Cleo had a tendency to blend into her surroundings. Lee often had to really look and then she would find the beagle standing practically in front of her. That didn’t happen this time. She stepped off the porch and down into the yard but still didn’t see Cleo. Thinking Cleo had wandered down the trail, Lee pulled on the jacket and headed into the woods. There weren’t any recent canine tracks in the damp earth. All she found were impressions from a small deer. Lee explored a quarter of a mile into the trees before she decided Cleo had not gone this way.

  Smirking, she thought the dog was probably inside the house by now. She turned around and started home. Halfway across the yard, Lee caught movement from the corner of her eye. She expected to see Cleo sniffing at the car tires but instead she noticed a scrap of paper under the windshield wiper. The encroaching shadows caused by night coming on caused the white to stand out sharply.

  Had someone left her a note? Why wouldn’t they just knock on the door? Forgetting about Cleo for the moment, Lee went to the car and picked up the slip of paper. What she read caused the breath to catch in her throat.

  I have the dog. Come to where it all began.Destroy the note and come alone. Tell anyone or failto follow these instructions and I will gut her likea fish. You have until sundown.

  Heart pounding, Lee looked around the yard again. Somehow she expected to find Cleo wandering nearby. This had to be some kind of sick joke. Only she didn’t find her dog. More disturbing still, she couldn’t be sure how long Cleo had been missing. Was it while she was in the shower or later while she was in the darkroom? Suddenly, Lee remembered the sound of the car engine. She had assumed it was a vehicle out on the highway, but now she couldn’t be sure. Glancing at her watch, Lee realized that had occurred more than two hours ago. She’d lost track of time while looking through photos in the darkroom.

  Lee wadded the hated note into a ball and raced back into the house. She grabbed the phone off the kitchen wall and then froze in her tracks. Her first instinct was to call Jamison and enlist her help in the search for Cleo, but she couldn’t. The note said not to tell anyone and Lee wasn’t taking the chance that her movements were being monitored.

  Come to where it all began. What could it mean? The instructions were far from clear. Where what all began?

  Thinking furiously, Lee could only come up with one incident that would stand out from a recent perspective. The murders of the women in the park flashed through her mind. The killer had Cleo and had baited a trap for Lee. The only thing she couldn’t figure out was why. Why not just come for Lee directly? Surely whoever took Cleo had to know Lee was alone out here.

  “Coward,” Lee grated aloud. “You should have faced me yourself instead of taking my dog.”

  Pissed, Lee didn’t intend to wait around for inspiration. She was going to get Cleo back now. Still, reason cautioned her to follow the printed directions. She wouldn’t take a chance with Cleo’s life. Lee strode over to the fireplace and knelt down. Reaching for the box of eleven-inch fireplace matches, she lit the corner of the paper and watched the flame take hold. Once she was sure the paper would burn completely, Lee dropped it into the hearth.

  Lee ran into her bedroom and grabbed an extra pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. She had the feeling she would shift to her more natural form before this night ended and intended to be prepared. This asshole didn’t know who he was dealing with. That thought gave Lee comfort. Though required to act alone, the kidnapper had seriously underestimated her and expected Lee to act like a human woman. That single miscalculation would be all she needed to get Cleo back safely.

  With clothes in hand, Lee jogged back through the manor and scooped the rental car keys off the foyer table. She was already in the car and speeding onto the blac
ktop before she realized she’d left the cell phone behind. For a half second she was tempted to turn around, but almost as quickly discarded the notion. She still wasn’t sure exactly where to go and didn’t plan to waste time by turning around. Thomas might want Lee to meet her at either victim’s campsite or at the killing field she and Jamison had discovered a few nights ago. On the heels of that thought, Lee realized she’d identified Ranger Thomas as the murderer.

  She had no proof of that, but her supposition felt right. In this case, she had to trust her instincts. It would certainly explain the woman’s odd behavior. A low, guttural growl rose from deep in her chest. Her fingers itched and Lee felt the urge to change into her jaguar form. Her fingertips ached as though claws would erupt at any second. Lee shook off the sensation and concentrated on driving. If she shifted now she would crash. That didn’t prevent her fangs from elongating or the pelt from erupting on the backs of her hands.

  Changing effortlessly wasn’t usual for her, but Cleo was her baby and Lee’s outrage over the kidnapping threatened her control. Not even taking Lindsay and Mira had caused such a visceral reaction. Lee wondered at that but then realized the difference: Cleo was practically defenseless, a middle-aged dog who was helpless against a human aggressor.

  In less than ten minutes she entered the Adirondack Park. Lee pulled to the side on the park road and thought about what Jamison had told her of the killings. For a moment she couldn’t remember the campsite where park visitors found the first body. Panic beat at her and her fingers trembled. Where was it?

  Deerlick Falls!

  Lee gunned the engine and took off, raising a cloud of dust in her wake. She wasn’t sure of the exact campsite and the campgrounds were extensive. She would have to explore both campsites as well as the place along the hiking trail where she and Jamison had found the blood. At the same time, Lee would have to be on the lookout for Brenda. She didn’t intend to become a victim. The canopy of tree branches overhead further diffused the waning sunlight. Lee switched on the headlights and bounced over the uneven terrain in the rental sedan.