by Lara Lacombe
“Maybe Harry can focus when he needs to.”
“Maybe.” But she sounded unsure, and Quinn didn’t think it was a likely possibility, either. In all his dealings with Harry and his friends, the young man had always come across as brash and immature, the kind of guy who hit first and asked questions later. He didn’t doubt Rebecca’s assessment of Harry’s potential for violence, but the young man wasn’t exactly a planner.
“You think he’s more of a crime-of-opportunity kind of guy?” he suggested. It fit what he knew of Harry’s personality—immediate gratification, no thought required.
“Exactly.” Rebecca smiled at him, looking like a proud teacher. “But until I can definitively rule him out, I want to keep an eye on him.”
“Why do I get the feeling you’re planning something?”
She looked at him with wide eyes, the very picture of innocence. But he wasn’t fooled. “Who, me?”
“R-eebec-ca,” he said, drawing out her name a bit. “Come on. Spill it.”
She dropped the act. “I can’t let these guys go unsupervised. Not until I know more. I’m going to have to watch them myself.”
Her declaration set off alarm bells in Quinn’s head. The plan sounded terrible to him. Not only did she lack experience in camping, but she also didn’t need to be anywhere near those young men. Especially not with the remoteness of the park, where help was hours away...
“No,” he said automatically. “That’s not a good idea.”
She gave him a cool look, one eyebrow arched. “I wasn’t asking for your permission.”
Quinn closed his eyes and sighed quietly, digging deep for patience. Didn’t she see he wasn’t trying to control her or tell her what to do? He was simply concerned for her safety and wanted her to see reason. He understood the impulse to do something, but that didn’t mean she needed to throw caution to the wind and act recklessly.
“I didn’t think you were,” he said evenly. “But I’m not going to stay quiet and let you put yourself in danger just because you’re frustrated by the lack of resources right now. You don’t know the first thing about camping, and you certainly don’t need to learn on the fly while trying to monitor the actions of three volatile young men who may or may not be killers. Not to mention, their campsite is a bit off the beaten path, so you’d be far from help if anything went wrong.”
She waved her hand carelessly, brushing aside his concerns. “I figured that out already. But you don’t need to worry.”
“Why’s that?” He had a sinking suspicion he knew what she was about to say next.
“I won’t be alone. You’re coming with me.”
“I see. I suppose I should be glad to hear there’s room for me in your plan.” He couldn’t keep the sarcasm from his voice, but Rebecca didn’t seem to notice.
“Naturally.”
“I still think this is a bad idea.” Even though they’d have to set up camp a few miles away from the men, Quinn still didn’t like the thought of being so close to them. Now that they’d been questioned by Rebecca, they had to know something was going on. Was it enough to make them desperate? To make them even more reckless than usual? If they somehow stumbled across Quinn and Rebecca, there was no telling how they’d respond. And with help so far away, he and Rebecca were practically asking for trouble.
The whole situation left him with a bad taste in his mouth, but he could tell by Rebecca’s determined expression she wasn’t going to accept no for an answer. A small part of him admired her tenacity, even as frustration filled him.
“Is there anything I can say to get you to change your mind?”
“No.” She shook her head. “But your concerns are noted.” She leaned forward and put her hand over his. “I don’t want to be stupid about this, Quinn. But I can’t leave these guys alone until I’m sure they’re not involved. I’d never forgive myself if I turned a blind eye and they hurt someone else.”
He nodded grudgingly, understanding the impulse. His desire to catch the killer matched her own, and if she thought this was going to help, who was he to argue with the expert?
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll help you. But we do this my way, understood? We’re not going to get too close to their campsite, and we’re only going to observe.”
She smiled at him. “Whatever you say. I trust you.”
Those three little words struck him in the heart like an arrow, piercing the last of his resistance. “I suppose you want to set up camp today?” He reached for a notepad and pen, already running down a list of the supplies they’d need to bring...
“Yes. The sooner, the better. If you tell me what food we’ll need, I can run to the grocery store while you get the other stuff ready.”
He sent her off with a list a few minutes later. She left quickly, clearly eager to get started.
Quinn watched her leave, unable to shake his unease. Rebecca’s plan made sense, and he understood her motivations for insisting on the surveillance. But Harry and his friends were nothing if not unpredictable, and Quinn couldn’t help but worry over what they might do if they discovered they were being watched.
He typed out an email to his supervisor, explaining the outline of Rebecca’s plan and giving their general expected location, should anything happen. It made him feel a little better to know his coworkers would be aware of their whereabouts, should anything happen.
Quinn turned his attention back to the list, silently debating. He had a pistol at home, tucked away in a closet. It was on the older side, but he kept up with the maintenance and it should work if necessary. Guns weren’t allowed in the park, but if ever there was time for an exception to be made...
He pulled out his wallet, checking to make sure his gun permit was still there. If he was going to do something illegal, he’d best have all his other ducks in a row.
His mind made up, Quinn grabbed his keys and headed for the door. Rebecca was going to meet him at his apartment with the groceries, and he wanted to have all the other supplies ready when she arrived. It was late in the day to start a camping trip, and he didn’t want to get caught on the trail when darkness fell.
“It’ll be fine,” he told himself as he drove home. “Nothing to get worked up about.”
But no matter how many times he said it, he still heard the voice of doubt in his mind.
Chapter 11
“This is a good spot.”
Rebecca dropped her pack to the ground with a sigh of relief and rolled her aching shoulders. They’d been hiking for almost two hours, and with all the supplies they needed, her bag was much heavier than she was used to.
She glanced over at Quinn, who had removed his bag and was methodically sorting the pieces of the tent. He’d had a much heavier load to carry, but he hadn’t complained once. She knew he wasn’t crazy about this idea, but she appreciated his going along with it nonetheless.
“You should drink something,” he said, eyes still on his task. “It was a tough climb.”
Rebecca nodded and sat, pulling out a water bottle from her bag. She took a long draw and offered it to Quinn. He hesitated for a second, then accepted it with a shrug.
“Where are they?” she said, craning her neck to scan the landscape. “I don’t see their camp at all.”
Quinn jerked his head to the left. “Down by that tree, about two hundred yards away.”
She squinted in that direction, finally finding the spot. “Oh,” she said, a little disappointed. “Can’t we get closer?”
“No.” Quinn’s tone was final—he was clearly not in the mood to debate this point. He passed over a pair of high-powered binoculars, and just like that, the campsite came into clear focus. “This is as close as we need to get to them.”
“Okay.” Looking through the binoculars, Rebecca had to admit Quinn had chosen a good spot for their site. They were on a wide, flat section on the side of the
mountain, giving them the high ground. The slope of the land and the large boulders nearby provided some measure of shade, which would be invaluable tomorrow during the heat of the day. Most importantly, though, Quinn was setting up the site so the mountain was at their back. No one would be able to sneak up on them. From this vantage point, she could watch Harry and his friends all day without having to worry about danger approaching from behind.
It didn’t take long for Quinn to set up the tent. Rebecca offered to help, but it was clear he knew what he was doing and her clumsy attempts at assistance only slowed him down. So she contented herself with organizing the rest of their supplies and setting up the two camping chairs they’d brought.
The sun was starting to set by the time the tent was in place. Quinn unrolled their sleeping bags inside, then stepped out of the tent to join her.
Rebecca gave him an absent smile as he settled into the chair next to her. She was unable to tear her gaze from the sky, mesmerized by the fiery display as the sun sank toward the horizon. Shades of orange and yellow and peach melted into one another, a desert kaleidoscope that was breathtaking in intensity and scope. The colors were so vibrant it almost hurt to look at them, but she persisted. She’d never seen anything like this before in Virginia—it was like stepping onto another planet.
Quinn moved unobtrusively next to her, busying himself with some task. She knew she should offer to help, but the sky was changing before her eyes and she couldn’t bear to miss any of it. Finally, as the red sky began to morph into shades of violet and purple, she turned away.
Quinn met her eyes and smiled in understanding. “It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?”
“Stunning. I’ve never seen colors like that before.”
He nodded. “Was that the first time you’ve ever stopped to watch the sun set?”
It was a simple question, and yet it hit her with the force of a blow. Quinn was right—how many times had she worked until dark, never stopping to appreciate the natural beauty around her? How many moments had she missed simply because she hadn’t bothered to look?
She blinked hard as tears stung her eyes. Brandon had never been one to slow down, and consequently, neither had she. She’d fallen into the habit of wearing blinders, of focusing solely on what was in front of her. But being with Quinn had widened her gaze. Even in the middle of this investigation, she’d enjoyed herself and the time they spent together. Who knew something as simple as a desert sunset could be so magical?
He reached out to gently touch her cheek. “I’m glad you got to see it,” he said softly. His eyes were warm with affection, drawing her in.
She leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to his mouth, wanting that connection. “Me, too,” she said.
“There’s more to come,” he said. “The night sky is pretty amazing, and sunrise is hard to beat as well.” He passed her a sandwich on a plate. “You might get so caught up in the natural world you forget to spy on those boys.”
“I wish,” she said ruefully. It would be nice to focus only on the beauty of her surroundings, but she did have a job to do. Still, that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy herself while she was there...
“Thank you for this,” she said, between bites of her sandwich.
Quinn shrugged. “It’s not much, but since we can’t build a fire it’ll have to do.”
“No, I meant thank you for doing this with me. I know you don’t think it’s a good idea.”
He sighed softly and poked at a few chips with his forefinger. “I just want you to be safe. Is that such a bad thing?”
“Of course not,” Rebecca replied. “And I do appreciate your concern. But in this case, the danger is minimal. Watchful waiting is the name of the game.”
“Hopefully, they’ll be too drunk to notice us,” Quinn said darkly. “Because otherwise, I don’t think they’d take too kindly to our presence.”
“Probably not,” she replied. But she wasn’t worried. Unbeknownst to Quinn, she had brought her service revolver and she knew how to use it. She’d never fired at an actual person before, but if she had to protect herself or Quinn, she wouldn’t hesitate.
She finished her food and washed it down with the last of the water from the bottle. Then she stood, gathering up her trash. “So what’s going to pass for facilities while we’re here?”
Quinn tilted his head to the left. “Head back down the trail about twenty feet. There’s a cluster of boulders you can use for privacy.”
“Oh.” She’d known there would be no true bathrooms around, but now that she was faced with the reality of the situation, the prospect of roughing it was decidedly unappealing.
Quinn’s mouth twitched with a knowing smile. “Having second thoughts? It’s not too late to go back to the land of flushing toilets, sinks and hot showers.” He dangled the words in front of her like a salesman hawking his wares, and for a moment, she was sorely tempted. But determination stiffened her spine and made her shake her head. She was a professional, and she wasn’t about to let a little thing like peeing outside keep her from doing her job.
“I’ll be fine,” she said, putting on a brave face.
“I’m sure you will,” Quinn said, amusement lacing his tone. He handed her a small bag.
“What’s this?” She peeked inside to see a spade, a roll of toilet paper and a bottle of hand sanitizer.
“Your toiletries kit,” he said. “The toilet paper is specially made to degrade quickly. Use the spade to dig a hole, take care of your business, then cover it up. No one will ever know you were there.”
“I see,” she said. “You thought of everything, didn’t you?”
He grinned openly now, clearly enjoying her discomfort. “Not my first rodeo, princess.”
Rebecca’s cheeks warmed. “Thank you,” she said stiffly.
Quinn bowed elaborately, then began to clean up their meal. “Off you go.”
She shoved her empty plate and water bottle into a bag and spun on her heel, heading off with as much dignity as she could muster. It took a few minutes to find a suitable spot, and a few more to do what needed to be done. Finally, though, she headed back toward their camp in possession of a newly acquired skill she’d never thought she’d need.
There was a bright glow from the direction of Harry’s camp, and she realized they had lit a fire. Good, she thought grimly. Quinn wouldn’t be happy to see that, but it would help her keep an eye on them tonight.
She rounded the last bend in the trail, expecting to see Quinn staring down at the illegal campfire with his hands on his hips. But the site was empty.
“Quinn?” She poked her head into the tent, searching for him. Her voice echoed faintly off the surrounding rocks. She winced at the sound, not wanting to alert Harry or his friends to their presence. She grabbed the binoculars and took a quick look at their site; two young men were sitting around the fire, drinking beer and laughing. They showed no sign of having heard her call. She frowned, studying them carefully. Where was Harry?
She lowered her voice. “Quinn?” she asked again. She walked to the edge of the campsite, peering into the growing darkness. He’s probably using the bathroom, she told herself, trying to squelch the sense of unease rising in her belly. He’ll be back soon.
But she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Where was Harry? Why wasn’t he sitting around the fire, drinking with his friends? She’d seen him earlier, when she’d taken her first look at their camp. His absence now was glaring, and even though it was probably just a coincidence, she couldn’t help but feel worried about Quinn’s unexplained disappearance as well.
Rebecca forced herself to sit in one of the chairs, the binoculars glued to her eyes as she spied on the young men. She told herself she was simply being paranoid, but as the minutes ticked by with no sign of either Quinn or Harry, she knew in her bones something was wrong. She glanced at her phone, cursin
g softly as she saw the device showed no service available.
Finally, she could stand it no longer. She pushed to her feet, grabbing a flashlight from her bag. Then she pulled her gun from its ankle holster and checked to make sure the safety was on. She was already feeling jumpy; the last thing she needed was to accidentally shoot herself if something startled her.
She hadn’t encountered Quinn on her way back to the camp, which meant he had gone in the opposite direction. Gathering up her courage, Rebecca set off down the trail, leaving behind the illusion of safety as she headed into the purple darkness.
* * *
Quinn had been watching Rebecca head down the trail, admiring her graceful movements as she headed for her makeshift bathroom. He’d chuckled softly at her reaction to the toiletry kit he’d given her—it was clear she was out of her element, and yet she was determined to see this through to the end. Admiration had welled in his chest; it was hard to hold on to his frustration in the face of her dedication to what she thought was right.
It didn’t take long to clean up after their simple dinner. Quinn glanced at the sky, the last sliver of the sun just beginning to disappear over the horizon. It would be full dark soon. He should probably make his own bathroom trip before night set in.
He rummaged in his bag for the other kit, then headed off down the trail in the opposite direction Rebecca had taken. He moved easily across the loose stones in the path, his eyes adjusting to the growing darkness as he walked. This was his favorite time of day when camping—the transition between daylight and night, when everything was quiet and the world seemed to take a breath before the nocturnal animals woke and began their evening activities. The first stars would begin to appear soon, dotting the sky like diamonds strewn across velvet. It was a view that never failed to take his breath away.
He finished up and took a moment to look at the moon. It was waxing toward full, putting out a soft, luminous glow that would bathe the campsite in silver light. Under any other circumstances, it would have made things romantic. But he knew they were here to do a job, and even though he wouldn’t mind getting his hands on Rebecca again, he didn’t think a sleeping bag and tent would provide the right kind of ambience for her.
