Winter Hawk's Legend

by Aimée Thurlo

  “That would protect us from the storm, but there’s no telling what else lives in there.”

  “We’ll check it out first. It’ll be okay,” he said, his voice low, his gaze steady.

  His words caressed and comforted her, awakening feelings that were even more dangerous than the storm. He was a man of few words, and maybe that was why whatever he said carried such an impact.

  As a fierce gust of wind slammed against their faces, he looked uphill. “Let’s go find that cave.” He squeezed her hand gently. “We can watch nature put on her show from there.”

  She bit back a sigh. Nature’s most powerful forces wouldn’t be outside, raging in the wind, hail and snow. It would be in the stillness of a look, or a tender touch in the silence.

  Chapter Eighteen

  As they entered the shallow cave, Daniel surveyed it in a glance. The place was really nothing more than a domed recess—a mini amphitheater in the cliffside about twenty-feet high at the peak and extending about fifteen feet into the mountain.

  “It’s not much of a cave, but at least we’re out of the wind and sleet,” he said, taking off his soaked backpack and placing it against one of the dry, sloping sides of the sandstone cavern.

  “I’m just glad we’ve got shelter,” Holly said, setting her backpack down and studying the natural enclosure.

  “What do you say we place the tent on that high spot in the back? In here we won’t have to stake it down, but it’ll keep the wind that’s coming through the opening off us. Once we get that done, we can bring out our stove. Hot coffee would really hit the spot right now.”

  The light nylon tent took less than five minutes to set up. Next they unfolded the metal stove, and soon afterward, they had hot water for instant coffee.

  “How about dinner?” he asked her. “We don’t need to heat the MREs. If you mix the packet up, it warms itself inside the bag.”

  “I’ve had them before,” she said, “but I’m not hungry right now. I bought some peanut butter cookies from the vending machine at the plant. That and the coffee will do me just fine.”

  Seated on top of a foam sleeping pad, they sipped their coffee. “Sleet’s still coming down in waves, but despite that, if the thunder would just go away, it wouldn’t seem so bad,” Holly said.

  “You’ve got peanut butter cookies—and me. What more could you ask for?” Daniel said.

  She laughed.

  “See that? Things aren’t so bad.”

  Daniel placed his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into him. She loved his scent. A mixture of the rugged outdoors—sage and piñon and a trace of spicy aftershave. As she lay nestled against him, she could hear the steady drumming of his heart. More than anything she wished she could have stayed there forever.

  Daniel tightened his hold. “We’re warm and together. Let that be enough for now.”

  The anxious moments of the past few days drifted out of her thoughts as gentler, yet stronger emotions spread through her.

  She was falling in love, everything feminine in her knew it, but it made no sense. How could two people who were so wrong for each other be so perfect together?

  “I like the way you feel against me,” he said gruffly.

  She snuggled deeper into him as the lightning continued to light up the skies outside and the ground shook. No matter what forces raged around her, she knew nothing would harm her as long as he was by her side. “I’ve always hated winter thunderstorms. Snow is supposed to be quiet—peaceful.”

  “You make too many rules. Give yourself more freedom and see what happens.”

  Daniel angled his head and took her lips gently. “Listen only to me—and feel,” he whispered, his breath hot on her mouth.

  He kissed her again, his tenderness persuading without insisting. She parted her lips, drinking in the taste of him. The desire to surrender control, to let him lead her into a world of fire and need thrummed through her.

  As she melted into him, he groaned. “You’re all heat and softness.”

  She drew in a shaky breath. “I feel like I’m tumbling out of control.”

  “Don’t tumble, slide gently into my arms….”

  He took her hand and eased it inside his shirt, pressing it against his skin.

  As she gazed into Daniel’s eyes, she saw the raw passion there and it took her breath away. She could still back away, but she knew she’d spend the rest of her life wondering and regretting what might have been.

  “It’s just you and me. Do we need anything else?” he asked.

  “Show me what’s in your heart,” she whispered. “I don’t want to wonder anymore.”

  He drew in a breath, then lowered his mouth to hers. His kiss was possessive, yet achingly tender. She sighed as he drew back just enough to leave a trail of moist kisses down the column of her neck.

  “Feel the fire,” he said, pushing her sweater and bra out of his way and tasting the tips of her breasts.

  She’d been cold with only coffee to warm her. Now a searing heat filled her, followed by longings too intense to deny.

  Daniel picked her up, then carried her out of the cold and into the tent. As he set her down, the storm she saw in his eyes made the power of the lightning outside pale in comparison.

  He tugged at her clothes, branding the skin he bared with his mouth until she cried out. She invited everything, and when she could give nothing more, he moved away.

  Daniel unbuckled his belt with one hand, and stripped off his clothes. As she watched him, a new need stirred inside her. She wanted to touch him, to memorize every facet of Daniel.

  When he returned to her, she shifted, and gently pushed him back so he lay beneath her. Holding his gaze, she straddled him and kissed the muscular ripples on his chest.

  She learned quickly what gave him pleasure, and the fire that gripped them intensified. As lightning screamed through the skies, his control snapped. He gripped her hips hard, brought her down against him and entered her.

  Holly surrendered to the fire, needing him, wanting everything with a greed that matched his own. As the storm roared, Holly felt herself shatter, shudders rocking her soul.

  He followed her over that brittle edge, then held her tightly as she collapsed over him, too exhausted to move.

  “You make me feel whole,” he whispered, his arms wrapped tightly around her.

  Time passed, but she never moved away. Slowly she felt him grow hard again. “No one’s ever made me feel the way you do,” she said. “Beautiful, feminine, needed.”

  She heard his throaty growl then the fire gripped them once again.

  DAYBREAK CREPT inside the cave, but the temperature remained icy. As she opened her eyes, she realized that she was alone in the sleeping bag. Outside the tent, just beyond her view, she could hear Daniel moving around. She dressed quickly and went to meet him.

  “Good morning,” he said, as she came out. “About time you got up. It’s clear outside and the ground is warming up. We can get those water samples and head back before the next wave of the storm hits—if one’s still coming.”

  She saw that he’d already stowed away most of their supplies. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected from him this morning, but the abrupt return to reality jolted her and left her feeling vaguely disappointed.

  “Regrets?” he asked, accurately reading her expression.

  “No,” she answered, not in the way you mean. Yet even as she spoke, she could feel a coldness growing inside her. As she struggled to hold on to what they’d discovered in each other’s arms, its reality seemed to slip through her fingers, dissolving away.

  Sunlight, strong and clear, streamed through the opening in the cave as the sun rose in the east. In the dark of night the differences between them hadn’t mattered. Now, in the light of day, everything seemed different—and maybe it was. What they’d shared had been rooted in hopes and wishes. They’d tried to make the impossible real, and had been blinded by the fire they’d found in each other’s arms.

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nbsp; A bone-deep sadness filled her as they ate a mostly silent breakfast of MRE bacon and scrambled eggs, sipping instant coffee in metal cups.

  “Do you think he’ll still be out there when we get back to Hartley?” she asked.

  “Yes, and I’d be willing to bet he’s been going nuts searching for you,” he said. “Once we return, it won’t take him long to pick up our trail. He’s good. That’s why I’m thinking we shouldn’t hurry back. We have enough food and water to stay a few more days, and that’ll give Preston and the other officers more time to work the case.”

  She thought of spending more nights with Daniel, and the possibility was tempting. Yet, deep inside, she knew it would be a mistake. She wanted a committed relationship—permanence—the kind of love that couldn’t be taken from her. Yet loving a man like Daniel wasn’t about holding on tightly. It was about letting the winds of freedom dance between them.

  “Ready?” Daniel asked, interrupting her thoughts.

  With the tent stowed away and their backpacks on, they stepped to the mouth of the cave. Everything outside was covered in a wisping fog, and with the bright sunlight coming from above, the forest shimmered gently. It was as if nature itself was basking in the glow of the magic Daniel and she had found in each other’s arms.

  “Let’s go,” Daniel said bringing her focus back, “but stay alert.”

  “You think he may have tracked us here?” she asked quickly.

  “He’s surprised us before, but don’t worry too much about it now. We’ll meet the problem if it comes.”

  AS THEY SET OUT Daniel saw the shadow of fear return to her eyes. He wished that he could have replaced it with the utter contentment he’d seen on her face as she’d lain asleep on his chest early this morning.

  Although he’d hoped that once they’d made love he’d get her out of his system, he’d found the opposite was true. Daniel shifted his pack and stepped onto the trail, feeling the weight of the handgun strapped to his belt and the hunting knife in its sheath against his leg.

  The weather had cleared and their stalker had undoubtedly expanded his search, so there could be no more distractions. Emotions clouded a man’s outlook and he was in a life-or-death fight against an enemy who didn’t give up. He had to push all personal feelings aside now and focus solely on the job. He’d grown to know his enemy, and instinct and experience told him that they’d come face-to-face soon.

  Daniel had to slow his pace, finding the trail either muddy or slippery from leftover moisture, especially in the low spots. “Three miles ahead is a meadow, then above that, the snow-melt fed lake.”

  “That’s where I need to take the first sample,” she said.

  He turned back and looked over the low ridge to the east. This trail was familiar to him. Somewhere down below was the head of Copper Canyon.

  Holly was walking at an easy pace, and as he watched her hips swaying gracefully, he thought once again of last night and smiled. She’d come alive in his arms, and for those moments, she’d forgotten everything except the passion in her heart.

  A shower of small rocks suddenly exploded from the wall of the cliff just above Holly, and a second later a loud crack sounded, traveling up the pass from behind and below. He reacted in an instant, shoving Holly down just as another rifle shot echoed up the mountain.

  “Hug the ground,” he said, reaching for his pistol. “Stay out of his line of sight.”

  Her eyes were wide as she lay on her side, staring back down the trail. “How did he find us?”

  “Worry about that later. Based on the timing between the bullet strike and the sound, he’s still several hundred yards away. That rifle gives him a definite advantage, so we’ve got to keep him as far away from us as possible. We’re going to have to move fast so lose your gear.”

  She nodded, slipping her pack off.

  “Take only what’s absolutely necessary—water, matches, cell phone, GPS and your canteen,” Daniel said, slipping out of his own pack while keeping an eye on the trail.

  Thinking quickly, he grabbed two energy bars from the zippered pouch, then looked back down the trail. “The fog’s shifting again. He can’t see us now, but it won’t be long before it dissipates and we’ll be clear targets. Hurry.”

  “All set,” Holly said a second later.

  As he turned to look, she shoved the stuffed bear into her jacket, then zipped it back up again.

  “What?” she asked, seeing the bemused look on his face. “I said I’m ready to go.”

  “Hike up the trail until we get out of this pass, then turn south and move into the tree line. I’ll guard your back.”

  “So much for collecting water samples,” she said, rising to a crouch.

  “Next time.” He glanced back, thinking of their enemy, just out of his reach. Someday soon that would change.

  Chapter Nineteen

  An hour later, they were descending a steep incline, half stumbling, half sliding through a grove of tall, old pines. They’d gone downhill, angling back in the direction of the trailhead, but were forced to stay behind cover each step of the way. Out in the open, even at a quarter mile, Daniel knew they could be picked off with a rifle.

  “He’s got to know we’re heading back toward your SUV—assuming he knows where we parked,” Holly said, her voice coming in gasps.

  She was fit, but this was a forced march and she was used to pacing herself at this altitude. Daniel, several feet behind her and uphill, stopped, giving her a chance to breathe, and looked down.

  “I’ve got an idea that may slow him just a little,” Daniel said. “He’ll be following our tracks closely and, undoubtedly, hopes to catch up before we reach a road. He’ll be looking ahead, far more worried about an ambush, and might not be watching where he puts his feet. Let’s use that to our advantage and set up a trap.”

  “You’ve got my vote,” she said, walking up to him and looking at a fallen log. “What do you have in mind?”

  SEVERAL MINUTES LATER, they were on the move again, going parallel along the ridge below the tree line instead of descending into the narrow canyon below. They were side by side now, with Daniel to her right, uphill a few yards from her.

  “I hope he breaks his neck. That log is a good obstacle. He’ll have to go over or around it, and either way he’s going to find trouble,” Holly said.

  “It’ll roll like a ball the second he puts a foot on it. If he steps over it instead, there’s that nice hole we left for him under those leaves. An injury, even a slight one, will get him off our backs for a while,” Daniel said. “You up for a climb?” He cocked his head to the right.

  “I think you have a second guardian animal—the mountain goat,” she grumbled. “Are you thinking of circling back up and hitting the trail?”

  “Exactly. We can make really good time that way. If we keep following this route we’ll have to go crashing through the trees and ground cover, and that’ll make way too much noise.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her up beside him. “Go ahead and take point. I’ll be right behind you.”

  Twenty minutes later, after a hard climb, they reached the trail again, this time about a mile down from where they’d spent the night in the cave. Daniel studied the ground and cursed. “He’s either smart, lazy or both. He came up as far as the cave, saw where we’d left the trail and headed back. Those tracks are fresh,” he said.

  “He knows where we’re going, obviously back to the SUV, so he’s waiting for us somewhere ahead—in ambush,” she said.

  “We need to figure out where he’s hiding and make sure we don’t turn ourselves into easy targets.”

  “Hopefully we’ll be able to get a cell phone signal farther down the mountain,” she said. “Then we can call for help.”

  “Maybe so, but for right now, I’m going to take the lead. You’re the target, and I’m the one with the gun.” Without waiting for a response, Daniel started down the trail.

  Several hours later, they were within a half mile of the SUV. The sun was low
in the sky, and it was difficult looking to the west even with sunglasses and a billed cap.

  “This is a very bad tactical situation,” Daniel whispered. “Once we top that next saddle, the trail leads straight down the slope to the SUV. He’s undoubtedly there somewhere, in position to physically cut us off, even if he misses us with the rifle. The sun’s in our eyes, so he has the advantage.”

  Holly gave him a shaky smile, then looked south down the ridge. “We could work our way to the valley that way under cover, but there’s still the meadow at the bottom. There are a few tall shrubs and some brush, but it’s pretty open. The only other options I can see for us is to wait till dark.”

  “Even if it’s pitch-black, he’ll still be able to hear us crossing that section of loose gravel. There’s also that ledge about fifty feet from the bottom that we’d have to navigate,” he said. “We have to find an alternate route. Staying on this trail is nothing short of suicide.”

  “What area is he least likely to be watching?” she asked.

  “North,” he said after a beat. “To check that direction, he’d have to turn around and take his eye off our most likely route. But there’s a downside, too. If he spots us crossing that rock face, we’ll be caught out in the open and it’s a good hundred yards of exposure.”

  Holly brought out the cell phone. “Let’s try one more time to get a signal, then decide.”

  TEN MINUTES LATER, they were off the trail, circling around to their right, heading up toward the open ridge to the north. No call had been possible, but Daniel had composed a text message to Gene explaining the situation. All it would take is a silent touch to send once they had a signal.

  No talking was possible now. They had to be extremely careful. The slightest mistake could put them in the crosshairs.

  Once in position, just out of sight of the SUV, which was a quarter of a mile away, they remained in a crouch and waited, watching for any sign of their assailant. Time passed slowly, each minute stretching out into an eternity.