On their way to the next stop, Riley took her hand. She looked up. “What?”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” His concern touched her.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured.
“Sorry? For?”
“For whatever part I’ve played in making you one of Van’s targets.”
Harper stopped walking and turned to face him. “Riley, stop. This is not your fault. None of it. You’re tracking a criminal. It’s what we do. Sometimes danger is a result. But it’s not your fault.”
He gave a slow nod, his eyes never leaving hers. Then he sighed. “I know that. Mentally.”
“Good. You ready to keep going?”
“Sure.”
Finally, after losing count of how many people she’d talked to, Harper showed the pictures to an elderly man who scratched his balding head. “I think I recognize him.” He pointed to Jake. “I was coming out of the general store over in Drum Creek and ran across that fellow. He was kind enough to help me change my tire.”
“Did he say what his name was?”
“Nope. He seemed to be in a hurry, so I just thanked him. I offered him a twenty and he just shook his head and told me to have a good day.”
“But you haven’t seen either one of these guys around the park?” Riley asked.
The old man shook his head. “No, not around here.” He shrugged. “Doesn’t mean they’re not out here, though. Lots of places to camp. It would be easy to miss them.”
“Of course.” Harper put the picture away and rubbed a hand over her eyes. Then smiled. “Thank you for your time.”
“I hope you find them.”
“Me, too.”
The man paused. “Should we be worried? Should we pack up and leave?”
Harper hesitated then shook her head. “I don’t think so. They’re not attacking random people. They’re mostly wanting to just stay hidden and off the radar. But you’ll have to make up your mind about whether you feel safe enough to stay.”
He shrugged. “I’ll think about it.”
Harper walked off and Riley and Star followed. She turned and looked around. “You know, we’re down here in the valley area where it makes sense to camp what with the fresh water streams and the lake. But what if Jake and Van are hiding out up there?” She pointed to the higher elevation area. Mountainous terrain that wouldn’t be easy to navigate, but would definitely be a great hiding place.
Riley planted his hands on his hips. “It would definitely be a better vantage point to watch from and be able to see if someone was coming up—and then take cover and hide to avoid the searching.”
“Star isn’t signaling that Jake’s been anywhere around here. I say it’s time to start going up.”
Riley opened the map they’d gotten from the visitor’s center. “Look here.” He pulled a pen from his pocket and started circling. “All of these are campsites on the map. I think we need to be seeking out places that aren’t mapped. Places that are flat, close to water, with an easy route out of the park should he have to run.”
“Which one? Jake or Van?”
“Both, probably.”
She nodded. “All right, let’s go.” She clicked to Star and the three of them headed toward where they’d parked her truck. Sweat beaded on her forehead and she grabbed the water bottle from the pouch on her belt. “You know, I did my research. There are four hundred and fifteen square miles to this park. That’s a lot of ground to cover.”
“I know. Not to mention tons of hiking trails, camping areas and so on.”
“There’s got to be an easier way to do this,” she said.
“Choppers would help.”
“Yes, they would. But Jake knows our resources. He’s not going to camp out where he’d be visible from the air.” She paused. “But Blackman might. He might not realize that our resources are now yours and he might not be quite so careful about staying out of aerial sight range.” She got on the radio with Max.
“Have you found anything?” he asked her.
“No, but I’d like to bring in a chopper. Could you request one to make a pass over the area?” She gave him the approximate location.
“We’ve got one at the Denver Airport. I’ll get him out here. Give him an hour.”
“Thanks, Max. We’ll keep looking.”
Once they were inside her Suburban, she put it in gear and rolled toward the road that would take them up as Riley had directed. “Are there camping areas up there?” she asked.
“Yes. Some. They’re not quite as popular as the ones near the lake, but there are those who brave the roads to get the view.”
They continued to climb, looking for anything that would resemble a place someone might decide to set up camp. She watched him from the corner of her eye as she drove. He rode in silence, his jaw tight, eyes narrowed. He radiated determination—and impatience. She understood that. She wanted this to be over with as well—and she didn’t have a sick nephew she was desperate to get back to.
Harper pulled into an area designated for pictures. “If I remember correctly, there’s a small creek that runs through the trees behind us. It’s not exactly off the beaten path, but it’s a good place to start.”
“Perfect.” Harper climbed from the truck and Star hopped down beside her. Harper let Star have another whiff of Jake’s hat and the shepherd dropped her nose to the ground.
They walked for several minutes in silence, following Star’s lead. The dog searched bushes, trees and rocks to no avail. Harper stopped. “He’s not been around here.”
“I don’t think so, either.” Riley looked around. “I know where I am.”
“What?”
“I forgot about this place, but my dad used to bring me and my cousins up here. There’s a shallow river that runs at the bottom of that drop-off over there.” He pointed.
“There’s water over there?”
“Yes. If I remember correctly.”
She paused as a faint sound reached her ears. “Do you hear that?”
He listened then frowned. “Yes.”
She took two steps to the right, stopped then walked to the left. “I think it’s coming from that direction.” She pointed to the drop-off he’d indicated just moments earlier.
“Let’s check it out.”
Harper hurried toward the sounds that grew louder as she approached the edge of the cliff. When she stepped to the ledge, she looked down to find it wasn’t a drop-off after all. A large stream of water flowed gently at the bottom. “You were right. There’s water down here.” Movement caught her eyes and she gasped. “Puppies!”
Riley stepped up beside her. “What?”
“Look.”
He did and tensed. “There’s a bag with a hole in the side. Someone threw them down there.”
“And not too long ago. There’s still one in the bag.” Harper started down the sloping hill and heard Riley follow her. Star beat them to the bottom and began investigating the little pups. They seemed delighted to see her and one began chewing Star’s front paw. She nudged it away only to have it come back and start in again.
Star looked at Harper as though to say, “Really?”
Harper scratched the dog’s ears. “It’s okay, girl, they’re just babies. Baby beagles. Probably only a few weeks old at most.”
And someone had tried to drown them. Anger at the heartlessness of some people ate at her as she pulled the last squirming pup from the bag. She held it up to her face and it licked her nose. Another gnawed on her bootlace.
Riley snagged the third one before it tumbled into the water. The fourth sat and watched the excitement, his little tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. “They could have drowned.”
“I think that was the idea,” Harper muttered.
“I didn’t see anyone on the way up here. Did you?”
“No. It took them some time to chew through the bag. Whoever dumped them is long gone. I’m just glad he has lousy aim and missed the
water.”
“What are we going to do with them?”
“Take them with us for now.”
“Take them with us where?”
“We have a K-9 training unit back in Billings. One of the things we try to do is take a puppy back from each assignment to be trained.”
“That’s a great thing to do.”
“And now we have four here.” The fourth puppy that had been sitting got up and limped toward Riley. He picked it up. “This little guy is hurt.”
“He might have landed the hardest when the bag hit the ground. He might need an X-ray.”
“Yeah. Let’s find a vet and get him taken care of.”
“As for the others, we’ll see if there’s a place that takes in strays for now. Like a foster home for them. Maybe someone can keep them until it’s our assignment is finished. Then we can pick them up and take them back to Billings.”
Riley gave a low sigh. “Well, today was a wash.”
“Not really. We rescued four little beagle pups who would have died without us. We’re heroes.”
“Good point.” He offered her a smile that resonated within her. He kept his eyes locked on hers. “Harper...”
Her heart thudded but she refused to let him know it. “What?”
“I—”
The poor guy looked terribly uncomfortable. “What is it?”
“Would you—”
“Spit it out, Riley. What are you trying to say?”
“You’re not going to make it easy for me, are you?”
“Make what easy?”
He sighed. “Would you have dinner with me?”
Dinner? He wanted to have dinner. After he’d told her that he wasn’t interested in being the guy for her? He really had a lot of nerve. “Riley—”
“We can talk about the case and what the next move needs to be to find Van. And Jake.”
They needed to have dinner in order to do that? Harper almost said no, then bit her tongue on the words. He might be confusing, but she was being childish. “Sure, I’d love to have dinner with you.”
He blinked. “You would?”
“To talk about the case? Of course.”
“Oh...right. The case. Of course.”
She didn’t want to talk about the case. She wanted to talk about him, be with him, soak in his presence and simply enjoy the time with him. However, uncertainty kept her from voicing those thoughts. But the butterflies in her belly had no trouble expressing their excitement about the whole idea.
Together they walked back to the Suburban, carrying the puppies. She got them settled with Star in the back when the crack of a rifle shattered the silence.
Harper dropped low and pulled her weapon. “Riley! Are you all right?”
He scuttled around the front of the truck to join her. “I’m fine.”
“You sure?” Another pop sounded and a bullet hit the driver’s window. More pops quickly followed and a slew of bullets shattered the inside console. Harper stayed down, but couldn’t help the wince. Max was going to flip at the destruction of the brand-new vehicle. But she’d worry about that later. Right now, they just needed to make sure they didn’t get hit.
“Yes, I’m fine, but I saw where he is,” he answered. “I think it’s Van and I’m going after him.”
“How? It’s wide-open from here to there. He’s got a good spot behind trees and will cut you down before you take two steps.”
“I know. We’ll have to take the truck. Get in and hunker down.”
“Riley.”
“Please, Harper, help me catch him.”
“All right, but we’re going to move fast,” she cautioned. “He’s got a good angle right into the truck. He’ll be able to shoot us as soon as we climb in.”
ELEVEN
Riley opened the passenger door and, staying low and hopefully out of sight of the shooter, watched as Harper scooted across to the driver’s side, pushing the glass off the seat. Keeping her head below the shattered window, she cranked the vehicle while Riley climbed into the passenger side.
She ordered Star to lie down on the seat. Riley knew the puppies were in the enclosed area and would be protected from any flying bullets. All she had to do was move the truck forward and she would throw off the killer’s aim that allowed him to plant bullets inside the vehicle.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Yes, go.”
Before she lifted her head, she pressed the gas and the vehicle shot forward. More bullets sounded, but this time pinged off the side of the truck.
Harper sat up and gunned the engine once more. Riley leaned out of the window and fired off a few rounds.
The bullets coming their way fell silent.
“There he goes!” A figure darted away. He’d been tucked behind a tree at about the same level as Riley and Harper so Riley didn’t think he was above them by much.
The attacker turned and got off another quick shot. The bullet hit the truck and Harper jerked the wheel then swerved back onto the dirt road. She pressed the gas and quickly closed the distance between them and the shooter. Riley pointed. “There he is!”
“He’s running now!”
“At least he’s not shooting anymore!”
They had to yell over the wind blowing through the broken window.
The puppies yipped from the back and Riley knew they were being tossed around a bit. But she was driving steady now, closing in on the man who’d shot at them. It had to be Van, didn’t it? Or was it Jake? The two men looked so much alike, to be truthful, he really wasn’t sure who they were chasing.
It didn’t really matter. Whoever it was had to be stopped.
When they could go no farther thanks to the trees blocking the way, she braked and jumped out of the vehicle. Riley did the same. A walking trail led into the trees. Several vehicles were parked along a split-rail fence, but there was no one within sight. “I’m going after him,” Riley said.
Harper opened the back door and let Star out. “I’m right behind you.”
“Be careful, there’s a sheer drop-off not too far into those trees.”
She shut the door on the barking puppies and Riley heard her bringing up the rear.
He spotted Van just as he disappeared into a copse of trees. Without pausing, he pounded after him, dodging fallen logs and woody debris. “Van! Stop! This is the end of the line!”
And then Riley heard nothing except Harper and Star behind him. She caught up to him, one hand wrapped around Star’s leash, the other holding her weapon. “You find him?”
“No. And I don’t know which way he went.”
“There’s really only two choices here,” she said. “There’s the walking trail that way and then through the woods to my left. Would he go off the trail?”
Riley ran a hand through his hair and felt the sweat drip down the back of his neck. “I don’t know. Maybe. All I know is the longer we stand here talking the farther away he’s getting.”
“All right. I don’t have anything that belongs to Van so Star isn’t going to be much help tracking him.” She glanced at her phone. “There’s still no signal. I hate to split up since we won’t be able to communicate with one another.”
“Let’s just go hunting for him. I’ll take the walking trail.”
She hesitated then nodded. “Fine. But be careful. Meet back here in fifteen minutes, okay?”
Riley heard her and raised a hand to acknowledge he heard her and moved down the trail at a lope. The problem was, he wasn’t sure what Van would do. Would he keep running or do something unexpected like stop and hide? Riley slowed his pace, his head swiveling, hand gripping his weapon while his heart thudded in his chest. Where was he?
He’d go off the trail. Riley wasn’t sure how he knew it, but it’s what he would do. He ignored the No Trespassing signs and hopped the fence.
Something slammed into the middle of his back and he went down to the ground hard. The breath whooshed from his lungs. A booted foot aimed toward his head an
d Riley threw himself to the left.
And found himself airborne then crashing down against the side of a steep cliff. Pain exploded through him as he bounced and slid. Desperate to stop his downward descent, he threw his arms out, grasping for a hold on any tree or shrub.
He found nothing and knew if he kept going, he’d go right on down to the rocky bottom below.
* * *
Star jerked on her leash and turned with a growl.
Harper slowed and spun. “What is it, girl?” The dog lunged back toward the way they’d come. Over the years, Harper had learned Star had reasons for her behavior. “All right, you’re the boss, let’s go.”
Star took off and Harper jogged behind her, keeping her eyes in the trees and the surrounding area. She wasn’t exactly being covert and couldn’t let Blackman or Morrow catch her off guard.
A harsh shriek reached her ears. “Riley!”
She picked up her pace and bolted back to the place where she’d left him only to find it empty. But Star knew where she was going and pulled Harper toward the fence. She climbed over, dropped the leash, and Star darted through the middle of the wooden fence.
She raced over to the edge of the cliff Riley had warned her about only moments ago and saw a figure dart away. “Stop! Federal agent!”
The man didn’t stop and Harper didn’t pursue. She raced to the edge where he’d been only moments before and looked over, heart in her throat, expecting the worst. “Riley!”
He was wedged between a bush and the trunk of a tree. Star growled and Harper whirled to see Van taking aim at her. She threw herself to the side and heard the bullet hit the ground next to her. She rolled to her stomach, raised her weapon and fired back.
Van yelled, turned and ran. Harper had no time to chase him. She had to get to Riley. She could send Star after Van, but it was possible he’d just shoot her. She couldn’t take the chance. “Star, down.” The animal dropped to the ground.
Still on her belly, Harper army-crawled to the edge and looked down once more. Riley was still there and he hadn’t moved. “Riley, can you answer me?”
“Yeah, yeah!”
She wanted to revel in the relief, but there was no time. “Can you move?”
“Not without falling again. I’m stuck.” He paused. “Which might be a good thing.”
Bounty Hunter (Classified K-9 Unit) Page 12
