She closed her eyes, but the worry lines remained in her face.
They lifted the gurney up and Bryce made to climb in.
The paramedic looked at him. “Can’t you just follow?”
“No. I’m protecting her. I’m not leaving her. A maniac is out there and tried to take her.”
And Bryce had let that happen.
* * *
Sierra sat on the edge of the bed in the clinic.
Bryce stood against the far wall, but in the small space “far” didn’t mean much. She could feel the concern and protectiveness radiating off him. She’d tried to ignore it while the doctor had bandaged the small wound in her side where Raul had drawn blood while forcing her out of the restaurant. She also had a mild concussion from where he’d smacked her on the head.
She would gladly take that concussion over all the other scenarios that ran through her mind of what he’d have done to her if he’d succeeded in taking her away.
Bryce was here with her for which she was glad. But she knew that look on his face. He was contemplating, and it was something big that she wasn’t going to like.
That, and...well, she was pretty sure he was berating himself on the inside. Neither of them spoke much because there were far bigger self-recriminations going on inside—and who wanted to speak those truths out loud?
When she could no longer stand the silence between them she drew in a breath, then said, “I’m not going to sit here and let you beat yourself up, Bryce. Just stop it. I agree that what happened today should never have happened, but—”
“Oh, you can read my mind now?”
“Of course I can. You’re thinking the same thing I am. You’re trying to figure out what you could have done differently the same as me. There’s no time for this kind of examination.”
Despite the pain in her head, she slid from the table and moved to Bryce, blocking him against the wall. In his gaze she saw that he felt trapped and for some strange reason, for the moment, she felt like enjoying the power she had over him. But she’d truly been hit in the head too hard if she was thinking that way. She took a step back but he snatched her arm and pulled her close again.
He held on to her waist as he inched forward and spoke, his voice shaky and barely audible. “I could have lost you.”
He gently tugged her against him. Wrapped his strong arms around her. “I’m so glad you’re safe. And I’m...so, so sorry. Please forgive me.”
The tenderness and anguish in his voice nearly did her in, but she’d had enough of weakness for one day even if the reasons for that weakness couldn’t be more different. Still, she allowed herself to stay in his arms.
Sierra inched away enough to see his face. He was much too close, but she didn’t want to pull away. “There’s nothing to forgive. Nothing. You hear me? I wouldn’t want anyone else here with me in this, protecting me and helping me. No one but you, Bryce.”
At the same time, she wanted him gone. He was in danger because of her.
Fierce emotion flashed in his eyes.
Oh, why had she said that?
Because it’s true...
Sierra found the strength to take a step back. Then another.
That emotion she couldn’t read in Bryce’s gaze remained. “Let me take you away from here,” he pleaded. “We can go halfway across the world if that’s what it takes. Whatever it takes to keep you safe, Sierra, that’s what I want to do. I can’t...”
What would he have said? Lose her? Fail? She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear. Her throat constricted.
“Look, I’m begging you.”
Sierra frowned and shook her head. “I just can’t leave like that, Bryce. What about Samson? What about Dad? I can tell you he won’t leave his home or his store.”
“Because he’s stubborn like his daughter.”
“Whatever the reason, leaving is something that’s not happening. If you want to do anything to keep me safe then help me get Raul. Help me take him down.”
A throat cleared.
Sierra turned to see Sheriff Locke. “If you two are done, I’ve come to drive you home. I didn’t feel I could trust anyone else with the job.”
What he meant was he wasn’t sure anyone would be safe in Sierra’s proximity because of Raul’s determination to get to her. “Where is home, Sheriff?”
“You’re welcome to stay at my place until this is over.”
“Have they finished gathering evidence from my home?”
He nodded. “They have. Your dad already gathered his things to go home. I made him wait for you though. You decide what’s best.”
What was best was fewer people in her proximity so there would be fewer people in danger. Yet, she couldn’t leave Crescent Springs either. Her father wouldn’t leave, and leaving him here alone wasn’t an option either.
“Okay, then. It’s back to town.”
Bryce’s disapproval was clear in his gaze.
THIRTEEN
In the middle of the night, the town was finally quiet after today’s festivities. Even the lights were out in hotel rooms.
Bryce finished hiking around the cluster of buildings that included the toy store and Sierra’s apartment in the back, wishing not for the first time that Sierra would have stayed at the sheriff’s home. Though Raul had found her there and quickly. He must be watching her somehow. Raul hadn’t taken her out from a distance because he didn’t have the sharpshooter skills. Or maybe he was just fixated on the idea that he wanted to torture her before he killed her.
Bryce had equally dark thoughts about what he wanted to do when he got his hands on the escaped murdering convict and menace to society.
As he considered their current situation, Bryce hiked through the deepening snow back around to the street with his hotel.
Since Sierra refused to go anywhere, Bryce wished that she lived somewhere else besides this property on the literal edge of the small town. Their apartment next to a big empty wooded lot connected to the National Forest. In the dark, the location presented too many opportunities for someone to get to Sierra. And it was dangerous—as he knew since he’d tried to chase down Raul and had fallen through the ice on the frozen riverbank.
She would be safe when Raul was once again incarcerated—as long as he stayed that way this time.
Sierra was right, though—she and Samson might be the best ones to search for the escaped convict. He knew how hard that decision had been, and how torn she was—not wanting to subject Samson to danger—but in the end, he was the best dog for this job. His safety was ultimately tied to Sierra’s, and she’d finally reasoned it out. They had to do this.
Tomorrow they would take Samson and go Raul-hunting. After the near-abduction today, Sheriff Locke had convinced the state to send Rick Kendall along with them, though he wasn’t available to guard Sierra and John’s home tonight. They were shorthanded and no one was available—except for Bryce. Tomorrow, he and Sierra would be just one of many teams of searchers looking for the escaped convict, but until now, the searchers hadn’t been local to the area.
None of them knew the area like Sierra and Samson.
At the hotel, Bryce crept up the stairs and tried to keep quiet so he wouldn’t wake anyone. For now he would make the rounds every couple of hours. He wouldn’t get much sleep tonight, just grabbing cat naps as he could through this ordeal. If this continued through tomorrow night, maybe he could take Samson with him. That dog would smell trouble and warn him. But like Sierra said, Samson needed his rest if he was going to search and track during the day.
Inside his room, Bryce peeked out the curtains at the store below. Glanced up and down the empty street.
It was much too cold on a winter’s night to imagine someone out stalking—except Raul had shown them he was obsessed with Sierra and that the weather and elements wouldn’t stand in his way.
Bryce’s concern was only tempered for tonight anyway because John had installed a top-of-the-line security system for the store and apartment—he’d had a friend come in and set it up this evening when Sierra insisted on going home. Bryce wondered why it had taken them so long to begin with?
Still, short of sleeping on her sofa or next to her bedroom door, there wasn’t much more Bryce could do. Sheriff Locke had his other deputies changing out watching the town, the state had left a few officers here as others pursued Raul this afternoon, coming up empty-handed so far, but they still searched. And Sierra had a gun—though they hadn’t recovered the weapon Raul had taken—an alarm system, a dog she seemed willing to allow to protect her, and she had Bryce across the street. Not nearly close enough for him, but there all the same. Physically.
But emotionally?
He sensed that she still cared about him in a romantic way and was fighting it, the same as he fought it. So tonight, there would be no late night chats by the fireplace that might end in a kiss. A kiss presented dangers of its own and could send them down a road where neither of them wanted to be. He shook off thoughts of kissing Sierra—he definitely didn’t need to spend the night thinking about that.
Her life was in danger, and he wouldn’t, he couldn’t, let Raul get his hands on her again.
God, please help me keep her safe. Please let us find Raul before it’s too late.
Bryce lay on the bed fully dressed, his alarm set for two hours when he would check the perimeter again. Maybe his footprints left in the snow would serve as a deterrent.
He bolted awake when his alarm went off, surprised he’d actually fallen asleep. He rubbed his face then peeked through the window. Immediately he spotted footprints not his own. Or at least he didn’t think so. He hadn’t tracked so close to the building, almost as if hiding in the shadows. It could simply be someone walking home or to their car, but his gut told him it wasn’t.
Heart pounding, he sent up a silent prayer as he texted Sierra. He hated waking her but this could be life or death. He warned her about the footprints in the snow and to be on the lookout. To be cautious.
Then he pulled on his coat and grabbed his weapon. Outside, he glanced up and down the street. Peered into the shadows and obvious hiding places.
The snow had stopped and the moon shined bright tonight, giving off enough light for him to see. He set out to follow those footprints. If this was Raul, he must not care if anyone spotted his steps. Or this could be a trap for Bryce. He would remain mindful of that.
He wished he knew where the footsteps had started but at this point, he could only follow and hope he would find whoever had left them. If it was Raul he hoped he found him and took him down once and for all.
He gripped his weapon and held it at low ready. He followed the steps around the end of the building and then behind it near the woods.
Not good. Not good at all.
Apprehension grew in his gut.
The footsteps did not lead to Sierra’s apartment door. They veered sharply away just before the door which raised his suspicions. Bryce stood in the shadows and let his gaze search the woods.
He hadn’t felt the telltale buzz of his phone to let him know Sierra had replied to his text.
But Samson’s deep bark resounded from inside the apartment. Maybe he’d barked earlier and scared the lurker off. Bryce wouldn’t be foolish enough to follow him into those woods again, especially since he was alone. But how he wanted to get his hands on the man. He almost couldn’t wait until tomorrow and he hoped Sierra would let Samson loose. The dog should be recovered enough to track Raul and if Raul really was here tonight, his tracks should be fresh.
Surely the man knew that, but he’d succeeded in escaping the other K-9s brought in by the police.
His cell buzzed and he read the text.
Samson barked and growled. He won’t let anyone get to me. Don’t worry.
Bryce chuckled to himself. Yeah, maybe even including Bryce. Though it wasn’t his intention to get too close to her, emotionally speaking. Unfortunately he had to keep reminding himself of that.
He responded to her text with a reply of his own about the tracks and a promise that he would stand guard out here for the rest of the night.
At least until he thought frostbite might take his nose.
The door swung open and Sierra peered out. “Get in here.”
* * *
Sierra and Bryce snowshoed through the woods with Officer Kendall, following Samson as he trailed Raul with a combination of tracking and air scenting.
Sierra was so grateful to have Samson. And now, Samson’s sharp olfactory senses searched for Raul—or the person who’d walked uncomfortably close to her door last night. Their tracks were now gone with an early morning foot of snow, but something of the scent remained and Samson would find him this time. She felt sure of it.
Their small three-person search team had dressed in protective clothing like the crowd of winter sports enthusiasts in Crescent Springs. The public was aware of the escaped convict and warned to be on alert, but it seemed to Sierra that news hadn’t diminished the crowd or their passion for this event. Fortunately the competition was nearing its end and today would be the last day. This evening or early tomorrow morning tourists, spectators, competitors and vendors would pack up and leave town.
Then it would once again be peaceful and quiet.
The sun had come out and she felt entirely too warm inside her jacket, but taking it off was not an option—it was entirely too cold out without a jacket, and she’d have to lug it around anyway. Despite the business they were on, she couldn’t help but think about the beauty of nature around her. God’s creation was nothing less than spectacular.
And Bryce in this with her—God had seen to that, as well.
She wasn’t exactly sure what to make of it since she’d worked so hard to distance herself from him.
A cold wind gusted over her face feeling much like the slap she needed. Sierra reined in her thoughts and focused on staying in tune with Samson. Training him had taken up so much of her life and they had to continue to train to keep on top of things. Now that she was sending him out to find a killer, she wished they hadn’t fallen behind on training the last few days. If she had it all to do over again, she would have been especially focused on the attack aspects. She still feared Samson would face a gun and Raul would hurt him again—fatally this time.
She’d let that kind of training lapse since living in Crescent Springs and instead had cross-trained for search and rescue missions, and avalanche searches. Searching for criminals just wasn’t a huge part of what they would normally see near Crescent Springs and the San Juan Mountains.
The evergreens’ trunks clacked together as the wind blew again. An entire hour in they had traveled barely a mile and a half over the harsh terrain and deep snow, which, all things considered, was actually keeping up a decent pace. They had to move briskly in order to keep up with her working-class dog, Samson. But then his pace slowed. At the base of Carmel Mountain, Samson seemed to have lost the trail.
Would he find the scent again? She eyed the woods, the rocky terrain filled with fallen trunks and snow-covered thicket.
Finally, Samson started forward again. Relief whooshed through her. Bryce pressed a hand on her arm. “Careful. We need to remain cautious. If we’re closing in on Raul, he’s even more dangerous.”
True words. She patted her handgun in her holster just inside her coat and left her coat unzipped at the top so she could easily reach the weapon.
Samson started making his way down the edge of a ridge that left just enough room for him to descend. Sierra studied the drop. It would be a perfect “hidden” trail for someone looking to hide, but it wouldn’t shake a tracking dog.
“Hold it,” Kendall said. “Are we going to follow him?”
“Sure we are,” she said.
“Do we need special equipment to safely get down there?”
“First, keep your voice down,” Bryce said. “If Raul is hiding out somewhere near, we don’t want him to hear our approach. As for climbing down, we can see what Samson does first.”
Giving the dog a chance. Sierra appreciated that Bryce believed in Samson.
Samson still made his way carefully down, and Sierra took off her snowshoes, preparing to follow. She wouldn’t leave him alone in this.
“What are you doing?” Bryce asked. “I thought we were giving Samson a chance to let us know if someone is down there.”
“I need to be down there with him. Just in case.” As she made the first step she eyed the bottom. Her throat tightened. “There’s a mine down there,” she whispered.
Bryce nodded. “Let’s go then.” Bryce looked at Kendall. “You coming? If you don’t want to, then you could stay here and guard our exit. We’ll signal you if we find anything.”
Kendall wore dark sunglasses and Sierra couldn’t read what he was thinking, but he gave a subtle nod—that and the fact he didn’t budge from his position was answer enough.
“While we’re climbing down, you watch the area. Watch if someone comes out of that mine,” Bryce instructed the guy.
“I know how to do my job.”
“Wasn’t implying that you didn’t. But we can’t defend ourselves so easily if we’re coming up on Raul.”
Sierra missed any further conversation. She needed to stick close to Samson. Beyond the protection of a vest, K-9s had only their teeth and an intimidating warning growl. They depended on their trainers to keep them safe.
She stepped carefully. A quick glance up and she spotted Bryce treading carefully behind her. Samson made the bottom and shot toward the mine.
If she’d kept him on a leash she wouldn’t have to shout. She tried to keep her voice down as she gave him the command. “Hier!”
Fugitive Trail Page 12
