Fugitive Trail

by Elizabeth Goddard

Samson had heard her because he immediately turned and ran toward her. “Good boy,” she whispered, knowing he’d heard her words of praise too.

  Finally, Sierra hopped on the ground at the bottom of the gorge that was only about fifty to a hundred yards wide in places. Bryce wasn’t far behind and he rushed forward then tugged her behind him. He pulled his weapon out and readied it.

  Her heart jackhammered.

  Could this be where Raul had been hiding out? In an old silver mine down in a gorge near Carmel Mountain?

  They could all be in danger if they cornered him like this. At the same time, she would never be safe until he was caught.

  Wariness curdling inside, Sierra swallowed the lump in her throat. She removed her gloves and ran her hands over Samson’s soft ears. She looked into his big brown eyes filled with love and loyalty.

  He looked eager with anticipation. He wanted the hunt. She could be sending him to his death.

  “I never wanted to put you in harm’s way,” she whispered.

  “Sierra...” Bryce said nothing more.

  She considered what command she should give him, but Samson seemed to understand they were hunting Raul—the man who threatened his master’s life. “Zooch.” Find him.

  Samson barked then dashed away. He ran another twenty-five yards then disappeared deeper into the mine. Bryce and Sierra followed him, their weapons out in front of them and ready to fire.

  Her heart pounded.

  God, please keep him safe. Please, keep him safe. Please, keep him safe...

  He was on the front lines now. He barked, signaling her that he’d been successful in locating his target.

  She wasted no time shouting her next command. “Fuss-en!” Attack.

  Samson snarled. Bryce led the way into the depths of the mine, pushing past the broken boards that had been put up to seal it at one time.

  “We’re at a disadvantage,” Bryce whispered. “Whoever’s inside can see us, but we can’t see him.”

  “Help!” A man yelped from deeper in the mine. “Help me. Call off your dog.”

  Samson had subdued him. But the dog was still in danger. He could still get shot. Hold on, Samson. Bryce rushed forward and Sierra followed, turning on her flashlight.

  Deeper in the mine they spotted a tent.

  Her heart jumped to her throat. This was it. They’d found Raul. The man whined in agony, his voice sounding unusually high.

  She shined the light on Samson and the man he’d restrained, his maw securing the man’s arm, subduing him with one bite, warning of more. Bryce aimed his weapon at the man as did Sierra.

  The man groaned. “Please, call him off.”

  Lowering her weapon, she commanded Samson to release the bite. “You’re not Raul Novack.”

  Sierra eyed Samson.

  “He tracked someone all right,” Bryce said, frustration in his tone. “All the way from the woods. So you were out walking around town in the middle of the night?”

  The man held his arm and nodded. “Yes. Who are you people?”

  “We’re searching for someone. A killer.” She stared him down, letting the fury wash over her in waves. Fury this man didn’t deserve.

  “I’m no killer. Your dog got the wrong trail.”

  Sierra approached him, tugging a bandage from her pack and she wrapped his arm. Samson whined and sniffed around in the mine.

  “Did we?” she asked.

  Bryce paced the small campsite and ran a hand down his face. “So we’re off tracking the wrong guy meanwhile Raul is out there doing who knows what.”

  Realization dawned. “Wait a minute. That’s it. Raul. He wanted—” She stuck her face close to the man’s boots. “Are those your boots? Are these your coat and pants?”

  He shook his head, fear evident in his gaze. “I don’t want any trouble. I don’t—”

  “Then you should have thought about that before you agreed.”

  Bryce approached them. “Agreed to what? You don’t think—”

  “That Raul had this man wear his coat and boots so Samson would track him here.” Sierra glared at the man. “What’s your name?”

  “Eric. Eric Green.”

  “Tell me what happened.” Sierra planted her feet next to him but crouched where he remained cradling his arm after Samson’s attack.

  She wanted answers and now.

  He leaned away from her as if she intimidated him. Good.

  “A man offered me money to do exactly as you said and to stay here. This isn’t my tent or my stuff. I had to stay here until you came. At first I refused. It was crazy talk. But he said he knew where my mom lived and...and... There was something in his eyes...”

  “Why didn’t you just come to the police with that information?”

  “Because he scared me. I didn’t want him to hurt my mom. You guys are here now so that means I can go and my mom is safe.”

  Officer Kendall appeared at the entrance. Apparently he’d finally decided it was time to climb down, just in time to hear the man’s confession. “You’ll need to come in for questioning,” he said as he continued into the mine. “Also get that bite looked at. The man you helped is an escaped convict.”

  “I didn’t know. I didn’t know. I was scared.” He threw his palms up in surrender. “Look, I didn’t even take the money. I did it to keep my mom safe. And well, I thought he might kill me too.”

  “He’s telling the truth,” Sierra said. “But how did Raul get away? There should be another trail leading out of the cave.”

  “How should I know? He approached me days ago.”

  Days ago...

  Sierra struggled to wrap her mind around that news.

  “Raul did this to throw us off. To drag us away... Oh, no. What if... Dad!”

  FOURTEEN

  “We need to check on him!” Sierra tugged her phone out. “No signal!”

  She moved closer to the exit until she got one. Bryce did the same. Officer Kendall would take care of Mr. Green.

  Bryce contacted Sheriff Locke.

  Kendall contacted his superiors to let them know what happened and that they had items Raul had left behind, maybe for no other purpose than to throw them off. But why had he decided to put this plan into motion last night? What was so special about the date and time, if anything?

  “Sheriff. Please make sure John is safe, will you?” Bryce relayed the information to the man including their concern about Sierra’s father.

  “I’m standing next to him,” the sheriff said. “He’s all right. I’ll stay with him for now. You keep Sierra safe. I don’t like this.”

  Bryce ended the call.

  Neither do I.

  “Let’s get out of here,” he said. “We don’t know if Raul has planned something, or if he’s watching us now.”

  “I’ve been instructed to wait here until I’m relieved.” Kendal’s tone let them know he wasn’t pleased about this new assignment. “Evidence techs are coming to collect Novack’s things and search for anything important we might have missed.”

  “Did you explain that this could be some kind of trap?” Sierra asked him.

  “I relayed the situation, but I don’t see how it could be a trap.”

  Bryce looked at Mr. Green. “What can you tell us? Was he planning anything? Why would he go to the trouble to throw us off his trail?”

  Mr. Green shrugged. “He didn’t confide in me. Nor would I want him to. Since you called to check on her father, anyone care to check on my mom? He didn’t leave me with my cell.”

  “Officer Kendall, let him come over here where I get a signal,” Sierra suggested. “He can use my phone to call his mother.”

  Kendall escorted Mr. Green toward Sierra in case he decided to make a crazy dash out of the mine and this was all a charade on his part. After he contacted his moth
er and confirmed she was grocery shopping and having an ordinary day, he handed the cell back to Sierra.

  “I’m sorry about your arm,” she said. “Samson’s really a good dog.”

  While Sierra made small talk with Mr. Green, Bryce pulled Kendall aside.

  “I don’t feel comfortable leaving you here under the circumstances. Nor do I like the idea of staying here with Sierra, but I can’t send her back alone. Got any suggestions?”

  “I’ll be fine. Deliver her to safety. I shouldn’t have to wait too long for the evidence techs. I’ll remain in communication and let you know if I see anything suspicious.” Kendall had taken off his sunglasses in the mine and studied Bryce. “Look, I know the brothers escaped and they might be some kind of brilliant criminal minds, at least the one that’s left, but I can’t fathom what he could gain by doing this. Unless maybe he wanted to study your strategy and tactics. See you and Sierra working with the dog and go from there.”

  “And that would mean he was watching.” Bryce had already come to believe that somehow, someway Raul knew what Sierra was planning next. He pursed his lips, making a mental note to check her cell phone for some sort of tracking app and her apartment and store for hidden cameras.

  “I’ll tell you what,” Kendall continued. “I’ll look around here some more first. Explore deeper in the mine. Shine the flashlight around before we make any decisions about who is staying and who is going.”

  Bryce nodded to Kendall. He couldn’t risk that he would make the wrong decision in this so he found a signal and called Sheriff Locke again. The sheriff asked him for more details.

  While he relayed them, Bryce watched Sierra and Mr. Green, who had now made friends with the K-9 who’d subdued him. “A fake camp or a real camp where he’d stayed and then used to throw us off his trail. He decided to do that days ago. The mine could be an easy place to be ambushed, or bombed, or too many other things I’d rather not think about. The point is that I don’t feel good about staying here. But I don’t feel good about leaving either. We thought we’d found him, Sheriff. Now...”

  How...how had they ended up like this? They’d planned to track and find Raul, but instead they were here and Bryce could see no clear safe direction. Raul had made a fool of them. Bryce felt like a complete idiot.

  God, please help. What’s the right thing to do? I can’t fail to protect her again.

  “Dynamite!”

  * * *

  Sierra jerked her gaze to see Officer Kendall rushing toward her. “It’s not old like some miner just forgot about it. It’s new.” He glared at Eric. “We have to get out of here.”

  She eyed the entrance. “I have a feeling that it’s not going to be easy to leave. We should lay down some gunfire before we exit. Cover each other.”

  “This was his plan then. Trap us inside. He plans to blow the mine.” Bryce turned narrowed eyes on Eric. “You said you didn’t know anything.”

  “I don’t.” Eric’s fear-filled expression confirmed his words. “I didn’t know about the dynamite.”

  “You didn’t explore the cave?” Kendall asked.

  “I stayed in that tent hoping you would hurry and get here. I heard someone coming so I came out and that’s when the dog attacked.”

  They rushed to the mine entrance but hung back in the shadows. Sierra’s pulse pounded in her ears, and she choked back tears. She didn’t want to die in here like this, taking Samson and Bryce and two more innocent people with her.

  Bryce and Kendall shared a look with her.

  “Whoever goes first is going to be a target,” Bryce said.

  “I suggest we send the dog.” This from Kendall.

  Sierra fisted her hands. “No! He isn’t expendable.”

  “Is there a way for us to stay here and survive the dynamite?” Eric asked. “Or can we move it? Throw it out of the mine?”

  “I didn’t look closely, but my guess is that he’s attached a detonator—maybe activated by cell signal or radio attached outside the cave. I don’t know enough about explosives to help.”

  “What’s he waiting for then?” Bryce asked.

  Good question. “I’m not willing to wait around and find out if he’s going to blow the mine,” Sierra said. “I’ll take my chances.”

  “No!” Bryce’s iron grip stopped her from going any further. “You’re a better shot than me. You’ve always been better. I need you to cover me. I’ll try not to get shot as I make a run for it. I’ll draw the fire. You can try to take him out. It’s up to you if you send Samson after him too. But get out of the mine. Wasting time on more words could cost our lives.”

  Bryce released her, then rushed out of the cave, without giving them more of a heads-up. She didn’t have time to aim, so she fired her weapon into the ground, hoping her gunfire might scare off anyone gunning to shoot them if they tried to escape the mine.

  Bryce made it to a boulder and so far, no one had accosted him. No gunshots could be heard from outside.

  Sierra made to step out, but Kendall held her this time. “No. He could be waiting for you. It’s you he wants.”

  “In that case I’d better get out of this cave before he decides to blow it up—with you and Eric still in it. I’ll draw the fire and then you take him out.” She twisted from his grip and dashed out of the mine entrance toward the rock where Bryce waited. This time gunfire resounded. Samson barked.

  “Oh, no, Samson!” She made it to the rock, her dog next to her. “Are you hurt? Did you get shot?”

  Then he sniffed at her and groaned. The fire in her arm drew her attention and she spotted the blood. Dizziness prevented her from telling her dog to find and attack the man after her.

  Bryce continued to shoot at the ridge above them. Gunfire resounded like she was in the middle of a shootout in an old Western movie. Only this was real. This was today. This was happening.

  An explosion resounded as the ground rumbled beneath them.

  “Look out!” Bryce shouted and covered her using his body as a human shield.

  * * *

  Antiseptic accosted her nostrils.

  Sierra opened her eyes to a white sterile hospital room. Grogginess held her in place, but she lifted her head. That elicited pounding and her vision blurred. She looked down the length of her body and found her arm bandaged, but as far as she could tell there were no other injuries.

  She was alone in the room. Sierra searched and finally found the call button and pressed it.

  A few moments passed before a nurse appeared. “Oh, good. You’re awake. How do you feel?”

  “I’ll let you know when you tell me what happened to the others.” Bryce. Samson. Kendall. Eric.

  The nurse’s expression took on a pained look. “I’ll need to call the doctor.”

  Sierra sat up in bed and slowly put her legs over the side.

  “Oh you shouldn’t do that. You’re—”

  “What? What am I? Looks like you patched up my arm.” Sierra started pulling the IV out.

  Another woman entered the room. “Ms. Young—”

  “It’s Deputy Young and I want to know what’s going on. What happened to the people I was with? Why am I here?”

  “Ma’am, if you’ll just calm down, Sheriff Locke is on his way to explain everything. He wanted us to call him as soon as you came to.”

  This wasn’t the clinic in Crescent Springs. “On his way? He has to be two hours...”

  She was shaking her head. “He’s here at the hospital.”

  The aide entered and started taking vitals. “And there’s someone else here.”

  “I’ll go get him,” the nurse said.

  Another man. Bryce or her father? Sierra’s head spun. What had happened? She eased back onto the pillow at the aide’s urging. The images blasted through her mind as the aide put a pulse oximeter on her finger. Checked her temperature
and blood pressure, which she was sure was high at this moment.

  Bryce stepped into the room, bruised and scratched from head to toe, but beautifully, wonderfully alive. His smile barely hid the concern in his gaze, but she’d always loved his smile and it reassured her now.

  He was alive. Her heart still hammered as he approached and took her hand, leaning in close.

  “Bryce, you’re okay. Please tell me what happened. Please tell me if—”

  “Everyone is okay. Everyone made it out alive, thanks to you. And by everyone, yes, I do mean Samson too. He saved us.”

  “Where is he?”

  “Well they wouldn’t allow me to bring him up here since he’s not one of the therapy dogs, though he totally could be. He’s staying with Barbara.”

  “And Dad?”

  “He’s out there in the waiting room.”

  “Why am I here?”

  “Surgery on your arm.” He gently touched her cheek. “You risked it all to save everyone else by drawing the gunfire so Kendall and Eric could escape. Raul got a few shots in and hit your arm. Don’t you remember?”

  “I remember not feeling anything and then the explosion. I don’t remember anything after that.”

  “Samson’s a hero. He’s a multitalented dog, that’s for sure. He helped pull us from the rubble. After the explosion some rocks and dirt fell on us.”

  “I remember you covered me. You protected me. I remember that now.”

  “Yeah, well, I couldn’t budge or move. My foot was caught. Samson pawed and dug and nudged until I was free. But you were... You were unconscious.”

  “I can’t believe I passed out.”

  “Sierra. You were shot.” He opened his mouth as if to say more then held back. “Fortunately help was already on the way. I was—” his eye shimmered “—I was worried you weren’t going to make it.”

  Was he going to cry? So much emotion poured from him that she had to look away. She closed her eyes as if tired. She was tired. Exhausted. Finally she turned her gaze on him—she simply couldn’t look away for long.

  “Let me guess. They didn’t find Raul.”