Tracking Secrets
Heather Woodhaven
CAUGHT IN THE CROSSHAIRSA dog-sitting favor for a friend takes a terrifying twist when the police-dog-in-training runs off and leads Alexis Thompson into the middle of a drug drop. Only the quick thinking of a passing stranger gets them both out alive. Veterinarian Nick Kendrick, who’s running for mayor, knows the race for survival is just beginning. As moving targets, he and Alexis must work together to learn the identity of the drug ring’s murderous mastermind. But having killers on their tail isn’t the only problem they face. Alexis’s past as a disbarred lawyer could jeopardize Nick’s political future. Only by putting their dreams and their safety on the line can they eliminate the threat to their town, and find a way forward together…
CAUGHT IN THE CROSSHAIRS
A dog-sitting favor for a friend takes a terrifying twist when the police-dog-in-training runs off and leads Alexis Thompson into the middle of a drug drop. Only the quick thinking of a passing stranger gets them both out alive. Veterinarian Nick Kendrick, who’s running for mayor, knows the race for survival is just beginning. As moving targets, he and Alexis must work together to learn the identity of the drug ring’s murderous mastermind. But having killers on their tail isn’t the only problem they face. Alexis’s past as a disbarred lawyer could jeopardize Nick’s political future. Only by putting their dreams and their safety on the line can they eliminate the threat to their town, and find a way forward together...
“Get them.”
A gunshot rang out. Alexis ducked and put both hands over her head. A scream tore from her throat. The dog answered with a bark. The bullet snapped a branch. It spun and smacked her shoulder. The realization that she’d helped the men pinpoint their location hurt more than her throbbing shoulder.
Nick grabbed her wrist and pulled her around a second trunk. He kept his fingers there, pulling, silently urging her to run faster, but her sandals didn’t have much grip. Alexis fought the surge of nausea as several men’s voices filtered through the trees. “Use the jammer,” one shouted.
“Shoot only on sight. We don’t need the whole valley showing up!” It sounded like the voice of the man who had confronted them at the house, but she couldn’t be sure.
She slipped her hand in her pocket and, using tiny movements, tried to fish her phone out. The slash through the image of the cell tower on the screen confirmed her fear. No help would be coming. They were alone.
Dear Reader (#u6501e5a0-ee7b-5af7-b163-f872c70171f5),
Over ten years ago, we moved across the country. Hoping to ease the sorrow of moving, my husband promised our three children that once we got settled we would get a dog. It took much longer than anticipated to find a home that suited our needs. So instead of summer, the children reminded their dad of his promise in January. I didn’t consider myself an animal lover at the time. I mostly feared destroyed furniture and long periods of waiting in the frigid temperatures while housetraining a new dog.
Still, we took a trip to the animal shelter. To my surprise, there were many puppies available in the dead of winter. One by one we took each puppy into the pen. The moment we made it outside, the pups would run free. Until, that is, we escorted the last one outside. The final puppy had no interest in running around the square space. Instead, she nuzzled against each of us. We often tell people that we didn’t choose a dog. She chose us. And she’s been the perfect dog for our family. As you’ve probably figured out, she was the inspiration for Raven. I hope you enjoyed how she helped Nick and Alexis leave the past behind to enjoy a future together.
As always, I love to hear from readers. You can contact me and keep updated on new books through my newsletter at my website, WritingHeather.com (http://www.WritingHeather.com).
Blessings,
Heather Woodhaven
HEATHER WOODHAVEN earned her pilot’s license, rode a hot-air balloon over the safari lands of Kenya, parasailed over Caribbean seas, lived through an accidental detour onto a black-diamond ski trail in Aspen and snorkeled among stingrays before becoming a mother of three and wife of one. She channels her love for adventure into writing characters who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances.
Tracking Secrets
Heather Woodhaven
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
—Philippians 1:6
To Heath, Christina, Justin and Kaitlin.
You know what you did.
Contents
Cover (#u8d677055-9a33-5b44-b2ad-61a36951903f)
Back Cover Text (#u6a826a66-4e0a-5340-816e-4e974c2e471c)
Introduction (#u4f6aeb82-617f-57cb-a91d-a95e5ffb47b7)
Dear Reader (#u777cdadc-c1dd-5853-a2e0-1588c587b848)
About the Author (#u0195d9e5-375f-5bdb-971f-6a1f4dd08f76)
Title Page (#u0d1a7ecb-a277-5f15-9ef0-44ac9bb67dad)
Bible Verse (#ua59d165e-9805-5c2b-b896-100bbafbc4fc)
Dedication (#u85cd4d63-f264-5bbd-a8d8-5142c4b81968)
ONE (#ub60a7fcc-f923-5586-937a-afb3e13ea8fa)
TWO (#uf1ed6acc-acdc-5dd2-bcfd-f062c89c4d22)
THREE (#u43a7c621-beb5-5392-971d-536b8b086e45)
FOUR (#ue2807947-3703-5024-a412-bdae1fa53139)
FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
ONE (#u6501e5a0-ee7b-5af7-b163-f872c70171f5)
Nick Kendrick lifted the edge of his shirt to wipe the sweat from his eyes. He needed to run only a little farther before starting his cooldown. A creek to his left rushed over boulders. The birds chirped and trees rustled in the breeze.
Despite his struggle to get started, the exertion loosened his neck and back muscles after a long day of treating animals and appeasing their owners. The trails south of Barings, Idaho, were a treat for the senses. He could leave all the stress behind.
A black Labrador rounded the corner, followed by a woman. Her brown hair, highlighted by the sun, blew back in waves. Unlike him in his sloppy basketball shorts and gray T-shirt, she looked as if she had just stepped out of a corporate meeting. A peach button-down blouse and matching pleated skirt ended just past her knees. Her sparkly sandals reflected the sunlight streaming through the trees.
While pretty, it wasn’t exactly the most practical apparel for hiking the trail on the outskirts of town. The black Lab by her side looked to be a little over a year old, maybe two. If he had to guess, the dog still had to gain a good ten pounds before it’d be considered full-grown.
The lady’s wide eyes regarded him. Perhaps she was a client, as he was the only veterinarian in the area. If he got closer, he might recognize the dog, which could jar his memory. He’d been so inundated with meeting new people the past several months that he was failing to recall their names.
She frowned and slid her hand into a pocket hidden by the folds in her skirt. If she carried pepper spray, or worse, he didn’t want to do anything to startle her. He moved as far right as the trail would allow.
The dog stiffened, and the little hairs on the back of its neck sprung up like a Mohawk hairstyle. Nick followed the dog’s gaze behind him but couldn’t see anything past the barbed wire fence except aspens and cottonwood trees. He wasn’t positive, but he thought the property bumped up against his own.
Was barbed wire really necessary around the residential property? The first wire started two feet off the ground—unless there was another hidden by the tall grass and weeds—followed by two more lines roughly a foot apart.
A rustle in the trees triggered an electric feeling in Nick’s spine, and he came to an abrupt stop. A patch of brown moved. A squirrel camouflaged within the matted leaves between the trees wagged its tail.
The dog shot past him, darting underneath the fence. The woman cried out, holding a leash with a collar dangling from its clip. Nick narrowed his gaze and suppressed a groan. Didn’t she know better than to walk a dog with a breakaway collar?
“Dog!” she hollered. “Come back!” She ran past him toward the fence and placed a hand over her mouth at the sight of the barbed wire.
“I’ll help you get him.” The words were out of his mouth before he could process what that would mean. How would he get over the barbed wire?
“I think it’s a her.”
His jaw dropped. “You think? You aren’t sure?” He cleared his throat and tried to focus on the task at hand. He couldn’t afford to get a bad reputation in a small town, but people really shouldn’t own dogs without at least some knowledge of how to take care of them properly.
Unless he was willing to slide through on his belly, which he wasn’t, the options for getting past the fence were limited. He put one foot on the bottom line to lower it as far as possible. He slipped off the other sneaker and used it like a glove to lift the upper line.
The woman didn’t hesitate and stepped through the space. The edge of her skirt caught on one of the barbs, forming a string that now hung down past the hem. She groaned. “I wore the wrong clothing for this. It was supposed to be a nice stroll. Dog!” she hollered again.
“It might help if you called her by her name.”
She ignored him and gingerly took his sneaker from his hand so she could mirror his method of holding the barbed wire apart. “Your turn,” she said. “Maybe we should call the police. I’m a little worried the owners won’t take kindly to intruders if they have a barbed wire fence.”
“I’m pretty certain they won’t mind if we’re merely trying to get a dog off their land.” He bent over to step through the space then slipped his shoe back on. It would also give him an excuse to introduce himself to them. If his neighbors knew something he didn’t, maybe he needed to invest in an upgrade of his own fence. He scanned the land and spotted movement ahead. The dog had slowed near a house barely visible through the thick grove of trees. He quickened his pace back to a jog.
“Speaking of names, I’m Nick Kendrick.”
She raised her eyebrows and pumped her arms alongside him. “That rhymes. I’m Alexis.”
Nick couldn’t help but notice she didn’t offer a last name. “And you don’t know your dog’s name?” He tried to keep the frustration from his voice.
“No, I do...” She inhaled but focused on her footing. The sandals were strapped on but couldn’t be very comfortable for running through a forest. “I think it’s... Raven. Yeah. I’m pretty sure that’s her name. And it’s not my dog. I’m temping for a pet-sitting service.”
Her hands moved to emphasize each sentence. “I said I’d never pet sit, but I let my friend twist my arm since it’s a holiday weekend. I’m worried the dog won’t come back to me. She doesn’t know me. I was supposed to take her for a forty-five minute walk. That’s it.”
Nick’s indignation slipped away. It was the pet-sitting company’s fault for not having enough staff on Labor Day weekend. They’d obviously sent her without training. The name Raven sounded familiar, though. He pointed at the leash in Alexis’s hand and the empty collar hanging from it. “That’s a safety collar. They’re great for during the day in case they catch themselves on something but not so great for walking and squirrel-gazing.”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, someone could’ve told me that.”
They burst through the last row of trees into the clearing. A Tudor-style house with a steeply pitched roof and a half-timbered frame sat in the center. Raven had lost the race with the squirrel and seemed intent on something else. The dog ran around the house, jumped up onto the gutter downspout at the corner and feverishly scratched at it.
“Oh, great. No! Dog, no,” Alexis shouted. “That’s the last thing I need. I’m not an official contractor with the company. If she damages the house, I’m probably liable. Why do I let myself get talked into these things?” She spoke at speeds that could rival auctioneers or impassioned lawyers.
The dog hopped down and shoved its nose as far as it could go inside the end of the gutter before it sat, almost as if at attention. Had the squirrel run up the gutter? Raven wagged her tail, looked back at them and then caught another sniff. She raced to the other end of the house and jumped on the corresponding downspout, repeating the entire routine. “An odd thing to do twice,” he commented.
With Raven’s full attention on the gutter, it was their best chance to get her. Nick sprinted ahead at top speed, hoping he wouldn’t scare her away. The dog looked up but seemed to grin at his fast approach. Nick smiled back. “Good girl.”
She wagged in response. Nick dropped to a knee and put one hand on the loose skin behind her ears so he could grab her if need be. “I’ll take that leash now,” he called out. The dog lurched forward, shoving her nose into the gutter again. A rustle of plastic caught Nick’s attention. “What do you see, girl?” He bent over. A plastic package filled with white powder peeked out. His stomach sank, and he prayed it wasn’t what it appeared to be.
Raven sat, and Nick spotted a white patch on her chest that looked like a heart. It jogged his memory. Of course, she was the new drug dog in detection training. He’d performed a physical and administered vaccinations right after her owner—a name that escaped him—adopted her a few months ago. But that meant Raven thought she was working. His heart rate sped up.
Alexis slid a little on the leaves as she came to a stop. “Here’s the collar.” She dangled it, still attached to the leash, as he straightened. “Is there a problem?” she asked.
He didn’t know how to answer that. He removed the breakaway collar and looped the leash around Raven’s neck to make sure she couldn’t escape again in the event she caught the scent of another squirrel. Nick stood, the end of the leash in hand. The dog took off in front of him, heading back for the first gutter.
Nick let her lead. Raven shoved her nose in the gutter before she sat, wagging her tail. He took a knee and bent over to see what was in there. The same telltale bag was squished inside. If it was what he thought it was, they needed to get off the property fast. He hoped this property had a better cell signal than his did. “We need to call the—”
Something crunched.
Brown work boots rounded the corner. Nick flung his hands to his own shoe closest to the gutter as if he were tying the shoelaces. He looked up into the eyes of a burly middle-aged man and attempted a smile. “Hi. Shoe untied.”
The man’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. It didn’t take a genius to realize this was not normal neighbor behavior.
Nick straightened to standing but didn’t take his gaze off the man. He could hear Alexis approach, so he began walking backward in hopes she’d get the hint. “Sorry to intrude,” he said. “As you can see, our dog took off after a squirrel, and we had to catch her. Had a collar issue, but it’s fixed now. One-time issue. You won’t be seeing us again. We’ll be going.”
Alexis entered his peripheral vision. She tilted her head and gave him an odd look. The man raised his phone to waist level. His right thumb was busy moving. Awareness hit Nick in the gut.
Either the guy thought they were trying to steal his drugs, or the man was a scout for the real traffickers. Both options meant they were in serious trouble.
“It’s my fault we’re on your property,” Alexis said. She took a step forward with her hand outstretched. “I’m—”
“Honey,” Nick blurted. He couldn’t let her reveal her name and become marked.
She whirled around on the spot, her dark brown eyes wild with indignation. Her forehead creased and smoothed in an instant. She pursed her lips, tilted her head and studied his face as if searching for a reason for his sudden change in behavior.
He reached out with the hand that didn’t have a leash and grabbed her wrist. She frowned but didn’t try to pull away or argue.
“We’ve taken enough of this man’s time,” he said. “We need to finish our jog.” Nick glanced at the way Alexis was dressed and knew that was the wrong thing to say. “More of a fast walk, really. Our friends are waiting back on the path.” He chanced a glance at the man’s hard eyes. “We’re visiting, and they’re eager to take us to the shooting range.” Okay, the last part might’ve been a bit too much because it was obvious they didn’t have guns on their persons. But he wanted to make it clear to the man they weren’t going down without a fight.
The sound of tires spraying gravel echoed through the trees. A vehicle was approaching at high speed. Not good.
The man straightened his torso so he looked even taller. “How about you meet my friends first?”
The coldness of his voice chilled Nick’s bones, and he knew the vehicle fast approaching wouldn’t be filled with friendly neighbors. He lifted his chin to the right. “You mean them?”
The man turned his head. Nick didn’t wait for him to realize the vehicle hadn’t arrived yet. He pulled on Alexis’s arm and yanked her around the corner of the house. She tugged her arm free but ran with him and Raven without any discussion.
A truck squealed to a stop. Nick picked a path around the thickest grouping of trees, choosing the biggest ones in hopes they’d obscure the view of the men who started yelling at each other behind them. The man’s friends had arrived.
He couldn’t make out much of what they said except two words: “Get them.”
* * *
A gunshot rang out. Alexis ducked and put both hands over her head. A scream tore from her throat. The dog answered with a bark. The bullet snapped a branch, which spun and smacked the side of her neck.
She fought against confusion. For some reason men were shooting at them and she’d just helped give away their location. She hadn’t meant to scream, but she’d never been shot at before.
Nick grabbed her upper arm again and pulled her around another tree. He kept his fingers there, tugging, silently urging her to run faster, but her sandals didn’t have much grip. It was all she could do to keep up without falling on her face.
Alexis fought a surge of nausea as several men’s voices filtered through the trees. “Use the jammer,” one shouted. They were trying to make sure she and Nick couldn’t call for help.
“Shoot only on sight. We don’t need the whole valley showing up!” It sounded like the voice of the man who had confronted them at the house, but she couldn’t be sure. Why were these men so angry they’d stepped onto the property? It didn’t make sense.
Maybe they’d recognized Nick and had a score to settle with him. What kind of man had she aligned herself with? Maybe Nick had seen something she hadn’t. It seemed too late to point out to the men with guns that she wasn’t a threat to them.
Tires squealed and covered up whatever else the man yelling had to say. She couldn’t afford to slow down to dial 911 on her cell phone, but she had an uneasy feeling that it wouldn’t work anyway.
She stumbled over a rock, and Nick’s fingers slipped off her arm. She managed to fall forward in a sloppy run but regained her balance. Nick’s golden eyes met hers for half a second before he motioned with his head which direction they needed to go. He took off without waiting for her agreement.
That was the opposite direction of where she wanted to go. Instead of heading for the path near the river, he was taking her through the trees and, in a roundabout way, back toward the front of the house. Though if they could reach the road unseen, maybe they had a better chance of escape.
There were rarely cars on the outskirts of town, so she couldn’t count on waving someone down for help. The area was mountainous, and the only reasons anyone would come out here were that they owned property or were heading for the trail.
Nick gave the leash a quick tug, and the dog stayed right at his side. She followed them around a full-grown blue spruce with spider webs running over sections of the branches. He held up a finger. Her bare calves brushed up against a prickly branch, and she cringed but didn’t move.
Stepping past her, Nick peeked around the tree, and then pivoted back toward her. He grabbed her hand and shoved her farther into the prickly foliage. She resisted slightly, not so much because of the uncomfortable pine needles but more because of the potential of spiders.
For a second it looked as if Nick wanted to give her a high-five, but he swung his hand in an arc at his side. Raven flopped down as if she was bored, though she kept her eyes on Nick. Alexis was impressed at his use of the silent command, but the crunching sound of tires nearby flung the thoughts away.
She slipped her hand into her pocket and, using tiny movements, fished her phone out. The slash through the image of the cell tower on the screen confirmed her fear. No help would be coming. They were alone.
A motor roared. She turned her head slightly, hoping she wasn’t drawing attention to herself. A white pickup truck vaulted through the trees, breaking branches left and right. Her breath hitched at the sight of men carrying assault rifles. They flanked the truck in a V shape as they marched south toward the trail and the river.
She remained frozen, her back protesting from the strain of a typical office workday. She was very aware of Nick pressed against her, especially after she lost sight of the men with guns. His face was a nice oval shape with kind eyes and a full mouth. His hair was a light brown, flared up at the crown, either from running in the wind or hair gel. He was slightly taller than she was, so probably close to five foot ten, and he obviously stayed fit.
It felt like hours passed, but the sun’s blinding glare from the west never changed, so it had likely been mere minutes. The beams filtered through the tree branches, making it hard to see if the men were truly gone.
Her heart rate sped, and her stomach churned. Her breathing remained erratic, but Nick stood as still as a statue. Maybe he was used to running from guns.
“The scout is still at the house,” Nick whispered into her ear. His breath smelled like Junior Mints, a fact she tried to ignore. “There might be others waiting there, as well. Stay quiet and follow me.”
She wanted to ask what he meant by “the scout” but didn’t trust herself to open her mouth without being too loud. Her mom had always told her she didn’t know how to whisper properly. It’s why she’d always chosen to pass notes rather than confer in law proceedings.
He seemed to be waiting for a response. She nodded her agreement. He squeezed her wrist in reply and gave it a small tug. They darted around the next tree. Nick froze again. Her ears strained to hear signs of someone close by before moving on.
The pattern continued until Alexis felt certain they must be nearing the road. Instead they came to a fence. Nick audibly sighed. He took off his shoe and handed it to her in a wordless request to hold the barbed wire fence the way she had when they’d followed Raven’s dash for a squirrel.
This is what she got for not following her instincts. Theresa knew that she would temp anywhere except the pet-sitting company. But Alexis loved Theresa. The woman had become as close as any friend she’d had, despite technically being Alexis’s boss. And when Theresa had called, her voice had sounded deliriously happy.
“Please, Alexis. You know I’d never ask you to do this if I wasn’t in a bind. If you can’t, I’ll come back early, but the thing is...” Theresa’s voice had dropped to a whisper. “I’m seeing someone. And we’re already out of town on a weekend together. I know what you’re going to say, and don’t worry. We’re in separate rooms, but honey, I’ve known him all my life, and I think he could be the one.”
“Who?” Alexis had pressed.
“I can’t tell you yet. I promised him we’d keep it hush-hush. He doesn’t want us to have the pressure of being under a microscope. You know how small towns can be.”
She did know how small towns could be, but in the last year she’d heard no evidence of the rumor mill. Perhaps because she kept to herself since she’d moved back.
Nick stepped through the barbed wire fence first. Alexis looked over her shoulder. Nick must have chosen this section of the fence to cross since the trees were especially thick here. Raven didn’t seem so keen to slide underneath the fence this time.
“Hand her to me,” he whispered.
Alexis cringed. If the dog so much as licked her, it would have to fend for itself. She exhaled and put her arms around the dog’s torso. Her biceps and lower back strained with the effort. The dog had to be at least fifty pounds!
If she hadn’t been such a pushover she would’ve told Theresa no. Then Theresa would’ve been forced to skip her weekend to walk the dog, probably on the sidewalks of downtown instead of the trail, and none of this would’ve ever happened.
Nick reached over the fence and took Raven from her. She’d never seen the man around town, which was unusual. He was either new in town or they ran in completely different circles. It made her question again whether she should’ve trusted him enough to follow him, but she didn’t have much choice now. He had the dog.
He held the fence open for her, and she stepped through. Her outfit, now covered with black dog hair and smudges of nature, would never recover, but it was a small price to pay for getting back to safety. The list of charges she wanted to report against those men ran through her head on a loop.
Nick gathered the leash tightly and waved for her to follow him as he broke into a fast-paced jog. Her feet felt every rock and hard patch of uneven ground through the thin soles of her shoes. If she ever got home, she’d never wear the sandals again.
Five minutes later, the trees opened up into a pasture. The tall grass swayed with the breeze, and in the distance, a yellow house with white shutters looked welcoming. A red barn stood behind it. Two horses grazed nearby.
She marveled at the perfect picture of tranquility. It belonged on a postcard and made her long for her own pair of cowboy boots. “Do you know the owners?”
“The owner. Yes,” he answered.
They approached another fence, this one made from wooden rails. The large spaces made it easy to slip through. Even though the wood couldn’t protect her, the physical barrier made her heart slow ever so slightly. “I’ll feel a lot safer once we’re inside that house. I hope someone’s home.”
He pulled a phone out of his pocket and dialed. “We need to find a signal now. I don’t think those jammers can cover that large a distance.” He ran a few steps. “Weak,” he muttered. His eyebrows rose. “Dial tone.” He pressed a few numbers and held it up to his ear. “We need help.”
Alexis put a hand on her racing heart and issued a silent prayer of thanks that he’d been able to reach the authorities. Their pace didn’t slow as Nick spoke feverishly about men with guns and rattled off an address Alexis didn’t recognize.
“Please hurry.” Nick swiveled the cell phone so the microphone rested on his shoulder. “They want me to stay on the line until they get here.”
He looked over her shoulder, and she followed his gaze. The property appeared to be roughly five acres until a line of trees obscured the rest. She imagined that just past it was the walking path and the river. “Is that them?”
The sound of cracking branches in the distance made her flinch.
“Follow me.” They sprinted until they reached the porch of the house. He lifted the phone to his ear. “It sounds like they’ve made it to the trail behind my property. I have to put the phone down now. Please hurry.”
His property? He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and opened the navy blue door. Past the darkened hallway, bright sunshine streamed through a wall of windows. A rifle suddenly blocked her view, taking her breath away.
Nick held one in each hand. “I hope you know how to shoot a gun.”
TWO (#u6501e5a0-ee7b-5af7-b163-f872c70171f5)
Nick reached back into the gun safe hidden within his front closet to grab ammunition. He had only a couple of guns just in case wolves attacked his horses. When he first acquired the property, the previous owner said it’d be a good precaution. So far, there hadn’t been any need. “Ideally we won’t have to use these.”
“I’ve shot a handgun.” She held the rifle gingerly with both hands. “Once. A cop I knew was showing me how. I decided it wasn’t for me.” Her hair looked wild and mussed, and one side of her blouse was no longer tucked into the skirt. “I’d rather hide than try to use this.”
He glanced out the window and squinted. The white metal through the trees slowed. If the men in the truck didn’t have binoculars, they wouldn’t be able to see Alexis and him. But if they did...
“Step into the shadows.” He waved at Raven to lie down again, and the dog complied.
The truck didn’t make another appearance, but men spilled from the trees onto his property. Maybe barbed wire fences weren’t overkill after all. He shoved the ammunition into the rifle and proceeded to load the second rifle for her. “Only as a precaution.”
She nodded. “How many times have you shot a gun?”
It probably wouldn’t help her anxiety to admit he was no sharpshooter. Sure, he practiced, but only enough to feel safe and competent. It wasn’t a hobby or something he considered fun. He’d rather ride a horse or hike in his free time.
“Enough to know what I’m doing,” he replied. The thought of having to shoot at a human being made his stomach turn. “You stay here and holler if they reach the wooden fence. I’m going to my office to see if they’re approaching from the side.”
For a second he thought she’d refuse, but she inhaled and took a knee at the corner of the hallway and the living room. Raven lay down and rested her head against Alexis, who flinched and stared at the dog warily but didn’t move away.
He wondered what her story was, because there were few people in the world who could resist the charms of such a sweet Labrador. But then again, he couldn’t judge her true personality when they’d just had to run away from gunmen.
He strode down the hall and lifted the window just enough that he could slip the barrel of the gun outside to aim. He closed his eyes a half second. “Please, Lord,” he whispered, “defend us.”
The dog howled, a mournful song with vibrato.
“Nick, how do I get her to stop?” Alexis cried out. “They’re going to know we’re here for sure if she keeps this up.”
He ran back to them. Raven remained on the ground but pointed her nose in the air as she released another song. Odd unless... He strained his ears. “Listen.”
Alexis dropped the rifle and stood up, a gorgeous smile on her face. “The police. Help is coming.” She looked over her shoulder to the window. Men were running back into the trees. “They hear it, too.” She placed a hand on his arm. “Thank you for getting us somewhere safe.”
The rifle rested at his side. He was relieved, as well, but the danger had been too close, too real. His chest hurt from either breathing too hard or the fight to keep his heart from jumping out of his chest.
His mom had already received one sorrowful call too many. It would’ve destroyed her to be told her remaining son was also killed by drug dealers.
His brother, an undercover federal agent, had been killed by the drug runners he had tried to expose. Nick wouldn’t allow his brother’s death to be in vain, and while it didn’t make sense for him to abandon his veterinary training and take his brother’s place in the DEA, he could step up and lead. The memory of his brother had driven Nick to develop an interest in politics.
In his opinion, the current elected officials weren’t doing all they could to diminish the impact of living in what the government had deemed a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. No one wanted to acknowledge the label, but living right alongside a major interstate meant they needed to face facts. Which was why he was running for mayor in the upcoming election.
The sirens grew closer. Alexis glanced back and forth between the view of the backyard and the front window. Raven stopped her soulful song but looked at Nick with expectation. He opened the front door in time to see two police cars pull to a stop in his circular drive.
He set the rifle against the doorway before he ran down the stairs to greet them. Four officers jumped out of the two vehicles. They all seemed to have eyes only for Alexis. Nick still hadn’t gotten used to feeling like the outsider in the town where he’d lived for over a year now.
“They are driving on the hiking trail just past the trees,” Alexis shouted as she stepped beside him. “If you hurry you can get them.”
While he’d never seen vehicles on the trail before, it was wide enough to accommodate horses, bikes and runners, and if the cops didn’t hurry, the men would be able to drive all the way to the parking lot at the trailhead. Once there, they could hit the road that went into town or take the interstate and disappear.
The older policeman who seemed to be in charge pointed a finger at the men in front of him. Two officers jumped into the first cruiser and took off. The remaining officer looked significantly younger, as if he was fresh out of high school.
“Chief Spencer,” Alexis said, “I didn’t get a chance to tell them it was a white pickup truck.”
The chief frowned. “Is that all you can tell me?”
She crossed her arms. “I’m sorry I didn’t get a better look while they were shooting at me.” She emphasized the last three words. “It’s something to go on, right?”
Nick racked his brain to think of another defining detail he could offer, but she had a point. They didn’t take time to look as they focused on staying alive.
Chief Spencer shook his head. “Over half the town owns pickup trucks, Lexi, and a quarter of those are white, including mine.”
Nick couldn’t help but notice Alexis’s grimace when the chief called her Lexi. Her nickname? “He’s right,” Nick admitted. “I’ve got a white pickup, too.”
The young cop nodded. “Easiest color to keep clean.”
“You all have white trucks?” Alexis asked, sounding more incredulous. “Well, I think it was a Ford F-Series.” She raised her eyebrows as if they should be impressed.
Nick didn’t recall the make and model, so he acknowledged her keen observation with a slow nod.
“That narrows it down to maybe sixty percent of the white trucks,” the chief said. Alexis seemed crestfallen, but the chief paid no attention. He looked at Nick. “You said the shooting started at the mayor’s house?”
Nick frowned. “Mayor Simonds is my neighbor?” That seemed like a tidbit someone could’ve mentioned before now. The houses were several acres apart, but still. “I’ve tried to introduce myself a few times, but no one has ever been home.”
The chief narrowed his eyes. “Yes, he is. And I believe you’re his opponent, Dr. Kendrick, so if you don’t mind, I’d like an impartial party to tell the story.” He turned his gaze to Alexis.
Her mouth dropped open. “You’re running for mayor? Have you even lived here long enough to be a resident?”
Her tone sounded almost accusatory, and he didn’t really understand why. “I’ve met all the eligibility requirements, if that’s what you’re asking. Barings is my home.”
“Everyone knows he’s running, Lexi,” the young officer said to Alexis. “Old news.”
Her eyebrows shot up, and she eyed him a minute before turning to Chief Spencer. She relayed the events of the past hour without commentary, as if reporting for the six o’clock news. Nick did his best to keep his mouth shut until she reached the part about the man who’d walked around the corner. “Six feet tall, I’d guess,” she said. “Late thirties or early forties. He wore a white polo shirt and carpenter jeans. No other identifying factors that I can remember.”
“There were drugs,” Nick interjected. “In the gutter downspouts. I can show you.”
Alexis’s jaw dropped. Chief noticed. “You didn’t see these drugs?”
She cringed. “No, but it certainly explains a lot. I can’t think of any other motivation they’d try to kill us just for getting a dog off the property.”
Chief Spencer shook his head again. “I need a reason to get on that property. And frankly, having the mayor’s opponent as the only witness doesn’t do it.”
“Forget that, then,” Alexis said. “We’re talking attempted murder. I was witness to that! Those men shot a branch that hit me.” She lifted up her hair. An angry red line streaked across the side of her neck.
Nick flinched. He should’ve moved faster, gotten them out of the line of fire before that had happened. He turned to enter the house. “I’ll grab my first aid kit.”
Her hand blocked him. “I’m fine. It just stings a little.” Her gaze swung to the chief. “My point is, I don’t understand why you don’t have enough to go on.”
The younger officer picked up his radio and stepped away for a moment. “Chief, no sign of the vehicle or armed men. They confirmed tire tracks and a broken fence section on the mayor’s property. Permission to proceed?”
Nick tensed. He wasn’t used to having his word questioned. Was that how every officer would react if a challenging political opponent witnessed criminal activity? Or was it possible the chief was proving his alliance with the current mayor? Either way, Nick breathed easier knowing they couldn’t avoid the proof that something had happened.
Chief Spencer pointed to the backseat of the vehicle. “Okay. Get in, you two.”
* * *
Alexis couldn’t believe they had to share the backseat of a police vehicle with a dog. Logically, she knew it wouldn’t attack her, but the positive thoughts did nothing to stop her heart from racing. Why people liked to keep animals around for company was beyond the scope of her imagination. If they knew what it felt like to be attacked by one like she did, maybe they’d feel differently. The dog’s breath alone was enough to make her want to go running. And yet, even though Alexis had shown her no signs of affection, Raven stared up at her, panting.
“She knows you don’t like her,” Nick said. “Animals can sense that, especially dogs. She’s trying to win you over.”
She eyed Nick. The chief had referred to him as Dr. Kendrick. Judging by his tan skin and athletic physique, he had to be active and a lover of the outdoors. And it seemed like those types often loved dogs just as much as nature, so maybe he knew something about animals. “So if I pet her, she’ll leave me alone?”
He shrugged. “Wouldn’t hurt to try.”
She held back a sigh. She’d already touched the dog more than enough for her lifetime when she had to pick it up to get it over the fence, but she humored the both of them and reached out to touch the top of Raven’s head. It was smooth yet wiry.
Raven stretched her neck at the touch so that Alexis’s fingers brushed against her ears. They were soft and velvety like a fuzzy pillow. The dog shifted in the small space between her and Nick until its whole body leaned against Alexis.
Admittedly, the warmth and connection were nice for a second, but she still didn’t trust the dog to keep its mouth to itself. She shot Nick a look.
He smirked. “Or petting her could just encourage her.”
Her gut twisted. She knew he was teasing, but she didn’t know him well enough to explain why it wasn’t funny. Alexis pushed away from the dog, calmly, forcing it to snuggle with Nick instead.
How could he have lived here long enough to be running for mayor? She’d thought she knew the few doctors who lived in the area. She’d worked for almost all of them, subbing for their receptionists.
She’d kept to herself ever since she returned to town, but she must have been more antisocial than she’d thought if Jeremy, the young officer driving, was right and his candidacy was old news.
Nick patted the dog’s head and her tail wagged, slapping Alexis’s thigh. Nick’s warm laugh soothed her nerves. “Sorry about that,” he said.
She tried to smile in response.
Jeremy parked the cruiser in front of the mayor’s house. She’d known Gerald Simonds lived out here somewhere but hadn’t known which house until now. He was only a few years older. She’d never imagined him as rich or running their town, but he owned a successful mechanic shop and had made some smart investment moves. In fact, his brother, Barry, owned the financial firm responsible. Barry used to do only bookkeeping, but everyone, it seemed, including her parents, had wanted to sign on with Barry as their financial advisor after seeing Gerald’s success.
Officer Jeremy Wicks opened the door for her. She had over ten years on him. Most days, she still considered herself young. She’d crossed the thirty-year mark, but she could remember changing Jeremy’s diapers when she worked as a mother’s helper one summer. He’d been an officer for a little over a year, but it was still weird seeing him with a gun and handcuffs.
He nodded at her. “Ma’am.”
She fought back a groan and hustled around the car. While she hated when people used her childhood nickname of Lexi, she hated even more when they called her ma’am. She was still a Miss until she got married, in her mind.
Some days she wondered if she had missed out on her chance for marriage by going after her career and law school with such singular focus. Her head had spent so much of the time stuck in the pages of law statutes that she’d forgotten how to flirt. Maybe she had never known how in the first place.
There weren’t many attractive, employed, witty men in Barings. The few that existed had already been taken. She’d pegged Nick for a nice guy as soon as he’d offered to help her get Raven. That is, until she found out he had political ambitions. Now she realized he had to be either a naive idealist or power hungry. At least, that had been her experience with political science majors back in school.
Maybe she was wrong and Nick was the nice guy she’d first imagined. But if he was, she should keep her distance. Her past would prove a problem for his dreams.
Nick led the dog back around the gutters. Raven stuck her nose in both, but when Jeremy leaned down in front of each of them, he shook his head. “Nothing, sir,” he said to the chief.
“Can’t you do a drug residue test?” Nick asked.
“Here’s the thing.” The chief tilted his head to the side. “I can come on this property because I had reason to suspect I’d find some gunmen. We haven’t. I can look at the gutters because they’re on the outside of the house. If contraband is in plain sight, it’s fair game, but I don’t have enough probable cause to perform a residue test.”
“But I saw the drugs,” Nick said.
He nodded toward Alexis. “And if Lexi had seen them, too, then we’d be in business.”
Alexis shifted her gaze away from Nick. She felt bad enough that she’d put him in the situation in the first place. He’d saved her life and the dog’s, for that matter. She wished she had seen the drugs, but she couldn’t bring herself to lie.
“What about the dog?” Nick’s demeanor brightened. “I can’t verify without my records, but I think this is the K9 detection dog I examined several months back.”
“Wait,” Alexis said. “You examined her? You’re a veterinarian?” The questions came out accusatory. The information had just taken her by surprise. She hadn’t imagined he would be a doctor of animals. Well, that ruled out another eligible bachelor. Even if he ended up losing the mayoral election, they could never have a future because as a vet, he probably wanted to own a dog, if he didn’t already. And that was a deal breaker. Why did all the great guys love dogs?
Jeremy raised an eyebrow. “You need to get out more, Lexi.” He stepped forward. “So is this Raven? Joe’s dog?” He dropped to a knee and looked at Alexis. “They left you to take care of her?”
He could’ve skipped the incredulous tone. Though it was no secret in the town that she wasn’t exactly fond of dogs. One notch short of terrified, really. “It was a favor for Theresa. Theresa said if she didn’t get someone to take care of her right away, she’d have to come back tonight to do the job personally.”
Jeremy took the leash from Nick and ruffled Raven’s ears. The dog responded by nuzzling into him.
The chief folded his arms over his sizable chest and studied the dog. “This is Raven, huh? Joe’s technically retired from the force but trains K9 dogs all over the country. You know, he was training this dog for us. She was going to be his last one. He planned to gift her to our department.”
Jeremy shook his head but kept his gaze on the dog. “Last I heard he was in critical condition.” He straightened and handed the leash to Alexis.
“Critical?” Alexis asked.
Chief nodded. “Hit-and-run just last night. Raven was in her harness and did fine, but Joe had to be airlifted a few hours away to Boise.”
That explained the sudden need for someone to watch the dog.
Nick’s frown deepened. “Well, if she’s a drug detection dog, you should have cause to test for residue.”
Chief shook his head. “I know for a fact Raven’s not certified yet. Last I knew, Joe said she had a heap of potential but some obedience issues. She hasn’t been in the program long enough for testing. Takes a minimum of a year, from what I understand. Besides, didn’t you say you were on this property because she broke off the leash in pursuit of a squirrel?”
Alexis felt her cheeks heat but knew that the chief was right. If Raven wasn’t certified and court-qualified, her skills would be inadmissible in court. Not that they needed or wanted her opinion.
Chief sighed. “I’m sorry, but I can’t hunt down a judge and an out-of-town mayor on a holiday weekend for this.” He gestured to the downspouts. “Let’s say you’re right. For all we know, this was a dead drop gone wrong, so it doesn’t do me any good to search the mayor’s house. He’s visiting family.”
In other words, the chief didn’t want to risk bad publicity. She’d read the news headlines. A mayor in Maine had been an unwitting victim of a dead drop. The drug runners would send packages of drugs to addresses that likely wouldn’t answer the door. The mayor in Maine sued the police department after they’d raided his home, scaring his wife and children.
Nick’s eyes implored Alexis. “Did you recognize any of the men?”
“From town? No, but I haven’t been that observant lately. I didn’t recognize you.” She sighed. “I’d guess the man who talked to us was in his early forties. The men with guns...” She strained to remember any important details and failed. “Everything was a blur once shots were fired.”
“I think the guy we talked to was a scout,” Nick added.
“You said that before. What was he scouting for?” Alexis questioned.
Jeremy looked like he was struggling not to roll his eyes. “They serve as guides for drug shipments. They aren’t the actual ones to pick them up. They go ahead and make sure the coast is clear. Oftentimes they don’t have weapons or drugs on their person, so if they get picked up, we’ve got nothing on them.”
“They serve as both spies and decoys?”
Nick looked at her, as if impressed. “Basically.”
“If Lexi thinks they’re not from here, it’s unlikely they’ve made the two of you targets,” the chief mused.
She wasn’t so sure they should rely on her knowledge of residents. She hadn’t recognized Nick as being from the area, either, though he claimed he’d been here the past year. He was running for mayor, after all. She knew she’d been closed off, but this seemed like a wake-up call. The past year she’d been downright antisocial with her head stuck in the sand.
“I made sure they didn’t get our names,” Nick added.
“That was quick thinking,” she admitted. Her neck grew hot as she remembered how it felt to have him speak so tenderly when he called her honey. Now Nick smiled at her, which didn’t help. She knew from experience that her neck probably was beet red at the moment.
Chief nodded. “Good. Here’s what we’re going to do. My boys are going to walk the property and see if we have anything to go on. I’ll set up a patrol car to drive by your houses tonight. We’ll keep a watch out for any trucks that look suspicious.” His radio chirped. “We’re going to be combing the area now. We’ll give you a quick ride back to your place and take it from there.”
“What about Nick? They know where he lives.”
Chief shrugged. “Not necessarily. They just saw you run to the neighboring property.”
Alexis tightened her hold on the leash. His words didn’t comfort her.
She replayed the events of the evening on a loop, searching for something that could help. There’d been a click. She was sure of it. “What I don’t understand is, if scouts are just making sure the coast is clear, then why did he take our picture?”
Nick spun around, a look of alarm on his face. “Are you sure?”
“I think...” She looked up at the clouds, trying to picture it. “He had his phone in his hand while you were talking to him.” She nodded. “His thumb moved, and the phone clicked when I stepped toward him to introduce myself. That’s when you stopped me. What else could the click have been?”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions just yet,” the chief said.
Nick’s face took on an ashen tone as he closed his eyes. “We’ve been marked.”
THREE (#u6501e5a0-ee7b-5af7-b163-f872c70171f5)
Only a few hours ago, Nick had been looking forward to a quiet long weekend at home. Now he was on a drug ring’s most-wanted list.
“What do you mean marked?” Alexis stepped in front of him. Her intense gaze demanded his attention.
“It means they’ll take us out if they think we are going to cause them problems.” He gestured out at the town, north of them. “It means that every member in their cartel likely has our photo. It means we need to watch our backs.”
Chief put his hand on Alexis’s shoulder. “We don’t know that for sure. Let’s just take it one step at a time.” He led her to the backseat of the cruiser, but not before he leveled a disapproving glare at Nick.
Nick didn’t regret what he’d said, though. Not knowing the full truth wouldn’t help Alexis stay safe. Ever since his brother had died, Nick had found out everything he could about drug trafficking, specifically in the Northwest. It wasn’t something to be taken lightly. The cartels had sophisticated ways of communicating, and the intel they shared with each other rivaled that of most three-letter government agencies.
Nick called Raven into the car and took his seat. Alexis scrunched her nose. “Didn’t you hear the click from his phone, too? Maybe I imagined it.”
The hopefulness in her voice was difficult to ignore. “It was hard enough to think straight with blood rushing to my head. Don’t second-guess yourself, even though we’d both love it if you were wrong.”
She stared ahead, her face pale. It took only a minute to arrive back at his place.
“Where’d you park?” the young officer asked her.
“The lot at the trailhead. Could you take me there, Jeremy? I’d really rather not walk back alone, if that’s okay.”
“Understandable.” Jeremy nodded. “You still driving that bucket of bolts you call a car?”
She lifted her chin. “Hey. A little respect. It’s a classic.”
“Dream on.” Jeremy shook his head. “Never seen a lawyer drive such a crummy car before.”
Nick’s neck tingled, and he couldn’t place his finger on why. If he hadn’t known better, he’d have wondered if he was jealous that the young cop talked to Alexis in such a friendly manner. “You’re a lawyer?” he asked her. “I’d tell you a lawyer joke, but—”
“—you’re afraid you’d get sued,” she said. Her face reddened, and she pressed her lips together in a firm line. “Trust me, I’ve heard them all. Besides, I wasn’t that kind of lawyer.”
A crackly voice came over the radio. “Possible domestic disturbance called in. Shouting heard next to the burned-out barn on Garrett property.”
The dispatcher’s description was yet another reminder that Nick wasn’t in the big city anymore. The chief shook his head. “We need to get this.”
The car pulled to a stop. “I’ll take her to her car,” Nick said. They hopped out and the cruiser sped away.
Alexis swung her chin from left to right, her eyes darting every which way.
“If they had come back here already, the cops would’ve seen them,” Nick said gently.
Her shoulders sank. “I hope you’re right.”
Nick escorted her and the dog to the garage, where he entered the five-digit access code. The cab of his pickup truck had two rows, so he guided Raven into the back instead of next to Alexis. He pointed in the direction of the trail. “It would’ve taken you a good half hour to get back to the parking lot if you had walked.”
“Theresa said the dog needed a forty-five minute walk. I rounded up.” She flashed a sheepish grin, and they both got situated in the truck. “I hadn’t reached my daily step goal yet, and I needed some time to clear my head.”
He started the ignition and pulled out onto the county highway. “It seems common knowledge that you have a love for dogs.” He hoped his teasing tone would get her to open up.
She groaned. “Why is it that when people say they don’t like cats, it’s okay, but disliking dogs is equivalent to hating babies?” Her eyes widened. “Which I don’t!”
“Good to know.” He smiled in the rearview mirror at Raven, who seemed to be enjoying the conversation. “Dogs make it pretty easy to love them.”
“You mean aside from the presents they leave in the yard, the smell, the drool and the nice things they eat?”
He laughed. “Bad experience?” If she was a lawyer, maybe a dog ate a pair of her expensive shoes.
She stiffened and watched him for a moment, as if considering whether to talk or not. She looked forward. “A rabid dog attacked me when I was little. The scar doesn’t hurt, but when I think about the rabies shots...” She let her voice trail off.
The smile fell off his face at the thought. “That should’ve never happened,” he said softly. “I’m sorry.” It frustrated him to no end that some pet owners neglected treatment of their animals. A simple vaccine would’ve prevented the dog’s disease and Alexis’s pain.
“Not your fault. I’m not scared anymore. I got over it.” She nodded with each phrase, as if reciting a script. “They just aren’t my favorite.”
She pulled her shoulders back and raised her chin. She might have told herself she wasn’t scared anymore, but the way she’d flinched when Raven tried to snuggle proved otherwise. It wasn’t that she disliked dogs, like she tried to infer, but that she was scared.
The mountains served as a backdrop to the rows of trees on either side of the road. If he kept going, the trees on the right side would be replaced by a rock wall. Just before town, all the trees disappeared and a sharp curve provided a gorgeous viewing point for the valley. An unbidden image of having a picnic there with Alexis while enjoying the scenery popped into his head. He’d been so focused on school and career the past several years that he’d saved relationships for later. He never wanted to start one that would only end up in the pain of a long-distance relationship. He’d done that once in college and vowed never to do it again.
“Later” had finally arrived, but he’d yet to find someone in the small town who he could imagine as more than a friend.
She pointed at the black medical bag in between their seats. “So you’re really a vet?”
The question made him laugh. “Why is that so hard to believe?”
She smiled. “I guess it’s not. I just didn’t think our small town could support more than one.”
He made the final turn toward the trailhead. “That’s because it can’t. I bought the practice from Doc Finn so he could retire. He moved to the Oregon coast when I came here.”
Her mouth dropped. “He did? But his office is practically across the street from where I live.”
“My office,” he corrected her.
She pulled her head back in surprise. “But the logo hasn’t changed! Your name isn’t on the building.”
He held back a laugh. She must have prided herself on keeping up to date with all new residents if this bothered her so much. “Barings Animal Hospital had a nicer ring to it than Dr. Nick Kendrick’s Animal Hospital, so I kept it the same.”
She shook her head. “I guess I’ve had tunnel vision.”
“Your law practice staying busy?”
She squinted in confusion. “My what?” Her eyebrows rose and she leaned back. “No. I don’t practice law anymore. I came back to spend some time with my parents. I’ve been working for Theresa’s temp agency until I figure out my next step.”
“Are they ill?”
“Who? My parents? No, they’re doing great. They actually retired to Arizona last month. I’m sticking around until I sell their house. After that...” She looked down at her clasped hands. “Well, I guess time will tell.”
In other words, she wouldn’t be around much longer, so it’d probably be smart to forget the dinner invitation he wanted to extend to her. Now, if she was willing to open up a practice in town that would be another story. He was tempted to ask why she no longer practiced law, but it seemed too soon for what could be a personal question.
The box of Junior Mints he kept in the cup console rattled when he drove over a rock. He spotted her interest. “You want some? I like to have some after work, before I go on a run. It gives me a little extra burst of energy.”
She smiled and almost seemed to be fighting a laugh. “What brought you to Barings? Are you from Idaho?”
“No. I was a city boy, but I wanted my practice to be more than just domestic pets. I like variety and enjoy making house calls for cattle and horses. Barings is a long way from Seattle, but I can make the trip home in one day.”
It could’ve been his imagination, but it seemed she paled. “Seattle, huh?” She pointed to the left. “Turn here.”
The small, dusty lot sat next to a brown outhouse and a bulletin board covered in trail maps. A beat-up, rusted, baby-blue Honda Accord that had to be circa 1980 sat by its lonesome. He gaped. “I see why your cop friend was surprised.”
“Not you, too. The whole town gives me a hard time.” She sighed. “No one sees what I see. This beauty has been faithful to me ever since I bought it cheap in high school. It helped me graduate from law school debt-free.” She eyed him. “Not an easy feat.”
“If it’s anything like veterinary school, I agree.” His current debt load wasn’t as high as that of most members of his graduating class, but it would’ve taken a ridiculous amount of discipline, planning and an overloaded work schedule to graduate without a bill. Her debt-free status only served to intrigue him more. He wondered if she’d be willing to have dinner together, just as friends. Though he’d have to make it clear he wasn’t interested in a relationship. So it’d be wise to let the idea go, especially since she was moving on soon. Besides, she seemed like the type that took a long time to lower her guard.
He pulled to a stop and stared at the bucket of bolts. “Unfortunately your faithful beauty doesn’t look like it’s going to last much longer. Is it safe?”
“Absolutely!” Her grin faded. “Probably more than we are, if I understood what you said back there. I hate that it takes a court order to get full-time police protection.”
“I didn’t mean to scare you, but I believe a healthy dose of caution is necessary.” He almost offered to give her one of his rifles but stopped short. She’d made it clear she wasn’t comfortable with guns. “Keep your eyes open and don’t go places alone.”
“That’s good advice for any woman on any day.” She stepped out of the truck. “I guess I need to get the dog back home.” She tugged on the leash, and Raven followed her out of the truck.
The dog turned her head around and flashed Nick a look so pathetic he almost laughed. “Let me know if you need any help with her.”
“I think I’ve asked enough of you today.” She gave him an awkward wave. “Sorry I got you into this mess in the first place, Nick. Thanks for helping me.”
“My pleasure, Alexis.”
“Thompson,” she replied. “Alexis Thompson.”
Her eyes narrowed as she said it, as if watching him for a reaction. “Nice to meet you, Alexis.”
She nodded. “I’ll see you around.”
He searched for the right words to say more, to ease the fear he saw in her eyes. She moved to close the passenger door, and he leaned over to stop her. “The more I think about it, the more I realize they have no reason to go after us. We aren’t going to be any problem to them. It’s going to be fine.”
The creases in her forehead disappeared as an authentic smile transformed her face. She looked young and energetic and downright beautiful. She closed the door and walked away. As he waited for her to start her car, Nick hoped he had told her the truth. At the very least, he’d drive behind her until she got home, if only to make sure danger didn’t follow.
* * *
Alexis placed Raven in the backseat of her car before she got herself situated in the driver’s seat. She refused to look, but she felt Nick’s gaze on her. From what little she’d observed, he seemed like the type of guy who would wait to make sure she got on the road safely.
Her hands shook as she inserted her keys into the ignition. What a day. If she stopped and reflected on it now, she might never get home. Death was something far in the future. When she read her Bible and spent time in prayer, she had peace that when it was her time, she’d be ready. Her throat tightened. But she wasn’t ready for it to be time yet. There was so much more in her life she wanted to do, wanted to be.
Fear must have had an unusual effect on her, since she’d practically gushed her life story to Nick in the course of five minutes. Thankfully she hadn’t had much experience with being scared to death before, but she was still surprised at her reaction to Nick.
It would be interesting to see if their dangerous game of hide-and-seek would make the Barings Herald. She didn’t want to tell her parents and cause them worry if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. Her mom had struggled with insomnia enough as it was since Alexis had left Seattle.
The engine struggled to turn over. She groaned, and her cheeks heated. She resisted the urge to look at Nick’s reaction. The motor gave another hearty try and hummed to life. She let out a breath, shifted into Reverse and drove out of the lot. Her finances couldn’t support a car payment at the moment.
While she was grateful that eight years of ramen noodles, part-time jobs, thrift-store clothes and little sleep had allowed her to graduate debt-free, there weren’t too many well-paid jobs available for a disbarred lawyer.
Her stomach turned at the thought. It’d been almost a year, and the shame still washed over her like it was yesterday.
She’d chosen patent law as her specialty because she’d known that she couldn’t compartmentalize enough to be a defense lawyer. Never in her wildest dreams had she suspected her client would want to unburden himself and tell her the story of how he murdered his partner. He’d practically gloated over the fact no one had found out. Everyone had assumed the partner had taken some money and left the country.
After two weeks of sleepless nights, she thought she’d found a loophole for attorney-client privilege and submitted to the police what he’d told her. The Washington State Bar Association didn’t agree with her conclusions. The confession her client had made to her was inadmissible, and the state of Washington issued the verdict that she would no longer be practicing there.
But it did no good to rehash the past continually.
Alexis clicked on the radio to drown out her thoughts. There would be no more processing of the day, or the past, or even Nick until she reached the safety of her bathtub. And she’d most definitely earned scented bubbles. Lots of them.
She focused on the road. The sun dipped below the horizon and outlined the mountains and trees with pastel colors. She pressed the brakes at the stop sign, but it took some extra force on the pedal to get it to slow down. Her car really was on its last leg. The pedal had never felt this mushy before.
She took the left turn to head back into town. Her rearview mirror showed Nick right behind her. Either he had business in town that he hadn’t mentioned, or he was following her all the way home. She smiled into the rearview mirror and hated to admit that it felt good to have someone care like that.
Relationship goals had never been part of her five-year plan, but chatting with Nick had unleashed a sudden, intense longing to have someone to share her life. It was probably past time. But what did a disbarred lawyer have to offer?
The terrain began to change. On the right, the road butted against a foothill. The side was covered with chains to help prevent rockslides. To the left, the evergreens blocked a lot of the light. The road changed into curves, taking her down to the heart of Barings.
In a short while, there would be the sharpest curve, a breathtaking viewpoint where you could look over the cliff at the entire valley. If it weren’t for Raven, she’d be tempted to pull into the small parking lot to sit and process the last few hours. The downgrade steepened, and she pressed her brakes on the curve.
The car slowed slightly before it lurched forward. Her head flew backward at the sudden momentum. The resistance on the brake pedal had completely disappeared. She shoved her foot hard on the brake three times. “Come on!”
Her grasp on the steering wheel tightened as she fought to stay within her lane and lost. Thankfully no one else was on the road. The needle on the speedometer rose to fifty. The speed limit on the curves was thirty-five. The bend straightened a bit, but the downgrade would continue for the next three miles.
In roughly two miles, the viewpoint would appear. The trees would disappear, but the rock wall and a ninety-degree turn would mean that if she couldn’t slow the car down, she would likely get the best view of all before plunging to her death.
She stomped on the brake pedal over and over. Her stomach threatened to lose her lunch. “What do I do? What do I do?” Her mind raced, frantic to find a solution.
Raven whimpered in the backseat and stuck her nose over the console between the seats. “Oh, not now, dog, please,” Alexis cried. “I’m trying to save our lives!” She needed to get her head on straight. “Lord, we need help!”
The parking brake line was separate from the other brakes. She gasped. Yes, that would stop them. She’d walk home after that, never to drive the bucket of bolts again. She shoved the car into Neutral.
The speedometer rose to sixty, matching the pace of her heart.
She yanked on the parking brake, but it flung upward without resistance. Useless. Her breathing grew erratic. It should’ve worked.
The likelihood of all the brakes going out at once was...
Her insides shook. At this rate, she’d hyperventilate. Her car had been the only one in the trail parking lot. Everyone in town knew she drove it.
This was no accident.
Another curve approached fast. Too fast. She could drive into the trees, but the only way that would slow her down was if she steered directly into a tree trunk. It’d have been a worthwhile option if the car weren’t traveling over sixty miles per hour. Her 1982 beauty didn’t come equipped with airbags, so the outcome of that scenario was certain death.
She abandoned the pedals on the floor and placed her feet on either side to use as leverage while she took the second curve. She released a guttural cry as she did so.
Please let Nick see what’s going on, Lord. She didn’t know how he could possibly help, but she didn’t think she could take even one hand off the steering wheel to reach for her cell phone.
The moment the road straightened, she looked in the rearview mirror and then ahead. Nothing in either direction but a sheer rock wall, trees and an upcoming deadly curve.
FOUR (#u6501e5a0-ee7b-5af7-b163-f872c70171f5)
Nick cringed at the sound of branches hitting the side of his truck. He’d jogged through this area of the forest before so he could sit at his favorite bench overlooking the farmlands in the valley, but driving through the forest was another matter. He swerved and barely missed a thin aspen that seemed to come out of nowhere.
It was hard enough to motor through the foliage without the additional challenge of doing it at high speeds, downhill, as the sun dipped below the horizon. The perspiration dripped down his neck as he second-guessed the possibility his plan would work.
The stakes were high, though. At first he’d laughed when he realized how fast Alexis was going. Maybe she was an adrenaline junkie out to prove that her bucket of bolts had plenty of life left in it. But when her car swerved wildly and barely made it past the last curve, he knew she had to be in trouble.
He could’ve tried to overtake her on the road, but he was so far behind it seemed unlikely. The curve would take her far to the right before bringing her back to the left, while the forest next to the road was on a separate sharp incline. It seemed like the only way to catch up to her.
Another tree seemingly jumped out of nowhere into his path. He missed it, but an outstretched branch made contact. A sickening crack of metal preceded the side mirror flying off into the distance. Something in his peripheral vision begged his attention. He couldn’t afford to take the time to look, but if he was right, he’d caught up to Alexis. In an instant, the car was gone again which likely meant she’d had to take another curve.
He was running out of forest. The curve she was on would buy him some time, but if he didn’t beat her to the drop-off, it would be too late. He stomped the pedal to the floor. His truck bounced over a fallen log. The terrain dipped. His torso lurched forward as he fought gravity to remain upright.
A crunch echoed through the forest. He didn’t even want to think about the condition of his axles after this.
A strong beam of light illuminated the trees a mere hundred feet ahead. He veered to the right as far as he could manage. Fifty feet later, he spotted the edge of the road. He just needed enough space between the trees to sneak through.
The truck nose pitched, and his head bounced off the steering wheel. The ground was about to disappear. The throbbing in his head threatened to slow him down. He squinted through the pain and yanked the wheel to the right. Another screech of metal confirmed his fears: he’d lost the left side mirror as well.
He couldn’t think about anything but keeping his speed high. He was running out of time to save her.
The truck bounced as he bounded over the rough rock bordering the road. Except the road ended in just a few feet. Nick slammed on his brakes. He fought back nausea as he stared at the open sky. If he’d waited thirty seconds more before turning onto the road, he’d have driven off the cliff. Some hero he would’ve been.
He turned his head in the direction she’d be coming. A flash of light reflecting off metal came from just past the rock wall. Alexis would fly around that curve any second and face the ninety-degree turn. He shoved the truck into Park and looked out the passenger window to see the baby-blue Honda barreling toward him at an unimaginable speed.
If she didn’t make the sharp curve, the mass of his truck would slow her down for about ten—maybe fifteen—feet, if he chose to be optimistic. He pulled up the parking brake and braced for impact.
The Honda hugged the rock wall. She was trying her best to make the turn, but the laws of physics would work against her. His heart pumped fast against his rib cage. Instead of seeming like the wisest move to help her, he found himself in a one-sided game of chicken. He couldn’t take the chance that the truck would succeed and keep him on solid ground.
He flung off his seat belt, hopped out and sprinted toward the front of the truck as he heard the screech of her tires skidding out of control. The shriek of metal against metal filled the valley.
He pressed off the balls of his feet, diving to get out of the way, and strained his arms forward while airborne. A searing pain ripped through his hip as the corner of her car’s front bumper scraped past him. The force of it twisted his body so that he was facing the sky as his back hit the ground and he slid toward the cliff.
Dirt and gravel flew up around him, pressing through his clothes, poking every inch of his back. He reached his hands out blindly. His fingertips found a branch, and as he slid past, he tightened his grip until he came to a stop.
He panted, trying to catch his breath while ignoring the pain in every part of his body. His elbows had escaped unscathed thanks to his flailing arms. Alexis! Had it worked?
He propped himself up on his elbows as he watched the Honda come to a standstill. His truck had moved to the very edge of the cliff. Maybe he could’ve remained inside after all and avoided the massive amounts of pain currently begging for his attention.
The truck groaned, teetered, tipped...and fell.
An unearthly groan escaped his lips. Crunching metal and booms rivaling thunder echoed throughout the valley. His mouth went dry.
The Honda door flung open, and a cry reached his ears before he could utter one himself. She was safe...unlike his gorgeous truck, but she was more important. Obviously. His head fell backward, his body and emotional energy utterly spent.
Moisture and soft fur brushed against his cheek.
“Nick. Nick!”
He opened his eyes to find Raven kissing his cheek. “I’m alive.” He held up a hand to reassure the dog, and the dog licked it instead. His brain told his body to move, to get up, but his sore backside didn’t respond. “Are you okay?” he asked instead.
Alexis’s tear-filled eyes met his gaze. She nodded. “My brakes wouldn’t work.” Her voice shook and her shoulders began to follow suit. “And...and I thought you were still in the car.”
“It was a truck.” Calling it a car would insult its memory, but in the back of his mind, he knew now wasn’t the time to argue the point. “Do you think it was because your car was old or...”
Alexis held out her hands and helped pull him up to standing. If not for the stinging sensation in his palms, he would’ve enjoyed how soft her hands felt. She looked into his eyes as he fought against the discomfort in his back and straightened.
“It wasn’t an accident,” she said. She let go of him and pulled her phone out. “I’m calling the police.” She frowned at the screen and jumped up, straining her arm, most likely in an effort to find a signal. On her tiptoes, she held the phone to her ear.
Light from above hit his eyes, which didn’t make sense as the sun was setting. He turned his gaze ever so slightly to the top of the ridge above them. For a brief second he thought for sure he’d seen a man watching them.
It seemed possible, in his state of mind, that his eyes were playing tricks on him. Maybe it’d just been a flash of reflection from her shiny sandals.
The sun continued its rapid descent, but the colors in the sky illuminated the tower of rock above him enough for him to see a shadowed form kneel. It was almost as if someone was holding a...
“Gun.” His insides seized up. No more time to lick his wounds. In one motion, he curled into a crouched position. His spine and muscles objected to the fast movement, but he fought through it. “Alexis, take cover! Gunman!”
The sound of tires fast approaching from the direction of town barely registered before a truck pulled up in front of him. Alexis lunged toward Nick, staying low enough that she was also underneath the cover of the silver truck. The passenger window rolled down and the man leaned toward them from the driver’s side. “Everything okay?”
“Stay down, Gerald. Nick said there was a gunman.”
The man in a ball cap flinched and looked around.
“On top of the ridge.” Nick pointed upward.
Gerald stuck his head out of the driver’s window. His shoulders relaxed, and he huffed. “There’s nothing but a lone tree and a bird circling up there. Eyes can play tricks on you when the sun is setting.”
Nick had never met the man, but Alexis seemed to know him, so maybe he was credible. He straightened to look for himself. Sure enough, there was nothing but pink and orange streaks in the sky.
He wasn’t crazy, though. He’d seen someone, and the silver truck had apparently scared the person off. Odd. If the gunman had been part of the drug ring, Nick would’ve thought that knocking off another witness would have been nothing to them.
“You guys look a little rough for wear. Everything okay?” Gerald gestured at Alexis.
She looked down at her stained shirt and skirt, and then glanced at Nick, uncertainty crossing her face. “It’s fair to say we’ve had a bad evening.”
Nick remained silent. If she knew the man in the truck and wasn’t gushing about what had happened to him, perhaps he’d be wise not to say anything, either. But if the man drove off, there was a chance the gunman would return. They needed him to stay until the police arrived. If Nick had to, he’d talk to the man until he was blue in the face.
“We had a little accident,” Alexis said.
That was the understatement of the year.
Gerald leaned forward, straining his neck to see over the cliff from the comfort of his vehicle. “You certainly did. It’s a good thing your truck went down in the river instead of causing a fire. Otherwise you really wouldn’t have a chance with the voters, Mr. Kendrick.” He winked and chuckled. “Not that you have any chance against me in the first place.”
Nick flinched as he connected the dots. He leaned forward to see the face underneath the ball cap. This man was his neighbor and opponent?
* * *
Alexis kept her eyes on the ridge above them. While Nick could have a motive to lie about drugs being stashed on Gerald’s property, he’d had to run away from the gunmen the same as she did. Besides, someone had messed with her brakes. If it hadn’t been for Nick, it would’ve worked. So she couldn’t fathom what reason he’d have to lie about a gunman on the ridge. Whoever had been there would’ve had the perfect view if she’d wrecked.
She shivered involuntarily. What was taking the police so long? While she had no doubt that Gerald would hear about the incident on his land eventually, she didn’t want to be the one who told him.
“Did this out-of-towner make you crash?” Gerald asked Alexis, a teasing lilt to his voice. Despite his smile, his eyes looked a little red, as if he’d either suffered an allergy attack or heard some upsetting news.
Nick’s jaw tensed. “I think I’ve earned resident status if my name is on the ballot.”
After the day she’d had, the last thing Alexis needed was to be the only audience member for an impromptu political debate. “Nick saved my life. My brakes stopped working.”
Gerald shook his head. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but take it from me. There’s a point when it’s time to put a car to rest, Alexis. I make more money keeping cars in business, so you know I’m not lying.”
She didn’t need a lecture. Her car’s age hadn’t been the problem. If Gerald had anything to do with the men on his property, then it followed that he would want her dead, as well.
Her parents had considered him their trusted mechanic for most of her life, so she wanted to think Chief Spencer had the right idea. The more likely scenario was that Gerald had been used as a pawn. She’d learned time and time again, though, that she wasn’t the best judge of character.
She smiled and nodded as Gerald finished his speech on when a car wasn’t worth repairing.
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