by Lisa Harris
“Agreed,” Madison said.
“I’ve got four of my officers doing a perimeter sweep, but I’d like to show you what happened.”
They followed Sheriff Hill to where the front bumper of Simon’s other truck had smashed into a tree off the side of the road and both the driver’s and passenger-side doors had been left open.
“It looks like the driver lost control and swerved off the road.”
“The air bags weren’t deployed. We think it happened on purpose.”
“You think my son caused the wreck?” Simon asked.
“That’s what my initial investigation of the crash site points to. There are no skid marks until right before the crash, making it look as if the driver was caught off guard. We believe Will probably pulled on the steering wheel, then made his escape.”
Jonas walked around the truck. The sheriff’s evaluation seemed logical, but where were Barrick and Will?
Madison interrupted his thoughts. “There’s blood on the driver’s seat.”
“It’s also along the driver’s side window where the glass is broken,” the sheriff said.
“Were there any weapons in the truck?” Jonas asked.
“We keep a handgun in the glove compartment,” said Simon.
Jonas popped it open. The space was empty.
“I know my boy. If he realized that man wasn’t who he said he was, he’d find a way to escape, even if it meant crashing the truck.”
Madison backed away from the vehicle and turned toward the thick tree line. “There are two sets of footprints leading into the woods, but it doesn’t look like they were running together.”
“My men are following them right now. Initially, they did a swift search of the location, but so far they haven’t found either of them.”
Jonas turned back to the sheriff. “What kind of backup can you get us?”
“We’ve got an APB out to all surrounding counties. I’ve also called in our backcountry team who patrol this area regularly, and if we need it, we can call in our search and rescue team. They’re volunteers, but they work closely with our department and know what they’re doing.”
“Good.” Madison nodded. “Put them on alert, though I personally am leery about sending civilians into a possible hostage situation.”
“I understand, but I’ll have them ready.” The sheriff’s radio buzzed and he picked it up. “Hold on. What have you got, Emmett?”
“We’ve swept the initial perimeter, and we lost the trail.”
“Then I want you to come back here. We need to implement a broader sweep.”
“Copy that.”
The sheriff laid out a map on the hood of his car. “Technically, the two of you are in charge, which is fine, because I for one would definitely like your input.”
“Good, but you are the one who knows the land. Where have they already searched?”
“On the map—here and here.” The sheriff pointed to the immediate vicinity around the crash.
“You’re right. We need to increase the search perimeters toward town,” Madison said, pointing to the map, “as well as set up roadblocks at these three locations.”
“Agreed. Consider it done.”
“What about air support?” Jonas asked.
“I can set it up right now, and even get our K9 unit out here.”
“Good.”
“Don’t you think you should look farther off the road?” Simon asked.
“We can’t count it out at this point,” Jonas said, “but I have a feeling Barrick isn’t prepared to head back into the wilderness. He’s looking for a way out, which is going to mean staying as close to the main road as possible and trying to flag down another vehicle.
“We’ll work in teams,” he continued, turning back toward Madison and Sheriff Hill, “with the two of us splitting up so we’re with someone who is familiar with the terrain.”
The sheriff handed them each a radio. “We’ll keep in contact with these.”
“If they’re still on foot, we can estimate that they’re no more than two miles ahead of us,” Jonas said. “Barrick is going to stick to the main roads, so that will hopefully limit the direction.”
“If he manages to flag someone down, though, we’ll lose him,” Simon said.
“That’s where the roadblocks come in,” Madison said. “We make sure he can’t leave the area, and that anyone coming through is aware of what’s going on.”
“What about my son’s phone?” he asked. “Isn’t there a way to track it?”
“We’ve already been running a search, but it’s off, so there’s no way we can track it.”
“What about the phone Barrick stole from the couple on the trail?” Madison asked.
“We haven’t been able to pick up a signal from that either, though we are working to get the phone records. It’s still possible he made a call at some point.”
“Any word on the couple?” Jonas asked.
“We had one of our officers pick them up. They’re taking the man to the hospital as a precaution, but they should be fine.”
“Good.”
“We’ll head out now. Johnson, you’re with Deputy US Marshal Quinn. I’ll go with Deputy US Marshal James. Stay in radio contact.”
Beads of perspiration formed across Jonas’s forehead as he headed out with the deputy. There were a lot of variables at play in this search, but at least it was still daylight. Once darkness hit, finding someone out here was going to be nearly impossible. And Will—while the evidence showed that the young man was smart, so was his adversary. In the meantime, they’d driven four miles ahead and now were doubling back on foot, with teams searching parallel to the road.
Jonas let out a sharp huff of air as he and his partner combed the ground for clues.
“What do you think his plan is?” the deputy asked him.
“It’s hard to even guess. We know this wasn’t a planned escape. Everything he’s doing is spur of the moment.”
“Which makes it harder to anticipate his next step.”
“Exactly,” said Jonas. “Running from the law is complicated.”
“Especially, I would think, if the convict’s hoping to leave the country for some tropical isle where no one would find him.”
The deputy was right. Reality was rarely that simple.
Jonas scanned the tree line, looking for movement. Listening for anything that sounded out of place in the thick forest surrounding them. Will would want the authorities to hear him, and yet if he was hiding from Barrick, he’d have to bide his time. Barrick, on the other hand, didn’t want to be discovered. His main goal would be getting as far away from here as possible, as fast as possible. What bothered Jonas the most was that Barrick was desperate, and desperation made men even more lethal.
“A US Marshal. Sounds like an exciting job.”
Deputy Johnson’s comment pulled Jonas out of his thoughts.
“Yeah. Sometimes it’s a bit too exciting.”
“A plane crash and now a fugitive chase.” The deputy shook his head. “We don’t have a lot of action like that around here. Definitely not many fugitives. More missing hikers.”
“Hmm, well, where would you go if you were Barrick?”
The deputy rubbed the back of his neck. “What kinds of supplies does he have?”
Jonas smiled. The man was asking the right questions.
“A backpack from my partner and two from a couple of hikers.”
“What about a gun?”
“Yes.”
“And in the packs?”
“The hikers had your typical supplies for a day trip. Food and water. A map and compass, a gear repair kit, and a first aid kit. On top of that were basics like sunscreen, matches, and an emergency blanket.”
Even for those who knew this land, this search was going to be a challenge. “Even if we bring in air support,” the deputy said, “most of this wilderness foliage is so thick, it makes the infrared sensors useless.”
“But h
e doesn’t know these woods, and even with a map I’d think it would be hard to navigate,” Jonas said. “What can you tell me about this area?”
“There’s close to two and a half million acres of backcountry. And it’s full of secluded habitats for mountain lions and gray wolves.”
“And this is your backyard,” Jonas said.
“Born and raised here. You’re looking at everything from mountain ranges to steep canyons to whitewater rapids—and of course forest covering most of the area.”
Jonas stopped and held up his hand. A flash of color to the right caught his eye.
“What was Will wearing?” Jonas asked.
“According to the information I received, jeans, and a red hoodie, and boots.”
“There’s something at two o’clock,” Jonas said.
He saw it again. A slight flash of color that didn’t match the brush. Will might want to be found, but if he was out here and alone and hiding from Barrick, he couldn’t risk being found by the wrong person.
They crept forward quietly until they spotted it. A red shirt was stuck beneath the brush.
“What do you think happened?” Johnson asked.
“Looks like he shed his bright hoodie so he could blend in better.”
“Which will make it harder for us to find him.”
Jonas scanned the surrounding area. “But it goes with the assumption that he’s still out here on his own.”
“Jonas.” The deputy stopped and pointed at the hoodie. There was blood on the sleeve.
“It could be from the accident. There was a lot of glass. And we saw blood at the scene.”
It didn’t mean the injury was serious.
His radio crackled and Jonas grabbed it out of his pocket.
It was Madison. “We just found Will.”
Thirteen
It had already been forty-five minutes since they brought Will back to the sheriff’s office in town, hoping to get some information from him that would help them find Barrick. But so far, the young man wasn’t talking. Instead he was sitting in the middle of the large office, staring at the desk.
Madison stopped in front of Jonas and Simon. “Anything?”
Jonas shook his head. “We still can’t get anything out of him.”
“I’ve updated Michaels on what’s happening,” Madison said. “He’s not happy that Barrick slipped away again.”
“Trust me. Neither am I.” Jonas folded his hands across his chest. “Will’s pretty shaken. He’s barely said a dozen words to his father, and I think I intimidate him.”
“He gets this way when he’s stressed,” Will’s father said. “He shuts down.”
“Can you tell me what helps get him through it?” Madison asked.
“His mother always can reach him, and she’s on her way, but it’s going to be at least an hour.”
They didn’t have an hour.
“I think we’re going about this all wrong,” she said. “I have a friend whose daughter is autistic, and I spend a lot of time with her. Will needs to be somewhere quiet in a situation like this. With your permission, Simon, I could try talking to him one-on-one, out of all this chaos. He’s been bombarded with too many people trying to get information from him. That would rattle anyone.”
“You’re right,” Simon said. “That might help. I wasn’t thinking about that, I was so focused on getting him to help. But that’s why he likes the ranch. If there’s ever too many people around, he can walk outside and get away from it all.” Simon glanced back at his son. “And you definitely might come across as less intimidating to him than a bunch of officers.”
“Is there anywhere outside we could go that’s quiet?” she asked the sheriff.
“There’s a bench along a trail behind this building that has some beautiful views of the mountains.”
She nodded. “Sounds perfect.”
Pastureland spread out in front of them as Madison sat down next to Will on the metal bench behind the sheriff’s office. In the distance, snow-capped mountains rose up, making a spectacular view. She wasn’t sure their plan was going to work, but at least Will had agreed to come with her—though it was probably more to get away from the chaos inside than a desire to talk to her.
“This is better, isn’t it?”
Will simply shrugged.
From her pocket she pulled a chocolate bar that she’d gotten out of a vending machine and handed it to him, looking for any way she could to connect with the young man.
“It’s not exactly on the food pyramid, but I thought you might be hungry.”
“Thank you,” he said, taking the chocolate.
“I spoke with your mother earlier today.”
Will looked up at her. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. She seemed really proud of you. She said you love to fix things and that you love music. I played the violin in junior high and high school. Sometimes I wish I hadn’t stopped practicing, though to be honest, I didn’t have a lot of talent.”
“Instruments take a lot of practice.”
“She also said you love working the land with your father. That’s quite a gift. A hundred-plus years ago, if people lived out here and didn’t have some of the skills you have, they wouldn’t have made it through their first winter.”
She waited for him to respond, not wanting to push him, but needing to make progress. “What are you thinking?”
“I don’t want to get in trouble.”
His statement surprised her. “Why would you be in trouble?”
“I was supposed to help catch the bad guys.”
“Will, that man lied to you. He wasn’t a US Marshal.”
“Yeah, I figured that out.”
“He is an escaped fugitive from prison.”
“He’s killed people?” Will asked.
“He has.”
A long silence hung between them, but she decided to wait.
“I’ve never felt so scared in my life.”
“I know, but you were very brave.”
“He tried to kill me. He pulled out a gun, but I pulled on the steering wheel to stop him. He crashed the truck and I . . . I ran.”
“Will, I know what you’ve just gone through is terrifying, but you did the right thing. I need to talk with you about what happened. Would that be okay?”
Will hesitated, then nodded. “Is my family okay?”
“They’re all fine.”
“Is he going to come back and hurt my family?”
“No. He’s far away from here, but we need to find him.”
“Can I go home?”
“We’re going to get you and your father home as soon as possible. I promise. I just need to see if there’s anything you can remember. And I promise you’re safe right now.”
His leg shook beside her as he slowly unwrapped the paper from the candy bar. “The only time I get a candy bar is when we come to town. You should try my mom’s chocolate cake though. It’s better than a hundred candy bars.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” Madison glanced at her watch. Barrick could be halfway to the state line by now. “Can you tell me what happened after you left the ranch?”
“My mother didn’t want me to go, but I convinced her I’d be fine. I wanted to help.”
“From what your mother told me about you, I’m not surprised.”
“But once we got about a mile down the road, he wasn’t nice anymore.” He stared straight ahead for a few moments before continuing. “I noticed red marks across his wrists, and he’d hurt his leg. He said he’d been in a plane crash, so I started asking questions. He didn’t like that.”
“What kinds of questions?”
“What it was like being a marshal. How many bad guys he’d caught. If he’d ever been shot. If he’d been scared when the plane crashed.”
“And his reaction?”
“He told me to shut up and pulled out a gun. Said if I tried anything stupid, he would kill me.”
“And when you got to the mai
n road?” Madison asked.
“I believed what he said, that he would kill me, so I knew I had to do something. As soon as we got onto the main road, I grabbed the wheel and pulled it as hard as I could toward me. When we stopped, I jumped out of the truck and ran as fast as I could.”
“Did he hurt you at any point?”
“No. I was just banged up from when the truck smashed into a tree. I hit my head against the window.”
“What about Barrick? Was he injured?”
“I think he hit his shoulder and maybe broke his nose, because it was bleeding.” Will shrugged. “And he looked like his arm was injured as well.”
“Like a gunshot wound?” Madison asked.
“Maybe.”
Both could explain the blood in the car.
“Do you know where he went after the crash?”
“He came after me, tried to track me through the trees, but eventually he gave up.”
“Do you know what he did next?”
Will nodded. “I decided to track him, so I doubled back and was able to pick up his trail as he headed out of the woods and toward the road.”
A couple with a Jack Russell passed by on the trail.
“You like to hunt?” Madison asked Will.
“I’ve spent my entire life hunting, so I knew how to stay quiet and hidden.”
“What did you see?”
“He walked down the road and flagged down another car.” This time Will turned to her. “I saw the license plate.”
Madison worked to keep her excitement in check. “Do you remember the numbers?”
He nodded, then recited them. “It was a Ford—an SUV—and it was gray.”
Madison radioed the information to Jonas.
“I know this has been hard, but you’ve been a huge help, Will. Is there anything else you can think of that might help us track him down?”
“He took my phone. Made a call, then threw it out the window.”
“That’s why we couldn’t trace it. Do you have any idea who he might have been calling?”
“He didn’t say much. Just that they should wait for him.”
“Not bad, kid. If you ever think about going into law enforcement one day, give me a call.”