Deadly River Pursuit

by Heather Woodhaven

  His words shot fear straight to her heart, but he wasn’t wrong. Not once had a bullet come her way even though she’d been just as much in the shooter’s sights as Henry. In fact, so much so, she had made herself take a good look as she’d swum to the other side.

  “He had on a face covering, like the other two incidents, but we both know how common those masks are. This guy had a different build than Dexter’s murderer, I’m sure of it. He was more tall and wiry.”

  Henry raised an eyebrow, his skepticism evident. “When adrenaline hits the—”

  She folded her chilled arms across her chest. “Don’t make me prove everything I see all over again.”

  His face went slack, like when he was trying to hide his surprise, and she knew he was finally listening. “Dexter’s murderer was average height and slim. I know that’s nothing specific,” she added hastily, seeing his mouth open. “But the shooter who went after us at the bank had broad shoulders, a more athletic build. Still slim, but almost like he was wearing shoulder pads. More like the man who shoved me down in the lodge. The guy who shot at us just now was tall and wiry.”

  Henry’s jawline pulsed, either from trying to keep his teeth from chattering or grinding his teeth together. She used to kiss his jaw when he’d tense up like that. Nora swung her gaze to the trees, blinking rapidly at the unexpected thought. The cold had frozen a little too many brain cells, that was all. “What if they aren’t here?” she asked. “What do we do?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know.” He tipped his head. “I’m not looking forward to going down the river without a raft again.”

  “That’s not an option.” She took a deep breath. “The rapids after this are too intense to float without a boat. And if, somehow, we missed Sangster Creek and the final take-out—they both have small windows—then we’d find ourselves in the final canyon.”

  “A set of rapids every mile and the dreaded Garnet Rapids.”

  “And Perry warned me about a boulder the size of an SUV right in the middle of our normal route. I was going to check it out to see how to avoid a high-side, but I wouldn’t be comfortable trying without the best gear.”

  “Okay, I get it. We might have to camp out here.” Henry reached for the side of his waist. He was missing his gun. His eyes drifted across the river. “Let’s get under cover. It would take the gunman a long journey to get off the top of the cliff and over here, but we better not take any chances. Especially if we’re dealing with multiple people.”

  “If Bobby and Carl are fine, they’ll have radios. They’ll call it in. At least search and rescue can reach us at this site.” The breeze blew and she fought against a shiver. “There’s a chance we won’t have to spend the night, if they’re fast. I could really do with a proper cup of tea right now.” She ventured a glance at the sun, hovering over the west end of the treetops.

  She turned back to see Henry’s lips twitch. His lips lost and he coughed a laugh.

  “What? What’s so funny?”

  “A proper cup?”

  “Well, it just sounds silly when you say it,” she said, fighting back her own laugh. “Okay, I admit, maybe I’m watching too many British shows. I find the accent and pacing to be soothing.”

  “It might be the tea you’re having while you watch it.”

  She trudged after him but didn’t comment. She’d never thought about the chamomile being the reason. She’d been fond of British dramas ever since her mom would come home on Sunday afternoons, her only time off, and want to watch one on PBS. Maya’d had no interest, but Nora had fond memories.

  The moment she stepped into the shadows, goose bumps erupted over Nora’s arms and legs. Their brief moment of levity vanished along with the warmth the light had provided.

  “Carl? Bobby?” Henry called out. His voice seemed strained, as if he didn’t want to use his normal volume. Nora wondered if he was afraid to give the gunman a hint about their precise location. Sound carried rapidly between the canyon walls.

  He focused on the ground, most likely looking for traces of footprints. The only ones Nora spotted were her own, though.

  “The least we can do is retrieve the drugs while we’re here, so we’re ready when the rescue team comes for us.” Henry eyed her. “You still remember where you hid it?”

  She fought against rolling her eyes. “I’ll see to it.”

  He half-heartedly nodded and stepped between two trees. “I’ll look for any signs of the guys.” He stiffened as the trees twenty feet away rustled so violently that it couldn’t be an animal unless they were dealing with a cougar or bear. Henry kept his eyes forward and gestured intensely with his left hand, low to the ground. The message was clear. Go hide.

  Nora hesitated but rounded the boulders where she’d hidden the drugs in the first place. She squatted, unsure she wanted to pull out the drugs until Henry was sure the area was safe. She moved the rock blocking the log and spotted the tiniest bit of red inside. Still safe and—

  “Nora?”

  She started and spun around. Behind her, Bobby stood, eyes narrowed. “What are you doing here? I’ve been worried sick.”

  Nora’s breath hitched, wanting to ask him the same question. Had she misjudged Bobby all along? How was it that he’d suddenly appeared so close to where the drugs had been found?

  “Stranded,” she answered.

  “I figured that much, but how’d you get here? I saw your raft float past us. I wanted to keep going down the river until we could get a cell signal to call for help, but Carl—” His voice shook with a level of frustration Nora rarely witnessed from Bobby. “There’s something off about that guy. He barely says two words, but then I’m all alone with him and he acts like he’s the sheriff himself. Says we need to stay on schedule for stops, but he doesn’t even let me land at the safest pullout to get to them.”

  He pointed behind him. “I never knew there was a path back here. Did you?”

  Nora looked over his shoulder. “There’s not.”

  “That tiny space between the boulders. If you step in sideways, it opens up into a bigger path and takes you along the rock face to Boulder Creek. Ironically.”

  She stepped away from the log where she’d hidden the drugs. “Carl knew about this path?” The news seemed troubling. Carl knew the river better than she did? He’d been so quiet. Too quiet, maybe. “So you don’t have a cell or radio signal?”

  “No. I’m sure once I get past the cliffs—”

  “We’re definitely going to need you to call for help. Henry and I can’t get off the river without another boat. Is Carl still in there?” She threw a thumb over her shoulder. At his nod, her gut twisted.

  “He said he was supposed to pick up something.”

  Her mouth went dry. Carl was trying to find the drugs without them. And Bobby hadn’t mentioned anyone shooting at them. She needed to warn Henry.

  “Hold up one second.” She turned around, stepped out of her hiding place, and wove through the trees, headed for the area where Henry had been. Two male voices in a relatively heated exchange led her the rest of the way.

  “No need to get worked up. I think it’s fair to say it’s my turn to take over this investigation.” Carl’s voice carried through the leaves just as Nora stepped past a bush. She spotted Henry’s back and Carl’s hardened eyes, fists on his waist, just above his gun holster. It’s my turn. Her breath hitched at his words.

  He’d said those three words to Dexter. Right before he’d murdered him. The certainty shot electricity through her veins. Carl’s eyes lifted, moving past Henry’s shoulder and connecting with Nora’s. She tried to relax her face into a forced smile, as if she suspected nothing, but his eyebrows jumped and his eyes flickered with recognition.

  Maybe she was reading into things and Carl didn’t realize she’d recognized him. “Hi,” she said nonchalantly, racking her brain for ideas on how to buy time
. She needed to communicate, to let Henry know. “You guys find the drugs yet?”

  Henry spun around, his brow furrowed in confusion. Carl’s hand moved to his gun. She was out of time and options.

  “He’s the killer!” She was too little, too late. Carl’s arm lifted, his eyes steadily aimed at her.

  “Bobby! Run for help!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, praying she’d given Henry enough warning to duck for cover, as well.

  TWELVE

  Henry spun on one foot back in the direction of Carl. His brain struggled to connect the pieces. But a gun in the man’s hand, pointed at Nora, circumvented all thought. Henry’s hand balled into a fist. He twisted and slammed his knuckles into the man’s jaw with enough force Henry cried out in pain with the contact. He’d deal with potential broken fingers later.

  The gun went off. Carl stumbled backward. Henry allowed himself a quick glance, confirming the bullet hadn’t hit Nora. “Nora, run!” Carl still had the gun in his hand. They weren’t out of danger yet, and Henry didn’t have anything to fight back with except the good fifty pounds he had on the man.

  Carl’s back hit a tree trunk, but he righted himself to standing as he raised his arm to shoot again. Henry ducked low and dove. The top of his head hit the deputy squarely in the ribs. They slid sideways to the ground. Rocks and thorny stems pricked Henry’s legs and arms as he fought to flip Carl over onto his back before the man could fire again or hit him with the gun.

  More gunshots rang out. Except, they were in the distance. The two men stilled, and Carl’s face transformed into a sneer. “Bobby’s not going to be calling anyone for help.”

  A blurry wave of brown flashed in Henry’s peripheral vision before a sick cracking noise reached his ears. In front of him, Carl crumpled. Behind him, Nora stood, trembling as a thick branch fell from her hands. She reached for Henry, pulling him upright.

  “I told you to run, Nora.”

  “You don’t always get to be the boss of—”

  Carl growled. They both turned to see him on all fours, the gun still in his hand, preparing to get back up.

  “Now we should run.” Nora sprinted off in the opposite direction of the bank. Henry almost screamed at her to follow him, but he kept on her heels. Carl yelled and launched three bullets through the air, but they seemed like wild ones fired more out of rage than precision. Nora ducked behind a massive boulder right into a dead end. If she’d thought they could hunker down and hide, and he wouldn’t find them, she was sorely—

  She darted sideways through a precariously thin space between a boulder and the rock wall. “Come on,” she whispered.

  Henry pursed his lips and followed. At least it would be a hiding place. Except, as they sidestepped into the shadows and ignored the disturbingly large webs above their heads, the opening widened. A natural but thin, rocky path between boulders and the rock face wall seemed to lead to an intersection of creek and river. If they could make it there, it was possible they could run away on the banks of the creek.

  Nora twisted, beckoning with her hand for him to move faster. “Hurry! Carl knows about this path.”

  The momentary hope vanished in an instant. Carl was only five years younger than him but seemed lithe and fit. There was no way they could outrun him. Especially since Carl had a radio, a gun and apparently more gunmen waiting for his orders.

  Nora tripped on a rock and fell, crying out. He rushed forward to help. Carl would know instantly where they were. Help me find a weapon, please. David’s slingshot and rocks instantly came to mind—the story of how he’d defeated Goliath—but Henry had never been a good pitcher. He’d never so much as played Little League. He was, however, prepared to take a bullet if that meant Nora could get to safety. He leaned over, grabbed her waist and helped her to a standing position.

  The bushes ten feet ahead shifted.

  Nora gasped. “Henry, what—?”

  A hole in the rock face appeared where the bushes had parted. How was he supposed to protect her when there was danger coming at them from every side?

  “Get in here. Now,” a female voice whispered.

  Henry squinted to see the face of a woman, who resembled Nora, peeking out of the shadows. The same dark hair pulled back in a braid confirmed his suspicions.

  “Maya?” Nora said weakly. “Is that really you?”

  The sound of shifting rock propelled him into action. Carl would barrel right around the corner in seconds at this rate. Henry would rather take his chances with Nora’s sister than the gunman, but both possibilities seemed fraught with danger. Nora, however, seemed too stunned to move. Henry placed his hands on her waist once more, lifting her up and over the next boulder. That seemed to stir her awake, and she launched into the rock face opening as Henry followed closely behind.

  Maya released the bushes, which, upon closer examination, were attached to a net on the backside with long strands of wild grasses running through them for better coverage. She dropped a green canvas veil behind her and they were enveloped with darkness. “Be quiet,” she whispered. “He doesn’t know exactly where I am, but he knows the entrance is somewhere around here.”

  Henry’s gut dropped. Right when Nora had finally seemed to forgive him for his part in the divide of their sisterly relationship, why had Maya needed to show up? She was clearly part of the mess they were in. Were they walking into a bigger trap?

  * * *

  Nora took shallow breaths of the cold, musty air. Her bones vibrated and her hair felt as if it was starting to freeze instead of dry after their swim in the rapids. A dim light appeared in front of Maya. Nora held a hand to her heart. “You were in town, then. All along?” Her voice cracked ever so slightly. All those years of pain and worry and loneliness, and her sister could have stopped by at any time. Did Maya hate her so much she couldn’t have even tried to heal the divide between them?

  “Follow me.” Maya shuffled along a dusty path with rocks on either side. She turned a sharp corner and flipped a switch. Lightbulbs rigged by electric wiring draped precariously along the ceiling sprang to life. They were standing on a long, inclined straight path made of metal grates, like an enormous ramp. “We can probably talk now, if we’re not too loud.”

  “What are you doing here?” Nora asked.

  Maya raised an eyebrow and popped her hip out to the side, the same sassy move she used to do whenever she didn’t like Nora’s input. “Saving your life. Obviously.” Her brows dropped low over her eyes. “I was assured you would never be in danger, so the deal is clearly off.”

  “Who? Who assured you? Carl?” Henry asked.

  Maya pursed her lips but only gave him a cursory glance before addressing Nora again. “I see you two are still together.”

  Fire sparked in Nora’s chest and she embraced the heat and stepped closer to Maya. “When you slammed the door on our relationship, you lost the right to comment on my love life. And what are you now?” She thrust her hands out, gesturing to the tunnel. “A smuggler?”

  Maya’s eyes glistened for half a second before she blinked hard and turned away. “At the moment, I’m your rescuer, so I think you can leave your high-and-mighty comments for someone who cares.”

  A flood of regrets cascaded over her, so much so, she could hardly pull in a breath. She’d failed. Nora reached for her arm. Maya flinched but didn’t move away. A cry caught in Nora’s throat, as she pulled Maya into her arms. “You’re my sister,” she whispered.

  Her mom had told her to take care of her sister, and here Maya was—obviously involved in drugs or worse. Part of Nora didn’t want to know. She wanted to pull Maya out of this hole in the literal ground, wash her up and get her back on track. Whatever it took. But instead of the big sister lecture on the tip of her tongue, she pulled in a breath, catching hints of vanilla and coconut. The familiar scent of Maya’s favorite shampoo eased her heart. At least some things stayed the
same. “I missed you,” Nora said instead.

  “And sharing your soaked shirt with me.” Maya pushed her back, half-heartedly but with a soft smile, though her eyes were downcast. Her satellite radio burst with static and she dialed it down before words could be heard. “The less you know, the better. Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”

  “You know I can’t agree to that,” Henry said softly. “I can’t pretend I never saw or heard anything, but I want to help you, Maya. Honestly, I do. I know I acted rashly the, uh, last time I saw you.”

  The sister Nora used to know appeared for a split second before all emotion seemed to disappear and Maya’s spine straightened. “Like I said, we need to keep moving.”

  “This—” Henry gestured in front of him “—can’t be the life you wanted.”

  Maya crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at them both. “Ganging up on me again? Nora, you always were so judgmental. Drugs help people, okay? They want them. I help supply them. I have a good life.”

  “In this—”

  Maya held up a hand. “I only work here in the spring and then I’m free to go and do whatever I want the rest of the year. Wherever I want. Which is away from judgmental people like you.”

  “Do you take drugs, too?” Nora fought to act nonchalant. If her sister wanted nonjudgmental, she would deliver.

  She shrugged. “I don’t, personally. I prefer to provide a service for a lucrative income. Give the people what they want. No one gets hurt.” Maya started ever so slightly. If she hadn’t known her, Nora wouldn’t have seen that Maya had realized the mistake in her words.

  “I almost died,” Nora said softly. “More than once. I’ve been shot at. Bobby got shot at today. I don’t know if he’s—” She placed a hand over her mouth, trying her best to hold back her fear.

  “Bobby?” Maya’s armor cracked. “They shot at him?” She blinked rapidly. “Did you ever think that maybe I didn’t visit, didn’t get back in touch, because it’s the only way to keep you safe?”