Christmas Witness Pursuit

by Lisa Harris

  “I’m aware of the risks, but I think this is the only way.”

  She glanced again toward the door then nodded. “Let’s do it.”

  He could hear voices below getting louder. There was no way to know how many men were out there, but he couldn’t worry about that right now. He knew they’d taken their positions and were waiting for the opportunity to pounce.

  He started praying. Not only that the wind didn’t change, but that he’d be able to physically make it. He didn’t want Tory to know his level of pain. But he’d find a way to push through. He had no choice. And they had to hurry. If they didn’t escape soon, he had a feeling the men would come for them.

  “So you have done this before?” he asked.

  “Set an anchor, wrap the rope and start your descent. I can do that.”

  He was surprised at her response, but also relieved. Rappelling without the necessary equipment, though doable, was dangerous. And, for the moment, their one chance out of here.

  “There’s no time to update the sheriff’s office, but the sun will be up soon. If they’re not on their way now, they should be soon.”

  “And if Jinx and his men try to come up here?” she asked.

  “Then I’ll have to make every shot count, but I’m hoping to avoid a showdown.”

  Griffin signaled for her to tie the towels around her face. Beyond what they were doing now, all he could do was pray that the winds had died down enough to make a helicopter extraction possible. In the meantime, they had to do this on their own.

  The smoke continued to thicken as they made their way to the back of the first story. He could hear the flames crackling, lapping at the thick wooden beams his grandfather had erected a century ago. His body ached as he found the best spot on the catwalk to make a descent. They worked quickly together on the catwalks to set the anchor by looping the rope around two thick poles that were strong enough to hold them. He monitored Tory’s progress while they worked, pleased at how quickly she followed his lead. She must have been doing more than just hiking the day she’d witnessed the murders. She clearly had experience with rappelling and climbing, which was going to make what they were about to do a whole lot easier.

  A minute later they dropped the ends of their ropes and let them fall to the ground. He could hear the men shouting below them on the other side of the tower, but there was no way to know if their plan had been discovered.

  She followed his lead as he pulled his rope around his hip, over his shoulder then back down his arm. The friction of the rope against his body would slow his descent and stop a fall. They’d have to control the rate of descent by monitoring how fast the rope passed through their hands.

  “Make sure you don’t let go of the rope,” he said.

  “Don’t worry. I have no intention of doing that.”

  They climbed over the railing and each began scaling a structural beam. He ignored the piercing jab in his side that seemed to grow with each step, and worked instead to ensure that most of the pressure was on his good arm. He prayed she was wrong about his ribs, but this was a risk he’d have to take. While the men might still need Tory alive, he knew he was completely disposable.

  He glanced down at the halfway point. They were still probably at least fifty or sixty feet above the ground, but all they had to do was get off the structure without being followed, then make it to that helo he prayed was on its way. The heat of the fire intensified around them. At some point the structure would collapse. They just had to make it to the bottom before that happened.

  Griffin brushed away the wave of emotion that hit. His grandfather had overseen the building of the tower in the early 1900s and it had stood for all this time. But he couldn’t worry about what would be lost. All he had to focus on was getting Tory out of there alive.

  * * *

  Tory could hear men’s voices behind them as she edged her way down the large support beam. Somehow the feel of the rope in her hand and the descent seemed familiar, but that didn’t take away the terror flooding her chest. She couldn’t dwell on that. Instead she fought to focus on one step at a time. That’s all they could do while praying that they managed to find a way out alive.

  Her lungs fought for air as she glanced at Griffin. His mouth and nose were covered with the dishcloth to block the smoke, but she could still see the intensity in his eyes. He was in pain. What scared her the most was that if Jinx and his men found them, they wouldn’t just beat him. This time they’d find a way to get the information they wanted, then kill him.

  Her gaze shifted up as she tried to pinpoint the location of the men. Shouts came from behind them, but she couldn’t see them. Her legs threatened to collapse as she hit the ground. She shot out a sharp breath of relief and started pulling off her rope. They were running out of time. They had seconds at the most until the men discovered where they were.

  “You good?” Griffin asked.

  She nodded. Her legs were shaking, but she had no intention of letting that slow her down. “We need to get out of here.”

  She felt her heart pound as she dropped the rope onto the ground. Griffin had been right. Their escape down the back of the tower had given them the advantage of surprise, but once the men recognized what they’d done, they’d be seconds behind.

  Griffin grabbed her hand and started pulling her toward the tree line. It was still snowing, but not as heavy as it had been during the night. Still, the recent snowfall had added up to at least half a foot of additional coverage and the drifts were even deeper. Icy cold wind bore through her coat and gloves, leaving her lungs burning with every breath.

  She could hear Griffin’s labored breathing as he ran beside her, partly from the cold, she was sure, but also from the fact that he’d taken a beating to his rib cage. Adrenaline was probably masking most of the pain, but not all of it. And there was no time for her to stop to check out just how much damage there was. They had to keep moving.

  Someone on the catwalk shouted.

  Tory looked back to see someone standing in a haze of smoke. The fire had started to abate and the men must have just realized that they’d climbed down.

  A bullet smashed into a tree behind them, sending another rush of adrenaline through her. Griffin ran his arm around her waist, helping to pick up her speed. Every step felt like her feet were made of lead and her pant leg rubbed against the cut on her leg. She willed her mind to block out the distractions. They just needed to keep running.

  Keep running.

  That’s all she could think about. One step in front of another. Fatigue washed through her. She was exhausted, both physically and emotionally, but there was no sign yet of the helicopter, which meant they simply had to keep going.

  Help us get out of here, God...

  But where were they supposed to go? The cold seemed to slice all the way through her as they ran. She was pretty sure there were at least four men after them, including Jinx, and they were probably all armed. Snow crunched under her feet as they ran. Griffin might know this area well, but in the snow, with only the light of dawn, how long could they realistically keep running and evading the men behind them?

  Eventually they’d be found.

  “Griffin?”

  “I’m okay.”

  “You’re not okay.” Tory glanced behind them and searched the trees for signs of movement. “How far do you think they are? Because you need to stop running.”

  “I can’t. There’s a ridge about another fifty yards ahead of us where we should be able to hide. It’ll give us shelter from the wind, plus a place to watch for the sheriff.”

  At the top of the ridge, Griffin signaled for her to stop. He walked back in their footprints, then turned in another direction and ran in a couple of circles before coming back around into the narrow space where the underbrush covered the prints, clearly hoping to throw off the men.

  He grabbed her ha
nd again. “Let’s go.”

  He led her down the side of the rocky ledge and then pulled her with him beneath the overhang.

  “If they’re following our tracks, I’m hoping this way they won’t be able to tell one set is a dead end, to buy us some time,” he said. “We’ll hunker down here under the ledge. It will give us a clear view of where the helo lands and we should be able to hear if anyone is coming from behind. It also should protect us some from the wind.”

  He sat next to her then tugged her against him. She could feel the heat from his body as she leaned into his chest. Could feel his warm breath against her neck. They sat still beneath the overhang, waiting as the first rays of sunlight spilled over the horizon.

  “You’re shaking,” he said, rubbing her gloved fingers between his hands.

  “I know, but you...you’re the one I’m worried about.”

  “I’m fine. Really. Nothing more than a few bruises. I’ll be back to normal in a day or two.”

  “Not if you damaged your rib cage further.”

  “What’s done is done. We didn’t have a choice.”

  “I know.”

  She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as they huddled silently in the semidarkness. Griffin pulled out his weapon and set it next to him. He’d told her that they didn’t have enough bullets to survive a shoot-out with Jinx and his men, but clearly he wanted to be prepared. She couldn’t worry about what was going to happen. For the moment she was simply grateful they were alive.

  A patch of snow dropped from a branch above her and slid down her cheek. But she could barely feel it. Her face, hands and feet were numb. They needed rescuing, not just because of the men after them, but because of the dangers of exposure. She glanced at Griffin. Exposure to the elements could be just as dangerous as a bullet.

  It was strange the things she could remember. Like the serious hazards of extremely low temperatures on the body, and how the stress from cold could cause things like dehydration, frostbite, numbness and hypothermia. She glanced down at her hand that felt so cold even with the gloves she was wearing. He’d been right. She was shivering, which was the first symptom of trouble for the body. Once her core temperature dropped below 98.6 degrees, the blood would begin to flow away from her arms and legs, bringing with it the risk of hypothermia.

  She pushed away the medical jargon running through her mind, wishing for the moment that she’d forgotten it along with all that had happened the day she’d been out hiking.

  “All of this somehow seems surreal,” she said, whispering through the hazy glow of dawn. “We’re watching the sun rise over a field of snow, while outlines of the mountains begin to appear. It’s as if I can almost forget what’s going on around me.”

  “I was just thinking the same thing.”

  But they couldn’t forget. Couldn’t put their guard down even for a moment. Jinx was out there, trying to follow their tracks through the snow. Finding them was inevitable. They just had to pray that the sheriff found them first.

  Her breath caught at the sound of helicopter blades whirling in the distance.

  “Griffin... They’re here.”

  A rush of relief flooded through her, followed by a wave of panic. If they could hear the helicopter, so could Jinx. Once they stepped out into the open, they’d become targets for Jinx and his men. Because this wasn’t over, not yet. Jinx wouldn’t want them to get on that helicopter and he’d do everything in his power to stop them.

  ELEVEN

  Tory spotted one of the helicopter’s lights as she and Griffin emerged from beneath the ledge. Jinx and his men were still somewhere behind them, but at least now they had a fighting chance of getting out alive. Griffin pulled out his flashlight and started signaling SOS at the chopper to pinpoint their location for the rescuers.

  Adrenaline pressed like a weight against her chest as she watched the bird move in for a landing. She glanced behind them. They needed to get to that chopper before Jinx’s men caught up to them.

  A light in the chopper flashed a signal back at them.

  She glanced at the ledge again. There was still no sign of Jinx or his men, but if they’d heard the chopper—which she knew they had—it wouldn’t be long until they figured out exactly what was going on.

  Someone yelled at them from the open door of the chopper as it landed in the clearing, but between the distance and the roar of its blades, she couldn’t understand them. Shots fired behind them, above the ledge. Jinx and his men were here.

  Seconds later, half a dozen men wearing bulletproof vests exited the helicopter. Griffin squeezed her hand as two of the men crossed the clearing and headed for their location, their weapons firing into the tree line at Jinx’s men as she and Griffin ran toward the helicopter.

  Sheriff Jackson stopped in front of them. “We’re going to get you out of here, but I need to know exactly what we’re up against. How many are out there?”

  “Four, maybe five.” Griffin shouted above the noise from the chopper.

  “Is Jinx one of them?”

  “I’m pretty sure, though I never saw him.” Griffin locked gazes with his brother Caden, who was one of the armed men. “What are you doing here?”

  “Between my military experience and knowledge of this terrain, the sheriff asked me to help. We need to get you onto that chopper, then we’re going after the men.”

  Griffin disagreed. “I’m glad you’re here, but get her to safety and I’ll come with you—”

  “No way,” Tory shouted. “He needs to be checked by a doctor, not out there fighting.”

  “What happened?” Caden asked.

  “I’m fine—”

  “Bruising at a minimum, but possible broken ribs as well as potential internal damage—” Tory started.

  “I need to help Caden—”

  “Forget it.” Sheriff Jackson shot down any further arguments. “You saved her life. You’ve done enough. I want both of you out of here now.”

  Caden squeezed his brother’s shoulder. “Can the two of you make it to the chopper?”

  Griffin nodded. “We’re good to go.”

  “On my signal,” the sheriff said, “stay down and move as fast as you can in front of me.”

  She understood the unspoken implications. The worst-case scenario running through her mind was for this to somehow turn into a hostage situation or a shoot-out. Neither of which they could let happen. On top of that, in the clearing they were going to be exposed by the lack of tree cover.

  The sheriff said something into his radio then turned to them. “Let’s go...now.”

  Tory’s heart pounded as she ran with Griffin in front of Caden and the sheriff toward the clearing and the chopper. The officers continued firing a steady round of bullets around them, keeping Jinx and his men pinned behind the tree line. All she could do at this point was trust that they knew what they were doing. Because while the lawmen had managed to keep Jinx and his men back in the woods, she wasn’t sure how long that was going to last. Both sides were motivated, and in the balance hung her life along with Griffin’s and the officers’.

  They were in the middle of the clearing where the bird had touched down when she stumbled on a thick branch covered with snow. Tory very quickly regained her balance as she tried to keep her vision focused on the men waiting for them ahead and not on the men wanting her dead behind them.

  She felt Griffin’s arm tighten around her waist as they kept running. Another twenty yards...fifteen. She knew he had to be in pain and hoped she was wrong about the possibility of a cracked rib, but there was nothing she could do for him right now. Another ten yards and they’d be there.

  Seconds later someone pulled her into the chopper and then reached for Griffin. He groaned as he climbed into the bird, but they’d made it. She glanced out the cargo door again, expecting to see Jinx and his men emerge, but there was sti
ll no sign of them. They had to be there, regrouping near the tree line. Apparently even Jinx was smart enough not to go against the firepower that had to be on this chopper.

  “Get them out of here,” the sheriff shouted at the pilot and his copilot in the cockpit. “We’re going to take these guys down.”

  She caught Griffin’s frown as Caden gave them a thumbs-up, but she was glad he wasn’t bucking orders. Not only did he not have a vest on, his body wasn’t ready physically for a confrontation like the one the men were about to face.

  “Go...go...go...”

  The deputies and agents were shouting at Jinx and his men. Demanding they put down their weapons. The helicopter rose from the ground, heading away from the fight as the sheriff and his men took off after Jinx. She latched her seat belt then slid on the headset, knowing how bad Griffin wanted to be on the ground taking down Jinx and his men and putting an end to all of this.

  She took his wrist and checked his pulse to monitor his breathing. A punctured lung could lead to lower oxygen levels and heart function, translating to increased heart rate. For the moment, his seemed normal.

  “Welcome aboard. I’m Captain Peterson, and this is Tactical Flight Officer Harper.” The pilot spoke through the headsets as he took off from their landing spot. “Sit back and relax... We’re going to get both of you out of here in one piece.”

  Sit back and relax.

  Really?

  She wasn’t going to be able to relax until Jinx was back behind bars and all of this mess was over.

  She turned to Griffin, worried about how he was doing on top of everything. “How’s the pain?”

  “Feels like I’ve been beat up, but honestly it’s about the same.”

  “Shortness of breath or light-headedness?”

  “Breathing in hurts, but it’s not unbearable.”

  She heard a loud pop and felt a sharp pinch on her arm. She looked down and pulled up her sleeve. There was a thin stream of blood running down her forearm.