by Rebecca Deel
“Could have stolen another one, babe. This clown is pretty resourceful from what I understand. That’s why we need you and Charlie. You can give us an idea of whether or not Muehller put Ruth in another vehicle, walked her out of here, or carried her away. Josh said this guy carried Serena a half mile when he abducted her. With his line of work, he had to stay in shape. Muehller’s had nothing but time on his hands since he went to prison. To kill time, many prisoners lift weights and jog. If this guy followed the norm, he shouldn’t have any trouble carrying Ruth a short distance.”
He clasped her hand and led her and Charlie across the clearing, steering her around rocks and tree roots, and helping her over the uneven terrain. Ethan met them at the front of the cabin, phone pressed to his ear.
“I need another team out here at the lodge, Rod. Cabin eight. Quinn and I found Muehller’s SUV and the cabin where he took Ruth. They’re gone, though. We’ll see whether Charlie can tell us if Muehller drove off in another vehicle with Ruth or if they’re somewhere out in the forest.” A minute later, Ethan slid his phone into his pocket. “Stella will be here to process the scene in a few minutes. Quinn, you have the bag with Muehller’s shirt?”
“Right here. Stella should have someone with her when she processes the scene. Muehller might return.”
Ethan palmed his phone and fired off a text. “Done.”
Quinn slid off his pack, pulled out the plastic bag, and handed it to Heidi. “Let’s see if Charlie has a successful search this time. If not, I vote we let Ethan play the lost victim.”
His friend’s eyebrows rose. “What’s this?”
“Charlie becomes depressed if he can’t locate his target. This afternoon, I had to play hide-and-seek with Charlie.”
“I take it he found you.”
“Yep. Took him all of ten minutes.”
Heidi opened the bag for a third time and held it out to Charlie. He sniffed, looked up at her, sniffed again, then wagged his tail. “This is Hans, Charlie. Find Hans.”
Charlie raised his nose and paced, searching for the scent. He trotted around the side of the house to the back near the SUV and lunged toward the forest.
Heidi held tight to the leash. “He’s picked up the trail. Looks like Muehller when into the forest recently.”
Ethan scanned the area. “Quinn, call in the rest of your team. Let’s run this guy down.”
“Copy that.” He walked away a few steps and placed a call. In less than a minute, Quinn was back. “Twenty minutes. Josh said to wait for Durango to arrive before you make a move on Muehller.”
“If I can,” Ethan said. “No promises. Ruth’s safety comes before mine.”
“Fair enough. Heidi, you ready?”
“Let’s do this. I’m ready for a mug of hot coffee. This damp has chilled me down to my bones.” Charlie yipped, impatient to find Muehller. “Find Hans, Charlie.” Heidi allowed the Lab to take the lead.
Quinn held Heidi’s hand as they hurried after Charlie with Ethan close behind. The Lab led them through the trees, around bushes and boulders. When Heidi stumbled over a couple exposed tree roots she couldn’t see in the darkness, Quinn kept her upright and on the move. Might be wise to add a pair of NVGs to her gear bag. She would ask Quinn later about helping her choose a good pair.
“I hope you know where we are,” she murmured to Quinn. “Every tree looks alike to me and I haven’t been able to learn the terrain yet.”
“Of course I do.”
She glanced at him before returning her attention to the unfamiliar ground in front of her. “Are you being serious?”
“What do you think?”
Heidi analyzed what she heard in his voice. “I’m not positive. I hear a couple of things in your voice. Humor and confidence. Knowing you, though, I suspect you do know where we are.”
“I have GPS. I can get us back to the lodge.”
Good thing. It was pitch black out here. It would take her forever to find her way back if it weren’t for Charlie or Quinn. Charlie was excellent at retracing his steps. Without Quinn and his handy NVGs, she and her search partner would be forced to wait until morning to head back to the lodge, not something she wanted on this cold winter night. Holing up for a night of undesired camping was better than trying to return to the lodge without light and ending up with a sprained ankle or worse.
When she noticed Charlie panting, she stopped him and slid her pack off her shoulders. “Rest break for Charlie,” she whispered. “Can’t afford for him to become exhausted.”
“Understood,” Ethan said. “How long?”
“Fifteen minutes if we can spare it.”
With a quick nod, he said, “I’ll return soon, then we can head out again.” Within a few steps, he disappeared from sight through the trees.
Heidi frowned as she filled the collapsible bowl with water for her partner. Once Charlie drank his fill, Heidi emptied out the remaining water and returned the bowl to her pack along with the half-filled water bottle. “Where did Ethan go?”
“Scouting the area to see if he can find traces of Muehller’s passage.”
“By himself? In the dark?” She didn’t understand how he could see anything out here.
“First, he’s an Army Ranger and a very experienced cop. He can take care of himself. Second, Ethan’s the best tracker around. Even a bent grass blade can tell him volumes. If you’re lost, he’s the man you want looking for you.”
Maybe. She would rather have Quinn and his teammates hunting for her. There was something about them that told her they would never give up the chase no matter what obstacles they had to overcome or how long the search for her lasted. She trusted them with her life.
Heidi stared at the place where Ethan had disappeared. Perhaps the police chief was the same. Despite not knowing him for long, she believed he would never stop looking for his aunt. Anyone with eyes could see Ethan Blackhawk adored Ruth. She was a lucky woman to be so loved.
At the fifteen minute mark on the dot, Ethan returned. “Ready?”
“Find anything?” Quinn asked as he helped Heidi to her feet.
“Signs of recent passage up ahead. Let’s see if Charlie agrees with me on the direction Muehller took.”
Heidi refreshed the scent for Charlie and they set off again, heading the direction Ethan had taken into the trees. Guess Ethan was right about the recent passage. Muehller must have come this way. How did he carry Ruth this far? Prison workout fit or not, they must have walked at least a mile from the lodge.
She thought about the distance and the strength necessary to carry a person that far. Scary thought if the assassin had done just that. Perhaps he hadn’t had to carry Ethan’s aunt the whole distance. If Ruth wasn’t too badly hurt, she could have walked some of the distance on her own.
Ethan came up beside them. “There’s a forest ranger’s cabin up ahead,” he said softly. “Charlie’s been heading straight for that structure.”
“Is the ranger in residence at this time of year?” Quinn asked, skepticism in his voice.
The police chief shook his head. “There shouldn’t be anyone there. The ranger came through here three days ago to scout the area for trouble. He’s not due to return until next week.”
Amazed that he knew this particular bit of information, Heidi asked, “How did you find that out?”
“Called the forest ranger while I was tracking. He’s a friend. As far as he knows, this is the only permanent structure in the area besides the lodge and cabins. Muehller doesn’t like roughing it. The man likes his luxuries which is why I’m happy he’s been in prison for the last two years. No luxuries to be had.” Ethan stepped in front of Heidi and Quinn and held up his closed fist.
When Quinn pulled her to a stop, Heidi recalled Charlie with a soft whistle. He trotted back to her side, tail wagging, tongue hanging out. Her buddy would need to eat soon. He was burning calories in this search.
The police chief turned with a finger to his lips and motioned for them to remain i
n place. Between one breath and the next, he had moved off to the left without even a branch quivering to show his passage.
Goodness, Heidi would love to learn how to do that. Might be a great skill to have in her arsenal one day. Quinn nudged her deeper into the shadow of a large tree and tugged her against his side.
“Okay?” he whispered.
She nodded, snuggling closer, careful not to obstruct his view or impede his gun hand. Charlie laid down at her feet. With his dark fur, he blended into the darkness. “Why are we waiting?”
“Ethan must have seen or heard something. He’s checking it out.”
Grateful for people so much more experienced in this stealth business, Heidi subsided into silence so Quinn would hear if someone approached their position.
A couple minutes later, Ethan returned as silently as he’d left. “I heard a door shut in the distance. The ranger’s cabin is about six hundred yards ahead. While it’s supposed to be empty, there’s a flickering light in there. Someone lit a fire in the fireplace. Curtains are closed so I can’t see inside the structure. I hear someone walking around because the floor’s creaking.”
At that moment, Ethan’s phone must have vibrated because he removed it from his pocket and glanced at the screen. “Dispatch,” he murmured. He pressed the phone to his ear. “Blackhawk.”
The night was so quiet and, with Ethan close, Heidi and Quinn heard the other side of the conversation.
“Chief, there’s an urgent call for you. The man won’t identify himself, but he says he has your aunt.”
His face hardened. “Patch him through.” A second later, Ethan said, “Blackhawk.”
“It’s been a long time, Blackhawk,” growled a male voice.
“Not long enough, Muehller.”
“Now, now, that’s not very civil of you.”
“You want civil? Turn yourself in. I’ll be happy to escort you to my jail cell until the feds haul you off to prison.”
Soft laughter sent chill bumps surging over Heidi. Hans Muehller sounded evil to her and he meant to hurt Ethan if he could. They couldn’t let Muehller have his way. Lucas needed his father. Like she and Quinn had needed their fathers. If they’d been men like Otter Creek’s police chief, would her life and Quinn’s have been different? She’d like to believe so. At the very least, their fathers would have made different choices. Maybe she and Quinn would have gotten together sooner. They could already have a son or daughter.
“I don’t think so, Blackhawk. I have something you want. If you want to see your aunt alive again, you will do exactly what I tell you. Otherwise, you’ll find her dead with a bullet to the forehead.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Quinn shifted Heidi closer to his side as anger settled on Ethan’s expression. He already knew where this conversation was going before Muehller said anything else.
“Where and when?” Ethan asked.
Yep, that’s what he had thought the police chief would say. The question was, how soon would the assassin try to push Ethan’s buttons and rattle him?
“That easy?” The assassin sounded suspicious.
“You have my aunt. I love her,” he said simply.
“Aren’t you going to thank me?”
“For what?”
“Leaving your precious wife alone. Your pregnant wife. She glows, doesn’t she?”
“Left her alone, huh? What do you call shooting at the SUV she was riding in? No, I don’t think so, Muehller. You blame both of us for spending the last two years of your miserable life in prison. I can’t see you letting that go out of the goodness of your heart.”
Soft laughter drifted through the speaker. “Very good, Blackhawk. You’re right, of course. Both of you will pay for subjecting me to dull prison life. Serena is more beautiful than I remembered. After you’re dead, I might reacquaint myself with her. Have to get rid of the brat, though. Squalling babies aren’t my thing.”
Rage filled Ethan’s face.
Quinn squeezed Ethan’s shoulder to get the other man’s attention. “Don’t let him get to you,” he mouthed.
His friend visibly relaxed, gave a quick nod of thanks for the reminder. “I want to talk to Ruth. Otherwise, no matter what you ask, the answer will be no.”
A little fumbling sounded over the phone’s speaker, then a female voice said, “Ethan.” Aggravation and weakness came through in the woman’s tone.
“How badly are you hurt, Ruth?” he asked.
“This bozo hit the back of my head when he broke into my house. I imagine I need stitches. The bleeding has continued since he dragged me into his vehicle, then carried me off through the woods to some rustic cabin.”
Quinn had to admire the fact Ruth was trying to give Ethan as much information as she could without angering her captor.
“Head wounds tend to bleed a lot,” Ethan said.
“I think I know that from my research and now from personal experience,” she said tartly. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
Her spunky attitude made Quinn grin. If she was fifty years younger, he might have been tempted to make a play for her himself. No wonder she’d been able to handle Ethan as a teenager. She was indeed a force to be reckoned with.
“Help is coming.”
Silence, then, “I see. Good.”
More fumbling, then Muehller returned. “For shame. You shouldn’t give your aunt false hope. If I’m feeling generous, the old bat might survive. You and your wife will not. Too bad about the baby. Enough chitchat, Blackhawk. You satisfied your aunt is in reasonably good health?”
“Tell me where and when. I’ll be there.”
“No one else, just you.”
“Where and when?” Ethan repeated without addressing Muehller’s demand that he come alone to surrender himself.
Quinn’s eyes narrowed. If Ethan thought for one minute Quinn would let him walk into danger alone, he was doomed to disappointment. Not happening, not on his watch.
“There’s a cabin back in the woods about a mile from the lodge.”
Satisfaction gleamed in Ethan’s gaze. “I know it.”
“Be here in an hour. Alone, Blackhawk. If you don’t follow my instructions, the first bullet goes into your aunt, the second into you. You know I don’t miss.”
“One condition.”
A sigh. “What now?”
“You leave my wife and child alone as well as Ruth. You don’t go after them now or at any time in the future. Serena was an innocent bystander who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’m the one you want, not Serena. I know from your history you don’t hurt children. I’m asking you to honor that as well. And Ruth? She’s just a pawn for you to get to me. Don’t waste your bullet.”
Laughter from Muehller. “I could promise each of those things and renege after you’re dead. Why would you trust anything I said?”
“Because you’re a man of your word. While I don’t condone your career choice, I appreciate a man who keeps his promises and that’s you, Muehller. If you promise me you’ll leave my wife, child and aunt alone, I’ll surrender to you.”
A moment of silence, then, “Very well. Serena, the brat, and the old bat are off limits. Come alone to this godforsaken cabin in an hour. Say your goodbyes to your pretty wife because she is soon to be a pretty widow.”
“One hour.” Ethan ended the call. “How far out is the rest of Durango, Quinn?”
Quinn pulled out his phone and fired off a text. He got a response seconds later. “Five minutes.”
“How do they know where we are?” Heidi asked.
“Fortress operatives have GPS trackers embedded under the skin. Josh is tracking me using his phone.” He turned his attention back to Ethan. “You’re not going to sacrifice yourself for Ruth. You know we love her, but Lucas needs his father and Serena needs her husband.”
“I have no intention of dying.”
“Good to hear. Do you have a plan?”
“I’m working on it.”
> “Yeah? Work faster. We need to catch this clown by surprise. That means we need to beat the one hour deadline.”
“My thought exactly.” He stared at Quinn a moment, expression thoughtful. “You have a plan.”
He did. Didn’t like it, but when Durango arrived, they’d hash out the fine details. “Yep, a bad one.”
“We’ll make the plan better. Let’s hear this flawed masterpiece.”
Quinn turned his head to look at Heidi. “My girlfriend and I got lost in the woods while we were walking our dog. We’ve been wandering around for hours and happened upon this cabin with a fire going in the fireplace. We stopped to ask for directions.”
“No,” Ethan snapped. “It’s too dangerous for Heidi. If you use this scenario, do it without her.”
Quinn shook his head, worry knotting his gut. The idea of putting Heidi directly in the line of fire and in the crosshairs of a killer made him feel ill. “Can’t. Doesn’t work for a guy alone to ask for directions. Any man would be more likely to try and figure a way back on his own.”
“And get more hopelessly lost,” Heidi muttered. “I’ve rescued a couple of them. Ethan, Quinn is right. This could work. Will your aunt give us away?”
A snort from the police chief. “Are you kidding? Ruth has a poker face. I never knew what she was thinking and I lived with her for years. No way will Muehller learn that she knows Quinn. Easy in your case since she’s never met you. Fair warning, though. Ruth will be fascinated with Charlie. He’ll more than likely appear in her next mystery novel.”
Heidi grinned. “Hear that, Charlie? You’re going to be famous.”
A soft whistle was the only warning before the rest of Durango walked through the trees to them. All of them, like Quinn, were dressed in the black uniform they used on missions.
Rio frowned at Heidi and Quinn. “So much for following the doctor’s orders,” he said.
Quinn scowled at his teammate. “Couldn’t be helped. Muehller has Ruth and she’s hurt.”
Durango’s medic stilled. “How bad?”
“She says Muehller hit the back of her head. She’s been bleeding for about five hours,” Ethan said. “Might need stitches.”