by Karen Kirst
Raven and Cruz interacted with attendees from their saddles, their two-toned helmets matching the saddle-pad colors. Silver and Mason stood with their horses and handed out bio cards. Due to his healing ribs, Mason had chosen not to get into the saddle. The fact that he was required to be here at all bothered Tessa. While he’d come to breakfast that morning looking rested, he hadn’t been able to completely hide his discomfort. He’d reassured her he was recuperating nicely, and she had no choice but to believe him.
Watching him now, handsome and debonair in that blue-black uniform, mirrored shades and tall boots, she prayed for God’s protection to continue. He had experienced tremendous losses since her return, both in material goods and his health. Yet he hadn’t blamed her. Hadn’t descended into self-pity. He’d focused all his energy on keeping her and Lily safe. She would’ve fallen for him if she hadn’t loved him already.
“Time to return to the lair,” Angus said.
“Can we swing by the snack bar on the way? It’s almost suppertime.”
Angus agreed. Tessa splurged on pizza, nachos and other not-so-healthy snacks, enough to share with everyone. Gia and Candace’s lively personalities made the evening bearable. They doted on Lily, and she soaked in the attention like a thirsty forest lapping up a spring shower. Their two-member family had grown with their dash to Tennessee, and both Tessa and Lily had benefited.
It was growing late when Mason strode through the door and told them the event was winding down. His bruises had deepened to a dusky purple. The swelling had gone down, however. After quickly downing two slices of pizza, he hugged his mom and sister goodbye. Gia’s vehicle was parked in a different area, and the pair would not be accompanying them to the stables.
Holding hands, Mason and Lily preceded Tessa onto the field. Tyson walked beside her, while Angus brought up the rear. Silver was waiting for them. He stood between Scout and Lightning and had both horses’ leads. At the far end of the field, Raven and Cruz were riding their mounts into the grassy section where the unit trucks and trailers were parked.
Their group joined the mass exodus as attendees headed for their cars. Law-enforcement agencies were packing up their tables and tents. A handful of food vendors were also clearing out. When they reached the trucks, Mason immediately buckled Lily into her seat and urged Tessa to get in.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
“No, I just don’t want to take any chances.” His gaze was hidden behind the sunglasses. “I’ll be back as soon I help them get the horses settled.”
The hired guards paced around the truck and didn’t enter their own vehicle until Mason was behind the truck’s wheel. They pulled into the departing traffic first, followed by Mason, and then in the second truck, Raven, Cruz and Silver.
The trip over had taken roughly forty-five minutes. Due to the volume of traffic surrounding the school, Tessa settled in for a longer return route, content to listen as Mason recounted the event highlights.
“I’m sorry you had to miss it,” he said finally, glancing over.
“Who knows? Maybe I’ll get to go next year.”
“I’d like that.” He wiped his forehead with his sleeve and adjusted the air vent. “You and I haven’t had a chance to make plans or even discuss our options.”
Options? Like an apartment for her somewhere in town, convenient to his home and work? She watched the stream of people navigating the metal-and-chrome sea. The school’s flag waved gently in the breeze. The setting sun reflected in her side mirror, and she got her sunglasses from her cross-body bag.
Would she be successful at building a new life in Serenity like she had in Georgia? Could she handle living in the same town with Mason, loving him from afar and watching as one day he wooed and won someone else’s heart?
Tessa forced her mind from the morose thoughts. What good would come of thinking about a future when her present was balanced on a knife’s edge?
When she didn’t respond, Mason let the matter drop. Lily began humming as they entered Wears Valley Road, a sure sign she’d be asleep before they reached the stables. As they neared the dilapidated buildings and old water-park sign, Tessa’s stomach cramped.
Mason sensed her distress and, reaching out, closed his hand over hers. “The memories won’t ever go away. They’ll lose their potency, though.”
“I hope you’re right, because I feel sick every time I picture them carrying you unconscious through the park and stowing you in the trunk.”
A tortured look stole over his face. “Trust me, I get it. I would erase those images for you if I could.”
She squeezed his hand. “I know.”
As expected, Lily was asleep when they pulled into the stables’ lot and parked. Tessa suggested staying inside the truck with her, but Mason shot down that idea. They had to unload the horses, remove their gear and brush them down, not to mention dole out their overdue supper.
Tessa carried her inside and got comfortable in one of the break-room chairs. She would’ve liked to help the officers, but they had a certain routine and would accomplish that faster without her underfoot. Fishing her phone from her pants pocket, she settled in to watch her favorite music videos.
At first, she didn’t pay attention to the loud voices coming from deeper in the building. Then, a shot rang out, and she flinched. The door was flung open, and Mason filled the doorway, his jaw tight and his eyes hard.
“Dante’s men are out there, and they’re spraying the building with gasoline. They’re going to burn us out and pick us off, one by one.”
* * *
His cunning enemy had chosen to act when the bulk of law enforcement was in another town, packing up from the event or driving the twisting, winding connector road they’d taken. His unit had contacted dispatch. That didn’t guarantee help would arrive before their stables were burned to the ground, just like his home.
“What’s the plan?” Tessa asked, hurrying after him into the building’s central area and shifting Lily’s slumbering weight higher on her shoulder.
“You’re riding into the mountains,” Cruz answered for him. He’d led Iggy into the aisle and was putting a saddle on her.
Thankfully, they’d gotten the horses unloaded and inside before Dante’s crew descended. Now, they had to find a way to save them.
Tessa stopped short of bumping into Mason. “Is that true?”
Again, someone else interjected. “It’s your best option.” Raven was stuffing water bottles and snacks into a backpack. “You’ll exit through the rear door, which he won’t be expecting, and ride through the trees until you can cross the road into wooded terrain. From there, you can skirt neighborhoods and keep out of sight. He would have a tough time pursuing you, even if he somehow spotted you.”
From the side paddock entrance, he heard a distinct pop, followed by return fire. Tyson and Angus were out there trying to take out the goons with the hoses.
Mason was torn between the desire to stay and defend his unit, and getting Tessa and Lily out of harm’s way. Part of being a good leader was learning when to delegate responsibility. Silver and the others would do everything within their power to prevent loss of life and damage to the facility. There was only one choice to be made.
“We’ll need a sat phone.” After retrieving one from the office, he joined Silver beside Scout’s stall and stuffed it into his saddle pack.
“He could track your location with that.”
“I’ll keep it turned off unless there’s an emergency.” Mason strode to the weapons closet, used his key to unlock it and retrieved a rifle and ammo to go along with his pistol.
Cruz coaxed Iggy through the rear door. Mason looped his rifle sling over his head and, after motioning for Tessa to follow him, led Scout outside. This was a rarely used exit, and the strip of ground behind the building was uneven and overgrown.
Tessa coughed in reaction
to the wall of gasoline fumes. Silver eased Lily from her arms so that she could climb onto Iggy’s back. Raven rushed out and stuffed the snack supply inside his saddlebag. She held up a blanket.
“Found this in my locker. Use it to create a child wrap once you’re far enough away. It’ll make travel easier.” After zipping up the bag, she hurried back inside. Cruz wasn’t far behind.
“I’m going to head for the abandoned campground, Camp Smoky,” Mason told Silver. “We can rendezvous there tomorrow morning.”
“Good plan.”
“Stay safe.”
“Back at you.”
Once Mason was astride Scout, he caught Tessa’s gaze. “You ready?”
“I am.”
He was grateful she was an experienced rider, because this wasn’t going to be a fun trip. They were heading into residential areas fraught with unknown factors. At least his horses were trained to work through the unexpected.
They picked their way through the overgrowth of ferns and other greenery. At the point where the woods met the two-lane road, he waited for an opening in traffic before signaling to Tessa. A diagonal approach to the opposite lot led them through high grass and to another copse. They rarely conversed during their journey. Mason had to stay alert to potential pitfalls, and Tessa was concentrating on guiding her horse while keeping a snug hold on Lily. He would’ve liked to give her a break, but he had to be ready to fire a weapon at any moment.
When they encountered a group of tweens and teens kicking a soccer ball in a dense neighborhood, Mason urged Scout to keep riding. It wasn’t their usual habit to ignore or avoid people in their community, and his equine partner was confused. But he followed Mason’s directives and continued deeper into uninhabited territory.
The sun dipped behind the mountain ridge above them, cloaking the forest in a hazy shroud. Lily’s distressed voice shredded the stillness, and Mason tugged on the reins and waited for Tessa and Iggy to come alongside.
He could barely make out their features, and the small clearing they were in was a blend of indistinct shapes.
Tessa rubbed Lily’s tummy and murmured reassurances.
“I want to go home.” She was trying to twist around and face Tessa. No wonder she was frightened, waking up to find herself far above the ground, balanced on a large animal. In the dark forest, no less.
“I know, ladybug, but Scout and Iggy are taking us on an adventure. Your daddy’s here with us, and he’s going to make sure we get to our destination. We’re going to spend the night in a campground.”
Lily clutched her mom’s shirt. “I’m hungry.”
“Raven packed us some snacks,” Mason said, dismounting and using his flashlight to check the options in the backpack she’d tucked into his saddlebag. He wished he’d brought his pain meds, but quickly dismissed the thought. His mind needed to be sharp and clear. “Animal crackers or cheese squares? Or would you like a granola bar?”
“’Nola bar.”
He removed the wrapper and handed it to her. While she ate, he gave Tessa a bottle of water and snagged one for himself.
“How are you?” he softly asked.
“Not too shabby.” She shifted in the saddle and took another long drink. “You must be hurting.”
“It’s manageable.”
“I guess it wouldn’t be wise to use the sat phone and check on things?”
“Unfortunately, no.” He couldn’t stop thinking about his officers, human and equine, and wondering how they were faring. “If my calculations are correct, we should reach the camp in another hour.”
Before she could respond, the sounds of revving engines, like angry bees, rocketed over the high crest above. Dirt bikes zoomed straight for the clearing. The bikes’ lights flashed over them, temporarily blinding them and startling the horses.
Mason couldn’t make out distinguishing features, body shapes or sizes. Were these joyriders out for an adrenaline rush, or were they locals hired to do Dante’s bidding?
TWENTY
Tessa could feel Lily slipping from her grasp. Mason reached over and seized Iggy’s reins, holding the horse steady as the trio of dirt bikes hurtled past them and disappeared into the thickening darkness.
She wrapped her right arm around Lily’s middle and tugged her close. Her little body was shivering, despite the warm temperature. “It’s okay, sweetheart. They’re gone.”
Tessa’s heart was racing. For a split second, she’d thought Dante and his men had tracked them somehow and rented special equipment to reach them. While they had probably determined she and Mason weren’t at the stables, they had no way of knowing their destination.
When Mason was convinced that Lily and the horses had calmed enough to resume their journey, he removed something from his saddlebag, snapped it in half and handed the glowing orange stick to Lily.
“Hold on to that, okay?”
She waved it around, clearly enamored. Mason reclaimed his position in the saddle. Tessa gave Iggy free rein. Horses had excellent night vision, especially with the full moon and stars acting as night-lights.
The rest of the trip was uneventful. With Lily’s hunger assuaged and a new plaything to occupy her, she was content to rest in the circle of Tessa’s arms. Occasionally, an owl’s repetitive call would filter through the trees. Openings in the canopy above revealed wedges of star-studded sky.
“See the lake?” Mason said over his shoulder.
The terrain had leveled off about a mile back, and Tessa scanned the horizon, her eyes catching on the shimmering, reflective surface straight ahead.
“The lake marks the entrance to Camp Smoky,” he continued. “There are multiple cabins rimming it. Beyond those are the old gymnasium, cafeteria and larger boarding structures used for big groups.”
“Where will we stay?”
“The cabins are in bad shape, but one of the larger dorms will probably work. The owner doesn’t live in the state anymore. He pays someone to tend the grounds. Patrol comes up here on a routine basis to check for uninvited guests.”
“Like us, you mean?”
“Not quite,” he replied, a smile in his voice. “Unless you hid a spray-paint can in your pocket.”
Remembering the water park’s dilapidated state, she suppressed a shudder. “Is there electricity?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
“Then we won’t be able to see s-p-i-d-e-r-s or m-i-c-e.”
Laughter rumbled in his chest. “That’s the first time anyone has spelled something at me.”
She smiled. “It’s a fact of life with a toddler.”
“Noted.” The horses ambled past the lake and along a gravel drive. “I’ll check out our sleeping quarters. It won’t be the most comfortable night, but we can cling to hope that Silver will bring fresh pastries for breakfast.”
Moonlight enabled her to make out the basic details of the structures. The heart of Camp Smoky was laid out in a circular pattern, with a large, semiwooded area in the middle of a ring of buildings. The cafeteria was a long, low cabin with a porch running the length of it. A chapel anchored one end of the circle, while a building that Mason said used to house miniature golf rental equipment and a general store was at the other.
After passing the chapel, Mason halted before a tall structure and passed his flashlight over it. Set back from the gravel circle, the cement building was painted a drab color. A generous wooden, ground-level porch had two sets of stairs leading to the upstairs deck.
“Why are there so many doors?”
“The dorm is separated into four sections on the first floor, to be used by different groups. There’s a shared restroom with showers and toilets in the rear of the building. Upstairs, there’s a maze of separate quarters.”
Woods created a mysterious backdrop behind the buildings on this side of the camp. She tried to imagine children spending happy
summer days here and couldn’t quite manage it.
They dismounted and tethered the horses to the post-and-rail fence. She and Lily waited on the porch while Mason tested windows. He found one that was unlocked, slid it open and climbed inside. She could see his light move through the space. Seconds later, the door swung open.
“Would you believe there are still mattresses in the bunks?”
“How long has this been closed to campers?” She entered the tight space and surveyed the floor-to-ceiling wooden bunks, three beds high.
Mason got on his knees and searched the slots underneath. When he didn’t spy any critters, he began shaking out the thin blue mattresses.
“I’m not sure exactly. Two years. Maybe three.”
They ate by aid of an upturned flashlight. Afterward, Mason urged her to get some sleep while he kept watch outside. Lily clambered onto one of the lowest bunks and clutched her orange glow stick.
“Watch this, ladybug.” Wrappers crinkled. Plastic snapped. In a matter of seconds, he’d placed glow sticks around the room. Yellow, blue, orange, red. They created a fluorescent display that dispelled the grim atmosphere.
She giggled and sighed into her arms, which she was using as a makeshift pillow. “Pretty, Daddy.”
Tessa snagged his hand, pulled him close and hugged him. He hesitated, then lightly ran his hand over her hair before cupping her nape. The weight of his palm was warm and familiar.
He hadn’t had a chance to change out of his uniform, and the starched fabric was pulled taut over his bulletproof vest.
“What’s this for?” he murmured.
“You’re amazing, that’s all.”
“Because of glow sticks?” he asked good-naturedly. “If I’d known how easy it was to impress you, I would’ve brought those out days ago.”
Tessa forced her arms to release him. Going forward, she couldn’t give in to random hugs and spontaneous shows of affection. Their dire circumstances had forged a new bond between them. She was certain he felt it, too—this renewed sense of solidarity and the knowledge they could depend on each other. The broken trust had been repaired.