by Gerri Hill
“At least we were in the prone position.”
Cameron laughed. “Yes, a far more enjoyable way to miss a night’s sleep than what we just did.”
“You think that girl will be okay?” Reynolds and his team had descended on Sedona and were still debriefing her when they’d set out to find Patrick’s body.
“I would imagine it’s going to take some time. Depends how strong she is.”
“She was so close,” Andrea said. “If we hadn’t gone with your gut feeling and instincts on which trail to take, she would be dead.”
“Yeah, she would.”
They rode on in silence for a few moments then Andrea asked, “Were you really going to shoot him?”
“Yes. If you hadn’t been there to stop me, yes.”
“I’m sorry that I stopped you,” she said. “If I hadn’t, you wouldn’t have a knife wound. He could have killed you just as easily.”
“You did the right thing. This was no covert military operation. I have no license to kill. Despite the monster that he was, he was entitled to a judge and jury.”
“Was he?”
Cameron held her gaze. “Does it bother you that you killed him?”
“No. And that bothers me a little.” She shook her head. “But no, his death won’t be on my conscience, if that’s what you mean. He was trying to kill you.”
Cameron nodded. “Thanks for having my back.”
“Well, that’s what partners do, right?”
Cameron again cocked an eyebrow. “The last time I referred to us as partners, you got pissed off and wouldn’t speak to me for the rest of the day,” she reminded her.
“True.” Of course, that was when she was still smothered in guilt over Erin, and long before she’d developed an affection for Cameron. “You were arrogant and conceited.”
“Still am.”
“Not so much.”
“A bully?”
Andrea laughed out loud, no longer caring if Randy and Joey heard them. “You try to be. I think I can handle you.”
Their eyes held for long seconds, and Andrea saw that her affection for Cameron was returned. That made her feel both happy and sad. It was nice to know someone cared for you like you cared for them. But the end of the case signaled the end of their relationship. Oh, they might keep in touch through e-mail or the occasional phone call, but the brief affair they’d enjoyed would come to a halt. And that made her feel very sad.
“Is that it?” Cameron asked, eyeing the huge slab of rock with a lone, smooth spiral rising from its base some fifty feet high.
Andrea nodded. “Devil’s Rock.”
Cameron checked her GPS settings again. “The trajectory from the ledge should put him here.”
Andrea nudged her horse on, stopping at the five-foot-thick rock. She used the fallen boulders as stepping stones, climbing on top of the slab. Cameron wanted to follow but didn’t think her ankle could make it. She stayed in the saddle as Randy and Joey scampered after her.
The rock slab was large, but not so large that you couldn’t spot a body. She again checked her calculations. She bent back, looking up the cliff wall to the ridge far above them—Tower Ridge. She’d logged the GPS coordinates before they’d left the ridge. They were in the right spot.
“Got blood,” Andrea called. She, too, looked skyward. “He fell here.” She smirked. “On Devil’s Rock. How ironic.”
“Or appropriate,” Cameron said. “But where’s his goddamn body?”
“Is this a blood smear?” Randy asked.
Andrea inspected where he was pointing and nodded. “Yeah. Looks like he was dragged this way,” Andrea said, walking slowly toward the opposite end of the slab.
“Who the hell would have dragged him? There’s nobody out here,” Cameron said.
“So you think he may have gotten up and walked then?”
“I wouldn’t put it past him,” she said, acknowledging Andrea’s sarcasm.
Andrea motioned for her to join them on the other side and Cameron kicked her horse lightly, trotting to the back side of Devil’s Rock.
“And it’s most likely what dragged him, not who,” Andrea said.
“Animals?”
Andrea nodded. “They don’t call this Coyote Canyon for nothing. Coyotes are scavengers. Or a mountain lion could have found him. They prefer fresh kill, not carrion.”
“You’re not telling me we might not find a body, are you? Because I have to have a body, Andi.”
“And I think you will.” She pointed into a stand of mesquites. “Ravens.”
Cameron reined her horse around and rode over to the trees where a group of ravens were gathered, leaving the others still standing on Devil’s Rock. What was left of Patrick Doe hardly seemed human. His ribcage was exposed, with little flesh remaining on the bones. He’d been disemboweled, his torso mostly eaten, his clothes shredded by sharp claws. His face was distorted, no doubt from the fall, but enough remained to confirm his identity. All in all, it was a fitting end to this man’s life.
She turned in the saddle and waved the others over. Randy’s mule would serve to haul the body out. Then Reynolds and his team would head back to Phoenix to wrap things up. And hopefully identify Patrick and Charles Doe.
She led her horse away from the body, watching Andrea as she gracefully hopped off the rock slab and climbed back on her horse. She wondered how much longer they would have together. A couple of days at most, she suspected. It was going to be hard to say goodbye to her, but that was her own damn fault. She knew better than to get so involved with her. Hell, she’d been down that road before. But it was just so easy with Andrea, so easy to be with her...so easy to fall in love with her. And so hard to leave her.
“Well?” Andrea asked as she rode up. “Anything left?”
“Not a lot.”
Randy and Joey walked closer, then Joey turned away quickly, his face white as a sheet.
“Oh, my God, that’s disgusting.”
“Jesus,” Randy murmured. “He’s been eaten.”
“Pretty much, yeah,” Cameron agreed.
“A fate well deserved,” Andrea added. Then she smiled broadly. “Okay, guys. Bag him.”
Randy and Joey looked at her with wide eyes.
“Bag him?” Randy asked. “Why us?”
“Because Agent Ross is injured. And I shot him. I think you guys can participate a little, don’t you?”
“Oh, man,” Randy muttered as he looked again at what was left of Patrick Doe. “This part of the job sucks.”
Joey followed his gaze. “I’m glad I didn’t eat anything.”
Andrea glanced at Cameron, smiling as their eyes met.
“Case closed, Agent Ross?”
Cameron nodded. “Case closed, Deputy Sullivan.”
“Do you want to call Dallas and give them the good news, or should I?”
“You can have the honor. That Agent Hunter was a bit hard to deal with. A little on the arrogant side.”
Andrea laughed. “You would know.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
“Does it hurt?”
“I’ve had worse wounds,” Cameron said.
“That’s not what I asked.”
Cameron smiled. “Okay, yes, it hurts like a son of a bitch,” she said.
Andrea leaned closer and kissed her. “Now was that so hard?”
“Yes.”
Andrea laughed quietly as she snuggled closer to Cameron, making sure not to bump her injured arm. After they’d delivered Patrick Doe to Reynolds, who was waiting for them at Cutty’s funeral home, they’d gone back to the office to fill Jim in on everything. Their field notes and case report would have to wait. They were both too exhausted.
There wasn’t any discussion when they’d left, as Cameron had just said, “meet you at the rig” and Andrea had. She was starving and knew Cameron must be too, so she stopped for burritos and they had a late lunch. They ate them silently as they sat on the loveseat, Lola purring continuously as she went
from lap to lap. Apparently, they’d left her alone for too long and she was letting them know.
But exhaustion had set in and Cameron stood, taking Andrea’s hand, limping down the short hallway to the bedroom. Andrea wanted a shower, but she was too tired. She fell in bed beside Cameron, where she now snuggled next to her sleeping form.
She closed her eyes, but sleep wouldn’t come, even as tired as she was. The uncertainty of tomorrow loomed and she hated that they were potentially spending their last night together sleeping. Finally, she let Cameron’s even breathing relax her, their fingers lightly entwined and eyelids heavy. She gave in to sleep.
Through the foggy haze of sleep, Cameron realized a warm, wet tongue was teasing her nipples, moving from one to the other. She moaned, feeling how aroused her body was. Even in sleep, Andrea could elicit a response from her. She opened her eyes enough to see the sun was fading from the sky then shut them again when Andrea’s fingers moved lower. She spread her legs, letting Andrea have her way.
Andrea left her breast, sitting up and straddling her thigh, stroking herself against Cameron as her fingers found their target. Cameron moaned again, her hips arching higher. She reached out, cupping Andrea’s hip with her right hand, moving against the smooth skin of her rounded backside. She felt Andrea’s wetness against her thigh as Andrea pleasured herself, all the while her fingers moving slowly—deeply—in and out of Cameron, her thumb brushing her clit with each stroke.
The leisurely, deliberate strokes became faster with each pass, Andrea’s hips keeping the pace of her fingers as she ground herself against Cameron. They were panting together, their moans intermingling. Cameron opened her eyes, meeting Andrea’s, wanting to memorize them, storing away the image of hungry eyes dark with passion as they climaxed together.
Andrea collapsed on top of her and with her good arm, Cameron held her close as their breathing returned to normal. Again, they drifted off to sleep, their bodies still damp with perspiration and desire.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Cameron walked through the quiet motor home, her ankle feeling surprisingly better after nearly eighteen hours in bed. Those hours in bed, however, did little to douse her exhaustion, and the morning shower hadn’t helped much either. She yawned widely as she poured water over ice then smiled as she felt Lola rub against her leg.
“You hungry?” she asked, bending down to pick her up. She kissed her little face, loving the constant purring that always emanated from Lola. She sat her back down, then noticed the nearly full food bowl. “I see your other mommy has already fed you.”
She paused as those words sunk in. No, there was no other mommy. There was just her. Andrea was only a temporary fixture in their lives. One that, she feared, was coming to an end. Murdock had e-mailed. He wanted a video conference. That meant he had an assignment for her.
They’d had a brief conversation that morning with Reynolds which ended with her promising to complete her field report and submit it to him within forty-eight hours. So a video conference meant he was sending her on another case. It was something she’d not mentioned to Andrea.
Andrea had left at daybreak with a promise to meet up later in the day. She had her own reports to do. They hadn’t talked about Cameron’s impending departure, but it was on Andrea’s mind as well. She could tell that by the way Andrea had kissed her goodbye. Hell, she could tell that by the way Andrea had made love to her. She wondered if Andrea sensed Cameron’s reluctance to leave by the way she’d clung to Andrea at the door.
They had nearly slept through the afternoon and night, getting up only to shower and order their usual pizza before falling back into bed at midnight. But their passion overrode their exhaustion and they reveled in each other’s lovemaking, hands and mouths pleasuring each other until sleep claimed them again. Cameron woke to Andrea’s warm body snuggled tightly against her, arms still entwined. The sense of contentment, of sheer delight at having Andrea at her side was overwhelming, overpowering. Because that meant she’d lost control.
She knew better, of course. She knew better than to get so involved, she knew better than to fall in love with her. But fall she did. It was out of her control. It always had been with Andrea. And it was going to break her heart to leave this town. She wondered if her leaving would break two hearts.
A soft beeping on her laptop told her Murdock had signed in to their session. She sat down in her recliner and brought the laptop to life, quickly typing in her password for the video link. Murdock greeted her with a broad smile.
“Agent Ross, I trust you got some sleep,” he said.
“Eighteen hours, yes.”
“Good. And your arm?”
“It’s fine,” she said. It was a bitch taking a shower, but there wasn’t really much pain. Much less than her ankle.
“Great. Then I hope you’re ready to head out. I’ve got an assignment.”
She nodded. “Sure,” she said as Lola did a graceful leap from the floor to the arm of her chair. She tried to move her out of camera range but failed.
“What the hell is that?” he asked. “A cat?”
“Yes.”
“You? You have a cat? What the hell’s wrong with you?”
“And why can’t I have a cat?”
“No offense, Cameron, but you don’t seem like a pet person. Okay, maybe a Rottweiler or Doberman, but definitely not a cat.”
Cameron scowled. “There’s nothing wrong with having a cat. Besides, I didn’t exactly go out and intentionally get her. I found her at a stop in Utah. Starving little kitten. So I took her with me.”
“Wow. So you do have a soft side. Amazing.”
Cameron ignored his comment. “What about this assignment? You don’t have anyone else to take it? I could use a couple of days,” she said, hoping to delay her departure.
“It’s up in Utah, actually. Canyonlands National Park. They found a decomposed body. Sent to Salt Lake City for autopsy and ID.”
“And? Foul play?”
“Either that or suicide. There was no pack, no personal belongings found on the body. He was found out in the backcountry that requires a permit to hike and camp. He had none.”
“And you want me to go?”
“Well, I’d thought of flying out someone from Denver, but you know, with budgets cuts and all, you’re the closest.”
“Reynolds has a whole goddamn team to choose from,” she said.
“True. But Reynolds was the senior agent after Collie. I wouldn’t trust any of the others to do a solo. That’s your gig,” he said. “Besides, I figured you’d be ready to hit the road. You’ve been stuck there almost a month.”
She kept her expression even as she nodded. “Okay. Send me the details.”
“I’ve got the file ready to go. You need to head out as soon as possible. I’ve included a name of a forensic specialist from Salt Lake. He’s expecting your call. He’s agreed to meet you out there to go over the scene.”
“How long has the body been there?”
“No way to be sure yet. The ranger guessed two to three weeks.”
She sighed. “Okay. I’ll get the rig ready to run. It’ll take me the morning.”
“Contact Mark Canton when you get there. He’s got a spot for you to park her.”
“I’ll be in touch.”
“Safe travel,” he said as the screen went dark.
She stared at it for several seconds, her fingers running silently across Lola’s fur. Now what? She’d been given the expected assignment. By all accounts, Murdock expected her to depart today. Which was feasible. It would only take an hour or so to get the rig ready to travel. Then stop to dump the tanks and refill with fresh water. Stop for diesel fuel. Stop to replenish supplies, which, truth be told, were sorely lacking to begin with. She should be able to be on the road by noon.
“Noon, Lola,” she whispered. She brought the kitten up to her face and kissed her. “Telling Andrea is not something I’m looking forward to.”
But tell her sh
e must. So she spent the next hour securing the inside of the rig, putting things in their traveling place and locking down the computers in her office. She piled dirty clothes in the small washer and set it to run, hoping she didn’t run out of water before all the chores were done.
Finally, she could put it off no longer. She grabbed her keys and left, making the short drive into town using the now familiar Red Rock Loop Road. She took in her last sights of the beautiful country surrounding Sedona, trying to memorize the colors, the smells. Knowing she would pull those memories out often and examine them, she wanted to tuck them away safely. But how she was going to say goodbye to Andrea, she had no idea.
Andrea was just reading through her report when Randy tossed a wadded up piece of paper at her.
“Looks like you have a visitor, Andi.”
She glanced up, seeing Cameron’s familiar truck pulling to a stop in front beside her old Jeep. She couldn’t help the smile that shot to her face, and she didn’t try to hide it. But as soon as Cameron opened the door, as soon as their eyes met, her smile faded. Cameron was leaving.
“Hey,” she said. “I didn’t expect you so early.”
“Yeah. I know.” She motioned outside. “Can we talk?”
“Sure.”
Andrea’s feet felt like lead as she walked around her desk and out into the open entryway. She glanced back at Randy, finding him watching them with interest. She followed Cameron outside and stood still as Cameron leaned against her truck with a heavy sigh. Andrea studied her, seeing a myriad of emotions cross her eyes. Even though they both knew it would come, it seemed it was as hard for Cameron to say goodbye as it was going to be for Andrea.
“When?” Andrea finally asked.
“Now. The rig’s all packed.”
Andrea nodded and tried to force a smile to her face. “Well, I guess you’re ready to hit the road anyway. You’re not used to being stuck in one place so long.”
“No, Andi, I’m not ready.” Cameron shoved off the truck and ran a nervous hand through her hair. “I was hoping we’d have more time.” She took Andrea’s hand and squeezed it. “Murdock called this morning. I’ve got to head up to Utah—Canyonlands.”