Love Inspired Suspense December 2013 Bundle: Christmas Cover-UpForce of NatureYuletide JeopardyWilderness Peril

by Lynette Eason

  In a flash he was on his feet, aiming his weapon at her as if she’d come to kill him. As if he was only defending himself. It took her a few seconds to coax him from his startled daze. To convince him of who she was. And the fear of that moment had tapped back to another fateful day years ago, a day Rick knew nothing about but that she could never forget.

  As Shay pushed the thoughts away, her legs trembled from more than the frigid temperatures.

  “Here you go.” Rick wrapped the coat around her.

  When had he climbed from the Jeep? The forbidding thoughts had temporarily imprisoned her, keeping her from noticing.

  She slipped her arms into the coat. “Did you find it?”

  “Find what?”

  “Your gun.”

  “No, but I’m going to make a fire first, and then I’ll look some more.” He shrugged into his own jacket.

  “Aren’t you afraid we’ll signal to someone that we’re here?”

  He eyed her. “You have to view it in terms of risk versus benefit. We could die without that fire, depending on how low the temps dip tonight. This is Alaska. I doubt anyone will be out in the middle of a cold Alaskan night looking for two people they already believe dead.”

  Shay didn’t add what else the guy had said—even if they survived, how could they make it out? They sure hadn’t come prepared to survive the night or a hike out.

  Shay blew out a breath. “Why don’t you let me build a fire while you look?”

  Rick paused and stared at her hard and long.

  “What? Can’t a girl know how to build a fire?”

  He grinned and stuck his hand into a pack he’d tugged from the Jeep. “Go ahead, if you’re up for it.”

  Shay caught the water bottle he tossed her. “There anything else in there?”

  “You mean like something to start a fire with besides two sticks?” He chuckled and dug around in the bag. “I didn’t bring this, by the way. Was already in the back. I saw it when I stashed our stuff.”

  He tossed her a plastic bag holding a couple of lighters and some other stuff. Must be a homemade survival kit.

  “Actually, I was thinking about food,” she said. “Is there anything to eat in there?”

  “I’m looking.”

  “On the fire, I wasn’t joking. I can do it. Another thing my dad taught me.”

  Along with how to aim and shoot a weapon. And to be self-sufficient.

  “Good man, your dad. Never know when something like that is going to come in handy.”

  “You mean like now.”

  “Yep. Like now. And you never know when something like this—” he held up a buck knife “—is going to come in handy.”

  Holding the few supplies they’d found, Shay backed away from the Jeep.

  “Let’s do the fire together,” he said, and continued to forage around in the gnarled vehicle. “We need to find the best place, gather kindling and fuel. Together we can make better time. And to help power you through it, here you go.”

  He held something out to her.

  Sustenance.

  Shay reached for the nutrition bar, but he didn’t release it. When Shay looked up at him, he held her gaze. “You did good today, Shay.”

  Heat warmed her insides and crawled up her neck. A compliment from him shouldn’t have been such a big deal. “I should be saying that to you. You’re the one who saved us both from the fall. Thank you for what you did. For saving my life.”

  “You know that we’re not out of it yet. Maybe you should hold on to those words and hopefully you can thank me later. Or maybe I’ll thank you later. You might have to return the favor at some point.”

  Shivers crawled up her spine at his reminder of their predicament. I hope not.

  “Is it even possible for us to make it back to Tanaken without those men discovering that we survived?” Somehow Shay didn’t imagine that was likely.

  “Once we make it through the night, that’ll be our next goal. Make it back up to the road. Somehow. We can’t make it to the village without that road, but we’ll stay hidden if we hear a vehicle until we determine it’s safe.”

  “Then what?”

  “Hopefully I can get help from the local authorities to figure out who attacked us and find Aiden. Find out why someone attempted to murder us to keep us away from a mining claim. I’ll call Connor to help, too, of course. And you, Shay, you’re going back to Fairbanks, if not all the way home. The plane isn’t worth it anymore.”

  Near the banks of the stream, they found a bare patch of ground.

  “Okay, this looks good, but…” Rick paused.

  “But what?”

  “Shh. I’m listening.”

  Shay tensed, understanding he feared being discovered. If only they didn’t need the warmth of a fire.

  “I’m going to walk the perimeter, just to be sure there’s no one around. Okay?”

  “You saying you want me to stay here? Alone?”

  “I’ll be quicker and quieter if I do this myself. You’ll be fine. Just sit against that tree trunk over there. I won’t be long.”

  Then Rick disappeared into the night.

  Shay tried to shove away the fear as darkness surrounded her, closing in. The old fallen birch Rick had indicated lay a few feet away. Shay leaned against the trunk, but she remained stiff and alert to danger while she waited on Rick.

  Whether or not they could find a way out of the gorge remained to be seen, but she kept her spirits high with the reminder that they’d found food and water. If they couldn’t find a way out, maybe the Jeep could serve as a modicum of shelter if they needed to wait it out for a rescue that wouldn’t come for days. Shay sighed. So much for her efforts to think positive. Some optimist she was.

  Shimmering colors splayed across the night sky—what she could see of it down in the gorge—and seemed to belie her morbid thoughts. Shay gasped and sat up, taking in the northern lights. She’d never seen the aurora borealis except in pictures. How she wished they weren’t down in this gulch so she could watch the display across the whole sky. Where was Rick? Was he watching, too?

  She heard footfalls in the brush and stiffened, but Rick’s form soon appeared. True to his words, he’d returned in only a few moments, and his arms were filled with kindling and wood. “Okay, I didn’t see or hear anything suspicious. I think we’re good to build that fire. Let’s pray I’m right.”

  With those words he knelt down, and while he positioned the kindling, he also prayed. That took Shay by surprise—she hadn’t thought he’d meant what he’d said literally—but it was a welcome surprise. Shay listened to this man as he prayed, revealing a quiet but strong faith. His prayer for God to lead them through this, to be with them, touched her in a deep place in her heart.

  The kindling positioned, she was the one to coax the flame from the lighter into a small but adequate campfire. Enough to keep them alive through the night. With her coat on and the blanket, the fire thawed her cold extremities and reheated her core enough that she could almost fall asleep, especially knowing that Rick was there.

  Shay sat against the log, getting as comfortable as could be expected, preparing to spend the next few hours resting before their hike back to the village. Resting—and praying they could stay hidden and out of sight long enough to make it back to town.

  Rick stood near the fire, holding a stick into the yellow flames, the reflection dancing in his eyes. He looked vigilant to their surroundings. He wanted to keep them safe, and Shay appreciated his efforts, but she couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking.

  The moment when the men shoved them toward the ledge played across her mind, as it had almost constantly since it happened. “I’ve been trying to figure things out. What do you think, Rick? Why did those men try to kill us?”

  “Try, Shay? They think they successfully killed us. We’ve been over this already anyway. I’m no closer to an answer now than I was before.”

  “Come on, Rick. We’ve been dancing around this conver
sation all afternoon. I think I deserve the truth. You don’t have to protect me.”

  “I’m not keeping information from you. You know as much as I do. They followed us to kill us. Somehow the mining claim is involved, and I can’t imagine that it’s unrelated to Aiden.” Rick’s face contorted, revealing his pain, and then he looked away.

  Shay knew he was trying to be strong for her, but in moments when he thought she wasn’t looking, like now, she’d caught the apprehension etched across his features. She wanted to get to her feet and reach for him, comfort him. Let him know it was going to be all right.

  They could even comfort each other. Except saying that it would be all right would be a lie. There wasn’t anything she could do or honestly say to make things better. That men would kill them because of Aiden had to mean the absolute worst for Rick’s brother.

  And the question still remained… “Why would anyone want to harm Aiden or go out of their way to try to murder us over a stupid plane? Without repairs, it’s not like he could even take the plane.”

  He shook his head slightly, staring into the flames. “There’s obviously something much bigger going on. But it doesn’t really matter. We’re not in a very good place to do anything about it.”

  Shay sighed. Even if she could convince herself to go to him, that it was the right thing to do, she didn’t have the energy.

  “Shouldn’t you sit down for a while since we have a lot of hiking to do?” Come sit next to me. Keep me warm.

  “Yeah, sure. In a minute.”

  She hid her disappointment at his answer. Odd how she felt about him. She was still wary of him, yet there were so many other emotions she was struggling with, as well. He was the man to get them through this. No doubt there. She was attracted to him; no doubt there, either. He was strong, kind and gentle—qualities she already knew about but had never experienced from Rick in quite this way before. And the fact that he was a man of faith… She’d known he was a Christian, but seeing him in action, hearing his words, made something shift in her heart.

  It was like a tug-of-war, a battle she shouldn’t even have been fighting.

  She could never let herself act on those feelings. Loving someone was too risky, too painful. And even if she wasn’t afraid to love, there was a hazardous side to Rick. He couldn’t be trusted.

  He was dangerous.

  But right now this dangerous man was the one she had to trust with her life.

  *

  Watching the fire consuming the wood he’d gathered, transforming it into glowing embers, could mesmerize Rick if he let it. He wished he could give in to it, but his senses were on high alert in case they were discovered. His mind ticked through the list of things they’d need to do to get out of here.

  He hated they’d had to make a fire that could signal anyone with mal intent looking for them, but freezing to death was a greater risk to them at the moment. They had to warm up, get some rest then be on their way. Those killers thought he and Shay were dead, so maybe they’d catch a break and no one would be looking for any signs of life from them, like a fire.

  He felt Shay watching him. He tried to hide his anxiety about their circumstances. Getting back to town would have been a challenge even if they’d simply broken down on the side of the undeveloped road. But down in this gorge, just getting back to the road might be a notch above his skill and pay level. He certainly hadn’t bargained for any of this, but neither had any of them. And Shay. She understood just how dire their circumstances were.

  They needed much more than their coats and a protein bar to survive this. The weather could turn seriously ugly without any notice. And even if the weather cooperated, it could still take days to get out of this gorge and back to Tanaken.

  Days.

  Rick let that sink in. He didn’t know if they could last that long.

  Finally, he allowed himself to drop next to Shay and sit against the log. Eye level with the fire, he felt the warmth more now, or maybe that was the heat emanating from Shay. He felt her presence keenly but kept his thoughts focused on their problems. Rubbing his temples, he realized he was letting too much of his apprehension show. Fortunately, Shay didn’t seem to notice, but stared into the fire. In his peripheral vision, he saw the flames flickering across her face, highlighting the same exhaustion he felt.

  Add to everything, he still hadn’t found the gun. He needed that gun. He could think of too many situations where that gun would come in handy, not even counting for protection. It wouldn’t do much against a Kodiak bear or an Alaskan grizzly, but it was something.

  The blaze crackled and sizzled, and just for a moment, Rick allowed himself to rest and let the flames entrance him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Shay yawn. His gaze drifted over to her, cataloging all her contradictions. If he saw her on the street, he’d never guess her chosen career and that she’d been hailed one of the best. She was of medium build, athletic and strong, but her face, her mannerisms and her actions, now that he’d gotten to know her a little better, were decidedly feminine—something she hid from them all back at the Deep Horizon hangar. There she’d never let down her guard or let anyone see her vulnerabilities.

  A situation like this could strip away a person’s well-crafted barriers. Rick himself was feeling like a battering ram was pounding against the walls of his heart. Not just where Shay was concerned, but for his brother, too. He couldn’t stand to think that his brother might be dead, but if he had somehow survived, where was he? Was he held captive at the mining camp? Had he been beaten or harmed?

  Rick’s gut churned at the thought.

  He shoved to his feet, startling Shay. “I’m going to look for the gun.”

  She frowned.

  “You’ll be fine. I’m just over there. It couldn’t have fallen far.”

  “What about the noise we heard earlier? You never said what you thought it might be.” Her eyes glowed in the firelight and she chewed on her bottom lip, looking so nervous that he wanted to reach out and comfort her. Another time and another place. If Rick were a different person.

  Rick looked away. Why did he have to start thinking about her like this?

  “I didn’t say, because I don’t know.” But that was just one reason why I need to find the gun.

  He knew his answer didn’t sound convincing, but he honestly didn’t have a better one. He truly didn’t know what they’d heard. For a moment, he’d even thought he’d heard voices, but it could have been anything at all echoing through the gorge. If they hadn’t just escaped being killed, he might have called out to see if anyone answered. Making it back to Tanaken without running into anyone who might try to kill them was his priority.

  He slid her one last glance, then trudged away from the firelight.

  “Please hurry,” she said under her breath, so low she probably didn’t think he’d heard.

  I promise… He bit the words back. What was he doing thinking of making promises?

  Rick eyed the cliff side. The moon had shifted and wasn’t illuminating much at the moment. Worst case, he’d have to wait until the sun shed some light in the gorge. But even if he didn’t find it until then, he at least had to start looking now. Making his way to the Jeep only a few yards from Shay, he stayed hidden in the brush but watched her, searching the area for any signs of danger. He needed that weapon.

  In an ever-widening spiral, he searched the ground. After half an hour, he wanted to give up. His gun had been resting on the seat between the two of them in the Jeep. It could easily have fallen out of the vehicle with them when they’d jumped.

  And in that case, he should have looked near where they’d fallen. Rick raked a hand through his hair, feeling like the idiot that he was. But it wouldn’t do them any good to think like that.

  Maybe it had fallen next to the door on the passenger side and was wrapped in that tangle of metal. What hope did he have of retrieving it if it was? And if he found it there, it probably wouldn’t be intact and functional.

  He ran a
hand over his scruffy jaw. He had to try. He couldn’t just sit by the fire and do nothing. If he sat down again, he might not get up for hours, and one of those feelings was all over him again, telling him they had to get moving.

  For all he knew, those murderers would come back to hide the Jeep. Hide the evidence. Hide the bodies. Why hadn’t he considered that sooner?

  Time was shorter than he’d thought.

  Back at the Jeep, the door light was still shining. Batteries usually died when you needed them the most, so he wasn’t counting on it working much longer, but at least he had it for now. Rick would be thankful for small things. He climbed back into the ravaged vehicle and tried not to think about what their bodies would have looked like if they’d been trapped inside. The passenger side was all scrunched up against the driver’s side, but he thrust his hand through an opening in the mangle and twist of the door, window, frame and seat. He felt around but couldn’t make out much. Would he even know the gun’s metal when he felt it?

  Yes.

  He’d feel the custom tactical grip glove he’d put on it. He’d thought it would give him more control. As if it were only the weapon he needed more control over. He needed control over much more than that. Tugging his hand free, he released a pent-up breath. He’d opened the door so he and Shay could slip out.

  Please don’t let that gun be at the top of the cliff where they’d fallen.

  This was a hopeless search without sunlight, and he’d already left Shay too long.

  A scream broke through the night.

  Rick jumped, slamming his head against the too-low crushed ceiling. His pulse rocketing, he slipped from the Jeep. Though a mountain lion’s scream supposedly sounded like a woman, he didn’t think that was a mountain lion. He bolted toward Shay.

  Through the brush, he saw the silhouette of a man with a submachine gun standing over her.

  Instinct kicked in.

  Knife in hand, Rick crept through the reeds and bushes with as much stealth as possible. Quietly, he closed the distance between the Jeep and their rudimentary camp. The guy was big, and Rick would get one shot at this.