Even as angry as he was, Alex paused to look down at her. She looked sad. Whisper had already settled down under the cot with a thump and a grunt. His dog had decided he was Kelsey’s protector.
Alex quietly removed his rifle from the top of the high kitchen cupboard and headed out with Smoke to find the source of that GPS signal. When he had hiked back to the gas station earlier, he hadn’t come across any tracks besides his own. Now he widened his search and was more observant. Instead of the direct route, he headed east, thinking Durrant might still be close. Nothing. He followed a couple of deer trails through his parcel of land. Still nothing. It wasn’t until Alex was almost back to the highway in the northern most part of the adjoining parcel of land that he came across fresh boot tracks.
They meandered. Before long, he knew where the man had relieved himself on the deer trail as well as where he had taken a smoke break. Alex tracked the man all the way back to the asphalt road where a rusted out diesel sat idling on the shoulder—directly across the road from where his own truck was parked. Disconcerted, Alex stepped back into the shade of the big trees, looking for the driver. If it was Durrant, he had to be close. Alex crouched to be sure he hadn’t allowed the man to slip behind him. It was then that he noticed someone slouched at the wheel.
It was almost noon, and the sun was high in the sky. Alex approached the truck cautiously from the side. It was Durrant. Alex snapped several quick pictures with his cell phone of Kelsey’s supposedly distraught husband, sprawled across the driver’s seat with his mouth wide open, and a Winchester thirty-thirty propped across his legs. The four empty beer cans and potato chip bag scattered on the floor of the truck confirmed what Alex suspected. The police needed to see this. Nick Durrant didn’t look like a desperate man searching for his missing wife and sons.
Tracking Durrant gave Alex further insight into Kelsey’s husband. The man hadn’t scouted more than a mile from his truck, about where Alex had been when Murphy gave him the GPS coordinates earlier. That told Alex Durrant was lazy. After all these days, he assumed she would still be close to the road where, most likely, she must have jumped or been thrown from a moving vehicle, judging by her wounds. Second, Durrant didn’t have a clue how to track, much less how to conceal himself while he did. But most of all, Alex knew that a man searching for his wife didn’t need a deer rifle.
Alex hurried back to the cabin. He would give Kelsey some space for a day or two, but then they had better come up with a plan to get her back to civilization. Her old man was too close for comfort.
Alex phoned Murphy as he hiked.
“Afternoon, Alex.” Murphy’s familiar voice sounded as steady as ever. “How’s your guest?”
“I just sent three pictures. Forward them to the Washington State Attorney General.”
“Whatcha got?”
“Proof,” Alex growled. “Durrant’s not the victim he claims.”
“Well, let’s see what you’ve sent.” Murphy stilled as he opened Alex’s text. “Danged if you’re not right.”
“He’s hunting her.”
“I see that. I’ll have Ember clean up these shots and send them right away. How is she?”
“Better.”
“And how are you, son?”
“Fine. Send the pictures. I’ll be in touch.” Alex snapped his cell phone shut.
By the time he got back to the cabin, it was mid-afternoon. The sun cast a yellowish light through the trees. He leaned his rifle against the cabin wall of the porch and went inside to check on Kelsey. She was still asleep, and by the looks of the place, that’s all she had done since he had left. He waved Whisper outside with him.
There wasn’t enough daylight left to do much in the way of roof repairs. The noise would wake Kelsey anyway, so Alex cleared the storm debris and hauled more firewood. He stacked it against the tree opposite his cabin, planning to chop more in the next day or so. It never hurt to have a good supply of firewood, and he enjoyed the hard work. After he covered it with a tarp, he changed his mind about the evening menu and decided to go fishing. He had hunted turkey and grouse on his property before, but the season for them was later in the year. Deer, too. Tonight’s meal would be pan-fried or grilled in a fish basket, his favorite. His mouth watered just thinking about it.
As he headed up the porch steps to retrieve his fishing pole, the door opened in his face. Kelsey stood there as surprised as he was, her hands gripping the doorframe. She looked like it took all her strength just to stay upright. Alex stepped back, not wanting to frighten her again.
“I wanted to ….” She didn’t make eye contact. “I just want to say thanks for breakfast.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He held the door while she turned back to the cot. “Are you feeling any better?”
She covered the swollen side of her face with her hand. “I’m just thirsty and tired.”
Alex opened another bottle of water and handed it to her. “Here. Help yourself. I can get more from the creek and run it through my purification system. Do you need anything before I go?” He rummaged around the kitchen to locate the fish basket. It was there somewhere.
Kelsey shook her head. “No. I’m okay. Really.”
“You sure? Advil? Anything?”
“I could help with dinner, or something.”
“Right now, I’m looking for the fish basket. It’s a wire mesh contraption that … Here it is.” He pulled it out of the back of the lower cupboard and raised it in his hand. A good pass over the flames would scorch the dust off of it, and it would be good as new.
Her brows furrowed. She was a different person this afternoon. “You catch fish with that? Are they really small?”
Her naiveté made him smile. For a split second he was tempted to string her along, let her think exactly that. One glance into her trusting face, and he couldn’t do it. “I think I’ll use my fishing pole for that. This basket is to grill whatever I catch.”
“Oh. That makes sense. I guess.” She nodded as if she was trying to figure things out.
“Do you like to eat fish?” he asked. Hope so, cuz that’s what we’re having for dinner.
“I think so.” There it was again, that thoughtful look on her face. She blushed when she noticed he was watching. Her shoulders scrunched like she was embarrassed. “I really don’t remember, but food is good.”
That simple statement made him smile. Yes. Food is definitely good. She must be hungry.
“Listen. I don’t think you’re up to much right now. You take it easy and rest. We’ll be back before you know it. How about if I leave Whisper here while I’m gone?” He grabbed his fishing pole from behind the door and called the dog inside. “Whisper. Guard.”
“He’s a guard dog?” she asked timidly.
“Yes, but he’s just here to keep you company. I won’t be long.” Alex left with Smoke trotting alongside. He glanced back at his cabin before he ducked into the trees. Overall, the day hadn’t turned out too bad. He knew where Durrant was— and wasn’t. Kelsey no longer looked like she was at death’s door, and dinner, hopefully, would be roasted instead of boiled. Best of all, he was going fishing.
After the fiasco over the spilled coffee earlier, this had ended up being not too bad a day at all.
Kelsey
Fishing didn’t take long.
Kelsey cocked her head to listen. That Alex Stewart guy was already back with his other dog. An irrational sense of panic filled her, but she couldn’t understand why she felt like she needed to run, so she did nothing. There was no place to hide anyway. He was outside the front door, talking quietly to his dog. She was trapped.
I should have left while he was gone.
That solution posed another problem. Run to where? She didn’t know where she was, much less where she should go. Taking in a deep breath, she focused on the fact that he had been kind, that he even fixed breakfast. And when he had held her this morning, he didn’t hurt her. So why am I frightened now? Nothing made sense, not the awful shape her
body was in or the fact she couldn’t remember what had happened.
She decided not to run. A man with two dogs couldn’t be that bad, could he? Besides, he was going to feed her again. Her stomach rumbled at the thought. She pushed her anxiety away and focused on the positive things that had happened. Like breakfast.
Kelsey didn’t want him to think she was willing to sleep all day, so she washed the few breakfast dishes then took a couple of paper towels and washed herself, too. Her hip was the most painful, so she took care to clean the huge scrape there. But twisting her body to see how bad it was took her breath. Not only was the hip covered with a big raw patch of skin, but her backside and thighs were literally black and blue all over.
She lifted her sweatshirt, checking herself front to back. More scrapes and bruises met her eye. No wonder I feel so bad. The dishwater had stung her sore fingers when she did dishes, but her hip needed more than just sudsy water and a paper towel. Glancing around, she detected a tube of antiseptic ointment on the counter, along with medical gauze. She used both, thankful again for that guy with two dogs.
Her anxiety diminished a little more. She was safe, mostly clean, and she was going to eat pretty soon. Running her tongue over her tender lip, she wondered about that fish basket. Do I like fish? It sounds kind of familiar. The prospect of eating instigated another thought. What else is there to eat around this place? She rummaged through the cupboards until she came across several packets of instant rice side dishes. The fish she wasn’t sure about, but she liked rice with broccoli. Removing a medium-sized saucepan from the same cupboard, she added the correct amount of water and added the rice. There. They would have rice and fish for dinner.
The outside noises subsided, and she smelled the fragrance of a campfire. Whatever that guy was up to, he was quiet. While she waited on the rice to cook, she took stock of her surroundings. The inside walls of the cabin were unfinished plywood, the solitary kitchen cabinet not much better. A green camp stove sat on the counter while the rickety wooden table where she had found the ointment was shoved up against the wall by her cot. Obviously it served as a cutting board because long knife marks hashed its top. The floor needed sweeping. Both windows were grimy, nearly too dirty for the shaded forest light to get through. Even the makeshift curtain was nothing more than an old sheet hung over a wooden dowel balanced on two big nails pounded into the wall. Everything was rustic times ten. Maybe a hundred.
Oddly, the ordinariness of the simple room calmed her. This guy’s idea of dishes consisted of a couple mismatched coffee mugs, two chipped bowls, plastic plates, a blackened fry pan, a large stockpot, and that saucepan she had found. A Dutch oven looked like it hadn’t been used in years. It was rusty. The pans were as black as the tin percolator on the camp stove. He must not know how to use a scrub pad.
A backpack lay slumped behind the door alongside a pair of beat up, dirty hiking boots. Cobwebs draped all the high corners. This place needed spring housecleaning in the worst way.
Her nose twitched. Kelsey caught a whiff of something tasty on the air. Dinner. She checked the rice. I’m hungry. Time to eat.
She gathered her courage and ventured outside. Whisper trotted alongside, bumping into her like he needed to keep in touch. A rifle and a fishing pole leaned against the porch railing, tucked into the corner so they wouldn’t fall. The man stood with his arms crossed, gazing into the flames.
She hadn’t taken the time to really look at him yet, so she did now. He was definitely good-looking, broad shouldered, dark haired, and trim. A strong jaw marked his profile. The way he stood with his head high and shoulders back gave him an air of authority, but the baseball cap perched brim backwards on his head made him seem too young for any kind of serious responsibility. Even in her tired state, she had to admit the blue-checkered flannel shirt and jeans fit him well. He appeared lost in thought, just like the silver dog sitting to his right. Both stared at the fire. She giggled.
“I didn’t hear you.” He looked up, startled. “What’s so funny?”
“I’m sorry.” Kelsey covered the left side of her face to hide her bruises. “I didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just that you and your dog have the exact same expressions on your faces.”
“Well, we are meat eaters, aren’t we, Smoke?” He nodded to her. “Did you remember if you like fish or not?”
“I think so.” She licked her lower lip. Four fish complete with heads, fins and tails sizzled inside the fish basket. “They smell good.”
“They do, don’t they?” He sniffed the air. “Trout don’t take long to cook. They’ll be done in a minute.”
“I made rice,” she blurted out. Her stomach growled again, embarrassing her.
“You did?” That made him smile. “Good. It’s nice to see you on your feet again.”
“Sorry. All I’ve done today is sleep.” Kelsey stayed on the top porch step where she could keep an eye on this guy.
“Sleep is a good thing.” His voice sounded kind enough. “Besides, you needed the rest. How’s that eye?”
There was no way to hide the mess on her face. “It’s sore,” she muttered, covering it so he didn’t have to look at it. “I feel like I’m wearing a Halloween mask.”
“Don’t worry. The swelling will go down in a couple days. There’s no need to hide it either. How do you feel otherwise?”
Slowly, she lowered her hand. “Like I’ve been run over by a truck or something. I seem to have forgotten a lot of things, too, like what I’m doing here?”
He maintained the distance between them. “By the looks of it, you took quite a fall in the past few days. Are you telling me you can’t remember anything?”
“Well, I remember some things, like running. I must be a klutz though because it looks like I fell down a lot.” She glanced around the porch, still expecting something to jump out at her. It was hard to relax. Once more she needed to confirm there was no danger here, just a friendly stranger who seemed content to stay far away from her. That was fine with her, as long as he fed her again. Breakfast was a long time ago.
He nodded at her to continue, so she did.
“I’m really sorry I wasn’t very nice to you this morning.” Her next words burst out in a rush. “I didn’t know who you were, you know, and you picked me up, and you scared me. I mean, here I’m trying to figure out why these dogs are following me, and then you show up, and you’re talking to me like we’re supposed to know each other. Do I even know you?”
His handsome smile turned mischievous. “You don’t remember last night at all, do you?”
“Last night?” Worry crinkled her forehead. Oh, oh. What did he do to me?
He smiled wider. Those blue eyes sparkled. That didn’t ease her misgivings, not one bit.
“At first, I thought you were dead. To make a long story short, I cleaned you up, fed you, and put you to bed. You’re telling me you don’t remember any of that?”
She shook her head. “I guess I don’t know much.”
“Do you remember what I told you this morning?”
“I think so.” She squirmed. It seemed like a long time ago, and it didn’t end so well. “You told me about your dogs, and you made breakfast, and then I kinda freaked out.”
“Yes, you did.” His voice turned tender. “Why?”
“It just scared me, and … I don’t know.” She felt lost all of a sudden. The truth was he had scared her, and she didn’t know why except that she was entirely at this man’s mercy. That didn’t seem like a good thing, no matter how nice he was.
He shrugged like it was no big deal. “Let’s start over then. I’m Alex Stewart.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m, umm, Kelsey.” Her brain failed to provide her last name. Everyone has a last name, don’t they? He did.
“Nice to meet you.” He nodded to her in friendly acknowledgement. “I came here for a vacation with my dogs. The silver one keeping track of tonight’s dinner is Smoke. You’ve already met Whisper. He’s already decided you’re his, so
I suspect he’ll keep following you around. Hope you don’t mind. Anyway, don’t worry about your memory. It’ll come back sooner or later. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”
Whisper leaned into her side like he needed to remind her he was there.
“Hi, Whisper,” she said, her hand on his wide forehead. “You’re a good boy, aren’t you?”
“Whisper, down,” Alex scolded, but Kelsey grabbed the big mutt before he had time to obey.
“No,” she said. “It’s okay. I’m not scared of him.” The heat of embarrassment blossomed up her neck, so she snuggled Whisper for an extra long time. Her words made it sound like she was scared of Alex. Should I be? She didn’t have time to worry about that because his previous words had sunk in. “Did you say you cleaned me up, and put me to bed?”
Kelsey pulled at her pant leg. That explained the bandages and the greasy ointment on the rest of her. It also explained the baggy sweatpants and shirt she was wearing. She might not remember much, but she was pretty sure she had better taste than this. So this stranger, this Alex Stewart guy, had washed her, spread ointment on a large portion of her naked body, changed her clothes, and put her to bed like a child? She cringed. She couldn’t remember any of it, yet he acted like it was no big deal. Part of her wanted to cry, while the rest of her was just plain embarrassed. What else did he do?
If Alex noticed her discomfort, he didn’t let on. “Yep. Got you cleaned up and fed. Just like I’m going to do now.” He lifted the fish basket up with a bemused smile in his eyes. “Dinner’s ready. Let’s eat.”
Five
Alex
“Are you going to eat that?”
Alex could not keep the smile off his face. Four fish was not enough. To say Kelsey ate dinner was an understatement. Devoured was more like it, and now she eyed his plate.
“Are you still hungry?”
She licked her bottom lip. “Maybe.”
He slid the last trout out of the basket and onto her plate. “Be careful of the bones.”
Alex (In the Company of Snipers) Page 5