Capturing the Huntsman

by C. J. Miller

  “No,” Autumn said. “You are not using our mother.”

  “I agree,” Blaine said. “Too dangerous and he’s too unpredictable.”

  “We’ll be there. We’ll be around and close in before he gets near Blythe,” Ford said.

  Autumn appeared uneasy and Nathan seconded her feelings. Ryan Reed was a trained military man and he was capable and savvy in the wilderness. They were working from a position of weakness. If anything happened to Autumn or her mother, Nathan wouldn’t forgive himself. “We can have an agent stand in as Blythe.”

  “No time to find someone who looks enough like her. He could be watching and know what to expect. He could move on to the next location or the next victim. I want to keep him rooted here,” Ford said.

  “I can do this,” Blythe said, flattening her hands against the tabletop.

  “I think you are underestimating how dangerous Ryan Reed is,” Nathan said.

  “He’s sick,” Blaine said.

  “Which makes him unstable,” Autumn said. She turned to her mother. “You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to prove anything or try to make amends to Blaine and me for the past by putting your life at risk.”

  “The faster we move forward, the faster we’ll get a killer off the trail,” Ford said.

  Pressure was getting the better of Ford. The FBI didn’t use civilians except in extreme cases. A dangerous killer might be considered extreme, but adding to the body count in a rush to find him wasn’t a reasonable risk.

  “It’s not for anyone else to decide,” Blythe said. “I will do this. I can do this.” She tipped her chin proudly. If she had looked at the faces of her children, likely the very people she was trying to impress, she wouldn’t have been so sure. Blaine appeared sickened and Autumn seemed afraid.

  Ford stood from the table. “I’ll meet with my team to discuss the details and I’ll be in touch soon.”

  * * *

  Autumn was waiting for an arrow to slice through the air and directly into her mother’s chest. Every snapping of a stick or crunch of leaves and she jumped.

  Nathan set his hand on her lower back. He was adding to her nervous energy. He was sticking close to her. If her uncle had been watching them since Nathan had been staying with her, his presence now was less suspicious than that of the other agents who were positioned around the campground.

  “What if something happened to him? What if he’s already dead?” Autumn asked.

  “I don’t think he’s dead,” Nathan said. “We’ll take each day one at a time, and we’ll stop him before he hurts himself or anyone else.”

  “You’re the first person who’s mentioned not hurting him,” Autumn said. “Ford and the FBI don’t seem to care if Uncle Ryan dies.”

  Nathan’s eyes were soft as he regarded her. “I care, Autumn. I know he means something to you.”

  “He killed your sister.” They were hard words to speak. Her uncle had killed someone whom Nathan loved. Could he ever forget that? Would some part of him always harbor resentment for her? “I’m sorry,” she said, knowing the words didn’t make things right, but feeling that they needed to be spoken. Her uncle may not be capable of apologizing or seeing what he did as wrong.

  Nathan took a deep breath. “I don’t blame you for the mistakes your uncle has made.” He gathered her against him. “I know you think we’re on opposing sides, but I need you to know that we’re on the same team.”

  Autumn looked up. “I feel like it’s been a long time since someone has been on my side. Really on my side. Through everything and unconditionally.” Blaine disappeared when life got rough, her mother had walked away and Daniel had cheated on her. Nathan was proving to be different, unwavering. He’d been constant and steady. Her love for him surged and she wondered if he could read it on her face. She wanted to hide it. After all, once her uncle was caught, Nathan would leave. Their relationship would be over.

  She had long known it was the case, but standing at the end of something that mattered to her, it was hard for her to let the relationship go.

  Nathan kissed the top of her head. “I’m on your side and I’ll prove it to you. I will be here for you through all this. I won’t walk away and I won’t let you down. I promise.”

  Instead of immediately dismissing the promise as a well-intentioned lie, Autumn chose to believe him.

  Autumn heard her mother shout. She and Nathan spun and raced in the direction of the cabin where Blythe was staying. Nathan had his gun drawn. Autumn’s heart raced. Had the FBI captured her uncle?

  “Stay away!” Blythe said from the porch of cabin nine. She was kicking her legs as she was dragged out of her cabin by a man. Her uncle? It was hard to see.

  Though she couldn’t see them, Autumn knew FBI agents were close.

  Autumn ran toward her mother. Her uncle was pressing a gun to her mother’s head and holding her in front of him as he pulled her away.

  He looked different from what she’d remembered. Years older, years that had not been kind to him. Scraggly hair and long beard, dirty, worn, mismatched clothes and boots that looked black with grime.

  “Back away. Do not come close to me or I will kill her. This is her fault!” Ryan Reed said.

  Blaine stood on the porch of his cabin, appearing shocked. This was what they had been waiting for, but it somehow seemed to be going wrong. Why hadn’t the agents swooped in to save her mother?

  “If anyone follows me, I will kill her,” Uncle Ryan said.

  “Uncle Ryan! Stop! Don’t do this!” Autumn shouted.

  He paused for a moment, scrutinizing her. Autumn felt as if he was peering through her. Did he realize who she was?

  “She did this! She is causing uncleanliness on the trail!”

  Autumn advanced, but Nathan’s hand across her chest stopped her. “He’s unstable. He’ll kill her. Don’t get closer.” The words were spoken quietly under his breath. “He wants his ritual and we will have our chance to save her.”

  “What do you think will happen if he drags her into the woods and disappears?” Autumn asked.

  Her uncle was moving with her mother farther away. The FBI would swarm at any moment. They would capture her uncle and rescue her mother. Were they circling around waiting to close in?

  “Someone do something. Please,” Autumn said.

  “They won’t stop him until they can safely secure the hostage and be sure he doesn’t kill her.”

  “She’s not a hostage, she’s my mother,” Autumn said.

  “Uncle Ryan, it’s me. Autumn,” she said, trying to break into whatever train of thought her uncle was on and stop him. How had he eluded the FBI? Was he so driven by his anger he didn’t care this had been a trap?

  He stopped moving for a few beats. He said nothing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Blaine step down the stairs of his cabin.

  “This is my land,” her uncle shouted. “I am duty bound to protect it.”

  “Please stop. Let’s talk about this. We’re family,” Autumn said.

  “Uncle Ryan, please don’t run away,” Blaine said.

  Her uncle looked between the two of them and his posture relaxed. They’d gotten through to him. But just as fast, he tensed and pulled their mother away. After a few seconds, they had disappeared from view.

  Autumn pushed past Nathan and scanned the tree line for them. Thor came to her side, whimpering as if sensing her devastation.

  Roger Ford jogged over to them, speaking into a walkie-talkie. “All units respond. The suspect has broken the perimeter with a hostage. Proceed with extreme caution.”

  “Why didn’t you stop him?” Autumn asked, grabbing the front of Roger Ford’s jacket. He had promised her mother would be safe. Being taken by a madman did not seem safe.

  “He had a hostage. We couldn’t easily
stop him. We were afraid he would shoot,” Ford said.

  How did her uncle get close enough to her mother to grab her? No time for questions or excuses. She had to get her mother back.

  “Blaine, I need you,” she called. Her brother ran over, regarding Ford warily.

  “Blaine, we’ve got to track him. Get your pack. Let’s go,” Autumn said. If they had to track her uncle and her mother all night, that’s what they would do. They had to bring their mother home safely. Her mother had recently become a part of their lives and Autumn wanted to see if they could rebuild their relationship.

  Ford grabbed her hand to stop her. “You cannot go on the trail. We have this covered.”

  Anger tore through her. “You do not have this covered. You allowed a murderer to kidnap my mother. You’re not going to find them. No one knows these trails as well as Blaine and I do. No one knows our uncle how we do. We’re going and we’re not coming back until my mom is safe.”

  Ford let out a heavy sigh. “I’ll gather my team to escort you.”

  “Escort me?” Autumn was already heading in the direction of her cabin for her pack. Ford followed her. “I don’t need an escort. The more people who attempt to come with me, the more likely my uncle will keep running or outright kill my mother if he feels trapped.” Thor ran to her side and trotted beside her.

  Autumn grabbed her pack and put it on her shoulders. Nathan did the same with his. It was as if they were acting as one team, together. She hadn’t needed to tell him her plan.

  Ford raised his eyebrows. “What are you planning to do if you find him? Ask him nicely to stop?”

  Autumn snorted. “I’ve had a preview of what I’m dealing with. I’ll have Nathan with me. You had a chance to handle this situation and you failed. It’s my turn.” They left her cabin and she closed the door behind her.

  “I’ll come with you,” Ford said.

  Nathan ignored him. “If we don’t hurry, he’ll disappear.”

  Ford wouldn’t last thirty minutes at the pace she’d set. “I’m not slowing down for anyone.” She was already jogging in the direction she had seen her uncle and mother disappear. Blaine and Nathan were with her, Ford behind them.

  The ground was too frozen, the snow too slicked over, for her uncle to have left a good set of tracks.

  “The earth is solid,” Blaine said, echoing her thoughts.

  “Branches, broken brush,” she said, thinking aloud. Every footstep into the backcountry left a visible albeit temporary indicator that someone had been there.

  “Rock Valley?” Nathan asked.

  “Where the bears were living? If he’s taken her there, he has a death wish,” Autumn said.

  Nathan said nothing, but his look spoke volumes. Her uncle had a death wish and he had the person he hated most with him. Death was exactly what he wanted.

  Autumn took the lead on their pursuit. She wouldn’t let her mother die. Her mother had just returned to her life. While they didn’t have much of a relationship, Autumn had hope of something for the future. Phone calls. Emails. Maybe a visit now and then.

  For the first time in a long time, Autumn didn’t feel alone. Despite her immediate fear, Nathan being at her side helped manage that feeling and made it possible to do what she did best: hike the trail.

  Thor stayed at her side. He wasn’t a tracking dog, but she trusted his instincts. He knew to remain quiet and not alert her uncle that they were closing in.

  They were following the markings, the depressed leaves, the broken underbrush and then nothing. It seemed as if her uncle’s and her mother’s tracks had disappeared. Autumn looked up slowly, half-scared she would see her mother swinging from a tree.

  Blaine, Nathan and Ford followed her gaze. They breathed a silent sigh of relief that the tree line was bare of bodies.

  Autumn pointed to the last place where she’d seen evidence someone was on the trail. She pointed left and Blaine pointed right. Ford followed Blaine and Nathan and Thor followed her. If they split up, they could cover more ground. She moved slowly, looking for anything to give her an idea of the direction.

  A crow caw, one that Autumn recognized as Blaine’s bird whistle, sounded in the air. She scanned for Blaine and saw him gesture toward him. He’d found something. She, Nathan and Thor closed the distance.

  Blaine pointed to some broken branches on a sapling. At her nod, they continued in that direction.

  As children, she and Blaine had been outside with her uncle dozens, if not hundreds of times. He had favorite hunting areas, bird-watching posts, fishing holes and climbing sites. He could have taken their mother to any of those.

  Autumn heard the distinct sounds of fire. She sniffed the air, turning, getting a sense of direction. She mouthed the word fire to Nathan.

  Was her uncle starting his ritual or were they already too late?

  * * *

  Watching Autumn and Blaine was fascinating. They were one with nature, moving purposefully and carefully, and finding signs to help them track their mother and their uncle.

  They were close enough to see movement in the trees, but from this distance, it was difficult to make out what was happening. Ryan Reed had built a fire and he was moving around in a small clearing.

  Where was Autumn’s mother? Had she been scared into silence? Or was she dead?

  Nathan hadn’t heard a gunshot, but despite the gun he had threatened Blythe Reed with, bullets weren’t the Huntsman’s preferred method of killing. He could have cut her throat, stabbed her or shot her with an arrow.

  Nathan stayed close to Autumn as they approached, wanting to protect her. He gestured to Ford to circle around counterclockwise. He and Autumn would travel the other way. When they were closer, they would decide how to proceed.

  Autumn stopped behind a downed tree. It was the nearest to the clearing and provided a good view of Ryan Reed. Nathan couldn’t see Blaine or Ford and assumed they had also found a place to hide and watch.

  Autumn gestured for Thor to be quiet and still. He obeyed her and lay on the ground.

  Autumn moved closer and Nathan grabbed her hand and shook his head. No, he mouthed.

  She wasn’t walking into the Huntsman’s campground unattended. They didn’t know how many weapons they were dealing with or where Autumn’s mother was.

  A noise came from the camp, a low song, rising in a melodic tempo. He and Autumn exchanged looks. The Huntsman was beginning his ritual.

  Autumn motioned that she was moving closer. She ignored his gesture to stay where she was.

  Nathan followed her. The leaves seemed to crunch more loudly and it seemed harder to remain unseen. The birds were silent in the trees and only the rustling of leaves and Ryan Reed’s eerie song filled his ears.

  Autumn clamped her hand over her mouth. She turned to him, her eyes wild with fear, and pointed. From this vantage point, he could see Blythe tied to a tree by vines. He didn’t see arrows protruding from her chest, but she wasn’t moving, either.

  Were Ford and Blaine seeing this?

  Should he step in? Before he could think, Ryan Reed did something that didn’t give him a choice. He picked up a bow from the ground and slid an arrow into it.

  Ryan Reed pivoted, still singing, and aimed the arrow at Blythe.

  “Uncle Ryan!” Autumn called.

  The arrow was released from the bow. Autumn ran forward, the sound of leaves against her feet and the ground causing her uncle to turn in her direction.

  Nathan ducked out of view. He was a threat Ryan Reed may not respond well to. Nathan saw the arrow in a tree behind Blythe. Thanks to Autumn’s interruption, the arrow had missed its mark.

  Ryan Reed seemed fixated on Autumn. Nathan moved closer, knowing he couldn’t reveal himself, but needing to be in range to protect Autumn. He would open fire on Ryan Reed when he
had a clear shot. He had his gun at his hip and firing would protect Autumn and Blythe, and claim justice for Colleen.

  Revenge tasted sweet and Nathan imagined unholstering his gun, aiming and firing his weapon at Ryan Reed and killing him. The finality of that action swept relief over him. He never aimed his gun unless he was prepared to use it.

  He pictured his sister when she was younger, a free spirit, full of dreams and happiness. The memories of her with her family, at picnics and pool parties, merged into an emotional haze that clouded his vision. His throat grew tight with anger and grief. Colleen should have had a good life. The alcohol had robbed her of happiness and then Ryan Reed had robbed her of her life.

  Nathan reached for his gun and withdrew it. As he leveled it at Ryan Reed, he caught sight of Autumn. She had her hands in the air and was saying something to her uncle. Nathan lowered his weapon, thinking of how she would feel if he killed her uncle. Not relieved or happy. She would be devastated. He had seen her face when she’d realized her uncle was the Huntsman. This was a nightmare for her.

  It had been his intention to keep Autumn safe. She had been let down too many times in the past and he would be a man who kept his promises, who did as he said and who cherished and loved her.

  Love. A word he didn’t use freely, but in this moment, he knew without a doubt that he loved Autumn. He kept his gun in his hand and moved to where he could hear.

  “You’re not Autumn. She’s just a little girl.” Ryan Reed’s voice echoed confusion.

  He didn’t resume singing and he sounded more lucid than he had at the Trail’s Edge campground. He reached for another arrow and slid it into the bow.

  “It is me. Look,” Autumn said and knelt. She rolled up her pant leg and pivoted, showing him the back of her calf. “See? I have the scar from when I fell off Pike’s Cliff that summer we went hiking. It still twinges sometimes in the winter.”

  Her uncle blinked at her. He did not lower his arrow.

  “Why don’t we get something hot to drink? It’s freezing out here,” Autumn said.