Mountain Ambush

by Hope White

  “Danner!” Spence called out, his voice echoing back at him.

  As he gazed across the water, he noticed a splash of red on the rocks up ahead.

  A body.

  Instinct kicked in and Spence broke into a sprint. The spray from the falls showered him as he got closer to the victim. Someone—maybe Danner—was hurt and Spence could help. He reached the body and slowly turned it over.

  Bill Danner.

  Spence felt for a pulse. Rapid and shallow. Spence squinted in the direction of his police backup, and motioned for help.

  Then he heard a click.

  He turned back to Danner, who was pointing a gun at Spence’s chest. “Who came with you?”

  Spence raised his hands. “It’s okay, they’re here to help. I’m here to help. What’s going on?”

  Danner got to his feet and winced, clutching his side. His face went white.

  “You’re hurt. What happened?” Spence said.

  “Like you don’t know?”

  Blood stained Danner’s jacket.

  “Bill, come on, let me help you.”

  Danner flicked the gun sideways.

  “Put the gun down,” Spence said.

  “Move!” Danner threatened.

  He was seriously injured and acting irrationally. Spence did as ordered, hoping to talk the guy into surrendering the gun.

  Danner motioned Spence up a trail that led to a plateau beneath the falls. If not for the dangerous situation it would be a breathtaking spot, so close to the powerful falls as water cascaded from above to hit the small lake below.

  Danner shoved at Spence from behind, and he almost went over, but fell to the ground instead.

  “Why did you set me up?” Danner said.

  Spence got to his feet. “What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t play innocent, Dr. Perfect. It had to be you.”

  “Bill, calm down, let’s talk about this.”

  “Like you talked to the feds?”

  “William Danner! Drop your weapon!” Nate called. He and Ryan were following them up the trail.

  Danner didn’t take his eyes off Spence. Heart pounding, Spence thought this was it, the guy was out of his mind and was going to shoot him in cold blood, in front of authorities.

  “I’m not going to jail for something I didn’t do!” Danner shouted, his voice competing with the pounding of the falls.

  “Put down the gun and we’ll figure this out,” Spence pleaded.

  “Last warning!” Nate called.

  As Danner cast a nervous glance over his shoulder at Nate, Spence lunged for the gun.

  They struggled, Danner weakened by whatever injury he’d sustained. Spence ripped the gun out of Danner’s hand and he stumbled backward, falling into the water below.

  Spence dropped the gun and ripped off his jacket, ready to jump in after him.

  “No!” Nate suddenly blocked him. “Officer McBride, go!”

  Ryan ripped off his backpack and jacket, shucked his boots and dived into the water.

  “I didn’t mean for him to fall,” Spence said.

  “I know.” Nate called into his radio for a search-and-rescue team.

  Ryan’s head bobbed up above the waterline, then disappeared again as he searched for Bill Danner.

  “He was injured before he went in,” Spence said. “He’s not going to be able to pull himself up.”

  “Calm down, buddy,” Nate said. “Ryan’s done rescue work like this before. Why was Danner threatening you with a gun?”

  Spence shook his head. “He accused me of setting him up, said I talked to the feds. About what? What was he into?”

  Ryan popped his head up above the surface. He had his arm around Danner’s chest and was pulling him toward the shore. Nate and Spence rushed down the trail and helped lift him out of the water.

  “Let’s start resuscitation,” Spence said.

  They took turns giving Danner mouth-to-mouth and doing chest compressions. Spence finally found a consistent pulse. “Got it,” he said. “How long until SAR gets here?”

  “Twenty to thirty minutes,” Ryan said.

  “Let’s keep him warm and monitor his pulse,” Spence said.

  He wasn’t going to let him die. He couldn’t let him die.

  “Spence,” Nate said.

  Spence glanced at him.

  “Good work.”

  “But—”

  “I saw what happened. It wasn’t your fault.”

  * * *

  Maddie had hoped for quick and easy resolution to whatever drama Dr. Danner was involved in. But when SAR team members starting showing up at the trailhead her hopes were destroyed.

  She flung open the car door.

  “Maddie, wait—”

  She shut the door on Adam’s protest and rushed to the first SAR member she knew, fireman Sam Treadwell. “What’s going on?”

  “Got a call for an injured male by the falls.”

  “Who is it?”

  “I don’t know. Gotta go.”

  “Really?” she said to herself. “I’m going to slug my brother.”

  “Why are you upset with your brother?” Adam asked, now standing beside her.

  “He should tell us who needs rescuing.”

  “Come back to the car and I’ll find out.”

  She nodded and went back to the SUV. Adam stayed outside, speaking into his radio.

  Anger seemed like the better option right now because if she believed it was Spence who’d been injured, that might ignite a ball of grief in her chest that would consume her.

  Ryan obviously knew how she felt about Spence after the very public kiss they shared. Why hadn’t he notified Adam who’d been hurt? Unless it was Spence?

  That was it. Spence had been seriously hurt and Ryan needed to tell her in person.

  Adam opened the car door and handed her the radio. “He wants to talk to you.”

  She snatched the radio. “Ryan, I’m going to—”

  “Maddie, it’s Spence.”

  Emotion clogged her throat.

  “Maddie?” he said.

  “I’m here. Tell me you’re okay.”

  “I’m okay.”

  But there was something odd in his voice. “Why did you call SAR?” Then panic struck her. “Is Ryan...?”

  “Your brother’s okay, too. The SAR call was for Dr. Danner. We’ll be down as soon as we can.”

  “Thanks. I’m—”

  “Maddie, put Adam on,” Nate ordered.

  Handing the radio to her bodyguard, she closed her eyes and let relief wash over her. She hadn’t realized how tense she was, how close to completely falling apart.

  A fleeting thought touched her consciousness—if this raw fear was what it felt like when potentially losing the man you loved, could she embrace love again?

  * * *

  Although Nate tried to get Spence and Maddie to go back to the cabin on resort property, Spence refused. He said he was done hiding from his troubles, and he was going to wait at Cedar River Hospital for news on Dr. Danner’s condition.

  Maddie chose to stay with him for emotional support. She could tell something intense happened at the falls, even if he wasn’t ready to share the details.

  Nate arranged for Maddie and Spence to wait in the doctors’ lounge, a less conspicuous spot. As Spence paced from the soda machine to the refrigerator across the room, Maddie tried to come up with the right words to calm him down.

  She struggled to figure out what was causing the anxiety: guilt or frustration? Or a little of both? Whatever it was, it could affect his recovery and she could no longer sit by and watch him stress out.

  Relying on humor, she stood a
nd bumped into him as he paced across the room.

  “Excuse me,” she said.

  He tried stepping around her, but she blocked him again, and again.

  “Excuse me, excuse me,” she said.

  “Maddie.”

  “Spence?”

  “Why are you pestering me?”

  “Because you need to chill out, Doc. You’re giving me whiplash. Now sit down and talk to me.” She took his hand, surprised he didn’t pull away, and led him to a small sofa. They sat, but she didn’t release him. “Dr. Danner will be okay, right?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “You and Nate resuscitated him?”

  “Yes, but he was hurt before he went in the water.”

  “Hurt, how?”

  “He seemed to be in extreme pain, had a puncture wound and he was acting irrationally.” He started to get up.

  She squeezed his hand. “Please stay here with me.”

  He leaned back against the sofa. “I’m hoping something he said can help authorities figure this out.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He accused me of setting him up. I have no idea what he was talking about.”

  The door opened and Nate joined them. “Anything on Danner?”

  “Nothing yet,” Spence said.

  “We found Alex Moors. Someone stole his truck yesterday so he wasn’t the one shooting at Maddie and Rocky.”

  “Has the shooter been treated for a gunshot wound at area hospitals?” Spence asked.

  “Neither Cedar River nor Echo Mountain Hospital have treated a gunshot victim.”

  “So he’s still out there,” Spence said.

  “Do you think he died of blood loss and is lying on the side of the road somewhere?” Maddie asked.

  “That would be a relief,” Spence muttered, then glanced at Maddie. “Sorry, that was inappropriate.”

  “You’re frustrated. We get it,” Maddie offered.

  “Detective Vaughn is investigating Danner’s bank records, phone records, the works. We need to figure out why he thinks you set him up. What happened tonight has given us another piece of the puzzle.”

  “And what’s that?” Spence said.

  “There’s something going on, maybe criminal, and Danner thinks you’re involved. That could be why someone wants you out of the way, because they also assume you’re involved. I need you to think, Spence. Try to remember anything strange or out of the ordinary that happened to you in the last month or so.”

  Spence shook his head, obviously frustrated. “Just the threatening emails.”

  “Did you find out who sent them, Chief?” Maddie asked.

  “Not yet. IP address was the coffee shop in town. I’d prefer you go back to the resort instead of hanging around the hospital.”

  “We will, after we get word about Danner,” Spence said.

  The door opened and a nurse poked her head inside the lounge. “Dr. Spencer? The patient is asking for you. He’s...” She hesitated. “He may not make it. Internal injuries.”

  Spence went to the door and Maddie followed him. Nate and Adam stayed close as the nurse led them to the ER area where they were treating Dr. Danner. Maddie feared Spence would blame himself for Danner’s death.

  “I can’t let all of you in,” the nurse said.

  “We’ll be right outside,” Nate said to Spence.

  Maddie touched Spence’s arm, wanting to offer support, but it was like he didn’t even feel it, like he was numb.

  The nurse opened the door. The doctor treating Dr. Danner looked up at Spence. “I’m sorry. He’s gone.”

  * * *

  Spence wasn’t sure what frustrated him more, the death of a colleague or the possibility that the death was related to whoever was out to kill Spence.

  The worst part was seeing people get seriously hurt or die as collateral damage. This was Spence’s fault because of something he’d seen or heard or knew, and someone wanted him dead.

  Someone who didn’t care if others got in the way like Gwen, Rocky and now Bill Danner.

  Everyone was quiet on the ride back to the resort, especially Maddie. He could only imagine what she was thinking, something along the lines of “how did I get myself into this mess?”

  The situation was getting worse instead of better, and Spence felt even more helpless than when he’d first been attacked in the mountains.

  “Do you think it has something to do with the hospital?” Maddie suddenly said.

  “Why do you say that?” Spence asked.

  “Dr. Danner accused you of setting him up, yet the only thing you have in common is your work, right?”

  “True, we weren’t exactly friends outside of the job.”

  “Then maybe that’s where we need to start. Something that happened at work involving the two of you.”

  Nate glanced over his shoulder into the backseat. “Did a patient die or sue the hospital?”

  “We haven’t had a patient die in the ER since I’ve been here. As far as lawsuits, there haven’t been any filed against me.”

  Nate nodded and turned back to look out the front window. Adam drove and continued to scan the mirrors.

  “We’ll figure it out,” Maddie said, placing her hand over Spence’s, which rested on his thigh.

  “Am I dropping you off at your aunt’s farm or the cottage?” Adam asked Maddie.

  “Take me back to Spence’s cottage. We’ve got work to do.”

  Nate glanced over his shoulder again. “Like what?”

  “A little research, nothing dangerous.”

  “Research?” Spence said.

  “I’d like to try a relaxation technique to help you remember things.”

  “I don’t understand,” Spence said.

  “You’ve been under a lot of stress. When we’re stressed out, we can’t focus clearly on things that should have raised red flags but we’ve brushed them aside because of our stress.”

  “You’re going to hypnotize him?” Nate said.

  “No, nothing like that. Look, Spence has been in fight-or-flight mode for days. His body and mind can’t drift into a relaxed state, so he’s unable to access important memories because he’s like a Ping-Pong ball, bouncing all over the place. If you can relax the body and quiet the mind, things come to you that you don’t notice when your mind’s active and anxious. Does that make sense?”

  “It does, but I’m not sure anything could get me to relax right now,” Spence said.

  “It’s worth a try. Worst-case scenario is you won’t remember anything, but you’ll feel safe and relaxed for a few minutes.”

  “That would be something different.”

  The thought of being conscious yet feeling relaxed for even a few minutes was a foreign, but welcome thought.

  When they arrived at the resort cottage, Adam had them wait in the vehicle until he gave the all clear signal. A few minutes later, he waved them inside.

  “I’m getting picked up at the resort,” Nate said. “You two stay safe and I’ll check in tomorrow.”

  “You got my message about Gwen possibly being in danger?” Spence said.

  “Yes. Retired Chief Washburn has offered to keep watch, both at the hospital and when she’s released.”

  “Good,” Spence said.

  As Maddie and Spence approached the cabin, he couldn’t help but scan the surrounding area, looking for the next threat.

  “You okay?” Maddie asked as they went inside and shut the door.

  “Sure, just hungry I guess.”

  “I’ll heat something up.” Maddie pulled containers out of the fridge.

  Once again, Spence had a quick flash of what a home must feel like, with a lovely woman humming her way through dinn
er preparation.

  “Have them leave it at the front desk and I’ll pick it up later.” Adam’s voice cut through his thoughts.

  “More friends are dropping off food,” Adam said. “I’m not sure how we’re going to keep your specific location concealed unless we continue moving you.”

  “Like musical cabins,” Maddie joked.

  How did she do that? How was she able to joke and tease when so much tension surrounded them? That’s right, she derived strength from God. He wondered if her God would forgive another sinner and embrace Spence.

  Spence went to the kitchen to help Maddie.

  “I’ve got this,” she said. “Why don’t you relax?”

  He went into the living room and checked his phone for emails. “Here’s something. The Tomlin family has relocated to Florida.”

  “The whole family?” Maddie said.

  “Apparently. The oldest son got into college down there so the mother and daughter decided to move with him.”

  “Florida, the other end of the country. I think we can scratch them off the list.”

  “Which leaves Lucas and Roger.”

  “That’s if we stick with the original list. I’m wondering if all this is directly connected to Dr. Danner somehow, that we should focus on him. Besides, I have a hard time seeing a kid like Lucas coming after you. He always seemed like a gentle boy to me.”

  “People aren’t always what they seem.”

  Maddie pulled plates out of a cabinet and slid them onto the table. “You mean, like you?”

  He eyed her. “What are you implying?”

  “It’s just that Dr. Dreamboat’s smooth charm and good mood seemed like a cover for something else.”

  He shot her a crooked smile. “You see right through me, don’t you, Maddie McBride?”

  The cabin suddenly went dark.

  “What—?” Spence said.

  Something crashed through the window.

  ELEVEN

  Spence heard a pop followed by a hiss.

  “It’s a smoke bomb!” Adam said.

  “We need to get out of here,” Spence said.

  “No, that’s what he wants. Lock yourself in the bedroom with Maddie! I’ll get that thing outta here and neutralize the assailant.”