by D'Ann Lindun
The weather would make the rite difficult, but not impossible.
The wind sounded almost like an animal moaning in pain, but January wasn’t afraid of the woods. Since she’d been a child, she’d roamed alone and never been worried about predators, human or otherwise. She felt alive in nature, one of the many reasons she’d become a Pagan.
At the top of the trail leading into the valley, January lifted her chin and scanned the opening below. The fall wind had scattered yellow and orange aspen leaves across the floor, making a colorful carpet of sorts.
She smiled.
Nature at its best. Perfect.
The rain had let up enough that she’d be able to perform her ceremony. With hurried steps, she angled her way to the valley floor. At the edge of the valley, she placed her backpack under one of the aspens. Digging inside, she pulled out a small pop-up tent and hurriedly set it up. She unrolled her sleeping bag and spread it out across the floor. Rain beat against the nylon ceiling and she frowned. There weren’t that many hours of daylight left.
She needed a basket of leaves for her altar.
With a sigh, she pulled her raincoat close and stepped out into the storm to search. She began gathering the scattered aspen leaves, concentrating on the task at hand. Even in the pouring rain, she took her time, choosing carefully, making sure each leaf was still vibrant and not browning on the edges.
A bright red leaf partially hidden under a log caught her eye and she made her way toward it.
When her fingertips touched something slick, she pulled back and shook her hand. That was no leaf. It felt more like a…windbreaker.
With her pulse suddenly gone askew, she peered over the log. At first she couldn’t believe her eyes. When it registered what she saw, January reeled backward. It couldn’t be possible.
After a moment to compose herself, she looked again.
A dead woman lay face down, black hair spread out around her, arms tied behind her back. Hands blue. Feet flung apart. Gagged.
With tentative fingers, January brushed the hair away enough that she could see the woman’s cheek. Icy white skin.
January first thought the low moan came from the wind whistling through the trees.
Her skin crawled.
Someone had done this. She dug in her pocket and pulled out a small pocketknife. Using it took a few moments, but she managed to saw through the zip ties on the woman’s wrists until her arms flopped to her sides.
“I’ve got to get you inside or you’re not going to make it.” January stood and looked back at her tent, barely visible through the rain and trees. “I don’t know if I can carry you, but I’ll get you to my tent.”
Taking the girl under her arms, January began dragging her across the forest floor.
A few minutes later, she managed to wrangle the stranger into her tent. Leaving her in a heap, January unzipped her sleeping bag. As carefully as she could, she removed the woman’s sopping wet jacket and boots. She wore a pink t-shirt, and when January spotted her wrists, she gasped. The zip ties had cut into her skin, leaving dark red abrasions, turning blue and purple.
“You need a doctor,” January said to the still unconscious woman. “But first we need to warm you up.”
She pulled a pair of sweatpants and wool socks out of her backpack. “Let’s get yours off and put these on. That’ll help.”
The girl’s jacket had kept her t-shirt dry, but her pants were so wet they stuck to her skin. January struggled to get them off, but managed to free them from her patient’s frozen legs. She also peeled off the wet socks and replaced everything with her own clothes.
The girl moaned and her eyelids fluttered. Her skin appeared pasty, almost translucent. Her hair had begun to dry and it was a dark, walnut brown.
“Relax.” January placed a hand on her patient’s shoulder. “You’re safe.”
She zipped the sleeping bag around the girl, tucking her tight. Her own hands and feet felt like chunks of ice and she realized she needed to warm up before she got frostbite and couldn’t help either herself or the girl.
Tossing her damp raincoat aside, she set up her tiny sterno cookstove and poured water into a small pan. Inside the tight confines of the tent, the burner warmed her quickly. The water boiled in minutes and she poured it in a cup, then added a tea bag. Taking small sips of the boiling brew, she considered the day’s events.
How on earth had this girl been tied up like a Thanksgiving turkey, thrown behind a log and left to freeze to death in a storm? Was there some killer wandering around out there? Watching her?
January shivered a little that had nothing to do with the rain pounding against the walls of her small tent.
There was no way she could carry the other woman back to town, even though she was small. Leaving her wasn’t an option. Not only would she probably not survive alone, there was protection in numbers. January touched the pocket where she kept her small pocketknife. It was her only weapon. Not much use against someone who might have a gun.
Dark snuck in like a bandit while she debated.
She emptied her cup and set it aside. The hot tea had warmed her. Inside her pack, she found her LED lantern and turned it on, even though it was still only midday. The yellow warmth of the light cheered her slightly. It made her feel less exposed in a weird way.
The girl moaned and thrashed.
January sat forward on her knees and gently touched the girl’s bruised forehead. “Shush. It’s okay. You’re safe.”
The girl’s eyes flew open, but she didn’t seem to see January. “Stay away.”
“You’re safe,” January said again.
The girl turned her gaze toward January. “Who are you?”
“January Devlin.”
“Davey?” she croaked.
Was she hallucinating? By the looks of the bright blue and purple lump on her forehead, she’d landed pretty hard. “Who is that?”
“My boyfriend.” She shuddered.
“Did Davey hurt you?” January turned on the stove again and poured more water into the little pan. Fear formed a little knot in her stomach.
“No.” She swallowed. “He’s dead.”
January’s hands stilled. “What?”
“A madman came into our camp and murdered Davey—” her eyes filled “—and he tied me up—” a sob escaped her throat “—but I got away.”
“Dear God.” January wasn’t sure whether to believe the girl or not. Of course, no one believed her, either, when she told them one of the richest men in the world had held her captive on his yacht. She made a cup of tea, then poured more water in the pan for soup. “Where did this happen?”
“Deer Draw.” The girl sobbed quietly.
“What’s your name?”
“Kyra Jacobi.” She swiped her bruised hands across her face.
“Drink this. It’ll help you warm up.” January helped her sit upright enough to sip tea. After a few gulps, Kyra shook her head. “No more.”
“You have to hydrate,” January insisted. “And eat some soup, too. You have to get your strength up so we can get to the authorities.”
Kyra managed to get down a bit more tea, a few bites of soup and a couple aspirin before sagging back onto the sleeping bag. Within moments, her dark blue eyes closed. Poor thing. She had to be exhausted from the trauma she’d experienced.
January ate a bit of soup as her thoughts raced. Were they safe to stay? Or should they brave the storm and try to leave now? No one was coming to look for her until at least tomorrow night, and probably not until even longer. There was no way to call for help. Cell phones didn’t work in this area. She hadn’t even brought hers—it was in the glove box of her car.
Hikers and campers were sparse at this time of year, especially in a storm. A cowboy might be gathering cattle, or a sheepherder guarding his flock, but she hadn’t seen any animals on her way in.
Getting them both out rested on her shoulders.
She shivered.
How had this happe
ned? She’d left modeling and the bright lights of New York, Paris and London behind for a tiny Colorado town to escape all the hate and crime. Now, not only were her friends and neighbors being terrorized, so were perfect strangers who came to the mountains.
With a sigh of resignation, she began to gather her supplies.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
As Austin walked into the café, it went silent.
He looked into the unfriendly face of Jamie’s mother and her co-workers and sighed. Just as he’d suspected, word had gotten out about his supposed liaison with Haley Spencer. “Morning, Mrs. English.”
“Agent.” Her tone was as frosty as a December morning.
“May I have a cup of coffee?”
She nodded stiffly and moved to get the steaming pot. He considered telling her the truth, but thought better of it. If he had done something with Haley, it was his business. Not Rae’s. And not Jamie’s.
Wrong.
He’d kissed her. He told her when, not if, they made love. Damn. He’d as much as promised.
Double damn.
His appetite vanished.
“What are you having today?” Rae filled his cup without any of her usual chit-chat about the weather, the Denver Broncos, or Dani’s latest stunt. Even the little girl seemed subdued today, sitting in one of the corner booths, busy with a coloring book. Usually she came over and sat with him while he ate, chattering away about her plans for the day. He found he missed her bubbly little self.
“Eggs over easy and wheat toast, please.”
She nodded and left without comment.
He lifted his cup and sipped, his mind on the claims Haley Spencer made. Had one of Jamie’s deputies really raped her? It wouldn’t be the first time a woman suspected of foul play had laid a false claim to throw the scent off the trail. If she hadn’t stolen Kate’s buckle from the morgue, who had?
The person who drugged and raped her?
Why?
That made no sense.
None of the trails to the missing women or Kate led back to any of Jamie’s staff. Tad Carver and Benny Torres might be assholes, but they seemed honest enough. Jenkins? As decent as the day was long.
It wasn’t as if an offender went around with the word rapist stamped on their forehead. As Rae placed his breakfast in front of him, Austin made a mental note to discuss it with Jamie.
~*~
Jamie led two palomino geldings out of her barn and tied them to the horse trailer. With quick, efficient strokes, she brushed their gleaming coats. The horses were beginning to put on their winter hair. Not much, just a little thicker. As if on cue, a cool wind blew across the back of her neck. Fall was coming fast. Three weeks into September already, and not one substantial clue into the whereabouts of the lost girls.
A trail of dust drew her attention to the road leading toward her house. Austin’s gray truck pulled into the barnyard and parked. Jamie ignored the little dust devil of awareness twisting in her stomach. She waved and entered the barn for her saddle. She knew Austin followed her even though he never made a sound. His distinctive scent gave him away.
“Morning, Agent.”
“Morning, Sheriff.” When she reached for her saddle, he beat her to it. “Which horse?”
“I can manage.”
He held it away. “I’m sure you can, but which horse?”
With a shrug of defeat, she motioned toward the darker, dappled horse on the left. “That one. Thanks.”
She followed him out of the barn, trying not to notice how great his Wrangler-clad ass looked in the form fitting denim. He saddled her horse with expertise. “You’ve done this before.”
He looked up from the cinch he tightened. “A time or two. I was on the rodeo team in college.”
“You were?”
He grinned. “We ride horses in Kentucky, too.”
She accidently brushed his shoulder with her breast as she hung her bridle from the saddle horn. Jumping back like a rattlesnake lingered under his jacket, she stared at him for a minute. His moody gray eyes told her he felt the spark of attraction, too. She pointed toward the barn. “You can use Big Jim’s saddle. It’s on the rack next to where mine was in the barn.”
Within a few short minutes, he had the second gelding saddled. Austin stepped back and gave the horse a quick pat. “What’s his name?”
“Nugget.”
He nodded. “Fits him.”
“Dani named him. She named mine, too. He’s Sunshine. They’re brothers. Dad’s stallion is their sire.” She stopped to take a breath, aware she’d been babbling. “Anyway…”
“Good to know.” Austin’s sexy mouth curved a little.
“Yeah.” Jamie changed the subject. “Did you bring a lunch?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I stopped by the café and picked up a couple of sub sandwiches. Chips, cookies, apples and a thermos of coffee. All thanks to your mom.”
“That sounds like Mom,” Jamie said. “She likes to feed people like they’re going to their last meal.”
“She’s a nice lady.” Austin turned toward his truck and retrieved his rifle. He also held a hand-tooled scabbard, which he fastened to the saddle. “You have a scabbard for your gun?”
“Yep. Big Jim gave me one for my sixteenth birthday. I’ve been hunting since I was a kid. It’s in the backseat of my truck.” Jamie turned toward her house. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to grab my jacket.”
“I’ll load the horses,” Austin said.
Jamie paused. “Okay. Nugget in the front compartment, please.”
“Will do.”
After grabbing her coat, gloves, a flashlight and binoculars, Jamie called Hammer. The mutt came running, eager to go. Austin already had the horses loaded and he stood by the passenger side door. She opened the driver’s side back door and the dog scrambled into the backseat. She stowed the rest of her stuff on the floor. Finally, she climbed behind the wheel. Austin jumped in the passenger seat.
“Ready?”
“Let’s go,” he said.
She turned the rig out of the barnyard and took the road leading toward the mountains.
As Jamie geared down to creep along the rutted road, she said, “I don’t know if this is going to do any good after the rain. I doubt we’ll find any tracks, but I want to look anyway.”
“Looks like more is coming.” Gloomy gray clouds built on the horizon. Austin paused, and when he spoke, his voice was serious. “Jamie, do you know if your dad ever had any complaints about his officers sexually assaulting anyone?”
Jamie took her gaze from the road long enough to gape at him. “Are you serious?”
He nodded. “Yes. Haley Spencer showed up at my motel room last night making allegations that one of your men drugged and raped her. When I tried to grill her, she panicked and ran out of my room.”
“What?” Jamie could barely wrap her mind around it. “Never, as far as I know.” Not for the first time, she wished she could talk to her dad. “Do you believe her?”
“I do.” Austin’s eyes turned a frigid gray. “She was too upset to not be telling the truth. Her story didn’t seem calculated.”
Jamie’s stomach knotted. “Who?”
“That’s the problem. She can’t remember much, except a badge and the chase lights flashing.”
“I just can’t believe anyone who works for me or my dad would do that.” Jamie swallowed hard. “Unreal. I don’t think Benny would rape anyone. He’s dating Olivia Hernandez. She’s stunningly pretty.”
“I don’t think having a wife or girlfriend prevents it,” Austin said.
“Carver’s a jerk,” Jamie said, “but, rape—”
“Deputy Carver likes porn,” Austin reminded her quietly. “You’ve seen that yourself.”
The disgusting images on his computer screen filled her head and she blinked hard. “As much as that grosses me out it’s a stretch between viewing porn and rape, isn’t it?”
“Not so much as you’d think,” Austin said grimly.
“I called a friend last night who specializes in sex crimes, but she was on a case. When she returns my call, I’ll see what her opinion is on it.”
“Thanks.” Jamie bit her bottom lip. One more horrible situation to deal with. Thank God for Austin’s strength to help deal with some of it. She was strong, but all the stress was beginning to build up to the breaking point.
As they passed through the cedars and junipers, climbing higher, they spotted a wide spot in the road. The White Forest trailhead, the place where hikers and riders could begin the trail leading deep into the mountains. Jamie had often ridden the various trails hunting cattle, and sometimes just picnicking with Dani.
A Jeep and a blue sports car sat parked at the edge of the dirt lot. Something about the sports car seemed familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. “Do you know that car?”
Austin shook his head no. “Not offhand. Should I?”
“No. I can’t place it right now.” Jamie found a familiar wide spot in the road and eased the rig over before putting the truck in gear and pulling the emergency brake. She killed the engine and stared at the blue Fiat a few more minutes. Nothing about the car jumped out in her memory. “Whoever’s it is, it’s a dumb time to be out here when there’s a killer on the loose.”
“No arguing here.” He reached for the door. “Let’s check it out.”
Jamie unsnapped her shoulder holster. “Okay.”
Together, they cautiously approached the vehicles. Both stood empty. Locked. Nothing unusual in the seats. A light jacket over the back of the driver’s seat in the sports car. A half empty bottle of water on the passenger side. Those two items worried Jamie, and she touched the trunk. “Do you think we should jimmy the lock to see if there’s anything inside?”
“Nah.” Austin shook his head as he studied the ground around the vehicle. “Nothing looks suspicious.”
Jamie pointed to the windbreaker and the bottled water. “Seems to me somebody might need both of those if they went for a hike.”
They both glanced at the dark clouds building on the horizon. “Maybe this person has a heavier coat, probably a backpack,” Austin said.