by D. K. Hood
Relief flooded over her when she heard footsteps coming down the trail. “That’s my husband and the rangers will be on their way.”
“Get over here. I wouldn’t want you to miss all the fun.” Face Paint’s voice was strange. A smile flashed white against his gruesome, multicolored, camouflaged skin. He stared at her. “Do as you are told and everything will turn out just fine.”
With every muscle trembling, Bailey gaped at him in terror. What was happening? Tears stung her cut lip and she tried to crawl away but Face Paint’s boot blocked her way. Her disorientated mind tried to make sense of what she was seeing. How does Jim know this lunatic? She looked up at Face Paint through her tears. “Please let me go. I’ll give you money. I’ll give you anything you want.”
Face Paint smiled down at her.
“Hello, Bailey. Now, let me think. What do I want? Tell me, how fast can you run?”
20
Thursday
The following morning, Kane ducked a kick to the head, twisted his hips, and swept Jenna’s feet from under her. He stepped to the side and aimed a kick at her head. When Jenna’s foot brushed his thigh, missing his groin by the width of a hair, he grabbed her ankle and dropped to the mat. He had taken a few direct hits from her this morning but drew the line at permanent damage and pinned her to the floor. She squirmed under him like a crazy woman.
“Hey, Jenna, cool it. What’s wrong with you this morning?”
“That’s better.” She relaxed and smiled at him. “I don’t want you to go easy on me. I thought if I hit you a few times, you’d start to get rough.”
His attention drifted to a drip of perspiration running down her cheek then he shrugged. “I never go easy on you. Have you forgotten your training? Learning the moves and keeping fit is the key. If you want to punch something, attack the bag.”
“Oh, I punch the bag more than you know.” She rolled onto her back and gave him a long, considering look then blew her bangs from her face. “You just seem distracted of late.”
He flopped onto his back and pushed a hand through his damp hair. “You think?”
“Yeah. You’ve hardly said a word to me all morning.” She rose up on one elbow and squinted her eyes at him. “In fact, you spoke to the horses more than me. That’s not like you, Dave. We always discuss things in our downtime. Is your head hurting?”
He mirrored her position and shook his head. “My head is fine. I’ve had a few things on my mind is all.”
“Anything you need to discuss?” She looked at him with an expression of interest.
Oh, he had things to discuss, but the outcome could ruin their work relationship. He shook his head. “Now is not the time.” He rolled to his feet and offered his hand.
“I think it is, Dave.” She took his hand, and when he pulled her to her feet, her blue eyes locked on his.
His mind whirled. How could he discuss the tension between them the other night? For heaven’s sake, he could have easily kissed her. She was his boss and he lived on her property. Dammit, he still loved his late wife, and now he felt as if he was being unfaithful to consider such a thing. It’s not going to happen. He shook his head. “I just wanted to say how much I value our friendship and I hope going away together won’t spoil it. I’m still very much in love with my wife and I’m not ready for anything else just yet.”
“Oh, I know that, Dave.” She smiled at him. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had and you won’t ever try to steal my boyfriends… not that I plan on having anyone in my life at the moment either.”
“Okay.” Kane gave her a quizzical stare. “So are we good?”
“Sure we are.” She danced away from him, grinning. “Now maybe we can get our lives back to normal.” She headed for the door without a backward glance.
* * *
It hadn’t taken long for Kane to realize that hunting season of one type or another seemed to go on all year in Montana, but late fall attracted visitors from all over the state to Black Rock Falls to hunt elk and deer. They packed the motel to capacity and many people welcomed relatives into their homes. Most times the sheriff’s department handled minor disturbances and had nothing to do with the hunting side of things, because the Fish, Wildlife and Parks enforcement officers were diligent.
Local squabbles seemed to be taking up his entire day when he would rather be working on the cold case with Jenna. It was days like these he craved to be involved in a decent investigation. Hopefully Wolfe had come up with some new evidence he could get his teeth into, he walked into Jenna’s office. When she issued him with orders to head out again, he gaped at her in astonishment. “You want me to do what?”
“Take Bradford and go and sort out a complaint about some puppies.” Jenna handed him a sheet of paper. “Here are the details.”
He stared at the paperwork in disbelief. It wasn’t like Jenna to give him all the grunt work. “Can’t Webber or Rowley handle this one?”
“Kane, Webber is an expert on crossbows and I’ve sent him out to all the stores in town that sell the bolt used on Dawson Sanders.” She leaned back in her chair and raised one dark eyebrow. “This case requires a negotiator and Bradford needs the experience. Seeing you in action will be a good training exercise for her.”
I’ve been training her all damn week. “Okay, but—”
“No ‘buts,’ Kane.” She lifted her chin and her mouth formed a stubborn line. “I’m snowed under, and with Wolfe occupied at the morgue, you’re the only deputy available. I don’t have an option.”
He let out a long sigh. “Copy that.”
21
He merged the footage from all the trail cams and his body cam into one movie and savored the footage of the exquisite death of Bailey. His heart pounded with the memory, so vivid it was, as if he still had the bloody knife in his hand. The scent of her lingered in the T-shirt he held to his nose. The sight of confused blue eyes and her soft dying pleas made him want more; he could not wait. The snow will be here soon. I need to act now.
After entering his username, he uploaded a small clip to his site on the dark web and waited to find another client. They never took long to bite. On this encrypted site, the signal pinged across the entire world and was untraceable. Here, hidden from sight, people advertised their extraordinary tastes and desires. A buyer could obtain anything from drugs to people. He leaned back in his seat and yawned.
As if on cue, his messenger pinged. He read the offer and sat back in his seat, shaking his head in amazement. Someone had suggested a dangerous but thrilling idea he had not thought of before. He looked over the details and grinned. “I’ll need a very special couple for this one.”
22
Friday
When the ringtone designated to incoming 911 calls pealed, Jenna ran from the shower. She glanced at the digital readout on her bedside clock and reached for her cellphone. “Sheriff Alton, what is your emergency?”
“We think we found a body up near Bear Peak. It’s not full daylight yet, but we’re pretty sure it’s a body.”
Jenna grabbed a pen and notepad. “Okay, can I have your names and contact details?”
“I’m Luke Evans and I’m with Jack Turner.” Evans gave their details as residents of Black Rock Falls.
“What is your location? Do you have a GPS?”
“Sure enough.” He rattled off the coordinates. “We caught sight of a ten-point buck heading for a designated hunting area, and followed him along this old trail. We could smell something dead and thought it was an illegal kill, so went to investigate.” He took a long, shuddering breath. “I contacted the ranger at the checking station. He said to stay here, not to touch anything, and contact you. He can’t leave his post but is calling it in.”
“You did the right thing. Is there road access in that area?”
“Sure is, take the back road past the falls. The FWP have a check station signposted, take the road on the left into the forest, it leads to a parking lot. The ranger there will point you in the ri
ght direction. You can take the trail from there. I figure it’s ’bout a thirty-minute hike.”
“Okay, we’re on our way. Stay where you are and I’ll call you when we get to the parking lot. We’ll be coming in on horseback.” Jenna disconnected and called Kane. “We have a body up near Bear Peak. We’ll take the horses; you get them ready and I’ll contact Wolfe and Rowley. The others will be able to manage the office in our absence.”
“Roger that, I’ll be ready in ten.”
* * *
A cold wind rustled the pines, buffeting Jenna and lifting the sides of her open jacket as she stepped from Kane’s SUV. She glanced around, taking in the number of vehicles in the parking lot and the variety of both men and women lining up to check in with the ranger before proceeding to their designated hunting areas. The excited conversations masked the usual eerie moans and creaks from the dark depths of the forest. She walked to the front of the line and waited for the ranger to finish speaking to a hunter.
“Morning, I have a team with me to investigate the complaint we received this morning.” She glanced at the faces of the people eager to get going, not wanting to advertise the fact someone had found a body. “We can manage on our own, and by looking at the people lined up, I figure you’ll need all your men here.”
“I would appreciate it, ma’am.” The ranger offered her a smile. “It is a busy time and we’re spread thin over the checking stations.”
“I’ll keep you informed.” She turned away and waved to Wolfe as he arrived with Rowley then strolled into the trailer to help Kane unload the horses.
Duke barked and spun in circles with an exuberance she hadn’t seen before. “Have you been giving that dog coffee or something?” She took hold of her mare’s bridle and followed Kane’s horse down the ramp.
“Nah, he does that when I come home too. It’s his happy dance. I figure he is used to seeing these folk and believes we’re going hunting.” Kane’s eyes narrowed and he indicated with his chin to the other end of the parking lot. “Looks like Blackhawk is here.” He glanced at her. “Did you call him?”
“No. Wolfe told me he planned to hire him when necessary, just in case we find anything close to the res. He won’t be working with us all the time.” She turned and her attention went straight to Blackhawk’s stunning Appaloosa. The coat of the spotted horse rippled like silk over its toned, muscular body. “Oh, wow, that is one beautiful horse. He must spend hours grooming it to make it look like that.”
“Yeah, he would.” Kane’s lips quirked up at the corner as he moved to her side and cupped his hands for her to mount. “Food is important too. I make sure both Warrior and Lady have all the supplements they need.”
She took the offered leg up and mounted Lady. Noticing the way the sun glistened on Warrior’s black coat, Jenna turned and smiled at Kane. “You polish him more than you do your car and that’s saying something.”
“Morning.” Blackhawk touched his hat. “Shane called, said you needed a tracker, so here I am. I know the trail.”
Jenna smiled at him. “Great! You can show us the way.”
Wolfe rode up to her side with Rowley beside him. “Webber is on his way. He is bringing a packhorse and the rest of my gear. He should be here soon.” He frowned. “Did you get any details on the body?”
Jenna sighed. “No, the men didn’t get close. They are on scene waiting for us.”
A truck with trailer attached approached in a cloud of dust and parked beside Kane’s black rig. Before Jenna could say a word, Kane offered her Warrior’s reins and strode off to help Webber unload the horses. A few moments later, they all headed into the forest with Blackhawk in the lead.
They had traveled about half an hour when Duke let out a howl like the devil was chasing him. Kane’s horse reared and Jenna’s Arab danced sideways, not wanting to continue. She calmed the horse but a sense of foreboding crept over her then a blast of wind curled through the trunks and the smell of rotting flesh hit her full in the face. She gagged and glanced over at Kane. “Can’t be far now.”
“Here, put this on.” He handed her a face mask then attached his own.
As Blackhawk entered a hairpin turn, she heard voices and urged her mare forward. Two men in their early twenties ran to meet them; both carried rifles and appeared shaken.
Jenna held up a hand to quiet them. “Take a breath then show us what you found.”
“We’re not goin’ back there, no way.” One of the men wiped the back of his hand over his mouth. “It’s through there on the left, in the bushes.”
Jenna turned in her saddle to look at Rowley. “We’ll go and take a look. Escort these men back to the checkpoint and take down their statements. The rangers will have space in their cabin to conduct an interview.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Rowley tipped his hat.
The team dismounted, and with Blackhawk and Wolfe in the lead, they moved down a short straightaway, peering into the dark recesses of the dense forest. The stench increased with each step, and without warning a flock of crows rose up like bats then settled in the trees. Jenna swallowed hard. It was the way of nature. The wildlife was hard at work doing its job keeping the forest clean but she had the awful feeling the next thing she laid eyes on would make her sick to her stomach.
23
Humming joined the noises of the forest and Kane batted away the flies and glanced up at the fifty or more crows perched in the surrounding branches. Something had disturbed them earlier by the way they flocked en masse to the treetops. At his heels, Duke whined then barked a warning. “Keep on the lookout. Duke smells something and it isn’t dead flesh.”
He scanned the area, searching the shadows for a bear. The smell would bring them to this location; then again, an eagle wouldn’t take too kindly to sharing a meal either. Ahead, Blackhawk stopped walking then turned and raised a hand to halt the team.
“Bobcat.” Blackhawk lifted his rifle and took aim at one of the trees.
As the echo of the shot receded, the sound of an animal bounding through the undergrowth replaced it. Another shot blasted from Blackhawk’s rifle and he turned around, grim-faced.
“She won’t be back for a while. Cats are too smart to risk being shot at twice in one day.” Blackhawk pointed to the crows. “Those are a different matter. They aren’t frightened of us, not when they want to fill their bellies.”
“Have you found anything?” Jenna gave him a worried glance and took a few hesitant steps forward.
“Yeah.” Wolfe dropped his bag on the ground and it landed with a thump. “Carnage.”
Kane moved to Jenna’s side and did a slow visual scan of the area. Carnage was an understatement. Blood dripped from bushes, spattered over tree trunks, and body parts with a generous coating of flies and ants littered the surrounding area. It looked like the aftermath of a violent battle. “That can’t be one body, surely?”
“Nope, two at least, or what’s left of them, and they’ve been here for a couple of days.” Wolfe had suited up and was edging into the twilight of the dense forest with Webber close behind.
Kane shrugged out of his backpack and pulled out his gear; beside him Jenna did the same. “This could be an animal attack.”
“Or a crazy with a machete or both. That looks like the way bears tear people apart; cats are more likely to drag them high into trees.” She lifted her pale face to him. “I would prefer an animal attack but after seeing what happened to the other couple, we could have another lunatic in Black Rock Falls.”
Kane pulled on latex gloves and waited for her. “We sure seem to attract them. It must be the size of the forest. There are so many places to hide in here and attack people. In truth, it’s a paradise for killers.”
“Seems so of late.” She stared up at him and her eyes narrowed. “I’m starting to believe you are a crazies’ magnet. It was a quiet little town before you came here.”
He snorted. “Trust me, evil was lurking here well before I arrived.”
When Wolfe ca
me toward them wearing a blank expression, the hairs on the back of Kane’s neck stood to attention. It was bad, real bad, and he glanced at Jenna, noting her professional mask had fallen into place as well. He straightened to hear the initial report.
“What have we got?” Jenna snapped on a pair of gloves. “Is it an animal attack?”
“Animals have had some input but no, this is a homicide.” Wolfe swiped away flies landing on his cheeks. “I think we have one male victim, one female. If you stick to the path and follow me, you won’t compromise the crime scene.”
“Do you think it is the same killer as the cold case?” Jenna waved Kane forward to go before her, and he noticed her shudder of revulsion.
“I’m not sure.” Wolfe’s voice drifted on the blast of cold wind whistling through the trees. “This murder is different.”
Kane lifted his face, hoping the fresh breeze would dissipate some of the stench, but the odor permeated through his mask, making his stomach roll. He followed close on Wolfe’s heels. “How so?”
“You’ll see when you get eyes on the corpses.”
When Wolfe slowed his pace, Kane picked out Webber’s ashen face in the gloom. This deep in the forest, the tall pines blocked out most of the sunlight. He moved to Wolfe’s side and swallowed the lump in his throat. It was always the eyes of the dead he remembered. Some clouded over in death; others seemed to stare at him, pleading for help as if life remained. A person’s mind could be cruel, throwing people into flashbacks or producing nightmares so vivid they were hard to forget; but for him, his brain tortured him with the memory of his wife’s eyes. No matter how hard he tried, he could not push Annie’s death stare from his memories of her.
A young woman sat against a tree. The killer had secured her hands above her head, holding them in place with a zip tie looped over a crossbow bolt. Naked and eviscerated with the lower part of her body missing, she barely resembled a human. An involuntary shudder of disgust went through him and he fought down the need to vomit.