by Gerri Hill
The quiet words hung in the air and all eyes slid to Jaime. One by one, Jaime looked at them, seeing their expressions in the soft light of the campfire. Most of the gazes were the same, swimming in worry and doubt. Behind them, in the tent, Megan lay asleep, her body warm as the infection tried to take over. They had cleaned her wound again and redressed it. And the bleeding was again stopped. For now.
“The trip tomorrow will be easy. No climbing. Once we get there, if we’re lucky, some of the summer residents might still be around. Or the general store might be open.”
“I thought it was a ghost town.”
“It is. But some of the old cabins have been restored and people live there in the summer. From what I remember, the general store rented Jeeps. But tourist season is over, so there may not be anyone around. Especially on a weekday.”
“But we might find a phone?” Abby asked hopefully.
“Yes. And we might find something for Megan. Penicillin, pain pills, something.”
Sara reached out to the fire, warming her hands. “If we can make it through tomorrow, make it to St. Elmo, then we should be okay.”
“Well, I for one, am ready to see civilization again,” Lou Ann said.
“And maybe we don’t have to worry about that guy,” Ashley said quietly. “I mean, maybe we lost him.”
Jaime and Sara exchanged glances.
“We may have. But to be sure, I don’t think we should assume that,” Jaime said. “It’s better to plan as if he’s on our trail. That way, we’ll be prepared.” She looked up into the dark sky, seeing the multitude of stars sparkling overhead. No moon. At least he wasn’t traveling. But she had no doubt he was still on their trail.
“So, if people live there, that means there’s a road, right?”
Jaime smiled at Abby, nodding. “There are two dirt roads. One is a rough Jeep road that goes over Tin Cup Pass. The other goes down the mountain, toward Nathrop. That’s the better of the two roads and obviously, Nathrop is a town with amenities, including a doctor. The problem being, it’s probably twenty miles or more. So if we can’t find a vehicle, we’re closer to Tin Cup, over the pass, than Nathrop.”
“Does Tin Cup have a doctor?”
“No. But they have year-round residents.”
“Well, let’s just hope we find someone in St. Elmo.”
Captain Morris tapped his fingers impatiently as the phone continued to ring. He glanced up at Simon, motioning to the FBI.
“They’re both on the phone.”
He nodded then heard the breathless voice on the other end.
“Jake McCoy.”
He cleared his throat. “Detective McCoy? This is Captain Morris, Denver PD. Homicide.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
He hovered over the fire, nearly too exhausted—and too cold— to eat. The bitches had taken a route nearly straight up the mountain, following a small chute in the wall facing. He’d tried to follow them, but soon realized he would never make it. It set him back at least a couple of hours as he backtracked to the stream and picked up their original route. It pleased him somewhat when he saw the blood. At least he’d gotten one of them. It would slow them down, if nothing else. But still, they had a good eight hours on him now. And if he couldn’t find their trail tomorrow, it was as good as over.
“Goddamn bitches,” he murmured as he held his hands to the fire. He looked at his useless cell phone, the battery long dead.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Sara rolled out her sleeping bag then did the same with Jaime’s. She heard the others as they all talked quietly in their own tents. Surprisingly, panic had not set in. And even more unbelievably neither had exhaustion. Oh, they were plenty tired but no doubt running on adrenaline. She only hoped the crash wasn’t too severe when it finally happened.
“Hey. Ready for me?”
Sara scooted away from the door, making room for Jaime. “How is she?”
“Still sleeping. The fever doesn’t seem to be getting worse. Maybe the ibuprofen has helped some. But it’s swelling bad. The bullet wound is just through her fleshy part at her waist, so I doubt it nicked something inside. The swelling might just be because we can’t get the bleeding stopped, not when she had to climb like we did today.”
“How much longer do you think she can go without a doctor?”
“If we didn’t have to travel, if we had something for the infection, maybe a couple of days. But she’s strong.” The small flashlight Jaime held showed their breath as it frosted around them. “It’s colder than last night.”
Sara pulled off her boots, left her socks on and quickly crawled into her sleeping bag. “I agree with Lou Ann. I’m ready for civilization.”
“Don’t mind saying, I am too,” Jaime murmured as she unlaced her boots. “A hot shower. A warm, soft bed.”
“Mmm.” Sara closed her eyes, listening as Jaime shed her jeans and replaced them with sweats.
“Mmm?” Jaime slid into her own sleeping bag and turned to face Sara. “Want to talk about it?”
Sara’s eyes opened. “Talk about what?”
“You’ve been very quiet today. Distant.” Jaime reached over, finding Sara’s hand in the darkness. “Has it finally caught up with you?” Jaime asked gently.
Sara sighed and closed her eyes again. “First Sandra—which seems like a lifetime ago, not a couple of days—and now Megan. And the rest of them, they’re acting like it’s nothing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Lou Ann said it would be the greatest adventure any of them ever went on.” Sara cleared her throat. “Providing they live, of course.” Sara shifted. “I mean, she was acting like Sandra’s death was acceptable. She said Sandra was happy at the end and she didn’t even know what hit her. But Jaime, Sandra’s dead,” she whispered. “Do they think this is a movie or something?”
“I think they’re just all trying to cope in their own way. Ashley is the most upset over Megan because they are buddies. Celia is the most upset over Sandra for the same reason. The others, well, they’re probably just trying to survive, mentally and physically.” She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling of the tent. “Think about it, Sara. They’ve known you for ten, eleven weeks now. Same with each other. There may be some attachments with the women they’ve met, but mostly, they’re scared about what happened to Sandra, afraid it might happen to them. Of course they feel some sort of remorse over losing someone they knew, but it wasn’t like they were lifelong friends. Right now, they’re just trying to make it out of here alive. And it has to be frightening to them to put their trust in you, someone they’ve known a few months, and me who they’ve known less than two weeks.”
“I guess you’re right. But this whole thing is surreal. I feel like I’m in a movie.”
“It’ll be over soon. We’ll make St. Elmo tomorrow. I think once we’re there, we’ll be safe. We’ll have shelter at least. And I’m hoping we can find a phone. My cell is dead.”
“Mmm,” Sara murmured, then sighed. She hoped they found a phone too. She hoped they found a car. She hoped they found several cars that they could pile into and get the hell off this mountain, away from him.
Jaime rolled closer, pulling Sara to her. “Come on. Get some sleep.”
Sara nodded. “I’m even too tired to flirt with you tonight,” she whispered. But she pulled Jaime’s arm tighter around her, entwining their fingers, feeling safe.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Jake McCoy sat on the porch, her long legs stretched out in front of her, the old rocking chair barely moving as she gazed out at the nighttime sky. Cheyenne sat beside her, eyes closed as Jake ran her fingers through her shaggy fur. The dog looked up occasionally, watching Jake, her intelligent eyes studying her.
“Don’t act like you know what I’m thinking.”
The dog yawned.
Jake rolled her shoulders then reached up, absently rubbing her neck. She hadn’t told Nicole yet about the phone call. Hadn’t told her she might be
leaving in the next day or so. She jumped, startled when warm hands touched her shoulders.
“Sorry. I thought you heard me.”
Jake shook her head. “Just thinking.”
Nicole walked around the chair, squatting down beside her. Her hand went to Jake’s thigh, rubbing lightly across the now-healed injury.
“Is everything okay? You’ve been kinda quiet this evening.”
“Oh, yeah, everything’s fine.” Jake shrugged. “Got a phone call earlier is all.”
“What is it?”
“Captain Morris, from Homicide.”
Nicole stiffened. “In Denver? Is everything okay? Rick? Steven?”
Jake smiled and covered Nicole’s hand with her own. “Nothing like that. He just wants me to do him a favor.”
Nicole sat down on the porch and leaned against the railing, pulling her knees up nearly to her chest. “What’s up?”
“He’s got a detective up here, undercover. She’s with a group of women. She’s supposed to be watching a senator’s daughter. Sara Michaels. Of Senator Peter Michaels.”
Nicole nodded. “Small world. I know her.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“She interviewed me several years ago when she was just starting her clinic. She’s quite successful from what I hear.”
“What kind of clinic?”
“The New You. It’s sort of the twelve-step program to improving your life.”
Jake rolled her eyes and Nicole laughed.
“Yes. I know how you feel about that, sweetheart. But I’ve heard good things about her clinic.” Nicole reached out and touched Jake’s hand, tugging lightly. “But what about your phone call?”
“There have been some death threats against the senator and his family. Which is not surprising, given his politics.”
Nicole nodded. “He makes Falwell look like a liberal.”
“Anyway, Detective Hutchinson was to infiltrate this group that Sara Michaels brought up here. They’ve not had any contact with her in ten days. The FBI is involved, which is why he couldn’t go into a lot of detail.”
“That’s right. She takes her classes out on a backpacking trip at the end of each session. It’s a confidence builder. I’ve read about her methods in the Journal.”
“Well, Captain Morris is afraid—and I guess the FBI too—that they ran into trouble. It’s been too windy to do flyovers, not that they could put a chopper down up here anyway. They’ve got a team that started out on foot from Buena Vista, but hell, they’re nine days behind.”
Nicole’s eyes widened. “And he wants you to go out looking for them?”
Their eyes met.
“Yeah, that’s what he wants. Sort of.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s going to e-mail me what he’s got. But they were heading up to Cottonwood Pass. If they ran into trouble, they could be anywhere, which is the problem. If it were me, I’d try to make it to the Mt. Princeton area where there’s always someone about. Or to St. Elmo.”
“I thought the road to St. Elmo was washed out. Besides, this late in the season, there’s probably no one still there.”
“The road going down to Nathrop is passable but you’re right. I think the general store closes after Labor Day.”
“Why don’t they just call the county sheriff in Nathrop and ask him to drive up the mountain?”
“It’s the FBI’s gig. And it’s a sensitive situation. The death threats haven’t been made public. There’s no way the FBI is going to involve a local sheriff in a tiny town.”
Nicole unconsciously ran her fingers over Jake’s thigh, tracing the scar with her fingers. “Can you make it, Jake? I mean, your leg still bothers you if you overdo it,” Nicole said gently.
Jake covered Nicole’s hand, squeezing it lightly. “I love you.”
Nicole smiled. “But you’ll be fine and I shouldn’t worry?”
Jake nodded. “I’ll have my cell. And I’ll take Cheyenne. Depending on what he finds out tonight and in the morning, I’m thinking I’ll drive to the washout above Cumberland Pass then hike in to St. Elmo. I’ll start there and follow the trail down to Cottonwood Pass.”
“I could get someone to cover my classes and go with you,” Nicole offered.
But Jake shook her head. “No. If there’s trouble, I’d rather you not be anywhere near it.”
Nicole nodded and leaned forward, resting her head against Jake’s leg. “I love you,” she murmured, relaxing a little as Jake’s fingers brushed through her hair. She would worry, yes. But she suspected Jake had something to prove by agreeing to this. That, and well, Jake just missed being a cop.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“Oh, my God,” Abby said. “Will you look at this. Incredible.”
Jaime nodded. “Pretty amazing, isn’t it.”
Spread out before them was the preserved town of St. Elmo, the old buildings nestled up against the mountains, the forest slowly trying to reclaim the town again.
“It could be a movie set. Look, there’s a schoolhouse.”
“And there’s the saloon,” Lou Ann said. “Man, I could use a drink about now.”
They all laughed and Jaime and Sara exchanged glances. It was the first laughter they’d had in days.
“I feel like we’ve just gone back in time. I mean, this is like a real Old West town. Even the wooden sidewalks are still here.”
Jaime ginned. “Hence the name ghost town.” She pointed up ahead. “There’s the general store.”
Abby turned in a circle on the road. “Look, Miner’s Exchange Store. Did they trade gold and stuff in there?”
“Mercantile? What’s that?” Judith asked, pointing to another building.
“It was like a trading post. Like a general store back in the day,” Jaime explained. She eased Megan down onto the bench in front of the general store. “You okay?” she asked quietly.
Megan nodded. “Thirsty.”
“Here. Use mine,” Ashley offered, holding the water bottle so Megan could drink.
Jaime stood back, sighing as she read the sign.
CLOSED FOR THE SEASON.
“Wonderful,” she murmured. She took a deep breath and turned around, her eyes finding Sara. “Okay, ladies, here’s the plan. Abby and Lou Ann, you stay with me. We’re going to see if we can find a Jeep we can hotwire or something. Sara, you take the others. The summer cabins are down at the other end of town. There’s only a handful of them, so don’t be expecting a whole neighborhood or anything. The road down there leads to Nathrop. Hopefully, that’s where we’ll be heading soon.”
“What are we looking for?”
“A phone would be nice. Or a car. Or people. But we need to see if we can find something for Megan.”
“Don’t you think the cabins will be locked up?” Celia asked.
“Yeah. Break in.” She pointed at Ashley. “You mind staying here with Megan?”
“No, of course not.” Ashley sat down beside Megan and put her arm around her as the other woman slumped against her. “We’ll be fine.”
After Sara and the others walked off, Jaime led Abby and Lou Ann around the general store. There, eight Jeeps were lined up, all covered with tarps. They pulled the tarp off the closest one and Jaime popped the hood.
“Well, goddamn,” she murmured. “Can we not catch a break?”
“What is it?”
“No battery. Probably no fluids, either.”
“What does that mean?” Lou Ann asked.
“They’ve been winterized.” She slammed the hood down and walked to the back door of the store, peering inside through the window.
“Anything?”
“Only one way to find out,” Jaime said. “Stand back.”
The breaking of glass shattered the quiet of the old ghost town. Jaime looked at Abby, then Lou Ann, shrugging before sticking her arm through the broken window to unlock the door.
Abby laughed. “Breaking and entering.”
Jaime smiled. “Yeah.
Some cop, huh?”
“If we’re lucky, maybe someone will come along and arrest us.”
The general store was crammed full of anything a modern day tourist could ask for. T-shirts of varying colors fought for space on one wall, and souvenirs of every kind littered the shelves. The women walked in, the old floorboards creaking with their weight. Jaime walked behind the counter, looking for a phone. There was none.
“Probably cost a fortune to run a phone line up here.” She opened up cabinets, smiling when she found a first aid kit. She ripped it open, but it contained only band aids, sterile wipes and anti-itch ointment.
“Oh my God! Look what I found,” Abby said excitedly, holding up two fistfuls of chocolate bars.
“It’s kinda spooky here,” Judith said as she trudged quietly along with the others.
“What do you mean?”
“We’ve come upon a town but no one’s here. Wonder if this is what it feels like to be alone in the world. Like in a movie where everyone dies but you.”
“Well, partially the reason no one is here is because it’s technically a ghost town. And secondly, it’s after Labor Day. Most places up this high shut down then. I suppose as long as the weather stays good, a lot of these people still come up on weekends.” Sara paused, her gaze lingering on what looked like a brand new cabin tucked back against the forest. “Wow. That’s beautiful.”
“It looks like a lodge. You think it’s just a house?”
Sara shrugged then started walking down the lane. “Let’s go see.”
The massive cabin’s porch was supported by no less than six log beams. Sara ran her hand along the smooth surface of one as she climbed the porch.
“It just seems wrong to break one of these windows,” Beth said quietly.
Sara followed her gaze along the porch. The four giant plate glass windows nearly dwarfed them. “Yeah. I agree. Let’s go around back. Maybe there’s a small window or something.”
The back of the house was nearly identical to the front, but they found a small four-paned window on the side. Sara grabbed a good-sized stick from the firewood pile to do the honors. The sound of shattering glass made them all jump back as they stared at the hole in one of the lower panes. Sara used the wood to clean the remaining glass from the pane then reached inside to flip the two locks. She grimaced as she pulled her arm back through. Blood trickled from her wrist.