High Stakes Crime: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Shelby Nichols Adventure Book 15)

by Colleen Helme

  A furry body joined us, barking and head butting me. I pulled away from Chris and Josh and knelt down to give Coco a hug. “Thanks for finding me, buddy.”

  He whined and began to lick my face, woofing, you hurt, I help.

  “You did help me. It’s okay. I’m fine now.”

  After giving Coco another pat, I was pulled to my feet. Chris was done sharing me with the dog, and he pushed my backpack off my shoulders so he could wrap his arms around me in a tight hug. I caught his thoughts of gratitude that they’d found me, along with his worry, fear, and deep relief.

  I gave in to my tears and sobbed against his chest. I was really out of that hole, and I’d never take my life for granted again. No amount of gold or money or any worldly possession I had was greater than this moment.

  Chris held me until my sobs subsided, murmuring that I was okay now, and telling me over and over that everything was all right. Finally calming down, I pulled away to wipe my face with my sleeve.

  Others in the group approached, and Chris gently let me go, keeping one arm around me for support. I glanced at the group of rescuers, finding familiar faces I hadn’t been sure I’d ever see again.

  “You look like you got beat up,” Billie said, rushing over to give me a quick hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay, but I think you need some medical attention.”

  “Not until I hug her.” Uncle Joey stepped to my side and wrapped his arms around me. “You scared us to death.”

  Ramos crowded in beside him and nearly shoved Uncle Joey out of the way. He gave me a gentle hug, thinking that he’d never been so scared in his life. It was like I’d vanished into thin air, and there was nothing he could do about it. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  Before I could respond, he let me go, and Dimples immediately took his place. “Shelby… what are we going do with you? You can’t keep doing things like this to us.” His hug was a little too tight, and I worked hard to keep from wincing.

  “Give the lady some space.” Dante Mitchell, my firearms instructor, stepped into view. Noticing my surprise, he grinned. “When Harris said you were missing, I thought I’d come help. There are a few others up here as well, but they’re with another group.” He glanced at Chris. “Did anyone radio them?”

  “Yes. I did.” Dimples said. “They’re all meeting us at base camp.”

  “Good.” Dante studied my face. “I’ve been trained in first aid, so let me take a look at you.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Let’s get Shelby some more water. And bring me that first aid kit.” He turned back to me, not liking the cuts and bruises on my face and the blood on my sweatshirt. “Come sit down over here.”

  Taking my arm, he led me to a rock in the sun. Grateful he was taking charge, I sat down and closed my eyes, soaking in the warmth. I’d been so cold that I wasn’t sure I’d ever get warm again. Chris handed me a bottle of water, and I took a long drink. “Thanks.”

  Chris knelt beside me. “Here. Let’s get that harness off of you.”

  I stood and let him undo the belt. He helped me slip it off, and I sank back down.

  Dante looked into my eyes. “Did you hit your head?”

  “Yeah. But it’s feeling better.”

  “Did it knock you out?”

  “No.” I showed him the bump on the back of my head, and he touched it with gentle fingers. Nodding, he thought it wasn’t too bad. In fact, it was a stroke of luck that it wasn’t worse after falling so far.

  He asked me a bunch of questions before taking the bandage off my chin. “You might need some stitches in that.” He put another bandage on it and looked me over. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

  I let out a huff. “Does everywhere count?” I tried to smile, but it tugged at the cut on my swollen lip. “I twisted my ankle, but I can walk on it. I think my hiking boot saved it from being worse.”

  He glanced at my feet, taking note of my ankle-high boots. “Which one?”

  “My right.”

  He knelt down to check my ankle, pulling up the pant leg to see if there was any bruising. “It looks okay, so I’m not going to mess with it. Your boot’s better than a splint right now.”

  I nodded and finished off the rest of my water. “This water is amazing. I’m feeling better already.”

  “Good. When was the last time you had any?”

  “I had a few swallows yesterday, and maybe half my water bottle the day before… I think. It’s a little fuzzy.”

  He nodded, thinking I was dangerously dehydrated. Walking three miles back to camp might be more than I could manage.

  I didn’t want to argue, but how else was I supposed to get there? “I can make it back to camp. I’ll be fine.”

  His brows rose in confusion. Why did I say that? “Don’t worry, Shelby. We’ll get you back.”

  Oops. I nodded. “Oh… of course. That’s not what I meant… I’m just a little weak, but I can manage.” I’d do my best, but I knew I’d need a lot of help to make it all the way back to camp. From there to the cabin might have to wait until tomorrow.

  Dante picked up on my distress and lowered his voice. “Your uncle wants to bring in a helicopter to take you to the hospital. I think it’s a good idea.”

  I straightened and glanced at Uncle Joey. As much as I might want to do that, it was a lot to ask when I wasn’t hurt that bad. Besides, I didn’t want to leave Chris, Josh, or Coco behind. “I don’t need that.”

  “You sure?” He thought that was a mistake. Even as healthy as I was, I’d been through a lot, and he thought it might be too much for me to walk out of here.

  I sighed. “I think so. I just need a walking stick of some kind. I can make it.”

  He shrugged. “All right. Then let’s go.”

  I felt his urgency to get back to camp while there was still daylight left. While he’d been helping me, the others had put away all their gear. Dante joined them, and Chris came to my side. He put his arm around me for support and helped me to my feet. “Manetto wants to send for a helicopter.”

  “I know, but I’m okay.” I leaned against Chris. “As long as I can lean on you, I think I’ll make it.”

  He wasn’t so sure about that, but there wasn’t a place for a chopper to land in this rugged terrain anyway, so he didn’t argue.

  Josh came to my side, slipping my backpack over his shoulders. “I’ve got your backpack. Is there anything else you need?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “Thanks Josh.” He nodded and put his arm around me. With Chris on one side, and Josh on the other, we started off. “Wait.”

  They stopped, and I turned around, needing one more look at the spot where I’d fallen. The big tree was still there, beckoning me forward, just like it had a few days ago. The sinkhole where I’d fallen was barely visible from here. It was tempting to mark it, but with what? I could always stack a few rocks in front of it, like a cairn or something. But would they stay that way?

  “Josh, did you bring a GPS tracker?”

  “Yeah.” He wondered why I asked, since I should know it was general procedure for search and rescue teams. “Don’t worry Mom, we’ll make it back. I know where we are.”

  “Let’s go Shelby,” Chris said, urging me forward. His eyes held worry and concern, along with bone-deep weariness. He’d gone through hell these last few days, and my heart softened with love and a little guilt at what I’d put him through.

  I opened my mouth to tell him about the gold, but found that I couldn’t speak of it. I just wasn’t ready to tell anyone what was down there—and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever want to. Right now, the only thing that mattered was making it out alive and being here with the people I loved.

  Swallowing, I nodded, and turned my back on the most amazing discovery of a lifetime.

  Walking between Chris and Josh, I kept up with them for a while, but my energy soon flagged. I had to keep stopping more and more often to catch my breath. Uncle Joey came back to check on me a few times. He even offered to spell Chris and Josh off, but neith
er of them wanted to let go of me.

  Since they were practically carrying me along, I asked them to stop for a minute. They found a boulder just the right size to sit on, and I sank down on top of it. Coco stayed by my side, while Chris and Josh went ahead to talk to the others.

  “You want some more water?” Ramos asked, coming to check on me. I shook my head, and his brows drew together. “How about a granola bar or something? When was the last time you ate?”

  “I don’t know.” I leaned over and braced my arms on my knees and closed my eyes. “But I’m not hungry. Let’s just keep going.”

  “Hold on.” Ramos crouched down beside me. “You need to eat something.” It shocked him that no one had thought to give me something to eat. What was the matter with them? He handed me a granola bar full of chocolate, thinking that I wouldn’t be able to resist it. “Eat that.”

  I fumbled with the wrapper, so he opened it with one quick twist of his fingers. “Here.”

  I mumbled my thanks and took a small bite, knowing that he wouldn’t let me go anywhere until I’d eaten some of it. Up ahead, Chris spoke with Uncle Joey and Dimples. Dante joined them, and he nodded his agreement. I picked up Uncle Joey’s plan to radio for a helicopter.

  It wouldn’t be here for about an hour, but by then we’d be out of this rocky area, and a suitable spot for them to land was just beyond that. I didn’t have the energy to argue, and it surprised me. What had happened to my unstoppable attitude? Now that I’d been found, all I wanted to do was sleep.

  Wanting to prove that I could manage, I tried to jump to my feet, but staggered instead. My head spun, and I sat back down. Ramos grabbed my arm to steady me, and worry tightened his eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, meeting his gaze. “I’m sorry I kept walking instead of hugging a tree. I should have known better.” Tears slipped down my face.

  “Shhh,” Ramos said, crouching beside me and wiping a tear from my cheek. “It’s okay. Don’t give it a second thought. You’re exhausted. Let us take care of you. Okay?” I frowned and he continued. “Please?”

  With reluctance, I nodded. “Okay, but this is embarrassing.”

  He chuckled, and I managed a small smile. He helped me up, wrapping an arm around my waist, and we joined the others. From then on, I got passed from person to person and lost count of who helped me keep one foot in front of the other.

  An hour later, we made it back to base camp before the helicopter landed. The other group had arrived long before us, but they’d waited to see me before heading back to the cabin. Besides Bates, Williams, and Clue from the police department, a couple of people from Chris’s law firm were also there.

  More of our friends, along with a few search-and-rescue team members, had volunteered to come up in the morning, but Dimples had radioed the command center with the local sheriff’s department that I’d been found, so they didn’t need to come.

  Each of them greeted me enthusiastically, and I couldn’t hold back the tears. Bates even gave me a warm hug, although he was thinking I looked terrible. Since I knew he was right, it didn’t even bother me, mostly because I was too tired to care.

  By the time the helicopter landed, I was more than willing to climb on board. I picked up that everyone else was glad I was leaving too, since I was slowing them down and they were ready to go home. Uncle Joey had decided that he and Chris would accompany me, but that was all the helicopter could hold.

  “But what about Josh and Coco?” I asked. Several voices chimed in, telling me that they’d be happy to take them home, but Uncle Joey shushed them all.

  “Ramos will take care of them. He’ll see that they get home safely.”

  That shut everyone up. Uncle Joey was thinking that, although everyone there was capable, he didn’t trust any of them like he did Ramos. Hearing that almost undid me, and I swallowed back more tears.

  After a quick wave to Josh, and a grateful nod to Ramos, I climbed inside the chopper beside Chris. The pilot shut the door, and Chris and I fastened our seatbelts. Uncle Joey sat in front, with Chris and me in the back. Once everyone was secure, with headphones and seatbelts on, the pilot took off.

  My stomach did a little flip-flop, and I nearly lost my granola bar. I grabbed Chris’s hand and swallowed. Soon, we were high above the trees and headed home. I relaxed against Chris and let out a breath, grateful to just sit and do nothing. I couldn’t wait to get home and take a hot bath and sleep in my own bed.

  About an hour later, the chopper came to rest on the helipad at the hospital. The sun had just set by then, and a team of medical personnel waited for me. I was a little embarrassed by all the fuss, but the fact that I’d been lost for a few days in the mountains qualified me for the special treatment. Or maybe it was Uncle Joey’s influence? It was hard to know.

  Soon they had me situated in the emergency room and were taking my vitals and starting an IV. After evaluating my condition, it was determined that I’d stay for a few hours with a special IV drip and get a few stitches in my chin before they sent me home.

  Chris left to call Savannah and my mom to tell them we were at the hospital, and when we’d be home. While he was gone, Uncle Joey stayed by my side. He wanted to make sure I was all right, but I picked up how bone-tired he was, and my heart swelled with gratitude.

  “Thanks Uncle Joey. I’m so sorry I got lost.” I studied his face, noticing the few days’ growth of beard and the tired set of his jaw.

  He shook his head. “Me too. But you’re okay now, and everything’s going to be all right.”

  Tears filled my eyes, and I raised my arms for a hug. He held me close for several long seconds. Before pulling away, he kissed my forehead. Giving me a tremulous smile, he patted my arm. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Chris came back just as Uncle Joey was leaving, and they spoke in hushed tones for several minutes. It was something about me, but I was just too tired to listen. Chris came to my side and pulled a chair close. He took my hand and raised it to his lips.

  He studied my face, and his eyes filled with tears, but he blinked them away and managed a lopsided smile. I opened my mouth to apologize, but he shushed me. “Honey…. don’t apologize. It wasn’t your fault. We found you, and it all worked out.”

  I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “I was so scared. But I knew you’d come. That’s what got me through it. You and Josh… and Coco.”

  He nodded. “Josh and Coco were amazing. I’ve never been so grateful for a dog in my life.”

  I smiled in spite of my tears. “So what happened? When did Uncle Joey call you?”

  Chris took a deep breath and composed himself. His eyes cleared, and he began. “From what I heard, I guess Ramos waited for you longer than he should have before he sounded the alarm. By the time he alerted everyone, you were nowhere to be found.”

  He couldn’t understand how I’d gotten so far away without hearing them shouting for me, or why I didn’t start yelling myself. Knowing I’d heard that, he quickly continued. “At least Stewart had the presence of mind to take the coordinates of the last place you’d been seen with his GPS tracker. It still makes me mad that you didn’t all have them.”

  His frustration grew, but he tried to tamp it down for my sake. “By the time they called off the search that night, it was dark, and they still had to hike back to camp. They decided to wait until morning to hike out and call for help. I got the call around eight-thirty the next day, so they must have left the campsite before dawn.”

  He was thinking that he’d been with a client when Uncle Joey’s call came through. When Elise told him Manetto was on the phone with an urgent message, Chris had felt a moment of utter terror. He’d known immediately that something bad had happened to me.

  Finding out I was only lost, and not dead, helped. Then, knowing he had a search-and-rescue dog at his beck and call saved him from total panic. “I knew if anyone could find you, it would be Coco.”

  Tears welled up in my eyes again. Seeing them, Chris squeez
ed my hand tightly. “I canceled everything at the office and left. On my way home, I pulled Josh out of school, and we threw our gear together. I called Savannah at her school and talked to her. I’m afraid she isn’t happy with me because I wouldn’t let her come, but I didn’t want to worry about her, too.”

  I nodded. “So she’s at my mom’s house?”

  “Not right now… actually I think your mom stayed at our house with her, but I’m not sure. I just know that they’re at our house now.” He was thinking that they could hardly wait to see me… and there might be a surprise—

  Glancing my way, he cleared his throat. “Anyway, Josh and I didn’t get to the cabin until noon yesterday. Manetto and Billie were waiting for us. While Manetto took us back to the campsite, Billie drove to the local sheriff’s department to set up a command center and wait for Harris and the others who were on their way to join the search.”

  He shook his head. “It surprised me how many came. And more were planning on coming tomorrow if we hadn’t found you.”

  I could only nod, afraid that, if I tried to speak, I’d just start crying again.

  “They all got to camp this morning, and we split up into two groups. Stewart and Ian led the other group toward the area where you’d found a cave. I guess he thought you might have gone in that direction.”

  “But what happened yesterday? You said you got to the cabin at noon.”

  “Yes we did, and Manetto led us to the campsite, but when we arrived, Ramos, Stewart, and Ian were gone. They were out looking for you. It was after three by then, and we had to wait for them to get back before we knew where to start searching.” He rubbed his hand through his hair and huffed out a breath. He’d been so frustrated that they’d had to wait.

  “When they came back empty-handed, Ramos offered to go back out with us, while Stewart, Ian, and Manetto stayed at the camp. I think Manetto wanted to come, but he was beat.” Chris thought Uncle Joey was in great shape for a guy his age, but losing me up there had taken a toll on him.