by Terri Reed
Heeding Daniel’s words, Chase eased up a fraction. They had to find Jane. He’d already betrayed her trust by letting her go off with an assassin and failed his repeated vow to protect her. The heavy weight of responsibility descended on his shoulders. He couldn’t let her die.
The black SUV came into view and Chase hit the brakes, skidding to a halt in front of the vehicle. There was no sign of Jane or the fake detective.
“Radio the sheriff our location.” Chase jumped out of the car and ran to the SUV. A quick peek inside confirmed it was empty. He turned around, desperate to figure out where they’d gone. The ground was marred with footsteps and drag marks in the gravel.
His stomach clenched with dread as he followed the trail to the guardrail. Peering over the side of the cliff, horror filled his veins. On an outcropping stood Peters with Jane clutching his legs for dear life as he tried to pry her from him. His objective was clear. He was going to throw her over the cliff.
Chase vaulted over the guardrail and drew his weapon. He slipped and slid down the hill. “Stop! Put your hands in the air.”
Peters twisted toward Chase with a 9mm Glock fitted with a noise suppressor aimed at him.
Chase dove to the side as bullets whizzed past him, so close the air heated. Staying in motion, he rolled to one knee, sighted down the barrel of his weapon and fired. The loud retort echoed over the mountain and battered against his eardrum.
The bullet hit its mark.
For a moment, the assassin’s eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open as red bloomed across his white shirt. Then he stumbled back a step, taking Jane with him. The heel of his shoe dislodged a landslide of loose dirt falling to the bottom of the ravine.
Fear choked Chase. Jane was about to go over the cliff with her assailant. “Let go of him!”
Immediately, she responded to his command and released her hold on Peters’s legs, scrambling backward seconds before the man took a nosedive down the side of the cliff, disappearing from sight.
Sending a quick praise to God for Jane’s safety and asking forgiveness for taking a life, Chase hurried to Jane’s side and gathered her in his arms. She clung to him, her body shaking. Through the ringing in his ears, he heard her racking sobs. Her tears soaked the front of his uniform. Chase’s heart beat in his throat. He thought he might be sick.
A landslide of rocks sounding from above jolted through him. He jerked his gaze up to the cliff as he tucked Jane behind him.
Daniel slid down the rocky hill much the way Chase had done. Chase let out a compressed breath of relief.
“Wow,” Daniel said as he skidded to a halt. “Clean shot. I saw the whole thing. You good?”
His ears still ringing from discharging his weapon, Chase made out the gist of what Daniel said, though his voice sounded muffled. Chase nodded as he sucked in air, working to calm his racing pulse. Later, he’d deal with the aftermath of taking a life.
Daniel stepped past Chase and peered over the edge of the cliff. He whistled and turned to stare at Chase. “That’s a long way down.” He moved away from the ledge. “I better call the sheriff and tell him we need a recovery team. You okay to get her up the hill?”
“We’ll manage.” Chase helped Jane to her feet. He met her terrified gaze. “Take it slow and steady.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and they made the arduous climb up the incline. They ended up having to crawl on hands and knees to keep their center of gravity low, until they reached the guardrail. Chase lifted Jane over the metal rungs and set her on the gravel of the turnout. Then he climbed over, grateful for the stable ground.
Jane wrapped her arms around her middle; her lips trembled and tears streaked down her face. “Are you okay?”
“I am.” His hearing was returning and his heart rate had slowed. “You? Did he hurt you?”
“I’ll have some bruises.” She stared at him, her eyes wide. “You saved my life.”
The wonder in her tone scored him to the quick. “If I had been better at my job, you wouldn’t have been in the situation in the first place.”
“This is not your fault.” There was compassion in her tone. “He was a police officer, too.”
Chase shook his head. “No. He was an imposter.”
Her eyes widened in shock. She let out a shuddering breath. “If you hadn’t come along...”
“But I did.” And he was thankful for that small favor from God. He gestured toward his vehicle. “Let’s get you inside my car where you can feel safe.”
He hustled her to the back of the Sheriff’s Department vehicle and opened the door for her. She hesitated, most likely remembering the last time somebody told her to get into an SUV.
“Trust me,” he murmured.
She glanced over her shoulder at him, her pretty eyes intense. “I want to.” There was doubt in her voice, but she climbed inside the vehicle without further comment.
Warmth expanded within his chest. At this point he’d take whatever confidence she’d give him, even though he didn’t deserve it. The sound of sirens punctuated the air. “Stay put, okay? Let us sort this out.”
She settled in the seat. “I’m not going anywhere.”
He left the door open so she wouldn’t feel trapped and hurried to meet the sheriff, Deputy Alex Trevino, Kaitlyn and the EMT.
Taking a deep breath as the adrenaline letdown coursed through his body, Chase’s legs wobbled. He tucked his thumbs into his utility belt so no one would see that his hands trembled, as well. He’d shot and killed a man.
Not something he’d ever hoped to actually do. Oh, he trained for it. They all did. Aimed for center mass as he’d been taught. Maybe if he’d shot Peters in the leg or the shoulder... He gave himself a sharp internal shake. He could’ve easily missed a smaller target or hit Jane. And Peters’s next bullet could’ve torn through Chase’s skull. No, he’d done the right thing.
The sheriff and Alex climbed out of the sheriff’s vehicle and strode toward him. Kaitlyn joined them, having driven her own personal truck with the horse trailer behind it.
Putting his hand on Chase’s shoulder, the sheriff said, “Daniel filled us in on what happened. Are you okay?”
Standing tall, Chase nodded. “Yes, sir. I will be. A little shaken.”
Empathy shone in his boss’s gaze. “That’s to be expected. You did well.”
The sheriff’s praise slide inside of Chase, bolstering his confidence. “Thank you, sir.”
“Alex will escort you and Miss Thompson back to the station.” Sheriff Ryder turned to Kaitlyn. “You know what to do.”
“Yes, sir.” Kaitlyn’s hazel eyes were kind as she shifted her gaze to Chase. “I’m glad you and Jane are unharmed. Please tell her I’ll check in with her later.”
Mild surprise washed over Chase. He hadn’t known that Kaitlyn and Jane were close. “I will. How did you know to bring your horse?”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Hey, when somebody heads up the mountain with a hostage in tow, you never know when a horse might come in handy. I figured if the kidnapper took Jane deep into the forest, it would be best to be prepared to follow.”
As she strode away, Chase marveled again at being blessed to be a part of the Bristle Township Sheriff’s Department. Each team member was smart, competent and trustworthy. He could not have asked for better people to work with. They were like family.
“I’ll drive,” Alex said. He hopped into the front seat of the SUV Chase had driven up the mountain.
Not wanting to alarm Jane, Chase slid into the back seat next to her and shut the door. Jane was watching Kaitlyn ride by on her horse, a big roan with a black mane and tail. The pair stopped for a moment. Kaitlyn appeared tiny on top of the huge beast. Her blond ponytail hung down the back of her brown uniform.
“What’s she doing?” Jane asked, leaning forward to watch Kaitlyn through the SUV’s
front window.
“Plotting out her course down the side of the mountain,” Alex supplied as he started the engine.
Kaitlyn steered the large animal to the left, skirting around the metal barricade and slowly began a crisscrossed descent down the side of the hill until she disappeared from sight.
“Okay.” Jane turned her troubled gaze to Chase. “But why is she doing that?”
“She’s going to locate the body. And help coordinate the recovery from down below,” Chase answered without sugarcoating the work that would need to be done.
Surprise widened her eyes. “Is that safe for her to do?”
“Kait’s an accomplished horsewoman and a member of the mounted patrol,” Alex replied from the front seat. “Her family breeds and trains horses. Plus, she knows this mountain like the back of her hand. She grew up here, unlike me or Chase.”
“The sheriff wouldn’t have asked her to do this if he weren’t confident in her abilities,” Chase added. “All the members of the mounted patrol are highly trained. With terrain like we have here, there are places only accessible by horseback.”
“Are you on the mounted patrol?” Jane asked.
Chase met Alex’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “Not yet. Alex has been teaching me how to ride. One day I hope to be trained enough to join the patrol. But for now I’m content to be ground support to the others.”
“Leslie offered to give me a riding lesson,” Jane said.
“You should take her up on the offer,” Chase said. “She’s an auxiliary member of the mounted patrol.”
“Auxiliary?”
“A fancy term for volunteer,” he told her. Like many western state mounted patrols, the members were a mix of paid law enforcement and trained, unarmed civilians.
“Perhaps I’ll take a riding lesson.” Jane turned to stare out the window. “If I live long enough to.”
He didn’t like to hear the despair in her tone. “You’re safe, Jane.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not.” She faced him. There was determination in her expression. “That man was sent to kill me. There will be more. I have to leave Bristle Township. Disappear again.”
“You can’t,” he told her. “You said you wanted to be brave and do the right thing.”
“I don’t want to die,” she said.
How did he get her to trust that they could protect her?
He needed to know what they were dealing with and why so they could form a plan to keep her safe. “Tell me about the night you witnessed a murder.”
* * *
Dread twisted low in Ashley’s gut. She blew out a breath. Dredging up the nightmare wasn’t something she wanted to do but there was no way around it. Chase had to know about the monster after her. And once he learned the truth, he’d want nothing more to do with her. He’d be happy to let her slither away into the shadows.
She flicked a glance at the intimidating man named Alex in the front seat, wishing she were alone with Chase. But then again, maybe it was better that they both hear this so she wouldn’t have to repeat it. “I was waitressing at an upscale restaurant in Burbank, The Matador.”
Chase’s eyebrows drew together. “It recently burned down, right?”
Her chest tightened. She lifted the restricting seat belt strap away from her body to suck in air. “Yes. It was reported on the news. I’m sure the fire was set because of me.”
“Why would you think that?” Alex asked from the driver’s seat.
She let out a small dry laugh. “Because the only person injured was the man who helped me escape California.”
Chase’s intense gaze locked with hers. “Did your friend know you were here in Bristle?”
Shaking her head, she said, “No. I was so careful.” Remorse swamped her. “Until this morning.”
“What did you do this morning?” Chase asked.
“I called the hospital where my friend was taken.” She wiped at fresh tears slipping down her cheeks. “I had to know if he was alive.”
“Is he?” Chase’s intense gaze locked with hers.
“For now,” she said. “He’s in critical condition.”
Sympathy crossed Chase’s face. “Were you able to talk to him?”
“No. And I didn’t leave a name or number,” she said. “I don’t know how they found me. But they did.”
“Probably tapped the hospital phone and traced the call,” Alex supplied.
Her stomach knotted. She should have thought of that. Another move that put her life in jeopardy.
“Let’s go to a year and a half ago,” Chase urged. “What happened?”
With one hand, she pinched the bridge of her nose, forcing herself to go back to that horrible night. Her heart rate picked up as she spoke. “We were going through our closing duties like any other night. I went to take the trash out to the dumpster in the back.”
She pressed her lips together for a moment as a flush of anger robbed her of speech. Finding her voice, she continued, “I forgot to put the doorstop in the door.” She couldn’t keep the self-recrimination from her voice. “If I had just remembered to prop the door open.” She pounded her fist against her thigh. “I forgot and the door locked behind me.”
His hand covered her fist. “Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. Everyone makes mistakes.”
She glanced over at him and stifled a scoff. “A mistake that could get me killed.”
“Not going to happen. Not on my watch.”
She wanted to believe him, but there was no way he could make such a promise. Though the sentiment was heartwarming to hear and to know he meant it filled her with tenderness. But he didn’t know her. And she feared if he ever really did, he’d think twice about his promises. “I’m always such a mess. I can never get anything right. I would have been fired from that job long ago if Gregor, the restaurant manager, hadn’t taken a shine to me.”
“A shine? Was this man taking advantage of you?”
His voice held a hard edge that startled her. His reaction gave her pause. But he was a cop. Of course his thoughts had gone to a dark place. She gave a quick shake of her head. “Oh, no. Gregor was more like a grandfather to all of us. I never knew my own grandparents. Gregor was kind and generous. He didn’t deserve to be hurt.”
Her words seemed to nullify the sharpness of moments before. “No, he didn’t if he was willing to risk his own life to protect you.” He considered her a moment. “You didn’t have a spouse or boyfriend to keep you safe?”
She tucked in her chin. “Oh, none of those. I mean, I’ve dated, but most men either consider me more of the sister type or the best friend type.”
He remained silent for a heartbeat, then said, “You took the trash out and then what happened?”
At his prompting, she refocused on telling her story. “There were people in the back alley.” She bit the inside of her lip as the memory assaulted her. “Mr. Sokolov was arguing with a man.”
“Who is Mr. Sokolov?”
“He owns the restaurant. I’d never seen the man he was arguing with. I tried to go back inside, but I was locked out, trapped.” The helpless, vulnerable sensation she’d experienced that night was back tenfold. She smoothed her hands over her thighs, needing something to do with her hands other than wringing them like some victim.
But let’s face it, she was a victim. A victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and seeing something that changed the course of her life.
“You must have been frightened.” The fingers of his right hand laced through hers.
She held on tight, absorbing some of his strength. He was a steadfast man like a giant oak that wind could neither bend nor break. “I would have had to walk right in the middle of their argument to go around to the front of the building and be let back inside.” She shuddered. “I shrank into the shadows of the garbage container,
hoping they’d leave soon. But they lingered, continuing their arguing. Their voices were loud and angry.”
“You heard what they were saying?”
There was no mistaking the anticipation in his tone. She hated to disappoint him.
“Some, not all. Mr. Sokolov was yelling at the man about betrayal and trusting him when he should’ve known better.”
“This Sokolov character must have discovered the man was an undercover police officer,” Chase said.
She gasped. “I didn’t know. He wasn’t in uniform.” She tried to recall what the dead man wore. “He had on jeans, a T-shirt and baseball cap.”
“His clothing would make sense if he was undercover,” Chase said.
“Where was his backup?” Alex asked.
“That’s a good question,” Chase answered. “One we’ll have to ask Chief Macintosh.” Chase returned his attention to her. “Go on.”
“Mr. Sokolov reached underneath his coat and pulled out a gun.” The memory made her shrink a bit, her shoulders rounding and her chin dipping. She wanted to forget, to curl in a ball and pretend she hadn’t seen any of it.
“You saw this?” Alex asked.
“Yes.” She lifted her face and met Chase’s gaze. “He shot that man. I had to bite my fist to keep from screaming.”
Chase squeezed her hands.
Tears rolled down her cheeks. Anxiety fluttered in her chest. “The sight of that man crumbling to the ground and Mr. Sokolov stepping over the man he’d just killed like he was a piece of garbage will be forever etched in my brain.”
Now she could add watching the phony detective going over the side of the cliff. Definitely, the stuff of nightmares.
“So you ran away?”
“Not at first. After Mr. Sokolov was gone, I ran to the man to offer help. But he had no pulse. And there was so much blood.” She remembered gagging at the sight. “Then I heard a noise and ran back behind the garbage bin. Gregor found me there. He hustled me away from the restaurant.”