Cold Hunt

by Mary Stone

  Out of the corner of her eye, a shadow creeped through the trees, looking for her. Somehow, he’d found her.

  If she didn’t do something, she was going to die, cold and alone.

  Valerie grabbed a large flat rock, struggling to grip it with fingers that were half frozen. She held her breath as she stood and listened to the crunch of his feet moving around on the other side of a patch of trees.

  Gripping the rock like a weapon, she slowly took one step, placing her foot carefully and quietly on the ground in front of her. Her feet were clumsy beneath her, her soles prickly as the cold slowed her blood flow and softened her reflexes.

  It felt like hours that she stalked him, her weapon ready. Until she was close enough. Behind him. She marveled for a second that she had done it and reminded herself not to celebrate yet. After all, she’d brought a rock to a gunfight. Not a fair fight, but she also had surprise on her side. She hoped.

  Gathering her courage, with revenge for Ben firmly in the forefront of her mind, Valerie stepped out from behind the trees and came face to face with the shadow. She lifted the rock high above her head, intent on murder. But a strong hand took hold of Valerie’s wrist, another covering her mouth just in time to silence her scream.

  Before her tired and burning eyes, a woman’s face came into focus, framed by a flaming crown of red curls. Behind the stranger, another form hurried toward them, huddling close and lifting its head in greeting. A dog.

  She blinked in surprise, her muddled thoughts focused on the woman who had appeared from the shadows. Where was he? Was this a new kind of trick?

  Emerald eyes sparkled in the scattered moonlight as the woman leaned within inches of Valerie and whispered just loud enough to drown out the thunder of her heart. “I’m here to help you, Valerie.”

  The woman tilted her head in question, and Valerie nodded her understanding.

  Gently, the woman took the stone that was still raised over her head out of her grip. Grabbing Valerie’s hand, she tugged her forward. “I know you’re scared, but I need you to trust me.”

  Valerie’s feet refused to move at first, with her body screaming in pain from the cold and her mind sure that she was dreaming. But even after blinking several times and willing herself to wake up, the red-haired woman never disappeared. At that knowledge, Valerie’s composure broke, and she wept silently where she stood.

  The woman’s only response was quiet strength. “You can do this, Valerie, but you have to come with me now if you want to live.”

  “Who are you?” Valerie whispered.

  “Detective Ellie Kline, Charleston PD.”

  “No.” Valerie recoiled, pulling her hand from Ellie’s grasp, but Ellie was already shaking her head.

  “Jones was dirty, I’m not. You can trust me, I swear.”

  “How do I know that Jones isn’t back at the house, waiting to fulfill some screwed up fantasy like everyone else?”

  A shadow passed over Ellie’s face. “Because he’s dead, Valerie. Detective Jones was a coward who took his own life when it was time to answer for his part in all this.”

  She blinked, stunned. “And Arthur?”

  “He won’t last a week in prison.”

  Valerie nodded. As crazy as this meeting was, she had nothing left to lose. “I trust you.”

  “Good.” Ellie gestured up the hill, which loomed much taller than she remembered. “Because we have to go back that way.”

  Valerie pointed down the hill into the pitch-black night below. “You’re supposed to go downhill. That’s how you find water and safety, isn’t it?”

  Ellie’s lips pressed into a thin line, and she shook her head. “Not when he’s driving you that way on purpose. He knows you can’t see the ravine in this light until it’s too late.” She took a deep breath. “You were exactly where he wanted you to be. One hundred yards away from the edge of a cliff and one misstep from death.”

  “You saved my life.” Her voice was thin and breathy, her heart rate slower than it had been, but her chest still ached beneath her ribs.

  “Not yet,” Ellie corrected. “We still have to find a way to get out of here without getting shot. But he doesn’t know I’m here, and that gives us an advantage. It’s not much, but it’s all we have.” Ellie slipped her arms out of her jacket and helped Valerie put it on.

  Fresh shivers jolted through her as the heat from Ellie’s body seeped through Valerie’s clothes. “Won’t you be cold?”

  Before Ellie could answer, Valerie’s name echoed through the woods, then…

  Crack!

  A rifle shot split the night again.

  She jumped, but Ellie was already running, dragging Valerie behind her. A burst of adrenaline gave her speed, but as she hobbled along behind Ellie on legs stiffened by the cold and feet blistered by brand-new shoes, she wondered if Ellie had made a deathly mistake.

  Now, instead of one target, the hunter had two.

  31

  The going was slow as Ellie led an exhausted and nearly frozen Valerie up the steep hill. Sam trailed along behind them, peering into the shadows where Ellie couldn’t see.

  The wind howled, cutting through the fleece pullover Ellie had layered under her jacket. Slender and much shorter than Ellie had imagined from the pictures online, the jacket hung to Valerie’s thighs, but the extra coverage wasn’t enough to counteract what exposure had done to Valerie’s body. Every step was a struggle, and the sound she made with each breath had Ellie worried.

  Ellie kept one eye on Sam and one eye on the ridge above them. With the last shot fired, Tucker had revealed his location. But ten minutes had passed, and he could be anywhere, waiting to ambush them.

  They were halfway to the top of the ridge when the hair stood on the back of Ellie’s neck, and Sam gave a low growl.

  Ellie spun and threw herself at Valerie, taking her to the ground and rolling as another thunderous boom filled the air.

  She rolled into a crouch and hauled Valerie to her feet, barely registering that her shoulder was burning. “Stay low and follow me.”

  Valerie nodded, and Ellie began weaving between trees and brush, keeping Valerie behind her. Shielding the young woman with her own body every time they were in the open. Touching her shoulder, she confirmed what she’d thought. She’d been shot, but it was only a graze.

  “Looks like you made a friend.” Tucker’s voice was high and thin, excited, and at the same time strangled with a touch of anxiety. Valerie wasn’t the only one feeling the effects of the time out in the cold. “Would it be bold of me to assume that the dashing and daring Detective Kline has finally put two and two together and found her way here?”

  Rage bubbled up into her chest, but Ellie held her tongue. He wouldn’t goad her into coming out in the open.

  A rush of small rocks tumbled over the edge of the ridge, letting Ellie know that Tucker was on the move again.

  Ellie tapped Valerie’s arm and pointed to a deep groove surrounded by sparse brush and low rocks. Valerie nodded, nestling down in the deep gash carved in the soft dirt, and disappeared from sight.

  Ellie put her mouth to Sam’s ear, turning the dog so she was facing Valerie. “Stay with her.”

  Sam chuffed softly, running to Valerie and snuggling up beside her.

  Satisfied Valerie was safe for the moment, Ellie scooped up a handful of pebbles and retreated, scanning the area around Tucker’s last known location.

  The silence proved to be too much for Tucker. He shouted again, and Ellie adjusted her course, giving his position a wide berth while she planned her next move.

  “Detective Eleanor Kline. The darling of Charleston social circles and the bane of Charleston PD. I wonder how it feels to know you had me not once, but twice, and you let me slip through yer fingers? Have you learned anything from Ben’s case, Ellie? ‘Cause I’ve learned a lot from you. This time, no one is gonna find a body, and you’ll be forgotten almost as fast as the buzzards will have your bones stripped clean.”

&nbs
p; Ellie sent a pair of stones sailing through the air, ducking when they clattered to the ground. The muzzle flash was instant, the bullet splintering a young tree several yards away.

  “Clever girl. I should’ve known you would be more fun than that little plaything of Arthur Fink. Give me more.” He moved again, the treacherous ground shifting beneath his hasty steps and sending dozens of rocks down the hill.

  Ellie tracked his movements, adjusting her course to keep him at her one o’clock. When they met face to face, he would be right where she wanted him.

  Ears straining for the slightest sound, she moved as fast as she dared over the rugged terrain. Gun drawn, eyes locked on his last position, the twig snapping behind her caught her off guard. She ducked and rolled, muzzle facing away from her body. When she stopped, she came up with one knee on the ground, weapon raised with Tucker in her sights.

  “Now, that was impressive. I underestimated you, Kline. Where’s my prey? Don’t want you two to die alone.”

  Ellie raised the gun, glaring at him. “Drop your weapon. You’re under arrest.”

  He laughed, gesturing at the woods surrounding them. “You can’t be serious. Yer on my turf now, Detective. And only one of us is walkin’ out of here alive.”

  He raised the barrel of his rifle, but Ellie got a shot off first before he managed to pull the trigger. He hissed in pain, and flew into a rage, leaping into the air with wild eyes. The force of his body slamming into hers knocked her off her feet and sent them both tumbling down the incline.

  Crying out when a rock caught the side of her head as they rolled, making Ellie see stars as she grabbed the end of his rifle and pushed it upwards, just as another shot went off. Her ears rang, and the air burned her nose, her shoulder screaming with pain.

  He lost his grip on the rifle, which bounced over the ground and skidded to a stop just out of reach. For a second, Ellie thought he was hurt, but Tucker’s hand wrapped around her service weapon, screaming, “I’ll kill ya with yer own gun if I have to.”

  Ellie tried to break his hold on her weapon, but he was too close, and every move she made he countered with practiced precision.

  “Yer not the only skilled fighter.” He hissed the taunt through clenched teeth, punching her in the cheek when she managed to wrest the butt of the gun from one of his hands.

  Her head snapped back and slammed against the ground beneath her. He laughed when she choked on the pain, reared up, and held the gun to her throat. Leaning closer, so he was just inches from her face, he said, “Beg me for Valerie’s life. If yer good enough, I might give her another head start.”

  You decide when she dies. Tell me to kill her, and I’ll end her suffering now.

  His words were different, but the point was the same. He was projecting the blame for his actions on someone else. He was a coward.

  She spit in his face, pulling herself out of his grip and scrambling backward.

  He raised the gun and smiled at her. “I’m gonna enjoy this more than I thought I would.”

  A low growl sounded on his right, and his head turned. But not fast enough. Sam soared through the air, catching Tucker by his shoulder and knocking the man off his feet.

  Ellie moved fast on her hands and knees, scooping up her weapon from where it had fallen, and firing as soon as she had a clear shot.

  Tucker stiffened, eyes wide as he laughed. Ellie kept the gun trained on him as his laugh turned into hysterical gurgles, bright red blood pouring out of his mouth in a pulsating stream. Head lulling to the side, his strangled voice was cut off mid-laugh, and he slumped forward, his body folding in half at an impossible angle.

  Sam stood over him, body stiff, lip curled. Ready to tear Tucker to pieces if he moved.

  “He’s gone,” Ellie said to the brave dog in a soothing voice. “He can’t hurt us anymore.”

  Light bounced over the ridge above them.

  “Jillian?!” Ellie shouted.

  “Ellie!” Jillian ran down the hill, sliding to a stop a few yards from Tucker’s body. “Is that him? Is that the man Jones was protecting?”

  “It is.”

  “He’s dead, right?” Jillian’s lip curled back at the sight.

  “Throat-shot right through the carotid artery. He bled out before he landed like that.”

  Jillian nodded. “No pity.” She leaned to the side and narrowed her eyes, looking around. “Where’s Sam? She wasn’t in your car.”

  Ellie turned, scanning to try to find Valerie and Sam’s hiding place.

  “Did she get shot?” Jillian’s voice rose an octave, and she turned the flashlight beam on the ground, looking for the dog.

  “She wasn’t shot; she was just here. Sam!”

  “Over here!”

  Jillian’s eyes widened when Valerie’s weak voice came through the trees. “She’s alive?”

  “Yes, but I’m going to need your help. She’s not in good shape.”

  Jillian nodded and let out a soft gasp when Valerie stepped into view. Sam was right beside her, leaning heavily on the woman, as if the dog was trying to hold Valerie upright. She held Sam’s collar to steady herself, but when her eyes landed on the man slumped over nearby, she let go of the collar and moved in for a closer look.

  When she pulled her foot back and kicked the body so hard it fell to the side and sprawled on its back with arms flung wide, Ellie flinched. But it was the first time she’d seen Valerie smile since she’d found her in the woods huddling behind a tree, slowly freezing to death.

  “I feel better.” Valerie’s body quaked, shivering violently in a last-ditch attempt to conserve what was left of her warmth. “He killed my boyfriend.”

  Sam leaned against young woman again, silently lending her strength as the last syllable caught on a sob.

  Jillian nodded in the direction she’d come from. “I called it in just in case things went bad.”

  “Good idea.” Ellie hooked Valerie’s left arm over her shoulders.

  “What are you doing?” Jillian asked.

  “I don’t know who we can trust. I’m not going to risk her safety. We need to get her to a hospital and make sure she’s safe.”

  Working together, they half carried Valerie up the hill. Jillian walked beside Valerie while Ellie ran ahead to move her SUV as close as she could to the head of the trail.

  By the time Jillian and Valerie made it to the SUV, Ellie had the heater on full blast, and she’d turned on the Audi’s heated seats. She ran around to the passenger side to help Valerie into the seat, patting Sam’s head when she positioned herself between Valerie’s knees.

  Valerie’s teeth were chattering, and her hands shaking so badly that Ellie had to wrap a blanket around the woman’s shoulders for her. “She knows I’m freezing. I think Sam saved my life.”

  Jillian left her car at the scene, riding in the back, directly behind Valerie, as Ellie sped toward the hospital.

  Ellie was focused on the road ahead when Valerie placed an icy hand on her arm. “I don’t know how much you know, but you can’t trust anyone. Jones wasn’t the only one who was dirty.”

  Ellie nodded, taking the southbound freeway toward the closest hospital. “We’ve been warned.” Valerie’s nod was slower this time, her body shivering a little less, but it was her pallid skin and blue lips that had Ellie concerned. “You’re going to be fine. You’re safe now.”

  Valerie’s lower lip quivered, but her eyes were dry. “Ben was supposed to be here for this.” Her voice cracked. “Seeing him again was the only thing that kept hope alive for me. Now that he’s gone…” She trailed off and turned to stare out the window.

  “We’ll help you get through this.”

  “Will you stay with me?” Valerie said, her request soft and desperate, like a frightened child’s. “I don’t want to wake up to strangers.”

  “We won’t leave,” Jillian and Ellie said in unison.

  Valerie smiled and nodded as her eyelids slipped closed, and she leaned back against the seat. “I kno
w I just met you both, but for the first time in almost two years, I know I’m being told the truth.” Her mouth went slack, and her head lulled to the side.

  Pressing her fingers to Valerie’s neck, Jillian counted her heartbeats and nodded at Ellie. “She’s alive, and her heartbeat is steady, even if it’s a little slow. She’s going to pull through.”

  Ellie nodded, taking the exit as fast as she dared.

  “You saved her, Ellie,” Jillian said reverently, her voice just above a whisper. “You didn’t give up on finding her alive, and you rescued her.” Gazing down at the woman, her hands still holding Sam’s head, tears sprang to Jillian’s eyes. “Without you, Valerie wouldn’t be here.”

  Ellie bit back tears as she pulled up to the emergency room and flashed her lights. “Valerie kept herself alive all this time. She’s a fighter. Whoever is behind this human trafficking ring has no idea how strong this young woman is. She’s going to help us take them down, Jillian. I can feel it.”

  “Until then, we have to protect her at all costs,” Jillian said and leaned into the front between the seats. “Ellie, you’re bleeding.”

  Ellie went to shrug and winced instead. “It’s nothing. Just a flesh wound.”

  “You could have been killed!”

  Ellie didn’t have time for hysterics. “Haven’t you figured out yet that I have nine lives?”

  Jillian rolled her eyes and sighed, shaking her head. “You’re getting it checked out at the hospital.”

  Ellie showed her badge when the orderlies came out with a stretcher. “I will. And after that, we have to make sure that no one ever gets a chance to hurt her like this again. She’s been through enough.”

  Valerie moaned as they loaded her onto the stretcher and strapped her in.

  Ellie took her hand and squeezed it. “You’re okay, Valerie. Everything is going to be all right.”

  Valerie’s cracked lips spread in a slight smile, her eyes opening but unfocused. “Of course it is. Ben is here. Everything is going to work out for the best.”

  It was the last thing Valerie said before they wheeled her into the emergency room.

  Ellie sat down outside the door of the operating room. She’d promised Valerie that she wouldn’t let anything happen to her. It was a promise she would give her life to keep.