Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
A sudden jerk of the rope sent Laney into momentary freefall.
Her stomach bottomed out, and the rock face loomed. Acting on instinct, she twisted to shield Alli with her body as they crashed into the bluff. Sharp pain shot through her forearm as the rough limestone sliced through her jacket and into her skin.
The sound of gunfire erupted above her. Multiple shots—not just one—from automatic rifles.
Terror gripped her heart. Jonah. He’d been exposed at the edge, holding her line. Had he been hit? Was he—
No. She couldn't let herself think that way. Not now.
Alli needed her to keep it together and get them off this bluff.
Laney assessed their position. The rope was now dangerously slack.
Whatever was happening at the top, Jonah could no longer safely control her descent.
Warm blood trickled down her arm from her wound.
Alli’s lifeless form rested against her, but the faint puff of her breath against Laney’s neck reassured her that the child was still alive.
She glanced down. Maybe ten feet to the ground now. A risky fall, but survivable. Especially compared to the danger of hanging here while a gunfight raged above.
Making a split-second decision, she shifted Alli's weight, securing the child tightly against her with her injured arm. With her good hand, she reached for the quick-release mechanism on her harness. “Hold on, sweetheart,” she whispered to the unconscious child. “This is going to be rough.”
Laney took a deep breath, said a quick prayer, and hit the release.
For a moment, they were in free fall, the world reduced to wind and rain and the weight of Alli against her chest. She bent her knees to absorb the impact, rolling to her side as they hit the ground to protect Alli from the brunt of the fall.
Pain exploded through her ankle and hip as they tumbled onto the rocky shore.
Laney landed on her back, the wind knocked out of her.
Her chest felt like it would explode. Stars danced across her vision.
She groaned and forced herself to roll to the side.
Little Alli had stayed safe in her arms. Laney deposited the child onto the ground and focused on trying to deepen her breathing. Slowly, the pain in her chest faded.
The rain was relentless. It soaked Laney’s hair and pelted her face.
The sound of gunfire was still echoing above her.
Her friends were in danger, and she was helpless to assist them.
Every instinct screamed at her to find a way back up that bluff, to join the fight, to protect her team.
But the unconscious child beside her changed everything.
Laney forced herself onto her knees, wincing as her injured ankle protested.
She gently examined Alli, checking for broken bones or head trauma.
The girl's breathing was shallow but steady. Her pulse was weak but regular. She was alive, but needed medical attention soon. Laney reached for her radio but found only a shattered casing. It’d broken when she slammed into the limestone.
She pulled her cell phone from her pocket. The glow of the screen confirmed her worst fear. No cell service.
Laney glanced up at the bluff. The gunfire had become more sporadic.
God, please keep them safe. And help me protect this little girl.
Lifting Alli into her arms, she ignored the shooting pain in her hip and ankle as she stood.
The hiking path along Bear Creek was several miles, nothing for her normally, but with her injured arm and leg, it would be slow going.
Cognizant of the fact that there were unknown enemies in these woods, Laney pulled her service weapon from its holster. She limped forward.
The trail was muddy. The creek rumbled past, swollen from the recent storms. Pain vibrated through her with every step, but Laney tuned it out. Mind over matter. Her military days had taught her that.
A twig snapped nearby. Her breath hitched as a man stepped out of the darkness into her path.
Laney raised her weapon. “Don’t move, or I’ll shoot you.”
“Boss, it’s me.” Brett’s hushed whisper crossed the distance between them as his hands jerked into the air.
She didn’t lower her weapon. Fear gripped her. “Stay away from me.”
Brett’s breathing was rapid. “Please. You have to help me. Mitch has a gun. I got away, but heard the shooting and…” He stepped closer, and the whites of his eyes shone in terror. “I don’t know how to get out of here.”
Her grip on her weapon remained steady, but doubt crept in. What if she'd been wrong? What if Brett was a victim like them? Garrett could be the one working with Mitch. Or they could all be wrong and Mitch was working on his own.
Brett’s fear looked genuine. He was trembling, and his breathing was rapid. The rain had plastered his hair to his forehead, making him look younger than his 28 years. Indecision warred within her. Alli's weight grew heavier in her arms, and pain throbbed through her injured ankle.
“You’re hurt.” Brett eased closer. “Let me help you. I’ll carry the little girl, and you can show me the way back.”
She hesitated. And then, Laney lowered her weapon slightly.
A gunshot rang out.
Blood bloomed on Brett’s shirt. He collapsed.
Laney whirled around, but it was too late.
A dark shadow rushed her. Arms wrapped around her waist and the assailant took her down like a professional linebacker.
Her weapon flew from her hand and landed somewhere in the dark as she slammed into the unyielding ground.
Her scalp was punctured by the sharp pebbles littering the path, sending pain shooting through her. She lay momentarily stunned.
It was the only opening the attacker needed. He shoved Alli away and climbed on top of Laney, trapping her arms next to her sides. His expression was triumphant as he leaned over her. “Gotcha.”
Garrett Wheeler.
He stared down at her with the cold-eyed gaze of a monster. A killer.
“You.” She wheezed. Her lungs burned for air. For the second time, they’d had the wind knocked out of them.
A wicked smile twisted his features. “Me.” He leaned closer, his finger trailing the curve of her face.
Smelling his cologne, that sickening spicy scent, coupled with his touch made her want to gag.
He hadn’t been wearing it during their first interview.
Garrett, like many men, must have more than one cologne and changed them out.
“Getting to you wasn’t easy. It took a lot of thinking.
But you and I are going to have a good time together. I promise.”
His breath was hot and disgusting against her face.
Laney shuddered inside, but forced herself to meet his gaze.
Men like Garrett fed on their victims' terror.
She would not show him an ounce of fear.
“Deputies know where we are,” she bluffed.
“And the Texas Ranger have captured your buddy Mitch and will be here before long.”
“Oh, I don’t think so.” He leaned back, trailing his finger down her throat and along the collar of her uniform.
“Mitch is a better shot than I am with a rifle. I missed Jonah at your cabin, but he won’t fail.
Those rangers are dead. Along with your stupid dog.
The deputies, and the rest of the park rangers, only know the location of the Jeep.
It’ll take them quite some time to figure out where you went. ”
Her heart froze in fear. No. He had to be lying.
Jonah wasn’t dead.
He couldn’t be.
Tears pricked her eyes. He didn’t know. Didn’t know that she loved him. Why hadn’t she said it at the car when she kissed him? Or before going over the bluff?
Or two days ago.
Or ten years ago.
She was a foolish, foolish woman. She’d been in love with Jonah since the moment she first saw him.
There’d never been anyone else for her. She’d broken things off after a month of dating, but when Jonah suggested just being friends, she’d jumped at the chance.
Even then, she knew. Knew she needed him in her life.
He’d broken down every one of her barriers. Wormed his way into her heart day-by-day. A friendly ear to tell her problems to, gift packages when they were apart, vacations taken together, long talks late at night.
Holding her hand at her mother’s funeral. Her sister’s wedding. Asher’s birth.
Birthdays. Christmases. Attending church together.
There wasn’t one major incident in her life in the last ten years Jonah hadn’t been a part of. The good and the bad.
She loved him. And she’d allowed fear to hold her back. Fear of abandonment. Fear of the future. Fear of truly handing him her heart and trusting that he would keep it safe. Laney had thought nothing could be worse than loving Jonah and losing him. But there was worse.
It was losing Jonah without him ever knowing how much he meant to her.
“Did you hear the gunshots?” Garrett asked gleefully, pulling her back into the present. Into this living, breathing nightmare she was facing. “Normally I like to kill a woman’s significant other in front of her, but you and Jonah proved to be a challenge.”
Laney eased one of the hands trapped next to her body down to the ground. She clawed at the gravel and dirt. “You tried to shoot Jonah at my cabin. You put the rabbit on the porch for him.”
“Good job. You figured it out.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Brett lying motionless. “Brett?”
“A useful idiot. He had no idea what he’d stumbled into.
And while I’d love to spend our time talking about my escapades, the clock is ticking.
It may take the deputies a while to find us, but it won’t take all night.
” He pouted. “Unfortunately. You are exquisite.” His hand came around her throat, and he squeezed lightly.
“I’m going to enjoy killing you.” His licentious smile twisted her stomach. “After I’ve had my fun, of course.”
His gaze dropped to the buttons on her uniform. He reached for the first one.