Chapter 23
McCrae
The winding mountain roads stretched before us as we headed toward Casper. I checked the rearview mirror out of habit, noting the empty road behind us. I couldn’t shake the feeling that this trip would change everything.
Sky sat beside me, her fingers nervously twisting that small silver bird charm we’d found in the car. She’d been quiet most of the drive, lost in her own thoughts.
“You okay?”
She startled slightly, as if I’d interrupted something important. “Just trying to remember,” she said, offering a weak smile. “It’s like reaching through fog for something you can barely see.”
I nodded, wishing I could do more to help her.
Every protective instinct in me wanted to shield her from whatever had left her bruised and amnesia-stricken by the side of the road, but I knew that wasn’t my call to make.
She deserved to know the truth about herself, even if that truth took her away from me.
“You think this Pete guy will recognize me?” she asked, her voice small.
“Only one way to find out,” I replied, keeping my tone casual despite the tension coiling in my gut.
The closer we got to Casper, the more I wondered what we’d find. If Sky had been running from someone, would our investigation lead that person straight to her? Were we walking into danger?
I checked the gun holstered at my side, a reflexive gesture that didn’t go unnoticed.
“You’re worried.”
“Just being cautious.” I tried to give her a reassuring smile. “Not every day I chase down the past of a beautiful amnesiac.”
That earned me a small laugh, the sound easing some of the tension between us. “Is that your professional assessment, Officer Armstrong?”
“Absolutely,” I said, playing along. “Standard police protocol.”
But the lightness didn’t last. As we passed the “Welcome to Casper” sign, she went quiet again, her eyes scanning our surroundings with increasing intensity, as if expecting recognition to hit her at any moment.
Pete’s Trucking wasn’t hard to find; it was a modest building with a fenced lot full of rental trucks and cars. The sign was weathered, the paint peeling at the edges.
I parked the cruiser and surveyed the area, my cop instincts automatically cataloging possible threats, exits, and sightlines.
“Ready?”
She nodded, her knuckles white where she gripped the door handle. “As I’ll ever be.”
A bell jingled as we entered, announcing our presence to the man behind the counter. He was older than I expected, maybe in his mid-sixties, with leathery skin and sharp eyes that narrowed when he saw us. His gaze lingered on my uniform before shifting to Sky. Recognition flashed across his face.
“Well,” he said, his gravelly voice filling the small space. “You’re back.”
My heart hammered against my ribs. I watched Sky’s face, saw her eyes widen with confusion.
“You … know me?” she asked tentatively.
The man—Pete, I presumed—frowned. “Course I do. You remember yet? I had plenty of calls.”
She looked confused.
“Officer McCrae Armstrong,” I said, introducing myself. “She still can’t remember.”
He scoffed, peering at her more intently. “Hmph.”
“It’s true,” Sky said, stepping closer to the counter. “I can’t remember anything from before the accident. Not even my name.”
Pete studied her, then let out a low whistle. “That’s rough.” He paused, then added, “You don’t remember comin’ in here and rentin’ a car? Don’t you remember saying you needed to get to Colorado quick and you’d return the car in two weeks?”
She shook her head, her eyes pleading. “Did I tell you why I needed to get to Colorado?”
“Nope. Weren’t much for conversation.” He scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Seemed in a hurry, though. Nervous-like.”
I leaned forward, my cop voice taking over. “Did she say anything else? Anything that might help us figure out who she is or what she was running from?”
After a moment’s hesitation, Pete turned and pulled open a filing cabinet. “Got your paperwork right here. Paid cash, which ain’t usual, but not unheard of.” He extracted a manila folder and laid it on the counter, flipping it open.
I stared at the rental agreement, focusing on the signature at the bottom: T. Carter, written in a hasty, almost frantic scrawl.
“That your signature?” Pete asked Sky.
She stared at it, her brow furrowing. “I … think so? It looks familiar.”
Pete nodded, satisfied. “Used a Colorado ID. Said you were staying with a friend out there.”
As Sky leaned over the paper, something shifted in her expression. Her eyes became distant, unfocused. “I was wearing a bracelet,” she murmured, almost to herself. “Silver with blue stones. It was … dangling from my wrist as I signed.”
I exchanged a look with Pete, whose skepticism seemed to be fading.
“Yeah, you were,” he confirmed, surprise evident in his tone. “Kept jingling every time you moved. Seemed kinda fancy for someone dressed like you were.”
Sky’s face paled. She gripped the counter, her knuckles white. “I was scared,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “So scared.”
I moved closer, ready to catch her if she fell. “Sky? You okay?”
She pressed a hand to her temple, pain etching lines around her eyes. “My head—” She gasped, and then her knees buckled.
I caught her before she hit the floor, pulling her against me. “Sky! What’s happening?”
“Someone was chasing me,” she choked out between ragged breaths. “I can’t see who, but I—I was running from someone.”
Pete moved around the counter, concern replacing suspicion. “Should I call an ambulance?”
“No!” Sky called out.
I shook my head. “We just need to get her some air.” I helped Sky to her feet, supporting most of her weight. “Thanks for your help. We might be back with more questions.”
Pete nodded, watching us with troubled eyes as I guided Sky back to the cruiser.
I helped her into the passenger seat. “Take some deep breaths. You’re safe. I’m right here.”
Her breathing slowly steadied, though her eyes remained squeezed shut. “It’s like something’s trying to break through my brain,” she whispered. “Flashes, but I can’t hold onto them.”
I handed her a bottle of water from the console. “Drink.”
She drank.
My phone rang. Noah’s name flashed on the screen.
“I need to take this. Just rest.” I stepped away from the car, keeping her in my line of sight as I answered. “Noah? What’s up?”
My brother’s voice came through, tight with excitement. “Damon told me where you’re at. Listen, I’ve been doing some digging about that climbing accident. It turns out, that we went to one spot, but there were two places people were tracked at. Go check out Fremont Canyon, not far from Casper.”
“Can you tell me any details?”
“No, go check it out.”
“I brought Sky to Pete’s trucking and something triggered her. She’s in a lot of pain right now.”
“Shoot. Well, then come home.”
Something itched inside of me to push and find answers. “We’ll see.”
“Do you need me to come?”
This was how my family was; always willing to help. “I don’t know yet.”
“Okay. Well, Fremont Canyon isn’t far from where you are. If you can stop there.”
The canyon might trigger more memories or it might break her completely. But we needed answers. “I’ll talk to her and see if she wants to check it out. Love you, bro.”
“Love you, too.”
I hung up and returned to the car.
Sky opened her eyes as I slid into the driver’s seat, her gaze immediately finding mine. “What did Noah say?”
“The climbing accident happened at Fremont Canyon, just outside Casper, Noah thinks there is a second location that no one checked out.”
She inhaled sharply. “You want to go there, don’t you?”
“Only if you’re up for it,” I said, studying her. “Your head—”
“It’s killing me,” she admitted. “But it’s like … like my brain wants to remember, McCrae. It’s fighting to break through.” She straightened in her seat, determination hardening her features. “Let’s go to the canyon.”
“You’re sure?”
She nodded, a determined look washing over her face. “I’m sure.”
As we pulled away from Pete’s Trucking, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were heading straight into danger. I reached across the console and took her hand, her fingers cold despite the summer heat. “I’m right by your side, okay?”
She squeezed my hand. “Okay.”