Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
“Ryan, come in. Did you two make it there safely?” Boone’s voice echoed through the small cabin space. Ryan rushed to retrieve the radio mic and respond.
“We’re here.” Ryan told him they’d just arrived. “Anything new there?”
“Nothing yet. So far, our drunk is still sobering up. How was the road up there?”
Ryan glanced back at Charlie who quietly added another log to the woodstove.
“About as bad as you’d expect. Listen, we think the killer hired your tail to create a distraction to return to Pete’s cabin.
He’s looking for something that wasn’t found in the journals that were stolen.
Can you send Will over to check it out before he heads this way? ”
“Way ahead of you. Doug and I are about to head over now. Will’s already enroute to you. The sooner you have backup there the better I’ll feel about everything.”
Ryan appreciated Boone’s concern. He would definitely feel better once Will was here. “The storm’s intensifying. Hopefully, he won’t run into any issues. I’m worried about the road.”
“I’ve tried to reach him, but he’s lost cell service already.” Boone told them Will had left half an hour earlier. “He should be with you in another fifteen minutes.”
Ryan checked the time on the phone. “I’ll keep watch for him. Let us know what you find at Pete’s cabin.”
“Copy that.” Boone exhaled a loud breath. “Stay safe, you two. Until we have a better idea who’s behind this, we can’t afford to rule out anyone.” Once Boone signed off, Ryan looked to where Charlie stood near the stove with a look of concern on her face.
He went over and put his arm around her. “How are you holding up?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know anymore.” Her gaze met his. “I’m worried, Ryan. So worried.”
He tugged her into his arms, his chin resting on her head. More than anything he wanted to be able to assure her they’d catch Pete’s killer. Uncover the mystery behind Abby’s death. But from where they stood now, he didn’t believe it was going to happen soon.
“Are you hungry?” Ryan waited for her to answer. They’d brought food with them.
She shook her head. “But I would like some coffee.” She motioned toward the coffee pot sitting on the small table.
“Sure thing. I can make it.”
She stopped him before he’d gone a single step. “I need something to do with myself.” Charlie retrieved the pot and went to the tiny kitchen.
“Coffee’s on the counter,” he called out. “I’ll bring in our things.” He waited for an answer that didn’t come before retrieving his handgun and stepping out into the darkness and a storm that wasn’t letting up.
Ryan stood still and listened for any indication Will might be getting close. Over the wind howling through the trees, nothing could be heard. He checked the time on the phone. Ten minutes had passed.
He trudged through the deep snow down the bend of the road. Nothing. Not a sound. No headlights winding up the mountain road. That worried him.
Ryan returned to the SUV and grabbed their bags and the food.
On an instinct he couldn’t explain, he set the bags down near the door and walked the perimeter of the cabin. The fresh fallen snow remained in pristine shape. No footprints. No sign of anyone following them. So why couldn’t he relax?
He returned to the front and carried the things inside.
Charlie peeked out from the kitchen. “Everything okay?”
He did his best to assure her it was.
“Coffee?”
The last thing he needed was more adrenaline, but he had a feeling it was going to be a long night, and he needed his mind not dulled by exhaustion.
Charlie carried out two cups and stopped dead when she got a good look at him. “What’s wrong?”
He wasn’t sure how to explain it but did his best. “This person keeps finding us. We’ve stopped using the police radio and yet he still is able to track us.” He looked her square in the eye. “What if he finds us here?”
Wide, fearful eyes analyzed the question. “If he attacks us here, there’s a possibility we’d be trapped.”
Hearing her confirm what he believed made him even more nervous. He checked his watch again. “Will should be here by now.” He accepted the coffee from her and gulped it, needing the jolt it gave him.
“What do you want to do?” Charlie set her cup down on the table.
“Drive down the road a little way and see if we can find him. He could have run into trouble with the roads being the way they are.” Or another type of trouble.
“Let’s go.” Charlie retrieved her coat. While he started for the door Ryan wondered about the wisdom of taking her out into the teeth of the storm with a killer on the hunt. But he also didn’t want to leave her alone.
Ryan helped her into the SUV and then circled the front, his troubled gaze darting around the darkened countryside expecting danger.
He quickly started the vehicle and reversed. Since they’d arrived, the road had worsened considerably. His fear for Will doubled.
Ryan eased them along the narrow road with headlights on bright looking for any sign of danger.
Snaking along several more switchbacks the sight that unfolded in front of them had him stopping. Will’s vehicle sat precariously close to the edge of a steep drop-off. The only thing keeping it from tumbling down the side of the mountain was a single lodgepole pine.
“Oh no.” Ryan put the SUV in Park and then applied the emergency brake just in case before hopping out.
He hurried toward the cruiser while calling out, “Stay in the vehicle.”
She ignored him.
Ryan could see Will slumped over the steering wheel. The interior lights revealed he was bleeding from his forehead.
Ryan didn’t dare try the driver’s door. One false move and the tree would give way.
“Stand back.” He carefully opened the passenger door. “Will, can you hear me?” No response came from his friend.
“I’ve got to get him out before this whole thing crashes down the mountain.
“What do you need me to do?”
“As soon as I unbuckle the seatbelt, I’m going to pull him as fast as I can from the wreckage. Help me get him away from the vehicle before it goes over.”
She nodded confirmation. Ryan slowly leaned over until he could reach Will’s seatbelt latch. With fingers that shook, he clicked it. The seatbelt swung open, violently rocking the cruiser.
Will moaned.
Ryan grabbed hold of Will around the upper torso and pulled. Getting Will’s dead weight out of the seat when the vehicle was rocking felt next to impossible. “Help me.”
Charlie acted immediately, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling.
Together they got Will cleared from the cruiser and lying on the snowy ground.
Both sat down next to him. They watched as the vehicle teetered back and forth for a moment, then tipped sideways and finally plunged out of sight.
The sound of branches and tree trunks cracking created a terrifying moment.
A heartbeat later, an explosion rocked the world below.
Ryan blew out a shaky breath and checked Will’s pulse. “He’s still with us. Let’s get him to the SUV and back to the cabin so that I can assess his injuries.”
With Charlie taking his feet, Ryan wrapped his arms around Will’s upper torso, and they carried him to the SUV. Ryan managed to open the back door and eased Will inside. “I’ll go around to the other side and pull him the rest of the way in.”
Charlie nodded without answering. He hurried around the passenger side and climbed in enough to pull Will safely across the seat. “Let’s get out of here.”
She rushed back to her seat while he got behind the wheel. Getting the SUV turned around on such a narrow road was next to impossible. Ryan kept seeing Will’s vehicle slide off the mountain. Kept hearing it tumbling down. Then the explosion happened.
No way Will would’ve survived that.
Once Ryan straightened the vehicle and they started back to the cabin he spared Will a glance. “That gash looks serious. As soon as we reach the cabin and have a look, I’m going to contact Boone again. Will needs medical attention.”
Charlie leaned over her seat. “I don’t see any other injuries except for the head wound.”
So why wasn’t Will waking up?
Getting back to the cabin seemed to take forever. Ryan pulled the SUV up close to the cabin and got out. With Charlie’s help, they were able to get Will inside.
“Let’s put him in the bedroom.”
They gently placed him on the bed.
“I’ll get some water and something to clean the wound with.” Charlie disappeared. Will clicked on the bedside lamp and sat down beside Will. He examined the wound that didn’t appear too deep.
Ryan shook his friend. “Buddy, wake up.” It took a couple of tries before Will opened his eyes and glanced around the room in confusion.
“Where am I?” Will whispered, his voice weak.
“The old gold mining cabin. You crashed.”
Charlie returned with a bowl of water and a handcloth. She sat it on the table near the lamp and dampened the cloth before gently cleaning the injury. Will winced and then focused on Ryan. “I didn’t.”
Ryan leaned closer. “Didn’t what?”
“Didn’t crash. Someone shot at me.”
The world tilted on its axis. The accident had been anything but. Someone had tried to kill Will.