CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
C HAPTER T HIRTY -N INE
Matt jogged down the trail. Every ten steps or so, he checked behind them. A wild cougar shouldn’t head toward three people and a K-9. They were making enough noise to startle any wild creature. But who knew this animal’s history? Like the zoo director had theorized with the alligator, if it had been raised by humans, it might not fear them.
If this were a horror movie, the cat would totally be hunting the fuck out of the human who had imprisoned it.
If it ate Denver, Matt wasn’t ashamed to admit that would bring a balance to the universe.
They kept up a fast pace, relying on the dog to guide them.
Denver had to know they’d give chase. There was no point in slowing down to sneak up on him. Five minutes later, the trail ended. They burst from the trees into the moonlight. Twenty feet of weedy, wet ground separated them from the bank of the lake.
Matt shined his light on the ground, which turned to muck at the lake’s edge. He spotted footprints in the mud. “There.”
Greta stopped and whined, then circled twice.
Matt looked out over the dark water, but saw nothing except the lake’s flat, silvery surface. “He could have had a boat tied up under the trees.” Matt crossed the grass to inspect the ground. He didn’t see any sign that a boat had been dragged to the water.
“If he did, we’re out of luck,” Bree said. “We’re always at the wrong end of the lake.”
The sheriff’s department had a dive boat, but it was docked at the other end of Grey Lake. The lake itself was miles long.
Greta sniffed along the edge of the lake.
“Maybe Denver thought walking in the water would hide his trail,” Bree said.
But Matt had faith in the dog. Contrary to what people saw on TV, water did not impede the dog’s ability to track. Scent clung to vegetation and debris in water. Cadaver dogs could even find bodies underwater. All walking through water did was waterlog your shoes.
Greta lifted her head and picked up speed.
“She’s got the scent now,” Collins called out, breaking into a jog again.
Todd spoke in the earpiece. “We see you. Coming out of the trees. No sign of the suspect or the cat.”
The two figures of Todd and Deputy Zucco emerged from the forest and joined them.
Bree motioned for them to fall into place. The distance between the trees and the water narrowed, forcing the team to follow in single file.
Noise drifted from the lake, small splashes as paddles sliced through water. Matt spotted several lights and what appeared to be a double kayak. “Do you see those?”
“Yes,” Todd said. “Kayaks or canoes, I think.”
Voices and laughter drifted toward them. They walked another fifty yards. The boats drew closer. Three double kayaks and a canoe. A guy in the first kayak shined a portable spotlight ahead of his boat. The guy behind him held a large net. They slipped past with a polite wave.
“Gator hunters?” Todd asked.
“For fuck’s sake.” Bree sighed. “We don’t have time for them. Let’s hope they don’t find it.”
“With the amount of noise they’re making, I wouldn’t worry too much about them catching anything,” Matt said.
Something splashed to his right. He whirled around, shining his light onto the water’s surface. Ten yards away, at the edge of a patch of cattails, two red eyes glowed at him. The alligator? He blinked. Without making a sound, the creature disappeared below the surface.
Matt spoke into his earpiece. “Pretty sure I just saw the gator.”
Ahead of him, Bree’s stride faltered for a second, then evened out again, but she moved a little farther from the water’s edge.
At three feet in length, the gator wasn’t a threat to an adult human’s life, but Matt swore he could feel the creature’s eyes on his back.