Chapter 6
VICTORIA
Ifelt the oddest mixture of relief and paralyzing fear at his announcement.
I didn't mind having the decision taken out of my hands, but I wasn't looking forward to riding in a helicopter.
I figured that Whit attributed my nervousness to my whole ordeal.
Not wanting to complain after the gorgeous man had rescued me, I kept my fear to myself as we trekked through the wilderness to a field about a mile north of the cave.
The helicopter was already waiting for us when we got there, and Whit helped me on board before climbing inside.
I’d never been on one before, but he seemed familiar with them as he buckled us both into our five-point harnesses before grabbing headsets from the man up front with the pilot.
When we both had them on, his voice came through crystal clear as he murmured, “Don’t be nervous. ”
“Nervous doesn’t quite cover what I’m feeling right now. More like scared to death,” I admitted as I fisted my hands hard enough for my nails to dig into my palms.
He pulled on my fingers to loosen my grip and wrapped his hand around mine. “With all the traveling you do for your job, you’re afraid of flying?”
“Nope.” I shook my head and tightened my grip on him as we lifted into the air. “I’m fine on planes, but helicopters freak me out. My dad went down in one when he was in the Army.”
“I’ve got you covered.” He jerked his chin toward the pilot. “If he runs into any problems, I’ll take over.”
My eyes widened as I gasped, “You know how to fly one of these death traps?”
“I sure do.” He flashed me a sexy grin. “Devon, one of my coworkers and a good friend, gave me so much shit about not being able to pilot a chopper that I finally caved. Since he was so fired up for me to get my helicopter license, I did my dual hours with him. Took me only a few weeks to clock enough hours in the air.”
I felt better knowing Whit could take the controls if an emergency happened in the air. Although I barely knew him, something about the man made me feel as though nothing could hurt me. Even after all that I’d been through today, I felt safe with him next to me.
When we landed next to the parking lot where I’d left my rental car, I was stunned by all the activity. About forty people were standing in groups, several ATVs, another helicopter near the one we were in, and even some drones buzzing around. “Holy crap.”
Whit chuckled as he climbed out of the helicopter and turned to help me down. “Yeah, your dad didn’t fuck around when you missed checking in with him.”
“That was only seven or eight hours ago.” I was trying to wrap my head around everything they’d accomplished in such a short time when I spotted a familiar face in the crowd and yelled, “Dad!”
My father’s head jerked up, and he ran toward me, wrapping me up into a bear hug. “I’m so fucking glad to see you in one piece. You scared the shit outta me.”
“Sorry, Dad.” I sniffled back tears of relief as I added, “I scared myself, too.”
“What the hell happened out there, Tori?” He grabbed my upper arms and stepped back to sweep his gaze down my body, making sure I was okay. “Did you hear the plane crash and forget to bring the sat phone with you when you went to see if the pilot needed help?”
Plane crash? My brows drew together as I shook my head. “No, it must’ve happened before I got up there because I didn’t hear anything. I didn’t even know a plane had gone down until the guys who were chasing me mentioned it.”
“Guys? What guys?” His gaze darted over my shoulder, and he asked, “Did you see anyone else out there when you found my daughter?”
“No, sir.” Whit wrapped a hand around my shoulder and gently pulled back until my dad released my arms. Then he moved beside me, our arms almost brushing. “They left plenty of tracks behind, but she was alone when I finally pinpointed her location.”
My dad’s eyes narrowed as he took in how close Whit and I were standing next to each other. “And they were hunting my girl?”
“From what I saw out there and what she’s told me so far?” Whit nodded. “Yes, they were definitely going after Victoria.”
“I’m right here, Daddy.” Frustrated with how they were excluding me from the conversation, I waved my hand in the air. “If you have questions about what happened, I’m the best person to ask since I’m the only one who was out there the whole time.”
“I’m not sure about your father, but I definitely have some questions for you.”
I whirled around at the deep male voice, pressing a hand over my racing heart when I realized it was just the sheriff. Whit slid his arm around my shoulders and pulled me against his side as he glared at the man. “Careful. You scared the fuck out of Victoria, and she’s already had a hell of a day.”
“Shit, sorry,” the sheriff murmured, flashing me an apologetic grin. “I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”
I returned his smile. “I expect that being light on your feet is part of the job.”
“Thanks for understanding.” He slanted a glance at Whit and shook his head. “She’s nice, smart, and pretty. Your mom will like her.”
I didn’t understand why the sheriff thought I’d meet Whit’s mom or why she’d care what type of person I was, but I found myself loving the idea that I’d make a good impression on her.
But I didn’t have time to worry over the strength of my reaction to him while the sheriff questioned me about what had happened with Whit.
My dad grew more tense with every answer I gave.
I was devastated to find out they’d taken all my equipment from my campsite and my rental car, but at least those were just things. They could be replaced.
“Those men are long gone from here. You shouldn’t have anything to worry about from them,” the sheriff reassured me once his questioning wound down.
I shook my head and shivered as a chill raced up my spine. “I don’t think they’re going to let it drop just because they didn’t catch me on the mountain.”
He shoved his little notebook into his jacket pocket and asked, “How come?”
I lifted my Nikon from my neck. “When I first ran into them, I was using my viewfinder to figure out what I’d heard. They think I took a photo of them.”
“Are they correct?” the sheriff barked.
I shook my head with a frown. “I wish I could say I had the presence of mind to snap a pic, but I was too focused on getting away from them to think of it.”
“We have a team scouring the downed plane for clues, so we may still find them.”
Whit growled, “I expect to be kept in the loop on whatever your guys get.”
“I shoulda known I was asking for trouble getting you involved,” the sheriff muttered.
“I want the same,” my dad agreed.
The sheriff sighed. “I figured.”
Jerking his thumb at the sheriff, my dad looked at Whit and said, “He told me you were shot in the line of duty not too long ago.”
I scanned Whit’s tall, muscular body for any sign of injury but didn’t see anything.
“Not in the line of duty exactly,” Whit corrected. “I’m private now. Not military or law enforcement.”
“A mission is still a mission, no matter who you’re reporting to.” My dad shrugged. “And you still volunteered to go out there and look for my daughter even though you’re in town for some R&R after your injury, which says a lot about the kind of man you are.”
“Damn straight.” The sheriff slapped Whit on the back. “Whit’s never been one to shirk his duties. I knew if I asked, he’d be out there searching for your girl until he found her. Never been happier to be right in my life.”
I couldn’t agree more. His decision had saved my life, after all.