Chapter Four
Fire and Wax
Shadow growled low, forcing Ava’s attention away from the regrets of her past. She turned to see the dog standing near the same tree where they’d found the swatch of shirt.
“What is it, boy?” She went over to where the dog pawed at the spot then lifted its head to sniff the air.
She turned to find Caleb and Rachel standing nearby.
“He’s onto something more. I need the sample back,” she told Rachel. “To help him zero in on the scent.”
Rachel hesitated briefly before handing it back to Ava.
“You think he can lock onto the killer’s trail still with the weather?” Caleb glanced at the falling snow. He knew snow could mask some scents on the ground, but the cold sometimes helped preserve air scents.
“I know so.” Ava hated the strain between her and Caleb.
At one time they’d been so much in love.
But this tension was all her fault. She’d walked away from him only because she’d been transformed into a different woman after the kidnapping and she couldn’t get back her original self.
Wax had destroyed that woman. He’d taken her confidence, her ability to function in public, and her capability to love.
Ava focused on the fabric and swallowed back her regret. She couldn’t change what happened. Couldn’t be the woman he needed her to be.
Her finger stroked the plastic covering the flannel. She could feel the place where wax had dripped down one side of the cloth. If this were Wax’s, he would have been close to the victim. He wanted to see her pain. Watch her die...just like he had with the victim Ava saw.
The symmetrical cut of the fabric bothered her. Did Wax want them to follow him? The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Had he deliberately left his scent on the cloth—staged the wax to try and fool her—all the while luring her into another trap?
“Deputy Vaughn, stay here.” Ava shook off her misgivings and leaned down close to her K-9 partner, her eyes meeting his. “Shadow. Scent.”
The Malinois pressed his nose against the bag, his nostrils flaring. Body tightly strung like a bow. She clipped his lead onto the halter. “Find him, Shadow.”
The dog responded immediately, racing forward with a sharp bark. Adrenaline flooded her body. She’d seen this reaction many times.
Ava scrambled after Shadow while her boots slipped over the snowy terrain. Caleb was right there at her side while Rachel struggled to keep up with Shadow’s quick pace.
Branches snagged at Ava’s hair and clothes.
The countryside flew by in a rapid blur as Shadow cut through the underbrush, and the K-9 kept a relentless pace while his nose skimmed the ground.
His full attention on the hunt. Occasionally, he’d shift his head from side to side checking for any change of direction before pressing forward with renewed intensity.
“You think he was here when I found the body?” The disgust in Caleb’s tone was apparent.
“Without a doubt. He’s still close,” Ava said without breaking stride.
“He lingered until her body was found. It gave him a twisted kick to see your reaction to finding her. And after our people arrived because...” She couldn’t say it, but Ava believed Wax had carefully orchestrated everything to bring her back to Montana.
“That’s sick,” Rachel said under her breath. “What kind of monster are we chasing anyway? If there’s a chance, he’s waiting to ambush us, then we need to call in backup.”
Ava didn’t respond. Her full attention remained on Shadow. The dog suddenly shifted in a direction that headed downhill pulling Ava toward a narrow game trail. The snow was thinner here. Towering spruce trees protected the ground.
She stumbled on an icy patch. Caleb reached for her arm to steady her. “Careful,” he said softly. “This is a narrow trail with drop-offs on either side. He probably knows this, too. That’s why he chose it.”
“Thanks. I’m okay.” Ava quickly pulled free, more rattled by his touch than the killer they were tracking.
Shadow’s pace quickened again. His nose held high picking up airborne scents, his bark breaking the tense silence. The K-9 was closing in on something.
The dog suddenly froze at a clearing, his sides heaving, hackles raised. He stared into the nearby black pines beyond. His tail lowered, and his body became rigid and alert.
Ava dropped to one knee near the K-9 and scanned the area, her Glock held tight. Nerves on edge.
Caleb swung his rifle into firing position.
Rachel unholstered her service weapon. “Where is he?”
Snowflakes continued to drift from the sky impeding their vision. There was no sign of movement. Just Shadow’s low growl deepened Ava’s fears.
A single sound split the silence. A downed branch snapping.
Another deep growl reverberated from Shadow. “Easy, boy. I got you.” Ava’s gaze continued to scan the black pines while her pulse pounded in her ears.
Beside her, Caleb shifted, every line in his body taut, his rifle focused on the trees using the scope to see. “That wasn’t an elk,” he whispered. “It sounded human.”
“How can you tell?” Rachel asked, her tone surprised.
“Experience. I’ve heard them both enough to tell the difference.”
Quiet replaced their whispers, intensifying the dangerous situation. Even the wind appeared to have died out.
Shadow suddenly lunged toward the trees. Ava dug her heels in. “Shadow. Hold.”
The Malinois immediately obeyed, yet his attention remained fixed on a single spot in the woods.
Ava rose and followed the dog’s gaze aware of Caleb edging closer in a protective gesture she’d known from their past. Before, she’d remind him that she was a trained FBI agent. Now, having him close gave her comfort.
Her mouth went dry. “I can almost feel him.” She shifted her gaze to Caleb. “He’s close.” The right thing to do would be to hold their ground and call for reinforcement. But by doing so, the killer would have an opportunity to escape.
Sweat beaded Rachel’s forehead as she followed Ava’s gaze. “You’re saying the same creep that turned that woman into a wax statue is still out there watching us?”
“Without a doubt.” There was no doubt in Ava’s mind. Wax was enjoying their hunt.
Shadow pawed at the ground several times before sitting.
“Ava, I don’t like this,” Caleb whispered in a tight voice.
A sharp crack of another branch being broken. Too close together not to be deliberate.
Ava focused on the sound and caught a whisper of movement. “There.” A figure weaved through the trees and then he was gone.
Shadow erupted with aggressive barks straining at the leash. She did her best to anchor herself and him. “Shadow. Heel.”
Caleb’s eyes cut to hers. “If he wanted to take us out he could have by now.”
That wasn’t Wax’s style. “He’s toying with us.” The steadiness of Ava’s voice surprised her. Inside, she was falling apart.
This wasn’t part of Wax’s ritual. It was all about Ava and him. He wanted her to know that he’d brought her back here and that he could reach her at any time.
Her hand tightened on Shadow’s lead, the material rubbing against the faint scar on her wrist beneath her glove—another reminder of her time with Wax.
“We should pull back now. Wait for assistance,” Rachel spoke into the silence.
They were so close. She could feel it. Ava couldn’t let him go. “Call for backup, but we keep pressing. I want him found.”
Rachel’s reaction was clear, but she grabbed her cell phone to call it in.
The wind shifted, carrying on it the faint scent of smoke and wax. Shadow’s ears snapped forward. He snarled at the sound of footsteps running away.
Ava’s stomach tightened. “He’s on the move.”
Caleb didn’t hesitate. “Then so are we.”