Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Six hours later, Nora’s legs shook from the exertion of breaking trail while her partner searched for Summer’s scent.
They’d traveled about six miles in that time, but she could see Chance had started to falter in the deep snow.
She glanced up. They’d just traversed a gully and needed to cut over this rugged bit of hillside and double back and head southeast to their first target location.
The plan was they’d work their way back toward yesterday’s trailhead and search the assigned shelters, hopefully intercept Eastman and Summer along the way.
She stopped in the shadow of the trees, leaned over the single pole she used. Her breath rasped in and out as her lungs struggled to pull enough oxygen out of the thin air.
Sebastian drew up beside her. “You okay?”
She twisted to look at him. “We need a break.”
“Think you can make it up the slope first?”
Chance took the opportunity to throw himself belly down in the snow and pant heavily.
“Apparently not.” She reached for a water bottle inside her jacket—the only way to make sure it didn’t freeze in the sub-zero temps. She popped out Chance’s water bowl and filled it for him. He drank greedily.
She refilled it, and he drank again.
She fished out a lamb-flavored pepperoni stick and gave it to him in pieces.
He licked her fingers gratefully. He still looked hungry, so she broke up another treat and fed it to him slowly.
Then she ignored the eyes that begged for more and put the package away.
They still had a ways to go, and she didn’t want to risk a twisted gut so far from emergency veterinary help.
“Anyone experiencing headaches, nausea, or eye issues?” Sebastian checked in with his team for signs of altitude sickness as everyone took the opportunity to hydrate.
High-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) was a serious medical condition where the brain swelled with fluid.
It required immediate treatment, supplemental oxygen, and for the afflicted person to move to lower altitudes as soon as possible.
Everyone shook their heads and gave Sebastian the thumbs up.
She bent to check Chance’s booties to make sure his paws were okay. Thankfully he seemed fine.
Sebastian indicated that Meghan and Grady head to the top of the ridge without them.
Ryan scanned the direction they’d come from.
No one expected to be ambushed, but they’d be foolish not to keep up their guard.
Eastman was a former soldier, an experienced backcountry guide who was armed and dangerous. No one was oblivious to the threat.
She finished the dribble of water left in the bottle.
Sebastian thrust another into her hand. “Drink.”
She tipped it back reluctantly. Dehydration was a danger in these conditions, possibly more than in hot environments because of the altitude and the fact people simply forgot to drink as much in the cold.
Cas handed them all energy bars. “Eat. Drink. Be merry.”
She smiled. Cas was exceptionally charming, and yet her attention was constantly drawn back to the intense leader of their small band.
Her pulse gradually slowed, and her breath became a little less labored. She shivered and knew she needed to get on the move again.
Sebastian frowned. “You should have told me earlier you were struggling.”
She narrowed her gaze. “I’m not struggling. I just needed a break.”
“I mean before you were exhausted.” He sounded annoyed.
Dammit.
Every time she started to like him, he said something that made her want to punch him.
“I’m not exhausted. I needed five minutes to catch my breath like any normal person.” She stretched out the muscles that were apt to tighten up and cramp if she didn’t take care. “Now I’m ready to go again.”
“I don’t need you or your dog to collapse and to have to order an emergency evac.”
She leaned in so she didn’t shout because the sound carried in the mountains.
“I’m not some amateur you need to baby, Operator Black.
Chance and I live here. Work here. We know our limits, which was six hours of breaking trail in fresh powder—then we took a break.
Perhaps you’d like to take a turn up front for a change? ”
Cas coughed and looked away.
Sebastian’s expression turned wounded. “I didn’t mean to negate your abilities—”
“Then you need to work on your delivery skills because that’s what it felt like.” She was angry, but it was the hurt that affected her most. Since when did she care what others thought of her?
Since always?
Sebastian inched closer. “Nora, I’m truly sorry. I’m tired and I’m hungry and I’m worried about that little girl. But first and foremost, I have an obligation to look after my team.”
She opened her mouth to object at being an “obligation,” but he spoke over her.
“An obligation I take very seriously. I might not have the right words or leadership skills, but I care deeply about how you and your dog are coping, hour by hour, minute by minute.”
His dark eyes held hers.
“Then you need to trust that I know my limits and those of my dog.”
He opened his mouth, and she knew he was going to bring up yesterday.
God. “Normal people take breaks.”
He closed his mouth, looked up at the sky. “Fine. I’ll make sure we take more breaks.”
The fact his words amplified her rage proved this was an argument neither of them could win, so she let it go. She needed to reserve her energy for the task at hand. Not to argue with this annoying FBI agent.
Chance stood, shook the snow off his fur and wagged his tail, ready to move again.
Sebastian shifted back into professional mode. “Any indication he’s caught Summer’s scent since we started?”
“Nope.” She shook her head, frustrated. “The wind is virtually nonexistent, but what little we have is from the north, so any rafts of skin cells would be swept south.” She bit her lip.
“Between that and the lack of visible tracks, I’d say there is a good chance we’re northwest of Summer’s position. ”
She went to take the sled from him, but he held the cord out of reach. She fell forward because she wasn’t expecting that.
He caught her with his right hand around her waist, pressed her tight against him to keep them both upright.
Her heart pounded. Her mouth parched.
“I’ve got you.”
Her eyes flashed to his as she gripped his jacket. Their gazes locked for a split second, his heating for a brief instant.
“Sure you’re okay?” His warm breath brushed her cheek.
She nodded, unable to speak as he helped her straighten.
“Good. Let’s go.” He sounded calm and unaffected as he turned away, whereas her knees suddenly seemed weak.
Had she imagined that flare of attraction? Or the possessive way his arms had tightened around her?
She must have because he was firmly back in professional mode now.
And as annoying as he undoubtedly was, she couldn’t help but admit to having felt a little bit breathless at having been in his arms—and it had nothing to do with the altitude or lack of oxygen.
The sun was beginning to go down as Sebastian used the Nightforce ATACR 4–16× tactical scope on his Remington M40A1 sniper rifle to surveil the old ranger station as they lay in the snow at the edge of the trees about a quarter of a mile northwest. Meghan watched their six because he couldn’t shake the idea that Eastman might decide to turn the tables on them and have the hunted become the hunter.
The guy had the ego for it. The Rambo mentality without the sense of Hollywood injustice.
It was beginning to get dark, and Sebastian wanted a secure place out of the elements to rest up for the night. It felt like a failure not to have found them yet, the clock ticking for that nine-year-old who should be home playing with her toys.
Did she have family to take her in? The dad’s sister? Her mother’s family? Would she end up in the foster system? Did she know her mom was dead yet?
Was she going to be rescued—and they were going to rescue her—only to be devastated by the news of what her father had done to her mother?
Sebastian knew the frail complexity of family life, especially in unhappy homes. Understood not all parents were created equal. Not all deserved respect. But did Summer know that? Or would her father’s actions destroy her?
Part of him hoped she was tough enough to withstand the blows that would surely rain down on her. Another part of him hoped she’d retain some of her innocence.
He thought about what had happened to Nora. How had she coped? Did it explain her slightly cranky personality? The way she questioned everything? Her independence?
Maybe.
He didn’t want to think about the crimes committed against her right now. She didn’t need his pity or his admiration. He needed to keep her firmly in the teammate category because when he’d caught her in his arms earlier, he’d been thinking decidedly un-teammate-like thoughts.
Ryan pointed the hand-held lidar unit they’d brought with them toward the cabin.
No movement for the past fifteen minutes.
“They closed it two years ago,” Nora murmured.
“NPS still maintains the basic structure, but there’s no plumbing or electricity.
There’s an outhouse with the best view in the world if you don’t mind a cold seat.
It’s a good place to shelter, but not the best place to hide, long-term—unless you really don’t believe anyone would search for you out here. ”
The squad were crowded together, lying in the snow, and she was pressed close to his side. Her voice hummed through him in a way he’d never experienced before, as if it resonated within his bones.
Not in a sexy way, just… Well, she had a nice voice.
He pushed the stray thoughts aside. He needed to be one hundred percent focused on his environment and not on the scent of her skin which seemed to be the only thing he could smell in the cold, sterile air of the mountains. Lemon soap.
Fuck.