Chapter 4
4
Hawk slammed on his brakes. His truck fishtailed before stopping on the muddy path. A large cedar trunk blocked his way. And on the other side sat an old Bronco. The door hung open.
He stepped out of his Ford F-150. Holstered his Colt M1911 handgun. He took in his surroundings as he hiked over to the fallen trunk and called out. “Hello?”
Weird. No one was around. Had someone walked all the way back into town for help? He skirted the length of the tree to get around it rather than climbing over—because it was huge—then approached the empty vehicle. Why leave the Bronco open? Rain could damage the interior. He closed the vehicle, marched around, and looked in the back of the Bronco. A chain saw rested inside just waiting to be used, along with plastic bins, a big bag of flour, and a few sacks from Settlers. Something wasn’t right. Two sets of boot prints, one bigger than the other, drew his attention. The marks left in the muddy road could mean signs of a struggle.
Skin prickling, he readied the Colt and followed the tracks that led him into the dense forest and thick underbrush, which made it easier to follow the trail. Moss grew on the rocks, the trees, and made the ground slick in places. After a few minutes of weaving between spruce and cedar trees, Hawk paused to listen. Water dripped in the rainforest, slightly blunting the effects of the approaching storm, and the tree canopy blocked much of the light.
Groans and grunts drew his attention to the right. Alert to the danger, and the fact time could be running out, he followed the recently trampled ferns. He couldn’t see who fought, but sounds of a struggle warned him that he was getting close. He pressed his back against a tree. Then peered around, his gun ready.
His gut clenched when he saw Remi crouched against the tree about fifteen feet from him, clearly hiding. Relief swept through him that she was okay, but it was short-lived. Her reaction told him the danger was near, too near. He wanted to get her attention and let her know that he was here to help. She must have skills to have fought off an attacker. Hawk looked out from behind the tree and searched the woods for the imminent threat but saw no one.
A sudden gust of wind rippled through the evergreens, and rain dripped through the foliage. Hawk decided to make his move, except Remi suddenly stood as if bracing herself.
A darkly dressed figure in a balaclava or ski mask emerged from between the trees and stalked toward her, flashing a knife. Remi avoided the strikes like a pro, surprising Hawk.
He rushed forward. “Freeze or I’ll shoot!” He aimed his weapon at her attacker and continued forward, stepping over a large branch, avoiding tree roots and dense foliage, never taking his eyes off her attacker, who then moved to stand behind Remi, using her as a shield. Hawk couldn’t shoot without endangering Remi.
He fired a warning shot, but the fighting didn’t stop. He rushed toward the struggle, ready to insert himself in the middle and stop the madness. Remi punched the assailant in the throat. He stumbled back, then slipped behind a tree before making a run for it. Hawk really wanted to go after the jerk, but he headed for Remi.
Leaning over her thighs, she gasped for breath.
“Are you hurt? Are you okay?” The question sounded ridiculous. Of course she wasn’t okay. But had she been cut with the knife or injured any other way? He looked her up and down.
“I’m okay.” She was still breathing hard too.
“You know how to fight,” he said.
Moisture beaded her face. “A little.”
He wanted to ask about her training, but she averted her gaze. Wary. Secretive. He understood. They had that in common. Don’t share too much. Don’t let anyone in. Defense was the best offense.
“We need to get out of here.” Gritting his teeth, he looked deeper into the surrounding woods that were unbelievably dark in the middle of the day.
Hawk wanted to go after her attacker, but he wouldn’t leave Remi.
Anger burning in her gaze, she took a step in the direction where the knife wielder had disappeared. “I can’t just let him get away, but these woods go on forever. A person could get lost. We would need search dogs to find him.”
She pressed her back against the tree, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
“You have a cut on your temple.” He reached up and pushed the hair away.
Her eyes flew open at his touch, and he thought she might punch him in the throat too. “Whoa ... I’m just taking inventory. Where else were you cut?”
She stepped to the side and out of his reach. “I don’t need you to take inventory.”
Served him right.
Maybe his surprise at her attitude showed in his expression, because she said, “I’m ... I’m sorry. Thank you for your help. That’s twice in one day.” The look she gave him didn’t give him any warm and fuzzy feelings.
And it sounded almost as if it had cost her to thank him. Not like before, when he’d pulled her from the cliffside.
“This cut was from a tree branch, that’s all.” She averted her gaze again. “I got the feeling...”
“The feeling what? Tell me, Remi.”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged.
What had she been going to say? Maybe the man hadn’t touched her with the knife and maybe she had skills, but this guy ... he had more skills. Maybe the man was toying with her, but Hawk knew better than to vocalize that thought because it would be insinuating that she hadn’t held her own. And she had until Hawk got there. Who knows what would have happened if he hadn’t decided to venture out and away from his cozy cabin and into town in inclement weather.
Remi stared at him again, studying, searching, and mentally grilling. He could tell. “You keep showing up when I’m in trouble. Why is that?”
Why are you in trouble? “I can’t help it that I saw a Bronco just sitting there, the door wide open. Signs of a struggle. I didn’t know it was your vehicle. Okay? And why am I defending myself?” He wanted to turn and stalk off.
Branches above them clacked together with the rush of wind. Remi jumped and stared up. The attack had put her on edge.
“We need to call the sheriff,” he said. “Get out of this weather and somewhere safe. Whoever attacked you could be circling back.”
He eyed the woods once more and then offered his hand—just in case she needed reassurance. She looked at his hand but didn’t take it as she moved past him. Okay, then. She was upset and he would give her space.
He let Remi lead them to the vehicles while he watched their backs, secretly hoping her attacker would show up again and Hawk could take him down, or at least capture him.
That’s not what you do anymore.
Because his last assignment had ended catastrophically.
Keeping alert to his surroundings, Hawk stalked behind her—there was no hiking next to her in these woods. “So, what happened anyway? Do you know who attacked you and why?”
“How should I know? And right now, my main concern is getting that tree cut up into pieces and moved off the road.”
In other words, she didn’t want to talk about it. Everyone responded differently, but Remi’s reaction to being attacked baffled him.
“I’ll help with the tree.” He cut around her and stood in her path. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“I don’t know.”
In the distance, the sound of chain saws roared, bringing a small sense of relief, at least to him. Her face relaxed. Chain saws meant that someone else was here to help and had already started the process of removing the roadblock.
At the road, two additional vehicles were parked. A couple of guys had already started on the massive trunk that had blocked the path. Apparently, finding the two empty vehicles hadn’t raised any alarms, and hearing gunfire in the woods hadn’t disturbed them. Or maybe they had been curious, but what else could be done except move the fallen tree? And they’d already made quick work of opening up the road. He and Remi weren’t even needed.
Still, he followed her to the back of her Bronco, where she stood under the open hatch and examined her supplies. Making sure they were all still there? Wind gusts picked up, and they might have to remove another fallen tree before this was over.
“Can you please stop and take a breath?” Rain had soaked his head, but he didn’t care. “You were attacked. You’re allowed a moment.”
Like it was his business, but he’d been there and considered himself involved enough to ask questions.
Remi’s hair was dripping wet. Her hood had fallen back, and she hadn’t bothered to pull it on again. Beneath the hatch of the Bronco, they were somewhat protected from the downpour.
When she didn’t respond, he took a different tack. “Did you call to report the ladder incident?” he asked. “Maybe what happened today is related.”
She sighed and turned to face him. “Yes. I explained that we might have a problem. I’ll call to report the attacker as soon as I get back to the lodge.”
He reached up to move the hair back away from the cut so he could get a better look, and this time she didn’t stop him. The blood had caked, even as raindrops beaded on her face. Living near a rainforest, standing out in the storm, a person had to just deal with it.
She was probably too exhausted to care that he was getting into her space. “You sure you don’t need to go back to town and stop at the urgent care clinic to get that looked at and cleaned up?”
“I can manage.” She peered at him.
He took that moment to try to decide on the color of her eyes, which seemed to change every time he looked. Hazel one second, then blue-gray or silver another. But he decided they were blue-gray for the most part.
“You love it, don’t you?” He had no business getting personal. “You love living here. Working here.”
“Yeah, I guess ... I haven’t really thought much about it.”
“I can hear it in your voice. See the way you care. Today has been stressful, but it’s nothing you didn’t handle well.” Except for maybe the rope incident. And the attacker ... who could know? This woman was tough, mysterious, and she intrigued him. Against his better judgment, he wanted to know more, and that could only lead to disaster.
Just back off, Beckett.
“You don’t need to get on my good side, okay?” She angled her head. “No need to butter me up.”
See? Even she was telling him to step away, except he’d already kind of stepped into this with her. He wasn’t one to turn his back on a situation involving a bad guy. From what he’d seen today, she’d attracted one. “You think that’s what I’m doing?”
“Isn’t it?” She shut the hatch and moved to get into her Bronco, and he followed her.
Not like a puppy, but he wasn’t finished with this conversation.
“No. I thought I was already on your good side.” He quirked a grin.
That elicited a small chuckle and the hint of a smile. He’d love to see that full-on smile.
“You want on my good side, or think you need to get there, because you want to hear what happened. Understand why it happened. The truth is, I’m still processing things. I’d rather just share it once, if that’s okay. You can be there when I do.”
That was fair. “I’d appreciate that.”
“You shouldn’t. I don’t know why you’d want to get involved.”
“Well, like you said before, I saw the rope, and it’s gone now. I mean, all of it. Even the ground stakes have been removed.” Before leaving Cedar Trails, he’d gone back to look at what remained of the rope ladder one more time and to take a picture. That’s when he discovered the stakes were gone. Someone had to have removed them. Someone with malicious intent was still around. “Then I saw you fighting a masked attacker. I can tell the deputy sheriff what I saw. I’m in this whether you like it or not.”
She swiped the hair out of her eyes, then once again looked away from him.
“I’m going now.” Remi got in and shut the door.
That’s all she had to say? He stood in the rain where she’d left him. He wasn’t getting anywhere with her, and he wasn’t sure what he was even doing here, honestly, because his reasons for coming to Cedar Trails had taken on a whole new purpose.
In his own truck, he turned around and followed Remi’s vehicle. With buffeting wind and lashing rain, getting back to the lodge and his rental cabin was best even though the thick forest of insanely tall trees protected against much of the storm. He turned up the windshield wipers and accelerated to follow Remi, causing his Ford to bounce even harder.
He had this habit—good or bad, depending on one’s perspective—of seeing something through all the way to the end. He never ignored the gnawing in his gut when something was wrong, and he wouldn’t ignore it now. He’d have to be blind not to see that trouble was brewing around Remi Grant.
He’d come here to take a break from his own troubles. Get some space between him and what happened—everything had gone wrong. Everything.
He needed some perspective on his own dark secrets—the treacherous self-imposed mission to find a rogue agent and assassin before it was too late—but shoot if he wasn’t inexplicably drawn to someone else’s trouble. Not just anyone either, but an intriguing auburn-haired beauty with blue-gray eyes.