Chapter 6
Six
Ryder navigated his truck back onto Main Street, then headed in the opposite direction of her stalker.
“Are you following me?” Her tone was indignant as she buckled in.
But behind that tone, he heard fear. She couldn’t be afraid of him, could she? No. That was ridiculous. She’d eagerly climbed into his truck, and he was so relieved he’d been here a second time for her—just in the nick of time, it would seem.
His mother’s prayers working overtime? He laughed inside but the danger factor around Sarah was nothing to laugh about.
After looking at the metal piece he’d found, Ryder had decided to reconsider guiding Sarah.
But he needed answers, and he couldn’t let Dean be the guy to find them—or anyone else, for that matter.
He needed to show her what he’d found. He hadn’t been completely truthful with her, but he’d been too stunned to tell her—a complete stranger with unclear motivations—about his discovery.
Once he’d gotten back to town, intending to knock on her motel room door, he saw her slogging through the park and that vehicle following in an obvious way, slowing as if to pick her up. Good thing he showed up. No telling what would have happened.
“You’re worried about me? When you’ve obviously got someone on your tail?” he asked.
“So you were following me.”
“Who cares? But I wasn’t, to be clear. I came back to town to find you and discuss guiding you.
Yeah, I know what I said earlier, but . .
.” He shook his head. How did he explain everything firing through his brain.
More to the point, “When, who do I see but Sarah Ellison, backpack and all, lurking in the shadows, trying to escape a vehicle clearly creeping up on her to—I don’t know—what, kidnap her? ”
“Oh. Well, thank you, Ryder. Thank you for pulling me out of that fire. Or should I say mud?”
“I’m not sure what you should call it because I don’t know what’s going on. Care to share?”
“You’ve already given me your ‘No, thank you, I’m not guiding you’ spiel, so if you want to help, maybe just take me back to my vehicle.”
She was a hard nut to crack in terms of getting information—enough to understand her treasure-hunting need to be on that mountain. He thought he understood, but what exactly did she know about that plane crash? Who was she working for?
“And where’s that, exactly?” he asked.
“Up the hill, just off the road. I ditched it when I was followed and hiked my way in, and that’s when I met you. But I’m concerned. Is the road even safe?” she asked.
“According to my contact, it’s safe for now.” In addition to reporting to the local ranger district and the sheriff’s office, he reported to Dr. Madsen at the University of Washington’s PNSN—Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. His sister Lainey—a seismologist—had interned under Madsen.
“And you trust your contact?”
“Yes. Mudslides aren’t unusual, and that slide didn’t destabilize the area near the road.
It was further south. You might not realize how far from the road you hiked or even parked.
PNSN is sending someone in the morning to assess the area to be on the safe side.
They also have their own equipment in place, but it can’t cover everything.
Still, I’m told a small quake had occurred beforehand.
Again, nothing unusual.” Then why did it make him apprehensive?
He’d sent an email to Lainey to let her know what was happening on this side of the world.
Of course, he hadn’t said anything about Sarah Ellison’s arrival, or her impeccable timing. No one had gone treasure hunting for at least a decade, and then she showed up three weeks after his discovery.
“Honestly, you sound like you’re trying to convince yourself,” she said.
What could he say to that? He steered up the incline. “Are you sure you remember where you left your vehicle? It’s dark and could be hard to locate. You want to wait until morning?”
“No. I don’t have time to wait.”
“You’re in a rush now?” Because someone is following you?
“Thanks for your help, Ryder. Do I really have to explain why I need my vehicle? Look, I left stuff, some gear that I need. Is that so hard to understand?”
“Gear? You’re not planning on hiking in search of your treasure on your own, are you?” He wouldn’t let that happen.
“I haven’t decided how I’m getting there yet.”
He could be in trouble now. “Do you plan to hire another guide?”
“You shot down my plans. I’m regrouping.
I could hire Dean, or I could hire one of the guides at Good Adventures despite your claim your group doesn’t hike up there this time of the year.
Everyone has their price. Whatever. I need to get up there before the weather turns, like you said.
” Clearly upset with him, she didn’t hold back her frustrated tone.
Before he agreed to take her, he needed information. “Who was following you?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re insulting my intelligence and wasting my time,” he said.
“I made a mistake involving you.”
Okay, now that just hurt. But maybe he deserved it. Ryder had been too hard on her. “Look, obviously I don’t know what you’re involved in, but I’m here to listen. I wasn’t in a place to listen before.”
“Why the change of heart?” Her tone had softened.
Progress. He wasn’t ready to say, so he kept silent and steered up the hill and into the dark, rainy night. He knew the curvy two-lane mountain road well. “Did you drop a pin where you left your vehicle?”
“I didn’t . . . Yeah, that was probably stupid. But it’s a forest road. Just drive slowly. I’m watching.” She looked at him, and he felt the weight of her gaze. “You said you’re ready to listen. I’ve already told you all I can. If that wasn’t enough, then I’m sorry.”
“Come on. Any reasonable person would need more.” Right.
He was already in this because she was in trouble, and what kind of jerk would he be to watch the ground open up and swallow her?
But he pressed her to tell him more. The more he knew, the better prepared he would be to help.
“Depending on what you say, I’ll help you, Sarah.
I’ll help you find what you need to find.
If I don’t like your story or if I don’t believe it, then you can get inside your vehicle and drive out of town. ”
Or, yeah, realistically, hire another guide, but they couldn’t tell her what he could—where he’d found part of the plane. Maybe he’d said too much, but he would apply pressure where necessary. Depending on what she told him, he’d make sure she didn’t find her way up the mountain.
Tell me everything.
She sat in silence. Mulling her options? He steered the rest of the way and then slowed near the region in question.
“I turned off a road somewhere here, I think—it’s hard to see.”
“I know just the one.”
“To the left of here somewhere.”
“It’s the only one.” He slowed to find the road, then spotted vehicle lights behind him, increasing speed.
Her followers? He turned off his lights as he steered onto the forest road.
“What are you doing? You could get us killed if you can’t see where you’re going.”
He stopped the vehicle, turned off all the lights, and waited until the other vehicle slowly passed.
They’d missed the road, if they were trying to follow him.
But he didn’t think they knew Sarah was with him.
Still, he wouldn’t take any chances. He didn’t turn the lights back on or drive farther down the road. Time to talk.
“You nailed it, Sarah. That’s exactly the truth. I could get us killed if I can’t see where I’m going, or in your case, I don’t know where I’m going. I need to know everything to guide you. Everything. Are we clear?”
“I think so. I have a feeling that you don’t need all that information from other clients, at least back when you were actually guiding. But it sounds like . . . I think . . . you’re saying you’ll guide me.”
“Under the conditions I’ve set forth.”
“You drive a hard bargain.”
“It’s not a bargain. I’m asking you for truth about what I’m getting into, if I agree.”
“Okay. Fine. Here it is. Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
Sarah stared out the window and blew out a frustrated breath. “You’re not going to like it.”
“I don’t like you stalling.”
“Okay. Okay. I don’t know. Okay? I don’t know what I’m looking for, exactly. I don’t know who is following me.”
He would have laughed, except he heard the truth in her words.
“Then tell me what triggered you. What started this search for the missing plane? Nobody has come looking for that treasure trove of Nazi gold for over a decade, maybe even two.”
“My brother’s death, Ryder. Aaron was murdered.”
Now that, he hadn’t expected.