The gunfire didn’t make sense. Sylvie knew the guy in the truck who’d shot at them, was still miles away. He’d have had to wait for a tow truck or get picked up by a friend and abandoning the damaged Ford. Either way, there’s no way the same guy could have gotten to the mountainside this quickly.
Sean? A helpless fury washed over her. What was wrong with her brother? These non-stop attacks were getting old.
“I need you to stay here with Kilo while I see if I can get out of the cave without the gunman seeing me.”
“Wait.” She grabbed his arm. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. If he has a rifle, he likely has a scope.”
His blue eyes bored into hers. “I’m not going to sit here doing nothing.”
She held his gaze, knowing it was her fault that they were in this predicament. “I’m sorry, Dawson. I guess this was a bad idea.”
“It’s my fault for not anticipating this possibility.” He sighed and turned to look through the cave opening. “The good news is the sun is going down. At some point, it will be too dark for the gunman to see us clearly.”
Trying to get down the mountain in the dark would be difficult at best. Between the hazardous trail and the wildlife, their chances of getting safely down to the chopper were not good.
“Okay, if we have to move at dark, there’s no reason for you to head out now.” She didn’t release his arm. “Please, Dawson. Don’t do this.”
He lightly covered her hand with his. “It’s a simple recon mission. I won’t go far. But consider this, which direction did the shot come from? We’re halfway up the north ridge, the only possibility is that he’s stationed along the western mountainside.”
She stared down at their joined hands for a long moment. “You’re right. It would be difficult to shoot at a target standing just outside the cave entrance from higher up on the North Ridge. The angle doesn’t work. Same thing for being down below. He must be sitting somewhere west of here.” She frowned, thinking about possible locations, which were too many to count. “That’s a long-distance shot.”
“Might be why he missed.” Dawson gently squeezed her hand, then pulled out of her grasp. “I won’t go far. Just give me a few minutes, okay?”
She knew he would go, no matter what she said. “Okay.”
He rubbed Kilo’s fur, then stood. He made his way to the cave entrance, staying toward the side closest to where they estimated the shooter to be. It also happened to be where a large tree could be used as cover.
One second he was standing there, the next he was gone. She swallowed hard, reminding herself that Dawson knew more about moving stealthily through the brush than anyone she’d ever known. His training would serve him well.
Looping her arm around Kilo’s neck, she cuddled the lab, for her sake more than his. “He’ll be back soon, Kilo.”
The lab licked her ear, making her smile. Amazing, really, considering she was stuck in a cave while Dawson risked his life to find the gunman. Guilt plagued her. She felt so certain she’d find Sean, convincing him to go with her to the police.
Instead, she’d put Dawson’s life on the line. Again.
She lifted her heart in prayer and whispered, “Lord, please keep Dawson safe.” At some level she was surprised at how she turned to prayer. Dawson’s influence for sure.
She strained to listen but heard nothing. No additional gunfire after that initial shot. That had to be good news, right? Maybe the gunman had taken off.
Her stomach rumbled with hunger, but she didn’t open her pack for the sandwiches she’d packed. She wouldn’t eat until Dawson had returned.
Kilo kept going toward the cave opening, no doubt searching for his owner. She brought him back several times. Finally she hauled the sixty plus pound canine onto her lap, and stroked his fur until he fell asleep.
One problem solved. If only the rest of her tenuous situation could be fixed so easily.
After twenty minutes had passed, Dawson stepped back into the cave. Kilo awoke from his nap, leaped off her lap and ran over to greet him. “He missed you,” she murmured.
“I see that.” He bent to lavish attention on the dog, then came over to sit beside her. “The bad news is that I didn’t find anything. The good news is that there haven’t been any more shots fired.”
“You think the gunman is gone?”
“I think it’s possible he’s on the move.” Dawson offered a tired smile. “We’ll stay hidden for a while yet. When the sun goes down, we’ll head back down the mountain.”
“I’m on board with sitting here for a while.” She glanced around the cave, wishing for a pair of sleeping bags. “It’s going to be treacherous heading down in the dark. We can always stay here until morning.”
“I considered that, but the guy might anticipate that, and hang around too. I think it’s a risk we’ll have to take.”
If anyone could accomplish such a feat, it was Dawson. She nodded, then pulled her backpack over. “Time to eat.”
He put a hand over his abdomen. “You can hear my stomach growling?”
“No, that’s my stomach,” she teased, lightly bumping her shoulder against his. Dawson wasn’t just an amazing protector, but he was fun to be with. This camaraderie between them was something she’d never had before. Certainly not with Paul. She pulled two thick turkey sandwiches from her pack and handed him the larger one. Then she took out two water bottles, too. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” He set the sandwich down, giving Kilo a narrow look when the dog sniffed at it, then reached for her hand. “Dear Lord, we thank You for keeping us safe in Your care. We ask for Your blessing and guidance as we seek those responsible for hurting others. Amen.”
“Amen.” She clung to his hand for a moment before letting go. “I’m really sorry about dragging you here. We should have just stayed at the ranch.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He leaned over to kiss her cheek. Despite the seriousness of the situation, she wished he’d kiss her properly. The way he had before. “I don’t have a brother, but if one of my SEAL teammates was suspected of doing something wrong, I’d still risk my life to protect them.”
His sentiment was sweet, but she was beginning to believe Sean didn’t deserve it. Whatever her brother had gotten himself involved with, he’d done of his own free will. No one forced him to gamble. Or to come after her. If Sean had just continued working the ranch, the way they had growing up, none of this would be happening.
Depressed by the thought, her appetite vanished. Still, she forced herself to eat. She’d need all the strength and smarts she had to get them down the side of the mountain to reach the chopper.
When they finished eating, Dawson filled the two collapsible bowls with kibble and water for Kilo. The dog eagerly chowed his food. When the sun had dipped low enough behind the western mountain ridge, Dawson stood and shrugged into his pack.
“Time to go.”
She nodded and looped her arms through her backpack. It was lighter now that they’d consumed the water and sandwiches. She’d kept a few power bars hidden inside, just in case they were forced to spend the night.
Strange, but the idea of staying here all night with Dawson didn’t bother her. In fact, she might be just a bit disappointed that his goal was to head down the mountain.
“I’ll go first,” Dawson said. “You stay behind me as much as possible. If you hear gunfire, hit the ground.”
“I will.” Arguing with him would be fruitless. Besides, by now he was becoming familiar with the trails. She trusted his sense of direction would get them down to the helicopter.
They walked in silence as the last rays of sunshine slid behind the mountain peak. There was still some ambient light, but that would fade fast. Several times her foot slipped on a rock or fallen debris, but she managed to stay upright.
Watching Kilo helped, his yellow fur visible against the dark ground. She learned to lift her feet higher when he did, avoiding some of the debris. They were not moving very fast, and she estimated it would take them almost as long to get down as it had to climb up.
Dawson lifted a hand. She froze as he scanned the area around them. Was it possible the gunman had tracked their movements through the scope, despite the encroaching darkness? If the gunman was Sean, he may have assumed she’d go to the cave, and could attempting to intercept them on the most logical path down the mountain.
Her brother wasn’t the tracker Dawson was, though, so she felt certain Dawson must have heard him approach. They stood in the darkness for several long moments before Dawson made a gesture with his hand indicating they could keep going.
Kilo sniffed along the trail as they went. No doubt the canine would alert them if any wild animals approached. Hopefully they didn’t cross paths with a bear, bobcat, moose, or wolf. All animals she’d glimpsed in the woods while riding over the years. Scary to imagine Kilo trying to defend them against something that dangerous. And she knew the dog would attempt to do just that.
They hiked for another fifteen minutes. She stepped on a rock, twisting her ankle. A soft cry escaped her lips, and Dawson quickly whirled around. “What happened?” he whispered.
“Twisted my ankle.” She bent down to massage it. “I’ll be okay, just give me a minute.”
Dawson came back up the trail to kneel beside her. He gently palpated the joint, then grimaced. “We may need to head back to the cave.”
“No, I can walk.” She didn’t want to hold them up. “It’s fine, truly.”
“Hold on. I have a wrap in here that will offer support.” He slid off his backpack and poked around inside. When he found the wrap, he eased her left foot from the hiking boot and expertly applied the elastic support.
“Thanks.” She quickly put the boot back on, before her ankle swelled to the point that was impossible.
“Don’t thank me,” he said in a low voice full of self reproach. “It’s my fault you were hurt. You were right. We should have spent the night in the cave.”
“I’m the one who didn’t see the rock.” She stood, hiding a wince. “See? I’m fine.”
“Nice try. We’ll head back to the cave. I don’t want to risk anything more happening to you.” Dawson rubbed the back of his neck. “We’ll head out early in the morning, instead.”
She felt bad for holding him back. If Dawson and Kilo had been by themselves, she knew they’d make it down the mountain without a problem.
Yet she hated to admit how her injured ankle was beginning to throb in pain. She worried she might fall again, if she didn’t rest it. “Okay, we’ll return to the cave.”
Dawson led the way back up the mountainside. It didn’t take that long as they hadn’t made it very far. She gratefully sank to the ground, relieving the pressure on her ankle.
“I have a cold pack.” Once again he rummaged in his backpack. Soon he’d cracked the cold compress seal, then wrapped it around her ankle.
“Thanks.” She took off her cowboy hat and rested her head against the cave wall.
After a few minutes, she knew she couldn’t ignore the pressure in her bladder for much longer. “I—uh, need to head into the bushes.”
He nodded, understanding her need. “You want help?”
“No.” Her eyes widened in horror. “This is bad enough as it is.”
“Natural,” he corrected. “Perfectly natural, Sylvie. I’ll take a turn when you’re finished.”
She had to give him credit for being so professional. The cold pack had helped a bit, but she still hobbled as she made her way back outside.
A few minutes later, she returned, feeling much better. He headed out, taking Kilo with him. She could hear him telling the dog to get busy, assuming that was the animal’s cue to do his business. She lowered herself to the ground again, stretching out legs.
Dawson came over to sit next to her. Then he lifted her up so that she was sitting in front of him. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear. “Try to get some sleep.”
She almost laughed at the idea of sleeping, but found herself relaxing against him, soaking up his warmth. Resting her head against his chest was nice. Kilo snuggled up alongside them, making her smile.
As she drifted off to sleep, she secretly wished Dawson would stay by her side, forever.
Mentally kicking himself for being so stupid as to risk Sylvie’s life by heading down the mountain, he held her close, silently praying her injury wasn’t too serious. She was a capable woman, more so than anyone else he’d ever known, but he shouldn’t have treated her like one of his SEAL teammates.
She’d said the trail would be treacherous. He should have listened. Yet he didn’t like being holed up here, where the gunman had last seen them. If he were the hunter, it would be the first place he’d look. And he wouldn’t let the darkness stop him.
Sylvie’s breathing slowed as she relaxed fully against him. He lightly kissed the top of her head, thankful she was able to get some rest. Maybe the ankle injury wouldn’t hold them back for long. Hopefully she’d feel better by morning.
The mountainside was too steep for him to carry her down. If she couldn’t walk, he’d make a sling for her. Kilo would help him pull her down trail.
But it wouldn’t be a comfortable ride. She’d feel every pinecone, rock, and branch along the way so he planned to use that method as a last resort.
He dozed a bit, jerking awake at the slightest noise. Gently easing Sylvie to her side, he stood and made his way over to the cave opening.
Kilo opened one eye, peering at him, only to close it again. Apparently, the lab was exhausted.
The night was alive with sounds, but none belonging to a human. There was the screech of a bobcat in the distance, thankfully not too close. There were rustling sounds of other nocturnal creatures, but he didn’t see or hear anything too alarming.
Reassured, he returned to where Sylvie was curled on her side. He stretched out beside her, looping his arm around her waist.
“Dawson?” she murmured.
“I’m here.” He tugged her closer.
“I’m glad…” her voice trailed off.
He stared into the darkness for a long moment. Sylvie was getting to him, in a way no woman ever had. He tried not to dwell on what that might mean, since he had enough to worry about. Surviving the night, then getting down the mountain without the gunman trying to use them for target practice.
He didn’t sleep deeply, but managed to get enough rest. More than he’d gotten on most of his missions, that was for sure. When he noticed the sliver of dawn lightening the sky, he gently shook Sylvie awake.
“Dawson?” Her sleepy tone made him grin.
“Good morning, it’s time to hit the trail.” His smile faded. “If your ankle is up to it.”
“Only one way to find out.” She pushed up into a sitting position, dragging her hand through her hair. “I can’t believe I slept.” Her gaze found his. “Somehow, I think you didn’t.”
“I’m fine.” It wasn’t the first time he’d spent the night with his senses on alert. “Let’s check out that ankle.”
She bent over and palpated her joint. “It’s a bit swollen, but could be worse.”
He felt the joint for himself. “It’s not as bad as I feared.” He held out his hand. “Stand up, I want to see you walk.”
She took his hand, allowing him to tug her upright. She took one step and another. “Honestly, it’s better than yesterday. I’m sure I can walk down the mountain to the chopper without a problem.”
He wanted to believe her. He took her hands in his and forced her to look him in the eye. “I need you to be sure, Sylvie. I can always make a sling and get Kilo’s help to pull you down the mountain.”
“I’m sure.” She didn’t hesitate. “I won’t hold you back, any more than I already have.”
“You’re not holding me back, we’re a team.” He fought the urge to kiss her. “I would have done the same thing if Dallas or one of the other guys had gotten injured.”
Her green eyes were skeptical, but she only gestured to her pack. “I have a couple of protein bars in there. We can have them for breakfast.”
“Great, thanks. I need a few minutes to feed Kilo anyway.”
Ten minutes later, after eating and taking turns in the nearby bushes, they were ready to go. Kilo was his usual energetic self, which was a good sign. He didn’t want to cause his K9 partner any harm.
The eastern sun was already starting to rise, which made him a little nervous. It would be full light far too soon.
He led the way, using as much tree cover as possible as they wound toward the trail. He had to assume the guy was still out there, using his rifle scope to keep an eye on the cave opening.
Thankfully, the trail was easier to navigate, enabling them to make better time. He was reassured when they reached the same point where Sylvie had twisted her ankle, in less than half the time.
“Sylvie, are you doing okay?” He gave Kilo the hand signal to sit. “How’s your ankle.”
“I’m fine, I’ll let you know if that changes. Meanwhile, we keep going.”
“Okay. I’ll trust your judgement.” He turned to continue down the trail.
They made good time, although the sun rose quickly brightening the area around them. If the gunman was out there, they were easy targets. The only good news was that if the shooter was in the west, the morning sunrise would blind him. He raked his gaze around the area, searching for the telltale glint of light bouncing off the lens of his rifle scope.
He didn’t dare pick up the pace though, unwilling to risk potential tendon damage to Sylvie’s ankle. The longer they went without hearing gunfire, the more convinced he became that they’d manage to get out of here unscathed.
Praying helped.
They were two thirds of the way down, when he caught a flash of something out of the corner of his right eye. “Get down,” he shouted, going to his knees. Kilo ran over to lick him, but his gaze was focused on Sylvie.
She dropped like a stone. “What is it?”
“I don’t know.” He stared toward the western ridge. Had he caught a glimpse of the shooter? Or had the flash been nothing more than light filtering through some trees?
He took a long time scouring the landscape, trying to find whatever had caught his attention.
But found nothing.
“Dawson?”
He shrugged and slowly stood. “Let’s keep pushing forward.”
“We’re getting close,” she said encouragingly. “I can see the chopper sitting exactly where we left it.”
“I know.” He hoped and prayed the bird hadn’t been tampered with. He resumed his progress down the path, keeping Kilo and Sylvie behind him.
Finally, the chopper loomed before them. He glanced back at Sylvie, frowning when he noticed she was limping.
“You told me you were okay,” he chided, sliding an arm around her waist.
“I am, look, we made it.” Relief tinged her voice.
He supported her weight as they closed the fifty-yard gap between their location and the helicopter. Sylvie gripped him tightly until they reached the helicopter. Then she gratefully rested against the bird.
“We need to do an in-depth preflight check,” Dawson said. He bent and gave Kilo some water in his collapsible bowl.
“I know. I thought of the possibility of it being tampered with while we were holed up in the cave.” Sylvie rested another moment before pushing away. “Let’s do it.”
They didn’t rush, but painstakingly checked everything on the chopper, nose to tail, whirly birds to the undercarriage.
He even took a sample of fuel from the tank to make sure sand, sugar or salt hadn’t been added.
“What do you think?” Sylvie asked. “I don’t see anything out of the ordinary, do you?”
“No, it looks good.” He looked again toward the west, searching for the glint he’d caught earlier.
Still nothing.
“Okay, let’s get inside.” He opened the door, then put both hands around Sylvie’s waist to lift her inside. “I’m going to pilot us out of here, okay?”
“Don’t get used to this,” she teased. “The chopper still belongs to McLane Mountain, not Copper Creek.”
“We don’t need one.” He flashed a cheeky grin. “Our neighbors are nice enough to let us borrow theirs.”
“Ha, very funny.” She smiled while donning her headset.
“Get up,” he told Kilo. The yellow lab leaped into the chopper, sitting calmly while he put headphones over the dog’s ears.
“I still can’t believe he tolerates them,” Sylvie said wryly.
“Me, either. He’s a good boy.” Dawson settled into the pilot’s seat and fired up the engine. The blades overhead began to rotate, slowly at first then building up speed.
He swept his gaze over the instrument panel then lifted the bird off the ground. He banked the chopper, heading toward Sylvie’s ranch.
The bird shuddered beneath his fingers. He hadn’t heard gunfire, the sound of the engine was too loud, but the way the chopper listed to the side, made him realize they were hit. At some level, he realized the gunman had bided his time, waiting for them to get airborne before taking his shot.
“Dawson, we’re hit!” Sylvie cried.
“I know, hang on.” He fought to keep the bird in the air long enough to put some distance between them and the shooter. He scoured the ground below them, searching for a good spot to land. He didn’t want to cause the cattle to stampede, but he also didn’t want to be too close to the mountainside.
The engine began to misfire. The bird was leaning so far to one side, he feared he wouldn’t be able to make an emergency landing. Silently praying for God to protect them, he lowered the helicopter down.
Sylvie’s side of the chopper hit the ground first. He quickly shut down the engine, causing the bird to bounce off the ground, settling back down with a jarring thump.
He ripped off his headset then reached back to do the same with Kilo. “Get out and take cover.”
Sylvie jumped down from her seat, then scrambled beneath the chopper. He and Kilo quickly joined her.
They were safe for the moment, but not for long. He needed to get Sylvie out of there.
Too bad, he was fast running out of ideas on how to accomplish his mission.