Chapter Thirteen

They walked in single file down one of the ruts.

The sheriff had a command post set up and was circled by volunteers when they arrived. He appointed each of the six men from SAR as team leaders and told the volunteers to gather in six teams. The leaders had extensive experience in search and rescue and carried two-way radios, set on the international frequency. They briefed the volunteers on what to look for, what to expect.

“We’ll walk straight lines thirty feet apart. Communicate with each other, and watch out. The heavy growth on the forest floor hides fallen logs and broken rock. It’s easy to slip on one, or walk over the edge of a sharp drop. We don’t want anybody hurt out there while we’re searching. Her name is Sky. Call at two minute intervals. If she’s in hearing distance, she’ll respond. We’re looking for a woman with all her faculties, who grew up in this area. She’s probably smart enough to head downhill and follow the nearest water. There’s a possibility she may have been shot and is unable to answer, so search the ground cover as you go. Fan out in a circle, with the cabin as our center point. Report the second you find her.”

“If we split up, we’ll have a better chance of one of us finding her and communicating faster with the others,” Patrick suggested. He held up his own hand radio. They all carried them and had set them at the given frequency.

“Good idea, Dad. Thanks for being here.” Adam hugged his father and watched as he strode away to join a group at the far side of the cabin, where a narrow path led into the forest.

“I’ll go this way.” Max picked the group angling off from the back corner.

Adam caught up with the group heading straight back from the open window. His take on Sky was she’d travel through the woods like she’d fly—the straightest line between two points. He plotted an imaginary vector that lined up with the downhill slope and headed out, taking his place in the jagged line.

The going was tough. Dead fall, covered with slippery moss, slid his feet out from under him. Dried branches springing from the trunks of the pines formed a dense web of wood, sometimes impenetrable. Within two minutes, his face and hands were scratched, and he jarred his hip when he stepped on a rock that tipped beneath his foot.

His lungs, tightened by fear, couldn’t hold the oxygen he needed to keep moving. Disregarding his discomfort, he worked his way through the woods calling Sky’s name and hearing those around him echo it, until the whole world seemed filled with the lament. “Sky, Sky, Sky.”

****

Sky spent her second night on a ledge, her back wedged to the stone wall behind her. She’d fallen over the edge in the dark. One second, she’d been on firm ground. The next, it disappeared, and she was tumbling, hitting trailing branches and protruding rocks. She’d landed on the ledge, a drop of only about ten feet, she calculated, as she huddled in the stygian darkness. Shivering, she curled into a ball on the hard rock. Why didn’t I take the time to find a jacket or blanket, before escaping the cabin?

Tears trickled down her chilled cheeks as she thought of Ruby lying on the hard floor, bleeding and wondering if help would ever come and if it would come before Cooper returned and finished her off. Either way, Sky knew she’d failed the woman. Her anxiety spiked when she thought of Max. If Cooper’s sniper had done his job, Max and the hangar would be burned—gone. Tears of anguish soaked her cheek, dampened her collar. She couldn’t help either of them. She was lost. Starting out in the dark hadn’t helped. She’d tried her hardest, falling over downed tree trunks and slipping on mossy patches. She’d walked into the broken ends of several dead branches thrusting out in the dark like stabbing knives. She had a ragged tear on her neck, another on her arm. She could feel the warm seep of blood trickling down her goose-fleshed skin.

But none of that would have stopped her. If only she hadn’t fallen and trapped herself on this peanut butter and jam ledge. Be grateful it prevented you from crashing to your death, she reminded herself. Wrapping her arms tighter around her torso and pressing her hand over the cut on her arm, she closed her eyes and forced deep drafts of oxygen into her lungs. She must calm herself, stop crying for Ruby, and believe Max was all right, then she could focus on getting off this ledge at first light.

Lake Tahoe sat at an elevation of 6,225 feet. Ruby had driven uphill for over twenty minutes before reaching the cabin, and Sky had only managed to hike downhill for several miles before falling onto the ledge. The temperature this time of year could drop below 20 degrees Fahrenheit at night. She hoped the fact they’d had a warm spell would keep it above freezing. She didn’t want some hiker finding her corpse months from now. But if she couldn’t break free of the forest by tomorrow night, who knew.

She opened her eyes, hoping the sky would be a touch lighter. Murky black cloaked her. She pressed the toggle on the side of her aviation watch and lit up the screen. Three ten, hours to go before dawn. Pops had given her the watch when she’d passed her instrument test. It was her most prized possession after Sky Dancer. If he was alive, he’d be so worried about her. He’d tear down the whole mountain looking for her.

Had he phoned Gita looking for information? Had he called Adam, she wondered? How she wished Adam’s warm arms were wrapped around her now. She’d give a lot if she could rest against his strong body. She shivered, wondering if hypothermia was setting in. Images of Adam kept flashing in her mind, broken images, one running into the other. The smooth flesh over his ripped body. His brilliant smile when she received her award. The heat of his hand against her bare back, as he’d led her into the hospitality suite. The look of pride on his face when he watched her perform. The look of hurt in his eyes when she’d talked of sex and rejected his offer of love.

“I’m such a coward,” she moaned into her bent knees, pulling her thighs tighter against her trembling body. For a while, she lost herself in memories of his lovemaking, for that’s what it had been, passionate, and powerful, tender and meaningful. They’d created something with their bodies and minds she’d never experienced with Brian or her high school boyfriend.

“Such a coward,” she reiterated, thinking how she’d pushed Adam away; her subconscious insisted on testing him.

“But he’d already passed,” she whispered. “He’d accepted all of me and offered me anything I needed to make a relationship with him work.

“More time certainly wasn’t the answer,” she groaned again, feeling the emptiness opening inside her as she thought of the weeks since he’d left. Time she’d filled with busy work, but that had had little meaning without Adam.

She rested her head on her knees and closed her eyes, willing sleep, hoping to make the night pass faster. An owl hooted. She thought she heard a twig break above her. She held her breath, froze in place, imagining a stalking mountain lion? Had a bear smelled her and come looking for a late supper?

As the interminable night dragged on, her mind played tricks on her. People visited her on the ledge. Gita told her she had to come home.

Her dead father beckoned her. “Jump off the edge. It’s a thrill you don’t want to miss.”

In more lucid moments, Sky hugged the wall, afraid she would do something crazy and jump off the ledge, as hypothermia took hold.

Sky, Sky, Sky.

She dreamed Adam was flying with her, through the bright blue sky, holding her hand, as their bodies glided and swooped in and out of billowing clouds.

Sky, Sky.

She jerked, opening her eyes. Blinking, she wondered where she was, who was calling. She heard it again.

“Sky?” Was someone calling her for real?

Pressing her back to the stone wall, she clambered onto her feet, moaning as pain struck every limb.

“Sky.”

She listened intently. Yes, a voice had called her name. Was it Cooper coming to kill her?

“Sky?”

Another voice sounded, deeper, further away. Then another. They were searching for her!

“I’m here,” she shouted, her voice coming out no louder than a whisper. She cleared her throat and licked her dry lips. “I’m here.” This time, she sounded stronger. She took a huge breath and yelled as loud as she could, “Over here.”

A whistle blew shrilly. “Quiet. I think I heard her.”

Adam’s voice, she was sure it was Adam’s voice. Silence descended. Not even a bird twittered in the early light of day.

“Over here,” Sky cried out with all her strength. “I’m on a ledge.”

“Keep calling, Sky. We’re coming.”

Adam, for sure it was Adam. Her heart took wings. He’d come. He was looking for her. She was certain he’d still be looking for her three weeks from now, if he hadn’t found her.

“Adam,” she shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth and turning so she could look up the cliff. As dizziness assailed her, she grabbed onto the granite slab and slid down onto her knees, her face pressed to the rock. What’s happening? Why am I standing? I’m not supposed to stand up. Danger. She tipped her head up, staring up into the sky. Her eyes glazed over.

His face appeared above her. “We’ve got you, Sky. Are you hurt?”

She shook her head. “I’m dreaming you,” she decided.

“We need rope,” he yelled over his shoulder. For a few seconds, his face disappeared, but she clung to the sound of his voice, as several men rigged a climbing rope so he could belay down the drop.

When he landed beside her, she pressed against him. “You’re a really nice dream. Hold me,” she demanded.

He pulled her close.

“You came. You searched for me…didn’t abandon me,” she slurred over the words, but got them out.

He pressed her away. “You’ve got blood on your face. You did hurt yourself.” His gaze sharpened.

For a second, she thought he was annoyed because she’d left a streak of blood on his jacket. Old tapes of Brian’s disapproval streamed through her brain.

He unzipped his jacket, pulled the tail of a flannel shirt out of his pants, and used it to wipe her face. His touch was so gentle tears welled up. She blinked them away. How could she, for a second, have thought he’d react like Brian? She felt such shame; her blood flooded her face, warming her chilled flesh.

She brought her hands up, covering her cheeks.

Adam caught them, looked at the blood staining her hand. “Where are you hurt, Sky?” The extreme worry in his voice snapped her into focus. She looked at her bloody hand. “I scratched my arm, pressed on it to stop the bleeding. I must have wiped the blood on my face. It’s nothing, Adam, truly. I’m all right. Just cold.”

He stripped off his down jacket and bundled her into it. “Do you think you can hang on my back while we climb out of here?”

She nodded, licking her lips, her body going into another fit of shivering.

“I can get a trained SAR guy to carry you up. Or we can rig a harness and belay so you can climb out yourself. Which—”

Before he could finish, she navigated around him and scrambled onto his back.

“Right.” He didn’t waste any more time. “Climbing,” he called up.

“Belay on,” the answer floated over the edge of the cliff. In two minutes, they were at the top, and eager hands pulled them over. Sky was laid on a stretch of canvas, in a tiny space between deadwood and towering trunks. A man wearing the SAR insignia on his jacket administered first aid. Adam hunkered beside her and offered her coffee from his backpack. She tried to hold the cup to drink. But her body was wracked with shivers. He braced her from behind, so she was half sitting and tilted the cup against her mouth, offering her tiny sips. The warm liquid, topped off with a slug of brandy from the first aid kit, sent a hot stream of energy into her stomach but didn’t stop the shivers shaking her apart.

Adam pulled out his two-way radio. “Max, Dad, we have her safe. She’s suffering from hypothermia, some bruising, and several cuts, but she’s going to be fine. Spread the word to the other teams, will you?”

SAR had Sky wrapped in several blankets and cocooned in a silver heat-reflective sheet. “We’re calling in a helicopter to airlift her out,” the team leader told Adam. “We’re moving her five hundred yards west where there’s a small clearing that will allow the pilot to drop a basket.”

Within minutes, the volunteers had found and trimmed two narrow saplings and threaded them into the pockets on either side of the canvas sheet, forming a stretcher.

“This is going to be rough on everybody,” the team leader explained, assigning Adam and the three strongest men to the stretcher handles. “Move slow and steady. One man might take all the weight, while the others are climbing over deadfall. Take your time. I’ll go ahead and plot the easiest route for you.”

Sky took in a haze of green with an intermittent beam of sunlight through the heavy weave of branches. She felt each bump and drop, as the men straddled four-feet wide logs, fought their way through heavy brush, and slid over moss-covered rock. It brought back her terrifying journey in the dark. Her shivering increased as mixed up images slid in and out of her mind. The men were talking but not making any sense.

Adam’s face blocked the haze of green. “Sky, how are you doing?” His gray eyes filled the space above her, dark with worry. She tilted her lips, trying to ease his concern, but his eyes turned into a starburst of color, and the world went black.

****

Sky woke up in her bed. Through the open door of her room, she saw Adam stretched out on the sofa, a light blanket over him. She drank in his long body, bare feet protruding from under the throw. His thick black hair was tousled, and his face softened in sleep, making him look younger. He lay on his side, one bare arm draped across his chest. She followed the play of muscle and tendon under tensile skin. He had a deep tan, probably from all those years under the Texas sun and the fact he took off his shirt whenever possible. His clothes were something he wore as a social nicety, not a status symbol advertising his wealth. She was certain he’d be happier naked most of the time.

She shifted and drew in a gulp of air as she bit down on a moan of pain.

His eyes opened, stared into hers. For seconds, neither moved nor spoke. When his eyes lightened to luminous gray, radiating tenderness, she wondered if he’d seen her longing for him on her face.

“You’re in pain.” He threw off the throw and walked toward her.

She soaked in every inch of toned flesh, the curve of his pecs and the washboard stomach, even the several inches of bare flesh showing where the jeans hung low on his hips, the snap undone, and the zipper half down. He caught the direction of her look and pulled up the zipper, snapped the fastener.

“You’re due for another dose of pain medication.” He lifted a vial from the bedside table and shook out two pills.

“I don’t want them. They make me feel fuzzy headed.” Sky turned her face away like a recalcitrant child.

“Tough. That was the condition of you coming home, against the doctor’s advice. Remember, take your medication, drink plenty of fluids, and rest as much as possible.”

“You just want to knock me out again, so you can get more sleep,” she accused, knowing she was being unfair, but too grumpy to care.

“Someone woke up with their feathers fluffed the wrong way.” His eyes warmed, teasing her.

She winced dramatically. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I feel grimy, and achy, and nasty. But I shouldn’t take it out on you.” She accepted the pills and downed both with a drink from the glass of water.

“Do you think I could have a hot shower?”

“Are you still cold?” His eyes sharpened and he tucked the blankets tighter. “They wouldn’t let you leave till your core body temp registered normal. Maybe you’re having a relapse.” He straightened. “I’ll call Max.”

“No, Adam.” She grabbed his arm. “I’m not cold, just achy, and I thought the heat would help.”

“You’re still pretty weak, Sky. I don’t know about a shower.”

She opened her mouth in protest, but he spoke before she could.

“Would you settle for a soak in the tub? I’ll run a bath and get you all set up, so you won’t waste your energy.”

“Deal.” She grabbed it before he could change his mind. The idea of settling into a tub of hot water was so enticing she’d fight a rabid wolf for the pleasure.

He disappeared into the bathroom. She could hear the rush of water filling the tub. He closed the door when he came out. “Keep the steam in, warm the air,” he explained. “I threw in some Epson salts. They should help the bruising and stiffness.” He crossed to her dresser. “Let’s find you something to put on after.”

He pulled out a pair of silk panties and a sleeveless undershirt. “The doctor prescribed a liniment. This will make it easier for reaching the bruises on your arms,” he answered her questioning look, before disappearing into the bathroom again. The sound of running water stopped.

Sky pushed back the many layers of blankets Max had piled on her the night before and slid her feet over the edge of the bed. When Adam returned, she was still on her side, legs dangling and wondering if she had the strength to sit up against the pain.

“Let me help you.” He pushed his arm under her and lifted her sideways into a sitting position in one smooth movement. Then he took her hands and drew her up and onto her feet. Her knees sagged, and she fell forward, but he had her safely supported with his hands under her arms in a flash of motion.

“Maybe I should carry you,” he considered.

“No, moving will loosen up my muscles.” She stood erect, inched her way along the edge of the bed, and feeling like she was setting off across the Pacific in the frailest craft, stepped into the interminable space between the end of her bed and the bathroom door. She shuffled across the wood planks, feeling like a nonagenarian. He followed like her shadow, but didn’t interfere.

Inside the bathroom, he made sure she had towels close at hand, arranged her bath products along the tub, and tested the temperature of the water. “I’m leaving the door open a crack and waiting in your bedroom. Call me if you need me.”

As Sky fumbled her way out of the flannel pajamas Pops had given her the day before, she wondered why Adam was being so circumspect. They’d been lovers. He’d seen her naked in every pose imaginable. Why was he keeping her at arm’s length now—figuratively anyway?

She groaned with pleasure as the warm water closed around her bruised body, laid her head on the rim of the modern version of a claw tub, and reveled in the easing of her aches. The pain medication might be kicking in, as well. Sky didn’t plan on leaving the tub until the water cooled. She’d had too many bumps, bruises, and abrasions in the past month. She was tired of being in pain. She shampooed her hair, rinsing the soap free by ducking under the surface. With her eyes closed, she wondered what was up with Adam. He’d come the minute Pops had told him she was missing. She had hoped his coming meant he’d put what she’d said the last time they were together behind him. But today, she couldn’t reassure herself that was the case. His actions were caring but impersonal. He’d help his father or Pops the same way.

His knuckles tapped on the door. “Sky, you haven’t fallen asleep in there, have you?”

She rousted from a semi-nap and realized the water had cooled. “No. I’m getting out now.” Maybe she’d find out his thoughts, if she got him talking.

She exited the bathroom a few minutes later, dried and dressed in the panties and undershirt. He stood by the bed, a tube of ointment in his hands, one of her sleep shirts laid on the sheet.

“I’ll do your arms for you, and you can get the other spots.” He squeezed ointment into one hand and rubbed them together warming it. Sky settled on the edge of the bed. His hands swept up her arms, and down again, reminding her of the many times he’d caressed her arms before possessing her hands. Only then, it was the touch of a lover. This time, he handled her like a professional masseuse, nothing personal in his touch.

She shivered, feeling the icy chill of fear. Adam had written her off, just as she’d suspected, when he’d left in anger. He was here because he was a caring man, as much to support Pops as to find her. She’d blown it by not trusting him, by testing him. And she had only herself to blame.

“That’s great. Thanks.” She cooled her voice, pulled away. “I can manage the rest.” She reached for her sleep shirt and pulled it over her head to cover her stiffened nipples. “Did you say Pops was here?” she asked, keeping her voice bright.

“You know, Sky. You’re making this really hard for us.” His eyes narrowed as he studied her closed expression.

She wondered if he meant for him and Pops, or for the two of them. “For who?”

He sighed and ignored the question. “Your dad’s sleeping in the spare room. My dad’s at the hotel. He’s picking me up soon.” Adam glanced at his watch before he moved, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Do you want a cup of tea? Something to eat?”

“Tea and toast would be good. I’ll be out in a few minutes.” Sky concentrated on squeezing ointment out of the tube. She’d need all that time to hide her hurt from Adam. He had no intention of staying, of giving her a second chance. And, why should he? She’d been as disappointing as she feared—to herself, as well as him.

Pops came into the room as she reached the table by the big window. Sunlight poured in, and Pops’ careful hug warmed her further, but nothing could thaw the ice forming around her heart. She must rebuild her shield and let Adam go without making him uncomfortable. She settled in her chair, a smile fixed on her face.

A knock on the door heralded Patrick. The four of them sat around the table, nursing tea and crunching toast.

“The sheriff has charged Cooper with first degree murder. He’ll go away for a long time and won’t be bothering us again,” Pops told her.

“That’s a comfort. But I feel so terrible I couldn’t get help for Ruby in time.” Sky grieved.

“From the M.E.’s report, she died between 6:30 and 7:00 p.m. You would barely have left the cabin by then,” Pops comforted her. “He said her chances of survival, with such a serious wound, were minimal, even if they had gotten her into surgery.”

“You helped her all you could, Sky,” Adam said. “A lot of people would have left her without even bandaging her wound or making her more comfortable. The woman set you up to die.”

“I don’t think she knew Cooper planned to kill me, until he said so in the cabin. She helped me in the end, untied my feet and hands, so I could get away.”

“Bless her for that,” Patrick said.

Adam had thrown on his flannel shirt before the men arrived. Now he rose. “I’ll just get changed, Dad, so we can head out.” He retreated into the second bedroom.

“Sorry we have to leave, Sky. I have an important meeting with the governor this afternoon I’d prefer not to postpone. Adam’s flying me back in the Gulf Stream, now we know you’re safe and all the people endangering you are locked away.”

“I understand. You’ve already stayed two days, and I’m sure you’ve postponed plenty of meetings. I’m okay and appreciate so much that you came.” Sky clasped his hand.

As Adam came out of the bedroom, wearing dress slacks and a button-down shirt, with a tie and a jacket slung over his shoulder, she searched for a few seconds more with him.

“So, what happened with your cyber thief? Did you prove it was the man you suspected?”

“Yes, Adam’s plan worked. The FBI has him in custody until his hearing. They don’t go lightly on acts of treason, so I imagine after they interrogate him and find his buyer for the fake plans, he’ll serve a long sentence. I’m just glad Adam safeguarded his design.”

“He thinks like a chess player,” Sky said in a subdued voice, remembering all the times Adam had anticipated her needs. She watched while he shrugged into his jacket and glanced at his watch and over at his father. He couldn’t get away from her fast enough.

“Thanks again for helping with the search, Adam. I hope your work didn’t suffer too much from the delay.”

“He’s working on a drone with new capabilities. For a while there, we thought it might have been handy in checking out the cabin, without endangering the law officers,” Patrick explained, as he rose to his feet.

“Well, good luck with it.” Feeling awkward, Sky stood and offered him a hug. He wrapped his arms around her so carefully she felt like precious porcelain.

“You take care, Sky.” Patrick’s gruff words warmed her scorched heart. “I care about you, so let me know how you’re doing every so often, will you?”

She nodded. Her throat squeezing any words she could utter. Tears pooled in her eyes.

She approached Adam, her arms dangling at her sides like a puppet whose strings had been cut. “Thanks again, Adam. Fly safely,” she whispered.

His eyes darkened. His face seemed paler than usual, his mouth tight.

“Take good care of her, Max.” He looked away from Sky and to the older man. They shook hands.

Max pulled Adam in for a hug. “You bet. I’ll take care of our girl.”

Adam didn’t respond or look at her again. He lifted his leather soft-sided case and opened the door. Patrick passed through; Adam followed, closing it with a sense of finality.

At the soft sound of the wood against the frame, all the strength drained out of Sky. She wavered where she stood. Pops got a hand under her arm. “You’ve been up too long, pet. Let’s get you back into bed.”