Breathless yet elated, Holly took off her damp jacket and used it to continue a broad wave at the man on the mule. It couldn’t be Gabe. He was up to his eyeballs in a siege at the ranger station. But that rider definitely reminded her of him.
She smiled to herself. Joy at having saved the lives of the boy and his mother was tempered by the loss of the foolish criminal. If only he had listened.
The man on the higher ground was waving something. It took her a few seconds to guess it might be a handheld radio. She spread both arms wide, palms up, hands empty, and shouted, “No radio!”
Had he heard her? Chances weren’t good. She cupped her hands around her mouth, filled her lungs and gave it all the power she had. “No! Radio!”
An echoing answer followed. “All okay?”
“Yes!”
That seemed to suffice. The rider turned the mule and began urging it down the hill into the gorge. Holly didn’t like him doing that but she also knew it was going to be hours before she and her companions would be safe trying to walk out. In her opinion, having help arrive on a sure-footed mule was a lot better than any knight in shining armor on a white horse would have been.
That silly image made her smile. So did the prospect of rescue. Later, a recovery team would have to start searching for the crook who had been buried beneath thousands of gallons of water and sediment. Most such victims were eventually located, particularly if there had been witnesses to the tragedy. In the case of this man, the authorities would definitely want to positively identify him, especially if he was associated with the criminals now holding rangers hostage, as she’d assumed.
The rider passed out of her sight below so she rejoined Renee and Robbie. “Somebody on a mule is coming for us.”
The woman acted as if she was in shock but the child brightened. “I get to ride? Mama wouldn’t let me before.”
“Yes, you get to ride,” Holly told him. “I don’t think we all will fit in the saddle but you definitely will.”
“Hooray!”
The innocence of youth made Holly smile again. This child lived in the present, eager for new challenges and open to the world, a lot like her poor sister had been. Thoughts of Ivy sobered her. Losing her only sibling at the hands of a killer had shaped the lives of their whole family from that day forward. Only she, Holly Forbes, had turned her grief into something positive. Other mourners close to Ivy, for instance their parents, had given up on life, divorced and gone their separate ways.
Pensive, she sighed. Hunting down criminals and making them pay was her reason for living. It was who she had become—the person she had created out of the ashes of loss—and that image was what kept her going. What made her so good at her job. It was also what had led her to break away from Gabe and the rangers to rescue these helpless folks. Her goal was to save as many lives as possible, even at the risk of her own. It didn’t matter that she had been told she was trying in vain to atone for not saving her sister. What if she was? The important fact was that she had already preserved many lives and had vowed to continue for as long as she was able. Period. Nothing else took precedence. Not even her own safety.
As Gabe urged the mule up the canyon, he allowed it to pick its own trail. Very seldom did it falter and it never went all the way down despite hidden hazards. If he’d been on foot, or even on horseback, he wouldn’t have attempted this climb.
He patted the mule’s lathered neck again. “Good boy. That’s it. Keep going. We’re almost there.”
The long grayish-brown ears were held forward, rotating like antennae in search of a stronger signal. They perked up even more when Gabe heard someone call, “Over here!”
He rounded a corner and looked up. Grinned. So happy he could hardly contain himself, he shouted, “Hello. Need a ride?”
“Gabe?” Holly’s jaw dropped, then snapped closed. “What are you...? What about the...?” She laughed. “Never mind. Just get us out of here.”
“Gladly.”
Maneuvering the stalwart mule into position, he waited while the others climbed down to him. “Where’s your radio?”
“It’s a long story,” Holly said. She lifted the child by his waist and handed him over. “He needs to ride with you.”
“You women can ride, too. I’ll walk.”
“Not if we ever expect to get back to Spirit Station. I’ve never driven a mule and neither have my new friends. I asked them. Looks like you’re in charge of transportation.”
“I can walk and lead him,” Gabe offered, settling the boy in front of him so he could more easily dismount.
“What about the problem in Spirit? Is it resolved already?”
He shook his head, assessing the civilians and wondering how much they knew. When his gaze met Holly’s and she nodded, he assumed she’d explained. “We’re still waiting for negotiators from Las Vegas. They were delayed by the storm but they should be on scene very soon.”
“Then you need to be there,” Holly said flatly. “I’ll hold on to the pack straps on the saddle and pull myself along behind. I’m already so muddy it won’t make any difference and we’ll make better time that way.”
Gabe eyed both women. “That might not be necessary. We just don’t want to overload the mule.” He bent over the boy. “What’s your name, little buddy?”
“Robbie.”
“Okay, Ranger Robbie. You sit really still while I help your mama and my friend Holly. Okay?”
“Okay!”
He reached down. “Give me your hand, ma’am.”
Renee didn’t look eager to board the mule. “I’m all dirty. I’ll get everything muddy.”
“Won’t be the first time.” His hand remained outstretched. “I need to get back to Spirit ASAP. Please?”
Lifting her and swinging her up behind him, Gabe frowned and studied Holly. “How much do you weigh?”
“I beg your pardon?”
He chuckled. “It’s not a personal question, Christmas. I was adding up the pounds to decide if you could ride, too. These guys carry heavy packs as well as people and they do it on narrow trails. If I don’t push him too hard, I think my big-eared friend can carry us all without hurting himself.”
She muttered a number. Gabe couldn’t resist commenting, “That much? Wow!”
She took a playful whack at his leg and spooked the mule enough that Gabe had to settle it again before she could mount.
“If you’re done scaring the livestock, Agent Forbes, I suggest we get a move on. I really do belong with my team.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Ranger. Sorry, Mr. Ranger. It won’t happen again.”
Laughing softly, he gave her a hand up behind him and Renee. “Okay, Robbie. You can help me hold the reins. Like this. Here we go.”
A light touch to the mule’s flanks was all it took. Gabe knew he and the other people weren’t the only ones glad to be going back to the settlement in the bottom of the canyon. All in all, he was feeling pretty satisfied until Holly spoke.
“Your radio and my gun are under all that fresh mud from the flash flood. One of the criminals we’ve been pursuing managed to slip by and start up the trail. I made the mistake of asking him for help before I saw how he was dressed. That was when I realized he was one of the men in the Vegas footage.”
It didn’t take a lot of imagination to figure out what she was trying to say but he needed to be certain. “You’re sure he was part of that cartel?”
“As sure as I can be until we get a crew in here to dig him out.” She paused as if having trouble continuing.
“You tried to save him, regardless. I know you did.”
There was a catch in her voice as she said, “Yes. I tried. He wouldn’t listen.” She sniffled. “I’m just thankful he didn’t force us all to stay in the bottom of that gorge with him.”
Gabe felt suddenly breathless. He nodded, stalling for time to regain his self-control before he sighed and said, “Yeah. Me, too.”