“TELL US WHERE HE IS AND WE’LL LET YOU GO…”

Kidnapped and dragged into the Montana wilderness, Sarah Langston has no idea where her brother is or what her captors want with him. But when help arrives and removes her blindfold, she’s shocked to see the father of the baby she gave up for adoption. Former police officer Bryan Keyes is convinced that Sarah’s kidnapping is tied to a deadly human trafficking ring. Now with Sarah’s brother in the line of fire, Bryan must join forces with the only woman he’s ever loved. Will they have time to rekindle a love that happened too soon?

Down below, she caught a flash of movement. Her attackers were catching up.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Some place safe where we can call for help. Trust me, I know this part of the forest.”

What choice did she have? She’d prayed for God to send help and He had. Of all the people in the world, He’d sent Bryan.

“Come on.” He held his hand out to her. The August sun beat down on them, the air thick with heat. Down below, the two thugs were weaving their way up the mountain.

“Where are we going anyway?”

“We need to get help, call the sheriff,” he said.

She stared up at the rocky terrain. “Isn’t there an easier way?”

“Sarah, would you trust me? I know where I’m going. Those guys won’t be able to follow us. They’ll give up.”

It was the first time he’d said her name. The warmth in his voice only reminded her of ten-year-old wounds. “I really don’t have a choice here. I’ll do what you say.” She wasn’t so sure about the men giving up, though.

SHARON DUNN

has always loved writing, but didn’t decide to write for publication until she was expecting her first baby. Pregnancy makes you do crazy things. Three kids, many articles and two mystery series later, she still hasn’t found her sanity. Her books have won awards, including a Book of the Year award from American Christian Fiction Writers. She was also a finalist for an RT Book Reviews Inspirational Book of the Year award.

Sharon has performed in theater and church productions, has degrees in film production and history, and worked for many years as a college tutor and instructor. Despite the fact that her résumé looks as if she couldn’t decide what she wanted to be when she grew up, all the education and experience have played a part in helping her write good stories.

When she isn’t writing or taking her kids to activities, she reads, plays board games and contemplates organizing her closet. In addition to her three kids, Sharon lives with her husband of twenty-two years, three cats and lots of dust bunnies. You can reach Sharon through her website, www.sharondunnbooks.net.

Montana Standoff

Sharon Dunn

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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For you know that it was not with the perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

—1 Peter 1:18–19

I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.

—Deuteronomy 30:19–20

For my husband, Michael, whose encouragement and unconditional love has allowed me to grow both as a writer and as a daughter of the king. We are the evidence that where you came from does not determine where you’re going.

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

EPILOGUE

DEAR READER

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

EXCERPT

ONE

Sarah Langston winced as the barrel of the gun jabbed her stomach. The knit cap, turned backward on her head, made it impossible to see. She could feel the motion of the SUV, but she had no idea where her captors were taking her. Fear permeated every cell of her body.

The man with the gun leaned close and whispered in her ear. “Tell you what. We’ll give you one more chance. You let us know where your brother is and we’ll let you go.”

He’d asked that question fifty times before. Always, her answer was the same. Why wouldn’t they believe her?

Her voice trembled. “I told you. I don’t know where Crew is. He’s homeless. He contacts me when he wants to talk.”

Her pulse drummed in her ears as her muscles tensed.

The second man, the driver, hadn’t spoken for a long time. The tires made a different sound when they’d switched from paved roads to gravel. They’d left the city. Where were they going? What did they intend to do with her?

Both of them had been wearing masks when they’d grabbed her outside her home. They must have been waiting for the opportunity to catch her alone. More than once in the last day, she’d felt the invisible press of a gaze on her only to turn and see no one. Yesterday, she noticed the same Chevy Suburban parked outside the grocery store and at a friend’s house. She’d dismissed it as coincidence.

In an attempt at escape, she’d managed to pull the mask off of one of the thugs, the skinny one with the bulging eyes. After that, they put the blindfold on her and drove without saying anything other than that same question, over and over again.

She could only guess at why they were looking for Crew. Her big brother was in and out of addiction, jobs and her life. Maybe he owed them money.

The sound of the tires rolling along changed. They were on a dirt road. Tension filled the silent car. Why were they driving so far out of town?

She knew then that the man had lied. They had no intention of letting her go.

The car rumbled to a stop but her thoughts continued racing. When she’d pulled the skinny one’s mask off, he’d gone ballistic. The men had not wanted to be identified. They were taking her out of town to kill her, some place where her body wouldn’t be found.

Sarah’s mind moved at the speed of light. She had seconds to plan her escape. She’d been working to loosen the ties around her wrists.

Her car keys with the pepper spray attached were in her pocket. She coughed and turned her body slightly while she slipped her hand into her jacket pocket.

The man next to her jabbed her stomach with the gun. “Get out and don’t try any funny business.”

The front door opened. She heard footsteps and then the door closest to her squeaked open.

The driver spoke. “Come on, sweetheart.”

Sarah scooted along the seat toward the open door. She tried to picture where the two men were. Judging from his voice, the driver had stepped away from her door.

The gun pressed against her back as she scooted along the seat. Her fingers wrapped around the pepper spray slowly, carefully pulling it out of her pocket. Then in one quick movement, she turned and pressed the release button.

The groaning told her she’d hit her target. She tore off the knit hat and leapt out of the car.

An arm suctioned around her waist, and a hand slapped over her mouth. Her keys flew out of her hand, but she wasn’t done fighting. She’d just have to use a different weapon. She bit down hard on the man’s hand and felt a rush of triumph when he yelped and pulled his hand away. She scratched fingernails across the arm that held her waist. He didn’t let go.

She elbowed him in the stomach, a hard swift jab.

His grip on her let up enough for her to angle away from him. Heart racing with fear and urgency, she ran toward the trees. Branches, sky and undergrowth were all a blur in front of her. Her sharp, rasping breathing enveloped her. Feet pounding, jumping over logs, pushing through the trees.

Please, God, help me get away.

The men behind her shouted, breaking branches, charging toward her. Their noise growing louder, closer, pressing on her.

Sarah pushed forward, willing her feet to move faster. Fighting off the terror that rose inside her, she stumbled into the clearing that bordered Bridger Lake. She only had a second to survey her surroundings before the men burst from the trees.

On instinct, she turned and ran toward the other part of the forest and the mountain beyond that. If she could make it up the mountain without being caught, maybe someone in the fire tower at the top of it could help her.

She prayed she’d make it that far.

* * *

From the high metal tower where he watched for forest fires, Bryan Keyes drew the binoculars up to his eyes and scanned the forest and the lake below. He studied the tree-covered mountains in the distance, searching for wisps of smoke. As dry as the summer had been, the tiniest fire could rage out of control within minutes. Anything out of the ordinary would draw his attention. In the few weeks that he had been here, he’d memorized every patch of trees, every cluster of rocks. The solitude and monotony of fire spotting was a far cry from his usual job as a police detective recently relocated to Discovery, Montana.

His stomach coiled into a tight knot. He didn’t want to think about his work as a cop. He’d taken a leave of absence when doubt had crept in, and he’d started wondering if he could ever really make a difference. After months of work gathering the evidence that Tyler Mason was using his temp work agency for human trafficking and illegal labor, Mason had avoided going to trial.

Bryan stepped away from the windows that wrapped around the tower’s octagonal structure. Even thinking about Tyler Mason put his nerves on edge. He wanted justice. Though he’d grown up in Discovery, Bryan had been a detective in Spokane for years. Tyler Mason lured unsuspecting immigrants and sentenced them to lives of hard labor and imprisonment all over the United States. When Bryan uncovered a slave labor factory in Spokane, his investigation led him to Tyler Mason who owned a home and a business in Discovery. In an effort to take down Mason, he’d requested a transfer five months ago.

But then a key witness had disappeared, and the case had fallen apart. And now, the department didn’t want to expend any more time or manpower on what seemed like a battle they couldn’t win.

Gritting his teeth, he studied the landscape. A dust cloud on the road below indicated that a vehicle was headed toward Bridger Lake. Unusual to see people out here, considering how high the fire danger was. The metal of the car glinted in the late afternoon sun.

Bryan drew the binoculars back up to his face, watching as a man got out of the driver’s side and opened the back door. A moment later, a woman jumped out. Bryan’s back stiffened. The man grabbed the woman from behind, but she twisted away, running into the forest. The driver and a second man chased after her.

Bryan’s heart pounded as he scanned the area, trying to get a clear view of what was going on. At this distance, it was hard to tell, but nothing about the interaction seemed friendly.

Finally, he spotted all three of them in the clearing by the lake.

He watched the man push the woman forward. The binoculars shook as Bryan focused in on the action. He was too far away to see clearly and the angle was all wrong, but it looked like the woman’s hands were tied behind her back. He couldn’t be sure.

He adjusted the focus hoping to see more. No luck. The woman’s long brown hair hid her face as she trudged forward with her head down. Then just before the three of them disappeared into the trees, one of the men reached into the back of his waistband. Sunshine shone against the metal of the gun.

His breath hitched. They were going to shoot her.

Bryan dropped the binoculars as adrenaline surged through his body. The most direct route to the woman was straight down the nearly ninety-degree mountain, a hard five-to seven-minute run on rocky terrain to the lake where the armed men had parked. It was the only chance he had of getting there on time. Hiking out to his truck and then taking the circuitous route on logging roads would take an hour or more.

He regretted having turned in his police issue Glock, but the forest service provided a rifle in case of bear attacks. He grabbed it and bolted out the door and down the narrow metal stairs of the tower.

Holding the rifle with both hands, he scrambled down the mountainside. Rocks rolled in the wake of his hurried footsteps. No clear trail came into view. He’d grown up camping in these mountains and had developed pretty accurate radar for finding his way. He knew where the road connected to the lake, but would he get there in time?

As he ran, he listened for the crack of a gun being fired breaking through the thick August air. Silence surrounded him. Did that mean the woman was still alive?

He jumped over a boulder. The terrain became steeper, and he dug his heels in. His foot caught on a root and flung him forward. The rifle flew from his hands, clattering to a stop on a sheer cliff some twenty feet down. He could maneuver around the cliff, but there was no time to climb down and retrieve the rifle.

He forged ahead, praying that he’d be in time. He worked his way through the thick trees seeking an open path.

Bryan stopped, blood freezing in his veins when a gunshot shattered the serenity of the forest.

TWO

From the moment she’d pulled the mask off one of her abductors, Sarah had sensed that the hours of her life were numbered. Now as they dragged her deeper into the forest, she knew she was nearing the end. The men were not bothering with the masks anymore. Clear evidence that she wasn’t coming out of this forest alive.

One of the men—the muscular one with the deep voice—pushed hard on her back. “Where is he?”

They still hadn’t given up their line of questioning. Some sort of last-ditch effort to get the information they’d kidnapped her for in the first place. Their desperation and rage had escalated since her second escape attempt.

She spoke between gasps. “I...don’t...know...where my brother is.” Her wrists hurt from where the rope cut into her skin. This time they’d made sure her bindings were tight.

Deep Voice grabbed her hair, pulled her close and hissed in her ear. “You’re his sister.” He shoved her forward. “You should know.”

Sarah stumbled from the force of the push. “He doesn’t have a phone. He lives all over the place.” Though she and her brother had been raised in foster care together, their lives had gone in very different directions. The last time she’d seen Crew, he had not been in good shape. He was sober, but rail-thin and shaking, probably from withdrawal.

“He talks about you,” said the second kidnapper, a skinny man with acne scars whose eyes were still red from his dose of pepper spray. His words made Sarah frown. How well did Crew know these men? How had he gotten mixed up with people who were so clearly dangerous?

“I’m telling you, I haven’t seen him in a month, and I don’t know how to get in touch with him.”

“You’re lying.” Deep Voice grabbed her arm at the elbow and swung her around, which made the rope dig even deeper into her wrist. “Where have you hidden him?”

She lowered her head and angled away from the criminal. “I’m not hiding him. Why won’t you believe me?”

“You’ve got thirty seconds to tell me.” She heard the slide on a gun click back. Even under the threat of death, she couldn’t tell them. Why wouldn’t they believe her?

“Yeah, stop protecting him.” Acne Scars grabbed her shoulder and pushed her to the ground. She landed on her knees.

“Twenty seconds,” said Deep Voice.

The menacing tone in his voice told her that he would have no qualms about shooting her.

Sarah closed her eyes. Oh, God, please take me quickly.

“Ten seconds.”

Her whole body shook and she tasted bile. “I don’t know where he is.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “I’m telling you the truth.”

Please, God, send help. I don’t want to die.

“Ten. Nine.”

“You got anything to say?” said Acne Scars.

She shook her head. A cry rose up in her throat. “No, I can’t tell you where he is because I don’t know.” Her stomach somersaulted. She couldn’t contain her anguish. “Please believe me.”

“Six. Five. Four.”

As she leaned forward, every muscle in her body tensed. Tears formed. “Please.”

“Three. Two. One.”

She lurched at the boom of the gunshot as her body went rigid. No pain came. She took in a ragged breath.

She heard Deep Voice’s harsh laughter. “That was a warning shot.” Cold hard metal touched her temple. “Next time, it’s for real. Put the blindfold back on her so she can’t see it coming.”

The hood went back over her head. A cold hand touched the back of her neck. The low voice was seductive. “Where is Crew Langston? Did you put him on a bus, help him get out of town?”

She shook her head, unable to form the words. Her heart pounded. She couldn’t stop shaking.

“All right, lady, this is it.” The hard gun barrel pressed against her temple.

Braced for another gunshot, she startled when she heard a thwacking sound, like a hard object making contact with flesh. One of the men groaned, and the gun was no longer pressed against her head. Flesh smacked against flesh. Men grunted. A body hit the ground close to her. Sarah struggled to get to her feet. Strong hands wrapped around her upper arm, warming her skin.

“Let’s get you out of here and to a safe place.” The voice sounded vaguely familiar. A hand grazed her forehead, lifting the hood off.

Her rescuer’s eyes grew wide with recognition as her breath caught. Bryan Keyes. The man she thought she’d never see again. The man who had broken her heart into a thousand pieces.

The larger of the two assailants, curled up on the ground, stirred.

“Come on, we’ve gotta move. I’ll cut you loose as soon as I can.” Bryan glanced around. He was probably looking for the gun or the best direction to run.

Acne Scars lay facedown, not moving. A log not too far from him must have been used to knock him out. But Deep Voice had started opening his eyes. They couldn’t wait any longer—they needed to move.

Bryan must have reached the same conclusion because he shook his head and then pulled Sarah toward the trees. She ran, hindered by her hands still tied behind her back. Bryan held her arm to steady her.

He pulled her deeper into the trees until they came to a steep incline.

“No way can I climb that with my hands tied,” she protested.

He glanced over his shoulder, pulled a pocketknife out of his worn jeans and cut the ropes that bound her wrists together.

“Better?” His fingers brushed over her wrist where the rope had dug in. Even after ten years, his touch had the power to make her heart flutter.

She stepped away. “Wait, what if we tried to get to the car they parked by the lake?” The shouts of Deep Voice barking orders to Acne Scars reached her ears.

“We’d run right into them.” He scrambled partway up the rock and turned back, holding his hand out to her. She took his help. They climbed until they came to a steep rock face.

“I’ll boost you up and then you can pull me up,” he said.

Down below, she caught a flash of movement. Deep Voice was wearing a bright yellow shirt, easy to see amongst the evergreens. And easy to realize that he was catching up. “Where are you taking me?”

“Some place safe where we can call for help.” He glanced down the mountain.

She hesitated.

“Trust me, I know this part of the forest,” he said. “Come on, we can’t stop.” He laced his fingers together, indicating that she should put her foot in them.

What choice did she have? She’d prayed for God to send help and He had. Now it was up to her to make the most of it. Sarah put her foot in Bryan’s hands. He pushed upward as she reached out for a handhold. God must have a sense of humor. Of all the people in the world, He’d sent Bryan. Ten years was a long time. She’d been a sophomore in high school and he a senior when they’d fallen in love. Or what passes for love in a sixteen-year-old’s heart. She couldn’t say now if she had loved him or had just been desperate to be loved. But at the time, it sure had felt real.

With Bryan pushing her up from below, she reached for a gnarled tree sprouting up close to the rock. She pulled herself up, gripping the tree with both hands. Bryan gave her a final push. She turned and reached down for him.

“I think I can get a foothold.” He grabbed her hand, their eyes meeting momentarily.

The love between them had shattered when she became pregnant. They had agreed that the best thing for their little girl was adoption. But Bryan had been so angry afterward, had blamed her as though the decision hadn’t been made together.

Bryan strained to get up the cliff face. “Other hand,” he groaned.

She held both his hands and pulled as he struggled to get some traction with his feet. The muscles in her arms strained. “Almost there.”

She pulled with all her strength, dragging him to the flat top of the cliff face. She leaned back, breathless from the exertion. Bryan scrambled to his feet.

“Come on.” He held his hand out to her. The August sun beat down on them, the air thick with heat. Down below, the two thugs were weaving their way up the mountain, choosing an easier but less direct path.

“Where are we going, anyway?” Sarah still hadn’t caught her breath.

“We need to get help, call the sheriff,” he said.

She stared up at the rocky terrain. “Isn’t there an easier way?”

“Sarah, would you trust me? I work here—I know where I’m going. Those guys won’t be able to follow us. They’ll give up.”

It was the first time he’d said her name. The warmth in his voice only reminded her of ten-year-old wounds. “I really don’t have a choice here. I’ll do what you say.” She wasn’t so sure about the men giving up, though.

They crawled over rocks and through thick brush. A branch flicked across her forehead. She kept moving despite the stinging pain and the warm ooze of blood. The fire tower came into sight. So, he was some kind of forest ranger? By the time he’d left town to go to college, he hadn’t spoken to her in months.

He led her up the narrow metal stairs into the tower, then stepped over to a small stand that contained the radio. He keyed the radio explaining that he needed a replacement and then said something about notifying the sheriff. He gave a brief but accurate description of the two thugs and their car.

While he talked, Sarah wandered around the sparse room. A double burner for cooking rested on a counter. Canned goods and gallons of water were stacked against the wall. An instrument of some sort with a map was in the dead center of the circular room. There was a desk and a chair in one corner, a cot in another. She sat down on the chair. A stack of books rested by the bed. He must stay up here weeks at a time. Yet, the place was utterly impersonal. Why had Bryan chosen such a solitary life? What had happened in the ten years since she’d seen him?

Bryan signed off and placed the radio back on the hook. He turned to face her. Those same warm brown eyes looked out at her, though they were edged with crow’s-feet and worry lines now, and there was a hint of weariness in his expression that hadn’t been there ten years ago. They had both been so naive and full of hope back then.

“What now?” She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees.

He walked over to the windows, picked up the binoculars and peered down the mountain. “We catch our breath.”

“We wait?” Fear returned, sending a shock through her system. Those men meant to kill her.

“The forest service will notify the sheriff’s department. They’ll get those guys.”

The memory of the gun pressed against her temple returned. Her throat constricted and her heart raced. “Do you think it’s a good idea to just sit here?”

“We’re not just sitting here.” He handed her the binoculars. “Look, they’ve already left. I figured they would give up.”

She walked over to the windows and peered through the binoculars at the shimmering water below. No car. She focused on the road where she saw the light-colored SUV heading away from the lake. So he was right. “Can they drive up here?”

“It will take them over an hour. And if they don’t know these roads, they’ll never find us.” His voice was filled with reassurance.

Sarah let out a breath, relaxing a little.

He leaned close to her and touched her forehead where the tree branch had cut the skin. “I’ve got something for that. Go sit down.” He pointed toward the cot.

Sarah put the binoculars down and wandered to the cot. She tried to take in a deep breath. Those men had meant to kill her. Would they give up that easily? After grabbing the first-aid kit from a storage box, Bryan walked across the room and sat close to her. She could feel his body heat.

He handed her a piece of leather. “Tie your hair back, so it’s out of the way.”

She gathered her hair into a ponytail.

He pulled disinfectant out of the first-aid kit and touched the end of the tube lightly to her forehead. “It’s going to be okay, but we should get moving. After I deal with this cut, we’ll hike over to my truck.”

She closed her eyes as he gently pressed the bandage against her forehead. Memories of his touch all those years ago awakened old feelings. The power of the attraction made her forget the pain of how everything had ended...for a moment.

“There’s a little country store eight miles up the road. You can call for a friend to come and get you.” He wadded up the packaging the bandage had come in. “By that time, the sheriff will catch those guys.”

The warm feelings evaporated. So he meant to ditch her as quickly as he could, just like old times. He’d only been doing his duty. It was the kind of person he was. But now that his duty was finished, he wanted nothing more to do with her. “I suppose I should go to the police.” She hoped her voice didn’t give away the hurt she felt.

“Yeah, you’ll want to report this.” His voice was tainted with a bitterness she didn’t understand. “But not to the city police. This happened in the county. You’ll want to talk to the sheriff.”

“But they grabbed me at my house...in town.”

He rose to his feet and ran his fingers through his wavy brown hair. He spoke without turning back to look at her. “If you don’t mind my asking, why were those guys trying to kill you? What did you do?”

His tone was disconcerting. Did he actually think she was mixed up with something illegal? It had been a sore spot with them when they dated. His parents had never thought she was good enough for their football star son. His lawyer mother and business-owner father viewed her as the girl from the wrong side of the tracks. By that time, Crew was already having problems, too.

It didn’t matter that she had been a good student and never been in trouble. She didn’t have the wrong pedigree. She had no pedigree.

She took a deep breath and idly picked up one of the books in his stack. “They were looking for Crew.”

Bryan’s face brightened. “How is Crew?”

“I wish I could tell you. He has a drug and alcohol habit. Sometimes he has a place to live, sometimes not.” Now she was the one who sounded bitter. Crew, two years older than her, had been her protector when they were kids. But years of having to be an adult too soon had worn him down. He’d started out a petty thief and picked up a drug habit along the way.

Bryan stroked his chin. “I always liked Crew. I liked the way he looked out for you.”

Sarah felt a stab to her heart. Crew had made bad choices; she knew that. But the image that burned in her mind of her brother was of him offering her his last morsel of bread when they’d run away from an abusive foster home and hidden in the forest. Her heart warmed toward Bryan that he could remember the most positive thing about Crew, the reason she still loved her brother.

“I keep hoping he’ll turn things around.” And she wouldn’t give up that hope no matter how bad things looked.

Bryan stepped away from the window. “Sometimes people do, you know. Get their lives together.” He rested his gaze on her long enough to make her feel self-conscious. His look could still send an electric charge through her.

Sarah glanced down at the book she had picked up. C. S. Lewis, one of her favorite authors. But what was Bryan doing with a book like this? He’d never been interested in books with faith messages when she’d known him. Maybe his comment about people getting their lives together had been as much about himself as her brother. She hoped so. She’d found faith at the home where she stayed while she was pregnant. She’d gotten her life back on track at Naomi’s Place. Maybe somewhere along the road Bryan had had a similar transformation. She’d never stopped praying for him.

She put the book back on the stack. “We should get going.”

“Yeah, it’s a little bit of a hike to get to the truck.” Bryan walked across the room. “Do you want a drink of water before we go?”

She rose to her feet and stared out the windows that provided a panoramic view of the forest. “My throat is dry.” She still couldn’t figure out why Bryan would choose such a lonely job. He’d always been so outgoing. “How long do you stay up here at a time?”

Bryan lifted one of the gallon containers of water to the desk and retrieved a cup. “Three weeks on and one week off.”

She crossed her arms and stared down at the rocks and forest they had climbed through to get here. She saw a flash of yellow and then Deep Voice stepped free of the thick forest. His gaze traveled up toward the tower. Panic pulsed through her. “Bryan, I think we have a problem.”

THREE

Adrenaline flooded through Bryan’s body. The thug charged straight for them at a steady and intense pace. He was the bigger of the two men, muscular to an excess. The short, thin man must have taken off in the vehicle, maybe planning on taking the winding road that would eventually bring him to the other side of the fire-lookout tower in case his friend didn’t make it up the mountainside. It was a rookie mistake for Bryan to assume they’d both left in the SUV. He’d been too distracted by Sarah to think straight—and he was paying for that now.

“What do we do?” The fear in Sarah’s voice intensified.

His mind catapulted from one possibility to another. She was the prime target. He had to get her out of here.

Bryan flipped open the glass door that led to the catwalk, grabbed a length of rope and tied it off on the central post in the tower. “He’ll come up the stairs. You slip off this side of the tower. Go due east, and you’ll see a trail that leads to an open area. My truck is there.”

“But what about you?”

The look in her eyes was wild. She was so afraid. He longed to take her in his arms, but after all they had been through ten years ago, would she even accept his comfort? “I’ll hold him off.” He walked over to a box and pulled out a set of keys which he handed to her. “Go to town and get help. I’ll be all right.”

She shook her head. “We should stay together.”

“Go, Sarah. I can handle this guy.” He pushed her toward the door. They didn’t have time for a discussion.

She grabbed the rope, stepped out on the catwalk and moved to the edge of the tower. Her gaze locked on to him, longing filling her eyes. He’d seen that look before. She’d been a strong, resourceful young woman when he’d met her. But there was a vulnerable side to Sarah that stayed hidden from most people.

He pressed his hands against her face, kissed her forehead. “Go. You’ll be fine.”

The look of fear and doubt remained as she shook her head.

“And I’ll be okay, too,” he added.

She nodded, though the worry lines in her forehead intensified. She slipped off the side of the tower and disappeared from view.

He raced over to the radio. Where was his replacement? Had the sheriff made it out to the road by the lake and stopped the thug in the car? He had to let the authorities know what was happening. Before he could reach anyone, he heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

The fire tower door had no lock. He could buy Sarah precious minutes by holding this guy off. He’d taken down him and his cohort once before. This time it was only one man.

The footsteps intensified, grew louder.

Bryan grabbed a steak knife. There was no closet, no place to hide and try to get the jump on the guy...or was there? He crawled out on the catwalk and pulled himself to the roof just as the door burst open.

He pressed flat against the roof, angling his head so he could see through the skylight. Maybe the assailant would look around, figure they hadn’t come to the fire tower and leave. That would be the best case scenario. He’d be able to catch up with Sarah and make sure she got safely into town.

From this angle he could see the top of the man’s head. There was a pistol in his hand. So, he had found the gun.

The thug surveyed the room. Then he noticed the open door where Sarah had escaped. Bryan cringed. In his haste, he’d forgotten to close it.

The assailant stomped through the open door that led to the catwalk. He studied the rope where Sarah had descended.

With his belly pressed against the roof, Bryan swung around, head facing downward on the slanted roof. Sarah should be emerging into an open section of the forest. If the thug looked in that direction, he would see her and know where she’d gone.

Bryan slid down the roof. The man looked up but had no time to brace himself before Bryan leapt on top of him, knocking him to the ground and breaking a section of the railing around the catwalk. Both men recovered and rose to their feet. Bryan was relieved to notice that the assailant had dropped his gun in the struggle. The narrow catwalk provided little room to maneuver. Bryan struck the man across the face, hoping to throw him off balance.

The man had a square jaw and eyes like slits. His lip curled back, revealing large teeth. He lunged toward Bryan. If he could get an upper hand, find a way to subdue him and restrain him, the sheriff could question him and find out why they were after Sarah’s brother.

“Where is the Langston woman?” The man barreled toward him.

Bryan dodged, but slipped off the edge of the catwalk where the railing had broken free. He fell to the rocky ground below. It took him a moment to recover. When he looked up, he couldn’t see the man.

On hands and knees he scrambled to the base of the tower. The overhang of the catwalk shielded him from view. He worked his way around the tower back to the stairs.

Grabbing a thick branch for a weapon, he crept up the stairs. The door was slightly ajar. Peeking around it, he was rewarded with a quick image of the thug staring at the floor. He was looking for the gun. Bryan watched until the man’s back was turned. He pushed the door open and landed a blow across the man’s shoulders.

The thug groaned in pain, turned and swung for Bryan. Bryan hit him a second time on the arm with the log before the man wrenched it free. The two men wrestled. The assailant was twice his size, but Bryan refused to back down. Slowing this man down was the only chance Sarah would have to escape. They exchanged blows, drawing nearer to the open door.

Bryan lifted his arm, hand curled into a fist, ready to land a hit. The solid surface beneath his feet evaporated. He tumbled backward down the stairs. Like being smacked over and over, he could feel the hits to his body on the way down. He stopped at the bottom, still conscious, but disoriented. The assailant hadn’t come after him. He heard the sound of things being moved around inside the fire tower. He was still looking for the gun and probably assumed Bryan was unconscious or dead.

Bryan wasn’t sure if he could move. Had he broken any bones? Every muscle felt like it had been cut or bruised. He sat up. Pain shot through his body. It hurt to breathe. He needed to hide. He couldn’t fight in his current state. But no, he couldn’t back down, either. The assailant wouldn’t give up until he found out where Sarah was. Bryan tried to push himself to his feet.

The noise inside stopped. The thug came to the top of the stairs. He lifted the gun, taking aim. “Where is she?”

By force of will, Bryan scrambled to his feet. He stumbled toward the shelter of the trees. He was pretty beat up. He probably couldn’t outrun the thug, but he could hide, maybe draw the man into chasing after him instead of Sarah. He stepped into the trees and onto the trail.

Sarah appeared. A look of shock flashed across her features when she saw him. He had bruises on his arms. She grabbed him. “I couldn’t leave without you.” She wrapped her arm around his waist. The first shot from the thug’s gun pierced the air. “We’d better hurry.”

As she held on to him, he could feel his strength returning. Nothing was broken. He may have bruised a rib. He was in shock and badly beat up, but not to the point where he couldn’t move quickly. They ran along the trail. A second shot broke off a tree branch in front of them.

They came to the clearing where the truck sat. “I can drive,” Bryan said.

Sarah hesitated, drawing the keys close to her chest.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” said Bryan.

She handed him the keys and sprinted around the truck to the passenger-side door. He climbed into the cab, started the engine and closed the door just as the assailant came into the clearing. Bryan hit the gas doing a tight turn to get out of the parking area. The back tires spat out gravel as a bullet collided with metal.

Sarah craned her neck. “I think he hit the side of the truck.”

He’d probably been aiming for the tires. Bryan pressed the accelerator to the floor. He didn’t want to give this guy a second chance. The truck jolted and lumbered down the mountain road.

Sarah leaned back against the seat, tilting her head. Her curly brown hair had worked free of the ponytail. Her face was covered with sweat and dirt. She turned her head, soft blue eyes resting on him. She’d come back for him, risked her life. “He won’t be able to catch us now. Not on foot.”

“Yeah.” He didn’t want to worry her about the second hit man. Had the sheriff made it to the car or had the thug gotten away?

“How far is it to this country store?”

“I’ll take you all the way into town...and to the police station.” He didn’t like the idea of leaving her anywhere until he could be assured she was safe, though he dreaded the thought of returning to the police station. His departure had not been a quiet one. Incensed at the lack of justice over Tyler Mason, he’d let his chief know how he felt.

“Thank you for doing that.” Sarah leaned back and closed her eyes.

He reached over and patted her leg without thinking. It was a gesture he’d done a thousand times when they were dating. She sat up straight, and her eyes popped open.

He bit the inside of his cheek. What a stupid move. Of course, he didn’t think he could go back to where they had been ten years ago. Too much had changed, even before they parted ways.

He cleared his throat. “We do need to stop at the country store and make some phone calls. My cell phone is back at the fire tower. I need to find out if my replacement made it.” He hated abandoning his post and worried that he’d sent his replacement into a dangerous situation if the guy was still skulking around the woods with a gun. Though he doubted the thug would hurt anyone else and risk having another person who could identify him.

The road evened out, decreasing the bouncing in the truck. Sarah folded her hands in her lap as a tense silence fell between them.

What did they talk about now? What could they talk about that wouldn’t open old wounds? Even thinking about how their relationship had ended made his chest tight. No, he couldn’t go there again.

Sarah leaned toward him and pointed through the windshield. “That must be it, huh?”

A hundred yards ahead was a concrete building with a parking lot full of trailers. As they neared the store, signs advertising raft and boat rentals and bait for sale came into view. A campground a mile up the road was the main source of business for the store along with the abundance of fishermen who came for the freshwater fishing. Bryan pulled into the dirt lot.

“It’ll take me just a minute to make these calls,” Bryan said.

Sarah nodded. The bandage above her eye had come lose. He reached over and pressed it against her forehead.

She lifted her chin as a show of resolve. She’d always been a strong person emotionally. She had had to be. But what she had been through today would have made anyone fall apart. He touched her cheek with his knuckles. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll get you into town.” She nodded and tried to smile. Bryan resisted the urge to pull her into a comforting hug. It wasn’t his place to do that for her anymore.

Bryan got out of the truck and ambled toward the store entrance.

* * *

Alone in the truck, Sarah glanced out the back window. A hard, cold mass of fear had settled in her chest. These men were not going to give up easily. What could Crew have done for this kind of wrath to come down on him? He must have gone into hiding or the men wouldn’t have sought her out. Wherever he was, she hoped he was safe.

She looked out Bryan’s window. Mixed in with all the trailers, there was only one car parked off to the side that must belong to the owner or store clerk. No one wandered around outside. Through the store window, she could see Bryan step up to the counter while the clerk rang up his purchases.

She would have been dead by now if it hadn’t been for Bryan. How had a forest ranger learned to fight like that? She placed her fingers on the bandage on her forehead. His gentle touch had caused memories of being held by him to rise to the surface. All those years ago, she’d rested her head on his chest surrounded by his heartbeat while strong arms enveloped her. Back then, she had felt safe for the first time in her life when she was with him. But it didn’t last.

Bryan emerged from the store holding two large cans. She leaned over and opened the door for him. He handed her one of the cans, an iced tea. “That drink I meant to get for you earlier.”

Moved by such a small act of consideration, she opened the can and took a sip. The cool liquid traveled smoothly down her parched throat. She took several more gulps. “That tastes really good, thanks.”

Bryan sat behind the wheel, popped the tab on his tea and placed it in the cup holder. “My replacement made it to the tower. No sign of the guy with the gun. I checked in with the sheriff and called the city police, too. They might be willing to get involved since the kidnapping took place in town. You can make your statement to them.”

“Did the sheriff say if they caught the other guy?” She shivered despite the heat, not wanting to think about those men being on the loose.

Bryan started the truck. “The dispatcher hadn’t heard anything. She’s gonna send the deputy up to the tower to make sure the area is clear.”

For a forest ranger, Bryan seemed to know a lot about how the police worked. She had to know what he’d been doing for the past ten years. “So did you go to college like you planned?”

Bryan’s head jerked back and he laughed. He pulled out of the dirt parking lot. “Boy, that question came out of nowhere.”

“I was just curious.” It was the first mention either of them had made of the past.

Bryan’s truck came to a crossroads. He turned onto a paved two-lane. “I...ah...started out that semester, but it was a little too much for me to handle.” Each word was wrought with tension.

Sarah crossed her arms and stared out the window. His discomfort made it clear that even such a benign question was off limits. She wondered, too, how and why he had ended up back in Discovery, but now she didn’t dare ask. She longed to have a normal conversation with him, but that wasn’t going to happen. It would be best if he just dropped her off at the police station. He could go back out to his lonely fire tower. If they ran into each other in town, they could keep the conversation to hello and the weather.

Bryan glanced at the rearview mirror. “What’s this guy’s problem?”

Sarah turned around to look at the SUV following too closely. Shock spread through her. “Bryan, that’s the vehicle.”

He glanced a second time just as the Suburban tapped their bumper.

“He must have been waiting for us.” Bryan pressed the gas. “Knowing this was the only road that led into town.”

“How could he know this was your truck?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he was watching the store. Maybe he has a way to communicate with the other guy.” Bryan pulled away from the Suburban only to have it catch up with them again. The car bumped the back of the truck again, causing it to lurch.

“Hold on.” Bryan executed a sudden turn onto a dirt road.

The other car overshot the turn, but spun around and charged up the road toward them. Bryan turned off into a grassy field and veered back to the main road, but in the wrong direction—away from town.

The car caught up to them. Bryan gripped the steering wheel as the Suburban came alongside them and smashed against his truck. Metal crunched. The truck wobbled, but Bryan kept it on the road.

The second hit was harder. The Suburban seemed to be attached to the passenger side of the truck as it pushed them closer to the edge of the road.

Sarah looked through her window at the leering, maniacal face of Acne Scars, as their truck was pushed off the road toward the rocky incline below.

FOUR

Their truck flew off the road at a high speed, sailed through the air and landed in the river at the bottom of the rocky incline. Sarah gasped for air as the truck settled and water rose up around it. She felt as if every muscle in her body had been stretched, and her thoughts seemed to move in slow motion.

Sarah turned toward Bryan whose head was tilted at an unnatural angle. Panicked, she fumbled with her seat belt and reached over to shake him. “Bryan!” She wrapped her hand around his muscular upper arm. “Bryan, please.”

He stirred, shaking his head and moaning in pain. She let out a breath. He was alive.

Bryan glanced from side to side as though trying to fathom what had happened. She reached across his stomach and unbuckled his seat belt.

The current propelled the car downriver. The metal frame creaked as the water pushed against it.

“We need to get out of here, right?”

He looked at her, blinking several times. “Yeah...yeah.” His eyes were void of comprehension.

“Or would it be better to drift with the current?” The truck picked up speed and turned sideways.

He looked around. “No.” His gaze became more focused. “The water gets deeper, more rapids.”

“I think we are closer to the bank on my side.” She glanced out the back window. Acne Scars’s Suburban must have pushed with so much force that it too had sailed off the road and landed upside-down on the rocky shore.

She rolled down her window. Water seeped into the cab of the truck.

“Hurry,” said Bryan. “Swim as hard as you can to shore. The current is pretty strong. I’ll be right behind you.”

She pushed herself through the window into the cold river. Rushing, swirling water suctioned around her. The cold of it shocked her into stillness for a moment as the force of the current pulled her under. She swallowed water and panic surged. She fought against it, struggling to the surface. She pierced the water with her hand, keeping her eyes on the bank which seemed to be slipping farther away.

She caught a quick glimpse of Bryan as he drifted downriver. He was pretty banged up from his fight, and he’d lost consciousness in the wreck. Was he in any condition to make a swim like this? His head went under as an awful sense of dread filled her.

I can’t lose him.

She crashed into a submerged log. She was able to catch her breath by grabbing on to one of the larger branches that stuck out of the water. Holding her position, she desperately scanned the water for a glimpse of Bryan, breathing a sigh of relief when his head bobbed to the surface as he stroked toward the shore, his movement steady and strong.

She pulled herself along the top of the log and then pushed off, aiming for the shore. Up ahead she could see the rapids—foaming, intense waves cresting and swirling. Terror spread through her. No way did she have the strength to swim through those. She needed to get to land. She jabbed her arm through the water, though her muscles had grown weak from the struggle. Her legs felt heavy.

Rivers, just like oceans, had an undertow. The closer she got to the rapids the bigger the risk of being pulled under and drowned.

The shore grew nearer inch by inch. The water calmed as she struggled toward an eddy. This time, when she put her feet down, she touched bottom. Thank You, God. Sarah dragged herself to the shore and crumpled onto a sandbar.

She heard footsteps and turned her head sideways. Bryan had gotten ashore farther upriver. He ran toward her, looking over his shoulder and then increasing his pace. The look of fear on his face fueled her panic. Sarah sat up.

He reached down and grabbed her arm. “We’ve got company. Come on.”

Acne Scars must have gotten out of the SUV. Sarah had barely caught her breath when Bryan lifted her to her feet and pulled her toward the thick brush. Both of them were soaking wet. Their shoes squished as they ran. Her wet clothes, which weighed an extra five pounds, slapped against her body. She was grateful for the warmth of the sun. They’d dry off quick enough.

Bryan led her through the thickness of the forest. The canopy reduced the light by half, and the temperature dropped ten degrees.

“Where...are...we...going?” Sarah spoke as she ran, taking a breath after each word.

“Back to the store. We can call for help from there. The sheriff will have to meet us and escort us back to town.”

The forest thinned. They came to the steep incline that led back up to the road. Only prairie grass grew on this side of the hill. Bryan scanned the area above them. “This is the only way to get to the road. We’ll be exposed as we go.”

Sarah took in a breath to push down the rising fear. “If it’s the only way.”

“Stay behind me.” Bryan made the steep trek with ease, continually glancing side to side and up above.

Sarah scrambled to keep up with him. She could see the road not more than twenty yards above them. How much farther to the store after that?

Bryan stopped suddenly, his eyes growing wide. He turned and pulled her to the ground, placing a protective arm across her back. A zinging sound followed by an explosive echo shattered the silence of the forest.

Panic made her voice shake. “He has a rifle. Where did he get a rifle?”

“He probably had it with him in that car.” From the ground where they lay, he turned to face her, reached out a hand and smoothed her wet hair back from her face. “It’s going to be okay.”

The tenderness of his voice was a soothing balm to her anxious, fear-filled thoughts.

“We’ll get to that store,” he assured her. “Stay low. The high grass will provide some cover.”

They crawled the remaining distance to the road taking an indirect path. Still lying on his belly, Bryan lifted his head and peered over the asphalt then back down the hill.

He tugged on her wet shirt. “Follow the road but use the slope of the bank for cover. We should be safe.”

Sarah took in a breath to calm her nerves. Her heart still hadn’t stopped racing.

Why was this happening? What kind of trouble had Crew gotten himself into? This had to be something more serious than an unpaid debt.

Bryan must have picked up on her fear. He grabbed her hand and pressed it between his. “We’re almost there.”

She nodded. They ran, crouched over until the store came into view. At that point, Bryan straightened, grabbed her hand and sprinted the remaining distance. Sarah glanced over her shoulder at the forest beyond the road.

As they neared the store, the windows looked dark. The car that had been parked on the side of the building earlier was gone. Sarah slowed her pace. The store was closed.

“Now what?”

Bryan surveyed the parking lot. “We’ve got to break in. We can leave a note, letting them know what happened. Maybe they have an alarm system that will bring help out here.”

He trotted around to the side of the building, picked up a rock and smashed the glass on the side door. No alarm sounded. Bryan reached through the broken glass and unlatched the door. “Not exactly high security.”

They stepped into what looked like a combination storage and break room. All it held was a Formica table with mismatched chairs, a coffeemaker and a shelf lined with canned goods, paper towels and boxes of fishing lures. They secured the door behind them as best they could, then with Bryan taking the lead, they walked into the darkened main part of the store.

Sarah reached for the light switch. Bryan grabbed her hand and shook his head. Sarah’s gaze traveled to the large window at the front of the store.

A percussive boom shattered the air as the glass in the window splintered into a thousand pieces spraying everywhere. Sarah screamed and dove to the floor.

Bryan dragged her toward the protection of the checkout area. He kept one arm around her while he reached up to the top of the counter and pulled the phone down. “We can’t wait for the sheriff.” The beeps from him pressing the numbers seemed to come on top of each other. “Jake, how fast can you get to the bait store on River Road? I’m in some serious trouble here. Armed man on the perimeter. Bring extra firepower if you’ve got it....Good.”

Sarah pressed her back against a cupboard. “Who was that?”

“A friend. He lives close. He’ll get here faster than the cops.”

“Why didn’t you call the police?”

Bryan’s expression hardened. “They’ve got a pretty lousy track record so far today.”

She grabbed Bryan’s shirt and glanced toward the broken window. “That guy knows we’re in here. We don’t have much time.”

“Which is why we’re not staying in here.” Bryan opened and closed the drawers and cupboards on the checkout counter, clearly searching for something. “Sometimes they have a gun for protection.” He opened one more drawer before giving up. He looked at her. “Make a run for the back door. Open it as little as possible. I’ll be right behind you.”

Questions raced through Sarah’s head—How would the friend find them if they left the store? Wasn’t there a risk that the friend would be shot, too?—but she knew it wasn’t the time to ask them.

Sarah crawled toward the back door, reaching up to work the latch. She glanced back at the shattered window. The shooter wasn’t in view, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t see them leaving the store. He had to be hiding in the trees across the road. She eased the door open to a narrow slit and squeezed through. Bryan pressed close to her back as they made their way along the outside wall of the store.

“Over there,” he whispered, pointing to one of the boats for rent. He scrambled toward it and lifted a corner of the canvas cover. “Get in.”

When she came to the end of the boat, she saw that a shed concealed it from view of the trees where Acne Scars likely hid. Sarah crawled through and lay down on the bottom of the boat, positioning her feet underneath the seat. Bryan crawled in beside her, reaching up to move the canvas cover back into place.

Lying on his side, he turned toward her and whispered, “Stay quiet. Jake’s car has a loud engine. We’ll hear it coming. We need to jump out and be ready to get in when he arrives.”

She nodded, wondering when her heart rate would return to normal. She knew it wouldn’t be any time soon when he lay close enough for her to feel his breath on her cheek. She inhaled his faint musk scent and looked into his deep brown eyes. The minutes ticked by. She dared not move.

A door slammed. She gasped. Bryan placed a calming hand on her shoulder. Footsteps crunched on gravel, growing closer. Every muscle in her body remained frozen. Her heartbeat drummed in her ears. Warmth radiated from her shoulder where Bryan’s hand remained.

The footsteps passed by the boat and then stopped. She dared not take a breath. If Acne Scars tore the cover off the boat, they’d both be dead in an instant. A century went by before the footsteps resumed.

Bryan squeezed her shoulder. She turned her head to see him better. For a long moment, they lay in silence facing each other. She used to think she could drown in the deep brown of his eyes.

He motioned with his eyes. At first, she didn’t know what he was trying to say. Then she heard it, the distant rumble of an engine.

This plan was fraught with risk. Was the killer lying in wait in the store? Had he returned to his post in the trees or had he assumed they’d run back into the forest and left altogether? There was no way to know.

The engine noise became more distinct. Bryan reached up to flip back the cover. He lifted his head above the rim of the boat and then pulled himself out. She rolled toward the edge of the boat and sat up.

“Hurry, we don’t have much time.”

She jumped to the ground and followed him as he raced toward the shed, pressing his back against it. She leaned close to him, holding on to his muscular arm. The car engine sounded like it was on top of them.

“Now, now.” He pulled her toward the parking lot. The car was still twenty yards away. The first rifle shot kicked up rocks in front of them. The car zoomed into the lot at a high speed, turning a hundred and eighty degrees. The second rifle shot hit the side view mirror.

Bryan yanked open the back door, pulling Sarah ahead of him so she could get in first. A bullet hit the door as Bryan crawled inside. He slammed the door shut. The car stirred up gravel, swerved and sped down the road.

FIVE

By the time they had reached the outskirts of Discovery, Sarah’s heart rate had mostly returned to normal. Though she kept glancing over her shoulder expecting to be fired at, she could manage a deep breath.

Bryan hadn’t said anything on the ride into town other than to ask her if she was okay and introduce her to Jake. They sat close together in the backseat, their shoulders touching. What they had been through left them both speechless though she found some comfort in having him close. Bryan seemed to take his own comfort from the handgun that rested on his thigh.

As soon as they had gotten into the car, Jake had tossed it back to Bryan. Another gun sat on the front seat of the Dodge Charger. Bryan kept up a steady vigil of checking all the windows at intervals. From his actions, he too worried they would be attacked again. Even though she knew both of the men who had come after them were now on foot, the fear settled in her belly like a heavy rock.

She’d almost died today. And all because of something Crew had done. Sarah closed her eyes and tried to make sense of it all, but nothing seemed to fit. Yes, her brother had been in trouble before, but she knew he had a good heart. How had he gotten mixed up with those thugs? She’d seen the level of violence these men were capable of. Her heart squeezed tight. What if the sheriff didn’t catch those men? What would they do to her brother when they found him? She had to get to Crew before those thugs did.

Jake slowed the car as he came within the city limits. He was a burly man with salt-and-pepper hair. He dressed in army surplus fatigues and smelled like cigars. She guessed he might be in his mid-fifties.

What kind of life did Bryan lead that he knew men who had access to guns at a moment’s notice?

Bryan tensed as they drew nearer to the police station. Jake pulled into the parking lot, and they all exited the car.

Bryan slapped Jake on the back as they gripped hands. “Thanks, you saved my life.”

“That makes us about even,” said Jake. “You can take it from here?”

Bryan raised a leery eye toward the police station. “I’ll be all right.”

Jake got back into his car as Bryan escorted Sarah up the sidewalk. Sarah glanced back at the rough-looking man getting into his car. “So how do you know Jake?”

“We worked together on a case when I came here. Then he took early retirement.”

A case? She wanted to ask what case he’d have worked on as a forest ranger, but the bitterness embedded in Bryan’s words indicated he didn’t want to tell her anything else.

Inside the station, only a few officers sat at computers. A series of cupboards, some of them locked, took up one wall of the police station. At the far end of the long, narrow room was an office with a window. The sign on the door read Chief Sandoval. Radios and scanners buzzed on and off throughout the station.

All of the men and the one woman working at their computers raised their head when Bryan stepped inside.

The officer closest to the door said, “Hey, Bryan.”

The greeting was neither friendly nor hostile.

Bryan looked at one officer and then another. “Have you guys heard anything about what happened on Fire Mountain today?”

“I picked some things up on the scanner,” said the female officer. “Don’t think County ever caught up with those guys.”

Sarah cringed. That meant they were still out there. At least it was a long walk into town.

Bryan rested a hand on her shoulder. “This is Sarah Langston. She’s the woman who was abducted and almost killed today. She needs to make a statement, and we’ll have her look at mug shots. She can identify her attackers and so can I.”

“I’ll get right on that. Just give me a second to set things up.” The female officer scooted back her chair and disappeared around a corner.

From the familiarity that Bryan had with the other officers, it was clear he had some sort of connection to the police. “So how does a guy in a fire tower have such a cozy relationship with the city police?”

“I used to work here.” Bryan angled his head, not making eye contact. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

Sarah stepped a little closer to him. “Used to?”

His expression turned hard as granite. “It’s a long story.” His voice became thick with emotion. “And not one I want to tell.”

Even though she knew his anger was over whatever had happened on the job, his retort stung—a reminder of a much more personal anger that he had directed at her ten years ago. When she’d found out she was pregnant, they’d gone to a pregnancy counseling center. Naomi’s Place had been warm and filled with love, a safe place for teens to live while they were pregnant. They both had agreed that giving up their little girl was the best choice for everyone. But after Bryan signed away his parental rights, he became sullen. His silent rage had made her feel like he blamed her for not wanting to keep their child. It didn’t make sense. They had made the decision together. They didn’t get a chance to talk things out. Instead, he left. His parents moved away shortly after.

In the two years after Bryan left, she had been adopted by a loving family. The adoption had come too late for Crew, who was past eighteen and already descending into his life of crime, but it had helped cement Sarah’s resolve to take her life in a different direction. She too had left for college to get a degree in social work. She’d returned because she loved Discovery, because Crew and her adoptive parents were here, and maybe somewhere in the back of her mind she hoped Bryan would come back, as well.

Now he was back. But whatever he’d been doing, the years had not been kind to Bryan Keyes. The vulnerable teenager she had known was lost to a man with an eight-foot wall around his heart. And she had no desire to try to climb over it.

The female officer returned. “Why don’t you come this way? I’ve set up an interview room for you. It’ll be easier to concentrate in there.” She held out her hand. “I’m Officer O’Connor, but you can call me Bridget.”

Sarah stepped toward Bridget. Fear rose up. She didn’t want to think about those two men. She glanced back at Bryan. “Can Bryan come with me?”

The officer spoke gently. “I have to take your statements separately.”

“It’ll be all right.” He reached out and squeezed her upper arm. “Bridget has a very gentle bedside interrogation technique.”

His joke made her smile.

Bridget opened a door labeled Interview Room One. “Right in here.”

Sarah took in a deep breath. Tension wove around her chest at the prospect of having to relive the terror of the last few hours.

And worst of all was her certainty that it still wasn’t over.

* * *

The look of vulnerability Bryan saw in Sarah’s eyes as she turned the corner nearly tore his heart out. She was still shaken, still afraid. If he could just hold her. He remembered the softness of her skin and the light floral scent of her hair. Heat rose up his neck. Even after ten years, the memory held a power over him.

All the more reason for him to keep some distance between them now. He wouldn’t do her any favors if he got distracted by the past. Only by staying focused on the danger could he truly help her.

He couldn’t make the interview any easier for her, but maybe he could make sure those guys didn’t come after her again. Once the thugs got back into town, Sarah would still be in danger unless Crew came forward.

Bryan looked through the window where Chief Sandoval sat hunched over his desk. Overwhelmed with frustration as the case against Tyler Mason dissolved, his parting words to his boss weeks ago had been harsh.

He understood why Sandoval had no desire to waste manpower and resources trying to find a new angle on the investigation. Mason did such a good job of playing the part of a fine upstanding businessman that most people fell for his act. Unless they could get another eyewitness to Mason’s human trafficking ring who could put the finger on Mason, they really didn’t have a case.

A tightness embedded in Bryan’s chest as he walked toward Sandoval’s glass office. The older man raised his head and peered through the window, giving away nothing in his expression.

Bryan tapped on the door.

“Come in.”

“Sir?”

Sandoval leaned back in his chair. “Have you decided to put that badge back on, Officer Keyes?”

Bryan shook his head. If his job wasn’t about getting justice, he wasn’t so sure it was a job he wanted.

Sandoval’s chair creaked as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his desk. “Too bad, you’re a good officer.”

The compliment warmed him. Whatever conflict they had had, Sandoval was a competent chief. “I need to talk to you about another matter.”

Sandoval nodded. “Go ahead.”

“There’s a woman in the interview room with Bridget right now. I witnessed two men try to kill her earlier today. I think her life is still in danger. She can identify them.”

Sandoval straightened the papers on his desk. “So you think they will come for her again?”

“They were pretty relentless up on the mountain. Can we set her up with some protection?”

“Why were these men after her?” Not showing a high level of interest, Sandoval glanced at his computer monitor. “What does this relate to?”

“They wanted to know the whereabouts of her brother.”

“Is the brother a criminal?”

Bryan was uncomfortable with the classification—the Crew he knew had been a good person, just on a bad path. “He has a history of drug use,” Bryan admitted.

“So this might be about a bad debt or stolen drugs.” Sandoval seemed distracted as he rose from his chair and opened a file cabinet drawer.

“We don’t know. My gut says it’s more serious than that. These guys were pretty persistent. Sarah’s not involved in drug culture—if they were going to kill her to send a message to her brother then it seems like more is at stake here than a simple debt.”

“I can’t spare an officer to provide 24/7 protection, but I can send an extra patrol through her neighborhood at night. The dispatcher can be made aware if a call does come from her home.” He slammed the file drawer shut.

That wouldn’t be enough to keep Sarah safe, but pressuring Sandoval would not be effective. “I appreciate that, sir.” He turned to go. If the department couldn’t protect Sarah, maybe he’d have to.

He wandered back through the station. The female officer who had been with Sarah walked toward him holding a computer printout. “Thought you might want to look at this. These are the two men she identified.”

Bryan studied the photographs. “Yeah. Those are the guys.” Something clicked in his brain, and he examined the picture of the short, skinny man a little closer. Earlier, they’d been a bit preoccupied with running for their lives. He hadn’t had time to think about who these men might be.

“Smoke is coming out of your ears,” said Bridget.

Bryan tapped the piece of paper. “Something about this guy is ringing a bell.” He looked up from the paper. “Where is Sarah, anyway?”

“She’s reading through her statement so she can sign it.” Bridget poked him in the chest. “I’ll need to do a sit-down with you, too.”

He stared at the printout. “Can we do it later?”

“Sure, but I don’t want to wait too long.” She returned to her desk.

Bryan gripped the corners of the computer-generated photograph. The skinny thug was connected to a previous case he’d worked. That had to be why the guy looked familiar. He’d seen him in another photograph. His brain clicked through the possibilities. Only one case had been the focus of his attention since he’d come back to Discovery.

He peered around one of the carrels where a young officer with a buzz cut and thick eyebrows sat with a stack of papers in front of him.

Bryan waved the printout. “Grant, do you know what they did with my old case files?”

“They’re right where you left them. You only took a leave of absence—no one was going to pack away your stuff.”

Bryan worked his way to the back of the station. A six-foot-high divider separated the detectives’ work area from the patrol officers’ desks. His desk had been swept clean of anything personal, but it looked like someone had bothered to keep the dust from collecting. After retrieving his work phone from a drawer and placing it on the charger, he opened a file drawer and pulled out three thick manila files. How much surveillance and how many thousands of photographs had he taken?

He flipped open the first folder, shuffling through the photographs, and then the second as his heart pounded in his chest with anticipation. Was he so obsessed with Mason that he had imagined a connection? One after another, he looked at the photos and laid them aside.

Finally, he found the photograph he’d been looking for. Tyler Mason dressed in his usual expensive suit outside of a hotel in Mexico flanked by two men who were obviously acting as his bodyguards.

One of them was the same guy who had run his truck off the road.

Bryan swallowed. His fingers curled into a fist. If these guys were connected to Tyler Mason, this thing was way bigger than a couple of low-level drug dealers looking to get paid. Could this be the break he needed to blow the Mason case wide open?

“Keyes, I need to get your statement.” Bridget’s head peered around the divider, pulling him out of deep thought.

“Yes, of course. Is Sarah still in the interview room?”

“She was done. She said something about going to find her brother,” Bridget said.

He let go of the photo as it drifted down to the desk. “She’s out there by herself?” A sense of urgency girded his words.

Bridget shrugged. “She called a friend to come get her. What’s the big deal?”

“I’m concerned those guys she tangled with aren’t going to give up that easily.”

“Don’t you think they are still tromping through the woods or sitting in the back of a sheriff’s car by now?”

“I’m pretty sure they have friends in town.” His heart pounded from the sense of urgency he felt. “What was her home address?”

Bridget tilted her head. “I don’t know if I can disclose that.”

He grabbed her forearm. “You heard from the report how determined these guys were. I have a feeling they’re not working alone.”

Bridget let out a breath. “Okay. It was on Madison Street....” She thought for a moment and then looked down at the stack of papers she held in the crook of her elbow, flipping through several pages. “Three twenty-one Madison Street, that subdivision on the edge of town.”

After grabbing his phone off the charger, he stalked toward the front of the station, his mind racing as he walked. His truck was floating down the Jefferson River. His car was parked at his house. He stopped in front of the young officer he’d talked to earlier. “Grant, loan me the keys to your car.”

Grant raised his eyebrows. “Because...?”

“Because you’re my friend and you can come out to my place and get them when you get off shift.”

Maybe Grant picked up on the desperation in his voice, but he tossed the keys without further questions. “You owe me, buddy. I’m going to have to get a ride from my wife to go out there and get the car.”

“Yeah, yeah. Thanks, man.” Bryan pushed through the doors of the station and skirted around to the side parking lot where the officers kept their private cars.

His thoughts sparked at lightning speed as he sat behind the wheel and shoved the key in the ignition. It couldn’t be just coincidence that the same man who worked for Tyler Mason had been after Sarah. Maybe he’d cut short his fire-tower hiatus and come back on the police force if Sandoval would let him pursue the connection.

He’d talk to the chief later. Right now he needed to make sure Sarah was not in any immediate danger.

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