NOWHERE LEFT TO HIDE

Tracy Murray had thought she’d be safe disappearing in the wilds of Alaska after her testimony put away a gang leader. But the gang symbol tattooed on an attacker’s arm means the clock has run out. She’s been found—and she knows the killers won’t let her escape alive again. She can’t fight an entire gang alone—she needs help. But when she finds herself relying on widowed firefighter David Warren, a new struggle emerges. Fleeing Alaska and cutting all ties could be the only way to survive…but it would mean leaving her heart behind.

Mountain Cove: In the Alaskan wilderness, love and danger collide

“Shh… Tracy, it’s okay.” He hugged her tighter and ran his hand down her red hair.

A tenderness he hadn’t felt since his wife had been still alive kindled inside him. David wanted to release Tracy. He needed to release her, but she needed him right now.

She shook her head, her face still pressed into his shoulder. “No, it’s not going to be okay.”

David eased her from him and gripped her shoulders to look into her tear-reddened but still beautiful silver-blue eyes. “I’m so sorry about what you came across today, but Jay is going to be all right. And the police are searching for the guy who did this.”

“You don’t understand.” Shaking her head, she moved away from him.

“Why don’t you tell me, then? Is it the man who shoved Jay over today that has you upset and scared? Or is there something more?” The question sounded too personal, but he couldn’t think of any other way to say it.

“Yes, there’s more.” Tracy stared into the fire.

“I’m listening. Tell me.”

“I was the key witness in a murder trial. The killer on the mountain might be here for me.”

ELIZABETH GODDARD is an award-winning author of over twenty novels, including the romantic mystery The Camera Never Lies—winner of a prestigious Carol Award in 2011. After acquiring her computer science degree, she worked at a software firm before eventually retiring to raise her four children and become a professional writer. In addition to writing, she homeschools her children and serves with her husband in ministry.

Backfire
Elizabeth Goddard

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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And we know that in all things

God works for the good of those who love Him,

who have been called according to His purpose.

—Romans 8:28

This story is dedicated to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ—who gave the ultimate sacrifice when He laid down His life to save us. And to all the first responders, search and rescue volunteers and firefighters, who give their time and energy, face dangers of the worst kind, to help others. I pray God’s grace and many blessings for you. Last, but never least, I dedicate all my stories to my husband and children, who give me the time and space I need to create stories, with a special dedication to my daughter, Rachel, a real princess.

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to all my writing friends who have encouraged me along the way, and a special thank-you to Teresa Haugh for providing me with the important details to keep this story true to the southeast Alaska setting. I can’t thank my agent, Steve Laube, enough for believing in my work early on, and to my editor Elizabeth Mazer—thank you for making each story the best it can be!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Epigraph

Dedication

Acknowledgments

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

TWENTY

TWENTY-ONE

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

ONE

Mountain Cove, Alaska

Tracy Murray knew she had little time. A storm brewed in the distance.

But Solomon’s urgent bark pulled her up the rising trail, indicating that there was someone in danger.

She sucked more air into her lungs that were already screaming from her workout.

Any other season on this trail—spring, winter, fall—she’d have to be concerned about the avalanche danger. But not during the summer, and because the season was so brief in Alaska, Tracy had every intention of enjoying the outdoors. Out for a run with her search-and-rescue golden retriever, summer abounded around her in the form of wildflowers and sundry small wildlife scurrying in and out of the flora.

Tracy had been heading for Keller Falls, four miles up the trail, until Solomon had taken off. She’d let him run free and hoped to practice a few commands. Up until a moment ago he’d run beside Tracy, surprisingly ignoring his natural instinct to chase forest animals, but then he’d taken off. With his continued excited and urgent barks, she knew that he had caught a human scent and was sending his vocal cue to alert Tracy that something was wrong.

Dread replaced the serenity she’d found on the trail.

Solomon was an air-scent search dog, wilderness search-and-rescue certified, and Tracy was still training him for both cadaver and avalanche certification. They’d already participated in several searches in the region as part of the North Face Mountain Rescue team. But Tracy hadn’t taken her dog out looking for trouble today. No. She’d been looking for peace.

Instead her much-loved pet had likely found something. Or rather, someone.

Avoiding the steep and hazardous drop on the right side of the trail, Tracy kept running toward Solomon’s sound-off. It surprised Tracy how far Solomon had gone on his own in the wilderness, but he’d obviously picked up a human scent that he intended to follow.

Though certified, Solomon was often eager to conduct a search even when he wasn’t tasked with one, which frequently ended in false alarms—finding someone who wasn’t lost. But if this was something more this time, at least she wasn’t alone if she needed to call for help. She wasn’t the only one who enjoyed an early morning run on this trail. Another runner had taken off on the trail ahead of her, and she’d run into David Warren heading the opposite direction on the trail, too.

He’d nodded and she’d nodded and they’d both given each other wide berth. Kind of funny now that she considered it. Living in Mountain Cove for two years, Tracy had worked with the firefighter on several search-and-rescue missions, but he seemed aloof. A few years older than Tracy in his late thirties, the man still attracted plenty of female attention with his rugged appearance and strong, lean body. His smile was the kind that turned heads and could make a woman weak in the knees.

Despite all that, he wasn’t married, didn’t have a girlfriend, and Tracy knew why—he was too cold on the inside. Even if he wasn’t, she’d have kept her distance because of his profession. Tracy wanted to avoid any reminders of the night that had changed her life forever. Any reminders of what had sent her into hiding.

Make that who.

And that was one reason she’d chosen to live in Mountain Cove. Surrounded by temperate rain forest in Southeast Alaska, the chances of seeing a wildfire were next to zero.

She shook off the unwelcome thoughts and focused in on Solomon’s alerts. His barks came from the area to her right, which was nothing but a steep ridge. Her heart sank. She’d purposefully avoided that ledge. How had Solomon found his way down? Or had he fallen?

God, please, no.

“Solomon!” Tracy crept to the edge and peered out over the rocky, jagged escarpment, part of the gorge that originated at Keller Falls. Where was he?

The drop was steep, terraced with granite or bedrock in places, and it was on one of those natural terraces that Solomon stood barking. Fear gripped Tracy. How could she bring Solomon back up?

“Solomon! Come,” she called.

The position of his ears and tail signaled that he’d found someone who was injured or scared. Solomon peered up, his brown eyes somber, and when he saw her, he lay on the small space—a signal to mark the spot. But where was the injured person?

Then, just beyond a bush growing from the ridge, she spotted a body. Tracy’s pulse thundered in her ears. The breath rushed from her—it was the man who’d run ahead of her. But Solomon hadn’t signaled that he was dead.

And then the man lifted a hand and called out to her. He wasn’t dead after all, but he’d taken a fall. How had he survived?

Tracy could barely hear his cry for help.

“I’m calling for assistance,” she yelled down to him. “Just hang in there!”

A chill slid down her spine. The sense that someone watched crawled over her. Phone in hand, she called for help for the fallen jogger while she scanned the woods behind and around her.

A man stepped out of nowhere and Tracy gasped—then let out a sigh of relief when she saw it was David.

But the sense of unease didn’t disappear.

And she still had a feeling she was being watched.

* * *

Breathing hard, David bent over his thighs before gasping out, “I heard the dog, wanted to see if there was a problem.” David wiped the sweat from his eyes, sucked in a few breaths to slow his breathing after he’d sprinted up the trail then cut through the woods.

Phone to her ear, Tracy stared at him with those big silvery-blue eyes of hers, the terror slowly fading away to shock and concern. What was going on?

Scrunching her freckled nose, she glared at her phone. “Lost the signal. Oh, I don’t have time for this.”

“What’s wrong?”

A deep frown crossed her features as she shoved the thick red hair from her face. “I’m so glad you’re here. A runner fell. He’s down there.” Urgency in her voice, Tracy paced as she pointed to the steep, rocky drop. “He needs our help.”

David peered over the edge and spotted Solomon—how had the dog made it down there?—and just beyond he saw the hiker. The man was still alive? Apprehension lodged in David’s gut. How long had he been there?

Pulling his own phone out, he looked for the bars. “Got ’em. Use my phone to call for help. I’ll climb down to him.” David was assistant chief of the Mountain Cove Fire Department and a paramedic. He spent most of his time as a firefighter answering EMS calls rather than fires, and he had too many SAR certifications to count. He was well qualified—he just wished he was better inventoried. Out on his morning run, he had no medical equipment or emergency supplies. All he could do was assess the man’s injuries and reassure him while they waited for help to arrive.

Reaching over, Tracy pressed her hand against his arm, uncertainty in her eyes. “Be careful. You don’t even have your climbing gear.”

He’d gone on enough free-soloing climbs—free climbing with no ropes—to know this ridge wouldn’t be a problem for him. “Don’t worry. When you reach someone, tell them we’ll need a helicopter to hoist this man out. That fall had to have severely banged him up.” If he wasn’t mortally wounded.

David suspected the latter but wouldn’t voice his concerns because Tracy was already on edge. She’d seemed unusually distressed. In their previous interactions, the experienced search-and-rescue volunteer was always in control of her emotions. Was there more to this than she’d admitted?

Before he climbed down to the injured jogger, he needed to know. “Did you see what happened?”

She shook her head. “Like you, I followed Solomon’s bark. He took off ahead of me.”

David eyed the dangerous ledge, deciding on the safest and quickest path to the man. He started down, with one last glance up to Tracy, and noticed her looking behind her as though she expected someone to jump out of the woods.

Gripping the rocks, he paused and called up. “Tracy.”

His short, snappy tone got her attention.

She peered down at him. “What?”

“Did you reach anyone?”

“I’m on hold.”

“Figures. Are you going to be okay?” He should be more concerned about the fallen runner, but he couldn’t shake the sense that something had scared Tracy. Or was he just being an idiot?

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

He shrugged and continued down.

Tracy had caught his attention the first time he’d met her a couple of years ago. She’d just moved to Mountain Cove, she’d explained after he’d run into her coming out of his brother Adam’s bicycle shop. Collided, more like, and he’d had to assist her off the ground—her and the new bike she’d purchased. He should have offered to buy her coffee or something. Any normal red-blooded male would have. With her thick, red mane and deep, striking eyes, he hadn’t stopped thinking about her for weeks after running into her.

Maybe he was just lonely. Starved for female companionship. But he didn’t think that was it. There was just something about Tracy. But getting involved wasn’t for him anymore. Yeah, he saw how happy two of his siblings—Heidi and Cade—were now that they had each finally gotten married. Cade and his wife, Leah, had had their first child two months ago, naming him after their late father, Scott Daniel Warren. And Heidi had married Isaiah, a family friend, SAR volunteer and a coworker at the avalanche center that their father had founded. David’s siblings had done well for themselves.

He’d known that kind of happiness once. But he’d lost it; let it slip through his fingers. He didn’t deserve it again. His wife had died in a fire when he, a decorated firefighting hero, had failed to save her. How could he have let that happen?

He didn’t deserve happiness. Not after that. And after Tracy had snagged his thoughts with one run-in, he knew to keep his distance from her on their search-and-rescue missions and training events. And even when he saw her in town.

He reached Solomon and petted the dog, giving him plenty of reassuring verbal rewards.

“I’m on my way down,” he called to the injured man. “Hold on.”

The trim man looked to be about average height, healthy except for the way he lay twisted at an angle a few feet below the narrow ledge where David and Solomon now stood. He likely had a few if not many broken bones and possibly had internal injuries, as well. David was astounded he had survived, and if the rescue helicopter didn’t arrive soon, he might not make it.

Carefully gripping the rocks, David inched his way down.

Finally he reached the narrow terrace and looked down into dark gray eyes filled with pain and fear. “My name’s David. I’m a firefighter and paramedic. Lie perfectly still. Help is on the way.”

Kneeling beside him, David assessed the fallen man’s wounds the best he could, but with a possible spinal injury, David avoided moving any part of his body. Blood oozed from a gash in the man’s head, coagulating in his light brown hair. David removed his own jacket and then his T-shirt, using it to apply pressure to stanch the flow. He could do at least that much. He cringed to think of what was going on inside the injured man’s body.

“It’s pretty bad, isn’t it?”

“You’re going to make it.”

God, let my words be true. Save this man, help him.

The man closed his eyes.

“What’s your name?” David had to keep him awake, keep him talking, if he could.

“Jay Woodall.”

Maybe David couldn’t offer much physical assistance, but emotional and mental encouragement was just as important.

Clouds brewed in the distance, forecasted to bring a torrent, and David could already smell the rain. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled, warning of the storm’s imminent approach and leaving David unsettled. They didn’t usually get thunderstorms. He sure hoped that helicopter got here soon. He didn’t want to see Jay suffer any more by getting soaked and chilled on top of his injuries.

“Why?” Jay’s croak resounded with the shock of his trauma.

Recognizing the man’s emotional distress over his predicament, David frowned. Was he asking why God would allow him to fall? David had enough of those questions himself. Questions he’d never resolved since he’d lost Natalie. He feared it might take a lifetime to find the answers, or worse, that he never would. He fought to keep from railing at God on some days. But he shoved his inner turmoil aside to focus on the here and now and the man who needed his help.

David might not be able to answer those kinds of questions, but maybe he could help in other ways if he knew more. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“Someone...pushed me over. Tried to kill me.”

The news stunned David. Did Jay know the person who’d done this?

David glanced up the rock-faced cliff and spotted Solomon watching. From here, David couldn’t see Tracy. He wished Solomon would find his way back up to her.

Was Jay’s attacker still up there? If so, Tracy was up there alone with a dangerous man—a man who’d attempted murder.

TWO

Tracy ended the call.

Help was on the way, but would it get here before the storm? Wind whipped around her and the trees swayed. A sound caught her attention from the thick woods behind her. Woods she’d enjoyed only moments before. But now the dense tangle of trees had turned dark and sinister, as though hiding a secret.

Or a killer.

She rubbed her arms to chase away the chill that crawled over her. She was being ridiculous. If only David hadn’t sprung from the woods like that and startled her. Her heart still pounded from the scare he’d given her. That was all this was about. There wasn’t a bogeyman standing in the shadows. She didn’t have to be afraid anymore. The only people who had any reason to want to harm her were thousands of miles away and had no idea where to find her.

She peered down the ledge. David was with the injured man, holding his hand and offering gentle reassurances. She couldn’t hear what they said from there, but could tell the man, broken as he was, had relaxed somewhat.

Maybe David wasn’t as cold as she’d thought. From here, she could barely make out his chuckle. Probably telling the man a funny story or joke to get his mind off his injuries. Glancing up at the sky, she tried to gauge whether help would arrive before the storm. She knew how difficult it could be to execute rescues in stormy conditions, but this man would die without immediate help. As the sky grew darker, so did the woods.

Again that sense that someone was watching slinked over her and kept her on edge. Tracy hated her paranoia, but she had good reason.

Tracy looked behind her again, watching her surroundings to reassure herself no one was there. Normally she had the comfort of knowing that Solomon could protect her if there was anything to worry about. But how to get the dog back from where he’d traveled down the ledge? She called him, using the command he should quickly respond to, but he wouldn’t move from his perch. She had no idea if he simply wasn’t able to make the climb—though she hadn’t seen him try—or if he was committed to the fall victim.

There was nothing for it. Tracy would have to climb down to him. She was an experienced climber herself and had paid attention to David’s path down, but she couldn’t see herself going all the way to the fallen jogger without climbing gear. Again she searched for the path Solomon had taken, but saw nothing, at least from this angle.

She eased herself down and, her feet and hands gripping the rock face, pressed herself into the granite, taking in quick breaths. She hadn’t ever done this solo—without the ropes in case she fell. But it wasn’t that difficult. Solomon had picked his way down without climbing somehow, so she knew she could, too.

She sent up a quick prayer and continued to make her way until Solomon was only a few yards below her. When fear crept in, she imagined she had the necessary ropes and gear to keep from falling and continued on.

The next thing she knew, hands gripped her waist. “You’re almost there,” David said. Relief flooded her as David assisted her the rest of the way. She could have done it without him, but it was a comfort to know he was—literally—watching her back. But why had he felt it necessary to leave the fallen runner?

When she turned her back to the rock face she’d just scaled, David stood mere inches from her.

Much too close.

“What...what are you doing? Why did you leave him down there alone?”

“I needed to check on you, too.”

“I’m a big girl. I know how to take care of myself.” His nearness and concern confused her. Putting space between them, Tracy knelt next to Solomon and hugged him to her. “Good boy.”

“The man’s name is Jay Woodall, by the way.”

David studied the ledge above as if looking for that same bogeyman she had feared moments before. Or maybe more help.

“Oh, now I can see how Solomon found his way, David.” Tracy pointed to a place a few yards to the right that connected with the trail farther down. There were enough rocks and outcroppings for the dog to stair-step his way. “Solomon and I could go back up and wait for the SAR team coming on foot. We can show them the easier way down, while you wait with Jay for the helicopter.”

“No. You and Solomon should stay here, where I can see you.”

“David.” Tracy stood as he turned to face her. “What’s going on?”

“Somebody pushed Jay over.”

The news punched her gut. Tracy gasped and cupped her mouth, stepping back.

“Watch it.” David caught her and pulled her away from the ledge. He gripped her arms. “I don’t know why someone would do that, but we can’t know if they’re still lurking in the woods somewhere and waiting for their chance to finish the job.”

“You have a gun, right?” Tracy expected he carried some form of protection with him when in the woods in Alaska, as did most people. Bears were the main threat. Tracy had her bear spray, but somehow it didn’t make her feel secure if she had to face off with a killer of the human variety.

His features twisted into a half frown, half smile. “Yeah, even when I’m jogging. But don’t worry. I can’t believe anyone would do something like this and hang around for long. We’d see him for sure.”

Tracy nodded. Solomon could warn them, as well. Jay was fortunate that she and Solomon had been on the trail when they were. People often told her Solomon’s breed didn’t make for a good guard dog, but he’d saved her life once. She’d trust him again.

“I want you to go down and wait with Jay,” David said a moment later. “I’m going to check the trail and make sure it’s safe for the incoming SAR team.”

“I’m not as good a climber as you. I don’t think I could make that.”

“It’s not that far. I’ll go down first and if you can ease down a few inches I can almost reach you.”

When David moved to scale the cliff the rest of the way to Jay, Tracy grabbed his arm. “David.”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for coming back to check on me.”

“Of course.”

His gaze lingered on hers longer than necessary. She wasn’t sure why, but unfortunately, she liked it. What was it about him?

Then he turned his attention to the climb down. She couldn’t have known when she woke up this morning that the day would end with her taking refuge on a small terrace in a cliff face with Solomon, a fallen jogger and David Warren, hiding from a would-be killer.

* * *

Tracy waited with Jay while David climbed up to make sure it was safe by the trail for the incoming SAR team. The guy had courage and was all about protecting others.

He leaned over the ledge and looked down at her now to let her know he had finally returned. The clouds chose to release their burden at that moment, lashing them with a relentless fury and forcing her to drag her eyes away from the ledge.

At least the rain woud keep her from looking up every other minute, terrified that the next person she saw would be the man who’d shoved Jay over the ledge.

How was it that she had to face off with a killer twice in her life? She wanted to question God about the insanity in this world. Wanted to condemn David for leaving her. Solomon, too.

As it was, she feared Jay was quickly losing his battle with death. But she was thankful David had returned. She never thought she’d ever be so glad to see him—a man she’d avoided.

She looked up again and saw David. His gaze held hers as the rain pounded all of them and he shouted, “I’m coming down.”

“What about the rocks? Won’t it be too slippery? Maybe you should wait,” she called up.

“I have gear this time. SAR is here.” He shot her a smile and gestured with the climbing ropes before he started setting an anchor. But then he frowned. Called down to her. “How’s Jay?”

Tracy’s heart lurched. “Not doing very well, I’m afraid.”

He made it about halfway then called down to her again. “You pray, Tracy?”

She’d prefer he paid more attention to rappelling in the rain than trying to reassure her.

She wished she had a hood. Something. Rain splattered her face when she called up. “Yes, of course.”

“Well, good, then. Because we have that, if we have nothing else. And it’s what truly matters.”

Tracy had seen the Warren family in church; heard they were heroes and Christians. But she hadn’t known the depth of that conviction until now, when David gave her a glimpse of the man he really was on the inside.

And then he was right next to her, holding her steady in the pouring rain.

He pulled the pack from his back and took out a big sheet of plastic. “Here, take this for a minute. I’m going to hold this over you and Jay to cover you.”

He also tugged out a thermal blanket. “Now, cover Jay. At least we can keep him from getting any wetter. Keep him warm.”

Tracy nodded and did as David asked.

Jay’s eyes blinked open. “Why did this happen?”

“I’m sorry... I don’t know. But there is a helicopter coming. It’ll be here soon, Jay. You’re going to be just fine.” She didn’t want to ask if he was in pain because she knew he was. “As soon as the helicopter gets here, the SAR team will position you in the rescue basket and the medics will take care of you.”

God, please let the rain stop, just long enough for us to get Jay to safety. Airlifting someone injured could be treacherous on a good day, much less in a rare thunderstorm.

Why had this kind of weather unleashed now, with Jay straddling this world and the next?

“What happened, Jay? Why’d someone push you off a cliff?” Tracy cringed. Should she really be asking him? It wasn’t her business. Those questions were for the authorities.

Still, it creeped her out to think that Jay’s would-be killer had been lurking in the woods. Maybe if she understood what had happened, she wouldn’t be so scared.

“Saw him on the trail. Stopped to catch my breath. Just making conversation. Then he tried to kill me.” Jay coughed. “Probably thought he succeeded. That’s what I get for being too friendly.”

Tracy had nothing else to say but that she was sorry, and she didn’t want to say that repeatedly. Nor did she like the sound of his cough. Maybe he shouldn’t even be talking. She opened her mouth to tell him that he should rest now when he spoke again.

“He had an interesting tattoo. I’ve been thinking about getting one...and I asked him about it. Maybe that’s what sent him into a fit. How crazy is that?” He squeezed her hand.

But it was as if he squeezed her heart. Tracy couldn’t breathe. Images of the worst night of her life filled with flames and smoke and death accosted her. Somewhere outside her memories, David asked if she was okay, but she couldn’t escape the images.

“Tattoo?” she finally managed to ask. “What...kind of tattoo?”

Jay closed his eyes. Was he unconscious again?

“Jay, please, I need to know. It could help us identify the man who did this.”

She held her breath, afraid she would never get the answer. Fearing what the answer might be all the same.

The pounding rain slowed to a trickle, giving them a reprieve. In the distance she heard the whir of the rescue helicopter.

The plastic David held shifted. “Tracy,” he said. “I need you to climb back up to give us room to get Jay on the rescue basket and into the helicopter.”

Still reeling over what Jay had said, she couldn’t respond.

“It’s safe, Tracy. Others are up there. The Mountain Cove PD is on the way, too.”

He lowered the plastic. “Tracy? Are you okay?”

“Sure. Give me a sec.” She squeezed Jay’s hand, trying one last time. “What kind of tattoo, Jay? Please, it’s important.”

He looked at her then, the pain in his face almost intolerable. “Numbers and a scorpion with flames on the wrist. I should have known better, but I thought it was cool. Asked what the numbers—”

Tracy didn’t hear more, having already gone into a shock of her own.

No, it couldn’t be...

How had he found her?

THREE

The helicopter hovered above them.

David stood underneath the rescue basket that was used like a medical stretcher, watching as Jay was hoisted up and into the chopper. The rain was beginning to lash them again. Carefully securing Jay in the basket without complicating his injuries had been a difficult task and had required the SAR team and the expertise of the flight paramedics working together. David was also a paramedic, but he was tired and drained and had stepped back to let the fresh crew on duty do their jobs. However, Jay had wanted him there, holding his hand, making it a tight fit on the rocky terraced outcropping.

David said a silent prayer that Jay would fully recover. All things were possible with God. Like Jay being found to begin with. The helicopter swayed unsteadily in the wind, and lightning flashed. This was one of the most hazardous rescues he’d participated in.

And he hadn’t even been on call. He’d just happened upon the situation, or rather, Tracy had happened upon it. Her search-and-rescue dog had been the one to alert her, and David had heard the dog’s bark in the distance. He hadn’t even thought twice before he’d turned around and run back up the trail to find Tracy and Solomon.

Despite his severe and potentially lethal injuries, Jay would live—that much David believed to his core. The guy was a survivor and had a strong will to live. Once he had been lifted and secured, the helicopter carried him away on the flight of his life.

The adrenaline rush that had kept David going bled out of him, and he realized he was chilled to the bone in his rain-soaked running clothes, minus his T-shirt, of course. But there was one more mission David needed to complete. One more person he needed to see to. Tracy had never left his thoughts.

The SAR members that had helped with the extraction—David’s brothers, Cade and Adam, and their brother-in-law, Isaiah—had already climbed back to the trail. David followed them up, making his way slowly and meticulously in the rain, bringing the climbing ropes with him. When he’d come here for a quick run before the storm he could never have imagined this day would turn out this way.

When he finally reached the trail, David discovered Tracy had already gone. But what had he expected? For her to wait in the rain for him? Not to mention there was a would-be killer out there. Unless the police had caught the guy, no one was safe on the trail. Besides, why would she wait for David? It wasn’t as if they had ever been anything beyond acquaintances until today. And even now, David wasn’t sure they’d inched any closer to an actual friendship. That was why his disappointment surprised him. But on the other hand, he was glad she had gone.

The torrent had begun again. David didn’t bother to make conversation with Isaiah, Cade and his younger brother Adam. Instead they trudged their way toward the trailhead.

David tried to process everything they’d just been through, including Tracy’s reactions, which unsettled him in some way he couldn’t quite define. They just didn’t make sense. It was normal that she’d been shaken by the idea of an attempted murder, but there was more to it than that. David hadn’t been able to hear her conversation with Jay over the noise of the rain beating down on the tarp he’d held, but he was sure that whatever it was Jay had said had shaken Tracy. But what could it have been? David shrugged the question off. He wouldn’t be getting any answers to it out here.

Finally the rain let up again. David hoped it would stay that way until he was inside his truck with the heat on.

Isaiah stepped up next to him. “The police showed up and escorted Tracy and Heidi back. They were going to take Tracy’s statement about the fallen jogger and what she’d seen.”

“Are you saying they didn’t search the woods?” David asked. “Just took a statement?”

“I’ll talk to Terry and see what I find out,” Cade said.

Terry served on the Mountain Cove PD. He and Cade had been close since grade school, though Terry was a friend to all the Warren siblings. David would ask Tracy what she’d told the police, as well.

They made the trailhead where their vehicles were parked. Isaiah and Cade scrambled into Cade’s truck, Adam into his own vehicle, and David climbed into his shiny, brand-new, blue Ford Super Duty F-250 FX4 4x4. He loved his truck and was glad he’d special-ordered it, though that had required a wait. But if he’d been trying to fill the empty space inside with material goods, he knew he’d failed. For whatever reason, the incident this morning seemed to drive home his loneliness.

He waved at his brothers then turned on the ignition and the heat. Dripping wet, he shivered and stared out the window, recalling what had happened.

The fear he remembered from Tracy’s expression told him that something was terribly wrong.

Considering the way their brief encounter had affected him the first time he’d met her, David had made it his policy to steer clear, never involve himself with her. He shouldn’t get involved now, but he couldn’t stop thinking about her reaction. Couldn’t stop thinking about her. He wanted her to be safe, but he knew it went much deeper than that.

He was more confused than ever.

* * *

Finally at home, Tracy gave Solomon a much-needed bath and fed him. Then she took a hot shower to wash away the events of the day as well as the chill from her body, then put on a pot of coffee to brew. She needed to stop her shivering limbs. But as she slipped into her comfortable, warm sweats, she was still shaking. The real source of her trembling had nothing at all to do with getting chilled on the mountain.

No. Her trembling had everything to do with the strong possibility that Carlos Santino had somehow found her.

The tattoo that Jay had described was the tattoo worn by Santino and his gang members.

Fear crept over her again as she recalled Jay’s words.

“Numbers and a scorpion with flames on the wrist... I thought it was cool. Asked what the numbers—” Tracy knew what those numbers meant. She knew more about that particular tattoo than she’d ever wanted to. Every kind of gang—ethnic or otherwise, street gangs or prison gangs—had their coded tattoo system and tattoos symbolizing membership.

The scorpion and flames identified Santino’s gang, and the numbers identified how many kills. As that number grew, other tattoos would tell the story elsewhere on the body.

But Santino was supposed to be in a prison in California—over a thousand miles away. As far as she knew, no one in this region of Alaska had even heard of Carlos Santino or his gang...except for her.

How could that be a coincidence, especially when you threw in Jay’s attempted murder? Had he finally found her so he could pay her back for her testimony against him? He’d threatened her, warning that he would find her and kill her with his own hands. And that had sent her running.

Hiding.

There was only one thing to do next. Find out if Santino had escaped. Tracy dug through the drawers in the old rolltop desk that came with the cottage, her nervous fingers creating a mess of the contents and making it more difficult to find the card she needed. She should have memorized the number. But she’d wanted to put that part of her life as far behind her as possible. Find some normalcy.

Lord, why did this happen?

She huffed a laugh. She was asking Jay’s question now. She hoped they would both get answers.

There. She gripped the corner of the card at the very back of the drawer. Of course. Tracy slid it to the front and lifted it from the drawer. The insignia at the corner was a marshal’s badge similar to those worn in the Old West movies, only this one had an eagle embossed over the top of the badge. It read “US Department of Justice, United States Marshals Service.” Then “Jennifer Hanes, Deputy US Marshal” was printed beneath those words.

Jennifer would have handled Tracy’s transfer into the WITSEC program if Tracy had chosen to go that way. She had told Tracy to call her if she ever needed her.

Tracy’s hand shook so much, she couldn’t read the number. She placed the card on the desk. Though she dreaded the call she had to make, Jennifer would be able to give her answers. The problem was Tracy wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what the woman had to say. Still, she needed to know if Santino was still in prison or if he had escaped.

She moved around the cottage until she found a good signal and made the call. It went to voice mail and Tracy left a quick message. She didn’t detail what had happened; only asked if Santino was still in prison.

“Please call me back,” she said. “Something’s...happened.”

Tracy ended the call. She had thought she’d never talk to Jennifer again. She hadn’t imagined she would ever have to. Setting the phone on the desk, she admitted that she’d really just hoped and prayed she would never have to contact Jennifer again.

The call made, there wasn’t anything more Tracy could do until she heard back. She’d told the Mountain Cove police everything that had happened today. Everything except about her past and why she’d come to Mountain Cove. Telling them a killer could have followed her here when she was still considered relatively new to the community might make her look like a troublemaker. She’d been afraid to take that risk.

Though she’d lived here only a couple of years, Tracy loved Mountain Cove, and up until today, she had thought she’d found a place she could finally call home. She could never go back to live in Missouri, where her family lived, or Sacramento, where she’d worked as a newspaper editor and where she’d met Derrick. Where all her troubles had begun.

Of course, if Santino had actually come after her here, then she needed to tell the police everything so they would understand what they were up against. She wondered if other law-enforcement entities would get involved, too, swarming down on Mountain Cove. Then the community would wish they had never seen Tracy Murray.

At the moment all she needed was time to think things through. Then if she confirmed it really was Santino she would proceed according to plan, whatever that was. Unfortunately, she didn’t know where else she could go.

How could anyone have found her here?

In the old comfy chair by the fireplace, Tracy tugged her knees up to her chin and watched the flames. Even though it was summer, the evenings were cold enough in Mountain Cove, Alaska, to justify lighting the fire. Soaking in the warmth, she tried to calm her nerves. Until she received a return call from Jennifer she would be on edge, trying to figure out what to do next.

She lived rent-free with Solomon in a small cabin as part of her pay for working at Jewel of the Mountain Bed and Breakfast. The job and her living situation had fallen into place so easily after her arrival and had made her feel as though she was exactly where she was supposed to be. Finding Mountain Cove in the first place had been providential. It was the perfect place where she could hide as well as train Solomon for search and rescue. And it was so far off the beaten path, so distant from the world she’d known before, that she’d felt completely hidden and totally secure. But after the events of today, it didn’t appear to be far enough away to keep her safe. There was still a chance that her testimony, given years before, would get her killed.

She hadn’t been the only witness to Santino’s crimes, but the other guy had taken the get-a-new-life card and run with it straight into witness protection. He’d left everything behind to escape having to live his life in fear that Santino would come for him one day.

A knot grew in Tracy’s throat and lodged there. Had she made a mistake by choosing to stay out of the program, trying to keep from losing everyone else she loved? Hadn’t losing Derrick been enough? Had her decision backfired on her?

Though Tracy had feared for her life during Santino’s trial, and the potential retaliation should he be convicted, her biggest fear had been losing her family. Her father had refused to change his name and move the family to start a new life with her. He’d refused to be forced away from the life he loved, surrounded by lifelong friends and extended family. He’d refused to leave behind the oil business he’d built. That wasn’t something he could easily build up again elsewhere.

And Tracy had refused to leave her family behind—never seeing them again. Never making contact. That kind of price was too high for the added security of witness protection. It was as though she was the one being punished for doing the right thing.

Instead, Tracy had moved to Alaska, to a place that couldn’t even be approached by car. A person could reach Mountain Cove—in the Inside Passage of Southeast Alaska—only via floatplane or boat. Hiking in was out of the question.

And this way, she could still go see her family anytime she wanted, while protecting herself by being almost completely isolated from the rest of the world. Yes, in a way she had in fact run from her life and was in hiding after a fashion, but it wasn’t quite as severe as the other choice.

And it wasn’t quite as secure, either. As today had proved, there was still the chance that she could be found and her life could be put in danger again.

Tracy paced the room, rubbing her arms, forcing down the bile rising in her throat.

When would Jennifer call back? Tracy wanted to know Santino’s status. If she had internet she could search the news feeds and find out. Maybe. But she didn’t. Part of the allure of the Jewel of the Mountain Bed and Breakfast was that people were forced to enjoy nature—there wasn’t anything else to do, and that, according to Jewel Caraway, the owner and Tracy’s boss, made the place the perfect getaway.

Solomon rested by the fire, and Tracy crouched next to him, ran her fingers through his thick, golden fur. “You did well today.”

She leaned closer to him. He wasn’t a trained attack or guard dog, but she knew that Solomon would protect her better than just about anything else. Or anyone. He’d already proved that once, the night that Santino had burned down her house. The same night he’d burned Derrick’s house to silence him forever. Solomon had been able to save Tracy.

A growl erupted from Solomon and his ears perked up. In that moment he wasn’t the typical overfriendly golden retriever. No. Solomon was protective of Tracy and he sensed a possible threat. Tracy stood, her gaze flickering to the windows and the door. Fear corded around her throat.

But when she heard the telltale sound of someone approaching the front door, she ran her hand down Solomon’s back to reassure him. “Bad guys don’t knock.”

No. Bad guys push people off ledges. Burn down their homes while they’re sleeping. Find good people where they hide in order to kill them.

FOUR

David stood at the cottage door, his knuckles ready to knock. He took in a breath. What was he doing here? Tracy probably wouldn’t appreciate the intrusion. And David was conflicted about whether he wanted to be here, too. He’d set his boundaries and now he was taking a step outside that imaginary line.

But Tracy’s welfare was much more important than David’s need to protect his heart. That was it, then. He wouldn’t stand on the sidelines and do nothing. If there was a way he could help he would.

He knocked on the door.

Behind it, he heard Solomon’s bark. He couldn’t tell if it was a friendly bark or not.

Better identify himself. With a potential killer on the loose out there, he might have startled Tracy. But she wouldn’t expect Jay’s attacker to knock.

“Tracy, it’s David Warren.”

He heard the lock disengage and then the door opened. Tracy stood on the other side and eyed him, a tenuous smile on her lips. He could see the questions in her eyes. And along with the questions, that same fear in her gaze that he’d seen on the mountain today.

“Hello, David. What are you doing here?” She held on to the doorknob.

A short laugh escaped him when he realized he didn’t really have an answer for her. He’d thought this through so well. Way to go, David. “Checking on you.”

Solomon pushed through from behind her and came up to sniff David. He leaned to run his fingers through the dog’s fur, rub him down. “Hey, boy,” he said softly.

With everything that had happened today, he wondered if anyone had told Jay about the dog finding him. Or if Jay had been coherent enough to hear the dog’s barks and know how he’d been discovered.

“Why do you think you need to check on me?” Her free hand trembled.

Why indeed? He pulled away from the dog and stood tall, scraping his hand around the back of his neck. He turned to the side and peered through the trees toward the house at the front of the property, noticing the lights were on at the main building of the bed-and-breakfast. He turned his gaze back to Tracy. Might as well be transparent.

“I can see something’s wrong, that’s why.” With each second, he felt more like an idiot. Of course there was something wrong. They’d helped a man today who had nearly been murdered. David should just turn and go. She didn’t want him here. Even though he could easily see something was wrong—she was scared to death—he wasn’t the one to help.

Just as David opened his mouth to apologize for disturbing her evening, Tracy opened the door wider. “Please come in. I have coffee brewing, if you’d like a cup.”

“Thanks, I’d like that.” He stepped inside the warm and comfy cottage.

Her simple invitation and the offer of coffee made him happier than it should. He wasn’t here to explore a relationship with Tracy. In fact, he wanted to avoid one at nearly all costs. But Tracy’s safety was not one of the costs he was willing to pay.

She moved to the small kitchen area against the wall and grabbed two cups. David stood in the middle of the cozy main room and took it all in. She’d made the cabin her own, with quilts hanging on the walls. On the rocking chair hung a partially completed rainbow afghan. A fire glowed in the fireplace, chasing away the chill brought on by this afternoon’s storm and the approaching evening. But as comfortable as the room was, David felt awkward and wasn’t sure how to proceed.

Tracy moved to the kitchen table that sat only two and set the cups there. She poured coffee into both. “Cream or sugar?”

“Black is fine, thanks.”

She appeared to feel as awkward as David. What was it between the two of them? He didn’t have this much trouble feeling comfortable with any other person in town.

“Sit down. Make yourself comfortable.”

He did as she asked while she went back to the fridge for half-and-half. She poured it from a glass container and again he noticed how shaky she seemed. Then she dropped the glass.

It shattered on the floor, the crashing sound slicing through the awkward silence.

Tracy just stood there and stared, her whole body shaking.

David was up and next to her in a second. “Don’t worry about this. I’ll clean it up.”

His gaze shot around the room, searching for where she might keep her broom and cleaning supplies. What he really wanted to do was just take her in his arms. He’d do that for anyone else who was as obviously upset as she was. Why couldn’t he do that for Tracy? What was the matter with him?

Then she covered her face and her shoulders shook.

Oh, boy.

David pulled her away from the glass on the floor and into his arms. Of course, he knew this breakdown had nothing at all to do with the fact she’d dropped the cream container. That event was simply the catalyst to shred her poised veneer, which David knew had been shaken already.

She sobbed into his shoulder, igniting all those protective instincts inside his heart for her. Having her in his arms this way, her tears accosted the wall around his heart. If he wanted to protect himself, he’d leave before her vulnerability had the chance to obliterate his defenses altogether. But what could David do? He was here now. He had to see this through.

“Shh... Tracy, it’s okay.” He hugged her tighter and ran his hand down her red hair against her back, trying to stay focused on just reassuring her and nothing more.

But a tenderness he hadn’t felt since his wife was still alive kindled inside him. David wanted to release Tracy. He needed to release her, but she needed him right now.

Her sobbing finally spent, she shook her head, her face still pressed into his shoulder. “No, it’s not going to be okay.”

A shudder ran over her. What in the world?

David eased her from him and gripped her shoulders to look into her tear-reddened but still beautiful silver-blue eyes. “I’m so sorry about what you came across today, but Jay is going to be all right. And the police are searching for the guy who did this.”

She sniffled and pulled away from him to grab a tissue from the counter. He knew he should be glad to have some distance between them again. It was crazy that he wanted her back in his arms. They burned, his chest burned now, where she’d been pressed against him. The girl was more caustic to protecting his emotions than he realized.

“You don’t understand.” Shaking her head, she moved farther away from him and grabbed a broom and dustpan from a small closet.

David went ahead and picked up the bigger pieces, careful he didn’t cut himself handling the glass.

“Why don’t you tell me, then?”

Tracy swept the glass into the dustpan and disposed of it. Then she pushed her hair away from her face and behind her ears and turned her big eyes on him. “All right. I’ll tell you.”

He didn’t know why, but her willingness to talk startled him. The fact she trusted him with whatever it was made him happy, though it shouldn’t.

“I was surprised to see you at the door, honestly.” She grabbed her cup of coffee and instead of sitting at the table moved to the small sofa, curling her legs under her.

He was surprised he’d come himself, but he wouldn’t tell her about his inner struggles.

Not wanting to sit too close to her, David took the kitty-corner chair. He also took a sip of the black coffee, still trying to regain his composure. She’d been upset and she’d transferred all that to him, it seemed.

“Is it the man who shoved Jay over today that has you upset and scared? Or is there something more?” The question sounded too personal, but he couldn’t think of any other way to say it.

“Yes, there’s more.” Tracy stared into the fire.

David had suspected there could be more going on from the beginning, but hearing her say the words unsettled him.

“I’m listening.”

She dragged her eyes from the fire and studied him. “And that’s why I’m going to tell you. I never thought I’d be talking to you like this. Or telling David Warren, of all people, my troubles.”

What was that supposed to mean? But he swallowed his pride and kept quiet.

“But you showed up at my door, and there is no one else for me to talk to. I’m waiting for a phone call from the only other person I can talk to about this, and she hasn’t come through yet. My family... I can’t tell them what happened today. I don’t want to scare them, worry them.”

“Tell me.”

“I was the key witness in a murder trial.”

David set his cup down on the side table. “You have my attention.”

“Jay’s attacker might be here for me. He might have come to Mountain Cove to kill me.”

* * *

Tracy couldn’t stand to see the stricken look on David’s face. He shoved himself up from the chair and paced the homemade rug in front of the hearth. His sturdy form seemed to further diminish the size of her small cottage.

She rubbed her eyes, hating that she’d lost it with him. For all practical purposes, he might as well have been a stranger. But, no, that wasn’t right, either. She’d known him, just from a distance. And that had all changed today. Why of all people had David Warren come into her life here and now? During this crisis?

“I can’t believe this.” His voice was gruff. “How do you know? How can you be sure? If that’s true, why did he shove Jay and not wait for you to come up the trail? Or why didn’t he shove you when you found Jay?”

David stopped pacing and stared at Tracy. She had a question, too. Why did David care so much? The urgency in his tone made it sound as if he cared like someone deeply connected to Tracy. A father. A brother... A husband. She shook off the thoughts. This was crazy. She needed an ally, but at the same time, David was risking his life by getting involved with her. Maybe she should just refuse his help, his friendship.

Tracy frowned. “I don’t know if I should answer any of your questions. In fact, I don’t think it’s a good idea that you’re here. Being with me only makes you a target. I need to be alone.” If only she wasn’t so desperate. If only she didn’t need someone.

Tracy had moved here to be more isolated, and she’d been wary of making friends until enough time had passed. She had only started growing closer to Jewel, her boss. That had been a mistake. David being here was a mistake, too.

He stalked over and sat next to her on the sofa, too close for comfort. “You’re kidding, right? If there really is a killer after you, you can’t go through this alone. I assume you told the police what you told me?”

She shook her head. “Not...yet.”

He stiffened. “We need to call them.”

“I’ve put a call in to my contact at the US Marshals office. She’ll know if Carlos Santino has escaped prison. That will tell me what I need to know—that he’s out and after me.”

Oh, no. Tracy grabbed her head, fisted her hair. She’d been so focused on Santino’s threat—that he would kill her with his own hands—she hadn’t realized what should have been obvious. Santino’s long arms could reach her from prison via the gang network.

Santino didn’t have to be out of prison to be after her. Still, she had to know if Jennifer knew if something was going on; had to know if Santino had escaped.

“Tell me what Jay said to you that made you think his attacker is after you.”

David’s nearness, the protectiveness pouring off him, was difficult to resist. More than anything, Tracy wanted to feel his arms around her again. She would never forget that moment, but the problem was, she couldn’t afford to dwell on that. To wish for something more with him.

“Carlos Santino is the head of a far-reaching gang and Jay told me the guy who pushed him over had a specific tattoo—it is the tattoo worn by those gang members.”

There. She’d told him everything. Almost. Tracy stood to put space between them and went to the fireplace.

Behind her, she heard nothing at all from David. Maybe he was absorbing it all, which she understood. That could take some time. Or maybe he was contemplating the quickest escape from her and her problems. She wouldn’t blame him for that. She wouldn’t blame him if she heard the door shutting behind her, but she realized that probably wouldn’t happen. If she knew anything about David, it was that he was a solid, trustworthy sort of guy.

Tracy turned to face him then. He was right behind her and she hadn’t realized he’d moved from the sofa.

“Listen,” she said, “I didn’t mean to drag you into this. I won’t hold it against you if you bail.”

“Are you in the witness protection program, Tracy? Is that even your real name?”

A sardonic laugh escaped. “No, I’m not. And, yes, Tracy Murray is my real name. What does it matter? Did you hear anything I just said?”

“Why aren’t you in WITSEC?”

“I chose not to run and hide—well, other than to Alaska.”

“If this guy is so dangerous I think you need to get help and disappear. Let the Marshals office assist you with that.”

Seeing the concern in his eyes, Tracy couldn’t help but smile. “You know, we’re only just getting to know each other and you’re already trying to get rid of me.”

Oh, please, she did not just say that.

He cracked a smile, though only half his face responded.

She liked that look on him.

“I’ll be up-front with you,” he said. “I’d like to get to know you better, but not at the risk of your life. I’m sorry it took me this long to say more than two words to you, but that doesn’t matter anymore. You need to disappear. Where’s the number? I’ll call them and tell them what happened and how important it is to keep you safe.”

David was definitely a take-charge kind of guy, thinking his words would move Jennifer to take action. And his words confirmed to her why she loved Mountain Cove so much. The sense of community here. People cared. She couldn’t afford for them to care for her, but still, she didn’t want to leave. Didn’t want to run again.

“I’ve called my contact. Left a message. Until she calls me back there’s nothing more that I can do.” There was nothing he could do, either.

“Sure there is. You can get out of here.”

“And go where?” She almost yelled the question at him. She moved away from him, which was increasingly difficult to do in this cottage that seemed to grow smaller by the minute.

At the kitchen sink, Tracy washed out the cups and the coffeepot. She doubted either of them would drink the rest.

“Anywhere would be safer than staying here.”

“I’m in the middle of nowhere, practically, David. People can’t even drive here. You know that. If someone can find me here, they can find me anywhere. So...no.” Well, that was it, then. She had made up her mind, thanks to David. “I’m not leaving. I refuse to have someone else control my life anymore. I won’t be forced out of a life I love, a town I love. I’m just like my father after all.”

David took the cup from her and placed it in the cabinet. “Your father?”

“Yeah, when I first agreed to testify, I told my family that we could all go into WITSEC. He refused to go into the program with me. He has a successful business he doesn’t want to leave behind. He can’t start his life over. I couldn’t leave my family behind like that, never to see them again. I’d already lost so much.” Lost someone she loved. “So instead of entering the program, I dropped off the map on my own. And I love my home now. I’m staying here.”

“Okay, then, it sounds like you’ve made up your mind and I can’t convince you otherwise.” Something in David’s tone pulled her attention from washing out the sink and up to his earthy green eyes. “And believe me when I say that I don’t want you to leave.”

Tracy wanted to go into his arms. The oddest of things—she’d spent half a day with the man and here she was, wanting to feel his arms around her. She shook off the foolishness his proximity brought on and took a step back.

“I’m not really sure what to say to that.”

He laughed. “At least sleep in the house with Jewel and her guests until they catch this guy, okay? And if you don’t already have a weapon, then get one.”

Stay in the main house and put Jewel and the others at risk? No, she couldn’t. “I have Solomon to protect me, to warn me. He saved me before, so I trust him to do that again.” And she had the big can of bear spray and the smaller pepper spray she carried in her purse. But her excuses sounded weak, even to her own ears.

David didn’t appear convinced, but it wasn’t his decision. And yet Tracy cared about his opinion and she wished that she didn’t.

“You really think Solomon can protect you from a killer? Maybe he saved you before—I don’t know the circumstances. And maybe he can warn you, but, Tracy, even if Solomon was a real guard dog, he couldn’t protect you from this guy. And what about the danger to Solomon? What if the man has a gun next time? Solomon doesn’t wear armor. What if he gets hurt trying to protect you?”

Tracy hadn’t thought of it that way, and the accusation in David’s tone choked her. But she didn’t get a chance to respond. Her cell phone chirped. Tracy rushed to the end of the counter and stared at the caller ID. The number on the screen belonged to Marshal Jennifer Hanes.

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