“Makes sense. It could be in plain sight, depending on which road he’s on. I don’t think people go down most of these.”
“The people living up here use these roads, so they’d probably notice something unusual.”
“If he’s been here a lot, it might not be unusual to them even if they don’t know who he is and never get a good look at him.”
“Good point. No one called the cops with a decent lead after his face was shown on TV.”
Connor nodded, glancing at the low houses that were to one side of the road. Few and far between, those living at the mountain’s base had to contend with unkempt roads, and sometimes lost hikers appearing in their midst. A strange car driving up one of these roads and then never coming down could be noticed, but no one had reported that. He felt a pang. Maybe this was a wild goose chase.
“Broken tree branch over here,” said the Marine, gesturing.
“What do you think it means?”
Riley urged Triton forward, aiming the flashlight there. The loose pebbles covering much of the narrow road had been knocked off long ago by tires, leaving more stones in the center and either side. But ten feet after the broken branch, the remaining pebbles on the center and one edge had been swept off as if by a skidding car.
Riley explained, “It doesn’t mean it was them,” he concluded, “but let’s see what else we find.”
They continued up the mountain. A still-burning cigarette gave them hope. Obviously someone had just come through here. They soon stopped at a fork in the road, the Marine looking around for several minutes before stopping next to Connor. The dog hadn’t indicated anything unusual.
“There isn’t much to go on,” he said. “The right road shows more signs of recent traffic, but it leads to a less likely area to have a camp.”
“But maybe they can hike somewhere from there.”
“True. Let’s check it out.”
Riley prodded the gelding forward at a fast walk, Connor following. The slope increased quite a bit and they were now only a few hundred feet from the mountain’s top. The road wouldn’t go much farther, but they never made it to the end anyway. Riley stopped and gestured for him to be quiet. Then he silently dismounted, leaving the reins over Triton’s neck. The horse was trained well enough to not go anywhere.
The Marine moved to the road’s left, his attention on the dog, who was sniffing around where a large number of fresh green leaves on the ground lay amid the dead, brown ones from last autumn. It looked like something—maybe a car—had gone into the trees. The branches hung just low enough to let one vehicle pass and knock the leaves off but obscure anything from being seen from the road.
Not wanting to risk the flashlight, Riley donned the night vision goggles he’d brought. He immediately noticed tire tracks, mashed grass, and a bit of gravel dust tracked from the road, all going right where he was standing. He knelt and peered beneath the branches. The bumper of Jess’s car stood not ten feet away. Coby started forward until Riley called him back. The Marine peered all around the car from there, seeing no activity or people hiding nearby, but he saw the tires of another car that stood in front of hers. Both appeared empty, though someone could’ve been lying down inside either. Before investigating, he slowly backed up to Connor, gesturing for his brother to quietly dismount.
Riley whispered, “Keep your voice down. Found them. Both cars. They’re here somewhere. And I smell beans being cooked.” Connor’s eyes lit up, but before he could say anything, the Marine continued. “Stay here a minute. I need to check the cars. I don’t think anyone’s in them, but...”
“I can watch your back,” Connor suggested, eager to be of use. There was no way he was just standing around watching horses while this went down. But as he stood there, their danger felt all too real. Seth could’ve been watching them even now, especially if he had night vision goggles of his own. At this point, Connor wouldn’t put anything past the little shit. Suddenly he felt exposed and vulnerable, his eyes darting into the shadows and up above to see if the foliage separated enough to let them be seen from higher up. It didn’t.
“Yeah, you could,” said Riley, “but not this time. Radio the others. I’ll be right back. And get your gun.”
Connor pulled it from his waistband. “Be careful.”
Riley disappeared between the trees, taking Coby and leaving Connor alone for the first time since the attack. Alone in the dark. Alone in the wilderness. Alone with fear. Connor clutched the gun, wondering how long it had been since he’d fired one. Long enough that he didn’t remember. A year? He was a decent shot at the range. There was no telling how he’d do with a lunatic before him, especially with everyone’s emotions high. He imagined Seth hiding behind Sophia—because as a coward, that’s obviously what he’d do. Would Connor be able to shoot him? No way. He already knew. He couldn’t take the chance of hitting Sophia. The thought made his knees weak. Shit, even if Riley, the expert marksman, tried, Connor would freak out and try to stop him.
With an effort, Connor made himself stop thinking about stuff like that. It wouldn’t do any good. He had a task to do, one of the few he wasn’t worried about succeeding with. An ear bud was in one ear, and the cable running to the radio had a microphone on it. He pressed it and raised his voice above a whisper.
“Valentine here,” he said, using the horse’s name. Riley had suggested this beforehand on the remote chance that Seth had a radio and was tuned into the same channel. Everyone knew who was riding which horse. “Have not found my heart’s desire,” he continued, “but found the, uh, chariots she rode in.”
A moment later, Kris’ voice came through in his ear. “You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
“Okay. I see you,” she said, meaning that the GPS trackers Riley had provided each of them were showing everyone’s location. “Give me fifteen.”
“I’d like ten,” Connor replied, wanting fewer minutes to pass. He pulled out his smartphone, seeing where the others were on the mobile app they were all using.
“Will try.”
“Beau here,” said Quinn’s voice over the radio. “Ten it is.”
Sheriff Ryan’s voice cut in. “Azure here. Be careful. This is no time for rushing. The uh, cavalry, will be called and save the day, dragons, knights, the whole bit. Fall back.”
“Negative,” said Connor, a little amused despite the situation. He wondered if the dragons reference meant helicopters. “The princess is in danger. The evil overlord might get spooked. Highly skilled assassin is best bet. Certain death.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. Where’s Triton?” Ryan asked, his voice anxious.
“Searching the chariots,” Connor replied. “Stand by.”
Tristan’s voice cut in. “The uh, good King and Queen here. The lion has arrived from faraway lands and is ready for the princess, should she need to see him.”
Connor said, “Great. Thank you.”
No one said anything after that, and Riley soon came walking toward Connor without the dog, his demeanor casual.
He said, “Triton here. Chariots clear. Found trail to wizard’s tower. Leaving horses. Taking the hero.” He glanced at the GPS device. They had about five minutes before Quinn and Ryan showed up. All the more reason to get going.
“Negative,” said Ryan. “Stay put. I’m serious. You might find yourself in a dungeon I can’t get you out of.”
“Sorry,” said Riley, grinning, “but I agree with Valentine. The fair princess is in too much danger. The ogre must be destroyed.”
“Goddamn it, stay put.”
Hardening his tone, Riley said, “Listen, this is my specialty, not yours, or even your reinforcements. I’m not the one likely to screw this up. Come along quietly. The target will probably be distracted by us and not see you coming, if things are still in play.”
A moment of silence passed. Finally, Ryan said, “One of these days we need to have a talk. You better be careful.”
Riley brought the horses to a tree, hoping their location would make it more obvious which way he and Connor had gone. The two of them went under the trees to the cars, where Coby was sniffing around for scents. On seeing the vehicles, Connor strengthened his resolve and grabbed Riley by the arm, looking his older brother in the eye.
“Tell me exactly what you want me to do,” he began, “and I’ll do it.”
“Good. Stay behind me and step exactly where I do, not on a twig or something. No lights. Keep the gun handy. When we find them, I’ll have my gun on Seth. He’s the real target. I doubt the other two have it in them to do much.”
“You might be surprised,” Connor interrupted. “The other guy hit me and Sophia with the stun gun. I wouldn’t have expected it from him based on what I’d seen before the attack.”
Riley nodded. “Okay, then. He’s your target, if he’s got a gun.”
“Okay.”
“Oh, and don’t cast moon eyes at Sophia. There’ll be time for that later. Keep your mind on the threat. This is business. You can get all big-hearted and weepy with relief later.”
Connor nodded, not sure he could really do that. “Right.”
“Let’s go.”
Riley moved over to a dark trail between the trees, footsteps visible in the mud, grass trampled everywhere. No other trails existed near the cars’ location and he hadn’t heard any noises. He was fairly certain their quarry was a decent distance away. The element of surprise was on their side, or so he thought.
Chapter 18 – Burned
During the twenty minutes it took Seth to burn some beans, hot dogs, buns, and one of his fingers, he and Sophia didn’t talk much, for which she was grateful. The normalcy of the scene clashed with the circumstances to make it surreal. He’d tossed her a beer she hadn’t opened. She wanted to keep her wits about her, but he’d downed two himself. She wanted to encourage that so he’d incapacitate himself. Or at least, make it easier for her to overpower him.
She’d been scanning her immediate surroundings, spying a few rocks for weapons and one solid branch that might do. But the sight of his gun sticking out of the back of his pants, right next to his plumber’s crack, gave her pause. She spent the whole time imagining different scenarios, and the one she liked least was cozying up to him, putting her arms around his waist, and taking the gun. The idea of being that close repulsed her, but it might be the only way to stop him from getting even closer to her. That possibly made her sick.
Only the sight of flames being extinguished at Sugarloaf Inn in the distance consoled her. That meant someone was helping Connor, too. The thought that the blow to his head might have been fatal agonized her. Concern for her own safety felt less of an issue by comparison. On one hand, Seth had proven his intentions to be real, but something about the way he acted suggested he wasn’t so sure of himself anymore. In theory, he should’ve been raping her right now, and yet there he was making a meal, like they were on some kind of date. It gave her an idea—pretend that’s what this was, inhibiting his intentions with a show of normalcy, which he might become unwilling to breach.
Clearing her throat, she asked, “Do you have a table of some kind for us to eat at? Or maybe a picnic blanket? You know, something nicer than me sitting on a rock?”
He looked up with raised eyebrows and wide eyes. She wasn’t sure, but she thought he flushed. “Um, yeah, I guess I have a blanket here. Hold on.”
He went into the tent.
For a moment, Sophia eyed the path out, hope surging that she’d get away. Just as she started to rise, he came out, not noticing her quickly sit again. She’d have to be more ready than that next time. He laid the ratty-looking blanket down and tried to smooth it out, which made her think of something else to say.
“Some of the loose rocks are probably in the way,” she remarked. “Maybe you should clear them out a bit. It would be more comfortable anyway.”
“Yeah, good idea.” He pulled the blanket away, wincing and putting one hand to his ribs before spending the next minute doing what she’d asked. Noticing that, she made another suggestion.
“It’s a little dark here. Do you have a light of some kind? I’d like to at least see what I’m eating. And you.”
Not until the last phrase did his face light up. “Sure,” he said, sounding gentle for once. “I got a lantern. Don’t want no one to see it from a distance but I’d love to see you more, too.”
She made a half-hearted smile of encouragement. He walked toward his stash of supplies beside his tent and brought one back sooner than she’d hoped, for she was now doing everything she could to waste time before he acted on any sexual ideas. And then she realized that last bit of flirting wasn’t smart. She’d avoid reminding him of his original intent, going forward.
Seth put the lantern on the blanket and turned the light on, a dim setting. “Dinner’s ready, I think. You hungry?”
She shrugged and moved to the blanket, trying to keep her distance. She got the impression the blanket was dirtier than the ground and didn’t enjoy putting her bare feet on it. “I ate earlier, actually.”
“Well, a snack can’t hurt.” He went back for the food and came back with a red pot with black scorch marks on the side, a single spoon he’d been cooking with sticking up out of the beans. Next he returned with two singed buns holding hot dogs, one in each hand. He gave one to her and was about to sit down when she spoke up.
“Don’t we have plates?”
He again seemed surprised before grinning. “We? Yeah, baby. I’m sorry. Hold on.” He put his hot dog bun on the blanket, where it promptly rolled over and spilled its contents while he rose and walked away. Sophia shook her head in disbelief. His buffoonery was at least earnest. When he came back, he saw the hot dog and just scooped it up with his fingers without comment, put it back in the bun, and took a bite, giving her the impression this wasn’t the first time that had happened.
Indicating his hot dog as she put hers on the plate he handed her, she said, “Not sure how clean that is. I think you need a napkin. So do I, actually. Please.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I’m sorry, Soph. Don’t know where my manners are.”