Somewhere Montana (16 page)

“He knows you are here. This will be the first place he will try to get to you. It is safer here with everybody around than if you’re on your own. Please. Say you will stay.”

She didn’t say anything for a moment, and then nodded. “If you think it’s best.”

As he held her, he wondered what she could be planning. She had given in too quickly. Or could she have realized he spoke the truth about her safety being at the ranch, not on her own? He didn’t trust her not to bolt when his back was turned. His only recourse was to keep her with him.

* * * *

Getting ready for bed, Sage listened carefully for movement in Mac’s room. After the shower shut off, she wasn’t sure what to expect. She wouldn’t put it past him to park his tantalizing butt in the cushioned chair in her room for the night. Hopefully she had averted that, citing all the security measures he had in place plus his need to be sharp by getting his rest.

She didn’t like deceiving him this way. Her first consideration was to remove the danger to him. She ignored the fact he was a Marine and more than capable of defending himself. Diego didn’t like guns. He preferred the more silent benefit of a knife.

Doubts crept in about her ability to protect herself once she made it to her bolthole. No! She couldn’t think along those lines. There was a rifle in the closet by the kitchen door. That would be her defense, or offense. If Diego did find her, she would shoot first and ask questions later. She would not be a victim again. She imagined the look on his face as he advanced toward her and she pulled the trigger.

That set up another uncertainty. Would she be able to pull the trigger? She had only shot at targets in her self-defense course. Could she actually shoot a human being? When she thought about it, in this case she could. Diego wasn’t human. He was a dangerous, feral animal, and she would do whatever was necessary.

A half hour slowly crept past and still no sign of Mac. Sage quietly pulled her backpack from the closet and packed it. She moved quickly and efficiently, taking only necessary items. She arranged the pillows in her bed so that if anyone looked in it would look like she was sleeping. Then she dressed and slipped silently on stocking feet out the door and down the stairs. At the bottom she listened for a couple minutes to be sure Grandfather Two Feathers wasn’t lurking somewhere in the shadows ready to stop her.

Hearing nothing, she stealthily made her way through the kitchen to the back door. She quickly donned her boots and jacket and, grabbing the rifle and a box of ammo from the closet, punched in the security code and let herself out into the cold, moonless night.

In the shadow of the porch she stood and listened. Pulling back her cuff, she chanced a quick glance at the luminous dial of her watch. She knew one of the guards patrolled by about that time. When he passed by and turned the corner of the house out of sight, she made for the direction he had come. She moved quietly until she reached the gate to the pasture at the base of the mountain.

There she stopped to fasten her snowshoes. No sense in trying to wipe out her tracks. Mac would know where she’d gone and would be sure to follow. Or maybe he would figure she would be safe there and stay at the house for when Diego showed up.

Once she reached the enveloping forest, she used her flashlight to keep from tripping or snagging on low hanging limbs. Nothing must slow her down from reaching the cavern. Would Sasha be nearby to act as her sentinel?

It took longer than she expected to reach the waterfall. She hadn’t regained the strength she thought she had. It had been a month. Surely she should be strong enough to face anything. Her knee throbbed and her side ached.
You’d think I ran up the mountain
.
A bit of a rest and I’ll be fine.

She ducked behind some snow covered, low hanging branches of a fir tree and leaned against the trunk. Turning off the flashlight, she waited to catch her breath and for her legs to stop shaking. After a few minutes, she felt capable to continue. She knew it wasn’t much further to what she considered her safe haven. With renewed energy, she made a beeline for the waterfall she could hear. Soon her flashlight picked out the entrance behind it.

Safely inside the cave, she lit the lantern and laid a fire. When it was burning well she opened her jacket. It was still too cold to remove it. She spread out her sleeping bag and sank tiredly onto it, propping up against her backpack, the rifle clasped tightly on her lap.

* * * *

Mac awoke as the fringes of daylight started creeping across the sky. He laid there going over the events of the previous day. He couldn’t get over how easily he was able to get Sage to agree to stay. How quickly he convinced her. Too quickly.

He leaped from the bed, dashed through the bathroom, and yanked open her door to view the shadowed form in the bed. The breath he held released with a soft whoosh as he willed his heart to a steadier rhythm. He leaned against the doorjamb as his body stabilized.

He had to stay calm. Plan his defense same as in Iraq and Afghanistan. Only this time it was one wily psycho, not a pack of brainwashed zealots. Returning to his room, he dressed and headed for the kitchen. Time to check in with the guards he had posted. He would let Sage sleep as long as she could. She probably hadn’t slept well during the night, considering all yesterday had entailed.

Two Feathers and Little Mouse were already in the kitchen. She automatically handed Mac a mug of fresh hot coffee. As he sipped it they discussed the reports from Zeb and the men. Nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Everything was copacetic. Mac smiled inwardly at that thought. Nothing concerning Sage could ever be described by that word.

Time to feed the animals. Chores couldn’t wait for convenience. Mac was considering heading for the barn when his phone rang.

He checked call ID before saying, “Hey, Dante.”

“He’s on the move,” stated the sheriff. “Headed in your direction. I’ve got a deputy following him.”

“Okay. Keep me posted. I’ve got eyes and ears stationed strategically here.”

“Not afraid he’ll pick them off as he gets closer?”

“From what info I could get, he’s not a gunman. Prefers a knife. Likes to get up close and personal with those he deals with.”

“Sage is a good woman. She shouldn’t have to face something like this.”

“She’s not alone, Dante. We’ll keep her safe.” Mac snapped his phone shut. Looking at Two Feathers, he stated, “Diego is making his move. I need to wake Sage. I want her with me every minute.”

Mac trotted up the stairs and entered Sage’s room without knocking. As he turned on the bedside lamp he glanced at the bed. It didn’t look right. He yanked back the covers to expose the pillows lined up underneath.

“Damn it, Sage!” he growled, throwing the covers down. He knew where she’d gone. He’d bet on it. Dashing down the stairs, he landed in the kitchen, making for the back door. He informed Two Feathers of Sage’s disappearance and that he was going after her. He called the bunkhouse and had Zeb ready one of the snowmobiles while he donned his boots and jacket and strapped on his thigh holster accommodating his Sig Sauer.

As he ran for the building where they housed the snowmobiles, his phone rang. Dante.

“He’s closing in on foot,” said Dante as soon as the line opened. “Parked his vehicle just off the road on the south side of the mountain. Didn’t seem concerned about hiding it.”

“Probably planning a quick get-away,” said Mac. “He thinks he’s untouchable. Sage skipped out sometime during the night. I think I know where she is. I’m heading out there now.”

“I’ve got a couple deputies with me. We’ll follow him in from here.”

Mac updated Zeb, telling him to put two men on the house and the rest spread out across the face of the mountain, cautioning him to be careful. Mac sped off on the snowmobile.

Pushing the machine to its top speed, Mac scanned the surrounding area. He spotted Sage’s tracks. She was headed for her destination straight as the crow flies. He had to stick to the trail, which veered in a round-about way, yet would let him reach his objective faster than following in her tracks. Mac thought about Diego taking to the mountain and figured he was taking a circuitous route to the house. No way could he know she was up there.

Yet, if he came across her tracks, he might decide to investigate. Fear roiled in his stomach like acid. Not for himself, but for Sage. There was no way she could get away from the man once he was in the cave. Would he play with her before he killed her? In trying to get away, she could slip over the edge into the thundering cascade. Mac leaned forward on the machine, trying for as much power as he could gain. He had to get there first.

Upon reaching the falls, Mac leaped from the sled and strode for the opening leading behind the wall of water. A partially hidden form on the ledge above rose into a half crouch, golden eyes gleaming, nose sniffing the air. Then it slowly resumed its prone position, eyes and ears alert.

Mac carefully made his way across the narrow, ice encrusted walkway toward the cavern. He stopped to peer around the edge of the entrance, not wanting to startle Sage. She had a rifle. In the light from the lantern and the flickering fire that had burned low, he could see her propped against her backpack, her chin on her chest.

God, no! His heart dropped to his boot tops, despair washing over him. Diego couldn’t have gotten to her already. He wanted to run to her, but a flashback of searching caves in Afghanistan had him drawing his weapon. Cautiously checking every nook and cranny he could see, he eased his way into the cavern. Anger replaced his sense of loss. He prayed the madman would enter his gun-sight.

As he inched his way forward, he dislodged a loose rock that rattled across the floor. Sage’s head snapped up along with the rifle barrel.

“Sage! Don’t shoot! It’s Mac.” He edged sideways toward her while continuing to probe the darkened portions of the cave. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. What are you doing here? How did you get here so fast?” She stood to meet him.

“You sure you’re okay?”

She nodded.

“No one else shown up?” At her negative reply he put his gun away. Then he pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply and thoroughly.

“Sage.” he groaned. “I thought I had lost you. When I walked in and saw you slumped over—” He couldn’t go on, his shudder palpable as he pulled her as close to him as possible, heart racing like it would explode.

“I’m okay. Scared, but okay. How did you find me so quickly?”

“When I discovered you were gone, I knew you would hightail it for here. You always thought of this cavern as your refuge. Why sneak off like that?”

“I figured if I wasn’t there, Diego wouldn’t hurt any of you. If he did figure out where I went, this was my safest defensible place. Only one way in.”

“Well, now you won’t be alone. I’m here until it ends. Diego’s somewhere on the mountain. Dante found his vehicle. Let me grab my backpack off the snowmobile. Then we’ll wait it out. Dante and a couple deputies plus several men from the ranch are combing the mountain.”

He left as fast as he dared, cautiously traversing the icy path. Grabbing his backpack, he stopped to scan the surrounding area. Any sounds were hidden by the roar of the waterfall. Quickly he returned and dropped his pack next to hers.

“Now,” said Mac, shucking his jacket and tossing it on top of his backpack, “what did you think you could do here that we couldn’t do at the house?”

“Keep you safe from Diego.”

“And what was to keep you safe?”

“He wouldn’t be able to find me here. He’d have to leave.”

“All he would have to do is follow your tracks.”

“But he couldn’t know they were mine.”

“True. But it wouldn’t stop him from discovering the truth.” Mac reached out to pull her toward him by her furry coat collar. Suddenly he stopped and turned up the collar in his left hand. He worked loose a small square of metal and cursed when it landed in the palm of his hand.

“What is that?” asked Sage, peering closer.

Mac dropped it and ground it under his heel. Then he picked it up and threw it into the fire. Crouching, he stirred the fire to hot yellow and blue flames as he watched it curl and melt into a molten drop of metal.

“A tracking device. How did it get on your jacket?”

“The bookstore!” Sage gasped. “He slid his fingers under the collar. I was too scared to pay attention to what he was doing. I just wanted to get away from him.”

“Hopefully we caught it before he got an exact fix on the location,” stated Mac, continuing to stir the fire.

“You didn’t.”

Mac sprang up as he spun toward the sound of the deep, gravelly voice. A man stood with one arm around Sage’s waist, the other holding a knife to her throat.

“Diego!” Mac snapped.

“Maclain,” snarled Diego. “Can’t say it’s a pleasure to meet you. Now, take that gun out, with just two fingers, and throw it over to the wall. No funny stuff or she gets another smile.” He pressed the knife tighter against her skin.

“You don’t want to hurt her if you’re planning to take her with you,” stated Mac, easing the gun from the holster with his thumb and forefinger and tossing it to land on his jacket. The way Diego was holding Sage, Mac knew he didn’t have a shot that wouldn’t endanger her.

“Oh, yeah,” Diego gloated. “She’s coming with me. She’s mine. My sex slave till I tire of her. Then she’ll still bring a decent price on the open market. Even damaged goods are worth plenty in the sex slave trade.”

Each word Diego spoke drove Mac’s temper closer to the boiling point. He had to control it. Anger made you do stupid things. He couldn’t go off halfcocked. Sage’s life was on the line. Simmer down. Look for an opening. Slow, deep breaths. Keep Diego talking. The scum thought he held the upper hand.

Sage clawed at the hand holding the knife to her throat. She twisted and turned until his arm around her tightened and took her breath away. The knife pressed harder.

“Stop, Sage,” Mac ordered, as he looked into her fear filled eyes. He tried to convey confidence to her, even though he wasn’t sure what the outcome would be.

A shadowy movement by the cavern opening caught Mac’s eye. He only flicked a glance in its direction, but he was tempted to smile. He kept his focus on Diego with occasional eye contact with Sage. Ready to spring into action, he tried to telegraph his plans to her without giving anything away to Diego. Her stance stiff and eyes wide, hands grasping the wrist of the hand with the knife. Slowly her eyes changed from fear to watchfulness as she stared at Mac. At the slight nod of his head she braced herself.

Stealthily the cougar entered the cavern and crept up to within six feet of Diego. Without warning an angry scream was heard, echoing off the walls and ceiling. Diego’s head whipped around, followed immediately by his hand with the knife. The big cat crouched back on his haunches, muscles bulging, ears laid flat to his head, the golden eyes spitting fury, his lip curled back in a snarl showing the dangerous white teeth. He emitted a ferocious growl that seemed to come from deep within.

Mac leaped forward, snatching Sage and putting her behind him. Then he advanced on Diego, whose head swiveled between the cat and Mac. He swung the knife in a wide arc at gut level. Mac stepped back so the steel missed its mark and quickly grabbed the man’s wrist.

The two men were fairly evenly matched in height and muscle. Mac had been well trained in hand-to-hand combat. But Diego had grown up in a gang and was well versed in dirty street fighting. A sweep with his foot took Mac’s legs out from under him and he went down on his back, taking Diego with him. They rolled back and forth on the ground, first one with the advantage, and then the other.

With a forceful swing, Mac’s fist connected with Diego’s jaw and he laid still. Mac staggered to his feet, breathing heavily, and stepped away from him. Diego rolled to his hands and knees, looked back at Sage, the cougar at her side, and then to the man who stood between him and escape. Mac stood, feet planted, his fists at his side. They were near the mouth of the cavern.

Suddenly, with a roar, Diego lunged at Mac, the knife held in front of him. Mac deflected the thrust and latched onto the hand holding the knife. They spun around, fighting for possession of the blade between them. Their momentum carried them over the edge into the wall of water roaring past.

* * * *

Sage stood rooted to the spot Mac had placed her. As the two men wrestled for the lethal weapon held by Diego, she was afraid to move. The cougar circled to arrive at her side. The cougar pushing his head into her hand brought her out of her stunned state. She slowly sidled over to pick up the rifle. Not wanting to make any sudden move or noise that might distract Mac, she didn’t dare cock the rifle. She didn’t have a clear shot either.

The big cat stood in front of her, preventing her from moving closer to the fight. He could sense the fear emanating from her. The fear was not for herself, but for Mac. She would never forgive herself if something happened to him because of her. If—no, when they got out of this, she would tell him she loved him. Even if he could not love her. She had to tell him before she returned to San Francisco.

She wanted to scream a warning as the combatants spun toward the icy edge of the cavern’s mouth. When the thundering cascade swallowed them, she did scream. Then she started to run. Out of the grotto to slip and slide down the snow covered banks to the pool at the base of the falls.

Sage held her breath, praying for Mac to soon surface. He had to be all right. She knelt in the snow, hugging the cougar, her face buried in his fur, silently pleading for Mac’s safety. A sudden shifting by the cat had her raising her head. Mac’s head broke the surface of the water near the embankment.

“Mac! Oh, Mac!” she cried, reaching for him. He raised a hand to clasp with hers. “Are you hurt?”

“A little cold and wet, but otherwise in one piece,” he answered as he struggled for breath.

Sage grabbed his arm with both hands and tried to pull him out of the water. She didn’t have the strength. Grabbing the rifle, she fired two quick shots into the nearest tree, remembering the safety of not firing into the air lest one of the bullets came down to injure one of the rescuers on the mountain. Her SOS was answered by a single shot nearby. Soon the sheriff and a deputy reached them. Each latched onto an arm and lifted Mac to solid ground.

Sage wrapped her arms tightly around him, tears streaming down her chilled cheeks. His cold lips found hers in a searing kiss.

“Where’s Diego?” asked Dante.

As if to answer his question, the roiling waters spewed forth a body, rolling it over to expose the knife lodged in his upper abdomen, his glazed eyes staring sightlessly at the bright Montana sky. Two of Mac’s ranch hands had arrived and waded in to retrieve the body before the racing water could carry it down stream.

“We have to wait here for the coroner in Kalispel?” asked Mac, shivering.

“No,” said Dante. “Abe Flaherty over at Kale and Flaherty Funeral Home has been made county coroner. Shouldn’t take him long to get here. No need for you to stick around. You need to get somewhere warm and dry off. I can take your statement anytime. No rush.”

“I’ve got a fire going in the cavern,” said Sage. “If he tried to get to the ranch house, he’d be a human icicle.”

“I’m close to that now,” said Mac. “Jack, Bones, grab the snowmobile. You need to get those wet feet taken care of before you develop frostbite. I’ll call Two Feathers when we’re ready to leave.”

“Get,” ordered Dante. “Abe’s on his way. You shake any harder, your bones will rattle.”

“Tell Abe that Two Feathers will see he’ll have all the equipment he needs,” said Mac. Sage wrapped an arm around his waist and he drew his arm across her shoulders to help him back up to the cave.

By the time they reached the opening leading under the falls, the two ranch hands had ridden away on the snowmobile. The cougar was back on the ledge, standing sentry.

“Sasha!” whispered Sage, spying the cat calmly licking his paw. “Thank you.”

“My thanks, too, Sasha,” said Mac. “Your timely entrance allowed me to get Sage away from him. The look on his face was priceless. I’ve never seen a man so scared. Sage is safe, big fella. He’ll never hurt her again.”

“We need to get you inside,” stated Sage, casting a worried look up at Mac. She could feel his shivering and hear his teeth chattering. “Can you make it across the ledge okay? Your feet must feel like two blocks of ice.”

“I feel like one big ice cube,” he said as he staggered forward along the rock path beneath the falls. Sage walked close behind, praying he didn’t slip.

When they were safely inside the cavern, Sage went straight to the fire, piling on more wood as she urged him to strip out of his wet clothing. Sage spread the two sleeping bags and zipped them together near the fire. Then she propped them open to allow the heat from the fire to penetrate.

His struggles with the soaked garments spurred her to help. She finished removing his shirt that had become twisted at his wrists. It was hard not to notice the way his T-shirt was plastered to his muscular torso. She almost hated to push it up and lift it over his head. Until the naked version was exposed. Her eyes roamed freely over the hair-dusted pecs and the six-pack abs, the line of dark hair descending beneath the low riding waistband of his jeans.

His sneeze snapped her out of her lusty perusal. She tossed him the towel from her backpack. Then she reached for his belt, steam already rising from the wet denim where he stood close to the fire. Her fingers seemed to be all thumbs as she unhooked the buckle, fought with the button, and worked the zipper down.

Mac brought one end of the towel down in front of him as she started to peel the soaked denim and underwear off. With the other end, he quickly swiped the water from his posterior before sinking down onto the warm sleeping bag. He drew the corner across in front of him as Sage wrestled off his boots and the soggy material.