Wilde One (21 page)

Griff glanced over his shoulder. “Almost there.”

“Goody.”

He flashed a smile. “I told you I don’t expect you to go inside.”

“I know, but I hate to be such a chicken. How many caves do we have to search?”

“There are five of them, some deeper than others. My brothers and I loved playing in them when we were kids.”

“Five? Interesting since there are five of us hunting for the treasure. Do you think each clue was left in a different cave?”

“I hadn’t considered that, but you could be right. The caves have drawings inside similar to the ones on the tiles, but they aren’t prehistoric. The area was studied thoroughly by a group of archeologists or anthropologists or whoever does that sort of thing back in the forties. They determined the caverns were used by Shoshone Indians no earlier than a few centuries ago. Apparently the government didn’t deem them worthy of turning the area into a national monument.” He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Too expensive to maintain this far off the beaten path. Then there’s the matter of access. My family was thrilled when they abandoned the idea.”

“So, no docent giving tours or guidebooks describing the exact location?”

“Hardly, but the caves are well known to the locals. The others will learn about them easily enough if they ask around in Cody.”

“Some of the contestants might have come and gone already.” Ainslee stopped Flint when Griff dismounted.

He glanced over. “Let’s hope not. We’ll leave the horses here and hike the rest of the way. The entrances are up above, so we have to climb.”

She looped the reins around the branch of a quaking aspen and forced her feet to follow Griff’s lead, trying to imagine Marietta in heels and a tight skirt making the trip up the mountain. They scrambled over a sloping rock face studded with a few hardy bushes growing out of crevices. A hundred feet up, a narrow ledge ran along the stone outcropping. Ainslee stopped in front of the first gaping entrance. Not that the opening was large. She’d have to duck to get inside, but surely the jaws of death wouldn’t look any more intimidating.

Griff dug a flashlight out of the daypack. “You stay here while I check inside.”

She clenched a jagged rock that resembled the broken tooth of a prehistoric monster and shuddered. “How will you know if it’s the right cave?”

“I have the tiles. Maybe they’ll match one of the drawings.”

She nodded. “If you want me to come with you…”

He bent to drop a kiss on her shaking lips. “I’ve got this.”

Griff disappeared into the cave, and Ainslee let out a long breath. Maybe she was the biggest scaredy-cat on the face of the planet. Still,
nothing
would get her to go in that dark hole.

“Damn. Shit. Mother fu…”

Ainslee ducked and ran inside. “Griff! Griff, are you okay?” She couldn’t see a blessed thing, but a faint light shone somewhere up ahead. She stumbled toward it. Putting out a hand, she touched a damp wall as she rounded a bend and recoiled.

Griff stood, bent over, still swearing.

“What happened?”

He lowered his hand. In the glow of the flashlight, blood ran from a scrape across his forehead. “I brained myself, that’s what. Forgot how stinking low the ceiling is. When we were kids, we didn’t have to stoop.”

“We should wash that. It could have fungus or bat poop or something in it.”

He wiped his blood streaked hand on his T-shirt. “I’ll clean it when we get back to the ranch.” His eyes narrowed. “Hey, what are you doing in here?”

Ainslee’s heart beat a frantic rhythm, and she scooted a little closer to his side. “I thought you were being eaten by a mountain lion or something. What was I supposed to do, listen to it devour you?”

He grinned. “So you came in to offer yourself up as dessert? I’m touched.”

Sputtering with laughter, some of her fear eased as she latched onto his arm. “Did you find anything? Cave drawings or better yet, a big pile of gold and jewels?”

He ignored her question. “Are you okay? Do you want to go back outside?”

“Maybe I’m getting over my fear because I’m not completely ready to lose it. Yet. On the other hand, I don’t want to set up camp in here, either, so what are we looking for?”

He flashed the light beam on the opposite wall. “There’re the drawings. The big one in the middle must be a grizzly chasing an elk. I’m not so sure about the smaller drawings. They’re kind of hard to decipher.”

Ainslee stepped closer and squinted. “Looks like a hunter with a bow but I can’t make out the other figure. Let’s see the tiles.” She took the first one from him and held it next to the wall, trying to ignore the moist surface shining with something green in the crevices. “Hmm, this tile has dogs or maybe wolves. I don’t see any connection. What about the other one?”

He took the first tile back and handed her the second. The light beam wavered on the wall as he juggled the flashlight.

Ainslee studied the drawing. “I think we’re in business.”

“Oh?” He leaned over her shoulder, and his breath tickled her ear.

A little quiver shot through her as she pointed to the tile. Same guy with a bow and arrow and what must be a rabbit out front with a series of blobs…” She frowned.

“Footprints. How many?”

“…seven, eight, nine, ten.”

“If I take ten steps…” He counted as he walked away, taking the light with him.

Ainslee shivered and rubbed her arms. Were the walls closer than they’d been a moment before? The tons of rock overhead lower? She gasped for breath.

“Ainslee?”

“What?” Her voice squeaked.

“Come here. I think I found the next clue.”

“I don’t see anything.” Ainslee clutched Griff’s arm in a death grip.

He removed the fingers digging into his flesh and slid the mistreated limb around her waist to squeeze her tight against his side. She’d been a terrific sport about hanging out in the cave, especially considering her face was so pale he feared she might keel over at any minute.

“The earth isn’t packed as hard right here. It gives just a bit.” He tapped the ground with his foot. “At exactly ten paces from the drawing. Whoever counted it off must have been my size. I can’t imagine it was Victor at age ninety-something. Unless he buried the clue when he was a lot younger.”

“You think something’s buried here?”

He nodded. “Good thing I grabbed a trowel from the barn when I was getting the tiles from the car. I thought it might come in handy in a cave.”

“Uh, if you don’t mind…” Her hand holding on to him squeezed tighter as she buried her face against his shoulder.

“I’m an idiot. Sorry, Ainslee. Let’s get you out of here before I start excavating.”

“That works for me.”

He had to smile at her shaky tone. When they neared the entrance, she pushed away from him and ran the last few yards.

Turning her face up to the late afternoon sun, she drew in deep breaths. “Wow, I survived.”

“You were awesome.” Stepping up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her head. “You okay now?”

Silky hair caught on day old stubble when she nodded. “I’m fine. Go dig up the treasure or clue or whatever is buried in there.”

“I’m sure it isn’t buried deep since the ground is as hard as a rock, so it shouldn’t take long. Be right back.” Turning, he retreated into the cave, counted the paces off from the drawing again then pulled the trowel out of his daypack. After a few scoops, he struck something hard. Digging with care, he loosened a small, wooden box and set it beside him before filling in the hole. Hurrying out of the cave, he held up his prize. “Look what I found.”

She eyed the box from beneath drawn brows. “Doesn’t look big enough to hold much of a treasure. My guess is it’s another clue.”

“Probably. The box is nailed shut. Maybe I can use the trowel to pry the lid off.”

“We can open it later. What about the other tile?”

“Right. I’ll see if I can find a match to a drawing in one of the other caves.”

A hint of color stained her pale cheeks, but her hand still shook when she pushed her hair behind one shoulder. “I can come with you.”

“You don’t have to show me you’re brave.” He smiled and drew his thumb across her lower lip. “I already know.” Taking a step back, he glanced toward the second cave. “I’ll go find our other box.”

The drawing in the fourth cave matched the tile. He walked the eight paces indicated and dug. Minutes later, he retrieved the wooden container and filled in the hole. Exiting the cave, he edged along the narrow cliff face to carry his find back to Ainslee. Setting the box and the backpack on the ground beside the rock where she was perched, he scanned the countryside from their vantage point high above the forest floor. “Have you seen any movement?”

“A few squirrels. No humans, although one of the horses spooked a few minutes ago. It’s whiney echoed off the cliffs.”

“Could have been anything from a bee buzzing around its head to the scent of a bear carried on the breeze.”

Her eyes grew wide. “A bear? What kind of bear?”

He grinned. “More than likely a black bear, but we do have grizzlies in this area on occasion.”

She jumped to her feet. “So, are we ready to leave now?”

His smile broadened. “Actually, I had an idea while I was digging up the box. No reason I can’t check the other caves for activity. We don’t know how many paces exactly from the drawings, but I’ll notice if the ground has been disturbed recently.”

“If it has, then someone beat us here.”

“Exactly.” He held up the flashlight. “I’ll be back soon.”

He started with the fifth cave. Going as far back as twenty paces, he searched the ground for scuff marks, anything to show someone had been digging. The earth was hard-packed. Undisturbed. Whoever’s clue lay buried in this cave hadn’t found it yet. He hurried toward the entrance then headed straight into the third cave. Keeping his head down, he flashed the light across the ground in a steady pattern.

“Son of a bitch!” The excavation site was thirteen paces from the drawings. Whoever had filled in the hole had done a crappy job. “Well, damn, someone beat us here, after all.” Leaving the cavern, he entered the second cave and quickly searched around. Nothing. Not one rock or clod of dirt out of place. With a grunt of satisfaction, he hurried back to Ainslee’s side.

She turned and gave him an anxious glance. “Well?”

“We’re in second place. Someone dug up the box in cave number three.”

“Rats.”

“He—or she—can’t have much of a head start. We’ll catch whoever it is on the next leg.”

She nodded. “Definitely. Shall we go?”

“You bet.” After stuffing the boxes into the pack along with the flashlight, he shrugged it onto his back then led the way to the poor excuse for a trail back down the cliff. “Be careful. Going down is more dangerous than climbing up. Watch for loose rocks, and grab those bushes if you start to slide.”

She laughed. “Hey, at least if I slip, you’ll break my fall.”

Her mood had certainly improved. She sounded awfully cheerful at the thought of breaking her neck. Apparently, the two of them plunging down a rock wall to their possible deaths was preferable to hanging out in a cave.

“Happy to be of service. I…what was that?”

“What was what?”

“I thought I heard…” He stopped and strained to listen. “Shit! Flat against the wall. Now!”

Turning, he tried to shelter her with his body as best he could. Rocks pelted by, stinging as they struck his head and arms. With a series of thumps and crashes, a bolder bounced past, hitting the edge of the daypack and knocking him off balance. Arms flailing, he tumbled downward until he grabbed onto a prickly shrub to stop his fall.

“Griff, are you hurt? Oh, God. Did that rock hit you?”

“I’m okay.” He gasped for breath and waited a few seconds for his thundering pulse to slow. “Lord, that was close.”

“Can you move?” She peered down at him, her eyes huge beneath the pink bill of her cap.

“Yeah, sideways, I think. What about you? Did you get hit?”

“Only the back of my hand by a little rock. I’m pretty sure you took the lion’s share. Your arms are bleeding in a few spots.”

He stepped cautiously to the side, gripping a crevice in the rock. “They’ll match the cut on my forehead, then.” Glancing up at her, he frowned. “If you aren’t hurt, why’re you crying?”

She wiped at her cheeks and scowled back. “Because I was so crazy worried, that’s why. I thought you were going to
die
when you went tumbling backward.”

“Well, I didn’t, no thanks to whoever pushed that boulder over the cliff.”

“What!” She scrambled down to meet him then circled him around the waist with both arms and held on tight. “You think someone deliberately started that avalanche?”

He hugged her to his chest and let out a long breath. “I do. I heard something, probably a foot scraping against the ground, just before the rock crashed over. Damn. Now I wish I’d looked up sooner, but I was too busy trying to cover both you and my head to get a look at whoever attempted to maim us.”

“Do you think someone might still be up there?”

“Maybe, but I haven’t heard anything in the last few minutes. If he is, he’s holed up somewhere out of sight.”

She pulled away from him to glance upward. “If the creep pushes another rock…”

“I thought of that, too. Let’s get the hell out of here before he finds a loose chunk of granite to throw.”

Five minutes later, they reached the horses without further incident. Ainslee held tight to his hand as he boosted her into the saddle. When he would have stepped back, she clung.

“You look awful. Blood all over your face and arms…” She bit her lip. “Your mom will have a heart attack if she sees you like that.”

“There’s a creek not far from here. We’ll make a detour and stop to wash.”

With a nod, she released him. Griff mounted Bramble and led the way. Neither said much on the ride to the creek. Leaving the horses free to drink and munch grass along the shallow bank, he dropped the backpack on the ground then peeled off his shirt. After dunking it in the stream, he twisted the cotton between both fists to wring out some of the water.