Josh Read online

  Cheyenne touched a finger to the thread. “But how do you know if it was left here today, or months ago?”

  Quinn frowned. “I can’t say. I’ll need a lot more to go on than this.”

  As they climbed higher, they felt the sting of cold, frosty air on their faces.

  Winter was coming early to the Tetons. At least that was what they blamed for the chill that had settled around their hearts.

  Several hours later Big Jim poked his head in the utility barn, which they used as a hangar for their plane. After scraping snow from the runway, he’d parked the plow in the vehicle barn.

  “The storm’s just about blown itself out. I’ve cleared the runway. I say it’s time to take to the air.”

  Cole looked up from his final check of the single engine Cessna. He’d been there for the past hour, working off his frustration. “Then let’s get going. I’ve got it fueled and ready.”

  While Big Jim rolled open the double doors to allow the plane to exit, Cole climbed aboard.

  A short time later, when both father and son were seated side by side at the controls, the plane rolled down the runway and they were airborne.

  Cole tuned to the state police frequency to announce their location and intended destination. Then, leaving the frequency open so they could receive any important information sent by the authorities, they headed due north, keeping their attention focused on the frozen landscape below.

  A short time later Big Jim pointed. “There’s a giant arrow down there stomped into the snow. It has to be from Quinn and Jake.”

  Cole nodded and turned the plane in the direction of the arrow.

  Some distance away they spotted a second arrow, and Cole made a slight adjustment, in order to follow the trail. He pointed to the dim ribbon of pink light on the horizon. “It’ll be dark soon.”

  Big Jim kept his tone bland, to mask his frustration. “We’ve got maybe another hour.”

  “Maybe.” Cole frowned.

  Sometimes an hour could feel like an eternity. But right now, while they fought desperately to outwit a dangerous stalker, an hour felt like mere grains of sand sifting too quickly through an hourglass.

  The thought that Sebastian Delray might have already located Josh and Sierra was too painful to consider. And so Cole held on to the thought that Delray was, like him, flying blind, with no idea where to begin to look for his prey.

  It was the only way Cole Conway could keep his sanity.

  Josh knelt on a snow-covered rock shelf and stared at the pristine landscape spread out below him.

  He would give Sebastian this. The man had been clever. Clever enough to follow a swollen stream to cover his tracks.

  Josh had followed the trail to the stream, then, with no trace of movement on either side, had been forced to make a choice. First he had hiked to the lower elevations, hoping to find some tracks. Finding none, he’d backtracked to the stream and was now on the higher elevation. But so far, he’d found no sign of any footprints in the snow.

  The climb had greatly taxed his strength, and he could feel himself beginning to fade. Not a good thing, when he was well aware that he would need his wits about him whenever he managed to encounter the armed madman.

  He continued to hope that Sebastian would become careless, thinking he would be able to carry out his plan without interference.

  Josh pressed his forehead to the cold metal of his rifle and struggled to think. He prided himself on knowing every trail, every pass, every cave in these hills. And yet, so far he’d found no trace of Sierra and Sebastian, though he’d explored most of the larger caves in the area.

  If the two were in plain sight, he would have spotted them by now. He was convinced that they were hidden in one of the many caves in this area. But which one? There were hundreds of small indentations in the rock-strewn area that could conceal two people.

  He got to his feet and was about to turn away when something below caught his eye. Creeping carefully to the very edge of the rock, he peered down.

  Below him was a flat plateau called Wolf River Plateau. Though most of it was hidden from this vantage point, he could make out what appeared to be a series of straight lines and squares.

  At first they didn’t make any sense.

  And then the thought struck.

  Letters.

  Someone had carved giant letters in the snow.

  He needed to climb higher, away from all this rock, in order to get a clearer view.

  Though every step caused fresh pain, he managed to make his way higher up the mountain until he came to a spot overlooking the plateau. He peered down.

  Reading backward and upside down, he finally realized what the letters spelled:

  LANDING AREA

  Josh’s heart leaped to his throat. Of course. Delray must have an accomplice. A pilot who could fly a copter and land it on the plateau.

  He swore as he turned away. He’d made a very wrong choice and had climbed too high. It would take him half an hour to make his way to the plateau marked as a landing area.

  As he started his descent, he held to one thought. Unless he made it in time, Sierra was lost to him.

  Sierra struggled her way up through layers of darkness. The sedative had left her vision muddled, and that in turn left her dizzy and viciously nauseous.

  The slightest movement made it worse.

  The one thing she could see through the clouds of confusion was the fading light just beyond the entrance to the cave. Despite her fuzzy brain, she clung to the fact that somewhere out there was freedom. She knew instinctively that if she remained in here, Sebastian would soon take her away with him. And once he escaped this place, she would never be free of him.

  She had to let the world know that he’d killed Josh.

  Josh dead.

  The thought left her numb with shock and pain, and for a moment she curled into a ball, fighting a depth of despair that rolled over her in waves.

  Before the tears could start she shook her head, as though to deny the pain in her heart. If she gave up now, Sebastian would win. She couldn’t let him get away with what he’d done. She had witnessed his crime. She would do whatever it took, pay whatever price necessary, to avenge Josh’s death.

  She saw, through the mist of sedative that still clouded her vision, a shadowy image step into the entrance to the cave, blocking the light.

  A ripple of sheer terror crawled along her spine.

  Sebastian was back.

  She didn’t know where he kept going when he left her alone, but he had said something about a message for his chauffeur.

  She prayed that his driver hadn’t appeared yet.

  As he walked closer, she steeled herself. This time, she had to be ready for him. She wouldn’t react, no matter what he did to her. She had to convince him that she was still unconscious, so that he wouldn’t administer any more of the hated sedative.

  “Sierra, my love.”

  She heard his voice above her and remained as still as a statue.

  “Are you playing with me?” He kicked her with the toe of his boot.

  She fought to keep her breathing slow and easy. There must be no hint that she was alert.

  “Sierra.” His voice was closer now, and she knew that he was kneeling over her.

  His rough hands caught her shoulder, shaking her so hard she had to grit her teeth to keep from reacting to his touch.

  “So.”

  She felt his hand at her throat, and for a moment she felt a rush of panic. Would her accelerated pulse rate give her away?

  To distract him she moaned slightly, but kept her eyes closed.

  “Open your eyes, you lying whore, or I’ll blow you away right now.”

  She felt something icy cold pressed to her temple and knew instinctively that it was the muzzle of his pistol.

  She knew she was risking her life by defying him, but she dared not open her eyes now.

  She couldn’t breathe as she waited for the explosion that would end her lif
e.

  The minutes ticked by interminably, and then, without warning, she heard his footfall as he made his way to the cave entrance. In the distance she could hear the sound of a helicopter.

  She’d convinced him that she was still unconscious. Almost dizzy with relief, she waited a full minute or more before daring to open her eyes. When she did, she could see that she was alone.

  When she tried to stand, her legs were trembling so violently, she knew they wouldn’t support her. On her hands and knees she crawled across the floor of the cave to the entrance. Once there she breathed deeply before using the side of the cave to pull herself slowly to her feet. For a moment she feared that she would collapse in a heap. Instead, moving cautiously, she took a step and then another until she was standing outside the cave.

  She stood there, breathing in the frigid air.

  The sound of the helicopter was much closer now, as though hovering somewhere just out of sight beyond these peaks.

  Was this what Sebastian was waiting for? Could this be his magic carpet?

  She had to run. Now, while there was still time.

  She was about to take a downward route when she caught sight of the helicopter coming into view just over a ridge. On a plateau just below stood Sebastian, waving his arms at the pilot of the aircraft.

  There was no time left. If Sebastian found her here when he returned, all was lost.

  Without giving a thought to where she would go or how she would survive, she plunged into the snow and began clawing her way upward. At times crawling, at other times struggling to her feet, she used the branches of trees for support as she made her way unerringly into the cover of a line of trees and, hopefully, away from the clear and present danger.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Quinn, Cheyenne, and Jake looked up at the sound of the helicopter.

  “State Police?” Jake shielded his eyes, hoping to see the familiar markings.

  “Definitely not the state guys.” Quinn studied the aircraft. “I haven’t seen it around here before.” He glanced at his brother. “You think Pa asked for help?”

  Jake watched as the helicopter hovered above Wolf River Plateau. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this. What if this is part of Delray’s plan? It would be an easy way to hit and run.”

  As soon as the words were out of his brother’s mouth Quinn nodded. “Of course. Eliminate Josh, grab Sierra, and get clean away before the authorities know where to look for him.” He swore. “Come on. We have to get up there and stop him before he succeeds in getting away with it.”

  The three of them attacked the slopes with a renewed vengeance.

  As the Cessna circled, Big Jim swiveled his head when something caught his eye. “Wait a minute.”

  Cole looked over at his father. “What is it? What’d you see?”

  “I don’t know. Head back to the other side of that peak again.”

  Cole made an adjustment and the plane circled back.

  Big Jim strained to see anything out of the ordinary.

  At last he pointed. “There. Letters.” A moment later he swore. “Landing area. Hell, that can’t be a message from Quinn and Jake. We couldn’t land on that little spot unless we were—”

  “—flying a helicopter.” Cole pointed to the small aircraft just coming into view from the other side of the mountain peaks.

  He lifted the speaker, tuned to the state police frequency. “Everett. Is that you approaching Wind River Plateau?”

  After several seconds of static Everett Fletcher’s voice broke through. “I can barely hear you, Cole. I’m with the state boys. We’re airborne, but nowhere near the plateau. We’re just on our way to join you in the hunt for Delray.”

  “Then I guess that copter we’re watching means trouble for us. He’s not on our frequency. I’m afraid you’re a little late to the dance, Chief. There’s a private helicopter preparing to land on the Wolf River Plateau. That could very well be where Josh and Sierra Moore are camped.”

  The chief muttered an oath. “Does that bastard Delray think he can violate our laws and then skip out without paying the price?” He could be heard speaking to the pilot before adding, “Hang on. We should be there within the hour.”

  Cole turned to his father. “I’m betting that Delray will be aboard that aircraft and halfway to hell before Everett and the state boys can even get close.”

  “Then I guess it’s up to us to change Delray’s plans.”

  Cole stared down at the rugged landscape below. “This is no whirlybird, Big Jim. It would take a miracle to put this down on that postage-stamp piece of land.”

  “I don’t see that we have a choice.”

  Cole stared around, hoping desperately to find a more hospitable area nearby to serve as a landing strip.

  Seeing none he muttered, “Okay. We’ll prepare for a crash landing. And pray for a miracle.”

  Josh stumbled down another slope, half-running, half-sliding as he lost his footing on the snow-slick trail. Whatever pain he’d suffered from the close-range gunshot was forgotten in his haste to reach the plateau. Nothing mattered now except reaching Sierra in time.

  He tripped over a log buried under a mound of snow and fell forward, sliding headlong until he came to a sudden stop at the base of a tree.

  The impact ripped the rifle from his grasp and it slid past him another hundred feet or more before it came to stop against a pile of snow-covered rocks.

  Josh lifted his face from the snow and swore in frustration. This deadly situation had made him careless and clumsy at a time when he couldn’t afford a single misstep.

  He crawled forward until his fingers closed around the barrel of his rifle.

  Just as he sat up, he caught the rustle of movement in a stand of trees and whirled, taking aim.

  The spidery branches of a fir parted, revealing a sight that rendered him speechless.

  Sierra was weaving like a drunk, using the flimsy branches to remain upright. And though her eyes were open, she didn’t appear able to really see him.

  “Sierra?”

  At the sound of his voice she cried out and dropped to her knees.

  “Oh, God, Sierra.” He stumbled forward and wrapped his arms around her.

  “Josh?” She lifted a hand to his face and struggled to focus. What she saw was a blur of dark, piercing eyes staring into hers.

  Josh’s wonderful, beautiful eyes.

  She clutched his hand. “How can this be? I saw Sebastian kill you.”

  Almost reverently she traced the outline of his face, and then his mouth. There was no denying that mouth. Hadn’t she kissed it a hundred times or more? “Oh, Josh. Tell me I’m not dreaming. It really is you. You’re not dead.”

  “I’m alive, Sierra. Don’t waste your time worrying about me. I’m more worried about you.” He could see that her pupils were dilated and her speech slurred. “How did you escape Sebastian?”

  “He drugged me. I’m still—” she struggled to put her thoughts into words “—weak and groggy. But when he went to signal the helicopter, I knew it was my only chance to escape.”

  “He’ll come after you. You were bound to leave a trail in the snow.” Josh caught her hand. “We have to get away.”

  “You have to go without me. I’ll just hold you back. I can barely stand.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I’ll carry you.”

  She touched a hand to his face, wishing she could bring him into clearer focus. “Listen to me, Josh. He’ll kill you if he finds you with me.”

  “He’s already tried that once.”

  “But you can’t take the chance—”

  “We don’t have time to argue.” He slung the rifle over his shoulder before lifting her in his arms. “Hold on, baby.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face against his shoulder as he made a desperate dash into the nearby woods.

  Quinn figured he knew the Wolf River Plateau better than most hikers. This had been one of his favorite spots to sit
and watch his pack when he’d first started tracking wolves.

  “There’s a shortcut up ahead. I’ve used it a hundred times or more.” He led the way through a dense evergreen forest.

  Jake and Cheyenne followed his lead with absolute trust.

  Though they couldn’t see the sky through the canopy of foliage, they were aware of the sound of whirling blades growing louder as they climbed. When they broke free on the far side of the forest, they could see the helicopter start to drop toward the landing area, before it suddenly veered off, changed course, and lifted into the air.

  “I wonder what…?” Quinn halted in midsentence when he looked up to see the family’s Cessna coming in low and fast from the opposite direction. “Sweet heaven. They’ll never make it. It’s impossible.”

  He swore and grabbed Cheyenne’s hand so hard she winced before clapping a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out in absolute horror.

  Beside them, Jake stared transfixed at the sight of the aircraft barreling down on the plateau. “Not enough runway. They’ll slam off the edge and crash on the rocks below.”

  It was like watching a train wreck. Though they all feared the outcome, they couldn’t look away.

  The small plane touched down, bounced once, twice, and began skidding sideways across the icy surface. Just as it slid toward the very edge of the plateau and looked as though it would continue on into the abyss beyond, it jerked to a shuddering halt, as though anchored by an invisible tether.

  Moments later, as Quinn, Cheyenne, and Jake raced toward the aircraft, the doors opened, and Cole and Big Jim stepped out.

  For a moment there was complete silence, as they tried to process the fact that they’d just accomplished the impossible.

  “That was—” Cheyenne swallowed back the knot of fear that had nearly choked her “—simply incredible.”

  “Yeah.” Cole shot a look of astonishment at his father, and the two men grinned foolishly. “It wasn’t half bad, if I say so myself.”

  “Not bad?” It was Jake who brought them all down to earth as he slapped his father on the back and said, “You’d better thank Grandma Clementine for that miracle. You two couldn’t have pulled that off by yourselves.”