Squeezing her eyes closed, Kaitlyn willed away the memory. Boone Fowler had killed her best friend, but she couldnt afford to lose control now. She had to get out of there before they saw her. She had to find a way to contact the authorities. Fowler and his cohorts were armed and dangerous. It wasnt just her life on the line.
Clutching her cell phone, she prayed that she would be able to get a signal and summon help. But as she started to slip away from the cabin, a scream from inside drew her back to the window.
She tried not to make a sound, but what she saw sent a gasp to her throat. The man nearest the window had moved away so that she had a clear view of the interior. The convicts had taken a hostage. Theyd stripped him and bound him to a wooden chair. He was bleeding profusely from his wounds and seemed barely conscious as his head lolled forward, chin on chest.
As Kaitlyn watched in horror, one of the MMFAFA members approached him. Grabbing the mans hair, he pulled back his head, exposing his throat as he slipped a knife blade along the delicate skin, drawing even more blood.
The man groaned and began to babble. He spoke in what sounded to Kaitlyn like German. Gotthilife mich. Gotthilfe uns alle, wenn Sie gelingen. He muttered it over and over. Kaitlyn tried to translate, but her high school German was too long ago and she was so terrified she couldnt think straight. But she could tell from his demeanor that he was begging for mercy.
His pleas fell on deaf ears. Someone shouted, For the Cause! and they all took up the chant as the knife whipped across the hostages throat.
The gush of crimson sent Kaitlyn into a momentary state of shock. She stood paralyzed at the window, hand clapped to her mouth to suppress her own scream. She couldnt move. She hardly dared to breathe. If they saw her
She must have made an involuntary sound, or perhaps some instinct told him she was there. Boone Fowler had been standing with his back to the window, and now he turned slowly, his gaze meeting Kaitlyns through the window.
Bloodlust glinted in his eyes.
Kaitlyn had never seen such a cold, demonic expression. His lips twisted cruelly as he acknowledged her presence and then he sprang like a panther across the room to the window.
At that moment, Kaitlyn knew she was a dead woman walking, but her instinct for survival was stronger that shed ever imagined and, whirling, she sprinted for the woods.
She heard the glass shatter behind her as Fowler leaped through the window, and then the more immediate sound of rustling leaves and snapping twigs underneath his feet as he pursued her.
Kaitlyn ran like the devil himself was behind her. She was young, fit, and had the advantage of fear-induced adrenaline spurring her through the wet twilight. For a moment, she thought she might actually have a chance of getting away, and then she came to a dead stop as she found herself teetering on the brink of a canyon.
She spun, her gaze darting about for another way out, but Fowler had already found her. He was perhaps twenty yards away and closing in on her as he took in her predicament. Then his steps slowed. No need to hurry. He had her cornered.
Kaitlyns heart pounded as she watched him. Would she be better off to fling herself from the cliffor wait for Fowler to seal her fate?
Who are you? he asked in a voice that gave nothing away of his past. He might have been a fellow traveler that shed stumbled upon in the woods. Not the remorseless killer who had the blood of two hundred innocents on his hands.
Kaitlyn didnt answer him. Her breath was coming so hard and fast she couldnt speak.
Fowler took a menacing step toward. I asked you a question, girl. Who are you?
Kaitlyn Wilson.
His gaze narrowed. Do I know you?
Im a reporter for the Ponderosa Monitor.
A reporter? He took another step toward her. Who told you where to find me? Answer me!
Kaitlyn jumped at the rage in his voice. No one. I didnt come up here looking for you. I got stranded in a flash flood on Route 9. I kept walking until I could get a cell-phone signal.
Who knows youre up here?
No one, Kaitlyn thought in despair. Not a single soul. The police. I called 9-1-1 for help. Theyll be here soon
Youre lying. You cant get a cell-phone signal up here for miles. He started toward her again, and Kaitlyn backed away, gasping when she wobbled too close to the edge of the cliff.
Fowler laughed. Careful. Thats a long fall.
He was obviously enjoying himself, like a cat playing with a mouse. Even in the gathering darkness, Kaitlyn could see the gleam in his eyes. The feral grin that made her blood run cold. He was going to kill her as hed killed Jenny. Maybe it was destiny catching up with her after all these years.
Maybe it was nothing more than her imagination, but Kaitlyn could have sworn she felt Jennys presence in the wind that swept through her hair. In the rain that fell like teardrops on her face.
Come on, Kaitlyn! Youve always been able to think on your feet. You can talk your way out of this if you try.
Kaitlyn tried to beat back her panic as she moistened her lips. I didnt come up here to find you, but now that I haveI can help you. I can give you a public platform. Arrange for you to tell your side of things
Before Fowler could reply, a voice said from the darkness, Im afraid we cant allow that.
Kaitlyn couldnt see the newcomer. He remained hidden in the woods behind Fowler, but there was something familiar about his voice. Shed heard it before.
If he knew her, maybe hed help her somehow
Who are you? she asked, sounding far more desperate and frightened than she would have liked.
It doesnt matter who I am. Youve stumbled upon the story of a lifetime, it seems. Im sorry you wont live to tell it.
Kaitlyns stomach churned at his words. You dont have to do this. I dont even know who you are.
Youd put it together sooner or later. I truly am sorry, but in times like these, sacrifices have to be made. Our Cause is far too important to risk letting you go.
Oh, God
Kill her and make it quick, he said to Fowler. Have your men dispose of both bodies and make sure they clean up inside.
Whatever you say. Youre calling the shots. For now, Fowlers tone implied. For the Cause! he shouted in triumph.
For the Cause, the disembodied voice agreed.
Fowler lifted his weapon, but in the split second before he pulled the trigger, the ground gave way beneath Kaitlyns feet. Loosened by all the rain, the edge of the canyon broke free and slid downward, carrying Kaitlyn with it.
She screamed as the bullet whizzed past her cheek, and then she plunged backward into nothing but darkness.
Chapter Two
Wednesday, 1600 hours
The storm had let up overnight and the early part of Wednesday morning, but as the afternoon slipped away, a new front moved in, bringing rain bands that slammed across the JetRangers path. Cruising at an altitude of three hundred feet beneath heavy cloud cover, the chopper rose and fell like a roller coaster as wind gusts of up to twenty-five knots batted it to and fro.
No problem, Aidan Campbell thought as he kept his eyes pealed out the window for the missing woman. The JetRanger III was a reliable machine, and the pilot, Jacob Powell, had nearly twenty years of experience under his belt. Plus, he was trained to fly in thirty-knot and above winds. Aidan had seen the guy navigate through near-hurricane conditionsand while they were taking heavy fire, to boot. Comparatively speaking, this search-and-rescue mission was a piece of cake.
No problem, Aidan Campbell thought as he kept his eyes pealed out the window for the missing woman. The JetRanger III was a reliable machine, and the pilot, Jacob Powell, had nearly twenty years of experience under his belt. Plus, he was trained to fly in thirty-knot and above winds. Aidan had seen the guy navigate through near-hurricane conditionsand while they were taking heavy fire, to boot. Comparatively speaking, this search-and-rescue mission was a piece of cake.
The request for assistance by the county sheriffs office had come into Big Sky Bounty Hunters headquarters at approximately 1300 hours, and Cameron Murphy had immediately notified his teamsalready in the field searching for the escaped prisonersto be on the lookout for a Ponderosa woman whose abandoned and submerged vehicle had been spotted on Route 9. Presumably, shed taken to high ground during the storm, but the fact that she hadnt been heard from in over twenty-four hours didnt bode well for her safety.
Aidan and Powell had started their search in the area where her vehicle had been seen and then gradually widened the perimeter. It was like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Their only hope was that the woman would somehow be able to signal them whenand ifshe heard the engine.
To fight off the strong headwinds, Powell swerved the choppers nose and tail back and forth like a scampering sand crab. The maneuver helped, but the altimeter was still going crazy. Nausea tugged at Aidans stomach as he lifted the binoculars and scanned the scenery below them. Theyd flown out of the heavy rain, but visibility was still poor and they were losing the light. He could make out little more than the treetops.
Flying at low altitudes in mountainous terrain was dangerous under the best of conditions, but in bad weather, it was a particular dicey operation. But Aidan knew there was no turning back, for him or for Powell, until they absolutely had to. If the woman was still alive, she might not survive another night in the wilderness.
Aidan didnt say it aloud, but for the past half hour or so, hed been plagued by the nagging worry that despite their best efforts, they might come up short this time. SAR operations didnt always have happy endings. He knew that better than anyone.
His headset sputtered to life.
See anything? Powell asked him.
He shook his head. Negative.
Damn. The frustration in Powells voice mirrored Aidans concern. Darkness was falling and they were rapidly reaching the point at which the helicopter wouldnt have enough fuel to return to base. A decision would soon have to be made.
He glanced at Powell. What do you think?
Powells mouth was set in a grim line. One more circle and then well have to head in. He turned south, putting the wind at their tail and the JetRanger sprinted forward.
As they passed over a gorge cut deep into the side of the mountain, Aidan pointed out the window. Ive been rock climbing in that canyon. Its at least a hundred-foot drop to the floor.
Powell shrugged. Devils Canyon. What of it?
If memory serves, theres an old hunting lodge around here somewhereyeah, just through that break in the trees. See it? Its a long shot, but she could be holed up inside, waiting for the weather to clear.
I doubt she would have made it up this far, but hold on, Powell said. Well drop down and see if we spot movement.
As he swung around, something twinkled in the deep recesses of the canyon, drawing Aidans attention. He watched for a moment, thinking it might have been his imagination, but then it came again. A flicker of light.
Couldnt be a campfire in the rain
Did you see that? Aidan pointed excitedly toward the canyon. I saw a light down there.
Powell executed a one-eighty spin, turning his nose straight into the headwind. The helicopter shuddered, as if a giant hand had smacked it across the hull.
The rim of the canyon was nothing but rocks and marshy ground. If they set down, the chopper was likely to sink in the mud and theyd never get it out. Landing on the floor of the narrow ravine was not an option, either, and a rescue party could take hours to get there.
The light kept blinking. It might have been Aidans imagination, but the signal seemed more rapid now. More desperate.
Ill go down and have a look, he shouted into the mouthpiece.
Too windy, Powell responded. Youll get hammered on the rocks before youve gone ten feet.
Not if you get low enough. The canyon will act as a buffer.
Powell cut him a look. You like to live dangerously, dont you, Campbell?
He shrugged. Is there any other way?
Powell grinned and grabbed the joystick with both hands as he took the chopper down and tried to establish zero airspeed. After several minutes of bucking and pitching, the helicopter was finally situated over the mouth of the canyon.
Throwing off his headset, Aidan climbed into the back and fastened his harness. The JetRanger was specially fitted with an electric hoist that could be operated by the pilot, but until they knew the situation below, a quick insertion into the canyon was the safest bet.
Slipping his radio into his shoulder holster, Aidan opened the jump door to a blast of wind and rain. Balancing himself in the doorway, he threw down a rope and, then snapping his figure eight onto the cable, fast-roped down into the canyon.
Rappelling was the easy part. The canyon walls shielded him from the wind, but the moment he spotted the woman lying on a ledge about fifty feet down, Aidan knew they were in trouble.
She didnt appear to be conscious, although he knew she had to be on some level in order to have sent the signal. She lay beneath a narrow outcrop of rock that wouldnt have offered much in the way of protection from the storm. Her clothing was in tatters, her face covered in mud, and her hand, where she gripped the flashlight, was raw and bleeding. She must have tried to grab on to anything she could find to halt her momentum as she fell.
Aidan glanced up, his attention scaling the canyon wall. How shed managed to survive a fall from that distance was a mystery. And a real testament to her will to survive.
Maneuvering over to the ledge, he unclipped from the rope and quickly knelt beside her. She opened her eyes when he touched her, and by the look of terror on her face, would have screamed if shed had the energy. Instead, she tried to huddle even deeper into the overhang.
Its all right, Aidan said to her over the rain. Im here to help you.
When she didnt respond, he said gently, Im not going to hurt you. But I have to find out how badly youre injured before I can get you out of here. Can you move?
After a moment, she nodded and, uncurling herself, scooted toward him.
Good. Excellent. He eyed her carefully. Can you stand?
Idont know. Her voice was barely a whisper, and she sounded so frightened and hopeless that it made Aidan want to wrap his arms around her right then and there. She was small, only about five-four or so, and he doubted she weighed much more than a hundred pounds soaking wet. Her hair was matted with mud, but he thought she was a blonde. Her eyes were dark blue and very intense.
He had the impression that she was an attractive woman, but he could see very little of her features through the mud and grime. Not that it mattered. Getting her out of the canyon and to a hospital was his only concern at the moment.