had to keep quiet. He faded then.”
Damn. Nick needed medical attention soon.
“I talked to Peterson,” Booker continued. “They’re on their way down.”
Good. At least she had reinforcements.
“I’m turning off my radio,” she said. “I don’t want any noise. Out.”
She glanced at Ashley. The girl didn’t know the meaning of the word quiet. Every time she slipped she let out a yelp, then started crying again about how she was going to die.
Miranda couldn’t blame her. Ashley was scared to death. She knew what had happened to all the other victims of the Butcher. She’d had a lot of evil things happen to her during the last two days.
But Miranda needed to explain the facts of life-and death-to Ashley van Auden.
She turned off her radio and pocketed it. Ashley stepped on a sharp rock and fell to her knees. “Ow!” She sobbed into the dirt.
Miranda picked Ashley up off the ground, her muscles straining. Though Ashley was several inches shorter and ten pounds lighter than Miranda, she was drenched. Miranda felt sluggish with the weight of the water and backpack.
The rain had cleansed Ashley’s body, washing away the blood and body odor, leaving her smelling like the wet wool sweater and fear-the fear rolling off her was palpable.
Or was that Miranda’s own terror?
She carried the girl to a thick ponderosa and propped her against the base.
“Listen to me, Ashley,” she said in her sternest voice.
“He’s going to kill us,” Ashley interrupted. “You know it. You know he’s coming after us. I heard. I heard on your radio. That cop said. He’s coming to kill us. We’re going to d-d-die-”
Miranda grabbed Ashley’s arms and gave her a firm shake. “Shut. Up.” She didn’t want to lose her temper, but her heart was racing. They didn’t have time. Larsen would be eating up the ground three, four times faster than they were. Even with their twenty-minute lead-shit, they might have ten minutes. If they kept moving.
No. No more running. It would end here and now.
Rain pounding down, she observed her surroundings. She could use the terrain to her advantage.
They were in a wide part of the canyon. The boulders seemed to pile in the center, with a shallow creek running both north and south of the rocks. Though the south slope was steeper, there were more fallen trees here. Better places to hide.
“Ashley!”
“Why are you being so mean to me? You don’t understand.” Her swollen lips pouted and tears rolled from her eyes. “You don’t know anything. Let me go!”
Miranda didn’t release her hold. “Do you know who I am?”
“Mir-anda.” Ashley’s voice trembled.
“I am
Miranda was surprised her voice sounded so strong. Inside, she was a mess. She had no idea what would happen when she saw Larsen. She didn’t know if she would freeze or panic or scream in rage.
But she did know there was no way they could outrun him. And this time, she had a weapon, she had physical strength, and more important, she had the element of surprise.
She would not be a victim again.
Ashley blinked, oblivious to the rain running in rivulets down her face. She was shivering, but didn’t seem to notice.
Her voice was small, like a child’s. “Promise?”
“So help me God, he will have to kill me before I let him touch you. But you have to do exactly what I say.
Ashley slowly nodded. “Okay.”
Ten minutes. She had ten minutes to see if her plan would work.
Or Quinn would find her dead.
CHAPTER 33
Quinn helped Charlie rig mountain-climbing gear to the trucks at the top of the mountain. They would rappel straight down, cutting off a huge chunk of time getting to the bottom. They had only two ropes long enough, so Quinn and Charlie would go first, followed by additional teams of two.
“Ten minutes, tops,” Charlie said.
They were about to start down the slope when Charlie’s radio buzzed. “Charlie here.”
“It’s Deputy Booker. Larsen was just at the shack and went off in the same direction as Miranda. I warned her. She’s radio-silent now.”
Damn. Quinn wanted to talk to her, find out exactly where she was. Find out how she was holding up. Tell her to watch her back. Assure Miranda of her strength and perseverance.
Most of all, he wanted to hear her voice.
“Sheriff Thomas is bad off,” Booker said. “He needs a doctor.”
“We’ll send the medic down next,” Charlie said. “Twenty minutes.”
“Roger that.”
Charlie turned to Quinn. “Let’s do it.”
Quinn was in good shape, but rappelling down a mountain used muscles he never knew existed. By the time they got to the bottom, he was winded.
But he couldn’t stop. His eyes scanned the gulch. Where was Miranda?
Where was Larsen?
Charlie radioed Booker, who said he and Nick were about three hundred yards west.
“Okay, Booker. Hang on. The medical team is on their way.”
Charlie turned to Quinn and pointed to the ground. “Look.”
The rain was falling faster by the minute and Quinn could barely see his feet clearly. Then he saw what Charlie did.
Deep impressions in the leaves leading to the boulder outcrop. “This way,” Quinn said.
Miranda sensed the hunter before she saw him.
She didn’t know exactly
Her own sharp breath.
She had attempted to cover their tracks, but it was virtually impossible with the limited time she had to set her plan in motion. She hoped Ashley stayed quiet. That was all she had to do. Hide and be quiet.
Twelve years ago, Miranda had harbored a deep resentment of Sharon as they ran from the Butcher. Every time Sharon cried out, Miranda cringed, fearing her friend was leading the Butcher right to them. That he would catch them and they would die.
And Sharon had.
Times had changed. Though Miranda winced every time Ashley whimpered, she understood. How could she hate her for her fear?
That same fear crawled up Miranda’s spine, step by step, eating away at her resolve.
She should have kept moving. Eventually, Larsen would have caught up to them. But maybe not. She should have stayed with Nick. If she had looked harder, maybe she could have found another place to hide. Gone back into the shack and waited for him to walk in.
