Hannah Alexander - A Killing Frost

“Renee, that’s dozens of square miles of forest-”

“Which means you’d better hop to it. Do you have your hiking boots and jeans?”

“Not on me,” Jama said dryly.

“Do you have clothes at the ranch?”

“No.” Jama had given all but a few of her clothes to a homeless shelter after Amy’s death. She’d cleaned out her closet at the ranch house, but she decided not to remind Renee about that.

“Then you’ll have to make do with some of Amy’s things,” Renee said. “Mom’s still storing all of it in the attic at the ranch, and if I remember right, you and Amy wear the same size shoe. You can use her hiking boots.”

Jama hesitated. Renee’s anxiety could be affecting her judgment. Was this expedition sanctioned by the FBI? Renee had always been the most excitable of the Mercer clan; as a child, she’d screamed at scary stories before they even got scary, she’d laughed more loudly and talked faster than her twin in a bid for attention.

It was Renee who had been the holdout in the family when Jama became a foster sister. Though Renee had accepted Jama as Amy’s friend for so many years, Jama became a threat to Renee’s place in the family when she joined it. Jama got the attention, for a while, because of her father’s death, her rebellion and Fran Mercer’s compassion. It was months before young Renee thawed enough to welcome Jama to the fold, though her twin, Heather, had embraced Jama from the beginning.

“Jama, we need you and Tyrell out there looking for Doriann before the place is overrun by people who don’t know the area like you do.”

“Where’s Tyrell?”

“On his way to pick you up as we speak.”

“So he’s agreed to this crazy plan?”

“Crazy? Jama, Doriann’s life is at stake. You’re the only person I know who’s better at tracking than Tyrell.”

Jama continued to ponder this deluge of information.

“Hey!” Renee said. “Are you listening to me? You’ve got to get moving now!”

“Andy did see footprints coming out of the swamp?” Jama had known the place well at one time…many years ago. “Nobody was in the truck?”

“No, but one set of prints leading away from there was small. That’s got to mean Doriann’s still able to walk on her own.”

“If those are Doriann’s footprints. Are you sure you aren’t jumping to-”

“No, I’m not,” Renee retorted. “It’s got to be her.”

Jama was once again alarmed by the edgy sound of Renee’s voice. With all the pressure she’d been under today…

“Look,” Jama said, “it’s been months since I’ve hiked, longer than that since I’ve done any tracking.”

“Dad always said you were a natural, that you were born to it. Don’t give the Feds time to trample the site, Jama.”

“Are dogs being brought in?”

“Of course,” Renee snapped, “but it’ll be a few hours before Search and Rescue can get here. A young couple went missing two nights ago over the state line in Kansas, and I suspect they might have been victims of these same killers. Come on, Jama, why are you stalling?”

Jama sighed and cast her gaze to the ceiling. Tyrell was no pushover, and Renee said he was on his way through town. He was agreeing to this aggressive plan. He had more sense than to allow his excitable younger sister to browbeat him into anything. After all, he was the eldest, pragmatic beyond bearing sometimes.

“It would be crazy to wait,” Renee said. “Every moment that passes means more danger to Doriann. You’re right there. Utilize your skills.”

“Okay,” Jama said at last. She heard Renee’s soft sigh of relief. “I won’t take time to suit up.”

“Do you have a flashlight?”

“Several good ones in my car. You know the Mercer men all give them for Christmas and birthdays.”

“Dress warm.”

“You’re sure Tyrell is picking me up?”

“He’ll be there shortly.”

“Which means you were pretty confident you could maneuver me into this, or you haven’t told him yet, and you’re going to call him and browbeat him into picking me up.”

“This is the right thing to do. It’s our best option.”

“It’s foolhardy.”

“You’ve played the fool a few times, Jama. It won’t hurt you to do it one more time.”

Jama scowled at that uncalled-for remark. “It’s also dangerous.”

“Which is why I’m calling. Tyrell wouldn’t dream of asking you to do this. But you know how to take care of yourself. You took that self-defense class. In fact, didn’t you teach self-defense for a while?”

Jama closed her eyes and thought of Amy, who had talked her into taking that first class. Amy, her best friend in the world. If Jama could do something to help make up for this family’s loss, then shouldn’t she do it?

Or am I being a little overconfident? What makes me think I can do something the FBI can’t, just because Renee wants me to?

On the other hand, the FBI may not have enough personnel for a thorough search.

Renee was right. The more time that passed, the higher the risk to Doriann.

“I can drive to Andy’s,” Jama said.

“His place is going to be overrun with cars before long, and the fewer civilian vehicles on the property, the better.”

“In other words, this is a covert operation.” Jama’s unease mounted, but nothing about this day was comfortable.

“Tyrell will be there. Be ready.” Renee disconnected, and Jama sat staring at the cell phone in her hand.

She couldn’t tell if her racing heart was from fear, or excitement that she might actually be able to help find Doriann, or from trepidation about spending still more time with Tyrell.

Doriann took precedence. Her safety was top priority. Jama would do this for her.

Tyrell was driving through downtown River Dance-total distance, four blocks-when he received yet another call from his sister.

“You need to stop at the clinic and pick up Jama.”

Why was he not surprised? “No.”

“She’s agreed to help search.”

“It’s dangerous out there. We don’t have any idea where these killers might be.”

“You’re right, and Doriann’s out there with them somewhere. Jama’s an adult with self-defense training, Doriann’s a helpless child. Jama’s waiting for you at the clinic, because I told her you would pick her up.”

In spite of his doubts about Renee’s plan, he found himself automatically turning toward the clinic when he reached River Street. “Since when did you become the head of this family?”

“You try homeschooling four strong-willed children and caring for a baby, while helping your husband with his landscaping business.”

“I don’t have a husband. Come to think of it, I don’t have children.”

“Stop fooling around. You’re picking Jama up, aren’t you? She’ll be out there tracking, anyway, she might as well be under your watchful eye.”

He pulled into the clinic parking lot and saw Jama waiting beside her car, wearing a pea-green army coat over navy-blue scrubs. She still wore her bright white, thick-soled shoes, which would be caked with mud by the end of the night…whenever that end may come.

She was in the passenger seat before he could get out and open the door for her.

“I’m in, Renee,” she called loudly enough for Renee to hear.

“Then my work is done,” Renee said. “Call me as soon as-”

“My cell phone’s out of juice,” Tyrell said. “I’ll call you when I can.” He flipped his phone shut and tossed it into the console.

Jama reached for it, pulled an electronic charger from one of the many pockets in her coat and plugged it into Tyrell’s phone. “It’ll be recharged by the time we reach the trailhead. It’s a good thing I talked Monty into the family plan when I changed phone companies. Your phone’s compatible with mine and Monty’s. Now that Fran’s agreed to get a cell-”