Kay Hooper - Hunting Fear

"Yeah, but even with all his confidence, he had to know there was at least a chance you'd be found in time. And if we know anything about him, it's that he's careful."

"I've lived here all my life," Wyatt told her, "and I've met a lot af people. Talked to a lot. Residents, tourists, people just passing through. If we can't narrow it down more than that, there isn't a:hance in hell I'll be able to figure out who he is."

Lucas said, "It's a point to keep in mind, but with, as you say, no way to narrow it down, not very helpful at the moment. What baffles me is how he's managing to get in and out of these remote places, machinery or parts to build it in tow, without leaving much if any evidence."

"Maybe he has wings," Wyatt grunted, just about half serious.

Jaylene spoke up to offer, "Or a hell of an ATV. And something that big and rugged gets noticed, even in these mountains."

"I didn't see any tracks near the mouth of the mine," Lucas told tier. "Maybe we '11 find something tomorrow morning, but if it's the same as at every other crime scene…" He shook his head, adding, "And why weren't mines on our search list? Especially after Lindsay was found at one."

Wyatt shrugged. "Because none of them are marked on any of aur maps, probably. Haven't been for decades. Virtually all the old mines in this county have been closed for so long that most of us tiave forgotten about them.

"Thing is, people have been digging in these mountains for generations. Gold, emeralds, whatever else there is or was. Lot of defunct mines up there that companies shut down when the veins petered out. And that's not even counting amateur efforts or natural caverns. Plus old cellars and other shelters hacked out of the granite during the last century or two and left abandoned. A big part of this county is federal land now, but it wasn't always."

"In other words," Lucas said grimly, "we've got a wilderness full of countless places where he could hold a hostage."

Wyatt lifted his brows slightly. "I take it you expect him to grab somebody else?"

"Until we've got our hands on him, it's a given."

The sheriff sighed. "Great. Well, what you said pretty much sums it up. Hell of a lot of land and not many ways of narrowing down the list of places to search. We might be able to find out who owns various remote parcels, but there's nothing to say he's even tied to them in any legal sense. From what we've seen so far, it looks like he's just taking advantage of places nobody's made use of in so many years most of us have forgotten there was anything useful there."

"Which," Caitlin said, "is another point in favor of what Sam said. That he's been here long enough to know the area very, very well."

Wyatt frowned very slightly as he looked at her. "Not that I'm complaining, but are you sure you want to stay involved in all this?"

A bit self-conscious, she shrugged. "Might as well. I mean, if it's okay with you. I don't know that I can help, but it sure beats hours alone in that motel room."

Jaylene spoke up again to say, "Ask me, we can use all the help we can get. But I vote we start fresh tomorrow morning. It's been a very long day."

"I'll second that," Wyatt said. "Not that I plan to go home tonight, but the couch in my office is very comfortable, and it won't be the first time I've slept there."

None of the others probed for his reasons, simply accepting that a man who had faced his own death a few hours previously might not want to return to an empty apartment and spend the night alone. Better here, with people about and the pulse of life going on all night.

After a quick glance at her partner, Jaylene said to Caitlin, "I'll take you back to the motel. Maybe we can stop on the way and have dinner somewhere."

Caitlin nodded, but said to Lucas, "Am I still being guarded?"

He nodded immediately. "I think you should be, Caitlin. If he's been watching, he knows you're involved now."

Unnerved, she said, "You think he's been watching us? You mean-today?"

"I'd be surprised if he wasn't somewhere nearby when the search teams returned. He'd have wanted firsthand confirmation of just how successful this move was."

"But, still, why would he target me?" she demanded.

Samantha said, "I'm betting you're an unknown factor to him, and that's got to make him uneasy. He'd expect the cops and feds to be involved in a search, and he already knows about me, but you? Not only a civilian, but the grieving sister of a previous victim, so what are you doing with a search team?"

"He has to wonder," Lucas agreed. "And with a mind as twisted is his, wondering about anything could make him even more dangerous. So I think we're better safe than sorry, don't you?"

Caitlin sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, thanks."

"If you'd rather stay somewhere else-"

She shook her head, getting to her feet as Jaylene rose. "No, the motel is fine. Hell, maybe Lindsay will be in touch again." She eyed Wyatt, then smiled. "Or maybe she used all her ectoplasm or whatever to help save your sorry ass."

Soberly, Wyatt said, "I'll do my best to make it mean something."

"I was kidding. Lindsay was too smart and too stubborn to waste her time, believe me." Without waiting for a response, Caitlin lifted a hand in farewell and left the room with Jaylene.

To Lucas, Wyatt said, "Do you seriously believe she could be in danger?"

"I seriously do. Bringing you out of one of his killing machines alive just upped the stakes; I don't expect him to wait long before he makes another move. If we openly keep watch on Caitlin, at least we serve notice that we know he's still out there, and still a danger."

Wyatt didn't question that, just nodded and said, "I'll go reassign the watchdogs. And I'm going to send one of my people for takeout. That steak I mentioned earlier. You two want anything?"

"I need to get back to the carnival," Samantha said.

Lucas looked at her briefly, then said to the sheriff, "We'll get something on the way. But thanks."

"Okay. See you in the morning." Wyatt paused in the doorway to frown back at them. "Did I say thank you, by the way?"

"In your own way," Samantha murmured.

He grinned at her for the first time, and said firmly, "Thanks for getting to me in time. Both of you."

"Don't mention it," Lucas said.

When they were alone in the room, Samantha didn't wait for the silence to lengthen, as she suspected it would.

"Shall we talk about this, or is it your plan to give me the silent treatment for the duration?"

"There's nothing to talk about, Sam."

"Sorry, but that's not good enough. Not this time."

He turned in his chair to look at her, the length of the table a more-than-symbolic space between them. "It's been a long day and we're both tired. I hope you aren't planning on reading at the carnival tonight."

Deliberately, she said, "If I have a choice between reading strangers or being in that motel room for the next twelve hours or so with your anger between us, I'll take the carnival."

"I'm not angry."

"No, you're furious. I got too close again, this time emotionally. Tell me about Bryan, Luke."

He got to his feet, face closed. "We should stop on the way and get something to eat. You haven't eaten in hours."

"Neither have you." Samantha rose to her feet as well, conscious of weariness and a distant pain she didn't want to acknowledge. She followed Lucas from the room, and not even several rather awkward attempts from some of the deputies to thank her as they passed through the building could rouse more than a fleeting smile.

She had known there would be a steep price demanded of her for this. Bishop had tried to warn her.

"He's been obsessed too long, Samantha, and he won't thank you for trying to dig that out of him."

Understatement, Samantha thought now. By the time this was over, Luke might well hate her.