Hill, Gerri - Angel Fire

“God, Sam…I’m not going to shoot you.”

“Please, Angel, not the knife,” she whispered.

He held his hands up. “Sam, I’m not going to hurt you.”

She stared at him, confused. “But you said—”

“I know what I said. But you’ve…well, you’ve…” he said, not finishing his thought. “Maybe my old, hard heart is softening up. I’m not going to kill you, but I can’t take you with me. You’ll be safer here than with me.”

“The road?”

He nodded. “Yes. It’s about a two-, three-hour hike, at the most.”

She should have been flooded with relief. But…“You’re going to leave me here? Alone?”

“Yes. If someone is coming for you like you think, then you’ll be fine.”

“But—”

“You’ll be fine, Sam. I’ll leave the tent. I’ll leave food and water. You’ll be fine,” he said again. “And if someone doesn’t come in the next day or so, then you head for the highway.” He took her shoulders and turned her around. “See that peak?” he asked, pointing ahead of them. “That’s Wheeler Peak. Keep it to your right, like it is now. Just head north. You’ll hit the highway.”

“What highway? I don’t even know where we are.”

“It’s the highway to Taos. This many days, they won’t still have roadblocks up anymore.” He walked back to the fire. “Come on. Let’s have some breakfast, then I need to get going.”

She nodded and noticed that he already had water boiling. She sat next to him near the fire and sipped a cup of instant coffee as he got the powdered eggs started. She had so many thoughts running through her mind, she couldn’t settle on any one of them. He was leaving her. He wasn’t going to kill her.

He held his hand out to her. “Here. For your fire tonight.”

She took the matches from him and nodded. “Thank you.”

They ate in silence, although their glances collided often. She had no idea what to say in a situation like this. Before long, he stood up and she knew it was time. She got up too, starting to clean up their breakfast.

“Remember not to take food or trash into the tent with you,” he said.

She nodded. “You don’t think a…a mountain lion will come, do you?”

“I’m sorry I said that. No, you’ll be fine.”

She wished she believed him.

He surprised her by pulling her into a quick hug. So quick that she had no time to react before he released her.

“I’m sorry for what I put you through, Sam. I truly am. If I had to do it over again,” he said. “Well…taking a hostage wasn’t one of my better ideas.”

She met his gaze head-on. “I guess I should say thank you for not killing me and wish you good luck…but I am a cop,” she said and shrugged apologetically.

He smiled. “I know. I’ll simply pretend that you said it. How’s that?”

She smiled too. “I do mean the ‘thank you’ part sincerely though.”

He pointed to a couple of rations of food he’d tossed on the ground. “You’ll be okay, Sam. Don’t worry too much,” he said as he slipped on his backpack.

Her gaze landed on the rations. “Beef stew? Really, Angel?”

“Sorry. It’s all we’ve got left.” Then he handed her an energy bar. “For lunch. And go easy on the water, it’s all you’ve got.”

She stared at him. “You’re worried about me,” she stated.

“Yeah. Don’t tell anyone. It’ll totally ruin my reputation.”

And with that, he gave her a quick nod and nearly sprinted into the forest, leaving her behind to watch as he disappeared into the trees.

She blew out her breath, then looked around her. Birds flitted in the trees nearby and she listened to their calls. The fragrant smell of the forest invaded her senses and she felt peacefulness settle around her.

She was totally alone.

And she was alive and safe.

A quick smile turned into a laugh. But that faded quickly. She turned, looking back to where they’d come from yesterday.

“Come on, Tori. Where are you?” she murmured.

Chapter Nineteen

Tori stared into the damp forest as Cameron tried to get a head on their trail. The rain had “wreaked havoc on the goddamn marks,” Cameron had stated as she walked back and forth, trying to find something.

Oh, Sam…where are you?

Tori turned, watching Cameron, practically willing her to find something—anything—to indicate the route Sam had taken. Andrea touched her arm and Tori turned toward her.

“She’ll find it.”

She nodded. Time was wasting, Tori knew, but it wasn’t Cameron’s fault it had rained last night. She wondered how Sam had slept? Was he keeping her in a tent with him? Or did he tie her to a tree at night? Was she out in the cold and rain? She clenched her fists, vowing—for the hundredth time—that she would shoot the bastard the first time she laid eyes on him. That is, if Cameron didn’t beat her to it.

“Okay, I think I got it,” Cameron said. She was at least thirty feet ahead of them, on a rocky incline. “Finally found some overturned rocks here.”

Tori headed her way, glancing where Cameron had pointed. How Cameron could be sure that was the trail, she had no idea. But she followed and only six feet later, Cameron pointed out another rut in the dirt.

“Because of the rain, a lot was washed away on this slope,” she explained. “Hopefully, if the trail levels out, it’ll be easier to follow.” She looked back at Tori. “I know we’re going slow. I’m sorry.”

Tori was surprised by the apology. “I’d rather go slow and be sure,” she said, knowing that was a contradiction to how she’d felt when they first started out on this manhunt. Then, she’d wanted to dash about haphazardly and start calling for Sam. It’s something she wanted to do right now, in fact.

“I emailed Murdock our coordinates,” Cameron said. “According to my GPS, we’re not far from the highway.” She turned back around and glanced at her. “If we don’t catch up to them in a couple of hours, then…”

“Then you think he’ll have gotten to the highway? Taken Sam?”

“I’m just saying, if they reach the highway and get a car, then our part of this chase is over. Murdock will have patrols along this stretch of highway. If he hits the road, they’ll find him.”

And then Sam could be involved in a shootout. She could already picture some overanxious deputy, not used to this much action, pulling his weapon and trying to take out Angel, regardless of the consequences. Sam could end up shot. She could end up dead.

“Then let’s catch up to them first,” Andrea said, pushing Tori along the trail.

Tori nodded a silent thank-you to Andrea, shoving her morbid thoughts aside. Sam would be fine.

She had to be.

* * *

Sam paced back and forth between the tent and the campfire. She’d let the fire die down as the sun had chased the morning chill away. Of course, she had no idea what time it was. In fact, she didn’t even know what day it was anymore. Sunday? Monday?

She thought of the others—Casey and Leslie. If Leslie was okay, had they headed back to Dallas? Knowing Tori, she would have sent them away. But who was out looking for her? The sheriff’s department? And where the hell were the helicopters they’d heard? Surely to God someone was out looking for her.

Yes, of course they were.

But right now, being alone like this, she felt doubt creep in. Was it as Angel had thought? They were looking for them on the highway and not out here on the mountain?

She blew out her breath and leaned against a pine, sliding down its length until she was sitting on the ground. How long had Angel been gone? An hour? Two? She stared off into the clearing, trying to reconcile her feelings for him. He was a killer. Yes. She saw firsthand what he’d done. He’d told her what all he’d done.