He took the bottle from her hand, opened it and handed it back to her, his fingers warm and callused. There was something comforting about that. Something nice and a little too wonderful about the way it felt to look into his face, see his concern and his determination.
She swallowed a few large gulps of the energy drink. Took two more sips for good measure, and then recapped the lid.
“Happy?” she asked, feeling vulnerable beneath his steady scrutiny.
“I’d be happier if you let me call someone to escort you out of the woods, but since I don’t want to waste time arguing, I think it’s best if I just say yes.” He tucked Justice’s empty bowl into his pack, took the energy drink and did the same. “Seek!”
They were off again, and Eva had to swallow hard to keep the drink from coming back up. Her stomach heaved, but Justice was on the trail, lunging against his collar and leash, his orange vest bright in the watery dawn light.
He ran like the best think in the world lay at the end of the scent trail he was following, ran like he couldn’t wait to be united with the boy that he was seeking. Ran like it mattered, and Eva thought that if she ever gave in to Brady’s begging for a puppy, she’d get him a bloodhound. Maybe Austin could give them some tips on how to train a dog. Maybe...
She shoved the thought away.
Thinking ahead, planning for Brady’s return...that was one thing. Planning to include Austin in their lives after Brady was found, that was something she wouldn’t allow herself to do.
Sweat trickled down her face as they raced past trees and headed up a small hill. Sunlight speckled the ground with gold and warmed the winter chill, the world a blur of gold and green and brown, the only sound Justice’s frantic barks and Eva’s panting breath.
Something snapped behind her, the sound so loud and startling she turned, caught a glimpse of a dark figure deep in the woods. There. Gone. There again. Moving away from them, but somehow sinister in the forest stillness.
“You okay?” Austin asked, and she realized she’d stopped, was searching the trees.
“I saw someone.” She pointed to the area where the figure had disappeared.
“Probably search and rescue.”
“He wasn’t wearing an orange vest like yours, and he didn’t have a dog.”
An explosion ripped through the morning quiet. One short sharp report and then another.
A gun!
Austin shouted something, and she was falling, colors swirling around her as she landed hard on the thick pine carpet.
FOUR
“Stay down,” Austin whispered, his breath brushing her ear. Justice nudged her cheek but she didn’t move, barely even jumped as another shot rang out.
Her heart thundered, her body braced for the bullet’s impact. When it didn’t come, she tried to get up and find cover, but Austin’s body pressed over hers, holding her still.
“They’re not shooting at us, but let’s make sure we don’t get caught in the crossfire.”
“Brady—” She tried to move, but he was a solid wall of muscle, and she couldn’t budge him.
“Dying isn’t going to help your son, Eva.”
“What if they’re shooting at him?”
He was speaking into his radio and didn’t respond.
She didn’t think he would have, anyway. Whatever was happening, it was out of either of their control. Another shot rang out, and she flinched, her body screaming for her to get up, find Brady and make sure he was safe.
Something crashed in the underbrush to their right, and Eva turned her head, saw the gun in Austin’s hand.
“Stay here.” He left her lying on cold, hard earth, her heart pounding frantically, the thick coppery taste of fear in her mouth.
She lifted her head, watching as he moved away. Crouched low. Silent. If she hadn’t been looking at him, she wouldn’t have known he was there. Leaves rustled in a thicket a hundred yards away, and he froze. Eva froze, too, her muscles taut with fear.
“Police. Come out with your hands where I can see them,” he commanded. More rustling. A soft sigh that might have been a moan. A woman stumbled from the thick tangle of overgrowth, blood streaming down her face. She fell to her knees. Managed to stand up again. Confused. Dazed. Not dangerous. That’s what Eva thought, and Austin must have thought the same. He holstered his gun.
“Ma’am, are you okay?” Austin asked, moving toward her.
“What’s going on? Where am I?” she replied, her gaze darting from Austin to Justice and then settling on Eva.
“The Lost Woods. You’re hurt, and you need to lie down.” Eva took her arm, tried to help her to the ground.
“What happened?” She touched her head, frowning at her blood-tinged fingers.
“I was hoping you could tell us.” Austin pulled off his jacket, dropped it onto the woman’s shoulders, his gaze scanning the forest. Danger still lurked there, but Justice lay docile in the shadows of a large oak, his big head resting on his paws.
“I...don’t remember. I think...” Her gaze dropped to his gun holster, her eyes widening. “No!”
“Ma’am, I’m with the Sagebrush Police Department. Just relax, okay?” Austin put a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged away, her eyes wild.
“Everything is going to be fine. I’m going to call for a rescue crew to come and transport you out of the forest.”
“No!” she said again, whirling away, Austin’s coat dropping to the ground as she plunged back into the thicket.
Austin started after her, heard the snap of branches and Justice’s quiet bark. Not danger, but someone was coming. He turned, stepping in front of Eva just in case.
“What—”
He put his hand up, cutting off her words as he caught sight of an orange vest. Search and rescue. Hopefully, a police officer. Justice was on Brady’s scent, and Austin didn’t want to stop the search to chase after the injured woman or to find the person who had been firing shots at her.
“Hey! Austin! I heard gunfire and your call for backup. Is everything okay?” Detective Lee Calloway called out as he approached with his border collie, Kip. A fellow member of the Special Operations K-9 Unit, Lee had been a good friend and coworker for years. His dog, Kip, specialized in cadaver detection. Hopefully, Kip wouldn’t have to put those skills to use in their search for Brady.
“We’re fine, but there’s an injured woman heading west. She may know who the shooter was.”
“How bad are the injuries?”
“It was hard to tell. She had a head wound, and she seemed confused. Could be a concussion or a fractured skull.”
“You want me to go after her or the missing boy?” Lee asked.
“Justice already has Brady’s scent. Go after Jane Doe. And watch your back while you’re at it. Someone is wandering around firing shots.”
“Will do. You have a description of the woman for me?”
“Aside from the bleeding head wound?”
“Aside from that.” Lee smiled, but his eyes were shadowed. Yesterday had been long for the entire team. The discovery of Slade’s injured father and the realization that Rio had been taken had hit the unit hard.
“Long blond hair. About five-five. Slim build.”
“Got it. I’ll radio in when I find