Angel Fire

Chapter Eight

“Are you sure she knows what she’s doing?” Tori asked skeptically as Agent Ross crisscrossed back and forth in front of them. Her pack looked heavy, especially with a rifle strapped to the back of it, but Ross didn’t seem hampered by the weight.

“She’s making sure there’s no false trail,” Andrea said.

“I thought she’d already found the trail,” she said as they followed behind. “Seems like we’re wasting time.”

“Agent Hunter, we’ll be wasting time if we get off his mark and have to backtrack,” Ross called from up ahead.

Tori glanced at Andrea and noted the amused expression on her face. “I don’t think I like her,” she said quietly.

“She grows on you,” Andrea said.

Tori tried to curb her impatience as Agent Ross stopped and bent down, picking up a rock and studying it. She was very nearly tapping her foot at the delay. She wanted to bolt into the woods and start calling for Sam. She could almost feel the clock ticking.

“Shouldn’t we have helicopters out?”

“No. Cameron says not yet.”

“Why? That seems logical,” she said.

Ross motioned for them to follow. Finally. Ross had her head down and Tori followed close behind. She had to admit, she had no clue as to what trail they were following. She could see nothing to indicate the area was disturbed.

“He would assume helicopters would be looking for him,” Ross said.

“And?”

“And when they’re not, it’ll confuse him.”

“Are we trying to goddamn confuse him or are we trying to rescue Sam?”

“Our mission is to rescue Samantha Kennedy,” Ross said. She stopped and turned. “If there are no helicopters out, I’m hoping he slows his pace.”

“If there are no helicopters out, he might decide he doesn’t need a hostage after all,” Tori said. “For Sam’s sake, wouldn’t it be better for him to think that we’re on his trail?”

“It’s a chance we have to take. He’s got a good head start on us. If we have any hope of catching up to them, he’s got to slow his pace. Angel Figueroa is an expert at this.”

“I still think we should have an air search going on,” she said.

“I’m well aware of what you think, Agent Hunter. But it’s not your call. Even if we had a helicopter right on top of him, they’d never see him. I know this guy. He’s a ghost.”

Tori had to bite her lip to keep from replying. There didn’t seem to be a sense of urgency in Agent Ross’s actions. And Tori really, really needed urgency. She turned to Agent Sullivan, who gave her a slight shrug.

“Cameron, how far do you think they could have traveled last night?” Andrea asked.

Tori felt like the question was staged. Surely they had already discussed that.

“There was no moon so I would imagine he had to stop at full dark.” Agent Ross looked directly at Tori. “And if we can stop discussing it and get on the move, perhaps we can make up some ground.”

Tori narrowed her eyes. “Then lead on.” Damn. Arrogant…obnoxious. She stepped aside, letting Andrea go first. The farther away she was from Cameron Ross, the better.

* * *

“Is it safe to drink?” Sam asked as he filled their water bottles at the stream.

“I wouldn’t chance it without purification tablets,” he said. “You worried about getting a little diarrhea?”

She nodded as she chewed the energy bar he’d given her. “Considering the limited bathroom options I have…yes.”

As he’d been filling the water, she’d made scuff marks in the dirt where she sat. She’d dropped the wrapper to the energy bar behind the rock she sat on, hoping he didn’t notice.

He sat down beside her and shook each water bottle several times. She assumed that was to dissolve the tablets. He was close to her and her eyes were drawn to the sheath—and the knife—strapped to his thigh. He followed her gaze, then shifted away from her.

“That knife will cut through flesh like soft butter,” he said quietly with only a hint of a threat in his voice.

“I’m…I’m sure it can,” she said. Although if she had to choose, she’d rather have a bullet to the head than have her throat cut. She mentally rolled her eyes at her morbid thought. Tori would find her before that. Right?

“So…Samantha, this partner of yours. You said you met at Dallas PD, yet you say she’s FBI.”

“Yes. And please, it’s Sam,” she said. “After Tori and I became…well, became involved, I transferred to CIU. That’s Criminal Investigative Unit,” she explained. “Tori and John became partners. John Sikes. They used to hate each other,” she said with a smile, remembering their constant bickering. “Anyway, they had a horrible case. Identical twin brothers.” She shook her head. “John almost died. He had his throat cut,” she said as her eyes drifted to his knife again. “Tori, well, she had a really hard time with it and needed a change.” She shrugged. “So FBI.”

“And you think she’s looking for you now?”

“Of course.”

He shook his head. “We’re not on a trail. We’re bushwhacking. I don’t think there’s anyone following.”

She met his gaze. “She’s coming for me,” she said with confidence.

His gaze went to the sky and he scanned overhead. “I am kinda wondering why we haven’t had helicopters buzzing around though.” He looked back at her. “Aren’t you?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Why do you think that is?”

She felt her heart sink. “They think we’re in a vehicle. On the road.”

His smile had a touch of smugness to it. “I imagine they have roadblocks set up in all directions.”

Fear set in again. “Which means you don’t really need me then.”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “Oh, I’ll keep you around for another day or so. They’ll eventually figure out we’re on foot. It’ll be too late by then, of course.”

Too late for her, in other words. She looked away from him, wondering how she could possibly escape. She was still tied to him. And even if she did run, he would most certainly catch her. Or shoot her in the back. Or a mountain lion would get her. God, she wished he’d never mentioned the damn mountain lion to begin with. Every twig that snapped in the woods she expected to see one about to attack them.

She watched as he pulled what appeared to be a map from his back pocket. He unfolded it and studied it for a bit, nodding ever so slightly. He folded it up neatly again and slipped it back into his pocket.

He stood then and pulled her up. “Time to move,” he said.

She grimaced as the rope cut into the blisters on her wrist. She followed behind him, noticing that one of them had begun to bleed. Great. One more thing to attract a mountain lion.

They walked on without speaking, her following behind him. She wondered if she picked up a rock, could she use it to smash his skull? Could she knock him out long enough for her to escape? She had no clue as to where they were. Could she hide from him? Would Tori find her before he did? Or before a mountain lion did? She blew out her breath, feeling helpless. The silence between them wasn’t helping. Sam couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Angel? Can I ask you something?”

“I don’t know. Can you?”

“Smart-ass,” she murmured. “May I?” she clarified.

“Ask away. Can’t promise I’ll answer.”

“Why are you running?” She paused. “I mean, I know you killed that girl. What else?” His pace slowed just a bit but still, she didn’t think he was going to answer her.

“I killed…a lot of people.” He stopped and glanced back at her. “That girl and her family being just four.”

“Her family? You killed…a family?”

“I needed a distraction,” he said as he continued on.

“From what?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I told you, I’m a cop, I ask questions.”

But he said no more, just continued on through the trees. They had been climbing again since they’d left the stream and she looked up, wondering how high they were. Her breathing was a bit labored. She chanced looking behind her, hoping…well, hoping someone—Tori—was coming for her. Instead, all she saw was trees and rocks, the yellowish hues of autumn turning the landscape a pretty golden color.

There was no sign of Tori.