Angel Fire

Chapter Seventeen

Tori knew their day would be coming to an end soon. Clouds had built up to the west, obscuring the sun. Even if there were no clouds, she knew the sun was dangerously close to slipping behind the mountain anyway. Once it did, she knew Cameron would slow their pace to make sure she didn’t lose the trail. With the thick clouds overhead, it was only a matter of time before she called a halt to their travel.

And there was still no sign of Sam.

Each time they crested a ridge, each time they came to a vast clearing, Cameron got her binoculars out and scanned the area. Nothing. Cameron thought they were getting close and Tori felt it too. She could almost sense Sam’s presence nearby.

Her apprehension had faded only a little after finding the bones of what Cameron had said were squirrels. It could have explained the shots they heard. And Cameron said Sam was still leaving evidence along their trail, pointing out an overturned rock or a broken limb, however subtle it may be. So surely Sam was okay.

But how much time did she have? If Angel was heading to the highway, would he try to steal a car? Would he take Sam with him? Or would he feel safe and no longer need her?

For that matter, did he ever really need her at all? They hadn’t been close to catching him. Why was he still hanging on to Sam? What purpose had she served him?

She had no answers to her questions, and she followed behind Andrea silently. All too soon, she noticed their pace had slowed. Cameron was being careful not to lose the trail.

“We’ll have to stop soon,” Cameron said unnecessarily.

Tori didn’t comment.

* * *

Sam sat silently by the fire, eating a pasta dish that wasn’t too bad. It wasn’t as horrible as the beef stew but it did remind her how good the fish…and even the squirrel had been. Angel had been unusually quiet, even for him. Her attempt at conversation was usually met with curt answers or no comment at all. She had finally taken the hint and stopped talking. She was surprised he’d stopped to make camp as early as he had.

There was no stream here, but they’d passed one a few hours earlier where they’d filled their water bottles. It was a flat, grassy area surrounded by rather large pines. They’d left the junipers behind again. He already had their tent up, a safe distance away from the fire.

“Looks like rain tonight,” he said, breaking the silence.

His voice startled her as it was the first words he’d spoken since they’d made camp. When he’d stopped, he’d gone about the business of setting up the tent. She’d collected firewood, as had become the norm. She’d tried not to let his silence frighten her, but his mood had definitely changed.

“It feels cooler than normal,” she said, contributing to the conversation.

“You can use the sleeping bag tonight,” he offered.

She smiled at him. “And what will you use?”

“I’ll use your coat, like you’ve been.”

She tilted her head. “Why have you been so quiet?”

He met her eyes across the fire but said nothing.

Oh.

She looked away from him, her appetite disappearing. She attempted another couple of bites before putting the container down. She closed her eyes for a moment, wondering where Tori was.

And wondering how much time she had left. The look in his eyes frightened her a little. And frightened was something she had not truly been in several days.