Backfire (2 page)

TWO

T
racy ended the call.

Help was on the way, but would it get here before the storm? Wind whipped around her and the trees swayed. A sound caught her attention from the thick woods behind her. Woods she’d enjoyed only moments before. But now the dense tangle of trees had turned dark and sinister, as though hiding a secret.

Or a killer.

She rubbed her arms to chase away the chill that crawled over her. She was being ridiculous. If only David hadn’t sprung from the woods like that and startled her. Her heart still pounded from the scare he’d given her. That was all this was about. There wasn’t a bogeyman standing in the shadows. She didn’t have to be afraid anymore. The only people who had any reason to want to harm her were thousands of miles away and had no idea where to find her.

She peered down the ledge. David was with the injured man, holding his hand and offering gentle reassurances. She couldn’t hear what they said from there, but could tell the man, broken as he was, had relaxed somewhat.

Maybe David wasn’t as cold as she’d thought. From here, she could barely make out his chuckle. Probably telling the man a funny story or joke to get his mind off his injuries. Glancing up at the sky, she tried to gauge whether help would arrive before the storm. She knew how difficult it could be to execute rescues in stormy conditions, but this man would die without immediate help. As the sky grew darker, so did the woods.

Again that sense that someone was watching slinked over her and kept her on edge. Tracy hated her paranoia, but she had good reason.

Tracy looked behind her again, watching her surroundings to reassure herself no one was there. Normally she had the comfort of knowing that Solomon could protect her if there was anything to worry about. But how to get the dog back from where he’d traveled down the ledge? She called him, using the command he should quickly respond to, but he wouldn’t move from his perch. She had no idea if he simply wasn’t able to make the climb—though she hadn’t seen him try—or if he was committed to the fall victim.

There was nothing for it. Tracy would have to climb down to him. She was an experienced climber herself and had paid attention to David’s path down, but she couldn’t see herself going all the way to the fallen jogger without climbing gear. Again she searched for the path Solomon had taken, but saw nothing, at least from this angle.

She eased herself down and, her feet and hands gripping the rock face, pressed herself into the granite, taking in quick breaths. She hadn’t ever done this solo—without the ropes in case she fell. But it wasn’t that difficult. Solomon had picked his way down without climbing somehow, so she knew she could, too.

She sent up a quick prayer and continued to make her way until Solomon was only a few yards below her. When fear crept in, she imagined she had the necessary ropes and gear to keep from falling and continued on.

The next thing she knew, hands gripped her waist. “You’re almost there,” David said. Relief flooded her as David assisted her the rest of the way. She could have done it without him, but it was a comfort to know he was—literally—watching her back. But why had he felt it necessary to leave the fallen runner?

When she turned her back to the rock face she’d just scaled, David stood mere inches from her.

Much too close.

“What...what are you doing? Why did you leave him down there alone?”

“I needed to check on you, too.”

“I’m a big girl. I know how to take care of myself.” His nearness and concern confused her. Putting space between them, Tracy knelt next to Solomon and hugged him to her. “Good boy.”

“The man’s name is Jay Woodall, by the way.”

David studied the ledge above as if looking for that same bogeyman she had feared moments before. Or maybe more help.

“Oh, now I can see how Solomon found his way, David.” Tracy pointed to a place a few yards to the right that connected with the trail farther down. There were enough rocks and outcroppings for the dog to stair-step his way. “Solomon and I could go back up and wait for the SAR team coming on foot. We can show them the easier way down, while you wait with Jay for the helicopter.”

“No. You and Solomon should stay here, where I can see you.”

“David.” Tracy stood as he turned to face her. “What’s going on?”

“Somebody pushed Jay over.”

The news punched her gut. Tracy gasped and cupped her mouth, stepping back.

“Watch it.” David caught her and pulled her away from the ledge. He gripped her arms. “I don’t know why someone would do that, but we can’t know if they’re still lurking in the woods somewhere and waiting for their chance to finish the job.”

“You have a gun, right?” Tracy expected he carried some form of protection with him when in the woods in Alaska, as did most people. Bears were the main threat. Tracy had her bear spray, but somehow it didn’t make her feel secure if she had to face off with a killer of the human variety.

His features twisted into a half frown, half smile. “Yeah, even when I’m jogging. But don’t worry. I can’t believe anyone would do something like this and hang around for long. We’d see him for sure.”

Tracy nodded. Solomon could warn them, as well. Jay was fortunate that she and Solomon had been on the trail when they were. People often told her Solomon’s breed didn’t make for a good guard dog, but he’d saved her life once. She’d trust him again.

“I want you to go down and wait with Jay,” David said a moment later. “I’m going to check the trail and make sure it’s safe for the incoming SAR team.”

“I’m not as good a climber as you. I don’t think I could make that.”

“It’s not that far. I’ll go down first and if you can ease down a few inches I can almost reach you.”

When David moved to scale the cliff the rest of the way to Jay, Tracy grabbed his arm. “David.”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for coming back to check on me.”

“Of course.”

His gaze lingered on hers longer than necessary. She wasn’t sure why, but unfortunately, she liked it. What was it about him?

Then he turned his attention to the climb down. She couldn’t have known when she woke up this morning that the day would end with her taking refuge on a small terrace in a cliff face with Solomon, a fallen jogger and David Warren, hiding from a would-be killer.

* * *

Tracy waited with Jay while David climbed up to make sure it was safe by the trail for the incoming SAR team. The guy had courage and was all about protecting others.

He leaned over the ledge and looked down at her now to let her know he had finally returned. The clouds chose to release their burden at that moment, lashing them with a relentless fury and forcing her to drag her eyes away from the ledge.

At least the rain woud keep her from looking up every other minute, terrified that the next person she saw would be the man who’d shoved Jay over the ledge.

How was it that she had to face off with a killer twice in her life? She wanted to question God about the insanity in this world. Wanted to condemn David for leaving her. Solomon, too.

As it was, she feared Jay was quickly losing his battle with death. But she was thankful David had returned. She never thought she’d ever be so glad to see him—a man she’d avoided.

She looked up again and saw David. His gaze held hers as the rain pounded all of them and he shouted, “I’m coming down.”

“What about the rocks? Won’t it be too slippery? Maybe you should wait,” she called up.

“I have gear this time. SAR is here.” He shot her a smile and gestured with the climbing ropes before he started setting an anchor. But then he frowned. Called down to her. “How’s Jay?”

Tracy’s heart lurched. “Not doing very well, I’m afraid.”

He made it about halfway then called down to her again. “You pray, Tracy?”

She’d prefer he paid more attention to rappelling in the rain than trying to reassure her.

She wished she had a hood. Something. Rain splattered her face when she called up. “Yes, of course.”

“Well, good, then. Because we have that, if we have nothing else. And it’s what truly matters.”

Tracy had seen the Warren family in church; heard they were heroes and Christians. But she hadn’t known the depth of that conviction until now, when David gave her a glimpse of the man he really was on the inside.

And then he was right next to her, holding her steady in the pouring rain.

He pulled the pack from his back and took out a big sheet of plastic. “Here, take this for a minute. I’m going to hold this over you and Jay to cover you.”

He also tugged out a thermal blanket. “Now, cover Jay. At least we can keep him from getting any wetter. Keep him warm.”

Tracy nodded and did as David asked.

Jay’s eyes blinked open. “Why did this happen?”

“I’m sorry... I don’t know. But there is a helicopter coming. It’ll be here soon, Jay. You’re going to be just fine.” She didn’t want to ask if he was in pain because she knew he was. “As soon as the helicopter gets here, the SAR team will position you in the rescue basket and the medics will take care of you.”

God, please let the rain stop, just long enough for us to get Jay to safety.
Airlifting someone injured could be treacherous on a good day, much less in a rare thunderstorm.

Why had this kind of weather unleashed now, with Jay straddling this world and the next?

“What happened, Jay? Why’d someone push you off a cliff?” Tracy cringed. Should she really be asking him? It wasn’t her business. Those questions were for the authorities.

Still, it creeped her out to think that Jay’s would-be killer had been lurking in the woods. Maybe if she understood what had happened, she wouldn’t be so scared.

“Saw him on the trail. Stopped to catch my breath. Just making conversation. Then he tried to kill me.” Jay coughed. “Probably thought he succeeded. That’s what I get for being too friendly.”

Tracy had nothing else to say but that she was sorry, and she didn’t want to say that repeatedly. Nor did she like the sound of his cough. Maybe he shouldn’t even be talking. She opened her mouth to tell him that he should rest now when he spoke again.

“He had an interesting tattoo. I’ve been thinking about getting one...and I asked him about it. Maybe that’s what sent him into a fit. How crazy is that?” He squeezed her hand.

But it was as if he squeezed her heart. Tracy couldn’t breathe. Images of the worst night of her life filled with flames and smoke and death accosted her. Somewhere outside her memories, David asked if she was okay, but she couldn’t escape the images.

“Tattoo?” she finally managed to ask. “What...kind of tattoo?”

Jay closed his eyes. Was he unconscious again?

“Jay, please, I need to know. It could help us identify the man who did this.”

She held her breath, afraid she would never get the answer. Fearing what the answer might be all the same.

The pounding rain slowed to a trickle, giving them a reprieve. In the distance she heard the whir of the rescue helicopter.

The plastic David held shifted. “Tracy,” he said. “I need you to climb back up to give us room to get Jay on the rescue basket and into the helicopter.”

Still reeling over what Jay had said, she couldn’t respond.

“It’s safe, Tracy. Others are up there. The Mountain Cove PD is on the way, too.”

He lowered the plastic. “Tracy? Are you okay?”

“Sure. Give me a sec.” She squeezed Jay’s hand, trying one last time. “What kind of tattoo, Jay? Please, it’s important.”

He looked at her then, the pain in his face almost intolerable. “Numbers and a scorpion with flames on the wrist. I should have known better, but I thought it was cool. Asked what the numbers—”

Tracy didn’t hear more, having already gone into a shock of her own.

No, it couldn’t be...

How had he found her?

THREE

T
he helicopter hovered above them.

David stood underneath the rescue basket that was used like a medical stretcher, watching as Jay was hoisted up and into the chopper. The rain was beginning to lash them again. Carefully securing Jay in the basket without complicating his injuries had been a difficult task and had required the SAR team and the expertise of the flight paramedics working together. David was also a paramedic, but he was tired and drained and had stepped back to let the fresh crew on duty do their jobs. However, Jay had wanted him there, holding his hand, making it a tight fit on the rocky terraced outcropping.

David said a silent prayer that Jay would fully recover. All things were possible with God. Like Jay being found to begin with. The helicopter swayed unsteadily in the wind, and lightning flashed. This was one of the most hazardous rescues he’d participated in.

And he hadn’t even been on call. He’d just happened upon the situation, or rather, Tracy had happened upon it. Her search-and-rescue dog had been the one to alert her, and David had heard the dog’s bark in the distance. He hadn’t even thought twice before he’d turned around and run back up the trail to find Tracy and Solomon.

Despite his severe and potentially lethal injuries, Jay would live—that much David believed to his core. The guy was a survivor and had a strong will to live. Once he had been lifted and secured, the helicopter carried him away on the flight of his life.

The adrenaline rush that had kept David going bled out of him, and he realized he was chilled to the bone in his rain-soaked running clothes, minus his T-shirt, of course. But there was one more mission David needed to complete. One more person he needed to see to. Tracy had never left his thoughts.

The SAR members that had helped with the extraction—David’s brothers, Cade and Adam, and their brother-in-law, Isaiah—had already climbed back to the trail. David followed them up, making his way slowly and meticulously in the rain, bringing the climbing ropes with him. When he’d come here for a quick run before the storm he could never have imagined this day would turn out this way.

When he finally reached the trail, David discovered Tracy had already gone. But what had he expected? For her to wait in the rain for him? Not to mention there was a would-be killer out there. Unless the police had caught the guy, no one was safe on the trail. Besides, why would she wait for David? It wasn’t as if they had ever been anything beyond acquaintances until today. And even now, David wasn’t sure they’d inched any closer to an actual friendship. That was why his disappointment surprised him. But on the other hand, he was glad she had gone.

The torrent had begun again. David didn’t bother to make conversation with Isaiah, Cade and his younger brother Adam. Instead they trudged their way toward the trailhead.

David tried to process everything they’d just been through, including Tracy’s reactions, which unsettled him in some way he couldn’t quite define. They just didn’t make sense. It was normal that she’d been shaken by the idea of an attempted murder, but there was more to it than that. David hadn’t been able to hear her conversation with Jay over the noise of the rain beating down on the tarp he’d held, but he was sure that whatever it was Jay had said had shaken Tracy. But what could it have been? David shrugged the question off. He wouldn’t be getting any answers to it out here.

Finally the rain let up again. David hoped it would stay that way until he was inside his truck with the heat on.

Isaiah stepped up next to him. “The police showed up and escorted Tracy and Heidi back. They were going to take Tracy’s statement about the fallen jogger and what she’d seen.”

“Are you saying they didn’t search the woods?” David asked. “Just took a statement?”

“I’ll talk to Terry and see what I find out,” Cade said.

Terry served on the Mountain Cove PD. He and Cade had been close since grade school, though Terry was a friend to all the Warren siblings. David would ask Tracy what she’d told the police, as well.

They made the trailhead where their vehicles were parked. Isaiah and Cade scrambled into Cade’s truck, Adam into his own vehicle, and David climbed into his shiny, brand-new, blue Ford Super Duty F-250 FX4 4x4. He loved his truck and was glad he’d special-ordered it, though that had required a wait. But if he’d been trying to fill the empty space inside with material goods, he knew he’d failed. For whatever reason, the incident this morning seemed to drive home his loneliness.

He waved at his brothers then turned on the ignition and the heat. Dripping wet, he shivered and stared out the window, recalling what had happened.

The fear he remembered from Tracy’s expression told him that something was terribly wrong.

Considering the way their brief encounter had affected him the first time he’d met her, David had made it his policy to steer clear, never involve himself with her. He shouldn’t get involved now, but he couldn’t stop thinking about her reaction. Couldn’t stop thinking about her. He wanted her to be safe, but he knew it went much deeper than that.

He was more confused than ever.

* * *

Finally at home, Tracy gave Solomon a much-needed bath and fed him. Then she took a hot shower to wash away the events of the day as well as the chill from her body, then put on a pot of coffee to brew. She needed to stop her shivering limbs. But as she slipped into her comfortable, warm sweats, she was still shaking. The real source of her trembling had nothing at all to do with getting chilled on the mountain.

No. Her trembling had everything to do with the strong possibility that Carlos Santino had somehow found her.

The tattoo that Jay had described was the tattoo worn by Santino and his gang members.

Fear crept over her again as she recalled Jay’s words.

“Numbers and a scorpion with flames on the wrist... I thought it was cool. Asked what the numbers—”
Tracy knew what those numbers meant.
She knew more about that particular tattoo than she’d ever wanted to.
Every kind of gang—ethnic or otherwise, street gangs or prison gangs—had their coded tattoo system and tattoos symbolizing membership.

The scorpion and flames identified Santino’s gang, and the numbers identified how many kills. As that number grew, other tattoos would tell the story elsewhere on the body.

But Santino was supposed to be in a prison in California—over a thousand miles away. As far as she knew, no one in this region of Alaska had even heard of Carlos Santino or his gang...except for her.

How could that be a coincidence, especially when you threw in Jay’s attempted murder? Had he finally found her so he could pay her back for her testimony against him? He’d threatened her, warning that he would find her and kill her with his own hands. And that had sent her running.

Hiding.

There was only one thing to do next. Find out if Santino had escaped. Tracy dug through the drawers in the old rolltop desk that came with the cottage, her nervous fingers creating a mess of the contents and making it more difficult to find the card she needed. She should have memorized the number. But she’d wanted to put that part of her life as far behind her as possible. Find some normalcy.

Lord, why did this happen?

She huffed a laugh. She was asking Jay’s question now. She hoped they would both get answers.

There. She gripped the corner of the card at the very back of the drawer. Of course. Tracy slid it to the front and lifted it from the drawer. The insignia at the corner was a marshal’s badge similar to those worn in the Old West movies, only this one had an eagle embossed over the top of the badge. It read “US Department of Justice, United States Marshals Service.” Then “Jennifer Hanes, Deputy US Marshal” was printed beneath those words.

Jennifer would have handled Tracy’s transfer into the WITSEC program if Tracy had chosen to go that way. She had told Tracy to call her if she ever needed her.

Tracy’s hand shook so much, she couldn’t read the number. She placed the card on the desk. Though she dreaded the call she had to make, Jennifer would be able to give her answers. The problem was Tracy wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what the woman had to say. Still, she needed to know if Santino was still in prison or if he had escaped.

She moved around the cottage until she found a good signal and made the call. It went to voice mail and Tracy left a quick message. She didn’t detail what had happened; only asked if Santino was still in prison.

“Please call me back,” she said. “Something’s...happened.”

Tracy ended the call. She had thought she’d never talk to Jennifer again. She hadn’t imagined she would ever have to. Setting the phone on the desk, she admitted that she’d really just hoped and prayed she would never have to contact Jennifer again.

The call made, there wasn’t anything more Tracy could do until she heard back. She’d told the Mountain Cove police everything that had happened today. Everything except about her past and why she’d come to Mountain Cove. Telling them a killer could have followed her here when she was still considered relatively new to the community might make her look like a troublemaker. She’d been afraid to take that risk.

Though she’d lived here only a couple of years, Tracy loved Mountain Cove, and up until today, she had thought she’d found a place she could finally call home. She could never go back to live in Missouri, where her family lived, or Sacramento, where she’d worked as a newspaper editor and where she’d met Derrick. Where all her troubles had begun.

Of course, if Santino had actually come after her here, then she needed to tell the police everything so they would understand what they were up against. She wondered if other law-enforcement entities would get involved, too, swarming down on Mountain Cove. Then the community would wish they had never seen Tracy Murray.

At the moment all she needed was time to think things through. Then if she confirmed it really was Santino she would proceed according to plan, whatever that was. Unfortunately, she didn’t know where else she could go.

How could anyone have found her here?

In the old comfy chair by the fireplace, Tracy tugged her knees up to her chin and watched the flames. Even though it was summer, the evenings were cold enough in Mountain Cove, Alaska, to justify lighting the fire. Soaking in the warmth, she tried to calm her nerves. Until she received a return call from Jennifer she would be on edge, trying to figure out what to do next.

She lived rent-free with Solomon in a small cabin as part of her pay for working at Jewel of the Mountain Bed and Breakfast. The job and her living situation had fallen into place so easily after her arrival and had made her feel as though she was exactly where she was supposed to be. Finding Mountain Cove in the first place had been providential. It was the perfect place where she could hide as well as train Solomon for search and rescue. And it was so far off the beaten path, so distant from the world she’d known before, that she’d felt completely hidden and totally secure. But after the events of today, it didn’t appear to be far enough away to keep her safe. There was still a chance that her testimony, given years before, would get her killed.

She hadn’t been the only witness to Santino’s crimes, but the other guy had taken the get-a-new-life card and run with it straight into witness protection. He’d left everything behind to escape having to live his life in fear that Santino would come for him one day.

A knot grew in Tracy’s throat and lodged there. Had she made a mistake by choosing to stay out of the program, trying to keep from losing everyone else she loved? Hadn’t losing Derrick been enough? Had her decision backfired on her?

Though Tracy had feared for her life during Santino’s trial, and the potential retaliation should he be convicted, her biggest fear had been losing her family. Her father had refused to change his name and move the family to start a new life with her. He’d refused to be forced away from the life he loved, surrounded by lifelong friends and extended family. He’d refused to leave behind the oil business he’d built. That wasn’t something he could easily build up again elsewhere.

And Tracy had refused to leave her family behind—never seeing them again. Never making contact. That kind of price was too high for the added security of witness protection. It was as though she was the one being punished for doing the right thing.

Instead, Tracy had moved to Alaska, to a place that couldn’t even be approached by car. A person could reach Mountain Cove—in the Inside Passage of Southeast Alaska—only via floatplane or boat. Hiking in was out of the question.

And this way, she could still go see her family anytime she wanted, while protecting herself by being almost completely isolated from the rest of the world. Yes, in a way she had in fact run from her life and was in hiding after a fashion, but it wasn’t quite as severe as the other choice.

And it wasn’t quite as secure, either. As today had proved, there was still the chance that she could be found and her life could be put in danger again.

Tracy paced the room, rubbing her arms, forcing down the bile rising in her throat.

When would Jennifer call back? Tracy wanted to know Santino’s status. If she had internet she could search the news feeds and find out. Maybe. But she didn’t. Part of the allure of the Jewel of the Mountain Bed and Breakfast was that people were forced to enjoy nature—there wasn’t anything else to do, and that, according to Jewel Caraway, the owner and Tracy’s boss, made the place the perfect getaway.

Solomon rested by the fire, and Tracy crouched next to him, ran her fingers through his thick, golden fur. “You did well today.”

She leaned closer to him. He wasn’t a trained attack or guard dog, but she knew that Solomon would protect her better than just about anything else. Or anyone. He’d already proved that once, the night that Santino had burned down her house. The same night he’d burned Derrick’s house to silence him forever. Solomon had been able to save Tracy.

A growl erupted from Solomon and his ears perked up. In that moment he wasn’t the typical overfriendly golden retriever. No. Solomon was protective of Tracy and he sensed a possible threat. Tracy stood, her gaze flickering to the windows and the door. Fear corded around her throat.