Bitter Wild (7 page)

Casey
finished the chili, then cleaned the pot. She skipped the coffee, knowing she
was wound up enough already without adding any caffeine to her system. The two
federal agents were so exhausted that they would no doubt sink right into deep
sleep the moment they closed their eyes. She, on the other hand, knew she’d
have trouble finding sleep. She returned the pot to the bag it had come from,
then forced herself to face Jack. His partner was doing his best to keep his
eyes open, but it was evident that he was half asleep already. Jack was far
more alert. And he’d been watching her pretty much since she’d returned to
camp. She didn’t know what unsettled her more, the feeling of having his eyes
on her or the fact that she could feel his gaze so strongly. She cleared her
throat, hoping it didn’t sound as uncertain as she felt.

“You
two might as well get to sleep. We’ll start out again as soon as it’s light and
believe me, it’ll get here a lot sooner than you’ll want it to.”

Skip
didn’t need to be told twice. He mumbled something that sounded vaguely like
“goodnight” and crawled into the tent. Jack figured he’d be snoring in seconds.
He wasn’t in such a hurry, though. He looked at Casey as she went about
throwing some extra wood on the fire. She leaned over to lift a few pieces of
wood, then sank to the ground as her left leg gave out beneath her. Jack was on
his feet instantly. He knelt by her side and reached out to touch her shoulder.

“Are
you all right?”

She
nodded. “I’m fine.” She started to push herself back onto her feet and he took
hold of her arm to help her up. He caught the grimace of pain that flashed
across her face as she started to step away from him. He shook his head.

“You’re
not fine. You’re hurt. What’s wrong?”

Casey
wished that he’d just let her go and forget it. She shook her head. “It’s nothing.
I’ll be okay.”

“You
can’t put any weight on your leg without flinching. I’d say that’s more than
‘nothing’. Did you fall down and turn your ankle or something?”

Casey
knew he wasn’t going to let it go unless she gave him some kind of answer. “I
haven’t fallen. My left leg is just a little weak, that’s all.”

Jack
frowned. “Weak? Why?”

“It
doesn’t matter.”

“It
does if it’s going to hinder you.”

He knew
he’d said the wrong thing the moment he caught the flash in her eyes. She
jerked her arm out of his grasp and set her chin at a defiant angle. “Don’t
worry, Agent Hall. I’m not going to turn into a swooning female just because of
a little pain. I can take a lot more than this.”

She
spun around and strode away, barely even limping on the leg that he knew was
hurting her. He started to go after her, then thought better of it when the dog
suddenly appeared at her side. It was glaring at him, as if it somehow knew
Jack had upset his owner. Hell, maybe the animal did know. Either way, it was
giving him a look that Jack recognized as a warning. It held Jack’s gaze for a
moment, then turned to follow Casey as she disappeared into her tent. It went
inside, then reappeared a moment later and stretched out right in front of the
flap. Jack wasn’t going to get anywhere near Casey with that monster standing
guard. He sighed, then picked up the wood she’d dropped and tossed it on the
fire. He might as well go to sleep. He’d worry about mending his fences in the
morning.

Contents

CHAPTER
THREE

Jack
woke to the sound of snoring. He opened his eyes and stared up at the canvas
suspended a short distance above him. A thousand thoughts sped through his mind
as he tried to sort through the befuddlement of sleep. As it all finally fell
into place he realized why he felt like he’d be hit by a truck. He carefully
raised himself up and clenched his teeth to keep from moaning as his entire
body protested. Skip was still snoring and Jack couldn’t resist giving him a
jab to wake him up. He suppressed a smile when his partner jerked awake, then
gave him a dirty look.

“Was
that really necessary?”

Jack
shrugged. “Our guide is already up and about. I didn’t want you to feel left
out.”

Skip
didn’t bother to answer that directly. He just muttered something foul under
his breath and began to move. It took them an almost comical amount of time to
get out of the tent. They were both stiff and sore and neither of them was what
anyone would describe as graceful under even the best of circumstances. When
Jack first crawled out of the tent, Casey wasn’t immediately in sight. He
stumbled to his feet, then scanned the area. The first thing he noticed was
that Casey’s tent was gone. So was all the gear she’d piled up beside it the
night before. As Skip headed for the coffee pot, Jack turned to look for the
horses. He spotted Casey there. She had the packhorse mostly loaded and all
three of the others saddled and ready to go. That dog of hers was sitting right
at her side, staring at Jack. After a moment, it turned to Casey and nudged
her. She dropped a hand to stroke his big head, then bent to say something. The
dog’s tail gave a single thump, then it rose onto its feet and turned to trot
off. When Jack turned his gaze back to Casey she was heading toward them. She nodded
to Jack, then turned to Skip.

“Morning.
How are you feeling?”

Skip
was clinging to the coffee cup in his hands like it was some kind of life-line.
“I’ve been better.”

She
gave him as friendly a smile as Jack had ever seen on her face. “Believe me,
you’ll be worse before it’s over.”

She
picked up the coffee pot and poured some of the liquid into the two other cups,
then handed one to Jack.

“What
about you?”

Jack
shrugged. “Stiff and sore, but otherwise okay.”

“Good.
We’ve got a long day ahead of us. You two get some coffee in you and clean
yourselves up as best you can. I’ll stow your tent and bedrolls in the
meantime.”

She sat
her coffee down and headed for their tent. Jack took the two bags she handed
him, his and Skip’s personal gear, then tried not to watch her as she rolled up
the sleeping bags they’d used the night before then set about tearing down the
tent with startling efficiency. It only took her a few minutes to get it taken
care of. She hauled it off to the packhorse and Jack finally took his eyes off
her when he felt a nudge on his arm. He turned to face Skip.

“There
some reason your eyes are glued to her?”

Jack
didn’t have a good answer. Not the sort of answer he knew Skip was asking for,
anyway. He shrugged. “I don’t see anything else I’d rather look at, do you?”

Skip
shot him a censuring frown. “I hope you’re joking.”

Jack
forced a smile to his lips as he nodded. Of course he was joking. He was too
experienced to let himself be distracted by anything. No matter how beautiful
Casey Nolan was, Jack wouldn’t dare to let it interfere with the job he was
there to do. And his curiosity about her was nothing more than a natural aspect
of his nature. If he wasn’t the sort of man who relished puzzle solving then he
would never have become a federal agent. She was one big puzzle that he
couldn’t help wanting to solve. That was why he had to force himself not to
stare at her. As she came to a stop in front of them, Jack let his eyes trail
up her body to her face. No way was he letting this woman distract him. Right.
And he was loving the idea of getting back on that horse, too.

Casey
hated to prod them but daylight was wasting and she was anxious to get moving.
The sooner she found this fugitive, the sooner she could forget all about
Special Agent Jack Hall and the way she felt when he was looking at her. Which,
she’d noticed, was more often than not. She didn’t want to think what that
might mean.

“I hate
to rush you boys, but we need to get going. Y’all have a few minutes to brush
your teeth and wash your faces while I tend to the fire and then we’ll be
leaving.”

She
pulled the coffee cups out of their hands and tossed the liquid into the fire
Jack realized she’d already allowed to die to mere embers. By the time Jack and
Skip had managed to take care of the most minimal hygienic needs, Casey was
calling them to mount up. Within minutes they were on their way through the
trees again.

Jack
followed Casey and the packhorse, just as he had the day before. Skip brought
up the rear. Jack watched Casey, trying to figure out how she knew she was
following a trail. He wondered if the dog might be tracking for her, but it
didn’t seem to be doing anything more than keeping pace with Casey and her
horse. It would disappear into the woods occasionally, but was never gone for
more than a few minutes. Casey didn’t appear to pay the animal any attention at
all. Eventually, Jack couldn’t stand the silence any longer.

“Just
out of curiosity, how exactly do you know you’re following the right trail? In
fact, how can you see any trail at all?” Casey glanced back over her shoulder
at him. Jack was hasty to assure her that he wasn’t questioning her skill. “I’m
just wondering what you see that I don’t. That’s all.”

She
shrugged. “It’s not that difficult once you know what to look for.” She pulled
her horse to a stop, then motioned for him to bring his horse up beside her. He
did, trying not to notice as their legs brushed against one another. She
pointed at the ground between them. “Look there, see that indentation in the
dirt?”

Jack
stared down and after a moment finally located the spot she was pointing at.
“Yeah, I see it.”

“Okay,
notice that it’s a symmetrical curve. That wasn’t made by any animal or falling
tree limb. It’s too smooth, too sharply edged. That’s made by a horseshoe. Now
take a closer look at it. See that little ridge that bisects the curve from top
to bottom?”

Jack
could just barely make it out. He nodded. “Yeah.”

“Well,
all Millie’s horses are shod with shoes that bear that mark.” She paused for a
moment before continuing. “Millie was nothing if not unique. Every shoe her
horses ever wore was made especially for them. She liked knowing their tracks
stood out.”

Jack
looked up at Casey as he heard the tightness in her voice. “By the way, I’m
sorry about your aunt. I didn’t know the two of you were related until the
Sheriff mentioned it yesterday afternoon.”

Casey’s
gaze flicked to his and stayed there for a moment, then she shook her head.
“Millie had a long, happy life. I’ve known others who died long before they could
say the same.”

She
made a clucking sound with her tongue and her horse started moving again. Jack
watched her as she moved away from him, then turned as he heard Skip speak
right beside him.

“She’s
been following marks like that? I can barely even see it.”

Jack
glanced at the imprint that he too would never have seen if she hadn’t pointed
it out to him. “Well, I guess that’s why we need her.”

He
touched his horse with his heels and followed the woman he was trying
desperately not to be too intrigued by. They made few stops throughout the day.
They rested the horses occasionally, but that was pretty much it. They didn’t
even stop for lunch. Casey passed out some jerky, which was the same thing
they’d eaten for breakfast that morning. But they kept moving while they ate.
It was almost dark when she finally stopped and announced they were camping for
the night.

This
site held no shelter for the horses, but it did boast a small stream that
formed an ankle deep pool beside which Casey suggested they set up the tents.
Just like the night before, they tended to the animals first, then set up camp.
Casey took another one of her prolonged walks, though she didn’t fix any food
before she left this time. Jack decided he might as well tend to that chore.
There was no reason why she had to do all the cooking. He found the supplies
and set about fixing a couple of cans of stew. Casey returned to camp and said
nothing about his initiative, though he thought he might have caught the hint
of a smile on her face as he passed her a plate. Without discussion, she
cleaned the dishes once the meal was finished. Jack waited until she was
finished before broaching the subject he knew had to be dealt with.

“Is
there any way you can tell how close we are to Jester?”

Casey
put the dishes into the pack, then sank to the ground before answering. Her dog
moved to her side and laid his head in her lap. She slipped her fingers into
his fur as she lifted her gaze to meet Jack’s.

“I’d
say we’ve gained a couple of hours on him. He’s bound to be moving slower than
we are. He’s unfamiliar with the area and that means he can’t move too fast.”
She paused for a moment, then shook her head. “I’ve got to say, your fugitive
is either incredibly lucky or damned smart.”

Jack
frowned. “Why?”

“Because
he’s been following a serpentine path that would probably shake most trackers.
He’s crossed his own tracks a couple of times, which would probably trip up
most dogs. At the least, it would slow them down. Now either he’s half lost and
is just accidentally managing to keep himself moving in a generally straight
direction or he’s as wily as a fox. I tend to think the latter.”

Skip
spoke up. “Any specific reason why?”

She
shifted her gaze to him. “The fact that he is, despite all the twists and
turns, heading virtually due North. I’d say he has a destination in mind and
I’ve got a feeling I know what it is.”

Jack
leaned forward. “What?”

Her
amber gaze came back to him. “There’s a ranger station about a dozen miles away
from here. It’s on the map and if he keeps heading in the same direction, he’s
going to run straight into it.”

Jack
glanced at Skip, then back at Casey. “Is it manned?”

Casey
nodded. “Yes, and all the rangers have been warned to be on the lookout. I
could be wrong about this, but my gut tells me that’s Jester’s destination.”

The
logical thing to do would be to avoid all possible contact with other people,
but Russell Jester was hardly logical. All Jack could do was hope Casey was
wrong. Because unless the ranger shot Jester on sight, he wouldn’t survive the
encounter.

They
said little as they hit the trail again the next morning. Jack and Skip were
both tense, worrying about another potential victim. Casey was her usual
reticent self, speaking only when she had something important to say. She led
them through the trees, her eyes scanning the ground as they went. Jack was
starting to pick up some of the marks she was following. He had little else to
do with his time so he figured he might as well learn a new skill. He was still
amazed that she managed to follow a trail. Jack only caught sight of a mark
once or twice in a single hour. Surely she was seeing more of them that he
hadn’t caught.

He was
studying a spot on the ground so intently that he didn’t even realize Casey had
come to a stop in front of him. Fortunately, his horse was more aware than he
was. The animal came to a halt and Jack looked up just in time to see Casey
slide down off the back of her horse. His hand tightened reflexively on the
reins.

“What
is it?”

She
shook her head and waved at him to be quiet. Then she knelt and stared at the
ground for a few seconds. She stood back up and glanced off to her right. A
moment later she turned back to the left. Jack bit his tongue to keep from
repeating his question. Finally, Casey turned around and swung back up on her
horse. She nodded to her left.

“Jester’s
trail heads this way, toward the ranger station. But there’s another set of
tracks overlapping his.”

Jack
shook his head. “What does that mean?”

“It
means someone else came along behind him, going the same direction he was
headed. They’re on foot, which means they shouldn’t be too hard to catch up
to.”

She
didn’t wait for comments from Jack or Skip. Instead she just spurred her horse
forward. They rode in silence for several minutes before she suddenly stopped
and jumped off her horse. The dog was circling her excitedly and Jack knew
something was up. She knelt and touched the ground then straightened and looked
down at her hand. Jack got off his horse and walked up behind her.

“What
did you find?”

She
turned around and showed him. She held a leaf that was almost totally covered
with a thick, dark fluid that Jack instantly knew was blood. She didn’t say a
word. She didn’t have to. Jack could see the worry etched on her face. She
dropped the leaf, then turned around when the dog emitted a low whine. It was
standing several yards away. Casey and Jack headed toward it and quickly
located another drop. The dog took off and Casey didn’t hesitate to swing onto
her horse and go after him. She was almost out of sight by the time Jack
managed to haul himself into the saddle and go after her. He could hear Skip
cursing behind him and knew his partner wasn’t enjoying the run. Jack wasn’t
about to let Casey out of his sight, though. Ahead of him he saw her slow up
and within seconds he’d caught her.