Experiment in Terror (Koehler Brothers Book 1) (16 page)

Amanda glanced over at Aaron as she heard the laughing and talking of what sounded like hikers. She saw he had heard them, too. But he continued to sit by the fire with a nonchalant expression on his face. She wondered if there was anyway she could get a message to them.

As though Aaron knew what she was thinking, he gave her a warning look and a slight shake of his head.

“Damn,” someone said. “That sign over there says the cave is closed.”

“I smell wood smoke,” another voice said. “Someone must be in there.”

“Maybe they’re having a marshmallow roast. Let’s have a look. I could use a snack after that climb.”

A group of men crowded into the cave and when Amanda saw the tallest one, it was all she could do to keep from calling out his name and running to him. She couldn’t believe he had found her. Her heart began to pound so hard, she was afraid Aaron would hear it.

“You two must be camping in here,” Matt said, looking around at the rolled out sleeping bags and containers of food setting on some nearby boulders.

“It’s chilly in here,” one of the men said. “Mind if we share your fire for a minute.”

Without waiting for an answer, the men surround the fire and Amanda could feel Matt standing behind her, while two other men moved in behind Aaron.

“Any marshmallows?”

“I don’t believe so,” Amanda said.

“So how long have you two been camping out here?” one of the men asked.

“We came up here yesterday,” Amanda said, looking at Aaron who appeared to be at a loss for words.

“I thought most women were afraid of bats,” one of the men standing behind Aaron said.

“Usually, I am, but my friend here has been explaining their role in ecology and I’ve decided they are too important in nature to be nervous about them.”

What are they doing? What is taking them so long to apprehend Aaron?

In the next moment, the two men behind Aaron had each leaned over and grabbed Aaron. Amanda felt herself lifted to her feet by strong arms, which she knew belonged to Matt.

“Handcuff him and read him his Miranda Rights,” Matt said.

“Aaron Griswold, you have the right to remain silent . . .” one of the men began as Aaron was handcuffed.

“Pack up their things and put that fire out,” Matt ordered. “We need to get them out of the cave and down to the car.”

The hike down was slow. With Aaron in handcuffs, one of them had to help him down the steep steps. Two of the men hoisted the backpacks over their shoulders and followed them out of the cave.

It was all Amanda could do to keep from throwing herself into Matt’s arms, but since he appeared so grim and business like, she resisted the impulse and quietly followed the men out of the cave.

As they reached the parking lot, Amanda saw Matt’s black SUV parked beside Aaron’s car. The men took Griswold to the unmarked police car. Before they could put him inside, Aaron turned to Amanda.

“Amanda, I’ve really enjoyed our time together,” he said.

“Thank you,” Amanda said politely.

Before she could say more, Matt abruptly cut her off.

“I’m taking her home,” Matt told the men. “I had a call earlier from her dad and her parents are worried sick.”

Matt was furious. He couldn’t believe the exchange he had just heard between Aaron and Amanda. What had Griswold meant? He almost pushed Amanda into the passenger seat after he opened the car door.

Angrily he strode around the front of the SUV and jerked open the door. He said nothing as he punched the key into the ignition. Before he started the engine, he turned and glared at Amanda.

“What was that all about? Did he touch you?”

“No, in fact, he totally changed his game plan. At first, I thought he had taken me to the cave to rape and kill me. We got into a conversation about the bats and he did a complete turn around. He told me he had never had a friend and he would like to try something new.”

“And what was that?”

“An experiment in terror, if you ask me,” she said, reaching out to touch Matt’s arm, to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. “Even though he was going to continue to keep me captive, he wanted us to be friends. He told me about his family and growing up in Illinois and I told him about growing up here in Boulder and about my store.” She paused. “How did you ever find me?”

“You can’t begin to know how I felt when Heller called me in Colorado Springs and told me Griswold had escaped. I called to tell you about Griswold and your phones kept going to voicemail. Then Jenessa called Heller and said you had failed to open the store. When the police found your bike and helmet…” He stopped for a moment and rubbed the back of his neck as though the stress had made it ache.

She rubbed his arm in a comforting gesture.

“I headed back to Boulder immediately. The next day when I went back to Heller’s office to see if they had discovered anything, he received a call from the security guard at NCAR who told him about a car that had been left in their parking lot overnight. He was afraid someone was stranded up in the mountains. Heller realized right away the car was registered to Griswold. I volunteered to check it out and as soon as I pulled in beside the car and climbed out, I saw your bracelet laying in front of one of the back tires. Good thinking, by the way.”

Amanda smiled as he took the bracelet out of his jacket pocket and handed it to her.

“Here’s my phone. You should call your parents and let them know you’re all right.”

She took the phone and dialed in her parents’ number. When her dad answered, she spoke to him for a few minutes telling him she was with Matt. That he had found her in Mallory Cave and Aaron had been taken into custody.

“I knew he would find you,” her father said. “You know he’s in love with you, don’t you?”

“I hope so,” she said, smiling at Matt.

“Well, call your mother and let her know you’re all right. She has been out of her head with worry.”

“I’ll call her as soon as I finish talking to you.”

After her conversation with her mother, she turned to look at Matt. She couldn’t believe he had been able to find her.

“Did he hurt you?” Matt asked.

Amanda knew what he was asking and she was happy to reassure him.

“No. But he certainly gave me an education on the value of bats to the ecosystem.”

“When I get you home, I’m going to educate you on something much more pleasant than bats,” Matt said, starting the engine and putting it into gear.

“I’ve been wanting to ask you, that night when we were dancing you whispered something in my ear. What was it?”

“I said, ‘This guy’s in love with you.’”

“And this gal’s in love with you,” she said, leaning over to kiss him.