Truth Avenged (Green Division Series Book 1) (7 page)

Daylight flew
by.  She grew more and more frustrated that her search would end in failure, as everything had thus far.

“
Where is it?  Where is the compass!  Where is the fucking plane!  I don’t understand why you did this to me!  What do you want?!”  She yelled out in frustration through the vacant woods to ghosts that wouldn‘t answer.  Silence followed.  “What the hell am I doing?” 

She swept the ground with her hiking pole in anger, pushing the leaves aside searching the ground.  One overly pissed off swipe with the
hiking pole and she lost her balance flopping to the ground.

“
I don’t understand.”  She pulled herself up to a sitting position, curled her legs together, and looked at the sky above.

*****

Sure enough, Chance’s Jeep was where he’d found it the week prior.  She was incorrigible.  He grabbed his bag and headed up the trail.  No one knew he was going to check on her.  If Kerr found out, he would have his ass. 

Crisp leaves crunched underfoot.  Fall had come far too early to Vacationland.  Deep hues of red,
orange, and yellow littered the ground.  The more Tuck trudged, the more worry crept into his conscience.  He’d been on the trail going on two hours and still hadn’t come upon her. 

Finally.  Movement on the trail ahead.

“Chance.”  He yelled up the trail ahead spotting a florescent long sleeved tee shirt.  She put no effort into blending in with her surroundings.  She clearly wasn't too worried about poachers. 

“
Shit,” she mumbled startled and turned on her heels.  “Tuck.” 

To describe Chance
’s reaction to his appearance as a surprise would have been an understatement.

“
What are you doing up here?” he asked. 

Her heart fluttered at the sight of him.  She
’d tried to speak with him several times throughout the week, but his phone went directly to voicemail.  Her calls went unreturned.  The sight of him stirred emotion she’d successfully suppressed during daylight hours.  

“
I’m—I’m sorry.”  Were the only muffled words she could spit out. 

He poi
nted to the bottom of her shirt; a mud color stain on the fabric caught his eye.  “Is that blood?”  .   

“
I pulled my stitches.”  That’s what one gets for hiking a week after getting shot.

Tuck lowered his pack to the ground and groaned.  She couldn
’t read his face, if it was anger, or worry that consumed it.  He unzipped the pack and retrieved a small first aid kit taking out a roll of medical tape and a compress bandage. 

“
I guess we’ll patch it up and bring you back to the hospital.  Would have thought you would have learned your lesson about coming up here alone.”

She lifted her shirt slightly and he played the role of doctor, taping the bandage to her bloody side.  It was a much easier sight to look at than the last time he
’d seen her wound.  When he was done she pulled her shirt back down.  She fought to maintain her poise.  He passed her his light fall fleece coat.

“
You don’t have to do that, you‘ve already ruined one set of clothes being covered in my blood.” 

H
e slung it around her shoulders.  The memory of her bleeding out was a haunting one.

“
I’m not worried about my jacket.” He held the jacket while she slid her arms into it and zipped it up.  “Did you find what you were looking for?”

“
Not yet.”

"Not yet?  The deal we struck was when you were healed we
’d go on this goose chase of yours together.”

“
You haven’t answered your phone.  I left messages and never heard back.  I figured the offer was withdrawn.  Something you said to comfort me thinking I wouldn’t live.”  Her voice caught and she looked away from him.  “I didn’t expect you to hike back up here with me, you’ve done so much. I couldn’t ask more of you.”

She brought her eyes back to his only this time he averted his.  The truth was
, Tuck wasn’t ready to see her.  This detachment issue he had would be easier with time passing, emotions lessening.  That’s why he hadn’t answered his phone.  Another mission failed. 

“
You walked away from this with staples in your head.”  Only one of his staples was visible, not covered by his hat.  “I bet you wish you hadn’t answered your phone that night, huh.”  She tried for a smile, but failed.  Her attempt for laughter had the same result. 

“
I’m sorry you were hurt helping me.  And I’m sorry you got dragged out here by Paul, again.”  She cleared her throat.  “I don’t expect you to babysit me and I’ll clarify that with him.”

Baby
sit
.  He’d thought the same word earlier and felt guilt for it now.    

He picked up his pack and hers.  “
Let’s get you down from here and get that looked at.”

“
I’m not leaving.  I need to find the compass.” 

Paul was right about one thing
, she was stubborn. 

“
Whatever you are up here looking for, you can come back.  You’re going to go to the hospital.  I’m sure hiking was on a list of things not to do while recovering from a gunshot wound.  I don’t know how you could even hike.  You must be in awful pain.”

“
Everything was on that list of not to do’s, except lying on the couch and watching TV.  I need to find that compass.”

“
Let me guess, it’s from the plane crash.”

She gave him a dirty look.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone else about the plane?  You didn’t tell my sergeant when he interviewed you.”

“
No one would believe me.”

“
You’re a reporter.  You should be used to that by now.”  He preferred this exchange to the emotionally charged one they’d had at the same location.

“
Did you see the pack I found?  The one Warden Huan has, just like I told you about.  And still hasn’t returned by the way.  Is that all a coincidence?”

“
It’s a bag.  What does that prove?”  He looked at the trail beyond her.  “These woods were scoured when they searched for your shooter.  There were planes in the air, people on the ground everywhere.  No one came upon your so called crash site.”

Chance ignored him and went back to looking at the ground, kicking the leaves about.

“Come on, let’s go.”

She didn
’t follow him.

“
Chance,” he called.  She instead walked in the opposite direction up the trail.

“
Ugh."  Tuck rolled his eyes.  “What is it going to take for you to listen to sense?”

“
Finding the compass.” 

Damn her.

Tuck caught up to her and stepped ahead. 

“
Thirty minutes. After that, I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you kicking and screaming back to the trailhead if necessary.”

She contemplated the offer.  “
Sounds better than walking.”  She regained her composure and her heart settled back into her chest. 

“
You really are a case, you know that?”

“
You aren’t the first to say that.” 

Twenty minutes passed.  Tuck kept a close eye on time, not keeping nearly as close an eye to the trail.  Then, he kicked something with his boot.  A weathered metal object peaked thr
ough the dry leaves and dirt.  He picked it up.  It was an old compass.  He became slightly intrigued, but still didn’t believe her outrageous story.

“
Is this it?”  He held it up.  She walked to him and took it from his hand, studying it.

“
It is, but—” She flipped it over looking at the back and then studied the front.  The glass face was spider webbed.  The compass needle slid around unattached from its anchor.  The white background was dirty and water sloshed when she shook it.  “It is, but it didn’t look like this when I found it.  It wasn’t broken and it wasn’t rusted.  It wouldn’t have rusted in a week.” 

He took it from her and looked it over.  No, it wouldn
’t have rusted in a week.  It was years’ worth of decay.

“
Maybe it’s not the same one.”

“
Read the inscription.” 

He wiped the dirt from the back.

“Flying Squirrel.”

“
It’s the same compass.”

“
Okay, it’s your compass.  Here it is, let’s go.”

“
I told you.”

“
You did.  Now let’s go.” 

An hour and a half later
they arrived back at their vehicles.

“
You okay to drive?”

She nodded her head yes.  “
I’m okay.” 

He assessed her.  “
I’ll follow you to the hospital.” 

“
You don’t trust me to take care of myself?” 

“
No.”  Straight forward and to the point.

“
I don’t need my stitches fixed.  It’s not bleeding seriously and will scab over.  Not a big deal.” 

“
You’re scared of hospitals.”  Didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why she was apprehensive.

“
They’re not a place I like to frequent, but who does.”

“
Tell you what, I’ll follow you to your house.  It’s on the way to the hospital, right?”

“
Yes, but you don’t need to do that.”

He continued without addressing her last statement.  “
You can call someone to bring you.” 
Not Paul
, Tuck wanted to add, but didn’t.  “Or, you can hop in with me and I’ll give you a ride.  You aren’t going be driving after they pump you full of painkillers to stitch you back together, Raggedy Anne.  Take your pick.”

“
Thanks for the nickname.  I don’t expect you to keep saving me there warden.  I’ve jeopardized enough of your time.”  She pushed her bangs out of her eyes.  “Go home, be with your family.  I’ll be fine.  I’m sorry about Paul and I’ll make sure he knows to leave you out of my affairs.” 

He opened the
driver’s door of the Jeep for her.  She climbed in and grimaced at the pain caused from the motion of sitting.

“
My time is very open these days.  I’ll see you at your house.”  He closed her door and walked back to his truck.

*****

Chance chastised Paul harshly on her drive back to town.  An apology was not issued on either end.  She was a big girl; she didn’t need someone babysitting her.  Her wish was for someone to be aware of where she was.  If needed, Amy would have followed up.  But no, Paul had to send Tuck to save her.  Knowing how to play his cards, Paul threatened to call her family and inform them of her impetuousness.  They would put her back in line and be driven up her ass in a heartbeat.  That hushed Chance.  On her next trip, she wouldn’t tell him, or anyone else.

*****

Into the driveway she pulled.  The idyllic house sat peaceful and quiet.  Tuck parked behind her and shut off the engine.  She stepped down from the Jeep and her ankle rolled with the impact of the ground.  She caught herself on the door awkwardly and nearly toppled downward.  Tuck jogged over, but by the time he reached her, she had both feet solidly on the ground.  She expelled a deep breath and hoped he hadn’t noticed. 

“
You are a mess, aren’t you?” 

“
Thanks.”  She didn’t need him to point out the obvious.

He supported her arm as she walk
ed up the stairs. 

“
What’d you decide?”

“
About what?”  She unlocked the door. 

“
Have you arranged a ride?”

She would lie to him, tell him she did.  She didn
’t want to be the helpless girl he saw her as.

“
My friend Amy is on her way over.”

He studied her
face.

“
You won’t mind if I stay until she gets here?”

“
No!  I mean, you don’t need to do that.”  She walked into her house and held the door.

“
For a reporter, you don’t lie well.”

“
Outdoor Columnist.”  She corrected.  “There isn’t much need for lying in my line of writing.”

“
You all operate the same.” 

She scowled at him for his offensive statement.  He looked past the door.  Her home was as nice on the inside as it was the outside.

“She is on her way over.  Thank you for the offer.”