Bitter Wild Read online

  Jack looked around but didn’t see any of the landmarks she’d mentioned earlier. He saw no cliff to his left and no drop off to the right. “How do you know he didn’t slip by us already?”

  Her gaze went to the dog. “Chance would have picked up his scent if he had. When he disappears he’s working out around us, looking for anything unusual. He knows who we’re after. If he’d found any sign of Jester’s trail leading out of here he would have let me know.”

  Jack shot the dog a look, then focused on Casey again. “You talk about him like he’s human.”

  She gave him a slight smile. “Sometimes I think he almost is.” Her smile faded. “Jester’s up there somewhere and I think we need to go find him.”

  Jack instantly shook his head. “No. We’re too close already.”

  “Come on, Jack. We should at least take the cabin.”

  “No!”

  She frowned at him. “What would you do if Skip was here?”

  “It doesn’t matter what I’d do if he was here because he isn’t.”

  “I know how to handle myself.”

  He gritted his teeth for a moment. “We talked about this. You agreed that when the time came to apprehend Jester you’d stay out of it.”

  “That was when you wouldn’t be facing doing it alone.”

  “I have no intention of doing it alone. I’m planning on waiting for the others to catch up to us.”

  “Listen to me, Jack. This guy’s good. Better than I ever would have given him credit for. But we have everything working in our favor right now. First of all, he’s got no way of knowing that we survived his sabotage on the bridge. He’ll think we died there. He knows others will be coming, but he’s got to also know that they’ll have to go down and come across the lower bridge. He may not know for certain how much time that will buy him, but he’ll believe it gave him a bit of breathing space. And since the storm he’ll also know that whatever tracks he’d left would be wiped out. He obviously found shelter in the storm, but he just as obviously doesn’t feel any true sense of pressure to hurry the way he has been. He thinks he’s lost us and as a consequence he’s not pushing himself as hard. By now he must have realized the bridge is gone. If he was coming back out this way we should have already met him. Since we haven’t it means he’s either convinced there’s no rush because he doesn’t think anyone will pick up his trail or he’s trying to get out through the valley somehow. It’s a big valley. It’ll take him a while to figure out that there’s no way out. Now is the time to take advantage of our edge. We can take him by surprise. Otherwise, we’re going to get stuck facing him down anyway when he tries to come out. One way or another, we’re going to have to confront him. I’d rather do it on my terms than his.”

  Jack was starting to get tired of constantly finding himself torn between his professional instincts and his personal ones. Everything Casey said made sense. It would be better to go after Jester now, while they still had a chance of catching him by surprise, than to wait and wind up having to go after him when he’d had time to prepare for them. Sooner or later he’d try to come back out the way he’d gone in and Jack was going to have to stop him. Once that happened, if Jack didn’t take him down with the first shot, it would undoubtedly turn into an all-out war. Jack’s ammunition supply was limited. Jester’s was too, but since they didn’t know how much he still had of what he took from Millie Pratt’s house it wouldn’t be Jack’s first choice to engage in that kind of shootout. There weren’t any good choices here, but after a few minutes of thought he was finally forced to admit that Casey’s plan was the best one. He met her gaze as he tried to tell himself that he wasn’t going to let her get hurt.

  “Okay, we’ll go, but you’ve got to promise me that you’ll do what I tell you, when I tell you without even the slightest hesitation. It could mean both our lives if you don’t.”

  She nodded. “I understand.”

  Jack had half expected another lecture on how well she could handle herself. She didn’t so much as blink as she accepted his terms, though. She just held his gaze and waited for him to tell her what he wanted her to do. He wasn’t sure he’d ever fully grasp all the complexities of this woman. The only thing he did know for certain was that he wanted to. It was a hell of a time to figure out that he was falling in love with her. He forced himself to ignore the inappropriate thought.

  “We’ll go together, keeping to the cover of the trees as much as we can. Is this cabin hard to spot?”

  She shook her head. “No. The trees are thick here, but within three-quarters of a mile they’ll start to thin out considerably and you’ll see the valley opening up to the right. The cabin sits just at the edge of the trees. There’s a wide-open hundred foot or so deep ledge in front of the cabin. It’s broken by the river about five-hundred yards above the cabin. You’ll be able to hear the water once you reach the cabin, though the river is out of sight around a slight bend.”

  “How many rooms does the cabin have?”

  “Just one.”

  “That’s good, at least.” His gaze dropped to Chance. “What about him? Can you keep him quiet and out of the way?”

  Her hand dropped to the dog’s shoulder. “Chance will stay right by my side if I want him to. And he’ll never bark unless he’s trying to warn you of something.”

  “I guess that’s good enough. When we get to the cabin, I’ll go check it out alone.”

  She shook her head. “There’s a problem with that. The cabin has two doors. One in front and another in back. Though the trees start to thin out considerably, they don’t disappear completely. They run all the way along the ledge, right up to the edge of the river. It’s possible that Jester could duck out the back door and get into cover without me ever seeing him. One of us should take the front and the other the back.”

  Again, Jack was stuck weighing the pros and cons of following Casey’s suggestion. The last thing in the world he wanted was to let her anywhere near the line of fire. He was already worrying that he’d put her too close to the danger. Having her take up a position where she could provide him with cover fire if necessary was one thing. Letting her take an active role in breaching the cabin was something else entirely. If Jester was in there, he wouldn’t go down quietly. Jack couldn’t even allow himself to think about living with himself if anything happened to Casey. He wanted desperately to tell her to just stay hidden. But the fact was, if he went in alone and Jester managed to get the drop on him then he’d be dead and Casey would be all alone. He didn’t doubt that she could handle herself just fine. Jester was a frightening man, though. He enjoyed causing others pain. Knowing Casey, she wouldn’t just stand by and let Jester get away. She’d go after him herself and she might very well die trying. As much as he hated to admit it, they would both be better off if they worked as partners. He let his gaze focus on her face once more.

  There were vague circles beneath her eyes. Evidence of how sick she’d been and of the fact that she wasn’t completely over it yet. She probably ought to get a round of antibiotics just to be on the safe side. And a tetanus shot would be a good idea, too. Not to mention some kind of pain medication for her leg and her shoulder. She needed a doctor, some decent food and a long sleep in a real bed. The sooner they took care of Jester, the sooner they could get the hell back to civilization. He nodded.

  “Okay, we go together. We’ll work out the details when we get there.”

  Casey was absurdly pleased by the fact that he’d decided to accept her help without her having to fight him over it. Up until this point nearly every decision they’d made had turned into some kind of negotiation. Did this mean that he’d finally accepted that she was useful as more than just a guide? That thought made her pause. Exactly what was it she wanted him to need her for, anyway? She was his guide. That’s the job she’d been hired to do and she’d done it. If Skip were still with them, she wouldn’t be participating any further at all. Trouble was, she didn’t think her current emotional response had anything
to do with Jack’s willingness to rely on her when he had no other choice. Some part of her wanted it to mean more than that. She wanted to believe it was some indication that they could be partners in more than just this way. She closed her eyes as she felt the desire flare inside her. She wanted him. Not just as a friend or someone she trusted. She wanted him as a lover, as a part of her life on a daily basis. Dear God, how could she have fallen in love with him so fast?

  Jack frowned when Casey closed her eyes. He reached out and touched her face. It was too intimate a gesture but he couldn’t make himself stay within professional boundaries. Her eyes opened and she fixed her amber gaze on him.

  “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “Yes, just tired, that’s all.”

  There was more to it, but Jack didn’t press her. The expression in her eyes had less to do with her physical distress than with her emotions. Whatever she’d been thinking, it was the kind of deeply personal emotion that he knew he had no right to ask about. He wanted to, though. More than he could ever have imagined. Reluctantly, he let his hand drop away from her face.

  “The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can get back to civilization.”

  He turned away too quickly to see the sadness that his words caused her. Casey was no fool. She wasn’t naïve. She knew Jack could never be happy with her. They were too different. They had no common ground and nothing was going to change that. No matter what they felt for each other, if indeed he did share her feelings, the gulf separating their worlds was impossible to breach. Better to help him finish his job so he could go home and they could both get on with their lives. Obviously, that’s what he wanted most. She pushed herself to her feet and focused her mind on doing her job. There would be plenty of time to drown in her emotions once Russell Jester had been captured or killed.

  Jack glanced at Casey as she stopped beside him. She spoke without looking at him and there seemed to be more tension in her than he’d noticed before.

  “We’ll go in slow and quiet so we can get a good look at things. Once we’re close enough, I’ll let you take the lead.”

  She moved away, leaving him to follow. He did so without comment. There wasn’t really anything to say, anyway.

  It didn’t seem to be long at all before Jack noticed the rise to his left. A few minutes later he realized that the trees to his right weren’t as thick as they had been. He didn’t notice the sound of the water for a while. It just hit him suddenly that the roar he was hearing was water crashing against rocks. Next thing he knew, Casey was stopping behind a particularly large tree. She didn’t speak, just motioned for him to join her. He moved to her side and she pointed in the direction she wanted him to look. He leaned around the tree and was shocked to see the small cabin a few hundred yards away. Even more startling was the open space he could make out directly opposite the cabin. The trees stopped about thirty feet away from the cabin and he could just make out the open expanse of the valley Casey had described. He studied the area for a long while, searching for any sign of movement as well as working out the best approach for them to take. Finally, he leaned back and turned to meet Casey’s gaze. He spoke in a barely audible whisper.

  “I’ll take the front and you take the back. Stay out of sight of any windows and keep your eyes open for any movement. When you reach the cabin, don’t go through the back door. Just stay at the corner and be ready if he comes out the back.” He paused for a moment, then continued. “If he so much as glances in your direction with a weapon, don’t hesitate to shoot. He’ll kill you without a second thought. You can’t afford to give him that chance.”

  Casey shook her head. “I won’t.” She waited a moment, then gave him a rueful smile. “And I’ll do my best not to shoot you by accident.”

  Her humor caught him off guard for a moment. It was so unexpected that it actually took him a few seconds to register that she was smiling at him. It was the teasing in her voice, the mischievous gleam in her eyes that caused him to snap. He’d been wanting to kiss her from the moment they’d met. That desire had only grown stronger in the intervening days. Suddenly, he couldn’t hold back any longer. There was a reasonable chance that one or both of them might get hurt or even killed in the next few minutes. He realized he didn’t want that to happen without admitting to her and to himself, that he wanted her. He lowered his gun and reached out with his free hand to cup the back of her head. He didn’t ask her permission, didn’t pause to see if she wanted his kiss. He just pulled her forward and captured her mouth with his own.

  Casey felt a number of things ricochet through her at the moment their lips touched. First, she was shocked by the suddenness of the kiss. Second, she was confused by it. Third, she was caught in a flash of uncertainty as to whether or not she should allow it. Fourth, though, was the undeniable rush of pleasure. It was by far stronger than anything else she felt and it easily spurred her into motion. She had the rifle in her hands and she let it slip to the ground, holding onto it by the sling until she felt it hit the ground. Then she let it go and lifted her hands to tangle her fingers in Jack’s hair. She didn’t know why he’d suddenly decided to kiss her and she didn’t care. All she wanted was to make sure it was a kiss neither of them ever forgot.

  Jack supposed he’d expected a quick joining of their lips. He hadn’t really gone into the kiss with any sort of plan of action. It had been spur of the moment, a gut reaction to the danger they were in and the days of pent up longing. He wouldn’t have been surprised if she pushed him away. He half expected her to do just that. And maybe that was why he was so stunned when he felt her grab hold of him and turn the kiss into something straight out of his most erotic dreams.

  She opened her mouth and sent her tongue across his lips. Her body seemed to melt into his so that he could feel the swells of her breasts even through all their layers of clothes. Jack felt a shockwave of heat rush through him as their hips met. He wasn’t remotely prepared for the passion she poured into her kiss. He couldn’t have ended it even if he’d wanted to. Their tongues met and tangled in a wild frenzy that instantly had Jack going up in flames. He wanted more. He wanted everything she had to offer. Leave it to him to finally give in to the need that had been clawing at his gut for days right at the moment when it was impossible to follow through on the promise in the kiss. They were close enough to Russell Jester to practically smell him and here Jack was starting something they couldn’t possibly finish. He forced himself to end the kiss.

  He glanced around, then leaned his forehead against Casey’s. They were both breathing hard. Jack’s entire body was tight with raw hunger. He’d wanted to let her know that he felt something for her. Clearly, they both knew the attraction was mutual now.

  “You’ve got incredible timing.”

  Jack leaned away from her, not certain if she was being sarcastic or not. When her gaze met his, he saw the wry amusement in her eyes. He shrugged, smiling crookedly. “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.”

  He leaned forward and kissed her lightly once more before forcing himself to let her go. She bent to pick up the rifle she’d dropped while he scanned the area around them. Chance was sitting a few feet away, watching him with those eerily wise eyes of his. Jack considered for a minute that the dog almost looked worried, as if he was able to understand the implications of the kiss Jack had just shared with Casey. After the days he’d spent in the dog’s company, he could just about believe that the animal saw and understood things better than Jack himself did. But whatever the dog’s thoughts, Jack knew he had better get his focused on the business of apprehending Russell Jester. He could work out his feelings for Casey once the danger was past.

  He turned to glance at her. “Are you absolutely sure about this?”

  Her amber eyes were unwavering as they locked onto him. “Yes. I want this man caught just as much as you do. This is the best chance we’re going to get.”

  He didn’t argue further. He just nodded, then turned and slowly began to creep toward
the cabin. Within a few feet they were at the edge of the cover. Here’s where they would be most likely to get killed. They had to cross the open expanse between the trees and the cabin. If they made it without getting shot, they might have a chance at taking Jester down quickly. Jack turned to meet Casey’s gaze. He stared at her for a moment, then gave her a nod. A moment later he broke cover, running low and fast toward the cabin. He didn’t dare look back to see if Casey was behind him. His eyes were constantly scanning the area, searching for any sign of movement, any indication that Jester had seen them and would open fire. He was almost surprised when he reached the cabin without any shots ringing out. He flattened himself against the wall and finally turned to see Casey right beside him. She gave him a small smile, then turned and rounded the corner, heading for the rear of the cabin. Jack focused on the front door.

  Casey sank to one knee at the corner of the cabin. There was a stack of wood between her and the back door that was just high enough to give her some cover if she needed it. She took aim at the door and waited. It was just a few moments later when she heard the front door crash open. Jack identified himself as a federal agent and Casey braced for the sound of gunfire. There was none, though. In fact, she heard nothing at all. Seconds ticked by in silence. She was just starting to wonder if she ought to go see what had happened when Jack called out to her.

  “I’m coming out the back, Casey.”

  The door opened and she rose, lowering her weapon as Jack stepped through the door. He turned to meet her gaze.

  “There’s no one inside.”

  Casey immediately scanned the area. There was no movement that she could see, but that didn’t mean Russell Jester wasn’t out there somewhere, watching. She turned around and emitted a short whistle. Chance shot out of the trees like he’d been fired from a cannon. He hated being left behind. She laid her hand on his head, then skirted the wood pile to reach the cabin’s rear door. She glanced past Jack, her gaze scanning the interior. Within moments she knew Jester had been there. She moved past Jack into the cabin, heading for the makeshift sink that was fed from the storage tank outside. There were dishes inside it as well as empty cans littering the countertop. She turned around and spotted the bag lying beside one of the cots. On the cot was a sleeping bag. Casey moved toward the bag, reaching out to lift one corner. She felt her stomach clench when she saw Millie’s name written with permanent ink along the seam. Casey dropped the bag and spun around to meet Jack’s gaze.