Bitter Wild Page 6

  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 hi
s 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.

  She dismounted and examined the ground beside a tree. Jack got down and noticed that this time there was considerably more than a smear of blood. Whoever had left it behind had been seriously hurt. The dog was rooting at something a few feet away and Casey walked over to investigate it. Jack tied his horse to a nearby tree, then took hold of the reins of Skip’s mount as it trotted up. Skip was getting off the horse when Jack heard the dog bark once. He spun around in time to see a figure break cover and take off at a dead run. Casey was at least forty feet away from where Jack stood, which put her just a few feet away from the other person. Jack reacted instinctively. He let go of Skip’s horse and reached for his gun. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as he watched Casey lurch into motion. She called out to the dog, ordering him to wait. Immediately the dog dropped to its haunches. Jack got his gun drawn, then hesitated when he realized Casey wasn’t running away from the person, but toward them. She was chasing them down. He called her name, then did the only thing he could do when she didn’t so much as slow down. He went after the pair. Jack felt his adrenaline surge as he chased Casey and the other person through the trees. He was amazed to realize that Casey was gaining on them. What the hell was she thinking? He had visions of her catching up to the person and it turning out to be Jester. He could kill her before Jack even got a chance to get near her. That thought spurred him to move forward even faster.

  Casey didn’t allow herself to think about the searing pain that tore through her leg with every step she took. She focused instead on the figure in front of her. He was running as fast as he could and she knew he was running blind. He was being fueled by pure terror. That’s the only thing that explained why he was running at all. She’d have tried to call out to him to stop but she knew it would be a waste of much needed breath. The only way to stop him was to catch him and bring him down. So that’s what she was going to do, whatever it took.

  Jack watched as Casey steadily closed the gap between herself and the man in front of her. Finally she was close enough to reach out for the man, but she didn’t. Instead she took two more steps and simply launched herself forward. They went down har
d in a tangle of arms and legs. Jack didn’t slow down. He saw Casey and the man struggling. He was fighting her hard. Casey’s head snapped back as the man drove an elbow into her chin. Jack felt fury sweep through him. Casey didn’t let the blow daunt her, though. She threw herself onto the man, using her weight to help hold him down. Jack came to a skidding stop a few feet away and brought his gun up. He couldn’t risk firing with Casey in the way, like she was. Before he could yell at her to get away, he heard her start talking in between gasps.

  “Stop it, Terry! It’s me, Casey!”

  She repeated herself a couple of times and finally the man beneath her fell still. Jack had gotten a good enough look at him by now to realize that he wasn’t Russell Jester. He’d also figured out that though he was a male, he was barely more than a kid. He might be twenty, but Jack doubted he was any older. Jack didn’t relax until the kid burst into tears and wrapped his arms around Casey in a vise grip. Skip came running up just about then, his gun drawn. Jack waved him off as he lowered his own weapon. Casey was crooning to the kid just like a mother would to a child. It took a while for the boy to stop sobbing. Eventually, he released his hold on Casey long enough for them to both sit up. The kid caught sight of Jack and Skip then and there was no mistaking the fear in his eyes. Casey reached out and touched his shoulder.

  “It’s all right, Terry. These men are federal agents. They’re with me.”

  It was the first good look Jack had gotten at the kid. What he saw didn’t look good. He stepped forward. “Are you hurt?”

  Terry looked down at the blood that covered most of his shirt. Then he lifted his gaze to Casey. “It’s not mine. Paul, a friend from college. He was shot.”

  Casey nodded and got to her feet, then reached out to take hold of Jack as her leg almost gave way. Jack immediately slipped an arm around her waist and held her while Skip helped the boy to his feet. Jack figured the fact that Casey wasn’t pulling away from him was evidence of just how much she was hurting. Skip shot them a questioning look, but said nothing. It was Casey who spoke.