Page 42 of Hard Knock Hero

“There’s a sign somewhere, but it’s probably covered in snow. Maybe tourists were out here exploring and didn’t know about the damage.”

Voices carried toward us again.

“That’s where they must be,” Aiden said. “Downhill. I can go check. You stay here.”

“Would you stop trying to leave me behind? I’m going.”

We ventured onto the lower trail, entering the national forest. This was definitely the right way. The voices were getting louder. And then, the sound of an engine, which fit with the ATV tracks.

But just as we came around a curve, Aiden pulled me back, his grip a steel vise around my arm. He pointed at one of the trees. “Do you see that?” he whispered.

It took me a moment to figure out what he meant. I kept blinking at it, because it didn’t make sense. It looked like a high-tech camera was perched on a tree branch. It was black, which made it stand out against the snow. “It could be there to track wildlife,” I said. “But I haven’t heard about anything like that. And there haven’t been any forest rangers around here in ages.” If they didn’t have the budget to repair the trail, why would they be setting up expensive looking cameras?

“Maybe it wasn’t the rangers. Whoever put that camera there, they could’ve spotted us if they’ve been watching. Where else does this trail lead?”

“Just into the national forest. It’s huge. The trail leads into the forest access roads, and those go for miles and miles. But they aren’t easy to reach from Hartley, and they’re all unpaved.”

Then an ATV roared into sight. Aiden pulled me behind a tree. Peeking out, I saw a familiar face riding it, bundled up in a heavy coat and hat. It was Mitch Rigsby, following a perpendicular path to the trail we were on. But unlike last night, his face was exposed. And he lookedfurious. He shouted something into the radio perched at his shoulder.

Aiden pulled me closer and murmured into my ear. “He’s got a rifle strapped to his back. I can see the muzzle.”

What on earth was Mitch Rigsby doing out here on national forest land? With arifle? I’d almost taken him for a hunter at first, except I didn’t think Mitch was that sporty. Like Chester, he was more into drinking and causing trouble than the outdoors.

And what had caused the ground to shake beneath us?

Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to find out.

Aiden tugged on my arm. “We need to go back before he sees us.”

“Just what I was thinking.”

Whatever Mitch was doing out here, I didn’t want to run into him on a mountainside while he had a weapon and we were unarmed. Didn’t seem too wise after that confrontation last night. Dale had promised this morning that the Rigsbys would leave me and my brother alone, but I had a hunch that Mitch being out here meant something far bigger than his family’s vendetta against me.

I thought of the conversation between Dale and Chester last night that Aiden had overheard. Dale saying it wasn’t the right time. Warning Chester not to draw attention. Whatever the Rigsbys were up to, they wanted to keep it hidden.

What would Mitch do if he found Aiden and me here?

We waited until Mitch had gone past, and then I led the way going back uphill. “We should get off the trail,” Aiden said. “Mitch could easily see us if he comes back.”

“But it’s dangerous to go off of it! And if he spots our tracks, couldn’t he just follow them? He’ll catch up to us.” My pulse had already been racing when I thought that someone was injured, but now my heartbeat was a constant roar in my ears.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, the high-pitched snap echoing over the mountainside. At the same moment, a nearby tree trunk splintered.

Shit.

Mitch had definitely seen us.

Aiden leaped onto me, and we went sprawling in the snow. He pushed me uphill. “Go. Get out of here. I’ll hold him off.”

“Withwhat? A trekking pole?”

“Get out of here, Jessi,” he snarled. He rolled over into a crouch, unstrapping his snowshoes. He left them behind, along with his poles.

Then he bounded up and took off in the direction the gunshot had come from. Once again heading straight into danger.

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN

Aiden

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