Page 1 of Shadow Sabotage
Chapter One
Claire
AmI seriously going to do this?I glanced around, double-checking to make sure the forest was still and silent, then slipped out of the last stitch of clothing covering my body. A thrill ran up my spine. I was alone and naked in the Wyoming wilderness.
I ran as fast as I could, ignoring the sting of sharp pebbles on the soles of my feet, then dove into the cold river. I gasped as the icy water covered my body. My chest constricted, my skin stung, my feet ached.
None of it mattered.
It had been too long since I’d felt freedom like this. And somehow, the fact that I’d lose my job if I got caught made the thrill even better.
I splashed and swam until I couldn’t take the cold any longer, then made my way back to the bank, shaking when the cold breeze hit my bare skin. The sun still lingered in the sky. I turned my face toward it, grateful for the bit of warmth it offered. After toweling off, I pulled on the jeans and green flannel shirt I’d lefton the creekside. I squeezed as much water as I could from my blonde curls, shoved my frozen feet into my boots, and began the hike back to my campsite.
Shadows lengthened as the sun began to slip behind the trees. I stirred the coals from the fire I’d had earlier, adding just enough wood to keep them going. Then I pulled out the food I’d prepped at home and tucked the foil packs into the coals. It didn’t take long for them to start sizzling. I wasn’t much of a cook, but the way I saw it, two things made food taste incredible: hunger and being cooked over a wood fire. Camping took care of both.
I sank blissfully into my camping chair. This was heaven. An entire day off of work, free to do whatever the hell I wanted. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a whole day to myself.
The bridge to the campground rattled as a vehicle approached. I glanced at my watch and smiled. Rhett and Cheyenne were right on time. The familiar truck slowly drove around the bend, searching for my campsite. I stood and waved, getting their attention, then waited while they parked.
Cheyenne, my lifelong best friend, hopped out of the driver’s seat. Her dark hair hung in two long braids over her red flannel shirt. She held the door open for Ash, her shepherd-mix dog, who jumped out of the truck with a canine equivalent of a grin on her face, as eager as we humans were for the camping trip. Rhett, my brother, swung down from the passengers’ side, brushing his long hair back from his face.
In the looks department, he and I were about as different as two siblings could get. My hair was still the light blonde I had been born with; his was even darker than Cheyenne’s. I was barely over five feet tall; he was nearly six. My eyes were green; his were a rich brown. The only thing we had in common was the skin that turned to bronze every summer. But despite how different we looked, he was the sibling I’d always been closest to—and the one who was most like me where it counted. He was another wild soul in our family, and I was happy as hell that he’d moved back home this year.
He said hi to me, gave Cheyenne a quick kiss, then headed back to the truck to grab their gear.
“You already started dinner,” Cheyenne said, her face lighting up as she spotted the fire.
“I figured it was only fair, since you had to work today and I didn’t.”
Ash ran up to me, vibrating with excitement. I squatted down and let her lick my face, scratching her behind the ears as Cheyenne clipped a leash onto her collar.
“Great site,” Rhett said when he joined us, as he tossed their tent bag onto the ground and handed a camping chair to Cheyenne. “I can’t believe you found a campground this empty this time of year. We only saw a couple other campers out here.”
“Well, the main campground is full,” I explained. “But not many people go for the primitive sites. Most people want bathrooms and RV hookups.”
“Primitive,” Cheyenne repeated, laughing. “If they only knew.”
“Right?” I grinned.
Cheyenne and I were longtime members of the Sage County Search and Rescue team. We were used to camping in a hell of a lot more primitive conditions than this, with only the supplies we could carry on our backs. Bringing camping chairs, pre-cut firewood, and a cooler of food made this “primitive” campground feel like glamping to us.
Cheyenne sank down into her chair, the way I had minutes before. “Ahhh.” She sighed in satisfaction. “We needed this.”
“We did,” I agreed, taking my seat beside her. “Two full days of relaxation and enjoyment.”
“No tourists to take care of,” she said, smiling.
“No wannabe cowboys to babysit,” Rhett added, plopping down into his chair with a grin.
“And no breaking up bar fights, responding to domestics, or doing a lick of paperwork.” I flipped open the top of my cooler and pulled out three bottles of my favorite stout. “Food will be ready in about thirty minutes. In the meantime, want a drink?”
Rhett reached over and grabbed one from me. “Hell yeah.”
Cheyenne eyed me. “I thought the sign out front said no alcohol.”
I grinned, gesturing at the empty campsites around us. “Who’s going to tell?”
She laughed and reached for a beer. After she cracked it open and took a sip, she poked Rhett. “Shouldn’t you be setting up our tent?”
