Page 91 of Trail to Trouble
Chief Ricco glancedat his watch, then looked at Hunter.
“We’d better get moving and be ready for him in case he actually shows up here,” the chief said.
“He will. I know it,” Hannah replied without hesitation.
That’s what scared Hunter. Without a doubt, he knew there would be some sort of altercation today. He’d helped to orchestrate it. Would it be what he and Hannah wanted? Still, it worried him. The last thing he wanted was for Hannah to be in harm’s way, though he knew this was their best option. Get Sebastián to violate his parole and get him sent back to prison.
A touch to his arm drew his attention.
“Are you okay?” Hannah asked.
No, he wasn’t, but he certainly wouldn’t tell her that.
“I’m good. Just working through everything in my head.”
The chief nodded.
“Let’s go.”
They loaded into Chief Ricco’s SUV and he drove toward the access point they’d use to get to Lover’s Leap Falls and campsite. It was the same point Hannah had escaped the woods while being chased by the shooter—Sebastián. Though Sebastián provided an alibi that day, Hunter knew in his heart that Sebastián was the shooter. For a while, he’d thought maybe the shooter had been a hired hand, but now he believed Sebastián was the guy.
Chief Ricco tucked his squad SUV under the cover of the forest in a nearby driveway of a vacant property, and they exited the vehicle.
Hunter holstered his pistol and slung his rifle over his shoulder. Hannah holstered her weapon. The chief’s lips parted as if he were going to speak, then he clamped them shut. He knew Hunter. He knew he’d be cautious with his weapons. The expression the chief wore still sent a message to Hunter to be careful.
As they neared the embankment, where Hunter had been told they’d carried him out of the woods on a stretcher, he took a moment to study the area. He had no memory of being hauled out of the woods or his ambulance ride. Though he’d heard the story enough from his brother and sister, it almost felt like he recalled it from his own memory bank. He remembered being shot at and leaping over the falls with Hannah tucked in his hold. He remembered being on the run, but at some point, his brain shut off. He woke up in the hospital, and Hannah was gone.
Once they reached the embankment, the chief climbed down. Hunter followed, then held a hand up to Hannah to help her. She didn’t reach out to him. She just stood there, staring out into the woods. Her eyes looked glossy. Her skin was pasty white. Her body quivered.
“Hannah.”
No response.
“Katrina.”
Hannah stared into the woods, recalling that horrible day ten years ago. Her heart raced at the thought of placing herself in Sebastián’s sights intentionally, but it was what she needed to do. It was the best way to deal with him. Draw him out, make him try something stupid to violate his parole, and get him back into prison. His being locked up was the only way to ensure her safety. She swallowed hard. He may have hired someone to take her out, but in any case, Sebastián needed to be removed from the public.
She heard Hunter say her name.Hannah.She missed using her real name.
“Katrina,” Hunter said.
She looked at him. Those warm, dark eyes of his calmed her. She knew he’d protect her at all costs, just like he’d done once before. She didn’t want him to get hurt again, or worse, die today. Maybe this was a bad idea, but she’d put the plan in motion, and there was no stopping it now. She could text Bianca, or most likely it was Sebastián and say she’d gone elsewhere. Throw him off their trail, but then she’d have to hide for the rest of her life.
She took Hunter’s hand, and stepped down the embankment.
“It’ll be fine. We’ll be okay,” Hunter said.
Hunter led them through the woods with a fast stride. When he intersected the actual trail they’d been on that fateful day, he paused and looked back at her.
She easily recognized this spot with the downed tree that was at the edge of a large hole created by the uprooted tree. This was the spot she’d stashed Hunter in to hide him from the shooter. Erosion had filled the hole in a bit, but it was still fairly deep.
Staring into the hole was like staring into a mirror of the past. Every detail of that day on top of Lover’s Leap came into crystal clear view, making her nauseous.
She flashed her gaze around and could have sworn she heard the words,I’m coming for you, among the slight whistle of the breeze, just like she’d heard ten years ago.
Hunter scooped up her hand and held it reassuringly.
Honestly, she didn’t think returning to this spot would be that hard, yet she should have known it would be similar to the two other times she’d visited Lover’s Leap since the incident.
