Page 87 of Chasing Justice
“I know you’re right. I’ll get Juniper’s vest while you radio your deputies. Tell them to get here fast.”
She moved back to her vehicle, staying low to make herself difficult to see. Juniper stayed close to her side. Maya reached the door to Juniper’s compartment and grabbed the Kevlar K-9 vest. It was made from the same ballistics material as Maya’s protective vest. The design included complete range of motion for Juniper so she could apprehend and move any way she needed. The brown color helped camouflage her, and there was a pocket for a GPS tracker. That way Maya could always find Juniper.
Juniper saw the vest and immediately started to leap around in excitement. She wanted to work. Maya told her to heel and, to her surprise and satisfaction, Juniper listened.
Another round of lightning flashed and hit the ground on the opposite mountainside. Electricity jolted through Maya’s body and her arm hair stood on end. She made sure Juniper was okay, but the dog seemed unfazed by the situation.
Being up on the hillside in this storm was the worst possible spot for their safety. But Maya would take the risk for Pops.
“That shot was a warning,” Lana said. “Don’t think that I won’t kill you. Right now, you are a liar and a thief in my eyes. Your daughter is the only worthwhile one in your family. She knows how to cook up the best drugs and she is the only one to tell me the truth.”
Jenna clutched her ribs but managed to say thank you. Then she turned toward Carson and smirked. He wanted to go smack the look off Jenna’s face, but he refrained. Lana would execute him if he killed Jenna. Then Lana would have everything, and he couldn’t stand that. He would get back at Jenna later. She would pay for this.
Carson relaxed the gun. The sound of the compound door opening came from behind him. He heard the shuffling of feet, more than one pair.
“Look who I found,” said the Russian, staying in the doorway of the compound.
Carson glanced over his shoulder but didn’t really need to. He knew who Lana’s man had dragged out. The sheriff.
“Well, well,” Lana said. “Looks like Jenna was telling the truth after all.”
“She’s using you. Manipulating you,” Carson said.
He had to make one last-ditch effort to get the situation under control. He noticed that Jenna was starting to back away from all of them. If she was able to get enough distance, then an escape through the valley and up into the mountains was possible. Jenna had grown up hunting and packing in those mountains. She could survive for days on her own, and no one would ever find her.
“Jenna’s going to take off. She’s been taking money and stashing it away. She’s been sampling your product. You need to get her before she escapes.”
“I don’t believe you. You’re the one who dated a narc. You’ll pay for this,” Lana said, stepping forward and putting her gun against Carson’s temple. She nodded toward her man. “Take the sheriff back inside. I’m looking forward to having a little chat with him.”
Chapter Forty-Six
After hurrying back to Josh with Juniper, Maya picked up the binoculars and peered through. The storm clouds and rain cloaked them in darkness, as the wind howled and violently shook the trees. Another flash of lightning allowed Maya to see Jenna stepping slowly away from her father and the Russian.
If Jenna headed up the mountainside, she could possibly escape into the national forest and they would have a hard time finding her. Maya could get through the valley and possibly cut Jenna off before she headed into the mountains. Even if Jenna was a little farther ahead, Maya had Juniper to help track her.
She stared down at Juniper, who wagged her tail and gave a doggy grin. She was just waiting for Maya’s signal.
“Jenna just split off from the standoff. I’m going to go after her,” Maya told Josh.
“What?”
“You heard me. She took off, that way.” Maya pointed. “She’s going to flee into the mountains. We’ll never find her. Juniper and I are going after her.”
“You need backup. You need to stay here,” Josh said. His voice had an edge of anger.
“No, I don’t. Plus, your backup tactics are less than stellar. Juniper and I can take care of ourselves.”
“Are you going to hold that over me forever?”
“Probably.”
“I backed you up just fine when you and Juniper tracked at the crime scene with Bobbi.”
“You did, but sorry, we’re going after her.” Until Maya knew if Josh was the snitch, she was better off on her own. “Jenna’s the key to all of this. She took my grandfather and she’s the only one who knows where he is.”
She heard Josh mutter some expletives as she and Juniper sprinted off.
Wayne was back in the room behind a locked door, but the man with the thick Russian accent hadn’t thought to tie his legs back up to the chair. He breathed a sigh of relief. This gave him a better chance to stay alive and escape.
