Page 80 of Hunting the Truth
Josh nodded and she grabbed his mic off his shoulder. She pushed the button, hoping they had radio service. Much to her relief, after calling in, she heard the dispatcher answer.
“This is FS 28,” Maya repeated, using her badge number. “I have an officer down and need a helicopter to get him out. He needs immediate medical attention. Best landing zone is near the Deer Valley Trail in the meadow.” She let go of the button, waiting.
“You really think I need a medevac?” Josh asked.
“You want to walk out of here?”
“No.”
“Then yes, I think you do. It’s too far to the trailhead to meet an ambulance. Why didn’t you listen to me?” Maya asked, feeling annoyed now. “You wouldn’t be in this predicament if you had just stuck to the plan.”
“Plan? What plan? I woke up to an empty house and had text messages that you were with a wanted felon. You really think I was just going to go to work and not do anything? Say good morning to your grandfather and tell him that you were with an armed and dangerous man, but it was okay because you texted me that you were fine?”
“You have a point, but I had things under control.”
The radio crackled and dispatch got back to Maya, letting her know that they received her message, and they would be sending the chopper in. She broke out in a sweat. This all brought back memories from a few months ago. When she’d helped her friend Doug get into a medevac chopper, it was the last time she saw him. She didn’t know what she’d do without Josh.
I really am in love with him. Nothing can happen to him. It would be all my fault.
“Damn it,” Maya muttered to herself.
“What?” Josh asked.
“Nothing. I just wish you’d listened to me, that’s all. How’d you find me anyway? My phone is off.”
“I know,” Josh said. “That was annoying. I tried to ping it, but since it was turned off, I knew I would have to contact the phone company, but going through them would take too long.”
“I thought you might do something like that, and I didn’t want to run down the battery in case I needed it,” Maya said.
“I had your messages and I showed Pops. He’d just received a call from his neighbor that after he left, Daisy and Velvet were spooking. The neighbor thought it could be a mountain lion and hiked out to see what was going on. Instead, he saw you and a stranger entering Pops’s house and stealing his truck. What we didn’t know is if Eric was making you do this or not. We went back to the house and found the hope chest opened up. Your grandfather and I saw the numbers and looked up the coordinates. I told him I would look for you here while he worked on getting some extra deputies to come in and try to find Abigail and Blake.”
“And he agreed to that?” Maya said. “I’m surprised that he didn’t want to come with you.”
“I think he did, but he knows his limitations from his injury. I can walk if you help me a little bit.”
Maya heard someone else approaching them and drew her gun. Eric came out from behind the bushes.
“I hate to interrupt this lovers’ quarrel, but I’m going to,” Eric said. “I’ve been listening in. We need to get out of here. Your boyfriend may have been followed. Abigail would have been smart enough to do that. Not to mention you just radioed in your location. She would for sure be listening in on the radio chatter. Blake too.”
“Great,” Josh said, “Advice from the felon.”
Maya ignored Josh. She knew Eric was probably right. “I need to get him to where the helicopter will meet us. That’s my first priority.”
“Then undo my hands and let me help,” Eric said, turning around and holding out his hands toward Maya.
“Don’t trust him,” Josh said.
“I know, but you’re a big guy. I don’t know if I can get you down the trail by myself.”
“I can walk,” Josh said, starting to stand. When he was about halfway up, his leg gave out and he sat back down. Juniper went over to him again and started licking his face. Josh ruffled her fur in appreciation.
“Who knows what that stake hit? There’s no way you’re walking out of here on your own,” Maya said. She hated to let Eric be free, but she needed the help. She was strong and she had helped move people in battle, but a big guy like Josh was starting to push her limits. She didn’t want to admit that, but she had to. “Juniper is with us. If Eric tries anything, she’ll bite him.”
Maya pulled her knife out of her backpack and flipped the blade open. She went over to Eric and started cutting the plastic cuffs. They each popped off and Eric moved his arms around, shaking them out.
“That feels a lot better,” he said. “Now, let’s get your boyfriend to where he can be picked up.”
“Stop calling him my boyfriend. To you he’s the deputy sheriff of this county,” Maya said, feeling annoyed.
