Page 44 of Peak Suspicion
He wasn’t clear on what happened next. Someone must have taken the litter and pack from him. Someone else—Aaron?—took hold of his arm, whether to steady him or keep him from rushing to Mira he couldn’t tell. But he was standing over her, watching as Danny and the others assessed her injuries.
She was lying on her back in the middle of the trail, blood trickling from a cut on her forehead, her arm cradled against her body, knees drawn up to her chest as she moaned. “She’s going to be okay,” Aaron spoke in his ear. “She has a broken arm. Maybe a concussion. She’s going to be okay.”
Carter nodded, and wet his dry lips. “You can let go of me now,” he said. “I’m not going to freak out.”
Aaron released his hold, but remained close. Danny fitted Mira’s arm with an inflatable splint, which required first straightening the arm. Mira cried out and Carter bit the inside of his mouth until he tasted blood, but he never looked away. He didn’t think she had seen him yet, surrounded as she was by the people tending to her. Carrie cleaned her head wound and Harper held her uninjured hand and talked softly to her. They gave her oxygen and wrapped her warmly against shock,and placed an ice pack on her swelling eye. Then they gently transferred her to the litter for the trip down the mountain.
“There’s somebody here who wants to talk to you,” Danny said, and motioned for Carter to come forward.
He forced a smile, though he had little confidence it was convincing. “Hey,” he said, and rested one hand lightly over the tips of her fingers. They had placed an IV in the back of the hand and he was afraid of disturbing it. “Hey,” he said.
“Hey.” Her voice was a whisper. She tried a smile, but it turned into a grimace.
“How are you doing?” he asked.
“Better now.”
Aaron moved in on her other side. “What can you tell us about the person who attacked you?” he asked.
“Not much.” Her words were distorted, her lip swollen and still dotted with blood. “He was dressed all in black—gloves and a ski mask, too.”
“Was he a big guy? Tall? Heavy?”
“No. He was about my height. Not much taller than me. And not heavy, but strong. He hit me really hard.”
“Did he say anything?”
“Nothing. He didn’t make a sound until Shayla hit him with a rock. Then he grunted.” She turned her head. “Shayla! Is she all right?”
“She’s fine. She’s with another deputy.”
“Is she hurt?”
“Only a few bruises. She said the guy seemed to be mainly after you.”
“I don’t know why,” Mira said. She closed her eyes. “I can’t believe this even happened.”
Aaron stepped back. “You can take her now,” he said. “We can talk to her more later.”
Carter moved out of the way, too, and fell in step beside his brother. “What happens now?” he asked.
“I’ll follow the ambulance to the hospital in Junction. After she’s treated I’ll interview her again and see if she remembers any more details.”
“Maybe another hiker saw the guy running away, or remembers his car in the parking lot,” Carter said.
“Maybe.”
The ambulance was waiting and Mira was loaded in right away. Shayla climbed in after her. Carter didn’t get a chance to speak to Mira again. When Aaron arrived at his patrol vehicle, Carter was there. “I’m coming with you,” he said, his hand on the passenger door.
Aaron said nothing, but slid into the driver’s seat and waited until Carter was buckled in. They followed the ambulance down the mountain, though it soon outpaced them.
“No lights and siren?” Carter asked.
“I won’t be able to talk to her again until the doctors are done,” he said. “Might as well give them some time.”
All Carter wanted was for her to be all right, out of pain and healing.
“So are you two dating?” Aaron asked.
