For a long moment, Kujo stood outside the cabin, hesitant to leave Molly alone, but unwilling to take her with him when she was still in pain from her injuries. Besides, she’d slow him down if he had to beat a hasty retreat.

He had no idea how he’d ended up in the same place at the same time as she had two days ago, but his gut told him he’d been there for a reason. He was glad the reason was to save Molly. She was bright, strong and beautiful. When he got back from searching for the drone, he’d get the truth out of her. If not by force, then by other, more pleasurable means.

With a sense of urgency, he climbed onto the four-wheeler, started the engine and roared away, back the direction he’d come when he’d held an unconscious woman in his arms, trying to not to drop her while steering the damaged vehicle.

The bent steering wheel took some getting used to again, but he didn’t let it slow him on his quest to find the drone.

As he approached the ridge, he slowed the four-wheeler to a stop and killed the engine. He’d go the rest of the way on foot. Whoever had been in the valley might still be there, and he intended to find out who it was.

After hiding the four-wheeler in the brush, he slipped through the woods and up to the top of the ridge, clinging to the shadows of the trees and underbrush. He stood for a long moment, scanning the valley below. As far as he could see, nothing moved. The caves dotting the cliffs on the opposite side stared back at him like gaping maws, so dark he couldn’t see into them. A single, narrow road led in from the eastern end of the valley. If he hadn’t been studying it so carefully, he might have missed it.

Before he started down the ridge, he studied the area where he recalled the drone had gone down. Aiming for that location, Kujo slipped over the edge of the ridge and down through the trees toward the valley floor. He moved as quietly as he could on the steep slope, stepping over twigs and taking care not to slip on the gravel.

When he reached the bottom, he slipped through the woods, shadow to shadow, until he came to an opening, bright with sunlight and green grass. A creek ran through the valley, burbling over rocks, reflecting sparkles of sunshine. Nothing about the setting screamed danger, but Kujo didn’t let down his guard. He studied the forest glen, hoping to spot something white or shiny, like parts to the drone Molly had been operating.

On the opposite side of the creek something glinted on the gravel banks. He focused on the spot. The wind shifted, tossing tree branches over the banks, allowing another patch of light to hit that area. Again, something bright shined in the dull gravel.

His pulse quickening, Kujo made his way along the banks of the creek, searching for a crossing point that wouldn’t leave him exposed for very long. He found a point where the stream narrowed and the trees formed an arch, shadowing the banks and the water. After studying both directions and glancing up at the dark cave entrances, he hurriedly leaped over the water and ducked back into the shadows.

Moving quickly, he reached the spot where the shiny object lay. It was part of the drone. He left it where it was for the moment and searched the surrounding area. Piece by piece, he located the rest of the drone. The main body of the device was still intact; two of the arms had snapped off in the crash landing. A hole through the center marked the spot where a bullet had gone through the motor.

Kujo doubted the drone would fly again, but he’d carry it back and see if they could salvage the camera or the disk that stored the video data. He piled the parts in one location against the base of a tree, hiding it in the brush, and then looked up at the caves.

Part of him wanted to get back to the cabin in a hurry, fearing someone could have traced him and Molly there. But something about the caves made him stay. What was someone hiding in the valley? He hadn’t seen anything other than trees, boulders and the stream on the valley floor. The narrow road leading in could have been an old mining road used back in the days when men mined the mountains for gold and silver. Hunters might still use it during hunting season. The road ran the length of the valley following the base of the cliffs with the caves.

Someone with a need to keep things on the downlow could have used the road to run people or supplies into the valley. Perhaps they’d used the caves to store supplies.

Or teenagers could have used the road and the caves for campouts and parties where they’d be out of sight and range of concerned parents.

Either way, Kujo felt the need to explore the caves before he left the valley.

Choosing the least revealing path up to the largest and most accessible cave entrance, he crossed the road and eased up the side of the rise. He didn’t know what he would find, man, beast or nothing at all, but he’d be prepared for anything. Except maybe a bear. For a bear, he’d need a bigger gun.

The last few yards up to the entrance were traversed in the open. He had no other choice but to make a run for it, up the hill and into the darkness, without knowing what to expect. Taking a deep breath, he sprinted up the incline, his bad leg aching with the effort. He ignored the pain and ducked into the shadows, then stood with his back to the cave wall. Listening, he stared into the darkness, his heart thundering all the while. God, he’d missed the game of hide and seek with the enemy. Pitting his strengths against the Taliban or ISIS had always been an adrenaline high.

Slowly, his vision adjusted to the dimly lit interior. It appeared like any other cave with a stone floor and a damp, earthy smell. Since nothing moved, Kujo ventured deeper inside. At the very back, he had to use the tiny flashlight he kept in his pocket. He shined the narrow beam along the walls and floors. In a corner, he found what appeared to be the remains of a wooden crate with military identification markings on it.

Kujo frowned, broke off the part with the writing painted on it and hurried back to the entrance. Again, nothing moved that he could see. The valley was almost eerily silent. Even the birds paused in their songs.

When he was certain the coast was clear, Kujo climbed down the trail to the road below and hurried to the next cave. It wasn’t as deep, but it had a small scorched area where someone had set up a campfire. Based on the charred remains, it appeared to have been in the recent past with a fresh stash of tinder tucked in the driest area of the cave. From this cave’s position, he could see across the entire valley. It was a good vantage point for a lookout, or a machine gunner.

The next two caves proved to be smaller still and barely cut back into the mountain. By the time he finished exploring them, he’d been gone from the cabin for over two hours. He didn’t like leaving Molly that long. As far as he could tell, the valley was empty. Which led to the next question. Where was the shooter?

Kujo jogged across the valley floor to where he’d left the drone parts, gathered them in his arms, along with the board from the crate, and hurried up the hillside and over the top of the ridge. He made it to the ATV without running into anyone or being the target of a shooter.

Though he was glad he’d been danger-free, he couldn’t help feeling he should be back at the cabin by now. His gut was telling him to hurry.

He piled his collection into the basket on the front of the four-wheeler, slung his leg over the seat and started the engine. It sputtered and died.

Sweet Jesus! Not now. He held his breath and hit the starter switch again. The engine chugged, and then caught and roared. Letting out the breath he’d held, he raced back toward the cabin.

Sun shone through the windows of the cabin when Molly opened her eyes again. She pushed to a sitting position, only mildly discomfited by the twinge in her ribs. The additional, dreamless sleep had left her refreshed and ready to face the world.

Six yawned, stretched and stepped down off the bed where he continued to stretch, until he ended his routine with a hearty shake.

Molly wished she could do the same and be ready to rock and roll. Instead, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood. Aches and pains made her stiff, but the painkiller Joe had given her dulled her suffering to a manageable level. She stretched carefully, babying her ribs. She needed to relieve herself and find some water to splash on her face.

Six stood beside the door, expectantly.

“You, too?” She opened the door for the dog and stepped out onto the porch.

The mountain air hit her legs and forced her back inside where she slipped into her jeans. She didn’t try to put on her shirt, noticing it was shredded on the back where she’d slid down the hillside. Joe’s shirt would have to suffice for the time being. She lifted the fabric to her nose and sniffed. It still smelled like him, clean, fresh and woodsy.

She sat in one of the two wooden chairs the cabin sported and pulled on her boots. Her 9-millimeter lay on the table where Joe had left it. She slipped the holster over her shoulders and gingerly settled it in place over the cuts and scrapes Joe had so carefully bandaged.

As much as she liked to think she could take care of herself, she couldn’t have treated her own wounds. Joe had been a perfect gentleman when he’d cleaned them, smeared ointment and applied the dressings. What if he hadn’t been so platonic? What if he’d smoothed his hand over her unaffected skin and twisted his fingers in her hair?

A tremor rippled through Molly. The man was every woman’s dream: tall, dark and ruggedly handsome with broad shoulders and thick muscles. Lying against him through the night had left her feeling safe and protected.

Of course, that wasn’t what a good FBI special agent should need. So far, her first field assignment was an unmitigated disaster. She didn’t have any more information than she’d started with, and she’d crashed a very expensive drone. Molly dreaded the call she’d have to make to her supervisor when she got back to town. He’d likely order her to return to DC and her desk job.

As far as Molly was concerned, the threat of returning to boring background checks was all the more reason to hold off on that call until she could dig a little deeper and find where the ISIS training was being conducted. What a coup that would be. If she could pull that off, maybe her boss wouldn’t be so angry about the drone. And she might get more field assignments.

If she proved herself a competent field agent, she’d request a transfer out of DC to one of the regional offices. She wondered if they had one in Montana. She was quickly falling in love with the mountains and the wide-open plains. And the male scenery wasn’t so bad, either.

Not that she was in Montana to start a relationship. Her track record in that department sucked. Still… Joe was a temptation she might not be able to resist. Perhaps a fling was in order to tamp down her desires and hold her for a while.

Her core tingled at the thought of giving in to a little mattress dancing with the former soldier. Based on how gently he’d treated her wound, Molly bet Joe would be an amazing lover.

In the meantime, she had to pee. Six stood by a tree with one leg hiked. Seeing him relieving himself, made Molly’s needs even more urgent. She rounded the cabin hoping to find an outhouse. No such luck. The cabin had to have been built for male hunters with no regard to a female’s requirements. Hiking out into the trees, she found a spot in the shadows and took care of business. The gurgling sound of running water lured her deeper into the woods.

Six caught up, passed her and led the way to a pretty stream, nestled in a copse of trees. Molly followed the stream a little way and found where it widened into a pool, big enough to swim in. What a heavenly place, and what a change from the city streets and traffic of her home back on the east coast. Why would anyone want to leave the Crazy Mountains of Montana?

The air was cool, but the sun found its way through the trees to the pool, making it shine like glass. Molly turned in a three-hundred-sixty-degree circle. She would bet there wasn’t a soul within miles of where she stood.

Before she could change her mind, she shucked her boots, stripped out of her clothes and peeled off the bandages she could reach. After sliding down a hill, she was still covered in dirt. A dip in the pool would go a long way toward reviving her spirit and washing away the dirt.

When she was completely naked, she dipped a foot into the water. Holy moly! It was icy cold. Knowing there was only one way to get clean, she dove in and surfaced, her breath frozen in her chest. Wow, it was cold.

Six stood on the bank, lapping at the water.

Molly laughed. “Now who’s the more intelligent species?”

Six looked up and sat, prepared to wait for her to get out of the water. He stood guard while Molly worked the dust out of her hair and off her skin. At first the water stung her wounds, but after a minute or two, the cold numbed them, as well as her feet and toes. She finished quickly and climbed the banks, refreshed and feeling almost normal.

The cool air felt warm after the chill of the water. She stood in the sunshine, squeezing the excess water from her hair and shaking her arms and legs until they dried enough for her to dress. Still damp, she slipped into her jeans and Joe’s shirt, pulled on her boots and slipped her holster in place.

When she straightened, a breeze blew through the trees, bringing with it the acrid scent of smoke.

Six paced in front of her as she buckled her shoulder holster and pulled on her jacket. The smoke seemed to be coming from the direction of the cabin.

Molly took off running. Her ribs hurt with every footfall. She ignored the pain and raced through the woods, emerging in the clearing to find the cabin in flames.

Had she left the door open to the potbellied stove? How could it be so consumed in flames when she’d only been gone for less than half an hour?

A movement caught her eye around the side of the building. A man wearing a ski mask slung liquid at the side of the cabin from a red jug. The pungent scent of gasoline filled the air as flames licked at the wooden sides of the structure.

“Hey!” Molly yelled and raced toward the man.

The bastard was pouring gasoline on the cabin.

Six streaked past her and reached him first to sink his teeth into the man’s arm.

The man yelled and kicked at the dog in an attempt to free his arm.

Six refused to let go, his body swinging around with the man’s movements.

Molly pulled her weapon and aimed at the man, but was afraid to shoot and injure the dog.

Finally, the man’s shirt ripped off his arm, and Six fell to the ground. Before the dog could latch onto him again, the man ran around to the other side of the cabin.

Molly raced after him, but didn’t catch up before he sped away in an old red and white pickup. She ran down the road after it, hoping to get the license plate number, but the vehicle didn’t have one.

Six chased the truck around the bend in the dirt road, leading toward the highway.

“Six!” Molly yelled. She didn’t want the dog hurt by the arsonist, or for him to get hit on the highway. She sprinted after him, her heart pounding against her chest. As she reached the curve in the road, Six appeared, trotting toward her.

Molly slowed to a stop and bent over, breathing hard. The fire raged behind her. Once she filled her lungs, she went back to see what she could do to contain the damage.

The cabin was completely engulfed in flames, and the heat intense. Molly couldn’t get inside to salvage any of Joe’s belongings.

Embers flew into the air, landing on pine straw and starting up smaller fires in the immediate vicinity.

Molly hurried to stamp down the flames of the smaller fires, afraid the blaze would spread to the woods beyond and set that whole damned forest on fire.