CHAPTER THIRTY
The rifle fire sounded seconds before the bullet ripped into the side of the deer blind.
“Fuck,” Wes muttered pressing back against the solid wall next to the window. Between the trees and the snow, it was hard to get a fix on Hannah in the gray, black and white landscape.
I knew I’d seen someone with that color of red hair before. Chloe’s voice sounded in his head.
Hannah and Isaac had a unique color of red hair, not quite brick red, not quite orange. Bringing his binoculars up to the edge of the window, he scanned the trees beyond, looking for that one bit of color.
“How does it feel Strong? Having someone you love hurt and dying?” A woman’s voice called out.
Who was she talking about? Chloe? Had she gotten to her? Had he made a mistake and sent her to her death instead of for help?
His heart clenched at the idea.
No. He hadn’t heard any gunfire before the last shot and Chloe had been headed in the opposite direction.
He looked down at Wöden. She’d shot the wolf-dog to not only draw him out in the open, but to torture him, knowing the animal might die, especially if he couldn’t get him any help. Would she go after Chloe once she killed him?
No way in hell was he letting that happen.
Time to go on the offensive.
Raising his gun in the center of the window, through the hold in the mesh she’d made, he fired to the far left in several rapid shots. “I didn’t kill Isaac, Hannah!” he shouted, keeping to the side of the window.
“You took him to that jungle. It’s your fault he died!” she shouted. A second bullet ripped through the window, splintering the plexiglass and slamming into the opposite side of the shack.
Damn. He crunched a little further away from the window.
Wöden snarl-growled and tried to stand. Wes pressed his hand on the wolf-dog’s neck. “Stay down, boy.”
Whether it was the warmth of his hand or the command in his quiet words, the animal stilled. A low growl continued from him, mirroring the anger coursing through Wes. If danger got too close, he was sure his four-legged friend would put up a good fight.
He took a moment to press the binoculars into the corner of the window, just enough to see through them. Movement came from his left, the southeast side of the forest. His plan was simple. Piss her off until she made a movement his direction. Once her position was marked, he planned to take her out.
It was a cluster-fuck plan, he knew. Sort of like poking a wounded bear so it would attack you and pray you got off the first shot. But it was the only plan he had. It was paramount he kept her focused on him until Chloe was safe and out of harm’s way.
* * * * *
Determined to get back to Wes, Chloe strode confidently along the tracks she’d made earlier. Harriett was right on her tale. By her guess they were about a hundred yards from the shack.
More gunfire sounded up ahead followed by loud voices.
Chloe picked up the pace. They came to a fallen tree trunk and Chloe started to step on top. Harriett grabbed her arm and stopped her.
“What?” she asked, stopping with one leg on the log to look at her.
The other woman stood stock still, head cocked slightly to one side, like a dog listening to something far away.
“They’re here,” Harriett said, moving to the left and a more direct route through the trees toward the deer blind.
“Who’s here?” Chloe said, suddenly stomping and stumbling through the snow to keep up with the taciturn woman, the pack of supplies on her back laboring her efforts. “What if it’s someone working with Hannah?”
“It’s not,” was the only answer Chloe got as they carved their way through bushes and tree trunks.
Arrggg! She wanted to scream. Would’ve given into the urge if she didn’t think it would endanger Wes.
* * * * *
“Isaac died doing his job!” Wes yelled, then ducked flat on the floor as the war cry sounded again outside and another bullet ripped through the window’s screen mesh, obliterating the rest of plexiglass and putting a hole in the far side of the shack.
“He only joined that black ops group because you asked him to, Strong. He never should’ve been there!”
He peeked through the screen without the binoculars this time, just in time to see a movement of grey and white with red move from the far left to the right.
“She’s getting closer,” he whispered, to prep himself or Wöden, he wasn’t sure.
“Isaac was a big boy, Hannah. He made his own choices. No one forced him to join the group. Maybe he just didn’t want to come home!”
He fired through the window again, sending more bullets her way, but aiming to her right, forcing her to come his direction.
“Another fifty feet and she’ll be right where I want her.”
“Grrrr,” Wöden growled from where he’d inched closer to be beside him.
Wes stroked the fur behind his neck. “Easy boy. I know you’ve got her scent, but we need her closer. Then that rifle’s going to be more hindrance than help. She’ll have to drop it.”
Then the advantage would be his.
* * * * *
Rapid gunfire sounded up ahead. Gage held up his fist, signaling Cleetus and Daniel to freeze. A single rifle fire sounded, followed by sounds of impact and a woman’s voice. “He only joined that black ops group because you asked him to, Strong. He never should’ve been there!”
“Earl said Hannah was armed with a sniper rifle,” Gage said. “So, the single shots are probably her.”
“The automatic sounds like a handgun,” Daniel whispered over his shoulder. “Probably Wes’s service weapon.”
“Do we have any idea if there’s a place for Wes and Chloe to take refuge out here?” Gage looked from Daniel to Cleetus. Both men shook their heads.
“My uncle Charlie and some other hunters used to go deer hunting here before the area was developed twenty years back,” Cleetus said.
“You ever go with him?” Gage asked.
Cleetus rubbed his hand over his mouth a moment. “I was a kid. Seemed like there was an old shack or something.”
“Could be where Wes went with Chloe.” Gage weighed their options. “Let’s assume he’s hold up somewhere and Hannah is between us and them. We don’t want her getting away, circling back behind us, so let’s split up and make a net. Cleetus you go to the right, block off any exit to the river. Daniel, you stay on the left near the edge of the woods and block off any escape into the open field. I’ll go up the middle. She’s armed and dangerous, so keep alert. Stay within eyesight.”
The deputies moved in opposite directions about twenty yards then stopped and waited for Gage’s signal. He took a deep breath and prayed. Prayed that none of his people would get hurt. Prayed they’d be able to stop Hannah. Prayed he wouldn’t have to tell his wife anything bad happened to her sister.
A second round of rapid gunshots sounded ahead of them.
Time to get moving.
With a nod, he gave the motion to move forward.