50

The piles of wood were good cover. Tess was able to find a stack on the rise, and while using it for cover, she had a line of sight on cabin 42. She recognized Roger’s SUV and her adrenaline surged. She keyed her mike and let Hardin know a vehicle was present.

All he said was “10-4.” It was obvious he was going to let her sink or swim on her own.

Very carefully, Tess threaded her way through the trees and wood stacks to the vehicle.

Keeping the SUV between herself and the cabin, she peered around the rear of the vehicle and saw a figure pass in front of one of the cabin windows. Tall and thin, it had to be Roger. She turned down her radio, not wanting the crackle of radio traffic to tip her hand.

Hand on the butt of her gun, she went down on one knee and considered her options. She could knock; he could deny knowing anything about Kayla and slam the door in her face. She could wait, hoping that Bender got something from the mayor that would help with a warrant. But that would take so much time. She could use exigent circumstances to burst into the cabin without a warrant, but her justification for exigency was thin—a strong hunch wouldn’t cut it. She was stuck with a conundrum.

If Kayla wasn’t here, they were back to square one and she was wasting precious time. If Kayla was here, they needed to get to her ASAP. Standing, she peered inside the SUV and saw a suitcase and a box of food, canned and boxed quick meals. Either he was planning on running or he had not yet unloaded the car.

Tess needed to get closer to the cabin, try to confirm. She was about to move from the SUV and peek into a cabin window when she heard a crash and a curse.

A male voice yelled, “Ow! Why, you little . . . Come back here!”

Things banging, another crash, breaking glass, a man howling in pain, then the back door burst open and out stumbled Kayla, barefoot, hands bound in front of her, clothes ripped, a look of pure terror on her face.

Tess leaped from behind the car toward Kayla at the same time Roger shoved the door open. There was a gun in his hand.

Drawing her own weapon, Tess knew that she’d have to get between Kayla and Roger before she could fire. Weapon in her right hand, she reached across her body with the left, extending a hand to the terrified girl.

“Here!” Tess yelled.

In her peripheral vision she saw Roger raise his weapon. Time seemed to slow. She thought of her dad, she thought of Cullen Hoover, and she knew that no matter what she had to save this girl.

Tess grasped Kayla’s wrists and pulled her down and behind her as she shifted her attention to Roger. Off-balance, she raised her gun and pulled the trigger even as he did the same.

–––

Oliver got out of the cruiser to stretch and to wait and hear from Tess. The woman’s confidence and instincts continued to impress him. It also made him realize just how much he was going to miss Anna and her insight into people. Just then a wave hit—of loss, of pain, and even a little bit of fear. What was he going to do now with his life?

Put one foot in front of the other and honor her life.

He sighed as the pain settled in, tempered ever so slightly by the knowledge that he could, at least, put one foot in front of the other. Then movement on the road caught his eye. It was a blue-and-white Rogue’s Hollow PD vehicle flying up the drive. It screeched to a stop by Sheriff Hardin’s car, and Oliver recognized Gabe Bender getting out of the car. He was animated, but whatever he said affected Hardin and they both hopped back in their patrol cars and headed up the road toward Oliver.

He would have waited for them, but then he heard the gunshots. How many, he wasn’t sure, but without thought for his own safety, he sprinted up the hill toward the sound.

The scene that was unfolding before him as he crested the rise took his breath away. Kayla knelt over the prone form of Chief O’Rourke, sobbing, while the man he knew as Roger Dixon writhed in pain near the cabin door.

Oliver sprinted to Tess, falling on his knees next to her and addressing Kayla. “What happened?”

“She saved me. She saved me.”

Like a wave crashing over his head, Oliver felt the fear that Tess was dead.

But she moved, then moaned and tried to rise, coughing as she did. She looked at Oliver and shifted, pointing her gun toward Roger. But he was no threat, seemingly oblivious to all of them, concerned only with his pain.

“He’s down,” Oliver said, at the same time as Bender came skidding to a stop beside her.

Hardin and his deputy descended on Roger. Oliver exhaled in relief and gathered Kayla in his arms to calm her as Bender saw to the chief.

“Chief?”

With a rough intake of breath, Tess said, “I’m okay. . . . Wind knocked out . . .”

Oliver looked where Tess was pointing and realized her vest had stopped a bullet.

“Take care of the girl,” she said.

“I’ve got her,” he said. He breathed a prayer of thanks, grateful beyond measure that Kayla was alive and safe. Grateful, too, for Tess, who was probably the only person who could have made the right connections and saved the day like she just had.