Page 72 of Deadly Revenge
She kept working on convincing herself that she would see him again, but what if she didn’t? Her therapist had worked with her on staying in the moment. Maya had to do that now and stop letting the what-ifs take over.
Focusing back on Juniper, Maya noticed she swapped between air scenting and tracking the exactfootprints on the ground. There was a time when the dogs were trained to stay on the track, but that didn’t work well when a criminal came back around to ambush an officer and their dog. Maya wanted Juniper to air scent if she needed to. If Abigail’s partner knew they were on his tail, there was a good chance he would turn back around and try to surprise them. Juniper would let her know.
After air scenting for a few seconds, Juniper turned off the trail and headed downhill. Maya scrambled to keep up with her dog. Her legs were tired and even though the mountain wasn’t too steep here, everything hurt. Her feet were starting to blister from being in wet socks and boots. Her calves were in agony and her head pounded. But Maya didn’t care. She’d been in worse shape in Afghanistan. And it had been hotter there.
They continued, Juniper proving she was still in odor with her tail poking up. But Maya could tell her dog was feeling the work. She would let Juniper go a little farther and then pull her up and radio for assistance. They were not too far away from a spot where either a helicopter or off-road vehicle could come get them. In fact, Abigail’s partner might have used some sort of motorized vehicle like an ATV or even a Jeep to get back to here, park and come find them. Maya hadn’t heard a car or other motorized vehicle, but the fire could have affected sound travel. Sometimes with temperature inversions and wind, noises that might normally be heard became muffled.
Juniper took a sharp turn and started going straightacross the hill, making it hard to balance on the incline. The angle of the mountainside was steep enough to force Maya to think about where she was putting her feet.
They continued and just as Maya was going to pull Juniper up and call off the track, she felt the tension on the leash increase, energy sizzling back to her as Juniper picked up speed. There was a figure up ahead. The man had on jeans, a green shirt that blended in with the trees and a black armored vest. He had a long gun in his left hand and even though he appeared fit, he was slowing down.
Maya was able to get a better glimpse of the man and it wasn’t who she was expecting. She stopped for a second in surprise, but then recovered and picked her pace back up.
We have him. Let’s go get him, Juniper.Maya didn’t want to say her thought out loud. Juniper could read her mind anyway as she’d already picked up her pace.
We’ll catch him unaware and nail him. Reveal his identity and get justice. For Nana. For my mom. For Agent Bernardo. And for me.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Hope huddled in the bushes, wishing Maya and Juniper were still with her. She liked them. There was something about them that gave Hope confidence, especially Juniper. Maybe she could talk her mom into getting a dog. She wished she could be as brave and strong as Maya, although she was sitting here by herself waiting for the helicopter. That seemed brave. According to Maya, she was tough.
She couldn’t wait to see her mom and even her dad. When would the chopper arrive? Would her uncle come like Maya thought? And would Maya and Juniper be okay? So many questions. Hope felt like a little kid again.
The images of Abigail started flashing through her mind. Abigail shooting Jake and Vicki. Abigail hitting her. Slicing Abigail’s arm. Her dark expression with no feeling or remorse. The way she seemed disgusted by Hope and then the moment when the gunshot came and Abigail dropped. The blood was on one side of Maya’s face and Hope was worried that Maya had been hit too.
She squeezed her eyes closed, trying to make it all go away. Her breathing increased and her chest seemedtight. Keeping her eyes shut, Hope tried to make the images stop, but they wouldn’t. What finally ended the memories flipping through her mind was the sound of a helicopter off in the distance. The noise was echoing off the mountains.
She opened her eyes and tried to look for the aircraft coming her way. It wasn’t visible yet and she didn’t want to leave her spot until she knew it was the right helicopter and didn’t belong to someone else who wanted to take her for whatever reason. Maya had promised to tell her the whole story at some point. She’d said there really was a reason Abigail wanted her. Was there anyone else out there who wanted her?
Hope stayed hidden. The sound of the chopper continued to get louder and louder. She peered around the bushes and saw the bird in the distance. When it finally arrived, she remembered to cover her head and eyes as it landed just like Maya instructed. She waited until the engine shut off and the blades weren’t spinning. Then Hope peeked around the bushes again.
The door opened and out stepped the guy who’d been with Maya at the lodge. And then her uncle and his marshal partner, Aaron.
Happiness and relief hit Hope all at once. She stood up from her hiding spot and ran over to her uncle. She flung her arms around him and held tight.
“I’ve got you. I’ve got you,” he kept saying.
Hope didn’t want to cry. She was still trying to be brave and tough, but tears started cascading down her face as she sobbed. Her uncle held her tighter.
“Where’s Mom?” she asked.
“She’s waiting in town. She wanted to be here, but we decided there should only be law enforcement since we didn’t know what we were getting into. Your mom can’t wait to see you. Your dad too.”
“I thought I’d never see you or my parents again,” Hope said, not letting go. She didn’t ever want to be taken again. Her uncle seemed to feel the same way.
“We need to get you to a hospital and get you checked out,” he said.
Despite never wanting to let go, Hope finally released her grip and stepped back. “I’ll go, but Maya and Juniper, they still need help. Can you help them?”
The man who’d been with Maya cleared his throat. He’d been standing back, letting her have her moment with her uncle. “My name is Josh Colten. I’m the undersheriff of Western River County. I know this probably isn’t a good time, but can you tell me more about Maya and Juniper? Where are they? Why do they still need help?”
Hope took in the guy. He appeared strong and was tall. Taller even than her uncle. She felt like a petite doll next to him. He seemed nice. Wasn’t he the one that Maya was concerned about? “Someone shot Abigail. She’s still up by the lake. I think she’s dead. Maya and Juniper went after the shooter. She told me to stay here and wait for the helicopter. She said to tell everyone that she hadn’t heard from you either. She was worried about you.”
The guy, Josh, nodded and said to her uncle, “I’m staying here and I’m going to try to find them.”
“I’ll go with you,” Nick said.
“You don’t have to do that,” Josh said. “You can get Hope on the helicopter and get back.”
