Page 46 of Dark Angel
The bushes close by moved and cracked. Alarmed, Beth froze midstride, switched off the flashlight, and ducked behind a tree. The crashing noise increased. She drew her weapon. If it was a grizzly, her Glock wouldn’t kill it. It would just make it angry. What had Styles said to her about not using it to scare them away or was that black bears? Did he say shoot into the sky or whatever? She couldn’t recall. She had no bear spray and she was sure he said to walk away and not scream. Terror cramped her stomach. How could anyone not scream if a grizzly was after them? She’d only ever seen one in a zoo and it was huge. What else did he say? Ah yeah, lie down and play dead with a grizzly but not with a black bear? So, noise made one of them attack? Which one? Confused, she slid the gun back into her shoulder holster and glued herself to the tree.
The crashing noise came close and then something loomed onto the trail. It was big with antlers and she shivered in relief as an elk lumbered past her and out of sight. Panting with relief, Beth took a few moments to grab a drink from her backpack. Ahead Rice let out another moan. He must be less than one hundred yards from her position. The sound of running water was close by, and she recalled seeing a wide fast-flowing river from the chopper, just before it crashed. Perhaps Rice was heading in that direction. He must be thirsty, especially with the blood loss, and as far as she could make out, he hadn’t taken anything with him. She shook her head. Considering the Pied Piper had eluded the police for so many years, he wasn’t as smart as she’d believed. If she’d been in the same position, the first thing she’d have taken would have been the weapons. The second would have been any supplies she found in close proximity. She could only imagine his need to get away was so great he’d become reckless.
An icy breeze cooled her hot cheeks. Running had kept her warm, but stopping for those few moments allowed a chill to seep through her clothes. She must keep moving. She rounded the bend. She killed her flashlight at the sight of Rice kneeling beside the river, scooping water up with his hands. Moonlight illuminated the edge of the clearing and highlighted a dark patch running down one side of him. Blood soaked his clothes. He’d been injured in the wreck. Feeling no sympathy for the vicious child killer, Beth glanced around. The setting was perfect. Badly hurt, he wouldn’t offer any resistance if she snuck up behind him and broke his neck.
Logic slid into place and Beth shook her head.I’m acting like a crazy woman. I can’t kill him. Wolfe will analyze the footprints. He’d know there’d been a struggle and I’d have Rice’s blood all over me. Dammit, I’ll have to take him in.Taking a few deep breaths, she forced down her dark side. She’d always been so careful. What had gotten into her? Maybe being this close to a despicable child killer was getting to her. Shaking with the adrenaline rush, she stared at him. He’d get what was coming to him but not tonight. At that moment Rice turned slowly and looked at her. He was moving his head, not sure if there was someone in the shadows. She switched on the flashlight, holding the beam on his face. “Did you figure you’d get away from me? Not a chance.”
“Stay away from me.” Rice blinked and staggered to his feet, one hand wrapped around a branch he’d been using as a walking stick. “One step closer and I’ll beat you to death.”
Unconcerned, Beth shook her head. A man who savagely took young girls’ lives was nothing but a simpering coward. She laughed. “Yeah, why not come here and give it a try? Or do you want me to come over there? I should warn you I’m armed and I don’t have a problem defending myself. You got lucky in the forest before. I must have been in a good mood.”
“Stay where you are.” Rice looked all around. “I’ll take my chances in the river if you come any closer.”
Beth shook her head. “Go right ahead. We’re close to the falls. It would save me the time of hauling your sorry ass back to jail.” She stepped out so he could see her. “You look bad, Rice. I could just shoot you. Maybe put you out of your misery?” She stared at him as he shuffled closer to the water. “You’d die in seconds in the river. Can’t you see it’s cold? The rocks are covered with ice, but that would be no fun for me to watch, would it? You know how to have fun killing someone, don’t you? The fantasy, the anticipation of the kill, and the rush as the blood spills, it’s addictive, isn’t it?” She moved closer. “Are you afraid of me, Ainsley? The girls you killed were afraid too, just like you are now. You love to cut little girls, don’t you?” She pushed the flashlight into her pocket and took a step toward him. “You’re a monster.”
“Stay away from me.” Rice turned and backed away from the river, trying to hide in the trees. “You’re crazy.”
A noise came from behind Beth. It was Styles calling her name, followed by the distantthud, thud, thudas he ran toward her. She pulled out her flashlight. Not taking her eyes off Rice, she raised her voice. “I’m here, Styles.”
Beth turned and called out again. A light bobbed in the distance and she turned and waved her flashlight. “I’m here with Rice. He’s injured.”
The sound of something moving through the trees came close by, and sure that Rice had bolted, Beth shone the flashlight along the riverbank. It illuminated Rice staring transfixed, his attention on two bear cubs playing along the riverbank. Swallowing a rush of terror, Beth took a few steps backward and kept her voice low. “Rice, listen to me. Move away slowly. I hear their mother coming and you’ll be a threat to her cubs. Don’t make a sound.”
As she backed into the trees, behind her Styles’ footfalls became closer, and she waved her flashlight again to warn him. “Slow down. Bear cubs!”
She turned back when Rice let out a piercing scream. An angry roar made her blood run cold and she gaped in horror as a grizzly emerged from the forest. Rice was between the grizzly and its cubs. The ground appeared to shake as the bear roared in anger, its attention fixed on Rice. Beth killed the flashlight and froze on the spot as the massive creature rose up on its back legs and huffed. Bathed in moonlight, the six-hundred-pound grizzly lumbered into the clearing, its mouth wide open and saliva dripping from deadly teeth. Making strange huffing and puffing noises, it stalked Rice. With nowhere to run, Rice screamed and turned in circles.
“Shoot the bear.” Rice ducked a massive swipe. “Help me!”
Frozen with terror, Beth could only stare as the bear swiped at Rice with one huge clawed paw tearing at clothes and flesh. The memory of Styles explaining why he carried a .357 Magnum flashed through her mind. Her weapon wouldn’t stop a grizzly and firing it would only make it angry. She needed a powerful rifle to take it down. There was nothing she could do. Her pulse pounded in her ears and every hair on her body stood to attention as the bear moved in again and tore at Rice. The forest echoed with his screams. Unable to move, Beth gasped in horror as the bear scooped Rice into the air and tossed him to the ground like a rag doll. With one massive clawed paw, it rolled him over onto his back and played with him, like a cat with a mouse, allowing him to crawl a foot away before dragging him back. When Rice kicked out, the bear tore into him with its mouth wide open. Roars and screams filled the night, and glued to the spot, Beth could only watch in horror.
The next second, something slammed into her, taking her to the ground and rolling her into the trees. The air rushed from her lungs as a great weight pinned her to the forest floor. Terrified, she opened her mouth to scream when a gloved hand pressed over her mouth, and warm breath brushed her ear.
“Don’t move a muscle.” Styles covered her with his suffocating weight.
Beth wiggled beneath him and he removed his hand. “I can’t breathe.”
“Hush or we’ll be next.” Styles tucked his head next to hers with his voice so low she could hardly make out his words. “It’s already too late for Rice.”
Gasping for air, Beth couldn’t block out Rice’s terrified screams or the grizzly’s growls. The ripping of flesh and snapping of jaws seemed to go on forever but only seconds had passed before everything went quiet. Trembling all over, Beth lay very still listening.
“Don’t make a sound.” Styles mouth was close to her ear.
Beth’s nose was crushed against Styles chest. He smelled of cologne and mountain air. The rough material of his FBI jacket grazed against her skin. She pushed against him, but it was like trying to move a mountain. When he eased up again, she stared at him but kept her voice to a whisper. “Why didn’t you shoot the bear?”
“It was too late to save him and, anyway, only a crazy man walks between a bear and its cubs. Rice is a local. He should have known better.” Styles grimaced. “If I’d killed the mom, the cubs would have starved to death. It wasn’t the bear’s fault. Rice was stupid.” He lifted his head to stare into the clearing.
Nodding, Beth understood his reasoning. “What’s happening now?”
“It’s over. The bear is leaving and the cubs are following close behind her.” Styles rolled away but kept one hand on her shoulder. “There’s not much left of Rice. We’ll wait until we’re sure the bear’s gone, then we’ll keep to the trees and walk away slowly. No looking back, right? That bear could return at any second. She probably knows we’re here. She’d be able to smell us.” He helped her to her feet. “Wolfe will send a crew to collect what’s left of Rice. I’ll remind him to bring a ton of bear spray.”
Traumatized, Beth stared at him and wondered if her legs would ever stop shaking. Nature had risen up to remove a predator from the forest. Justice had been served. “A fitting ending for a monster.”
“And I figured we’d be protecting him from the Tarot Killer until his trial.” Styles shook his head. “Ain’t life strange?”
EPILOGUE
ONE WEEK LATER
