Page 98 of High Frequency

His tone is matter-of-fact, as if following me on what could be a wild-goose chase is not even a question.

I bumped into him in the barn when I was saddling Will, and I mentioned I was heading up the mountain to see if I could find Sloane. I guess he finished what he was doing, grabbed his horse, Judge, and decided to come after me.

“She may not even be up here,” I point out.

“Oh, she’s up here,” Wolff counters, pointing at the fresh ATV tracks on the trail. “Although why she’d come up by herself, I don’t know.”

“Doing her job, would be my guess.” I dart him a sharp glance, feeling suddenly protective, even though I had those same thoughts myself earlier. “She doesn’t have the luxury of a team, like we do. Or even a partner,” I point out.

Wolff throws me an amused glance as he calls my bluff. “Is that your party line, or is it how you really feel?”

I don’t bother answering, we both know I’m not happy she’s up here on her own, or I wouldn’t be going after her, knowing it’ll piss her off.

It’s not until we pass near the spot where we found the rifle shells, Wolff breaks the silence.

“Looks like she may have pulled off here.”

He’s just pointing out some flattened vegetation on the side of the path when my radio crackles to life.

“Sully here. Dan, come in.”

“Dan here, what’s up?”

“Sheriff Ewing showed up at the ranch, looking for Sloane. Do you have eyes on her?”

“Negative. Not yet.”

“Dan…”Junior Ewing’s voice replaces Sully’s.“I need you to get to her…we’re on our way, but you’re closer. New information has come to light she is not aware of that could put her in a lot of danger.”

Then he proceeds to explain the kind of danger he thinks she is in, and my blood runs cold in my veins.

“On it,” I bark as I give Will my heels.

Wolff—having heard every word—is right on my tail as we urge our horses to hotfoot it up the trail.

I’m fucking terrified out of my mind for her.

There’s no way she would’ve seen this coming.

Sloane

Forty-five minutes earlier

“Cousin?”

I’m already getting to my feet and my hand is reaching for my weapon.

“He’s going to kill us,” she whispers, her eyes fixed on the door.

Her body is shaking so hard, the chains she’s shackled with rattle. She’s petrified and I don’t think she can even hear me.

Outside the sound of and engine abruptly dies, and I try to listen for other sounds. Anything to indicate someone might be approaching, but I can’t pick up anything.

Well, I’m not about to twiddle my thumbs here, waiting for whoever is out there to dictate what happens next. Determined to take charge of the situation right off the bat, I crouch down and ease to the front of the cabin. There, I squeeze myself in the corner by the window to the right of the door, so I have some cover when he opens the door coming in. I hold my gun in front of me as I try to peer outside without being seen.

An ATV is parked outside, but I don’t see anyone. No one seems to be out front. I shift to the other side of the window, trying to get a better look toward the side of the house, when I catch a flash of a familiar uniform rounding the corner of the cabin.

I blow out a big breath of relief.Backup.

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