Page 87 of Fatal Witness

“But I should’ve anticipated it.” She scrolled her contacts and punched a number.

TBI Special Agent Maxwell Anderson answered. “Alex? What’s going on?”

“I have a witness and K-9 officer under fire on Eagle Ridge. I need a chopper. How soon can you get here?”

“I’ll be at the sheriff’s office within forty-five minutes.”

“I’ll be waiting. And thanks.” A good working relationship with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation always came in handy.

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Dani’s head swam as she peered down at Mark. He looked impossibly far away as he stood on the narrow ledge. She should’ve told him she didn’t like heights. What if she missed and fell to the bottom of the gorge? And what was he doing with his phone?

“Jump!”

At least he’d put his phone away. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was too dry. Maybe she could just stay here.

A bullet pinged off the railing.

Not an option. Dani took a deep breath and jumped. As soon as her feet hit the ledge, Mark grabbed her, and she collapsed against him.

He wrapped his arms around her.

With her head against his chest, Dani felt Mark’s heartbeat. Slow and steady. How could he be so calm? She didn’t want to move away from the safety she felt in his arms.

“You did great,” he said.

“Thanks,” she replied in a husky voice that matched his.

He brushed a strand of hair away from her face, then he released a tight breath. “We don’t need to stay here.”

She glanced around, and once again her heart leaped into her throat. How did he expect to get off this ledge? “Wh-where are we going?”

“My cabin.” He pointed to the east. “That ridge leads to my house.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” she muttered.

He laughed. “Trust me. I do.”

“How will we get off this ledge?”

“We’re not for a while. It runs along the side of the gorge here until we reach the ridge my house is on.”

She shifted her gaze from Mark to the ledge. Didn’t he see how narrow it was? But he’d said to trust him. He lived here and probably knew this area as well as she’d known the land around their ranch in Montana. “Is this one of those times you’re trusting God?”

“You better believe it.”

“Okay, lead on,” she said.

“Actually, why don’t you go first, after Gem,” he said as he unhooked the dog’s leash. “That way I can cover our backside.”

Her knees turned to water. “What if he comes after us?”

“I expect him to, but if he was set up where I saw a flash of light, it’ll take a while to reach us. We’ll be long gone by then, hopefully at my cabin or on the four-wheeler headed around the mountain.”

“There isn’t any other way to get there?”

“Sorry.”

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