Page 10 of Rescued by the Captain

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

Looks like my hunch was more than just that. “I need you to send a unit to the cabin… now, Colt.”

“Why?”

“That truck just drove by.”

“The roads just aren’t passable right now, Donte.”

Fuck.

“Fine, but we’re going to have to head out. I feel like a sitting duck here.”

“Just hold on, let me see what I can do. If you have to, there are some mine ducts in that mountain. Let me see what the Winchesters think, might be one close.”

“Hurry, please.”

I hang up, head into the cabin and lock the door behind me. There's a door off the back we can go through if needed.

The truck sighting still has me in a chokehold. I shortly lose track of my surroundings as I stumble out of the entry, and into the kitchen. The lights are on and the woman is up. Her left hand hovers midair with a spoonful of chili, or should I say cinnamon rollslathered with chilithat she has used to scoop up the remnants from the bowl.

“Busted,” I remark, more so about the truck than her chili-sneaking habits. She withdraws from the table and licks the chili off the cinnamon roll.

“This chili must be made with brisket. It’s so good.” She lets out an exaggerated moan. Her reaction startles me. She’s only trying to tease me, but I can’t help the hardness that grows between my legs. How could I not get hot seeing a woman act like that?

I sit down at the dining table, and stare at the chili. I should eat, but my stomach is full of butterflies.

I muster the courage to speak the truth. “I need you to trust me. Do you trust me?”

The woman gives a reluctant, yet steady nod. “I do. I don’t know why, but I feel like you’re trustworthy. What’s going on?” All the mischief in her demeanor has slipped away. She knows that a hard reveal is coming. One that may not be pleasing to digest, but she must be aware of, nonetheless.

I thread my fingers through each other. “Remember how you said that a truck was behind you? Well, we have video evidence of it following you very closely up the mountain. I think… I think it pushed you off.”

Her mouth falls agape. “What? Why?”

“Don’t know. Can you think of any reason why someone would want to hurt you?” I trail off.

“Hurt me?” She proceeds to press her eyes shut, like she’s gathering a memory. “I kind of remember running from Nebraska… and I’m seeing a flash of my job, my boss, and being called into the office.” She pauses. “Do you really think someone is out to hurt me?”

I gulp loudly. “Maybe… or worse.”

Oh, it’s worse… so much worse.

6

BRIA

Someone wants me dead?Holy shit.

My skin prickles with the thought. I look to my right and my reflection in the family photo shows I’ve become the color of snow.

A wave of memories confront me — first, that my name is Bria. Yes, that’s it. Andseveral peoplewant me dead. I worked at a corporation, and after I noticed that the books were off, I sleuthed around to find that they had cooked the books, defrauding hundreds of investors out of millions. I have — orhad— the evidence to put several executives behind bars with the damaging evidence.

When I snap out of the daze, Donte stands in front of me. He squats, his large hands gripping my shoulders. “Talk to me, sweetheart,” he says with a careworn expression. “What’s going on?”

I inhale a deep breath. “You’re right.” Leaving his hold, I begin to pace the room.

“My name is Bria McKnight. I’m twenty-nine years old and I’m employed in an accounting department for an up and coming start-up in Omaha. Wait— Iusedto be employed atone.” I temporarily stop my pacing, rubbing my temples. “Last I remember, I was on my way home to Storm Canyon, right after being fired.” The fragmented images in my mind slowly become less muddy. “I was making the trip with my tail between my legs. My parents passed away this year, and I needed to take care of their final wishes.”

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