Page 27 of Cold Light of Day

Without further comment, Autumn headed into the cabin and Grier waited outside. He knew better than to trample on a crime scene. When she returned, she held up a pistol in an evidence bag. “I wanted to at least secure this. Angie and Craig will be back for the rest of the evidence.”

Fire and anger sparked in her eyes as she started toward the woods.

She brandished her own pistol again. “Let’s stay alert. Until we find the other shooter, we can’t let our guard down.”

“You don’t plan to start your search for him alone, do you? Hank and I could search with you.”

Her frown deepened, and she spared him a glare. “I appreciate your help with Ross and your observation. I’ve already asked for backup in finding the cop shooter. Help is on the way.”

The chief looked at Hank. “Come on, let’s go.”

Grier followed as she pushed the underbrush aside, carving out a path in the woods, a chorus of pine needles and leaves dripping with water adding to their soft steps.

“Let’s stick together as we walk back to the vehicles, then you and Hank go home and lock your doors.”

“I’m not leaving you out here alone.”

“I’ll wait for my officers and hopefully some additional assistance from Haines and Skagway,” she said. “Unfortunately, by the time troopers arrive, the shooter could be long gone. Then again, he has a lot of territory to cover to escape. Could get trapped between the river, the inlet, and the mountains.”

And that was the way of it in the wild expanse of Alaska. Grier hiked next to her, his own weapon out and ready. Hank had his rifle. Together they kept a sharp eye out.

Grier was still trying to figure out why someone had shot Ross. Hoping to save his friend in the cabin? Too many scenarios played through his mind. They were all lucky to be alive—someone could have taken them all out and dumped their bodies where no one would find them.

Even though Angie and Craig claimed the shooter had left the area, the chief continued zigzagging as she led them so she didn’t make them more of a target in case the shooter had remained.

“If Bear was here,” Hank said, “he’d let us know if someone was still out there. And that’s why he’s gone now. They didn’t want him alerting others to their presence.”

“We’re going to find the truth, Hank. Don’t you worry.”Frustration edged her tone as she pushed through the woods, Grier and Hank sticking close. “Do you happen to know if more than one person was living in the cabin?”

“No,” he said. “I don’t know.”

“We’ll find out once we go back to look.”

“Grier and I can help you search,” Hank said. “We’re just wasting time now, Chief.”

“As I already told you, get home and stay safe. Lock your doors.”

Grier considered the man the chief had handcuffed, though he’d been more focused on keeping Ross alive. The guy was big, stout—muscular, not chubby—and definitely had that tough-guy military demeanor about him. But whose military? He’d heard a subtle foreign accent in the few words the man uttered.

And as the officers ushered him away, the man had flicked his gaze first to Autumn and then to Grier. The fact that he went willingly surprised Grier. Someone who partnered with a cop shooter likely wouldn’t have thought twice about getting the advantage over Chief Long and taking her down too.

He was putting too much thought into this. Grier should walk away—he had enough troubles of his own. But the sudden uptick in criminal incidents unsettled him. Through the trees, he spotted his truck, and they picked up the pace. At their vehicles, Hank headed in the opposite direction. His cabin wasn’t too far, and Grier watched him hike home—without his dog.

The chief opened the door to her Interceptor and climbed in, and Grier joined her in the passenger seat. She gave him a quizzical look.

“I’ll wait here with you.” Though he’d prefer to be searching for the shooter, the chief wasn’t going to let him get involved in a manhunt. Diving to recover a body was completely different.

She radioed Tanya again and learned that her officers had secured their prisoner in the small jail and were now a few minutes out. Tanya confirmed that the helicopter transportingRoss was about twenty minutes away from landing at Bartlett, and Ross was hanging in there.

“Thank God,” she said.

He joined her in relief that Ross was still alive. Now to hope and pray the doctors could save him or at least stabilize him if they needed to send him to a level 2 trauma center in either Anchorage or Seattle.

“How do I know you aren’t the shooter?”

“What?” Her question shocked him, though it shouldn’t have. “I think it’s safe to say you don’t believe that or you wouldn’t be sitting in this vehicle with me.” She sighed, and he could feel the weight of it.

“You have to have faith that Ross is going to be all right,” he said.

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