Page 43 of Cold Light of Day

Grier made his way through more woods, heading toward the cave. Quiet footfalls sounded behind him. He slid downa trunk and crouched. Then he spotted her. He’d recognize the chief’s silhouette anywhere. Her graceful movements were purposeful as she weaved between trees and pushed through underbrush as if she’d skillfully tracked him and in fact knew he was crouching at the base of this Sitka spruce.

He slid up the tree. “Chief,” he whispered.

She startled and aimed her weapon, then he stepped out of the shadows.

“It’s me.”

She crept over to him. “When are you going to stop calling me Chief?”

She wanted to talk about that now? His heart kind of warmed at the implication.

“I—”

“Don’t answer that now.” She pressed a finger against her lips and gestured for them to hunker down.

She must have sensed they were no longer alone in the woods the same moment he had. Grier kept his gaze trained on the shadows while he sent up a prayer. He should have stayed with Autumn instead of going after this guy. He would have suggested she call in the state again—after all, another police officer had been shot. A retired officer.

A black-tailed deer—a buck—ran through the woods, and Grier slowly released his breath. “Your dad?”

“Ambulance is taking him in.”

“You should be with him.”

“No, Grier, I should be here. We need to apprehend yet another shooter. I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but you’re not the law in Shadow Gap. I’m going to need you to stand down. My officers are on the way, and we’ll take it from here.”

“Okay, Chief.” This was no time to argue, and he imagined his response surprised her. He might be a jerk for smiling inside at the thought of surprising her, especially in the middle of this ... situation. Her father’s life was on the line.

“Having said that, did you see where he went?”

A few retorts scrambled through his head, and he pursed his lips, then said, “I thought he went into the cave. I don’t know if he’s hiding or if there’s another way out. But we’re definitely not going in there tonight. He’d have the advantage.”

“You’re right.You’renot going in there.”

The chief radioed for her officers, instructing them where to meet her.

That sensation crawled over him again. Someone was watching.

He lowered his voice. “Fine. I’m not sure he’s in the cave. Either way, we’re not alone in these woods.”

“You feel it too, huh?” She slowly stood.

“Yes,” he whispered as he stood too. “What about the state troopers? They could help catch him.”

“They’re gone, and we can handle this as long as it doesn’t become a manhunt through the wilderness. Thank you for tracking him, Grier. Clearly you have skills, but you’re still a civilian, and if you were to come to harm, well, I can’t have that on my conscience.”

Or record. He got it.

“Maybe we can draw him out. But I’ll wait until backup arrives.” The chief stepped to the edge of the woods, closer to the cave’s entrance, her weapon drawn.

Grier didn’t like it, not one bit, but she was the boss.

Had he made a mistake by believing the man went into the cave? He and the chief were focused on the cave when they should be—

He sensed the slightest change in the atmosphere behind him and squeezed the handgrip of his weapon.

He jerked around at the same moment the butt of a gun slammed into his head. Pain ignited in his skull and he stumbled, falling to his knees and dropping his pistol. A kick to his gut knocked him to his side, then he rolled onto his back.

He planned to keep rolling and then scramble to his feet, but the head wound slowed his reflexes. A bulky form stood over him, and Grier stared up into the barrel of a gun.

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