Page 84 of Cold Light of Day

“Sarah!”

She was alone on the train. If Mateo made his way back to the train, he could get to her. They started for the tracks.

“She has her gun, and she knows to stay alert. I’ll try her on her cell. I got her new number before I left the train.”

They climbed back up the incline to the train tracks.

“Anything?”

“I couldn’t get a signal, so I sent a text. Maybe it will go through at some point.”

Together they followed the tracks.

“Hear that?” Autumn gasped out. “A chopper. Could be our backup.”

“We hope.” He picked up his speed. If only he could have gotten his hands on Mateo. “You don’t think it’s a ride for Mateo, do you?”

Adrenaline surged, and he pushed forward, navigating the rails and the ties. This was easier than traveling the stones along the grade. Finally, they approached the train, which had stopped to switch out the engine and go back down the track.

The chief breathed hard next to him, and he joined her, gasping for breath. The engine was already in the process of switching. They could hop on here and find Sarah. Grier jogged up and climbed onto the last car, then assisted the chief up and over the protective rails.

Sarah wasn’t on the last car, and the two couples who’d been on the car must have moved to the next car while the train was stopped, and perhaps complained to the conductor about what had happened.

“I hope she’s still on the train,” the chief said. “Maybe she moved up to another car too.”

“Only one way to find out.”

Grier and the chief hopped between cars—against the rules, of course—and made their way through all the train cars, even as the train was getting ready to head back down to Skagway. Grier spotted both couples from their car seated in the most crowded car. Smart people.

Sarah wasn’t anywhere. “You think she got off the train?”

The chief pulled out her cell and tried calling Sarah again, then shook her head. “She isn’t responding. Let’s find the conductor or engineer or whoever is in charge.”

He followed her around to the back of the train, which was now the front of the train since the engine had been switched. While the chief flashed her badge and spoke with someone, requesting the train be held up for a few more moments, Grierstood by and watched the helicopter search for a place to land. He looked for Mateo in case the chopper was his ride instead of their backup.

She stepped off the engine and walked toward Grier. “I told him we want to make sure a dangerous criminal isn’t on the train. He told me that he’d already been informed to hold the train.” She gestured to the helicopter. “Let’s go talk to these guys.”

Two men had hopped off the helicopter and were headed toward them. The chief again flashed her credentials as they approached.

“I’m Shadow Gap Police Chief Autumn Long. We called for backup. A dangerous international criminal, Mateo Santos, was on the train, but he escaped. He can’t get far in this rough terrain.” The chief glanced around. “But we’ll need more resources to search for him than just you two.”

The tall, broad-shouldered agent with dark hair spoke first as he flashed his credentials. “I’m Deputy US Marshal Flanders, and this is DS Special Agent Knap.”

Agent Knap flashed his credentials as well.

Identifications aside, wariness crept over Grier. This wasn’t the kind of backup they had expected. To show up at this summit so quickly, these guys must have been already closing in on Mateo. All good, except he had a bad feeling about this and almost wanted to take a step back and away. But he stood his ground.

“Have we met before, Agent Knap?” the chief asked. “You seem familiar.”

He half smiled, though his eyes remained cold. “I would have remembered.”

“Well, I’m glad you were close. Santos can’t go far in this wilderness. We suspected he would try to escape on the train. Or find his way onto a bus on the return trip or try to disappear into Canada.”

“Ma’am, we’re not here for Santos. We’re here for GrierBrenner, a.k.a. Troy Fox.” The marshal looked over Autumn’s shoulder at Grier and stepped forward, holding out handcuffs. The other agent held his gun as if he thought Grier would flee.

“On what charges is he being arrested?” The chief stepped forward as if she would defend Grier against these two federal agents.

And at that moment, he knew his heart was forever hers.

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