Page 67 of Cold Light of Day

“I can protect you, Grier,” she said. “Let me help you.”

“Just like that? You don’t even know my story. I just told you I’m a fugitive, as in from the law.”

“And I told you I know nothing about it, and Iamthe law here. I want to know the story. Tell me what crime you witnessed.”

This woman. She was feisty and determined. A force to be reckoned with.

A knot lodged in his throat. The day was getting away from him, his life was getting away, and with it, the chief—because he couldn’t stay here. How would he protect her? “Look. I...I need to leave.” Indecision gripped him. “Just come with me.” Before she could argue, he added, “Tell your department you’re in protective custody at a safe house. They’ll understand.”

She crossed her arms. “I don’t think that’s warranted. At least not yet. You know my job hangs in the balance.”

“And what about your life?”

“Look. I get it. You’ve had my back several times the last few days. We...we work well together.” She fought a smile. “Now I understand why you won’t work for me. But we could still work together and solve both our problems. I have an idea.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“I need to track down Sarah and question her. Wouldn’t you like to know her story? She was out there in the water, and you saving her led to you finding Krueger’s body. There’s obviously more to her story. You need answers, and so do I. We’ll have to travel to find her. So that gets us both out of town while I’mwaiting to learn more about the guy who got to me last night. And Grier...Icanhelp you clear your name.” She crossed her arms. “But I need to hear the whole story.”

If only it were that easy. “You saw what happened to the last person who tried to help me.” A trained officer. If only Grier hadn’t landed in Shadow Gap and gotten involved with her. “We could both die, and no one would ever know the truth.”

And the worst-case scenario? Her town would think she was a dirty cop who helped a wanted fugitive.

He slowed as they approached his cabin, which rested about fifteen yards ahead, and lifted a finger to his lips. Sounds traveled here. He motioned for her to wait, and she crouched near the base of a cottonwood, gripping her gun. He watched the cabin for movement and saw nothing.

If the person after him had gotten inside, he could have let Cap out, in which case the dog would have run right up to Grier. So either Cap was still inside or they’d taken or hurt him. He released a low whistle that Cap would recognize.

Barking resounded inside, and relief whooshed through him. He drew in a breath. But before hiking out into the open, he studied the trees, searching for a sniper. Someone waiting to ambush him. Cap continued to bark.

Should he trust his gut that no one was already here or watching him?

He scrambled down the incline and jogged over to the cabin. His gun ready, he unlocked the door and headed inside. Cap dashed out to play, and Grier quickly cleared the small space.

If someone was out there, the dog would let him know—he hoped. Cap found someone, all right—the chief emerging from the edge of the woods. He motioned for her to join him in the cabin.

“I should check in with Tanya,” she said as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She pulled out her cell and contacted dispatch.

He let her do her thing while he finished packing everything up.

While Grier was supposed to be hiding here in this isolated corner of the world and waiting for Krueger to help—the only way they figured their plan could work—Grier had put himself out there, maybe too much, to help the chief. His focus had been on her and not so much on what Krueger was doing.

But now two nefarious forces were bearing down on this town, and on the chief. One of them Grier brought with him. He thought the news footage would have given away his location, but Krueger had to have given him up. He imagined the amount of torture it would have taken to cause Krueger—a highly trained officer—to talk.

Grier squeezed his eyes shut and let the thought of his friend suffering rock through him for just a moment.

Unease settled deep in his bones.

Why hadn’t those who wanted Grier silenced already come for him? What were they waiting for?

Maybe they had learned from Krueger that he wassomewherein the Shadow Gap area, but they didn’t want to be seen in the small town looking for him or asking questions about where he lived.

They were biding their time for him to find their warning and then, once he tried to flee the area, they would follow and make sure he disappeared forever in Alaska.

But only after they retrieved the information they wanted from him.

The pressure was increasing, closing in around him—around them both—and he paced the small space, trying to figure out what to do next. If he hadn’t gotten entangled in Chief Long’s life, he could just walk away and disappear on his own.

Get lost like so many others in Alaska. He could go to the Alaska Triangle—disappear there. But that wasn’t happening, so he wouldn’t waste another thought on it.

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