Page 99 of Mountain Refuge

“Rogers won’t move them right away. It’d be too risky. He’s getting all his ducks in a row right now, so to speak.” The sheriff sat across from him. “When we have a radius, we’ll take the dog. She’s a good bet at finding them.”

Betty might be their only chance to find them. Ryan covered his face with his hands. They should’ve stayed with him on the mountaintop. Within twenty-four hours, Taya and Tracy were in the hands of a madman. One who didn’t have any qualms about killing anyone who got between him and what he wanted.

Taya would definitely get between the man and what he wanted. Ryan could only pray she’d hold back until he could save her. Then, he didn’t care what she did to Mason Rogers.

The room fell silent except for the tapping of Snowe’s fingers on the keyboard. No one had drifted through the woods or come close to the cabin since Taya had left. Ryan didn’t think the sheriff had been seen taking the girls away, but who knew? Somehow, Rogers had discovered they were in town.

“Someone must have still been hiding in the woods.” He pushed to his feet. “Mason left someone behind to watch the cabin. They saw Taya and Tracy leave.” He snapped his fingers for his dogs to follow and headed for the back door. “They might still be there. Watching and relaying information back to Rogers. It’s a long shot, but I’m going to check it out.”

“Not alone.” Sheriff Westbrook stood. “I doubt anyone is still out there, but it’s best if I go with you. Agent Snowe, keep trying to locate our gals.” He slapped his hat on his head.

Once they reached the tree line, Sheriff Westbrook put a finger to his lips as a signal for Ryan to be as quiet as possible. He nodded and whispered for the dogs to search. If someone was out there, Astro and Boris would find them. The dogs slinked into the brush, noses to the ground.

Even if his feeling was wrong about someone watching the cabin, activity was better than sitting around and doing nothing but worry about what was happening to Taya. They wouldn’t harm Tracy. She was too valuable. But Taya—he shook his head.

A shout rang out ahead. Dogs growled.

Ryan and the sheriff sprinted toward the noise.

A man struggled out of his sleeping bag. On the ground next to him lay a high-tech listening device. Ryan was right.

This man had been listening to everything they said.

Chapter Nineteen

Mason released herface and pulled a small black box from the top drawer of his desk before opening the door. “Put the girl with the others, then come back for the woman. She and I need to have a private conversation first.”

Taya stared at the box in his hand, then at Tracy. “Do what they say, sweetie.” Being compliant was her only chance.

“No. Taya!” Tracy showed the first signs of life since they arrived and stretched her arms for her aunt.

“Not to worry, I’ll be fine. I’ll find you in a bit.”

“Touching.” Mason grinned, then closed the door behind the man and Tracy. “You know we have ways of making people compliant.” He leaned against his desk, ankles crossed, the box still in his hand. “Some ways more pleasant than others. Aren’t you going to ask me why it matters whether you’re compliant?”

“Okay, I’ll bite. Why?” She again focused on a spot above his left shoulder, wishing more than anything she was in the landscape the portrait portrayed, sitting next to the creek with Ryan and Tracy. For now, she’d go there in her mind.

“I’m sure you remember our brief…relationship.” He tilted his head.

“There was no relationship.”

“Well, I wanted there to be.” He opened the box and pulled out a syringe. “Remember the man we needed to help us…towantto help us?”

She nodded. Her heart plummeted. Sweat broke out on her upper lip.

“A few doses of this, and he craved it. He’d do anything for it.”

“What do you want, Mason?”

“You.” He smiled and replaced the syringe. “I’ll give you a few minutes to decide. Don’t take too long. I’ll be back in five.”

The man was deranged. Taya could never condone what he was doing. She could never go along with trafficking young girls.

She eyed the black box. Would she really need what was in that syringe so desperately as to forget everything she fought for?

What if she said yes? Pretended? She stared at the carpet under her feet. Agreeing would give her an opportunity to save Tracy. That would be her condition even if she was lying. But, what about the others? She couldn’t walk away and leave them; nor could she condone their being auctioned off like animals.

“Okay,” she said, as the door opened behind her. “On one condition. Tracy is left alone.”

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