Page 22 of Burning Hearts

Logan glanced over, nodded. “I’ve been doing that since the last time we saw him. And if he has one of those trackers you mentioned, then maybe you can find him once we get somewhere you can connect to the internet on that laptop.”

She had her own laptop as well, in the duffel in her car. Along with her phone. All she needed to do was call Samuel and admit what’d happened, and he would find Tristan from his computer. But she didn’t exactly want to talk to her number two guy at the company right now when she could barely keep her emotions in check.

“I see your car.”

She looked where he indicated and could see part of the side and the red paint of her rental. Same color as her car at home. Something she’d thought was a good sign, or at least a way to find it easily out here.

Thank You.God certainly could have had a hand in that, and it was past time for Jamie to renew her faith in Him.

“Keys?” He approached the car cautiously.

She didn’t see any gunmen. Couldn’t hear anyone tromping around the woods—except her and Logan. But if someone were hiding and waiting for them to emerge? She and Logan would be shot before they realized what was happening.

Cold washed over her, and she shivered.

Logan stepped closer to her, touching her cheek. “Almost there. You just need to hang on a little longer and we’ll get to safety.”

She nodded, determined to do this herself. She didn’t want to rely on a guy she couldn’t even agree with. Except about faith, apparently. The way she stuck her neck out for her family would always be the thing between them. Even though that was exactly what he did with his family, always showing up for them. Or praying until he knew they were safe when he was too far away to pitch in.

When she did that, it was apparently the wrong thing to do. Because some people had more value. Or they were more deserving of help than others.

At least, as far as he thought.

Jamie slid the backpack from her shoulders and dug out her keys, handing them to him. If he wanted to go over there first, then he could put himself in danger. She hung back, waiting while he beeped the locks and checked around the car.

“We’re good.”

She headed for the car, but he slipped in the front seat before she even reached it. She muttered to herself, “I guess you’re driving.” She pulled open the passenger side door and got in. “Can you get us out of here when you have a bullet wound on your side?”

“I’m good.” He didn’t waste any time, spraying gravel as he made the turn to go down the fire road that would take them to the blacktop asphalt street at the bottom of the hill. “How did you even know where to come?”

“I asked around town and at the Midnight Sun Saloon over a period of weeks, all to find out who he was hanging with. Even though Sheriff Starr had no idea how I could find my brother, there were enough people in town who had seen him. They warned me off though. Told me to leave it be because those guys are dangerous. Finally I tracked down someone who knew about the militia guys he came to town with, and they knew where to find this place. There was a guy who wrote down all the directions and got me where I wanted to go.”

Logan held the wheel with one hand, his jaw tight.

Whether he liked it or not, she had done what she felt she needed to. As long as Tristan got out, then what was the problem? Jamie glanced out the back window. “Maybe we should wait and see if he comes after us.”

She spotted his stuff piled on her back seat. Smokejumper gear.

Logan said, “Gotta get you to safety, and then I need to meet up with my team. Do the job I’m being paid for.”

More likely he needed medical treatment, but she wasn’t going to argue with him right now. Maybe smokejumpers just had a different way of doing things and she wasn’t used to it because she worked from home and called into the office whenever needed.

“Sorry I’m keeping you from your duties.”

He let go some of the tension, enough to reach over and squeeze her knee. “It was important.”

It seemed like he would drop her as soon as it was done, the way he always did. Leave and go somewhere else.Hemight be different now, but it seemed like their circumstances hadn’t changed.

Never would.

Logan said, “Make sure you talk to the sheriff before you leave town. Tell him everything you know about that compound and the guys we met up here. The sheriff will need both of our stories.”

“Of course I’m going to talk to the sheriff. But I’m not leaving town until I know Tristan is safe. He’s the whole reason I came up here.”

“Sheriff Starr and his people can make sure your brother is okay.” Logan glanced over at her, then continued down the rutted dirt road.

She glanced in the side mirror but couldn’t see anyone following them. Not even Tristan. Had leaving him behind really been the right thing to do? Maybe for them.

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