Page 67 of Scent of Death

Not good. She pressed her back against the rough bark, her heart pounding so hard she feared it would jump out of her chest.

Maybe her attempt to camouflage Denali hadn’t worked as she’d hoped. Or Tyler was getting better at pinpointing the sound of her voice. Either way, she wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep him preoccupied.

Staring up at the stars she could see beyond the canopy of tree limbs, she begged for God to keep them safe.

For a long minute, she didn’t hear anything. How far up the incline had Griff and Paul gotten? Close enough to see Tyler? Would they be able to take him down?

Alexis had never felt more helpless. If Griff or Paul died there tonight, she’d never forgive herself.

As if on cue, another crack of gunfire rang out. She turned to look around the tree trunk, scanning the rocky ledge above. Who’d taken the shot? Griff? Paul?

Or had Tyler noticed them coming and taken one of them out?

Alexis crawled over the ground, following the path Griff had taken. Denali came alongside, her darkened coat blending in with the foliage around them. Alexis couldn’t bear the thought of either man being killed, but Griff’s face flashed in her mind.Not Griff, she silently begged.Please, not Griff!

Why hadn’t she told him how much she loved him when she had the chance?

Now it might be too late.

Denali stayed beside her, even though the K9 could have gotten up the incline faster. Her partner was accustomed to gunfire, but Alexis knew Denali understood the danger.

She hadn’t gotten very far when another report of gunfire rang out. She instinctively ducked, drawing Denali down too.

Silence stretched for a long moment. Then she heard Griff say, “Jenkins is down, repeat, Jenkins is down. I have him in cuffs.”

Relief washed over her. She lifted her gaze to the starry sky. “Thank You, Lord Jesus,” she whispered.

It was over. Tyler Jenkins would never hurt anyone ever again.

Griff tightenedthe flexicuffs around Tyler’s wrists. The young man was face down on the ground, blood seeping from the wound in his arm. Griff kicked both weapons, the handgun and the rifle, out of reach.

“Alexis? Are you okay?” It had bothered him how often Tyler had shot in her direction.

“Yes, Denali and I are fine.” Her voice was strong and steady. “You’re not hurt?”

“I’m not hurt.” But Paul was too quiet for his peace of mind. “Paul? Are you okay?”

A low groan was his answer. Not good. He couldn’t leave Jenkins to check the deputy. He didn’t trust that the kid wouldn’t make a run for it.

“Alexis, can you get to Paul?” He couldn’t hide the sense of urgency. “I need to get Tyler down the incline.”

“Yes.” Griff caught movement below. He could barely make out the two forms of Alexis and Denali making their way to the other side of the incline. “We’ll take a look.”

Upset at the possibility of losing Paul, Griff yanked Jenkins to his feet. To his surprise, the kid didn’t scream out in pain. He simply stood there, his gaze focused on something in the air over Griff’s shoulder.

The young man’s ability to handle pain bothered him. Obviously, Cheri Aztec had been correct in her assessment that the killer had been abused as a child. The eerily calm expression on the young man’s face didn’t give any insight into his thoughts.

Griff almost sympathized with the kid. Until he remembered the pale waxen expressions on his three victims’ faces. Jenkins had brutally murdered them. And he would have continued his killing spree if they hadn’t found him.

Another groan reached his ears. Griff pulled Jenkins toward the other side of the mountainside. It took a moment to find Paul. He’d rolled onto his side, holding his stomach as he struggled to sit up.

“Hang tough, Paul. You’re going to be okay.” Griff couldn’t tell how badly the deputy was wounded, but the fact that he was trying to get up was a good sign. “We’re going to get you back to the cabin a soon as possible.”

Paul lifted his head, his features etched with pain. “Hurry,” he gasped.

“I’m here.” Alexis sounded breathless as she climbed the last few feet to reach Paul. She knelt at the deputy’s side. Her stiff movements told Griff she was in pain too. They needed help and fast. He pulled out his phone and peered at the screen.

No service.

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