Page 37 of Scent of Evil
It didn’t take them long to reach Justin’s SUV. She slid off Timber, glad that once again her legs cooperated by holding her upright. By the time they had Decker in custody, she’d be a pro at horseback riding.
“Give me a minute to load them into the trailer.” Justin took the reins from her hand. “I’m glad we didn’t come too far down this two-track as I’ll have to back up to get out of here.”
She lifted a brow in surprise. “You can do that?”
“Yep.” He grinned. “My oldest brother, Chase, made me practice over and over again at the ranch.”
She couldn’t help but smile back. Knowing Ginny was safe eased some of the tension she’d been feeling since Decker escaped from prison. She hoped he was lost in the woods, but she suspected he wasn’t. Evil men like Decker always seemed to find a way out of predicaments.
The devil protects his own.
As the thought flashed in her mind, she glanced up at the sunny sky. She wanted to ask Justin his thoughts, but he was talking in a low, soothing tone to the horses.
“I know you don’t like the trailer,” Justin said. “But it’s only for a short while, then I’ll get you both out and back into the woods. You’ll like that.”
From where she stood, she noticed Blaze shook his head, as if disagreeing with Justin. But then the horse obediently walked into the trailer. Once Blaze was inside, Timber easily followed.
When that was finished and Stone was in his crate, Justin slid in behind the wheel. From her position in the passenger seat, she watched with amazement as he backed the trailer out of the two-track, maneuvering back and forth several times when one of the wheels appeared to get stuck in the mud.
“Does your girlfriend like to ride as much as you do?” The moment the inane question left her lips, she wished she could call it back.
“No girlfriend. Last one dumped me.” Justin grinned. “Ironically, I didn’t miss her that much.”
“Her loss.” She kept her tone light, wishing again she hadn’t brought the subject up. What was wrong with her? She stared down at the topographical map on her lap. “Looks like we just go another five miles on this road to another two-track.”
“Got it.” Justin nodded. “We’ll approach this next cabin the same way. I’ll drive in a short distance, but then we’ll take the horses the rest of the way.”
“Fine with me.” She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ears. “I’m getting used to riding. The shorter distances aren’t bad at all.”
“Good.” He slowed to take a hairpin curve, then slammed hard on the brake. She gasped when she saw an entire herd of pronghorn antelope blocking the road. Justin lowered his window, stuck his head out, and yelled, “Go on, move out of the way.”
The noise was enough to make the antelope leap away, their grace amazing to watch. Compared to her close encounter with the bull moose, this was nothing. It seemed as if the antelope were afraid of them, rather than the other way around.
“Do they often stand in the road like that?” She put a hand to her racing heart. “If you’d been going any faster, you’d have hit one.”
“There isn’t much traffic out here, as you can see. Not like on the main highways.” Justin gestured to the now empty road. “No reason for them to worry about being hit by cars when they rarely see one.”
He had a point. She blew out a breath and turned her attention to the map. “Okay, we should reach the two-track in a couple of miles.”
Less than five minutes later, she grasped his arm. “Wait, I think you missed it.”
“I did?” He slowed to a stop and proceeded to back up.
She craned her neck and gestured to the high grass. “I’m pretty sure that’s the two-track.”
“Wow, it’s really overgrown,” Justin frowned. “I don’t think anyone has been down this lane in weeks.”
She frowned. “Does that mean Decker isn’t staying there?”
“Not necessarily.” Justin cranked the wheel hard to make the turn. As before, he didn’t go too far. After the way he’d had to back up and got stuck in the mud twice, she couldn’t blame him. “I think Decker could be there. If the owner is an accomplice, he hasn’t shown up yet.”
“I hope you’re right.” It would be easier for them to take Decker if he was alone. Griff had made them promise to call for backup once they found him, and she intended to follow through.
But if Decker attempted to escape, she wouldn’t hesitate to take him down.
The overgrown two-track was deeply rutted beneath the tall grass and weeds. Justin stopped the SUV and killed the engine. “Let’s go.”
She felt bad for Stone, who had to push through the foliage. Not that the K9 seemed to mind. The horses didn’t care either, and soon Justin had both geldings out of the trailer and ready to go.
