Page 42 of Scent of Evil
She managed a smile, then backed out of the brush to the clearing around the cabin. The fire seemed to be gaining momentum, tongues of flames traveling along the horizontal logs. She imagined the wood would burn easily and quickly. Too quickly. Her stomach knotted as she realized Decker had done this on purpose to slow them down. What if the fire spread to the trees and brush around them? It could get bad enough that they’d have to call off the search.
The situation wasn’t good, and she could only hope the firefighters would be able to get the blaze under control. “We need to get moving. The firefighters need to get here while we track Decker.”
“Agree.” Justin took the lead in heading back to where they’d left the horses, jogging through the brush to get there sooner. Running made her head pound, but she refused to let that stop her.
The horses were calmly grazing on the tall grass when they returned. Justin immediately went to Blaze’s saddle bags to find the sat phone. Glancing up at the sky, he picked a spot in the middle of the clearing where there weren’t many trees and set about making the call to Griff.
A moment later, the connection went through. “Hey, Griff. Decker was here at the Kluck cabin, but he set off a bomb and escaped via a four-wheeler. We need a fire response and air support. I’m worried the blaze will spread into a full-blown forest fire.” He paused to listen. “Yes, we’re planning to use Stone to track him from here, but Decker obviously has a head start. We’ll ride as fast as we can to make up the time, but having an eye in the sky would help.”
“Tell him to issue a BOLO for Kluck,” she said. “If by chance he’s not with Decker, we need him arrested.”
Justin nodded to indicate he understood. “Raine was thrown off her feet by the blast but seems okay aside from sore muscles and a headache. Thankfully, she wasn’t all the way inside the cabin when the bomb detonated. She’s insisting we go after Decker and wants you to issue a BOLO for Kluck. We know he’s involved; otherwise, how did the cabin get rigged to explode in the first place?”
She crossed over to Timber, anticipating they’d be on the trail soon. Getting her foot in the stirrup, though, was impossible. She looked for a rock to use as a stepping stool but didn’t see one nearby. With a suppressed sigh, she waited for Justin to finish. Requiring his help to mount the horse made her feel like a little kid Ginny’s age, but there wasn’t anything she could do to change it. Growing taller wasn’t going to happen.
“Good, get Logan the coordinates and put a rush on those firefighters. You know the location of the cabin, right? Okay, we’re heading out now. Thanks, Griff.” Justin shoved the sat phone back into the saddle bag. Then he crossed over to give her a hand.
“Thanks.” She stepped into his laced fingers and swung onto Timber.
“Logan will be flying overhead soon.” Justin nodded toward the billows of black smoke rising into the sky. “I know there are limits as to how low he can fly, but I’m hoping he’ll be able to help us find Decker. If the smoke from the fire doesn’t interfere with his ability to see him.”
“Stone will do his part, I’m sure.” She gathered the reins. “Thanks, Justin. I appreciate what you’re doing for me.”
“Hey, I want this scumbag caught as badly as you do.” His blue eyes darkened for a moment, then he turned away. Once again, he rummaged in the saddle bag. “Here, Stone.”
The K9 drank from the dish Justin offered. When the dog was finished, Justin tucked the bowl away and handed her the bottle that was less than half full. “Thanks.” She gratefully drank what was left.
“Are you ready to go, boy?” Justin injected enthusiasm into his tone. “Search! Search Decker!”
As Stone went to work, sniffing the ground, Justin swung up on Blaze. Then he urged the horse forward, following Stone.
They made it all the way to the cabin before Stone alerted near some bushes directly across from the back door. Justin rewarded the K9 by tossing the stuffed penguin. The dog responded by running in a circle, shaking his head from side to side with the toy. When Justin jumped down and held out his hand, Stone dropped the toy.
“Good boy, search! Search Decker!” Justin climbed back into the saddle as Stone headed into the woods.
Raine ignored the pounding in her head as she urged Timber forward, following Justin and Blaze. Her discomfort didn’t matter.
They desperately needed to find Decker.
* * *
Justin wasgrateful Stone was leading them away from the heat radiating off the burning cabin behind them. It went against the grain to leave the fire burning, but they couldn’t waste any time. Bad enough they’d had to find Raine’s weapon, then contact Griff prior to heading out. He didn’t like knowing Decker had a head start.
Or the possibility that Decker had escaped with Kluck.
The sooner Logan was able to get eyes on the mountainside, the better. He trusted Stone’s nose, but if Logan was able to pinpoint a specific location, they could pick up their pace to reach him. Especially if the two men were togther.
The good news was that Stone was hot on Decker’s trail. There was no hesitation as the K9 moved through the forest. The convict must have been sweating as he’d headed into the woods. Or the branches scraped skin cells that were enough for Stone to follow. The Sullivan K9s possessed between two hundred and three hundred million scent receptors, which made them excellent trackers. Combined with a high play-and-prey drive, they were amazing at finding their quarry.
Decker wouldn’t be able to hide for long.
He couldn’t hear the four-wheeler, though, maybe in part because the wind was coming in from behind them. That could mess with Stone’s ability to stay on the trail too. Had Decker gone that way on purpose?
Maybe. The convict certainly knew they had Stone’s help.
He nudged Blaze into a trot to keep pace with his K9. A quick glance over his shoulder indicated Timber was following. Raine’s expression was solemn, and he hoped she wasn’t in too much pain. She gave him a nod as if to reassure him she was fine.
Satisfied, Justin swept his gaze over the area, looking for tire tracks. There weren’t many, and he was concerned that without Stone, they wouldn’t be able to follow Decker’s path. He’d thought that maybe with the added weight of Kluck, if they were together, the indentations would be significant. When the wind shifted, the faint rumble of the ATV wafted toward them.
