Page 8 of Scent of Evil
As they continued through the woods, he listened intently, hoping and praying the engine would start up again. Hearing nothing, he figured either Decker had stopped the four-wheeler for some reason, or the convict had gotten far enough away that the wind carried the sound away from them.
“Justin? I can’t hear the four-wheeler.” Raine’s voice was low and urgent.
“I know. Don’t worry, we’re still on his trail.” He spoke with confidence while secretly hoping they weren’t heading into a trap. He debated stopping long enough to put Stone back on the ground to follow the scent.
Then fat drops of rain fell from the sky. Feeling the wetness on his face, Justin pushed Blaze forward, eager to follow the tire track indentations as long as possible.
Behind him, Raine urged Timber forward. “Come on, big guy. You can do this.”
He appreciated her attempt to calm the horse, but Timber was steady and surefooted, even in the rain. Blaze was far more temperamental.
The darkening clouds made it even more difficult to follow the tire tracks. He pushed forward, then was forced to come to a stop when he lost them.
Battling a wave of fear, he slid Stone forward so he could dismount. Then he lifted the dog down, placing him on the ground. He’d managed to give his K9 a twenty-minute break, which wasn’t a lot, but better than nothing.
He glanced at Raine, and the fear etched on her features tugged at his heart. “What if we lost them?”
“Stone will pick up the scent.” Since they were stopped on the trail, he took a moment to remove rain ponchos from the saddle bags of his horse and hers. He offered her one before pulling the other over his head. Then he bent and stroked his dog. “Are you ready, boy? Search! Search for Decker and Ginny!”
Stone lowered his nose to the ground, sniffing intently. Then the dog turned to head farther up the rocky incline. Justin quickly swung back into the saddle.
“What about the storm?” she asked. “Won’t the rain hamper Stone’s ability to find Decker?”
He shook his head and gently dug his heels into Blaze’s sides. The gelding moved forward. “It has the opposite effect. Moistening a K9’s mucus membranes enhances their ability to track a scent.” He didn’t add that the downside of the storm was that Decker wouldn’t be shedding as much sweat. A key factor in Stone’s ability to track him.
“Is that why you give him water each time you tell him to search?” She sounded surprised.
“Exactly.” The rain came down harder now. The plastic poncho helped sluice moisture from his clothes, but water still clouded his vision. He should have brought his cowboy hat along, he thought sourly. It was the one thing he hadn’t bothered with when double-checking his gear. He swiped the moisture from his face, squinting through the rain.
Stone was about twenty yards ahead, his nose still on the ground. Good thing he had Stone to help guide them.
A flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed by rolling thunder. He glanced back at Raine, worried she was lagging behind. Thankfully, she appeared as determined as ever, riding gamely behind him as he followed Stone’s progress through the rugged terrain. As the rain pelted down on them, it occurred to him that Decker might have killed the engine of the four-wheeler to seek shelter from the storm. If so, he knew Stone would lead them straight to the convict’s hideout.
Although stopping in a cave or some other sort of shelter would also give the creep an opportunity to hurt Ginny if he was so inclined. Justin had to work hard not to focus too much on that horrific scenario.
He lifted his gaze to the sky, silently praying for God to watch over Ginny and to give them the strength they needed to reach the young girl in time.
Another jagged bolt of lightning split the sky like a knife followed by a crack of thunder. Louder this time, as if the storm was gaining on them. He momentarily lost sight of Stone. He frowned, then relaxed when the dog emerged from the foliage. His K9 stopped long enough to shake the moisture from his fur, then he went back to work, unfazed by the less than optimal working conditions.
Urging Blaze forward, he wiped the rain from his face and scanned the horizon. He wasn’t familiar with this particular section of the mountainside and realized they were high enough on the slope that there were plenty of places for Decker to hide with Ginny.
Too many, he thought grimly.
On the heels of that thought, another gunshot reverberated through the air. He instinctively ducked, tightening his grip on Blaze’s reins as the equine danced nervously away from the perceived threat.
“Easy, boy,” he said, hoping the horse could hear. Then another gunshot rang out, and Blaze reared up on his hind legs.
Justin gripped the animal with his knees, wrestling with the reins and struggling to maintain control. Between the storm and the gunfire, his horse clearly didn’t want to continue along this path.
They needed shelter, and fast. Before one of the bullets flying through the air found its mark.
3
“Get over there and be quiet.” Decker’s harsh words were accompanied by a shove. Ginny stumbled into the shallow cave. “Don’t do anything crazy or I’ll shoot.”
She was drenched from head to toe from the thunderstorm. She was so cold and frightened, her teeth chattered. Cowering in the back of the cave, she eyed Decker warily. Was this it? Was Decker going to make a move on her?
Vowing to fight if he tried anything, she scanned the ground for something to use against him. Spying a jagged rock, she waited until Decker had turned to stare out at the storm before quickly bending to grab it. Closing her fingers around the stone, she stood with her back against the wall. Decker hadn’t noticed her movement. With his attention focused on whoever was following them—hopefully her aunt Raine—she considered making a run for it. Being alone in the woods didn’t scare her as much as he did.
