Page 10 of Scent of Evil
“Did he stop just to shoot at us? Or do you think the four-wheeler ran out of gas?” Raine wasn’t sure if the latter possibility was a good thing or a bad one. Just knowing Decker could have sought shelter in a cave with Ginny made her stomach clench with dread. As far as she was concerned, they needed to keep Decker on the defensive.
“Maybe.” He shrugged as he straightened. “If so, we’ll catch up to him. Let’s walk the horses for a while. We’ll use the trees for cover as much as possible in case he fires at us again.”
Relief over not having to climb back into the saddle warred with knowing they’d be moving more slowly in their pursuit of Decker. Hearing nothing but silence from the four-wheeler put her nerves on edge. Yet walking was better than standing still, so she nodded in agreement. “Okay.”
“Here, Stone.” He drew his K9 close and rubbed his hands over the dog’s fur. Then he pulled the plastic bags containing the scent sources from the saddle bag, offering first Decker’s and then Ginny’s clothing for Stone to sniff. “Are you ready to go, boy? Huh? Search! Search Decker and Ginny!”
Stone licked Justin’s cheek, then turned and went to work. He sniffed along the ground, trotting along the path they’d been taking when the gunfire rang out. Justin handed her Timber’s reins, then drew Blaze forward. She fell into step behind him, counting on Stone to keep them on track.
The beat of rain against the forest around them was soothing, but she was still tensely waiting for another gunshot. Decker had fired three, no, four times already. How much ammunition did Decker have anyway? After orchestrating the crash on I80, Decker had taken the prison guard’s weapon. And really, he could have a backup gun, too, if his pedophile buddy who’d T-boned the van had brought one along. The guy had given up his life for Decker, a sense of loyalty she didn’t understand. Granted, men like Decker had a whole underground network of like-minded individuals to share their sick ideas. The dark web was full of stuff she never wanted to see again.
Knowing Decker, though, it wasn’t a surprise the escaped convict had left his dead accomplice behind. He’d killed others, too, most recently the owner of the vehicle he’d hijacked. Allen Decker was not only a deviant sexual predator, but he was also a cold and callous narcissist who clearly only cared about himself.
And he had Ginny.
Raine tried not to dwell on the worst-case scenario. Those images were paralyzing, and she couldn’t afford to be sidetracked. She took some solace in knowing she’d taught her niece self-defense moves. Ginny had practiced them faithfully, but at the end of the day, the girl was still only eleven years old.
Remembering how Justin mentioned God was watching over Ginny, she found herself hoping he was right. That God cared about an innocent girl enough to protect her.
Yet she found that a little hard to believe. Decker had abused other girls, victims identified from photos on his computer. Five innocent victims who didn’t deserve to endure such horrific treatment. Why would God allow something like that?
It didn’t make any sense.
The path grew steep, her feet sliding across the wet rocks. Raine frowned, wondering how in the world Decker had gotten the ATV up this incline. It seemed impossible, but she didn’t doubt Stone’s tracking ability. From Justin’s encouraging words of praise, it was obvious Stone was still on the scent.
The loud roar of an engine abruptly broke through the drizzling rain. Panic hit hard, and she rushed forward, pulling on Timber’s reins to catch up to Justin and Blaze. “Do you hear that? He’s getting away!”
“I know. Stone, heel.” At Justin’s firm tone, the K9 whirled and loped back to his side. He praised the dog, then he took the reins from her hand. He quickly laced his fingers together to give her a boost.
Grabbing the saddle horn, she stepped into his palms and swung her leg over Timber’s wide back. Her thighs burned as she settled into the saddle, but she ignored the discomfort. Justin handed her the reins, then quickly mounted Blaze.
“Okay, Stone, search!” Justin’s tone was low and urgent. “Search Decker and Ginny!”
Stone eagerly complied, going back to work. The dog’s keen nose led them horizontally along the slope, on what looked like a path wide enough for a four-wheeler. The yellow lab picked up speed, as if the scent was stronger now. After a few minutes, Justin urged Blaze into a trot. She winced when Timber followed suit.
Once again, settling into the horse’s rhythm wasn’t easy. Her backside slapped against the saddle until she managed to get in the groove. Even then, waves of pain clouded her vision. Or maybe it was the rain.
Likely both.
Raine grit her teeth and focused on Ginny. Her physical discomfort didn’t matter. They had to find Ginny.
Before it was too late.
* * *
When Stone stoppedto sniff intensely at the base of a large tree, Justin slowed Blaze into a walk. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Raine was still with him. She was, but the pained expression on her face indicated she wasn’t doing very well.
He sympathized with her plight. Mountain riding was very different from trail riding, if that’s what she was accustomed to. She knew enough to keep up, but her muscles were probably screaming in protest now.
The whine of the four-wheeler engine was growing faint. Decker was back on the move, making a valiant effort to lose them.
Something they absolutely couldn’t allow to happen.
“We need to keep going,” Raine called, as if reading his thoughts. “We can’t let him get away.”
“I know.” He glanced down at Stone as the dog sat and let out a sharp bark. His alert! Had Decker stopped there momentarily? “Good boy!” He debated throwing the stuffed penguin as his reward, but the time crunch they were under had him deciding against it. “Search! Search Decker and Ginny!”
Thankfully, Stone enjoyed the search game and didn’t hesitate to get back to work. His K9 lifted his nose to the air, then quickly darted forward. Soon, he was on the scent trail, his tail wagging back and forth as he moved.
