Page 26 of Scent of Evil
He was counting on Stone’s keen nose to let him know if Decker or any other predator got too close. Not that he expected Decker to show up. If the guy was smart, Decker would know they’d push forward to search for Ginny rather than staying focused on him. Providing the time he needed to escape.
Yet Decker also didn’t have any survival gear with him. Not even a few measly protein bars. Then again, Ginny had mentioned Decker had a place to go in mind when he’d kidnapped her. A place, he had to assume, that wasn’t too far.
Listening to the sounds of the night, Justin tried to imagine where Decker’s ultimate destination might have been. Somewhere in the woods, obviously, but where exactly? Once they’d gotten Ginny back to Buffalo for the medical care she needed, he knew Raine would want to keep searching for the escaped convict. A mission he intended to participate in as well.
Although he didn’t think it would take too long to zero in on the guy’s location. By morning, they could use choppers and planes to pinpoint the most likely hideouts. Once they found either a cabin or small trailer, there would likely be a road, even if it was a meager two-track leading there.
Some hard-core hunters set up their camps buried so deep in the forest they could only be accessed using horses or four-wheelers. Typically, the latter. But he couldn’t imagine Decker beingfriendswith someone dedicated to hunting elk. The guy’s destination had to be a cabin or trailer. It was the only thing that made sense.
He closed his eyes and tried to relax. They’d know more by morning. Tomorrow would be a long day, even if Trevor and Archie set out to find them.
A rustling sound woke him what seemed like a few minutes later. When he opened his eyes, he noticed Stone had lifted his head and was sniffing the air with interest.
“What is it, boy?” He kept his voice low and sat up to feed more wood into the fire. Then he poked the glowing embers to get the flames to catch. The wood they’d stacked near the fire had completely dried out now. Thankfully, the fire flickered to life without a problem.
Setting Blaze’s saddle pad aside, he rose to his feet. Ginny had awoken as well, her large eyes finding his. “I have to go to the bathroom.”
“I’ll take you.” He offered a reassuring smile as he helped her to her feet. Her skin wasn’t quite as hot to the touch, and he hoped that meant the worst of whatever bug she’d gotten had passed. “This way.”
She stumbled a bit, shivering in the dark. He led her to a spot that wasn’t too far away. “Use the base of this tree for support.” When she grimaced with distaste, he added, “Sorry I can’t do more to make this easier. There are some leaves on the ground you can use too.”
“Yuck,” she whispered. But she went around to the tree.
He turned his back, giving her privacy. As he gazed up at the sky, he was surprised to see there were a smattering of stars between the clouds. By morning, they’d have some partial sunshine, which should make their trek back to Buffalo much easier.
“Okay, Justin. I’m finished.” Ginny’s voice grew stronger as he turned to meet her halfway. “Do you camp like this a lot?”
“Sometimes, when Stone and I are searching for lost people. Like you,” he added with a grin. “I’m sorry I don’t have a tent, though. I didn’t anticipate we’d be out here all night.”
“It was my fault because I got sick.” Ginny stayed close to his side as they made their way back to the fire. “I’m hungry now, though.”
“I have a protein bar saved just for you.” He wished again that he had more to offer. If they were going to be stuck here longer, he’d try to hunt for small game. Yet somehow, he suspected Ginny and Raine wouldn’t want to eat rabbit or squirrel.
“Maybe I should share it with Aunt Raine,” Ginny said with a frown.
“We shared one earlier.” He crossed their camp to fetch the protein bar from the saddle bag. He had two left, which would have to be enough for breakfast. “Here you go.”
“Ginny? Are you okay?” Raine lifted herself up on her elbow, blinking adorably in the light of the fire. “How are you feeling?”
“Better.” Ginny took the protein bar and went back to crawl under the blanket. “Justin walked me into the woods to use a tree.”
“Great,” Raine muttered. “Now I have to use a tree too.”
“I’ll show you where to go,” he offered.
“I can handle it, thanks.” She set the horse blanket aside and struggled to her feet. “Do we need more wood while I’m up?”
“No, we’re good for now.” A quick glance at his watch proved the hour was just past two in the morning. They’d slept for longer than he’d thought. The good news was that sunrise was only four hours away.
When Raine finished, she returned to her spot beside Ginny. He met her gaze, giving a nod of reassurance. Everything was fine. They’d get through this.
Her sweet smile stayed with him, long after she and Ginny lay down together, sharing the blanket and using the horse pad as an additional layer of warmth over their feet.
He wasn’t sure why he was so aware of Raine Whitman. She was tough and determined, even while being in pain during most of the ride. She reminded him a bit of his oldest sister, Maya. Not that she was Maya’s age, but because of the cop attitude she wore like a protective cloak. Learning that her ex-husband had cheated on her made him angry. No woman deserved to be treated like that.
Stone came to stretch out between him and Ginny. He relaxed at the warmth of Stone’s body.
He must have dozed again because Stone’s low growl had him bolting upright, glancing around in alarm.
