Page 10 of Heston
Wilde, on the other hand, jerked his head toward the riverbank and said, “Let me show you what I found.”
Heston’s neck damned nearly snapped off the top of his spine with a vicious double-take.That cool, calm, collected, and very feminine, voice.Definitely not the woman who’d invitedthem to the RV. Who’d turned the running lights on. Either Wilde was a very gentle kind of a man or he—
Wilde dragged the black knit cap off his head with one hand and tugged his face covering down with the other. Sure enough. The light turquoise hair Heston remembered so well spilled over his head and flopped into his eyes. Eyes Heston knew were the same intriguing color. Wilde was no guy. He was—
“Hot damn,” Asher murmured under his breath. “Will ya look at that? Wilde’s not a chicken shit. He’s a woman.”
“Yes, she is,” Heston whispered, more to himself than to his buddy.Hot damn, indeed.
“You guys know each other?”
“You could say that. London?” Heston asked, like the dolt her sudden appearance always turned him into.
“Yes, Hes. It’s me,” she answered brightly, ruffling her long slender fingers through those soft as silk bangs. “Let’s get you guys set up for the night. There’s a clearing close by that’ll suit your needs. Follow me.”
Well, duh.Like the love-smitten moron he’d been once before, Heston followed London down a meandering deer trail. A thick line of alpine pines marched between the water’s stony bank and the trail, deadening the roar of the White. Sloppy snowflakes, laden with moisture the Northwest was known for, splattered through the branches, marking the trail in wintery white that turned to water as quickly as it landed.
They walked a good half-mile before London turned to face them. “I know you guys aren’t going to hang around, but it’d be smart to set up camp. Bates’ll think you’re sticking around that way. You got a tent?”
“What are you doing here?” Heston asked instead of answering.
She shrugged. “Like you. My job. But trust me, once Bates realizes that you ignored his authority, he’ll—”
“Piss on Bates,” Asher growled. “Didn’t come all this way to let some shithead stop us. If you’re not going to help, get outta our way.”
London let out a measured huff. “You guys are all the same. Ready to fight before you know what or who you’re fighting.”
“I knew who I was fighting,” Heston said quietly.Back then.At least, he’d thought he’d known. Now he wasn’t so sure.
“No, Heston, you didn’t know squat. Still don’t.” London shook her head and her long bangs fell back over her forehead and into her eyes. Like before, she brushed them away, and he wished he could, just once, reach out like he had so long ago, before everything went wrong, and touch her again. Let the coolness of her hair drip between his fingers. Soak in the warmth of her satin skin.
She pointed at a flat patch of damp dirt under more pines, itself nearly white with snow. “Get your tent up. The people you came to rescue can’t wait.”
“You know where Alex and Kelsey are?” Heston asked.
“No, but Bates knew Mr. and Mrs. Stewart were in trouble earlier today. I heard the call come in, but he told me it was just an exercise. That our underwater recovery teams were testing underwater drones and to ignore it. That made me suspicious. Drones are worthless in whitewater. I made some calls and…” She shook her head. “I don’t know why he did it, but Bates lied. And he didn’t pull Mr. Stewart from the river. Another camper, Tom Landry, did. He got Stewart into warm, dry clothes and boots, gave him food and gear before Bates ever arrived on the scene. Problem is, Bates has been hassling Landry about him carrying concealed weapons, and Tom had his little boy with him. So he backed off and let Bates take over. Only now...” London looked past Heston to the ICC rig. “Bates knew your friends were in trouble and he never called Search and Rescue. So I did. Protocol for any lost hiker, especially someone in theriver, is all hands on deck. We should’ve alerted the sheriff’s department, the nearest hospital and ambulance service, and all available Search and Rescue teams the moment that first call came in. We should’ve spearheaded the search, guys. That’s our primary job, to protect and serve. I’m sorry. This is my fault a much as his.”
“You’re afraid of him,” Asher declared.
London blinked. “Am now. He’s out of control and” —she ran her fingers through her hair— “he’s scaring me.”
“Has he hurt you?” Heston damned well needed to know.
“No. But I’m done giving him chances.”
“Do you think Kelsey Stewart’s still alive?” Heston asked.
London bit her bottom lip. “Anything’s possible, but I’m fairly new on this job, and Bates is working against me. Not like I care. Areyouwith me?”
The way she emphasized‘you’told Heston everything he needed to hear.
“Yes, ma’am,” Asher answered quickly.
“Abso-fuckin’-lutely,” Heston added.
In less than minutes, the tent was up. Asher tossed a glow stick inside to make it look like someone was home. They stowed their heaviest packs in the tent and stood with London.
“Now what?” Heston asked the woman he’d once pledged his heart and soul to.
