Angel Fire

Chapter Nineteen

Tori stared into the damp forest as Cameron tried to get a head on their trail. The rain had “wreaked havoc on the goddamn marks,” Cameron had stated as she walked back and forth, trying to find something.

Oh, Sam…where are you?

Tori turned, watching Cameron, practically willing her to find something—anything—to indicate the route Sam had taken. Andrea touched her arm and Tori turned toward her.

“She’ll find it.”

She nodded. Time was wasting, Tori knew, but it wasn’t Cameron’s fault it had rained last night. She wondered how Sam had slept? Was he keeping her in a tent with him? Or did he tie her to a tree at night? Was she out in the cold and rain? She clenched her fists, vowing—for the hundredth time—that she would shoot the bastard the first time she laid eyes on him. That is, if Cameron didn’t beat her to it.

“Okay, I think I got it,” Cameron said. She was at least thirty feet ahead of them, on a rocky incline. “Finally found some overturned rocks here.”

Tori headed her way, glancing where Cameron had pointed. How Cameron could be sure that was the trail, she had no idea. But she followed and only six feet later, Cameron pointed out another rut in the dirt.

“Because of the rain, a lot was washed away on this slope,” she explained. “Hopefully, if the trail levels out, it’ll be easier to follow.” She looked back at Tori. “I know we’re going slow. I’m sorry.”

Tori was surprised by the apology. “I’d rather go slow and be sure,” she said, knowing that was a contradiction to how she’d felt when they first started out on this manhunt. Then, she’d wanted to dash about haphazardly and start calling for Sam. It’s something she wanted to do right now, in fact.

“I emailed Murdock our coordinates,” Cameron said. “According to my GPS, we’re not far from the highway.” She turned back around and glanced at her. “If we don’t catch up to them in a couple of hours, then…”

“Then you think he’ll have gotten to the highway? Taken Sam?”

“I’m just saying, if they reach the highway and get a car, then our part of this chase is over. Murdock will have patrols along this stretch of highway. If he hits the road, they’ll find him.”

And then Sam could be involved in a shootout. She could already picture some overanxious deputy, not used to this much action, pulling his weapon and trying to take out Angel, regardless of the consequences. Sam could end up shot. She could end up dead.

“Then let’s catch up to them first,” Andrea said, pushing Tori along the trail.

Tori nodded a silent thank-you to Andrea, shoving her morbid thoughts aside. Sam would be fine.

She had to be.

* * *

Sam paced back and forth between the tent and the campfire. She’d let the fire die down as the sun had chased the morning chill away. Of course, she had no idea what time it was. In fact, she didn’t even know what day it was anymore. Sunday? Monday?

She thought of the others—Casey and Leslie. If Leslie was okay, had they headed back to Dallas? Knowing Tori, she would have sent them away. But who was out looking for her? The sheriff’s department? And where the hell were the helicopters they’d heard? Surely to God someone was out looking for her.

Yes, of course they were.

But right now, being alone like this, she felt doubt creep in. Was it as Angel had thought? They were looking for them on the highway and not out here on the mountain?

She blew out her breath and leaned against a pine, sliding down its length until she was sitting on the ground. How long had Angel been gone? An hour? Two? She stared off into the clearing, trying to reconcile her feelings for him. He was a killer. Yes. She saw firsthand what he’d done. He’d told her what all he’d done.

But…he had become…what? Her protector? She shook her head. No, he was her abductor. She had been at his mercy. And for some reason, he hadn’t kept his promise to kill her when he no longer needed her.

She knew why, of course. She had become a person to him, not a target. She was real. She had become a part of his life, if only for a few days. In turn, he had become a part of hers. And in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to kill her. She wasn’t sure when things had changed. Was it when they’d gone fishing? Maybe before that, even. But regardless, he was still a killer.

And he was still on the run.

She picked up a twig that was lying beside her and she snapped it in two, then snapped it again, breaking it up absently as she continued to stare out past the trees, seeing nothing, hearing nothing.

* * *

Tori waited as patiently as she could as Cameron walked back and forth across the pine needles. Tori knew Cameron was frustrated. Hell, they were all frustrated. Their pace had slowed to a crawl as Cameron kept losing the trail.

“I got nothing,” Cameron said. “No footprints, no overturned rocks, no broken limbs, nothing. Goddamn rain,” she said for the fifth time.

“What about this?” Andrea asked. “Broken tip here,” she said, fingering a low-growing bush.

Tori and Cameron both walked over to where she was and Cameron touched it too, studying it. She stepped back, looking at the ground around the bush. Nothing looked disturbed.

“I lost the trail back there, about thirty feet,” she said. “A bed of pine needles. He could have used that as a cover to change directions.”

“And Sam broke the limb to let us know,” Tori said, nodding.

Cameron pulled out her GPS gadget again and turned around, apparently trying to find their bearings. She walked to her right, ten feet, then twenty before stopping.

“Here,” she said.

There was an old, rotted limb that had been kicked over, exposing the moist earth beneath it.

“This makes sense,” Cameron said. “He’s turned finally. Heading directly for the highway.”

“Then let’s go already,” Tori said, feeling a tug of urgency. They were close. Real close. She could feel it.

Cameron led them on again, her pace still too slow for Tori’s liking. She felt like she was pushing Cameron along as she was right at her heels. She could feel Andrea close behind her.

“You on my back won’t get us there any faster,” Cameron said without turning around.

“Sorry. But Sam’s close by. I feel it.”

“While I appreciate your sixth sense, I’m still staying on their trail like we’ve been doing.”

Tori kept her mouth shut but didn’t slow her pace. She felt her anxiety build, felt her pulse start to race. Yes, Sam was close by.

A mere ten minutes later, they broke into a clearing and they all stopped up short as a bright yellow tent came into view. Cameron quickly ducked back into the trees, pulling Tori with her.

“Could be a trap,” she said as she pulled out her binoculars.

Tori stared through the branches of the pine they were hiding behind, her breath catching as she spied Sam sitting against a tree.

“Sam,” she murmured. She felt relief flood her. “She’s there.”

She was about to bolt in that direction when Cameron’s strong arm held her in place.

“Goddamn it, Hunter. Will you wait? Angel is around here somewhere.”

“No. Sam would warn us.”

Tori kept her gaze fixed on Sam and saw Sam tilt her head as if listening.

“She’s knows I’m here,” Tori said quietly.

“We’re hidden,” Cameron said as she searched the area with her binoculars. “She hasn’t seen us.”

“I’m telling you, she knows I’m here.”

Sam turned then, looking directly at them.

“Well, I’ll be goddamned,” Cameron murmured.

“We have this…this thing,” Tori said.

“Stay hidden,” Cameron said. “Andrea, watch our back. Angel could have circled around.”

“Yes, I got it.”

But Sam stood, her gaze still seemingly locked on them. Tori felt her heart beating rapidly in her chest.

“Tori?” Sam called loudly, her voice echoing in the trees. She took a step in their direction. “Tori?”

“Fuck this,” Tori muttered as she stepped out from behind the tree. “Sam!”

Sam took off running in her direction and Tori let her pack slip from her shoulders as she bolted toward Sam, ignoring Cameron’s call for her to wait. Their eyes met as Sam ran toward her and even though Tori tried to brace herself, when Sam flung herself into her arms she very nearly toppled them.

“Oh, Sam,” Tori said, wrapping her tightly in her arms. “My God, Sam.”

“You came,” Sam said as she buried her face against Tori’s neck. “I knew you would.”

Tori felt Sam cling to her as if a lifeline and she held her tightly.

“Are you okay?” she asked urgently.

“Yes. Hold me for a second, okay. Please, just hold me.”

“I got you,” Tori said, squeezing Sam almost painfully tight.

“I was so scared,” Sam said.

“Me too. God, me too.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “Did he…did he hurt you?”

Sam pulled back slightly, meeting her worried stare. She shook her head. “No.” She leaned closer and they kissed, quick and hard, nearly desperate, then Sam tucked her head against her breasts.

“Thank God,” Tori said. “I was so worried about you. God, Sam, I love you. I was so worried.”

“I love you too. So much.”

Tori squeezed her tight again, finally admitting to herself that she’d been terrified that she’d never get to hold Sam again.

“How’s Leslie?” Sam murmured against her chest.

“She’s okay,” Tori said.

Tori heard Cameron and Andrea approach, and she pulled out of Sam’s embrace, although she didn’t let go of her. Sam turned to them.

“Who are you?”

Tori motioned to them. “FBI. This is Special Agent—”

But Andrea interrupted her formal introduction. “I’m Andrea Sullivan. This is Cameron Ross.”

Sam shook both of their hands. “Thank you for finding me.”

“It was Cameron’s doing,” Tori admitted. “She was tracking you.”

“You left a lot of clues,” Cameron said. She looked toward the tent. “Where is he?”

“Angel? He left this morning.”

“Left?”

“He was heading to the highway, he said. I’m assuming toward Taos.” She turned and pointed into the forest. “He went that way.”

Cameron’s gaze followed her direction, then she looked back at Sam. “No offense, but it’s not like Angel to leave loose ends.”

Sam shrugged. “Well, we kinda…bonded.”

“Bonded? What do you mean?” Tori asked sharply.

Sam looked at her. “I don’t know. I mean, we talked. We…talked. At the end, I think he couldn’t bring himself to…to kill me.” Sam met her eyes. “Which is what he promised he’d do when he first took me.”

Cameron pulled out her GPS gadget and turned a semicircle, finally stopping as she faced away from them. “Looks like we’re about two hours from the highway.”

“Yes, that’s what he thought too,” Sam said.

Cameron pocketed the GPS quickly and pointed toward the tent. “Break camp. We’re going after him. We won’t catch him before he gets to the highway, but at least we’ll know where he hit it. I’ll call Murdock and get someone to pick us up there.” She pulled out her phone and was already walking away when she looked back at them. “You need to be debriefed,” she said, pointing at Sam.

Sam nodded. “I know.”

Tori stepped forward. “No, Cameron. She’s been through enough. She needs some downtime. We need some downtime.”

“I don’t care what you need, Hunter. He’s killed eleven that we know of. If we’re going to catch him, we need to pick her brain.”

Cameron walked off with the phone held to her ear.

Tori turned to Sam, reaching out and touching her face. “I don’t really like her very much. She’s arrogant and bossy as hell.”

Sam smiled and patted Tori’s chest. “I bet you two got along famously then,” she teased.

Tori heard Andrea’s quiet laugh behind them and turned, smiling at her. “Yeah. Andrea can attest to that.”

Andrea pointed at the tent. “I’ll take it down.”

When she walked away, Tori pulled Sam into another hug. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

They went to help Andrea, then Tori bumped her shoulder playfully. “Did you really eat a squirrel?”