Cutting Edge

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

The small roughly hewn redwood cabin with a wide porch along two sides rested in the center of a wide, flat knoll with a hundred feet of open space around all sides. Canyons dropped down on two sides, one so steep it might as well be a sheer drop. An idyllic setting under any other circumstances.

But the fires to the north and west were growing, and they had no idea where Maggie O’Dell was, or whether Quin was dead or alive. Or if there was a booby trap.

But they could find out quickly. Duke took the thermal imager out of the sheath in his belt and turned it on. A minute later it began to register heat signatures in the cabin.

“There’re two people inside,” Hooper said.

Duke shook his head. “No. Just one. Here.” He pointed to the long humanlike shape in an array of colors, from dark to light.

“Move it a bit-see! There. It moved.”

“Too small. It’s an animal.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. Small dog or cat.”

In tacit agreement, Duke and Hooper ran low to the ground to the cabin from opposite sides. They made it without trouble, and listened, waiting for a ten count.

There was no sound from inside the cabin. Duke concentrated, bringing up all his past military training, and listened. Nothing but breathing. Gasping.

He double checked the thermal imager at closer range and identified one individual inside.

At the count of ten, Duke went around to the front door. Hooper joined him. “It’s secure,” he said.

Duke kicked open the door and went in low, while Hooper went in high.

Quin Teagan was tied to a chair, her torso covered in blood. She wasn’t gasping, but breathing through her mouth, a low raspy sound. Her head lolled forward.

Duke went to her while Hooper checked the bathroom and closet and cabinets.

“Clear.” Hooper knelt next to the chair and helped Duke untie her from the chair. “The missing Butcher-Payne duck is in the bathroom.”

It took Duke a minute to register that Hooper said duck. “We need sheets. Towels if there’s nothing else.”

Hooper ran through the cabin, found sheets on a Hide-A-Bed. “This is it.”

“They’ll have to do.” Duke eased Quin to the floor while Hooper cut the sheets with his pocketknife.

They tied the strips of cotton tightly around all wounds. The cut on her chest was the worst, and Hooper applied firm pressure while Duke searched the cabin for any strong tape. All he found was duct tape, but it was going to have to suffice. They needed to keep firm pressure on the wound while moving her.

“Nora,” Quin whispered. “Nora.”

“She’s fine,” Duke said, hoping it was true.

“Fire. Trap.”

Duke cringed. He needed to get to Nora and Sean. But Quin would die if she didn’t get immediate medical attention.

“Nora said there was a vial of something to counteract the effects,” Hooper said.

“I don’t know that I’d trust anything O’Dell said,” Duke grumbled.

Hooper looked around. Found two vials, one nearly empty and labeled heparin, one labeled with a name he didn’t recognize. He shoved them in his pocket. “I’m taking them just in case.”

Duke was about to pick her up when Hooper said, “I’ll do it. Save your energy for the trek to Last Chance Road. You’re going to need it. Back me up to the car, then I’ll take her to town where the ambulance is waiting, and you continue to the other road. If O’Dell is setting the fires to create a trap of some sort, you’ve got to alert them and get them the hell out of there.”

The end of Last Chance Road was a loop around a mountain peak more than four thousand feet in elevation. This part of the road was used only for forest patrol and fire prevention-it was so narrow a vehicle couldn’t turn around, so you literally had to drive around the peak, about a half-mile journey, in order to head back to town.

Nora caught sight of Sean only two or three times during the fifteen-minute jog along Last Chance Road until she’d gone around the entire loop. He’d stayed in the middle, on the peak, flitting in and out from behind trees, as sure-footed as a mountain goat. The smoke was getting thick coming from the south, and to the north and west were both deep ravines that were impassable.

She’d come from the east.

She pulled out the walkie-talkie Sean had the foresight to bring with him. “The fire is coming from several points south of the loop, and the other two sides are deep canyons. We need to go back.”

“Roger. I’ll follow your lead.”

Nora looked around for any sign of Maggie. Where was she? She started back along the edge of the road, and every hair rose on her skin. She was being watched. Her phone vibrated. She glanced down.

It was a text from Duke, and he’d sent it to both her and Sean.

We have Quin and Hooper is taking her to town. She’s alive, but needs medical attention. I’m on my way to you. The fire is a trap. Get back to the plane ASAP.

Quin was alive. Lorraine hadn’t lied about the cabin, and for the first time Nora felt a sliver of forgiveness. Her anger and resentment toward her mother faded a bit, now that she knew Quin was safe, that Lorraine had helped to save her.

The heavy weight of fear, worry, and guilt lifted from Nora’s shoulders. Now she could focus on her suspect, Maggie O’Dell.

Sean said in the walkie-talkie, “Move it, Nora.”

She started walking, then running. The sense of being followed increased as the smoke blew in her direction. The wind was increasing, which was the worst thing for the fire other than the dry needles and brush lining the forest floor.

A rock the size of a large fist fell from the hill and rolled in front of her, and she had to jump over it to avoid twisting her ankle. Another rock rolled down, and another; then one grazed her in the shoulder, this one smaller but with greater velocity. Damn, that hurt.

She pulled out her gun, unable to see her predator.

Sean asked, “What are you doing?”

“Where are you? Sean, get down here. Someone’s up there!” It had to be Maggie.

They were sitting ducks here on the road. Nora couldn’t see Maggie, but Maggie had sight of her enough to throw rocks.

“I’m coming-I’m on the road behind you.”

Another rock hit her in the shoulder, and she dropped her gun. She dove against the mountainside, grabbing her gun on the way.

Sean rounded the corner, and rocks were flung at him. Maggie must have a slingshot, and was damn accurate with it. A good-size rock hit Sean in the side of the face, knocking him to his knees.

Maggie could stone them to death if they couldn’t find cover.

Nora shouted, “Maggie! Show yourself.”

“You brought someone?” A voice came from above. Nora looked, but couldn’t see anyone. The air was getting thick. “It’s your fault that he’s going to die.”

Another rock hit Sean as he rose, this one in his lower back. He fell back down.

Nora aimed her gun toward where the rocks were coming from and fired. Once. Twice. Three times, then ran to Sean as he struggled to rise from the road.

“Come on, Sean, please,” she ordered.

He stood, shook his head as if to clear it, and ran unsteadily with Nora back against the cliff. “This is the safest place,” she whispered. “Stay close to trees and-”

A rock hit her on the top of her head and she fell to her knees, her vision gone. She tried to shake it off, but couldn’t move. Sean picked her up and sat her back against a redwood. “Nora-shit.” He touched her head and she winced. “You’re bleeding.”

“You can sit there as long as you want,” Maggie’s voice called from above. “You’ll die from the fire if you hide, or I’ll pummel you to death if you move.”

Nora whispered, “Fire tower. I’ll bet there’s a fire tower up there.”

Sean tried calling Duke on his cell. “Damn, I’m not getting through. We’re going to have to make a run for it. If we can get just a bit more down the road, we’ll be out of her range.”

“I can’t. Wait a minute.”

“Okay.”

Nora put her head in her hands and willed herself to stand, but she couldn’t. Sitting still she felt dizzy, but standing she’d pass out. She had to get over this.

“You go,” she told Sean. “I’ll cover you.” Her hand was shaking as it held her Glock.

“You’ll shoot yourself in the foot. I’m not leaving you. I’ll think of something.” He coughed. “If we wait ten minutes, she won’t be able to see us through the smoke.”

“It’ll be too late. Do you hear it?”

They listened to the fire crackling on the other side of the peak. “Small consolation that she’ll die in the blaze, too,” Nora said.

“You’re not going to die. Duke would never forgive me.”

“I could say the same about you,” Nora told Sean.

“Then think.”

Duke heard the gunshots and followed the footpath up the south side of the mountain. Fire was to the west of him moving north, and the wind kept the worst of the smoke away from him.

And toward Sean and Nora.

He picked up his pace, faster than he should be going on the steep path, but suddenly it flattened out on Last Chance Road and he saw the trail to the fire tower J.T. had told him about. He glanced at the digital map. The trail was a steep incline all the way up for more than a hundred yards, which meant he’d be seriously winded, with Maggie well prepared for his arrival.

Or he could go toward the smoke and come up the western slope. Less steep, but harder to breathe.

He chose the path obscured with smoke.

He heard helicopters in the distance. He had to give Maggie credit-she’d set the fires in a pattern, starting closer to the interstate and moving southeast. That would keep the firefighters working first on the flare-ups closer to the population centers, leaving Maggie, him, Sean, and Nora alone on this lonely road.

A text message from Sean popped up on his screen.

I don’t know if this will get to you, but hurry-Nora’s injured and we’re trapped. If we move, that bitch will kill her.

Duke ran into the smoke.