Page 91 of Glimmer in the Darkness

“I’m not making that promise, James. If Ella’s up there, I won’t leave without her any more than you would.”

When he blew out a long, defeated breath, she stood, knowing she’d won. “Lead the way.”

He said nothing as he passed her.

They climbed in silence.

As they neared the rocks that formed the cave, the little hairs on her arms stood, and a ran slid down her spine despite the warm temperature.

Something evil lurked above. The feeling stole over her like a long-forgotten scent. He was here. He was close. One way or another, after ten long years, this was nearly over.

Chapter Thirty-One

James wasn’t sure he’d made the right choice. Cassidy’s logic was sound. From two hundred yards away, she’d have surely heard a gunshot, but if there were a confrontation, and if it came down to a fistfight or a battle between James’s hunting knife and the kidnapper’s weapons, it might not be very loud.

She wouldn’t know. And the not knowing would send her on a quest to find out what was going on. And if James were bested, then Cassidy would be in even more danger.

James wanted her safe, so he needed to find a closer place for her to hide. A place where she could run down quickly and call for help. It would take hours for the police to get up there, though.

If he were injured or killed, would Cassidy get away? Would she try? Or would she go after Ella?

He should have thought this through better.

Thing was, if he was right, then there was a good chance the killer wouldn’t be here. Cassidy had said he left her and Hallie tied up in the cave for hours at a time. Whoever the killer was, he likely had a job, a life off of this mountain. James was banking on the kidnapper being gone.

And if he was, James didn’t need to confront him. He just needed to get Ella to safety and call the police. The police could take it from there.

If the killer was here, then they’d call the police and wait and pray the killer didn’t get wind of them.

James lifted prayers for help and guidance and protection. He’d been a fool to put his relationship with God away after Hallie’s death. God was the Source of comfort, the Source of peace, two things he’d needed desperately in the last decade. Right now, he needed God the Protector to show up. And the God who Sees, who knew exactly where Ella and the killer were. The God who cared about His children.

James paused to check his map again. The trail they’d gone down the day before was thirty or so yards to the left, but he stayed his course, far from the path, blocked from sight from the giant boulders above.

At the foot of a particularly steep rise, he turned and extended a hand for Cassidy.

She took it and joined him on a small flat of land no more than three feet wide. “This is a good spot. Hidden from above.” He looked at the tree, thick with vegetation, growing from the slope below. “Hidden all around. You can wait here.”

She lifted her hand over her eyes and peered up. “That’s it?”

He followed her gaze. They were a good hundred feet below the stone that made up the ceiling of the cave. From this vantage point, the lower stones weren’t visible. “If my map is correct, that’s it.”

She gazed around. “Where was I standing when he shot at me?”

James pointed to a spot on the right of the boulders. “I think about there.”

“So that’s where the passageway comes out.”

He looked down at her. “I want you to stay here where it’s safe.”

“Just trying to get my bearings.” She looked off to her right. “You think he was standing over there somewhere when he shot me?”

“Had to be.”

From here, all they could see were trees and bushes and rocks and hillside. If he searched that direction, he’d likely find the shooter’s position. Had the man watched them go up? Had he been watching the back and seen her climb from the passageway?

Too many questions with no answers.

“You’ll stay here?”