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Glancing ahead, farther up the hill, she saw a light.
And where there was light, there were humans, and if she was lucky, there would also be food. Maybe the wolf had guided her to safety. Or maybe it was a sign sent from her dad.
No. Since when do signs howl?
But then her father’s words returned. “Trust what your heart tells you.”
Reassured, she raced up the trail.
Chapter Nine
The howl of a wolfcaught Brett’s attention. Jasper eagerly looked out the passenger window in Brett’s SUV and whined.
“Hey.” Brett reached over and stroked the retriever’s head and back. “I don’t think he wants to play, so calm down.”
Brett had parked under a huge ponderosa pine near Bear Tooth Market. This was the end of a very long, disappointing day. He’d finally found Jasper about the time Coop and the search party had joined him. They’d spread out and seemed to have walked and searched the entire mountain with no sign of Dania. She’d disappeared in the forest like the baseball player had in the cornstalks inField of Dreams. He’d called off the search and had the helicopter pilot fly him to the cabin so he could retrieve his SUV. Driving home, he’d stopped at the market on the slim chance that she might possibly show up here.
She’d need supplies. She had to be scared and desperate like she must have been when she’d first been convicted. And during it all, Brett had been in Colombia, following the deadly trail of someone he had been after for a while. The list of dead had piled up, and Brett had narrowly missed being added to it when he’d taken a bullet himself and survived. When he’d finally returned to the States, Dania had been in Stone Quarry with the likes of Big Bertha.
There’d been another sighting of Big Bertha, but this time in Billings, so he’d sent Coop, Char, and BB to check it out. If Dania showed up at this market, it would be best if he was alone. He didn’t want to overwhelm her. She’d been on the run going on twenty-four hours and had to be very tired. He hoped to make her see reason and surrender peacefully. He hated that he had to turn in his best friend’s wife, but that was his job.
Matt had been so happy to marry her. He’d told Brett she made him feel complete. Before she’d come into Matt’s life, he’d been drifting and constantly searching for the one person he could settle down with. Brett had been envious of his friend. Matt had been lucky in love. How tragic that their married life had ended so abruptly.
Brett missed his friend. He missed calling him, day or night. Of course, it went both ways. Brett had always been there for Matt as well.
Needing to stretch his legs, he put a leash on the dog and got out of his SUV. Jasper jumped from the vehicle and pulled the restraint tight as he tried to head off into the woods, no doubt to meet the lonely wolf. Brett eased him back and rubbed behind his ears. “Let’s take a break and get something to eat.” Together they walked across the parking lot and up the stairs to the quaint, log-built market. He pushed open the door, and the bell overhead dinged.
“Be right with you,” came a young male voice from behind the curtain in the back. Noises of a video game leaked out.
Brett scanned the few aisles and found a Hostess Cherry Pie and some dog biscuits for Jasper. Grabbing a bottle of water, he went to the register just as the clerk with a blue mohawk and small piercings through his right eyebrow came to ring him up. “Sorry, but I was about to capture the third stone of the draconian leader and needed to save where I was.” He looked at Brett like he knew what he was talking about.
Brett didn’t.
The kid bobbed his head. “Not into video games? That’s dope. Saw you in the parking lot when I came to work. Mom said you’re searching for a woman?”
Brett gave a single nod.
“Before she left, Mom told me what she looked like. No one fitting her description has been in.” The young man bit at the fingernail on his index finger.
“I know. I’ve been watching.” Brett placed his purchases on the counter.
The gangly teen punched in the items on the old cash register. “What did the lady do?”
“She escaped custody.” Brett really didn’t want to go into it, so he hoped that would cut him off.
“She’s a criminal?” The kid’s mouth gaped open.
Brett nodded. No sense in evading his questions. Besides, at some point the guy might be helpful.
“What did she do, kill someone?” He chuckled like it was a joke.
“So they say. She was convicted of murder.” He should have just said yes, but something inside wouldn’t let him. He placed a ten-dollar bill on the counter.
“No kidding?” The kid’s puffy video-glazed eyes bulged. He took the money, opened the till, and handed Brett his change.
“No kidding.” Brett pocketed his money and waited while the teen stuffed his purchases into a paper bag.
“Why would she come to the top of Bear Tooth? You’d think she’d head for Canada or Mexico.” He handed Brett the bag. “I mean, it’s not like there’s any place to hide.”
