Chapter 40

Aiden tightened his grip on the reins as the sure-footed horse clambered up the steep, narrow trail.

Somehow, even with the snowy gusts, the gray gelding managed to follow the faint indentation of the old, overgrown path.

They’d been riding for over an hour, climbing through dense stands of coniferous forest as they ascended the mountain.

With each plodding step, Aiden bounced up and slammed down on the hard, leather saddle.

They’d left the trees behind and travelled through the alpine on a trail that snaked around stunted scrub pines and snow-covered mossy tufts. The horse waded in the tall grass and splashed through shallow, snow-covered marshes. The temperature had dropped, and the heavy snowflakes swirling in the bitter wind were blinding.

They’d left Joe at the park parking lot, waiting in his warm car for the helicopter with the SWAT team members. He wasn’t happy with Aiden’s decision not to wait for backup. Aiden grimaced. Unhappy was putting it mildly. Joe had been livid. Even now, two hours later, memories of their argument stung.

“I’m telling you, Aiden. You’re making a rookie mistake.” Joe huffed out his chest and stuffed his hands in his coat pockets. “You don’t wanna screw with your career. Not now. Not when you’re just getting your feet back on the ground.”

“But you’re the one who told me not to wait for the chopper. You told me to go and get Candace.”

“You caught me in a weak moment.” He scrubbed his hand over his whiskered chin. “Now I’ve had time to think about it, I’m having second thoughts.” He huffed out a breath that fogged in the cold air. “Look, I know I’ve been a mean bastard, but it was for your own damn good. You needed hardening.

“I never should said anything. I should kept my damn mouth shut. You’re new here. You haven’t proven yourself. If you go all maverick, you’ll get canned.” His gaze met Aiden’s. “You’re good at your job. Don’t do anything to screw with that. The chopper will be here soon, and then you can save your girl. A few more hours won’t matter. You know that. This is your career we’re talking about.”

Those were the most words Joe had ever spoken at one time.

Aiden forked his fingers through his snow-dampened hair. Part of him—the career-driven, sane part—knew Joe was right. What Aiden was about to do would guarantee his dismissal from the force. Breaking protocol was a career killer.

But he didn’t have a choice. Candace was in trouble. He had a chance to save her. For the first time in years, he didn’t give a shit about his damn career. All he cared about was saving the woman he loved, consequences be damned.

Climbing into Sam’s rusted four-by-four, he settled on the torn-and-stained upholstery of the passenger seat. He looked at Joe. “I’m doing it.”

Joe shook his head. “Jesus, man. Wait for backup. You know the rules. You can’t ride in there like some cowboy out of a goddamned spaghetti western and save the girl.” He spat on the frozen ground. “Things don’t happen that way in real life. You know that, right? Wait here for the chopper.”

Aiden shook his head. “Not a chance.”

Sam, seated in the driver’s seat, cleared his throat. “If we’re doin’ this, Detective Farrell, we best get goin’ before the storm gets much worse.”

Aiden nodded. “Let’s go.”

Sam fired up the truck, and black diesel smoke billowed in the air.

Aiden waved at Joe. “I’ll see you on the flip side, partner.”

Joe grimaced. “Shit, man. I’d better not wear any flak from this. It’s all on you. You—”

Aiden slammed the heavy door with a resounding thunk, cutting off Joe’s tirade. He nodded at Sam. “Let’s do this.”

Sam pressed his foot to the gas, and the truck roared out of the parking lot, leaving a plume of black smoke billowing in the air with the snowflakes.

Joe raised his hand and gestured.

Aiden stared. Was that a thumbs-up? Nah. No way.

In the next minute, they’d left Joe and the parking lot behind, and Aiden focused on the upcoming rescue operation.

Sam Wheeler drove on rough back roads to a corral a few miles from the park boundary, where the rangers kept saddle horses for when they had to access the backcountry to check on the park’s wildlife or search for lost hikers.

After Aiden confessed that he hadn’t ridden a horse since he was a kid, Sam chose a tall, gray-speckled mare named Sally for him. He saddled the animal and helped Aiden climb onto the saddle.

Sam mounted his own horse, a beautiful black gelding, and expertly guided his horse out of the corral and into the dense forest.

Aiden’s horse seemed to know the backcountry, and all Aiden had to do was hang on and pray he didn’t fall off. His thighs were chafed raw from gripping the sides of the horse, and his butt…well, his butt was damn sore from slamming down onto the hard saddle. But none of that mattered, not the pain and discomfort, nor the cold. He was on his way to find Candace.

Sally stumbled over a snow-crusted rock.

Aiden clung to the saddle horn and dug his feet into the stirrups, barely managing to hang on.

Ahead, Sam looked over his shoulder and peered through the blowing snow. “How ya doin’, son?”

Aiden grimaced. “Okay, I guess.”

Sam chuckled. “You’re not much of a rider, are ya?”

“Does it show?”

Sam laughed again. “Well, if you can hang on a bit longer, we’re almost there. We just have to angle down this mountain and into the valley.” He pointed. “If it weren’t for this snowstorm, we’d probably be able to see the hut or what’s left of it.”

Aiden’s heart sped up. They were almost there. Finally. For the first time since he’d agreed with Sam’s wild suggestion to ride horses over the mountains to the old snowmobile warming hut, doubt assailed him. What if Candace wasn’t there? What if he’d read the situation wrong, and the kidnapper had taken her somewhere else? If so, he was wasting valuable time.

But if he wasn’t wrong, he had to be prepared. He didn’t know what the situation was down there. He could be riding into a disaster. If his theory was right, and the man holding Candace was the same person she’d encountered in this very forest months ago and the one who’d attacked her the other night, the perp had at least one long rifle and a knife.

He squinted into the sleet. Joe was right. Aiden should've waited for backup, but time was running out. He was certain this was Abraham, the man who’d kidnapped Amanda Jacobs and held her captive for months. The monster had killed the victim whose bones he and Candace had found in the cave. He’d probably murdered the girl in Lynn Canyon too.

And now he had Candace.

Aiden would take down the bastard. He wasn’t waiting for backup that could take hours to arrive. He patted his police-issue revolver strapped in its holster on his hip. He hadn’t ridden all this way over rough terrain to sit back on his ass and wait for the cavalry.

The horse slipped and dropped down a foot, bouncing Aiden in the air. His butt landed on the saddle with a painful thump. He shook off his dark thoughts and focused on staying on top of the beast. He just hoped he could walk once they reached the hut and he climbed off the horse.

They descended the steep, treed slopes of Morrisey Mountain into a narrow, forested valley where a small creek was visible through the heavy snowfall. Under other conditions, the valley, with its views of the surrounding snowcapped mountains and untouched, verdant forests would be beautiful.

But not today, not when a blizzard raged, and his heart pounded so fast he feared it would beat out of his chest. Adrenaline surged through his veins, tightening every muscle, focusing his mind, preparing him for the upcoming battle.

Sam reined in his horse and waited until Aiden’s horse sidled beside him. He pointed across the valley. “Do you see it? The snowmobile hut’s over there, against that big boulder, by the creek.” He exhaled, his breath a plume of white in the cold air. “You might be onto something, Detective. Looks like someone’s fixed it up a bit.”

Aiden peered through the squall. The falling snow had transformed from hard, icy pellets to large fluffy flakes. Was it wishful thinking or was the storm easing? He spotted rocks, the creek wending through the narrow valley, and lots and lots of trees. “I can’t see a hut. Are you sure this is the place?”

Sam snorted. “I worked this park for over thirty years. I know every damn inch of it. I’m sure.”

“You didn’t know about the cave.” Aiden couldn’t help pointing that out. If Sam was wrong about the cave, he could be wrong about the hut. He wasn’t a young man. Maybe he was losing his faculties.

“I should've known about that damned cave.” His shoulders drooped. “Guess I don’t know this park as well as I thought.”

Guilt flooded Aiden. Way to go, buddy. Take your frustration and worry out on an old man. “Look, Sam. I’m sorry, I—”

Sam cut off his apology. “Do you smell that?”

A whiff of wood smoke drifted on the frigid air.

They were close. “Show me again where that hut is.”

Sam squinted into the wind and snow and pointed. “It’s hard to see because the wood’s weathered, and the walls blend in with the rocks.” He reached into his saddle bag and pulled out a pair of binoculars. “Here. These’ll help.”

Aiden held the binoculars to his eyes and studied the valley floor again. He blinked to clear his vision.

A person in a red shirt burst through the trees, staggering across the snow-covered ground.

His heart skittered. Candace! Fear was all too visible on her pale face. He shifted the binoculars and peered to the right. His heart almost stopped.

A bearded man, wearing camouflage-patterned clothing that blended into the forest cover, chased after Candace. A rifle was gripped in his hands.

Aiden wiped the moisture from his eyes and handed Sam the binoculars.

“Do you see them?” Sam called over the gusting wind. “Looks like there’re two of ’em, and one’s chasing the other. This doesn’t look good, they—”

Aiden didn’t wait for Sam to finish. “Stay here!” He kicked his horse in the sides and clung to the saddle horn and hung on for dear life when Sally responded and cantered down the mountain, slipping and sliding through the loose rock scrabble.

The clatter of Sam’s horse racing after him rose above the wind. He should’ve known Sam wouldn’t listen. He hoped the old man knew enough to stay under cover if bullets started flying.

Aiden’s teeth rattled, his butt screamed in agony with every hard bounce, and his arms ached from gripping the pommel, but he leaned back on the saddle and allowed the horse her way. His gaze never left the two running figures.

The distance between them had shortened.

Candace stumbled and slowed, and his breath caught in his throat.

The man chasing her was catching up.

He prodded the horse, urging the poor beast to go faster. Hang on, Candace. Hang on. I’m coming. The fervent prayer ran through his brain in an endless refrain.

I’m coming.