Page 11 of Danger in the Wilderness (National Park Protectors #1)

“W ait, Blaire!” Dekker chased the stubborn woman. Ugh! Her determination would be the death of him. He ducked under some low-lying branches and approached where she’d stopped at the back entrance. “You’ve got to stop running off. How can I protect you if you keep doing that?”

“I’m sorry.” She pointed to the small gift-wrapped box. “I have to see what’s in it.”

“But it’s evidence, and you can’t disturb it.”

A branch snapped behind them.

Dekker’s hand flew to his sidearm, and he pivoted.

Constable White approached through the trees.

Dekker’s shoulders relaxed. “Don’t sneak up on us like that.” He had to curb his frayed nerves. With no news of his father’s whereabouts and PCK targeting Blaire, his angst level was soaring into a territory he didn’t want to visit.

White raised his hands. “Sorry, I noticed you duck around here like you were on a mission. I had to find out why.” He gestured toward the box. “What’s that?”

“PCK left it for me.” Blaire withdrew her phone and showed him the text message. “Only I can open it. He’s watching.”

White’s eyes narrowed then traveled around the surroundings. “How? Are there cameras around your station, Dekker?”

“One out front and one over there.” He pointed to a large aspen tree. “Supervisor Nicols had them installed a year ago after we had some break-ins.”

“So PCK may have hacked into them.” White unclipped his shoulder radio. “You can’t open it yet, Blaire. I’ll get our crime scene unit here to check for prints first.”

Blaire raised her hand. “Wait, is that wise if he’s watching?”

“The note said only you could open it, but said nothing about us dusting for prints, and I have to follow protocol.”

Dekker knew the rookie constable was right, but why were suspicious spikes jabbing him at White’s sudden appearance? Unaware of exactly who they could trust, Dekker’s guard raised. “What if we gave her gloves?”

“Not good enough.”

Blaire squeezed Dekker’s hand. “Sean’s right. Let’s let them do their job, and then I’ll open it. We can get our search coordinates from Supervisor Nicols while we wait.”

“Fine.”

White spoke into his radio while Dekker and Blaire circled back to the SAR tent. Dekker explained the text and their course of action to his supervisor, Jayla and Bryson. “I need to join the search as soon as possible, so hopefully the CSI unit arrives quickly.”

“Patience was never your strong suit, big brother.” Jayla stuffed two water bottles into her backpack.

“I know. Dad reminded me of that all the time. He loved to chastise me.” Numerous occasions of his father ridiculing him in front of others filled Dekker’s head.

“Dek, he’s changed.”

“So you’ve told me, but I need to see it with my own eyes.

” Even though Dekker deeply regretted his last words to Frank Hoyt, he still wasn’t buying into the fact their father had done a one-eighty.

No one could change that quickly, could they?

Dekker longed for them to be right, and his determination to find his father drove his current foul mood.

Jayla poked Dekker in the shoulder. “Don’t be a doubting Thomas.”

Nicols clapped. “Okay, everyone. Each team has their designated search areas. Change to channel two, same as the constables. Check in every thirty minutes. There’s an armed and dangerous killer in these woods. Let’s be careful.”

Their leader had divided the searchers into teams, each having either an armed constable or warden among them. Park wardens were also trained in law enforcement and could protect against criminals.

The groups dispersed. Some on horseback, others on ATVs. Those with sectors close to the station set out on foot.

“Dekker, I just had a thought,” Blaire said. “Why don’t we check your video footage to see if we can catch a glimpse of PCK putting the package at the back door?”

“That’s a great idea for while you wait.” Jayla strapped her bag onto her back. “We’re heading out. Talk later.”

“Stay safe, Jayla.” Dekker drew her into a hug. “Stick close to Bryson.” With news of her pregnancy, he worried about her safety.

“I’ll be fine.” She nodded, and the trio headed into the forest on foot.

“Let’s talk to Nicols before we look at the footage. I want his agreement first.” Dekker shuffled toward his supervisor and explained the situation. “You okay if we look at the videos?”

“I checked yesterday’s but not today’s. Go ahead.” Nicols plodded over to the table where he’d spend most of the day monitoring the search progress.

Dekker led Blaire into the station and settled behind the counter. He wiggled the mouse and brought the monitors to life. “We’ll start the footage from midnight.” He adjusted the time clock and hit Play.

Darkness covered the screen. Dekker fast-forwarded at low speed, so they wouldn’t miss anything.

A dark shadow passed by the rear camera. Dekker hit Stop and then Rewind. “Let’s see what that was.” He pressed Play.

A large grizzly lurked out from behind a cluster of trees. He sniffed at the sealed garbage bin before turning around and heading back into the forest.

“Not good. I need to let Nicols know of this bear sighting, so he can warn the teams to be on guard.” Dekker spoke into his radio and informed his supervisor of the grizzly. “Let’s keep watching.” He hit Play again.

But nothing materialized before daybreak hit. Dekker leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. “This is a waste of time.”

Moments after he said the words, a masked figure approached the camera and sprayed something onto the lens. The footage blackened.

Dekker slammed his hand on the counter. “Thought we had him.”

“Anything familiar to you about the suspect’s stance or body language?”

Dekker rewound the footage and inched closer, studying the figure. “Appears to be male, but nothing stands out.”

“This person knew the exact location of your camera. How?”

“Good question. What are you thinking?”

Blaire tapped her chin. “The suspect either scoped out the place or is connected to the park. Not everyone would know to look there for a camera.”

He huffed. “You think it’s a park employee?”

“Not necessarily. Just someone who knew exactly where to look.”

Dekker’s radio crackled.

“Warden Hoyt, CSI is done with the package,” White said. “We also checked for explosives. It’s clear. Ms. Tremblay can open it now.”

Dekker hit the button. “Copy that. On our way.” He pushed his chair back from the counter. “Let’s go. I want to see what PCK left you.”

The duo raced out of the building and around the corner.

“Just so you know. CSI didn’t find any prints.” White gestured toward the small box. “It’s all yours.”

Blaire untied the ribbon before lifting off the lid.

Dekker leaned closer.

A red hat lay nestled among packing popcorn, a note addressed to Blaire on top.

She gasped.

“What is it? Whose hat is that?”

Blaire clutched his right arm. “Clara’s. I remember seeing it in photos Quinton sent to our team.”

Not good.

***

With shaky hands, Blaire put on gloves before opening the folded card. Her heart pounded as a question pummeled into her head.

How long did Clara have before PCK unleashed his rage on her like he had the other victims? The gruesome crime scene pictures filled her mind, and she grimaced. Protect her, Lord.

It had been over twenty-four hours since Clara’s abduction.

Blaire’s gut told her PCK would not give them any more time to find her.

She examined the hat. This was the first time he’d taken any type of trophy other than a lock of hair.

The killer was evolving. Why, Blaire couldn’t determine.

What had triggered him to change his MO and speed up his timeline?

Dekker peered over her shoulder.

She focused on the typed message.

Will you find her before it’s too late? You have until ten o’clock, Blaire. Sorry about your team. I couldn’t have them helping you. Oh, tell Dek he’ll find a clue to Frank’s whereabouts with Clara. Happy searching.

PCK xo

Ugh. Again with the x’s and o’s. Blaire couldn’t fathom why PCK had targeted her suddenly. However, right now, she was on a mission. Find Clara. “Dek, get Jayla back here.” She lifted the hat from the box. “We need Hercules to catch Clara’s scent.”

“Agreed. It’s already eight o’clock. That only gives us two hours. Not a lot of time.” He unclipped his radio. “Jayla, come in.”

A couple of seconds passed before she answered. “I’m here, Dek. What did you find?”

“How far away are you?” He explained the situation. “Can you get back here, pronto?”

“On our way.”

Blaire handed the card to Sean. “Constable White, can you get your team to check this? We need the hat, though. No time to lose.”

“Understood. I should be able to catch them before the van leaves.” He snatched the card and ran around the station’s corner.

“Let’s gather our supplies.” Dekker lifted his bear spray from its clip on his belt and shook it. “With that grizzly sighting, I’m going to get more spray. For both of us.”

Fifteen minutes later, Blaire handed the red cap to Jayla. “We don’t have a lot of time.” She hung her camera around her neck before strapping on her backpack.

“Understood. If she’s out there, Herc will find her.” Jayla held the hat under the K-9’s nose. “Hercules, sniff.”

The dog obeyed.

“Hercules, seek!” Jayla’s voice raised in pitch.

The golden retriever lifted his snout in different directions then barreled toward the east trail.

“Let’s go,” Dekker yelled, running after the dog.

After multiple false leads and circling around a babbling brook, Jayla held the hat under the K-9’s nose. “He needs her scent again. The water threw him off, but I believe we’re in the right area.” She hesitated before giving the command. “Hercules, seek!”

The dog once again set out on a mission. Five minutes later, Hercules stopped, glanced over his shoulder, barked and wagged his tail in his helicopter fashion.

“He’s found her.” Jayla sprinted after her K-9.

Blaire held her breath and followed, stepping into a cluster of trees.