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Chapter Twenty-Eight

Nate

“Perry!” My scream was barely audible over the chaos erupting around me. Another gunshot fired, and I ducked while running around the dilapidated shelter. I fell twice. My knee smashed against a rock. It would hurt later. Right now, I didn’t have time for the pain. Branches snatched at my clothes, trying to hold me back.

Rounding the shelter, I caught a glimpse of Perry’s pale arms as they flailed, his body tumbling down an embankment. I ran after him, sliding down the slope. I could hear the fabric of my shorts ripping, my skin along with them. I couldn’t have cared less. Only one thing mattered.

“Perry!” His body skidded to a stop, his back resting along a decaying log. I had no idea how long ago the tree had fallen. I was simply thankful for the day it gave way. The ground was soaked with the previous day and night’s weather, making my trip all the more treacherous.

I barely kept from running into Perry as I came to a stop. Using the fallen tree as an anchor, I scrambled to Perry’s head. He was moving and groaning. I shouldn’t have been as happy as I was to hear those pained sounds.

“Fuck, that hurt.” Perry wiggled and tried to shift.

“Don’t move.” My hands wavered, unsure where I could or should touch him. I was nearly paralyzed with fear. Another groan pulled me from my indecision paralysis and got my ass moving again. “Can you tell if anything’s broken?”

Perry’s chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. It took him far too long to answer, “I don’t think so. It’s a little hard to tell, but nothing is shooting pain like it’s broken. More like a lot of dull aches and sharp stings.”

“Thank God.” My hands were shaking when I finally touched Perry’s skin. I checked his head and face first, relieved when my fingers came away clean and not bloody. Adrenaline still pumping through me, I was able to lift Perry enough that I could set him upright, his back leaning against the fallen tree trunk.

Another shot rang out behind us, the sound distant now that we were down along the embankment. Perry flinched at the sound, his eyes wide and frightened. “Delia, she—”

“Delia can take care of herself,” I answered. “I’m not worried about her. I’m worried about you.”

Perry began shaking. It started off as barely a quiver and grew into an earthquake. His bare skin was cold. Both of us were wet, the ground muddy and the evening air cool. The storms had taken the heat and humidity with them, leaving cool air in their wake. Normally, that would be welcome, caught out in the woods, damp and injured, I could have gone for some heat.

“Come here.” I didn’t wait for Perry to respond. I pulled him to me and buried my face in his neck. God, he smelled good. I couldn’t tell if my shaking body was due to Perry or if I was contributing my own anxiety to the mix.

I held on, afraid to let him go. I’d almost lost him. Again . How many times would we be put through this? Hadn’t we paid enough? Hadn’t Perry been through enough?

“I was so afraid,” Perry murmured against my shoulder.

I pulled back enough that I could push away the hair that had tumbled into his eyes. “There was no way I was letting that woman take you from me,” I said. “I will always come for you.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Perry answered, his palms cupping my confused face.

“I don’t understand. I—”

“I was afraid for you, not for me,” Perry answered.

“I… Why me?”

Perry shook his head like I was an idiot. That was okay; I kind of felt stupid right about now. “She wanted you, not me. Well, I think Dr. Schroder was kind of after us both. To be honest, I’m not entirely certain. She thinks you know something that could endanger the Company.” Perry’s nose scrunched. “I have no idea what this Company is, but I think maybe I can imagine.” Perry swallowed hard. “And she threatened Nat. I told her Nat had kids, and Dr. Schroder didn’t care. She didn’t… Fuck, I was so scared that something was going to happen to you, and then Nat.”

Unable to stand even the slightest distance between us, I hugged Perry to me, pulling him close enough to share our mutual stink, dampness, and bloody injuries. “Oh, Perry.” I didn’t know what to say. This man, this beautifully imperfect man, I’d almost lost this, and I had no idea how I would have survived his absence.

We stayed like that, neither one of us willing to let go. I had no idea how much time had elapsed, but when I did come back to reality, I noted a definite lack of sound coming from the ridge above. The sun had continued setting, our little gully growing darker as the sun faded.

Reluctantly pulling away, I asked, “Can you stand?”

Perry frowned. “Maybe, but I can’t walk. I’ve still got this stupid zip tie around my ankles.”

“I think I can help with that.” I reached into my back pocket, thankful my pocketknife had made the journey down the embankment with me. “I’ll have you free in a minute. Don’t move.”

Perry stayed still while I sliced through his remaining restraint. I should have thought of it earlier, but hadn’t.

On shaky legs, we stood, both of us leaning heavily on the fallen log. I let loose a quiet whistle when I glanced down the other side of it. “We would have been a lot wetter if not for this.” I patted the decaying wood. Below it, the ground became steeper and ended in a shallow, rock-strewn creek.

I took a step and hissed in pain. Yeah, that fall and rock smash I’d experienced earlier was definitely coming back to haunt me.

“Nate? Are you okay?” Perry grabbed me under the shoulders as I started to go down.

How had I not noticed this shooting pain earlier? My ebbing adrenaline was taking its protective pain dampeners with it. “I’m fine,” I reassured him. “I just fell and slammed my knee on a rock on my way to you. It’ll be fine.” While that was true, when I stared up the steep slope we had to traverse to get back up, I wasn’t at all certain I could manage it.

As I contemplated the painful task of climbing out of our hole, a figure emerged above, followed by a second and then a third person. Perry gasped while my heart sped. If their presence was anything to go by, I figured I knew who won the showdown with Dr. Lydia Schroder. Not that I’d had a lot of doubt. I had no idea whether she was alive or not and wasn’t certain I cared. Evidently, Perry did.

“Dr. Schroder, is she…”

Malcom stood, hands in his pockets and posture casually at ease. “Oh, she’s still alive.”

“I doubt she’ll be happy about that,” Gabe offered, a grin in his voice. Crouching down, he placed his elbows on his knees and whistled. “That’s a steep hill. Sorry, Perry. I didn’t think you’d manage to get far enough to fall down it.”

I could hear Perry’s heavy swallow. His voice was just a little shaky when he answered, “That’s okay. I was trying to get as far away as possible, so I kept wiggling.” He ended with a shrug.

“Understandable,” Delia answered. “Any life-threatening injuries?”

“No,” Perry answered before I could. “Nate’s knee is banged up, and we’ve got a lot of scratches and bruises, but nothing worse. At least, not that we know of.”

Delia sounded sincere when she said, “That is a relief.”

“A big relief,” Gabe piped in. “I’ll leave you guys to discuss things. I’m gonna go check on Lydia.” The last was said with a slight chuckle. “The next few days are gonna be fun.” Gabe stood, smacking his hands on his thighs. “Perry, Detective, it’s been a pleasure. I’m glad I took Malcom up on his offer. This has been the most fun I’ve had in years.”

I think Gabe might have winked, but I wasn’t sure given the dwindling light. He certainly was an odd duck, but considering he’d been the one to allow Perry his escape route, I found it difficult to disparage his character.

“Thank you, Gabe.” Perry raised his voice so Gabe could hear as he walked away. In answer, Gabe raised an arm and waved over the back of his head. Gabe’s words had definitely sounded like a goodbye. I wasn’t sure if Perry had caught that or not. To my knowledge, Gabe had been hired to clean up Willie’s mess, which turned out to be Dr. Schroder’s mess. Either way, perhaps now that it was done, Gabe would be moving on.

Malcom shifted closer to the edge, staring down at us. I had to crane my neck to be able to see him. I took a step forward but nearly collapsed when pain exploded in my knee. Perry kept me upright.

“I think we’re going to need a little help getting out,” Perry said, an apology in his tone. “I don’t suppose one of you brought a rope?”

Metal glinted in the remaining light as Delia twirled her gun. “Sorry. No ropes.”

Squatting, Malcom mimicked Gabe’s earlier pose. “Apologies, Perry, but I believe you and your detective will need to stay down there a bit longer.” There was something in his voice, something that told me a bit was far longer than Malcom implied.

“Oh, well, I suppose that’s…” Perry’s voice trailed off, as uncertain as I was beginning to feel.

Delia holstered her weapon and moved closer to Malcom, her feet on the edge of the ravine. “I’m sorry, Perry. I suppose it was wishful thinking that you would never find out my true profession.” Delia’s chin raised as she looked down on us. “I’m not ashamed of what I do. Some people don’t deserve to live, and I’m happy to remove them.” Delia’s voice softened. “And then there are men like you, Perry. If the world were filled with more people like you, then… Well, I suppose there’s no use speculating. The world isn’t filled with people like you. You are a rarity, not the norm.”

I could feel the heat of Perry’s blush. “I’m not that special, Delia. Honestly, I’m not.”

Delia’s tone softened even more. “And that, right there, is what I’m talking about.” With a heavy sigh, Delia said, “I’ll miss seeing you, hearing about Starbuck and Apollo, about your recent date with Nate, about…all the little things that make you, you. I want you to know that I truly do consider you a friend.”

“I feel the same way,” Perry answered. “I can’t condone what you do, but I… That’s not who you are to me. I know that’s a part of you, but that’s not all you are either.”

I could hear Delia’s sharp, breathy intake. “Oh, Perry. I will truly miss you. Gayle too. I’m sorry if I hurt either one of you. It wasn’t my intention.”

I held Perry close as he finally figured out this was it, the final goodbye.

“Delia, I…” I don’t think Perry knew what to say. While he didn’t want this to be the end, it was difficult to see how there could be a continuation.

“I’m afraid I need to get going. I have a bit of business to take care of, a final job before we leave. Goodbye, Perry. I will be wishing you well on your wedding day. Detective, make sure you treat him well. I’ll know if you don’t.” Delia abruptly turned and walked away, leaving her threat hanging in the air, and Malcom our only hope of rescue.

Perry’s gaze remained fixed on where Delia had been, where she was now absent. It was only drawn away when Malcom said, “She really will miss you, Perry. As will I. I hadn’t expected to like you as much as I did. As I do,” Malcom corrected. With a light chuckle, Malcom stood and said, “I’m not sure what your father would think of my current actions and those actions I’m planning. He’d most likely call me a fool, but he would have had my back as well.”

“And what exactly are you planning?” I asked. I had some ideas, but wasn’t certain.

Malcom’s grin held all the arrogance I’d come to associate with the man. “Just a little rearrangement in the managerial department. HR is my department, and I intend to perform my duties to the best of my ability. If that means breaking a few eggs, so be it.”

“Shit,” I cursed, “Dr. Schroder was right. You’re planning a coup.”

Malcom shrugged. “I suppose it depends on your perspective. As far as you and Perry are concerned, you should pray for my success.”

I stiffened and felt Perry freeze beside me. “What does that mean?”

“What it means is that I was correct. Someone in the Company doesn’t appreciate my handling of Perry’s…situation. Hiring Lydia revealed their hand. And now, I have Lydia.” Malcom’s smile grew to an excruciating size. “As Gabe said, not long from now, Lydia will wish she’d died this day.” Tapping his temple, Malcom said, “I’m afraid, for Lydia’s sake, that the knowledge she has up here is far too valuable to waste a bullet on.”

I didn’t think Dr. Schroder was a woman who’d succumb too easily, but that wasn’t my worry. Not really. I didn’t know who these mysterious people were running the Company. What I did know was Malcom Johnson. I may not like the arrogant asshole, but I was counting on that same arrogance to keep Perry’s ass out of the fire. Besides, as much as I hated to admit it, there was a reason for Malcom’s arrogance.

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” Perry murmured, too quiet for Malcom to hear. My fiancé understood just how Malcom expected to get that information, and despite what Dr. Schroder had put us through, he still felt sorry for her. I couldn’t claim that moral ground.

“I’ll keep an eye on the two of you while I restructure the Company’s management. I doubt it will take too long. It would be bad business otherwise. Suffice it to say, Detective Harmon, by the time you and Perry are rescued, Maverick Insurance will be all but gutted. Looking for me or any of our employees will be futile. This isn’t the first time one of the subsidiaries has had to pull up stakes and move on, and it won’t be the last. Trust me, Detective, we have it down to a science.”

“By the time we’re rescued?” Perry sounded frantic. “What does that mean? Aren’t you going to—”

“I’m afraid I’ve done all I can for you, Perry.” I don’t think I imagined the note of regret lacing that statement. “That said, if you ever need anything that might be…beyond your detective’s abilities, we won’t be difficult to find. Not for you. Goodbye, Perry. It has been a true pleasure.”

“Wait, Malcom! You just can’t…walk away…”

But that’s exactly what Malcom Johnson did.

“He left. They all left.” Perry sounded so damn hurt. He was also shivering again.

“Come here.” I wrapped Perry in my arms. While it was cool outside, it wasn’t cold. We’d survive. “Malcom will let someone know. Most likely one of the park rangers. He’ll just wait until he’s had enough time to cover his tracks.” I shuffled us back, my knee protesting every step of the way. At this point, I had to admit that I might have done more damage to it than I’d originally thought. “Come on, let’s sit.”

Instead of settling us on the ground, we sat on the felled tree that had maybe not saved our lives, but had at least saved us more pain and discomfort.

“I don’t even have my phone,” Perry lamented. “I left it on the charger.” He brightened and turned to me. “Do you have yours?”

I pulled it out of my pocket, the charge completely gone. “Sorry, I used up the last bit of power finding you.”

Perry deflated. “Oh, that’s… Wait, finding me?” He gazed up, confusion clear.

Rubbing the back of my neck, I came clean. “I, uh, may have added a little something extra to your engagement ring.”

Perry stared at his finger, the band difficult to see in the increasing darkness. “What do you mean?” He pulled the ring off his finger, twisting it this way and that, trying to see what I’d done.

“Tracking chip.”

“ Tracking chip ? Why?”

I gave Perry a disbelieving stare while keeping my mouth shut. His cheeks flushed, and he slipped the ring back on. “I had no idea. Have you been watching my movements?”

“No! Nothing like that.” I was afraid he might think that. It’s why I hadn’t told him. “Today was the first day I looked at the app. Well, second. I tried it out when I first got the ring and made certain it was working. Full disclosure, Nat has the app on her phone also.”

“Nat can see where I am? Nate, what the hell?”

I scanned our surroundings and defended myself. “Given our current situation, I think it was a good idea.”

Perry slapped me on my arm and gave a disgruntled huff. “Dr. Schroder planned on telling you where I was. She wanted you here. I hardly think the tracking device thingy saved the day.”

“But it did,” I reassured. “We knew where you were before she wanted me to. That gave Malcom, Delia, and Gabe time to scout the area and come up with a plan. Maybe we would have succeeded without it. Maybe not. I can apologize for not telling you, but I won’t apologize for trying to keep you safe. I told you that I’ll always come for you, and that bit of hardware on your finger ensures I can make good on that promise.”

I think Perry rolled his eyes. By now, it was dark enough that I couldn’t see. “Why does Nat have the app?”

“Why not?” I argued back and got an elbow to the ribs for that one. “Hey. I think you might be grateful. Nat should be on her way here. The storms delayed her, but Nat’s tenacious. She’ll get here and when she can’t find us, Malcom or no, she’ll have a way of tracking your location.”

Perry was quiet, and when I nudged him with my shoulder, he nudged back a little harder. “Penny for your thoughts.”

“You need more change than that,” Perry answered. With a deep inhale, he said, “I think I should be angry, but right now, I just can’t find the energy or a convincing enough argument. But fair’s fair. I want a tracking chip in your ring too.”

I could agree to that. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay.” I reassured him.

Perry’s body relaxed, rolling in on himself. Wrapping my arm around his shoulders, I asked, “How’s the head?”

Perry toggled a hand back and forth. “Hurts, but not in a debilitating way. That will probably come later. Sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry about, at least not on my end. We’ll get through it, just like we always do.” I hated thinking of Perry’s upcoming pain but couldn’t deny my gratitude that he was still alive to go through it.

Silence encompassed us, with only the sounds of the surrounding forest. Leaning his head back, Perry said, “I wish I could see the stars.”

There were too many tree branches in the way of a good visual. We could see glimpses, but nothing more than a tempting peek here and there.

Barely touching the knot Dr. Schroder had left on the back of my head, I said, “I think I saw plenty of stars earlier.” Perry’s ensuing fussing made me wish I’d kept my mouth shut. Not that I minded his caring, only that I’d upset him with the reminder of how I’d been injured.

We needed a change of topic. Sexy times would have been nice, given how isolated we were. I didn’t think either of our bodies were up for that. Instead, I asked, “Have you given any thought to where you want to get hitched?”

Perry huffed. “You want to discuss that now?”

“No time like the present.”

Perry’s soft laughter filled my chest and warmed my soul. Snuggling into my side, Perry answered, “You know I don’t care. As long as we’re married by the end of the ceremony, I’m good.”

“You’re terribly easy, you know that?”

“You say it like it’s a bad thing.”

Leaning over, I pressed my lips against his forehead. “No, not a bad thing. Never a bad thing.”

Perry and I spent the night in the woods, cuddled against each other. Dawn was just beginning to light the area when I heard the crashing of bodies coming through the woods. Nat’s welcome, “Nate, where the fuck are you? You sure as shit better be with Perry,” sending a sigh of relief through my body.

T hankfully, Nat came with reinforcements and two mini-ATVs. With the aid of a rope and a lot of huffing, puffing, pain, and struggle, I managed to get up the slope. I was sweating and nauseous by the time I sat down in the ATV. Bless Perry; he tried his best to help prop me up as I walked, our role reversal not lost upon me.

“Sit down before you fall down,” Nat ordered unnecessarily before shoving a bottle of water in my hand. She gave a second one to Perry before squeezing in beside us. One of the park rangers was in the driver’s seat.

Throbbing pain shot through my knee, radiating up and down my leg. Gritting my teeth, I tried keeping all my profanity locked up in my head.

“Here, looks like you dropped something,” Nat said as she shoved my firearm into my lap. “Damn sloppy leaving it laying around, Harmon.”

“That’s probably my fault,” Perry defended me. “Er…kind of. It’s a long story.”

“Did you find anything else? Willie’s body, maybe?”

Nat stared at me, eyes wide, before shaking her head. “No body.”

“Not surprising.” I would have been more shocked if they’d left Willie Slater’s body behind.

“Not sorry the asshole’s dead,” Nat stated, clearly irritated. However, I got the feeling she was more irritated with the situation than with Perry or me. Turns out, she was scared too.

“You have no idea what I went through when I saw them shove that body bag into the ambulance.” Nat’s voice was almost lost over the rumble of the ATV as we began bumping down the trail, heading back to the cabins.

“What body?” I asked, my throbbing pain taking a backseat to worried curiosity. “I thought you said there wasn’t a body.”

Nat’s body jostled when we went over an uneven spot. Her grip tightened on the sidebar, and she gritted her teeth while sending our driver a scathing look. Out in the open, I could see the strain on Nat’s face easier. My partner didn’t look a hell of a lot better than Perry and me.

“Not Willie’s, Hank Shelton,” Nat answered loud enough that our driver flinched.

“Ranger Shelton?” Perry asked, expressing my own disbelief. “How? Why? I mean…I don’t understand.”

Perry glanced between me and Nat, but I had no further insight and shook my head. Nat glanced our driver’s way before she answered, “Looks like a heavy branch fell on his head. The preliminary thought is it broke his neck. Given the circumstances, there will probably be an autopsy. That’s up to the local PD.”

Perry’s mouth dropped open as he gaped at Nat. “A branch? How could that—”

“It was a large one, high up in the canopy,” our driver answered. She glanced back every now and again but thankfully kept her eyes on the trail. “Hank was sent out to examine the trails after last night’s storms.” Shoulders rounded, our driver folded in on herself. “It can be dangerous out there. Lots of trees were damaged and… It’s a freak accident for sure, but not unheard of.”

Perry and I shared a look, his wide eyes reflecting my own disbelief. Accident. Right . What had Delia said when she left last night? She had some unfinished business to take care of. I hadn’t truly considered her words or what they might mean. Had Hank Shelton truly died in some horrible accident? Maybe. Did I believe whatever hit him over the head was all Mother Nature’s doing? Not a chance.

“Nate, do you think…?” Perry couldn’t finish his question. Maybe he didn’t really want to know.

I hugged Perry tight. His smaller frame allowed me to see over his head and look Nat in the eyes. Looked like we were all on the same wavelength when it came to the instigator of Hank Shelton’s demise.

When we finally rolled into the camp, any thoughts of quizzing Delia evaporated, just like all evidence of Maverick Insurance’s retreat. The camp looked like a ghost town. The only vehicles left nearby were mine and Captain Barrington’s.

Captain Barrington stood by the remnants of the main bonfire, hands on hips and mouth pulled down tight. Hearing our approach drew his attention, and he moved to intercept us. The ATV slowed to a crawl before stopping completely.

“Thank you, Ranger Erikson.” Captain Barrington moved to Nat’s side of the vehicle. She hopped out easily, and Perry scooted, following her lead. I was a hell of a lot slower and grimaced when I had to move my stiff knee. This time, I couldn’t swallow my profanity. “Fuck.”

“Harmon?” Captain Barrington moved closer, looking me up and down for injury.

“He banged up his knee and got conked on the head,” Perry answered helpfully while I was trying to push down the pain.

Barrington frowned. “Looks a little worse than that.”

I wasn’t sure how he knew that, considering there wasn’t any blood. When I chanced a glance at my swollen appendage, I nearly vomited all over Perry. My knee was horribly swollen and black, blue, and every other motley color combination. Yeah, looked like I’d definitely done more than sprain it.

Barrington’s gaze shifted to Perry, his frown deepening. The blood coating Perry’s wrists had dried and was sticky and flaking. Both our clothes were torn, and we had numerous scrapes and bruises littering our visible bodies, and that was saying nothing regarding what was hidden below our tattered T-shirts and shorts.

“If you’re okay, I need to get back to base,” Ranger Erikson said, reminding me she was still present.

Nat stepped up, shaking our rescuer’s hand. “Thank you. We appreciate your help.”

“I’m just glad everyone’s in one piece.”

“Ditto,” Barrington agreed.

“The park roads have been cleared enough that you should be able to get out,” Ranger Erikson said before she took off. “Drive carefully,” she offered with a backward wave.

I stared at the empty parking lot and winced. “Looks like the rest of the group has already taken advantage of the cleared roads.”

Barrington grunted. “The place was already cleared out by the time Nat and I arrived.”

“They’re gone?” Perry asked, his words forlorn.

“Looks that way,” Nat answered.

I swallowed hard, my throat still dry despite the water Nat had given me. “I’ve got a feeling it’s not just here they’ve cleared out of.”

Barrington’s gaze was sharp, his eyes narrowed and his voice low. “You think they’ve picked up stakes?”

I nodded. “I think Maverick Insurance and all their employees are long gone.”

Perry raised a shaky hand. “This employee is still here.”

Wrapping him in my arms, I whispered “And thank God for that.”