Page 119 of Present Danger (Rocky Mountain Courage 1)

He forced his thoughts to the immediate threat and danger to her and others. “Did we get him?”

A shadow crossed her gaze. “Not yet.”

Anger boiled through him. “How could he get away?”

“It takes a while for the forces to gather out there. You know that. He was probably long gone.”

He thought about her brother. If she was here with him, he assumed that meant she hadn’t gone to face Owen. Jack hoped that the sheriff or someone within his department had already approached her brother with a few questions. If Owen was involved, the last place Terra needed to be was at the ranch.

Nor should she continue her investigation. He hoped her superior would put her on desk duty while the shooting was being investigated, but he wasn’t sure how the forest service did things, considering they had so few investigators. She had to have thought of all this already. But he wouldn’t bring it up now because he didn’t have the energy to argue. He couldn’t stop her if she walked out that door.

How could he keep her here until it was over?

“Can you hand me my cell?” he asked.

She frowned again. “You don’t have a cell, Jack. Let’s just say you survived the bullets, but your cell didn’t.”

He started to sit up. “I’m getting out of here. There’s too much to do.”

She pressed a hand on his shoulder. “The doctor hasn’t released you yet. Even if he does, you know you’ll be on desk duty for a couple of days.”

He groused. “I don’t care. I can’t stay here. There’s something I can do.”

Jack’s left arm screamed when he tried to move it. Dizziness swept over him, and he gripped the bed until it passed. Then he eased his bare feet onto the floor and sat on the edge of the bed. Realization dawned that he was in a hospital gown.

“See, Jack. You’re pushing it.”

“I’ve been through worse. A graze isn’t that bad. I lost some blood, that’s all. The doctor patched me up.” He reached for the landline phone next to the bed.

“Who are you going to call at this hour? Nobody is expecting you to check in.”

He slammed the phone down. “I don’t know his number off the top of my head.”

“Whose number?”

“Detective Campbell’s.” Nathan could share details about what was going on.

“Nathan? Fine.” She stood and handed over a cell. “I lost my phone out in the cornstalks. But this is a burner. Nathan wanted me to text him.”

Jack grabbed the phone. “So, you guys are friends now?” That sounded entirely too possessive. But at the moment, he didn’t care if she thought he sounded jealous.

“He’s worried about you,” she said. “I was supposed to text him with any news.”

Jack hit Nathan’s name next to Owen’s in the contact list. Nausea threatened. Had she talked to Owen? The call buzzed a few times.

“Terra, what is it?” Nathan answered with the question.

“This is Jack. What’s going on out there?”

Terra crossed her arms.

“I was going to call Terra in the morning with the news,” Nathan said. “Or maybe deliver it to you in person.”

“Well? Did you find him?”

“Yeah.” Campbell blew out a breath. “In a grain silo. He’s dead.”

“He fell in trying to hide?”

“He fell in, all right. Right after someone put a bullet in his head.”