Page 140 of Present Danger (Rocky Mountain Courage 1)

In his heart, he would still keep hoping, still keep believing Terra was alive.

A box lay opened next to the body of the helicopter. Robert had explained that Terra’s father had brought the artifact to negotiate. Was this it? But the only thing Jack saw in the box was a plastic Darth Vader mask.

“Looks like dear old dad didn’t have the artifact, after all,” Owen said.

“So that means, if they both survived, Tony has her. He’ll keep her as ransom for it.”

Owen rubbed his whole face, as if wiping away the anguish twisting his features. “Which way do you think Briggs would go?” Owen asked. “What do you think would be his best escape?”

“I vote for heading east. He could make his way down. Maybe steal a vehicle. Search and rescue would take a different path, but we should split up, just in case. We can’t lose her.”

“Agreed. And Jack?” Owen hesitated.

“Yeah.”

“Watch your back. Stay alive.”

“You do the same. We’ll find her.”

Jack relied on the flashlight to light his path but remained cautious that he didn’t head off a cliff. A gust of wind foretold of the arctic winter to come, blasting a strong hint of bitter cold he could feel to his bones.

Outside the ring of light from the flashlight, darkness felt like it closed in around him.

Where are you, Terra?

Be alive. Just be alive.

The hair on the back of his neck rose. He stiffened, bracing for danger. Wind rushed over him milliseconds before a form slammed into him, knocking him into a granite boulder and bumping the flashlight from his grip. His gun flew from his hand as the breath whooshed from his lungs.

The beam of light flickered and went out, leaving him in darkness. Sensing movement again, he rolled out of the way. A fist caught the side of his jaw. Jack landed on his bum arm, and he swallowed a cry of pain.

His pulse roared in his ears. He refused to let panic get the best of him, but where was the gun?

“Briggs. Give it up. I know who you are.” Slowly standing, Jack calmed his breaths. Evened his tone. “The cops know you’re Tony Gray. Your mother saw you in her house last night. She thought she was seeing a ghost. My guess is you were worried that Leif had gotten to her.”

Jack listened and waited. Where was Briggs?

A crack sounded behind him. Jack ducked as he whirled and rushed forward. He caught Briggs in the waist and shoved forward with all his strength, tackling until the man stumbled backward. Jack forced Briggs to the ground as they neared a cliff, mere feet away from the ledge.

Jack knew where he was. He’d scaled that granite wall before.

Then Jack straddled Briggs, resisting the desire to pound his face. “Where is she?”

Briggs gasped for breath. Jack could make out blood spilling from his nose in the moonlight that broke through the clouds. He had been injured in the crash but still fought like he had no pain.

“What did you do with her?”

“I don’t know where she is.”

“You’re lying.” Jack raised his fist. “You know I can kill you with one move.”

The man coughed up blood and laughed. “She got away.”

If Jack got up, Briggs could attack him or run into the woods and Jack would lose him. To subdue him, he needed his gun.

“You looking for this?” Terra hobbled forward and pointed the gun at Briggs.

Jack got up and took the weapon from her. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, to look her over, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the man behind it all. Though, if he understood correctly, Leif was the one who killed Jim and Neva on his mission to find the man behind his sister’s murder, gutting Briggs’s trafficking network in the process.