Page 10 of Scent of Evil (Sullivan K9 Search and Rescue #7)

“It’s me, we have Ginny.” Justin got straight to the point. “Unfortunately, Decker is still in the wind.”

“Great news on rescuing the girl,” Griff said. “I’m on my way to Buffalo now and will call Ginny’s mom, who has been frantic with worry. What are your current coordinates?”

“Hang on, I’ll get them.” Justin cradled the phone receiver between his shoulder and ear as he manipulated his compass and GPS unit.

It was a good thing his oldest brother, Chase, had insisted the Sullivan siblings all learn how to navigate via a compass and GPS unit.

A critical skill for SAR operations. “Okay, I have them. Are you ready?”

“Yep.”

Justin provided the coordinates, listening as Griff read them back, likely jotting them in a notebook.

Then he took a moment to establish how far they’d gone since leaving Ginny’s home in the outskirts of Buffalo.

A lot farther than he’d realized at the time, not that it had mattered as they were hot on Decker’s trail.

Still, they were pretty much stuck in the middle of the mountain.

“Listen, Griff, it’s going to take us several hours to get back, especially since Blaze will need to carry two riders. ”

“Understood. What about Decker?”

“He somehow wrecked the four-wheeler ramming it into a tree. That marks the spot where the trail went in different directions. According to Stone, Decker went northwest while Ginny fled southeast.”

“Any idea where he’s headed?” Griff asked.

“No clue. But he doesn’t have any camping gear, and he’s on foot, so he won’t get too far.”

“Decker is hurt,” Ginny spoke up. “His knee is swollen, and he has a gash on the side of his head.”

“Thanks, Ginny, that’s helpful.” He repeated the information to Griff, scanning the area above them. Decker was still armed and could fire on them from a higher vantage point. “We know he’ll need to find some sort of shelter before dark.”

“That’s not much to go on,” Griff said with a sigh. “Now that we know Ginny is safe, we can work to get choppers and planes in the air at first light.”

“Okay.” Justin had a feeling Raine wouldn’t want to wait until morning, not that she’d have a choice.

No way could they keep searching in the dark.

And with the dark clouds overhead, what light they had would fade fast. He wasn’t even sure they’d make it back to Ginny’s home before darkness fell. “Thanks, Griff. We’ll be in touch.”

“Good work, Justin.” With that, Griff ended the call.

He stuffed the receiver back in the phone bag and stood. Raine was still holding Ginny close, as if she couldn’t bear to be separated from her. He smiled as he stored the phone in the saddle bag. He removed two protein bars and handed them to Raine. “For you and Ginny.”

“Thanks, but I think Ginny needs them more than I do.” Raine eased back, loosening her grip. “I took an extra one earlier. Are you hungry, Ginny?”

“Yeah.” The girl sniffed and swiped at her face. Justin frowned when he saw her bloodstained palm.

“What happened to your hand?”

Ginny grimaced. “I found a sharp rock that I was going to use against Decker. I held it in my hand while we were riding the four-wheeler, and it kept cutting into my skin, so I had to drop it.”

The bloodstained rock Stone had alerted on. “Stone found it.”

“He did?” Ginny shot a look of admiration at Stone. “He’s so smart.”

“Very much so,” Raine agreed. “We’ll need to wash that wound.”

Justin found two water bottles. “Here, you should drink one and use the other to wash out the wound. We still have a long ride back to the house.”

“Great,” Raine muttered. “Just what I wanted to hear.”

Ginny gulped a little over half of the first water bottle, then handed it to her aunt. Raine took a long sip, then gave the rest to Justin. She used the second water bottle to clean Ginny’s palm.

“Too bad we don’t have soap.” Raine glanced at him with concern. “There’s a lot of dirt ground into this wound.”

He grimaced. “We should be fine. Usually it takes at least twenty-four hours for an infection to set in. If you’re finished, we need to mount up.”

Ginny looked up at Timber and Blaze. “Am I going to ride back with you?”

“She can ride with me,” Raine offered. “That way Stone can ride with you if needed.”

He hesitated, then nodded. It would be better for Ginny and Raine to ride together, their combined weight was probably only a few pounds more than his alone.

And he had been worried about Stone. The K9 had done an amazing job in leading them to Ginny, but he was likely tired out from the long mission.

“Okay, let’s get Ginny up first, then.” He smiled and offered Ginny his laced-together fingers. “Do you know how to ride?”

“Yes, but I’ve never ridden double.” Ginny gamely stepped into his hands, reaching up for the saddle horn. She was so light it was easy to lift her up onto Timber’s wide back.

“Good job. Raine, it’s your turn.” He once again offered her his hands.

With steely determination darkening her eyes, Raine swung into the saddle behind Ginny.

A flash of pain creased her features, but with Ginny in front of her, the girl didn’t notice.

He felt bad for Raine, but there wasn’t an option if they were going to get back before nightfall.

He turned to Stone. “Hand.” The dog relinquished his stuffed penguin.

Justin stored it away, they wouldn’t need it moving forward, then lifted his seventy-pound lab onto Blaze’s back.

Once he was mounted behind the dog, he repositioned Stone into a more comfortable position, then turned Blaze on the trail.

He took a moment to double-check their coordinates, then chose the shortest path to Ginny’s home. Clucking his tongue and nudging Blaze with his heels, he urged the horse forward. “Hiya, let’s go.”

Blaze obediently moved forward. He led the horse through the rugged terrain along the general path that would lead them back. With Raine and Ginny riding double, and Stone across his lap, they couldn’t trot or canter to make better time.

No matter how much he wanted to.

As they moved at a slow and steady pace through the woods, Justin scanned the northern ridge, half expecting Decker to pop up. Hopefully, they were far enough out of the range of his handgun that he wouldn’t be able to hurt them.

But he could try to spook the horses.

As if sensing his concern, Ginny asked, “Is Decker still out there somewhere?”

He glanced over his shoulder. Seeing no reason to lie, the girl had been smart enough to escape when she had the chance, he nodded. “Yep. Although I’m sure he’s trying to get away to avoid being caught.”

“He knows of a place to hide,” Ginny said, surprising him. “He kept telling me that’s where we were going to pick up where we left off two years ago.”

Her grim statement sent a red wave of anger rolling through him. That jerk had taunted the girl with his plan.

“Do you know where this place is located?” Raine asked.

“No. Just that he had a friend .” Ginny emphasized the last word, as if knowing the so-called friend was a sick man just like Decker.

“I wish I had a list of Decker’s contacts,” Raine muttered harshly. “If I had my way, I’d arrest them all.”

He silently agreed with her sentiment. It was no doubt frustrating for Raine to give up searching for Decker. A temporary reprieve, but still one that could allow Decker to hide in the mountains for a long time.

If he could find shelter. And if he managed to find the location of his friend’s place.

“I hope a bear attacks and eats him,” Ginny said.

“Me too, Ginny,” Raine said. “Me too.”

Justin didn’t point out that scenario wasn’t likely.

His brother Joel had experienced a run-in with a mama grizzly a few weeks ago, but that had been a case where a child had gotten between the mama and her cub.

Grizzlies could be fierce, but they weren’t native to the Bighorn Mountains.

They were in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, some of them migrating as far as the Appaloosa mountains, which was where Joel had run into one.

In truth, grizzlies, especially the males, could migrate for miles if they chose to do so.

Which meant they could end up in the Bighorns at some point.

Generally, bears didn’t just attack humans. Right now, the bigger threat was the temperature dropping along with the light.

He glanced back at Raine and Ginny. Raine was letting Ginny hold the reins, while she had her arms wrapped around the girl’s torso. Hopefully, their combined body heat would be enough to prevent either of them from succumbing to hypothermia as they lost the warmth of the sun.

“How much longer?” Ginny asked a few minutes later.

“It’s going to take some time yet.” He was purposefully vague. “But you should know that my brother-in-law is FBI Agent Griff Flannery, and he’s called your mom to let her know you’re safe with us.”

“I’m glad,” Ginny said. “But I don’t feel very good.”

He frowned, turning to look back at them again. It was too early for her wound to have become infected, but maybe the lack of food and water was catching up to her. Along with the colder temps. He managed a reassuring smile. “Try to hang in there, okay?”

“I will.” Ginny’s voice sounded weary. He knew the poor kid had used up most of her strength and courage just escaping Decker. He admired the young girl’s steely determination.

If there was a way to make this easier on her, he would. But there was no other way to get back other than riding.

“Lean on me, Ginny,” Raine said. “I can take the reins if it’s too much for you to handle.”

“I’m okay.” Her weak tone didn’t inspire confidence.

Justin urged Blaze forward as fast as he dared with the horses carrying additional weight. He was worried Raine and Ginny may not be able to endure the three-and-a-half-hour-long ride back to civilization and began scouting areas where they could spend the night if needed.

Camping in the wilderness wasn’t ideal, especially with Decker out on the loose. Yet he didn’t want to wait until Ginny or Raine fell out of the saddle from sheer exhaustion.

Better to be proactive than to wait until they had no choice.

They rode in silence for a solid fifteen minutes until he spotted what appeared to be a rocky overhang that might offer the shelter they needed. It wasn’t the one Decker had used earlier; they were too far south for that.

“Raine?” He raised his arm to indicate the rock. “We may be able to stop there for the night.”

“You think we should stay out here all night?” Her eyes widened in alarm, as if he’d suggested they dance naked in the rain.

“That’s up to you and Ginny.” He thought they looked rather pathetic, considering the distance they had yet to cover. “If you’re not going to make it, we need to find a place that will provide cover in case it rains again.”

“I don’t feel good,” Ginny said again. “My stomach hurts.”

That was enough for Raine to nod in agreement. “Okay, if you think that’s a good spot, I’m fine with that.”

“Good.” He reined Blaze to head back up the incline. He thought they were far enough from where Decker had taken off that they should be safe. The guy was on foot and had been heading northwest.

Hopefully, the convict hadn’t doubled back to catch up with them.

He urged Blaze to go a little faster now that the rocky overhang was in sight. As they drew closer, he could see the overhang wasn’t as large as he’d hoped. It would offer some protection, but not a lot if the wind kicked up.

The woods were wet, which would make starting a fire difficult too. Justin was struck by a moment of indecision. Was he doing the right thing by stopping?

Or should they keep pressing on?

“Aunt Raine, I’m going to be sick.” Ginny’s warning came moments before he heard her gagging.

That settled it. He nudged Blaze with his heels until they reached the outcropping. Justin slid from Blaze, then took a moment to lift Stone to the ground, before rushing over toward Ginny.

“I’m sorry.” The girl’s eyes filled with tears. “I didn’t mean to throw up.”

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault.” He lifted her down, frowning when he realized she was burning up with a fever. Glancing up at Raine, her expression was grim as well. Riding together as they were, Raine would have noticed the warmth radiating off her niece.

Feeling helpless, he carried Ginny beneath the rocky overhang, setting her down on the dry earth underneath. They were miles from home with a sick kid.

What else could go wrong?