Page 22 of Scent of Evil (Sullivan K9 Search and Rescue #7)

“There is a thunderstorm in the forecast for early this afternoon,” Trevor agreed. “Hopefully, the rain will come sooner than later.”

“Amen,” Justin muttered.

She turned to check the fire’s progress but couldn’t see much beyond the large horse trailer. The black smoke still clouded the sky, though, and it wasn’t difficult to imagine the fire feeding off the trees and other brush.

As if on cue, fat rain drops splattered against the windshield. Lightly at first, then with more force. The rain was a blessing from God, and she was grateful to know the fire would be brought under control soon.

With a sigh, she sat back against the cushion. Now that they were relatively safe, the SUV putting miles between them and what remained of the forest fire, she was keenly aware of her headache and sore muscles. Everything hurt from her head to her toes.

Yet as badly as she wanted to sleep for the next twenty-four hours or so, Decker was still out there. The rain was a blessing, yet she also knew she couldn’t abandon the search in hopes that he’d been swallowed by the fire.

The devil takes care of his own.

She still needed to find Decker.

* * *

Justin knew Decker’s escape nagged at Raine, and he tried to think of a way they could pick up the guy’s trail. If the thunderstorm lasted long enough, it should be enough to douse the fire.

But he also knew there was no guarantee. Pockets of smoldering fire could reignite if the wind picked up. Wyoming was well known for its brisk wind.

Trevor’s phone rang, jolting him from his thoughts. His brother hit the answer button with his thumb. Griff’s voice came through the speakers. “What’s your status?”

“I have Justin and Raine.” Trevor raised his voice to be heard above the rain pounding against the hood of their SUV. “Sorry, I should have called sooner but was anxious to hit the road.”

“Thank you, God.” Griff’s voice was a reverent prayer. “I’m so glad they’re safe. The firefighters had to back off the cabin; the fire spread too fast for them to contain it.”

“It’s raining now,” Justin spoke up. “Hopefully that helps.”

“It should. Especially if it rains for at least an hour or two. Sounds like it’s coming down pretty hard, which is nice.” Griff sounded relieved. “I’m glad I don’t have to tell Chase we lost you.”

Justin’s oldest brother, Chase, tended to act like an overprotective father when the younger siblings were in danger.

Not that he hadn’t supported their search and rescue missions, because Chase had.

Yet tracking a convicted felon who was armed and desperate was not their usual quarry.

Justin was glad he’d been called while he was away from the ranch so Chase couldn’t protest. Not that Justin would have listened.

Decker was a menace and needed to be stopped before other innocent lives were lost.

Over the past several months, the Sullivan K9 routine search missions had proven to be anything but normal.

Oh, they still searched and found lost hikers, kids, hunters, and other people who were reported missing.

But lately his older siblings had taken on searches that had led them straight into danger, and Chase had not taken those perilous circumstances in stride.

“Tell Chase we’re fine,” Justin said. “That a bomb exploded as we were searching the place wasn’t something we could have anticipated.”

“I hear you,” Griff agreed. “I still can’t believe that happened. I mean, why blow up your own cabin?”

“It’s a mystery,” Justin agreed.

“Any news on Decker’s whereabouts?” Raine asked from the back seat. “I know Logan had to abandon his search, but has anyone else reported seeing Decker?”

“There have been a few reports coming in, but none have panned out.” Griff sounded weary. “We’ll follow up on them regardless, but I’m sure Decker is still in the Bighorn Mountains.”

“What about Jim Kluck?” Raine asked. “Have the locals found him yet?”

“Negative,” Griff replied. “But Logan was able to verify that Decker was alone on the ATV. That was shortly before he had to turn around, abandoning the search.”

“That’s interesting.” Justin frowned and turned to glance at Raine. “I wonder if he killed Kluck once he was no longer useful. Maybe he even left the guy in the cabin.”

Raine nodded slowly. “That fits his pattern. He’s a ruthless killer who only cares about himself.”

“That’s a possibility, but we’re still trying to follow up on leads,” Griff said. “Kluck owns the cabin but had another address listed on an earlier driver’s license. I sent deputies there to check the place out.”

“The name doesn’t sound familiar to me.” Justin arched his brow at Raine who shook her head. “I hope the deputies find someone there who can help verify Kluck’s whereabouts. Maybe we’re wrong about him being at the cabin.”

“We’re not wrong. Kluck had to be the one to set the bomb,” Raine quickly interjected. “I guess he could have left, but why would he? I have a feeling he stayed and waited for Decker to arrive.”

“You’re probably right, but it would be nice to know for sure.” Griff paused, then added, “I’d better call Chase. We’ll see you soon.”

“Thanks, Griff.” Trevor hit the button on his steering wheel to end the call. “I hadn’t realized Logan only saw one man on the ATV. I’m sure Decker got rid of his accomplice. No reason to have Kluck dragging him back from his escape efforts.”

“Exactly.” Raine’s tone was bitter. “They’re both scum of the earth, likely finding each other on the dark web, but I’d rather have arrested Kluck for aiding and abetting than to know Decker killed him in cold blood.”

Justin knew she was right. “It’s going to be hard to arrest Decker for murder if we don’t find Kluck’s body.”

“There are two murders we can charge him for now, which should be enough to put him away for the rest of his life.” Raine sighed. “Once we find him.”

Justin felt Trevor’s gaze and knew his younger brother didn’t want him to head out to track Decker again. But really, what choice did he have? Letting the guy go wasn’t an option.

Not when they knew he would likely find another young girl to kidnap.

“Are we going back to my sister’s house?” Raine asked.

“Yes. Griff is still using the place as a home base,” Trevor said. “Why, is that a problem?”

“No, it’s great. I’m sure Cami doesn’t mind.” Raine sounded relieved that they weren’t going too far away.

“It will be nice to get cleaned up, eat some lunch, and figure out our next steps.” Justin felt self-conscious about the fact that he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

He hadn’t realized it until he’d pulled Raine into a hug.

He probably shouldn’t have hugged and kissed her, but he’d been so thankful to be safe that he’d needed to.

He grimaced at his foolishness and tried to focus on more important issues.

“Trevor, do you have extra clothes I can borrow?”

“Of course.” Trev flashed a grin. “But I’m not giving you anything until you take a shower. Hate to point out the obvious, but you both reek like smoke.”

Justin didn’t take offense. Not when he knew it was true.

He glanced back at Raine to find her staring blindly out at the passing scenery.

If she’d heard and objected to Trevor’s comment, she didn’t show it.

She appeared lost in thought, and he wondered what was going through her mind.

Raindrops still pounded down on the roof of their car, but he didn’t mind.

The fresh clean scent coming in through the vents was welcome after being in thick smoke for so long.

No doubt she was already planning their next steps. His expression softened as he saw Stone was sleeping on the seat beside her, his head resting near her thigh. She kept her hand on the dog’s back as if to comfort him.

Stone was a great tracker, but if Justin was being honest, he wasn’t thrilled with the idea of heading out with his K9 to track Decker anytime soon. The explosion and the subsequent forest fire were more than enough excitement for one day.

Unfortunately, it was barely noon.

Fifteen minutes later, Trevor pulled up in front of Camille’s home. His brother glanced over as he put the gearshift in reverse. “You and Raine can head inside to get cleaned up. My overnight bag is in my SUV, help yourself.”

Justin paused in the act of opening the passenger-side door. “Where are you going?”

“I’ll take the horses to the Lucky Charm to groom them.” Trevor flashed a grin. “I know you’d like to know the horses are well cared for.”

Justin always had an affinity for the animals, especially the horses. And his brother was right. He’d do the job himself if he could. “Okay, do you want me to take Archie inside?”

“No, he can hang with me.” Trevor gestured to the back seat. “Stone looks like he could use more rest anyway.”

“Thanks.” He pushed out the passenger door and was instantly soaked from the rain. Yet the cool water felt nice, especially on his back. He turned to open the rear door so Raine and Stone could come out.

Stone jumped down and lifted his nose to the air, as if recognizing their location. It never ceased to amaze him how smart their K9s were. “Come, Stone. Raine, are you okay?”

“Fine.” Raine was drenched too. But she didn’t seem to mind. “Feels good after the fire, doesn’t it?”

“Oh yeah.” He walked with her up to the house, then stepped back. “I need to grab Trevor’s bag. You and Stone should head inside.”

“Okay.” When she entered the house, Stone didn’t immediately follow, looking back at Justin as if waiting for a command.

“Go on, boy. I’ll be there soon.” He turned and jogged back to Trevor’s SUV that was still attached to the trailer carrying the four-wheelers. As he dug in the back for the duffel, he wondered if they should switch to using the ATVs.

They were louder, but maybe at this point that didn’t matter. Their attempt to sneak up on Decker at the cabin had backfired big time.

It stung to know the convict was one step ahead of them. Even more so that Decker had other creeps willing to help him.

Even at their own peril.

He slung the duffel over his shoulder and hurried back up to the house. The tangy scent of pepperoni pizza greeted him when he entered. Stone thumped his tail on the floor in greeting but didn’t come out from beneath the kitchen table.

“Smells great.” He was suddenly famished.

Camille glanced up at him. Griff, Cami, and Ginny were already making a dent in the pie. “Don’t worry, I have another one I’ll cook for you and Raine.”

“Thanks.” He stood for a moment, water running off his clothes in rivulets. “I guess I need to borrow your shower when Raine is finished.”

“She’s in my room. You can use the guest bathroom.” Cami jumped up from her seat. “I’ll get you a towel.”

He watched Griff working on the computer as he ate. His brother-in-law glanced over and gave him a nod. “I’m still working on Kluck. Should have something soon.”

“Good.” They could use a lead that was more than knowing Decker was somewhere in the mountains. When Cami returned, he toweled himself off the best he could, took off his boots, and padded down the hall to the bathroom.

The shower felt wonderful, especially the cool water sluicing down the pink skin of his back. He hadn’t realized a fire could act like the sun, although it made sense. A burn was a burn regardless of the source.

Thankfully, Trevor also had a spare pair of jeans along with a shirt in his duffel bag. Justin dressed and carried his smoky, wet clothes out of the bathroom. He stopped abruptly when he nearly ran into Raine.

“Oh, great. I’ll take those.” She reached for his clothes. “I’m tossing everything in the washer.”

“Thanks.” He watched her for a moment, keenly aware of how beautiful she was. The fact that she hadn’t smacked him when he’d kissed her made him wonder how she’d react if he kissed her again.

A real kiss this time.

When she disappeared into the laundry room, he turned away, allowing the scent of pepperoni to lead him back to the kitchen. Griff was still focused on his computer, giving Justin the impression the guy could work in the middle of a rugby match without losing his concentration.

“It’s almost ready,” Cami said. “Please have a seat.”

He noticed Ginny had finished eating and was in the living room working on a project.

Rather than sitting under the table the way their K9s usually did during mealtimes, Stone had jumped up to sleep beside Ginny.

She stroked his fur as she worked. He smiled, hoping the girl took some solace from Stone’s presence.

And he prayed she hadn’t suffered any nightmares from being abducted by Decker.

“Can I help?” In their family, everyone chipped in.

“No, please, just sit down. It’s ready.” Cami pulled the pizza out of the oven and set it on a cutting board. After slicing it, she brought it to the table. Raine joined them a minute later.

He was about to say grace when Griff said, “I don’t believe it.”

“What?” He jumped up to go around to see the screen for himself. There was a driver’s license photo on the screen. He frowned. “That looks like Decker.”

“Yep. Because Decker and Jim Kluck are one and the same.” Griff shook his head slowly as Raine gasped and quickly joined them.

“Kluck is an alias. There’s no background on the guy at all, so I was suspicious.

That previous address? It’s bogus. The deputy who headed over said it was an abandoned building. ”

Justin stared at the face on the screen.

Decker and Kluck were the same person. Now he understood why the cabin had been wired to blow.

And it made sense that Decker had made a beeline for the place the minute he’d gotten out.

If he hadn’t stopped to kidnap Ginny, giving in to his evil weakness, they’d never have found him.

Yet he couldn’t help but wonder if Decker had other aliases at his disposal. And if so, how in the world could they find him?