Page 26 of Taken from Her (Phoenix Ridge Police Department #4)

Diana approached the opening with caution, one hand on her weapon while using her camera to document the approach. The fallen trees created natural barriers that would funnel movement through a narrow gap.

Perfect for an ambush.

The clearing opened beyond the barrier, roughly fifty feet across with paths radiating in four directions. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the canopy break, illuminating an area that should’ve felt peaceful but instead raised every alarm Diana possessed.

“This isn’t right,” she said, scanning the perimeter.

A recent disturbance marked the clearing’s edges. Tramped vegetation that wasn’t consistent with normal foot traffic, scattered debris that looked deliberately placed rather than naturally accumulated, and in the center of the clearer, a circle of stones arranged too precisely to be accidental.

“Someone’s been camping here,” Lavender said as she examined the stone circle. “But not for recreation.”

Diana photographed everything, her pulse quickening as evidence mounted. This wasn’t just a surveillance point. Someone had been using this location for extended periods, creating a base of operations hidden deep enough in the forest to avoid casual discovery.

“Diana, look at this.”

Partially concealed beneath a fallen branch, someone had constructed a crude shelter using forest materials and camouflage tarp. Not visible from the trail approaches, but offering clear views of all access points.

Diana approached the shelter with her weapon drawn, her training overriding everything else. No one was inside, but signs of recent occupation were obvious. Food containers, water bottles, and equipment that made her stomach clench with recognition.

Surveillance gear, high-powered binoculars, and maps marked with locations that corresponded to places where all three victims had been taken.

“We need to get out of here. Now,” Diana said, holstering her weapon but maintaining an alert posture. “This is an active site.”

“How active?” Lavender asked, but her question was answered by a sound that made both women freeze. Vehicle engines. Multiple vehicles were approaching their location on access roads Diana hadn’t known existed.

Diana grabbed Lavender’s hand, pulling her toward the tree line as the engine sounds grew closer. Her radio crackled with static, communications still compromised by the terrain.

They were alone in the forest with whoever had been using this clearing as a base camp. And from the sound of approaching vehicles, they were about to have company.

“This way,” Diana whispered, leading Lavender toward the thickest section of forest cover. “Stay low, and stay quiet.”

The vehicles stopped somewhere beyond the clearing, door slamming with authority that suggested people comfortable in this environment. Voices carried through the trees, too distant to make out words but close enough to confirm Diana’s worst fears.

They’d found the staging area. And the people who’d been using it had just arrived.

Diana counted footsteps approaching through the forest. Three distinct gaits, heavy boots moving with purpose rather than caution. Whoever these people were, they belonged here. This was their territory.

She positioned herself in front of Lavender, her hand resting on her weapon while calculating the distances to better cover. The thick underbrush that had concealed their approach now trapped them in a narrow corridor with limited escape options.

Police,” a voice called from the clearing, close enough that Diana could make out the words. “We know you’re out there.”

Diana’s blood went cold. Lavender pressed closer behind her, breathing controlled but rapid. Diana could feel her tension and the way she trusted Diana’s training while fighting her own fear.

“Chief Marten,” the voice continued, conversation but laced with threat. “Bring your civilian consultant out where we can see you.”

They knew who she was. They’d been watching and waiting for exactly this scenario, and she had led them both in their trap.

Diana’s mind raced through tactical options.

Three armed people with knowledge of the terrain versus two people with minimal backup and compromised communications.

The math wasn’t favorable. But they also had advantages: Diana’s training, Lavender’s forest knowledge, and desperation that came from protecting someone who mattered more to her than protocol.

“Stay behind me,” Diana whispered. “When I move, you move. Don’t think, just follow.”

Lavender nodded, her hand finding Diana’s shoulder for a brief moment of connection that steadied them both.

Diana led them deeper into the underbrush, using deer trails and natural cover to put distance between themselves and the voices.

Her radio remained useless, static being the only response to repeated attempts at contact.

“They’re moving,” someone called from behind them. “Northeast quadrant.”

Professional calls. These weren’t random criminals but organized opposition with tactical training and communication equipment that worked where hers didn’t.

Lavender pointed toward a cluster of fallen trees that created natural fortification. “We can get cover and see them coming.”

Diana evaluated the position quickly: good defensive cover, multiple exit routes, and an elevated position that would give them an advantage. Lavender’s intuition was proving as valuable as any police training.

They reached the fallen trees as the voices grew closer, Diana helping Lavender over the massive trunk before taking position where she could observe their backtrail.

She caught her first clear view of their pursuers: three figures in tactical gear moving with military precision through terrain they obviously knew well.

Not stumbling through the underbrush like casual hikers but flowing around obstacles with efficiency.

The lead figure raised a radio, speaking too quietly for Diana to overhear, but his body language suggested he was coordinating with additional people.

“How many people are we dealing with?” Lavender asked, reading Diana’s expression.

“At least three confirmed, possibly more.” Diana kept her weapon trained on the approaching figures while her mind worked through scenarios. “They’ve got communications, tactical gear, and in-depth environmental knowledge.”

“What do they want?”

Diana thought about the surveillance equipment in the clearing, the maps marked with victim locations, and the careful planning that had gone into studying three women’s most private routines.

“To eliminate witnesses,” Diana said grimly.

The lead figure stopped fifty yards from their position, raising his voice. “Chief Marten, you’re in violation of a federal investigation. Surrender your weapon and escort the civilian to our position for debriefing.”

Federal investigation. The words hit Diana like ice water.

“They’re not local,” she whispered to Lavender. “This goes beyond just Phoenix Ridge.”

“Are they really federal agents?”

Diana studied the gear and their professional movements. They were either legitimate federal law enforcement or people with access to federal resources and training.

Either way, she and Lavender were trapped.

“We need to move,” Diana decided. “Now, while they’re talking instead of advancing.”

She led Lavender away from the fallen trees, using a game trail that wound toward higher ground. If they could reach the ridge line, they might find cell coverage to call for backup.

The voices fell silent behind them, replaced by the sound of coordinated movement through the underbrush.

Diana’s protective instincts overrode everything else.

Lavender needed to survive this. Whatever was happening, whoever these people really were, Lavender had only stumbled into this danger because Diana had brought her here.

“Can you make it to the ridge?” Diana asked, noting how Lavender moved through the forest with confidence despite her obvious fear.

“Yes, there’s a trail junction up there with better cell reception.”

Diana’s radio crackled suddenly, catching fragments of transmission. “...backup units…GPS coordinates…federal jurisdiction…”

Someone was coordinating a larger operation. This wasn’t just about silencing witnesses but about controlling information.

They reached the ridge as Diana’s radio finally connected clearly. “All units, this is Chief Marten. Officer needs assistance. GPS coordinates following. Federal agents on scene, situation unclear.”

“Acknowledged, Chief. Units responding, ETA twelve minutes.”

Twelve minutes felt like an eternity with tactical pursuit closing behind them.

“Diana,” Lavender said, pointing toward the valley below where additional vehicles were arriving at the forest access points. “They’re surrounding the area.”

Diana counted at least six vehicles, more personnel than any local investigation would require. This was either a major federal operation or something that needed to look like one.

“We hold this position,” Diana decided. “It’s high ground, has good cover, and backup is coming.

” She positioned herself where she could observe the approaches while Lavender monitored their escape routes.

“Whatever happens,” Diana said, meeting Lavender’s eyes, “I need you to know that bringing you here wasn’t just about the investigation.

I brought you because I trust you. Because you see things I miss. Because I need you with me.”

Lavender’s hand found hers briefly. “I know, and I’m exactly where I want to be.”

The sound of approaching helicopters filled the forest, but Diana couldn’t tell if they belonged to her backup units or the federal operation below.

In eight minutes, they’d find out which side had arrived first.

They held their breath and waited, and it turned out the helicopters belonged to the Phoenix Ridge emergency response unit.