Page 3 of Valor (Long Hot Summer: Christian Romantic Suspense #2)

CHAPTER THREE

Owen’s thoughts whirled as he drove like a maniac to get away from the motel and the gunman behind the wheel of the black SUV that looked like a clone of the one he was currently driving. How they’d escaped being struck by a bullet was a mystery. Worse, he had no idea how they’d been found. All he knew for sure was that the bad guys were not giving up on their quest to kill him anytime soon.

Why, because he knew too much? Had Domingo Hernandez discovered he was Oliver’s brother and sent these guys to kill him? Or was it possible that one of his law enforcement contacts was dirty? All he knew was that the orders to kill him had to be coming from someone high up as he’d already eliminated two thugs with more coming after him.

There were far too many questions without answers.

Owen forced himself to concentrate on driving, using as many side streets as possible to put distance between them. The town of Greybull wasn’t as large as Cody, and he was worried that they wouldn’t be able to remain hidden for long. Every time he approached an intersection, he half expected to see the SUV coming toward them.

A horrible thought flashed in his mind. What if the bad guys were using the SUV’s GPS system to locate them? He swallowed a curse, knowing he shouldn’t have kept the vehicle for as long as he had. At the time, he’d had little choice but to take the car, as driving the bullet-ridden truck hadn’t been an option. But he should have considered the possibility of the bad guys using the GPS system and ditched it sooner.

Now he had to find another ride.

Spying the Greybull campground, he quickly pulled into the parking lot. There were several other cars there, too, as people were already out and about enjoying the warm weather. Yet even as he checked his options, he realized it wasn’t smart to steal something from the same location where they dumped the SUV. Especially if the bad guys were hot on their tail.

He killed the engine, then glanced at Emily. “Let’s go. I noticed a hardware store back there. We’ll head over on foot.”

“Hardware store?” She looked surprised, then pushed her passenger-side door open without questioning his judgment. Normally, he’d be reassured by her willingness to go along with the plan, but he knew this was only a temporary reprieve. Emily would not be happy once he set about stealing a car.

But maybe that was okay. His actions would make her more likely to agree to part ways very soon.

First, they needed to get to a safe location. Because as things stood now, Emily was in as much danger as he was.

“This way.” He took her hand and headed east. Walking through town in broad daylight was nerve-racking. He kept a keen eye out for a second black SUV, much like the one he’d taken from the dead guy, as they cut through businesses to reach the hardware store.

There were only seven cars in the lot, most of them newer pickup trucks. He needed something older, without the built-in anti-theft devices.

“What are we looking for?” Emily asked in a whisper.

That’s when he spotted it. A much older pickup truck parked near the back of the building, possibly belonging to the owner or one of the workers. He nodded toward the dark-gray vehicle. “That one.”

Emily frowned as he tugged her toward it. He had learned some things along the way, including the fact that some people just didn’t bother locking their cars. Especially out here in small-town Wyoming.

He opened the driver’s side door and ran his fingers beneath the front seat. No keys. Then he checked the glove box half-hoping he’d find a weapon, but all he saw was an empty box of ammo. He searched under the passenger seat as well but only found empty cigarette packs. Finally, he pulled both the driver and passenger sun visors down and quickly caught the keys that fell from the owner’s less than original hiding spot. Relieved he didn’t have to hot-wire the truck, he showed her the key and gestured to the passenger-side door with his chin. “Get in. Time for us to get out of here.”

“Wait, we can’t just steal this poor person’s truck!” Emily’s horrified expression was like a slap to the face. As if she were seeing him for the criminal he really was.

The truth shouldn’t have hurt. But it did.

“I said get in.” He tried to ignore his ridiculous regrets. If he’d never gone down this path of crime, he wouldn’t have met Emily in the first place. And while that would have been better for her, he couldn’t imagine not ever knowing her. He softened his tone with an effort. “I’ll drop the truck someplace it will be found later. But not until I’m sure you’re safe.”

After another moment of hesitation, Emily gave a curt nod and ran around to climb into the passenger seat. He slid in behind the wheel, started the truck, and backed away from the building. Scanning the parking lot, he took the exit farthest from the door, driving slowly as to not draw anyone’s attention.

Then he wound through town to the highway. They needed to get out of Greybull and there was nothing but wide-open spaces around them. He wished now he’d stayed in Cody, but it was too late to head back there.

No, he needed a different plan.

“Where are we going?” Emily’s voice cut into his thoughts.

“Doc’s ranch.” It was really the only viable option. At her confused expression, he explained. “Doc Martin is a retired veterinarian. He and his wife, Dee, live on the Double D Ranch. They took me in when my snow machine ran out of gas and were kind enough not to turn me over to the police.”

She frowned. “They lied to the police?”

Her comment grated on his nerves. “Only by omission. The police never showed up at the ranch looking for me.” He shot her an arched look. “I guess your brother assumed I’d died out there. And with the blizzard covering the snow machine tracks, I’m sure the authorities didn’t spend too much time searching for me.”

She winced and looked down at her hands. “I think you’re right about Doug assuming you were dead. To be honest, that’s what I thought too. I’ve watched patients die of sepsis, an infection that gets into the bloodstream. You were so sick. I didn’t see how you could survive out in the elements in your condition.”

He shrugged. “Chalk it up to pure stubbornness. I clung to that machine for as long as possible, desperate to avoid being tossed in the slammer. When it died, I pushed through the snow on foot. If not for Doc Martin finding me, I’m sure I would have died that night.”

“God was watching over you.”

He flinched. “I highly doubt that.”

“God is always watching over His children. And you should know I prayed for your safety often over the past few months.”

He glanced at her in surprise but didn’t say anything.

As if realizing he didn’t want to discuss God, Jesus, or faith, she went back to the original subject. “I’m glad Doc rescued you. He sounds like a wonderful man.”

Wonderful wasn’t the word he’d have chosen. Doc had been curt and no-nonsense, his wife, Dee, slightly more approachable. It was clear they’d purposefully kept to themselves, living off the land and going to town only rarely.

Owen owed the retired veterinarian and his wife his life and had made sure to do all the outside ranch chores before heading back to town as payment for their services. He’d chopped wood until he’d thought his arms would fall right out of his shoulder sockets. If he were honest, those last three weeks of doing ranch chores had been a balm to his soul.

Best of all, Doc and Dee had been grateful for his help.

He wasn’t sure what to say in response to Emily’s praying for him. In truth, he didn’t know a single soul on the planet who would have done such a thing.

“Tell me about them,” Emily suggested. “The doc and his wife.”

He shrugged. “They’re true westerners. Salt of the earth folks. Doc is a tough old bird, who, according to his wife, Dee, prefers animals over people. They didn’t have any visitors the entire time I stayed with them, giving me the impression they stick to themselves. Maybe that’s part of the reason they didn’t turn me in. Maybe if the cops had shown up, they would have said something. Doc knew right away that I’d been shot. And mentioned that gunshot wounds were an automatic report to law enforcement. Then he’d laughed and said that rule was for practicing doctors not veterinarians and that he’s retired.”

“I guess that makes sense.” She nodded thoughtfully. “People out here tend to be self-sufficient. And hunting accidents aren’t uncommon. Maybe they didn’t want to get involved.”

“Yeah, Doc and Dee made it clear they preferred to mind their own business.”

“I’m glad they were there for you.”

He wasn’t sure how to respond to that. He drove in silence, keeping an eye on the rearview mirror. The more he talked about Doc and Dee, the more he wished he didn’t have to go back to the Double D Ranch. He didn’t want to put them in danger.

His fingers tightened on the steering wheel as he considered his options. Rather than leaving the stolen vehicle near their ranch, maybe he could borrow their truck long enough to get to the next town. Emily could drive their truck while he took the stolen one someplace far away so as not to implicate them.

Or better yet, why not just have Emily borrow their truck long enough to drive back to the Sullivan K9 Search and Rescue Ranch. From his brief experience with Doug Bridges, Owen knew the DEA agent would make sure to return the vehicle to the rightful owners. Then he could disappear on his own.

Yeah, the more he considered the possibilities, the more he liked the latter option. Emily would be safe driving Doc’s truck, and he could always steal another car.

His most pressing concern was keeping Emily safe from the guys hunting him. That thought gave him pause. His main goal should be his brother, Oliver, not a woman he barely knew. His entire reason for being in Wyoming was to seek revenge for his brother’s murder.

Yet, he knew Emily’s safety had to come first. At least at this point in the operation. She was the true innocent in all of this. Oliver hadn’t deserved to be brutally murdered, but his younger brother had gotten involved with the drug-dealing crew of his own accord.

A wave of grief over losing his brother and his mother washed over him. His mother had died weeks before Oliver had been murdered. His burning need for revenge had prevented him from taking the time to mourn them properly. He spent most of his time trying not to think about them at all, although during the time he’d been sick with fever at Doc’s ranch, he’d often dreamed they were still alive.

And upset with him over the path he’d chosen to take. Especially his mother.

“Owen?” From Emily’s impatient tone, it sounded like she’d said his name more than once. “Are you okay? You were a million miles away.”

“I’m fine.” He checked the rearview, grateful there wasn’t a black SUV tailing them. He couldn’t afford to let down his guard. Not with Emily.

Not with anyone. Not until he understood who was trying to kill him.

* * *

Emily couldn’t believe she was sitting in a stolen truck. Never in her life had she willingly broken the law. Okay, maybe a speeding ticket here or there, but nothing like this. And she knew that since she hadn’t stopped Owen from taking the vehicle, she was now a party to the crime.

Guilty by association of committing a felony.

Doug would be so disappointed in her. She tried not to think about how she’d explain this to him. Yes, they’d been running from a killer, but most innocent people called the police to let them handle the situation.

They didn’t hide from the local authorities and compounded the issue by committing another crime.

The silence that stretched between her and Owen gave her too much time to think. To regret her actions. She drew in a deep breath and decided to focus on their next steps. She’d come this far, there was no point in looking backward. “Maybe we should we call ahead to warn Doc and his wife that we’re coming.”

He shook his head. “No. We’re still thirty minutes away from the two-track road that leads to their ranch. Besides, my plan is to drive past the two-track road, find another place to park the truck, preferably hidden in the thick brush. Once we’ve covered our tracks, we’ll approach the property on foot.”

She frowned. “You’re making it sound like you’re worried someone will be there waiting for you to arrive.”

“I hope not.” His tone was grim. “I didn’t tell anyone where I’ve been recovering from my injury since escaping by snow machine last January. When I reached out to my contact, I purposefully kept Doc and his wife out of it. I only mentioned a ranch, nothing more specific.”

His contact? Who was that? Another criminal? Or someone else? She wanted to ask more but sensed Owen wouldn’t confide in her. And really, why would he? She wasn’t one of his fellow outlaws. Quite the opposite. She was related to a DEA agent. Her brother, Doug, had worked for the Wyoming Criminal Investigative Division since relocating here to marry Maya but had recently been reinstated as a federal agent working with the DEA based on the increased drug activity in the area.

And as a federal DEA agent, her brother was required to arrest Owen.

Her stomach clenched at the thought of the two men facing off. She hoped it wouldn’t come to that, and what did that say about her? Why did she care so much whether Owen was forced to go to jail?

Maybe Doug was right that she needed to talk to a counselor. She was letting her emotions override her common sense.

Pushing that problem aside, she cleared her throat, and asked, “If the location of the ranch has been kept quiet, why the secrecy?”

“For one thing, we’re driving a stolen vehicle.” He fell silent for a long minute, then said, “I don’t know why I’m on edge. It’s hard to imagine anyone could have figured out that I stayed with Doc and his wife while recuperating. There have to be dozens of ranches in the area. I just think it’s better that we don’t announce our arrival.”

Keeping the stolen truck hidden made sense. She had no idea if the news of the theft had been called in to the police yet or not. And what did she know about skulking around? Nothing. “Okay, I understand.”

He ran his fingers through his blond hair, and muttered, “I wish I did.”

She didn’t know what to say to that. As she gazed at the beautiful Bighorn Mountains in the distance, she had the irrational wish that Owen would keep driving until they reached a location where nobody would ever find them.

Talk about a foolish fantasy. Owen was a criminal and had already refused to cooperate with her brother in exchange for a lighter sentence. She was making him out to be a better person than he really was.

Sitting in the passenger seat of a stolen truck was proof of that.

“That’s the two-track road.” Owen gestured to the left. By the time she looked, she couldn’t even tell where the road had been. “Keep your eyes peeled for a good place to hide this truck.”

Ignoring how she was aiding and abetting the crime even further, she scanned the terrain outside her passenger-side window for possibilities. “How about there? See that clump of trees? It’s about ten yards from the road.”

“I see it.” Owen slowed down and pointed to his side of the road. “There’s a similar wooded area on the other side too. There’s less grass, and we can avoid crossing the road to head up to the ranch.”

He turned left, leaving the road and bouncing over the uneven ground to reach the trees. As she slid from the passenger seat, she winced when she noticed how the truck left obvious tire tracks in the clumps of grass. No wonder he’d wanted to come this way.

“I need a few minutes.” Owen walked over to break off a low-hanging branch from a nearby tree. Using it much like a broom, he swept the grass so that the tire impressions faded.

The way he took these additional steps to avoid detection should not have been admirable. Yet his ingenuity was obviously one of the reasons he’d been successful in his criminal role. Criminal being the operative word.

“Okay, let’s go.” Owen placed the tree branch over the top of the truck’s hood. “Follow me. Keep in mind there isn’t much of a path here, so you’ll want to try to step where I do.”

“Got it.” She fell behind him, doing her best to follow his lead. Twice she nearly tripped over tree roots because she was watching Owen rather than the ground.

He’s an outlaw, she silently told herself and found herself repeating the words as a mantra as they walked. Owen is a criminal!

As if saying the words would cement the concept in her mind.

He lifted his hand and slowed to a stop. She huddled near a tree, listening intently. She couldn’t hear much beyond her own breathing. She loved hiking and had taken up snowshoeing in the winter, too, but she’d been on her feet for three twelve-hour night shifts in a row, and with only three hours of sleep, she wasn’t feeling up to par.

“What’s wrong?” she whispered.

He didn’t answer for a long moment. “Nothing.” He turned and flashed an apologetic look. “I thought I heard someone else moving through the woods. Like one of the bad guys. But now I think we probably kicked up some wild game, either deer or elk.”

She wasn’t a huge fan of hunting wild animals, but most of the men and many women participated in the concept. Not just for sport, though. Many families used the meat from their hunting to keep themselves fed all year round. She admired them for that.

And she had to admit that it was probably better for the hunters to help thin the herd rather than letting the animals get out of control.

“Are you okay?” He raked his gaze over her. “If you need to take a break, let me know.”

“I can keep up.” She forced a smile. “Lead on.”

He turned and resumed his hike through the woods. She followed, trying to keep up as promised.

Fifteen minutes later, Owen glanced back at her. “The two-track road is up ahead. We’ll take that the rest of the way to the house.”

“Great.” She didn’t even try to hide her relief. Emily didn’t like admitting weakness, but she had been choked by an assailant, forced to go on the run from gunman, then joined Owen in stealing a truck.

No wonder she was exhausted.

The two-track road didn’t appear to be a direct route to the ranch house. Walking beside Owen, she craned her neck, trying to spot the structure.

“We still have a half mile to go before you’ll see it.” Owen gestured to his left. “The house is located off to the side. They have an old barn and stable, too, but Doc mentioned they’d lost their horse shortly before I arrived. He actually gave me the horse’s antibiotics, which amazingly helped.”

“I told you that you needed them.” She’d tried to convince him to go to the hospital for antibiotics, but he’d refused.

“I know.” He shrugged that off. “There, can you see the house now?” He pointed to a dark-brown structure that could barely be seen between the trees. “I need you to stay back while I approach the place.”

“Why?” She shot him a confused look. “You said they were kind enough to take you in. I can’t imagine they’ll be upset that I’m here with you.”

“It’s not that.” He shrugged. “I don’t think they’ll be upset to see me. I just want to be sure everything is fine.”

She frowned but didn’t argue. What did a few more minutes matter? She’d find a fallen log to sit on and count her blessings.

They walked for another five minutes before Owen slowed to a stop. “Do you smell that?”

“What?” She sniffed, thinking of Maya Sullivan’s K9, a beautiful husky named Zion. Then she caught a whiff of what he meant. “Smells like a rotting animal.”

“Stay here.” Owen’s expression was somber as he broke into a run. She watched him go, then realized he was concerned about the Martins. If they were sick or needed help, she was the nurse in the pair.

Emily ran after him, wishing she would move as swiftly as he could. The sound of a dog barking reached her ears. Owen hadn’t mentioned a dog, but a small chocolate-colored lab loped toward them.

“Hey, boy.” Emily’s heart turned to mush as Owen knelt beside the dog, speaking in a low gentle tone. “Do you have a name, do you?”

She stopped beside him, reaching out to stroke the dog’s fur. She wasn’t an expert, but she sensed the pup was only three to four months old. The puppy wiggled with excitement, clearly happy to see them. The pup licked Owen’s face, then leaned over to lick hers too.

“I’ll take him.” She gently eased the dog from Owen’s arms. “Wow, his whole body is shaking.”

“Yeah. I think he’s scared.” Owen lightly jogged toward the house, then abruptly stopped, his body going tense. He spun and turned back to face her. “Don’t come any closer. We need to get out of here.”

“What? Why?” She tried to look past him, but the puppy kept trying to lick her cheeks.

“They’re dead.” Owen’s words hit her like a sack of bricks. “Both Doc and Dee are gone. What’s left of their bodies are lying in the front yard.”

A cold chill snaked down her spine. Without thinking, she turned and ran back down the two-track, cuddling the puppy close, desperate to leave the horror behind.