Читать книгу Shadow Bones - Colleen Rhoads - Страница 13

Jake worked for three days on further excavation. He longed to call the media and rejoice in his find, but he restrained himself after promising Skye to keep a lid on it for now. This was everything he’d been working toward all his life. He would no longer be remembered as the scientist who was duped by a bunch of high school kids. As he unearthed more and more eggs, his smile grew larger.

He took Sunday off and went to church with his family. They were always nagging him about church. He wished he could join worship with the same joy he used to feel. The stark truth was that since his parents had been killed, he blamed God. And that was hard to get past.

He felt God constantly pressing him to let go of the anger and hurt, but it had been impossible for him to get past. He slid into the pew and felt the atmosphere of the old church embrace him. It felt like home, and he felt a little of his tension ease.

Skye Blackbird sat with her mother and stepfather in the third pew ahead of him. Her stepfather patted her on the back and smiled, then slid his other arm around his wife.

A lump thickened in Jake’s throat. His own father used to look at him with that same expression of pride. Lucky Skye. Jake wished he could roll back time and see that smile of joy on his own father’s face again.

Enough of that maudlin musing. He glanced again at the Metis family. Skye seemed different here. Of course, she wasn’t arguing, so that was an improvement. Jake’s gaze lingered on her. She really was a beauty.

Her sleek black hair flowed over her shoulders, reaching nearly to her waist in a shining curtain. Her olive skin glowed with health. She wore a red dress in some loose and flowing material that made her look like an exotic bird.

But it wasn’t her physical beauty that intrigued him. Her passion for what she believed in was mesmerizing. He was used to seeing it in his sisters, but the other women he’d come in contact with weren’t lit from the inside in that fashion.

His gaze kept straying to the pew ahead of him until the service ended. Jake excused himself from his family and moved toward the Metis family. The Ojibwa family walked down the aisle toward him, and he stepped out to meet them. “Good morning, Skye, Mrs. Metis.” He thrust out his hand to the man behind Mary. “We haven’t met, but I’m Jake Baxter.”

“Peter Metis.” The other man took his hand in a vigorous grip. His dark eyes looked Jake over and seemed to find him worthy. His smile warmed Jake the same way his own father’s had done. “You’re going to put us on the map, I hear. I was initially opposed to your dig, but it looks like I was wrong.”

“This site will be famous,” Jake agreed. He turned to Skye’s mother. “Thanks for letting me dig, Mrs. Metis. You’ve done science a great service. This discovery will rock the world.”

Mrs. Metis smiled. “I hope so, Jake,” she said softly.

Skye stood quietly behind her mother. The two women looked much alike, and Jake could see Skye would age well. Mrs. Metis looked more like an older sister than her mother.

“I haven’t seen any media around yet,” Skye said. “Thank you for that.”

“It won’t last,” he warned. “They’ll get wind of it pretty soon.”

“I know.” She sounded resigned. “We might have to shut down the mine.”

“It’s for the best,” Peter said, his expression soft. He patted her shoulder.

Skye bit her lip. She didn’t look happy about it, and Jake told himself it wasn’t his fault. He thrust his hands in his pockets and moved uneasily. “Would you all care to come out to the site and see what I’ve found?”

“I’m eager to see it,” Peter said, his hand on his wife’s back. “But we’ve got lunch plans today. We’ll stop out and look it over soon.”

“Are you calling the discovery anything special?” Skye asked.

“I hadn’t thought that far ahead,” Jake told her. “Maybe the Turtle Mountain site?”

Her dark eyes met his. “I was thinking maybe the Blackbird site, named after my father.”

Mrs. Metis clapped her hands. “That’s a wonderful idea, Skye.” She turned to Jake with an eager look. “Would that be all right?”

“Sure.” He watched Skye’s face light up. She must have really loved her father. Wonder what made a man tick that he could leave a beautiful wife and daughter? Another woman, maybe? Or wanderlust of some sort, though he should have kept in touch.

Jake bid the Metis family goodbye and followed his grandmother outside.

“Dinner should be ready,” Gram said, taking Jake’s arm.

His tension eased at his grandmother’s touch. She’d been a rock for him and his sisters since the loss of their parents.

He patted her wrinkled hand. “I think I’ll just grab something here in town and head out to the site,” Jake said, ignoring the cries of disappointment from his sisters.

He saw a familiar blue truck drive past. Cameron Reynolds. Luckily, the other paleontologist hadn’t come back to Jake’s site, but it was only a matter of time before Cameron stumbled on what Jake was doing.

He kissed his sisters and grandmother goodbye and went to his SUV. He stopped for a burger at the local greasy spoon, then drove along the dirt road out to the mine.

He found his thoughts drifting to Skye Blackbird. She intrigued him, and he wasn’t sure he liked it. He made it a point to steer clear of women. A new dig rarely left time for dating, and he hated the way other men put a rush on a woman for a few months then walked away with hurt in their wake. Better to be lonely than to hurt someone.

He parked and walked up to the site. As he rounded the curve in the trail to the site, he thought he heard something. A sliding noise off to his left. He paused then continued. The path sheared away to his right, a steep drop that made him dizzy to look over.

Something caught at his ankles, and he stumbled. Throwing out a hand to catch himself, he encountered nothing but empty air. His arms flailed, and he tried to wrench his body toward the rock face and away from the cliff’s edge, but he was too off balance.

He pinwheeled at the top of the cliff then pitched over the edge.

Feetfirst, he hurtled down the slope. He tried desperately to grasp tree roots as he shot past them, but his reaching fingers slid off. He tore a fingernail loose before slamming into a pine tree about halfway down. Spread-eagled along the steep cliff, he grabbed hold of the rock and tossed one leg over an outcropping. His slide down the mountain’s face stopped, and he lay among the rocky rubble trying to catch his breath.

The sheer rock face rose above him. The steepness of it looked impossible to climb. How was he going to get up there? He peered around the tree that had stopped his plummet to destruction. The way was even steeper and more impossible down. His arms ached from hanging on to the rock.

The family wouldn’t come looking for him for hours. They’d think he just got caught up in his work and was spending the night as usual. He was going to have to figure this one out on his own.

Tightening his grip, he worked his legs around so his feet were braced against the tree. The trunk seemed fragile and too weak to hold him for long, and he feared his weight would tear the roots from the shallow soil.

His body hurt from a dozen shallow cuts and bruises. Dust coated his tongue and lodged in his eyes. He was in a world of hurt, and his prospects weren’t looking good.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, he glanced around for a finger-or toehold. There, just above his head, he spied a cupped rock he might be able to get his fingers around. He reached out and grasped it with throbbing fingers, then shoved himself up using his feet to push against the tree trunk.

The trunk tore lose just as his knee found a small indentation to fit into. Jake had never felt so vulnerable as he lay in the hot afternoon sun with nothing substantial to hang on to. Panting, he threw out his left hand and found a small root poking through the soil. Slowly and laboriously, he inched his way up the slope. Several times, his fingers missed their hold and he slid back down a few inches.

Finally, he reached the path at the top. With a final, monumental effort, he reached out and found a finger-hold then pulled himself onto the level path. His face pressed into the shallow dust-covered path, and he lay almost too exhausted to move.

He’d thought he was a dead man. Rolling to his back, he pulled in a few deep breaths. He licked dry lips and reached for his canteen, now that he had a free hand. The metallic taste washed the dust from his tongue, and he swished the refreshing water around in his mouth before spitting it out. Another deep swallow brought relief to his tight throat.

He got to his hands and knees and shook his head to clear it. His attention was caught by something along the path. He peered closer. Was that a wire? Touching it, he ran his fingers along it until he saw where it had been attached on each end to sticks pounded into the ground.

The wire stretched across the path in front of him, put there deliberately to make him trip. At first he couldn’t believe it. Someone had tried to kill him. It made no sense.

Then it made perfect sense. Cameron Reynolds. If Jake were dead, Cameron could easily move in and take credit for the find, since it hadn’t been announced yet. Cameron must not have realized Wynne had been working closely with him.

He was going to have to break his promise to Skye and put out a press release. It was the only way to stop Cameron.

His racing thoughts stopped. Skye. Could she have done this to try get rid of him? He didn’t want to believe that, but he couldn’t dismiss the notion.

Once on his feet, his vision swam and he shook his head to clear it. He needed help. His hand went to his pocket, but his cell phone was gone, lost in his slide down the mountain. The sheriff needed to be brought in on this, so he was going to have to drive to town to get him.

He hesitated. What if the wire was gone by the time he got back? He shrugged. It was a chance he’d have to take.

Walking like an old man, he turned and went back to his SUV. His vision kept blurring, and he found it hard to keep the SUV on his own side of the road. Another vehicle stopped in front of him, and he slammed on the breaks. His head snapped forward, then back and he sank into darkness.

The dusty SUV had almost T-boned her. Shaken, Skye gripped the steering wheel and tried to quiet the sudden thumping of her heart. Whoever he was, he’d run a stop sign and hit a rock. She threw open her door and hopped out onto the macadam road. Steam was escaping from the SUV’s hood. As she neared the vehicle, she recognized the man inside.

Jake’s head lolled to one side, and he was covered in blood and dirt. Skye ran forward and opened the vehicle’s door. “Jake!” She touched his face, but he didn’t respond. Her cell phone was in the truck.

Racing back to her truck, she scrabbled for her purse and found her cell phone. She dialed 911 and told the dispatcher to send an ambulance. Her father had always insisted on a first-aid pack in the truck, but Skye had never had occasion to use it. She opened the glove box and rummaged inside. She found antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment and Band-Aids.

Jake was moving restlessly by the time she got back to his SUV. His eyes fluttered, and he moaned when she cleansed his wounds with the wipes.

He sat up. “What happened?”

“You tell me. I found you passed out cold after you nearly hit me.” Skye dabbed ointment on the cuts around his eyes and forehead. His lips were cracked, too, but she didn’t think he’d take kindly to greasy ointment on them.

“Someone tried to kill me.” He leaned forward onto the steering wheel. “I think I’m going to throw up.”

Skye massaged the back of his neck. “Take deep breaths,” she advised. She didn’t like his pallor under the dirt. Trying not to hurt him, she probed his thick hair for lumps. She suspected he had at least a mild concussion.

“Ouch!” He jerked his head away. “I’m fine, quit fussing.”

“You’re not fine. And where’s your hat?” she added, feeling like an idiot for asking the question. He didn’t look the same without his hat. His vulnerability tugged at her heart, and she didn’t like the way it made her feel.

“Fell off when I pitched over the cliff,” he mumbled. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the headrest.

He’d fallen over a cliff? What if he had broken something? She touched his forehead, and his skin felt clammy. “Hang in there, Jake. Help is on the way.”

“Should have run when I took one look at you,” he mumbled. “So beautiful.”

Her heart took a sudden leap like a deer running from a bear. He thought she was beautiful? She swallowed hard and stepped back as she heard the wah-wah of the ambulance in the distance.

Jake’s eyes snapped open, and he stared at her. Skye was drawn into the dark depths. What made him tick? He seemed so driven about his career, so passionate.

He reached out his hand and touched her long braid with grimy fingers. “You tied your hair all up again. I liked it down.” He closed his eyes again.

She would have sworn he wouldn’t notice her hair in church. She didn’t understand this attraction she felt toward him. He was a roving sort of guy, and she craved stability above all else. Men like him could chew her up and spit her out faster than she could react.

The ambulance’s siren grew louder, and she turned to see the plume of dust behind the vehicle as it came toward them. The paramedics jumped from the ambulance and ran to Jake’s SUV.

Jake opened his eyes again and sat up, waving them away. “I’m fine, just fine,” he mumbled.

The paramedics ignored him, put a collar on his neck and proceeded to check his vitals. Once they were finished with the preliminaries, they started to load him in the ambulance, but Jake balked.

“I’m not going,” he said, his jaw thrust out.

“You’ll have to sign a release,” the older paramedic said.

“Fine, bring it on.” Jake scribbled his name on the release, then ripped off the collar and handed it to them. “Call the sheriff. Someone rigged a wire across the path so I’d fall down the cliff,” he told them.

“I’ll call him right now.” The paramedics walked toward the ambulance.

Skye looked him over again. He must have hit his head really hard. “Who would do such a thing? No one here would hurt you.”

Jake’s gaze focused on her. “You tell me. At first, I thought a rival might be at fault. But you have just as much motive.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“You’ve been opposed to my presence right from the start. Whether you’re the culprit or someone else, I have to move now. I don’t scare easy. The only way to keep my discovery safe now is to announce it to the media.”

“You can’t do that!” She caught at his arm. “You have to know I don’t want you dead!” Skye’s voice trembled, and she bit her lip. The thought of Jake lying broken at the bottom of the cliff was a mental image that made her shudder.

Jake rubbed his forehead.

“Stop, you’re making it bleed again.” She grabbed his hand and pulled it away. “Jake, I wouldn’t do something like that. I’ll tell you to your face how I feel, but I won’t be a sneak and a saboteur.”

For the first time, he looked uncertain. “Maybe you’re right.” He shook his head, and his eyes thinned again as he stared into her face.

“You still don’t look like you believe me.”

“I don’t know what to believe.”

Skye hugged herself tightly. “Can you hire someone to guard the site?”

“You almost sound like you care.”

“I care that someone might get hurt on our property.”

“Ah, you’re worried about lawsuits.” His voice was ironic. “I signed a release not to hold your mother responsible, so it’s not your problem.”

But it was her problem. She chewed on her bottom lip. “I wish you’d come back to the shop with me. I’ll give you some herbs to help with the healing and the muscle soreness.”

He grinned. “Not a chance. You might finish the job with poison.”

“You know better than that. You’re just trying to be difficult.” She wanted to cry, to put her head down and sob. It was the reaction to the near accident, she knew, but knowing that didn’t make it easier to keep her voice from shaking.

This island had always seemed a safe haven for her. To realize someone wanted Jake dead made her glance toward the dark woods and wonder if someone was watching them. She’d never felt so exposed, so vulnerable. Who would do this?

“Don’t look so scared.” Jake took her hand. “I’ll come with you.”

His sudden capitulation drew her gaze from the shadowy forest. “Really?”

“I’m going to need all the help I can get to be back on the job tomorrow.” He sounded grim, and the humor in his eyes faded.

“I’ll help you to my truck,” she said.

“I can walk by myself.”

“At least you’re smart enough to know you shouldn’t be driving.”

He got out of his SUV, and Skye slid behind the wheel and guided the SUV off the road.

“I’ll have Max and Becca come get my vehicle later,” Jake told her when she joined him beside her truck.

Skye nodded and went to the ambulance to tell them to have the sheriff meet them at her shop.

Jake opened the truck door and slid inside. “Where’d you get this beauty?”

Skye warmed to his praise of her “baby.” Not many people appreciated the classic truck. “It was my father’s.” She felt, rather than saw, Jake’s long glance in her direction.

“Your father’s desertion really affected you.”

Her heart gave a twinge at the compassion in his voice. “Yeah,” she said. There were depths to Jake Baxter she found she liked.

“Did your mother ever try to find him?”

Skye nodded. “She hired a private investigator, but the trail petered out in Detroit.”

“Had they been fighting?”

She nodded. “But no one thought he would just leave like that. Least of all me. We’d always been close.”

Skye heard the raw emotion in her voice and changed the subject. “Any other ideas who could have put that wire up?”

“Besides you, you mean?” He grinned and held up his hands in a defensive posture. “Just kidding. Actually, I’m wondering if it was Cameron Reynolds.”

“Why would you suspect him? Mother said he was charming.”

“He’s the sludge at the bottom of the pond. He lives and breathes for intrigue and deception. We used to be partners until he backstabbed me one too many times. He can’t be trusted.”

Skye felt the burden lighten. She’d rather believe it was an outsider, then she didn’t have to worry about her friends and neighbors anymore. The sheriff would arrest this Cameron and life would resume as normal. “Are you going to tell the sheriff to check him out?”

“I might steer him in that direction.” Jake looked grim.

They arrived at The Sleeping Turtle. Inside, she found the herbs she needed. “The white willow bark is especially good for pain and inflammation,” she told him.

He accepted them with a skeptical grin. “Sounds like quackery to me, but I’ll try them.”

“I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised,” she said. “They work with the body and not against it like so many drugs. Natural is always better.” She measured out a dose and had him take it with a swig of water. “You’re on your way to good health.”

The bell at the front door jingled, and Sheriff Andrew Mitchell stepped into the store. Around fifty, his khaki pants were cinched up over a beer belly. “You look like something the Windigo chewed up and spit back,” he said.

Jake grimaced. “I feel like it, too. It’s got mighty sharp teeth.” He told the sheriff what happened.

“You up to showing me where this is?” Sheriff Mitchell asked.

“After our local medicine woman’s ministrations, I’m ready to take on the world,” Jake said.

He winked at Skye, and she felt the heat of a blush move up her neck to her cheeks.

“Hey, don’t be making fun of Skye. She’s helped more people than you can count.” Sheriff Mitchell followed them to the outside. “We might as well all go in my car.” He opened the door for them, and they got in the back.

Once they reached the mine, Jake led them up the slope toward the dig. He moved slowly and winced several times. Skye frowned as she watched him. It would be useless to say anything. He’d never admit to the pain he was feeling.

“Right here,” Jake said. “You can see where I went over the edge.”

“Hmm.” The sheriff knelt and looked at the path. “I don’t see anything but this stick.”

“What?” Jake scanned the path.

Skye knelt and looked around with him. The rocky path was free of obstruction other than the stick the sheriff indicated. No wires that she could see.

“You sure you didn’t stumble over a stick?”

Jake’s voice rose, and he stood with his fists on his hips. “Sheriff, it was right here. A wire tied to a stick on either side. Look, here are the holes where the sticks were.”

“Could be snake holes,” the sheriff said.

Skye could tell the sheriff didn’t believe Jake. She wasn’t sure she did, either. Maybe it was a way to get her to agree to announce the discovery of the dinosaur nursery.