Читать книгу Forsaken Canyon - Margaret Daley - Страница 11

Kit hasn’t come home. She was supposed to come back here. She’s out there without a guide. She can’t go to Desolation Canyon without the best there is.

The Guardian paced from one end of the room to the other, kneading his hand along his nape. All kinds of horrible scenarios flashed through his mind. Lost and wandering around in circles. Collapsing from dehydration. Her body broken on the rocks after a fall.

Why hadn’t she come back when Hoffman didn’t show up? How am I supposed to watch over her when she does things like go off by herself? One day I need to teach her a lesson.

Frustration churned his stomach. But not today.

He’d gone to some trouble to take care of Hoffman, the least she could do was cooperate and return to Albuquerque. He didn’t want her to go to the canyon without the best, and he’d checked out Hoffman. He wasn’t the best. His job as her guardian was becoming harder and harder. At least the tracking device on her car and the bug in her house helped him keep up with all her activities.

She should appreciate the trouble he had to go to for her. One day she would. He withdrew from his pocket his untraceable cell to put in motion yet another rescue, suppressing the anger building in him.

As Hawke pulled onto the road that led to his ranch, his cell rang. He slowed and flipped it open. “Lonechief.”

“I’m so glad I got hold of you. Kit went to Desolation Canyon by herself this morning and hasn’t returned home yet.”

Zach’s frantic tone infected Hawke with the seriousness of the situation. He glanced out of the windshield to the west, and his fear mushroomed. The sun had begun its descent. “Does the woman have a death wish?” His grip on his phone tightened until he was afraid he would snap it into halves.

“From what I understand she had arranged for a guide to meet her at Black Horse Pass. He didn’t show up because he was in a wreck on his way there. There was a message on her machine at her office from one of Ronald Hoffman’s associates.”

“That doesn’t mean she went in by herself.”

“She never came by her office to hear the message, and she isn’t at her house, either. I hate to say this, but she probably got frustrated enough that she attempted it on her own. She can’t seem to find a reliable guide.”

The censure in Zach’s voice hit its mark. Hawke made a U-turn and headed toward the highway and Black Horse Pass. “I’m on my way to see. Hopefully she decided to go off and do something tame like researching in a book.”

“Normally I would say that Kit is a very tame person, but for some reason she has become driven with proving herself right.”

“Have you tried calling her cell?”

“For the past hour. No answer. Which doesn’t surprise me if she decided to hike into the area on her own. From here I can’t get there as fast as you can. Besides, you know that part of the country better than me.”

Again Hawke peered toward the west. “I won’t be there much before dusk myself.”

“That’s better than pitch-black.”

“How’d you find out about this guide?”

“Her neighbor is beside himself and he called me. The police came by to see Kit concerning the guide.”

“The police! What’s going on?” Somehow Hawke managed to keep his fear for Kit from his voice, but not his worry.

“They came by to see Kit because the guide’s office told them he was supposed to meet her at Black Horse Pass.”

“But why are the police involved?”

“Because Hoffman’s car accident wasn’t an accident. He was forced off the highway. He was found in a ravine off the road. Someone called the highway patrol and said he witnessed it early this morning.”

“Did this someone leave a name?” Hawke gripped his cell, pain shooting down his arm.

“No. He doesn’t want to get involved.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that before. Any description of the car that forced Hoffman off the highway?”

“A white truck. Nothing else.”

“I’ll call you when I know something.”

“Thanks. She’s been a big help to me this year. I don’t want anything happening to her.”

Neither do I. Hawke switched off his cell and pressed his foot on the accelerator. Time was against him.

An hour later, the sun halfway to the horizon, Hawke scrambled from his Jeep, parked next to the only other car at the end of the road near Black Horse Pass. Kit’s red Honda screamed to the world she had gone into the maze of canyons by herself. When he got his hands on her, she wouldn’t be too happy, and before he was finished, she would understand how dangerous her little stunt was.

He grabbed a heavy-duty flashlight and a canteen with water from his vehicle and started along the trail through the pass. Fresh indentions in the dirt indicated someone had passed through not long before. Someone with small feet. At least she was wearing hiking boots. He’d envisioned her in tennis shoes trying to negotiate the uneven, often pebbly ground.

As he went farther along the path, the sun disappeared behind the tall mesas. He passed evidence of a new rockslide in the shadow of a bluff. With his flashlight, he checked to make sure she wasn’t pinned beneath a large stone.

With the ticking off of the minutes, his heart hammered a shade faster. Heat, captured in the sandy dirt, floated upward to encircle him. Sweat coated his face and chest, his tan shirt soaked.

Visions of Kit, hurt, possibly dead, haunted him with each step he took. Scenes from his past threatened to intrude, bringing with them the pain he usually kept suppressed. It had been four years ago that he had come this way. He had promised himself never again. And now, because of Kit Sinclair, he was breaking that promise. He thrust his memories away, determined to focus on his anger at her foolish actions.

When he rounded the base of a sheer cliff, he saw her, off to the right in the dying daylight—or at least he thought it was her—lying crumpled on a boulder, not moving. His anger fled, to be replaced with the terror of four years ago all over again. He stumbled, nearly going to his knees. He couldn’t carry a second body out of here.

Although it was cooling, now that the sun was behind the mesa to the west, sweat broke out on his forehead as he rushed toward her. A couple of yards from the boulder a rattling sound sent out a warning. He went still, checking his surroundings as he carefully slipped his revolver from its holster.

A six-foot rattlesnake, coiled, lay a few feet to the left of the large stone. His gaze glued to the rattler, he moved in slow motion, lifting the gun to aim.

“Don’t.” Kit’s husky voice pierced the air.

He glanced at her, then back at the reptile. “What do you mean, don’t?”

“Don’t kill it. It’s only protecting its home, which I think is under the rock I’m sitting on.”

“So what do you suggest I do?”

“I don’t know. I was waiting for it to go away like the other ones.”

“Others! Where did they go?” Hawke scanned the area quickly then fastened his gaze back on the rattler.

“Back under this rock.”

“A nest?” Darkness crept closer. Soon he wouldn’t be able to see well enough to shoot the snake.

“Maybe. The others were smaller.”

With his breath held, he raised the gun, aimed and squeezed the trigger, all in one fluid movement, hitting the reptile, which was poised to strike.

“C’mon. Now, Kit. Move it. I’ve got you covered.”

She struggled to stand on the boulder, then leaped to the ground a few feet from him. Red scored her cheeks. She tried to steady herself as she landed, but instead stumbled. He caught her, shoving her behind him.

Although dusk eroded the daylight, he inspected the ground around the huge rock for any signs of more rattlers. Relief sighed from his lips when he saw nothing.

“Let’s get out of here.” With one eye on the boulder, he turned toward her.

“My backpack is over there with my water.” She gestured to the dirt not far from the massive stone she’d sat on.

“Too dangerous if more snakes are under that rock. We’re leaving it.”

“But my water! I haven’t had anything to drink in hours.”

He unhooked his canteen and thrust it into her hands. “Drink while you walk.”

He didn’t turn his back on the area until he was around the bend. Although the urge was strong, he would wait until they made it to their vehicles before giving her a piece of his mind.

Once they were ensconced beneath the towering cliffs on either side, night fully descended, and Hawke flicked on the flashlight.

“Walk behind me. Step where I step.” His command charged the air with his controlled terseness.

Although Kit couldn’t read his expression, she didn’t have to see it to know anger marked his every feature. “I only sat down on the rock to rest before heading back to the car. I didn’t know I was going to disturb a family of rattlesnakes. Believe me, if I had—”

“You may think this is the time to have a little chitchat, but I don’t.”

“But how did you know about me—”

“Kit, in case you haven’t figured it out, walking around out here during the day, let alone at night, isn’t always the safest thing to do. We’ll talk later. You wouldn’t want me to tell you what I think at the moment.” He took her hand and settled it on his shoulder, then set out again down the path.

Cold darkness closed in around Kit as she gripped Hawke and followed in his footsteps. His flashlight illuminated only the small space in front of him. Her imagination ran rampant with what might lie beyond the inky shroud surrounding them.

After her unfortunate encounter with the rattlers, she pictured them poised ready to strike at any second along the path. Her legs tingled, vying with the patches of burned skin she hadn’t managed to shade from the sun. Funny how a few hours ago she had been hot. Now she was chilled.

Exhausted, dehydrated, her head pounding against her skull, she put one foot in front of the other. If she had known what was going to happen, of course, she would never have hiked away from her car. At least while sitting on that rock, waiting for the snakes to slither away, she’d had time to think about this whole situation. She had to convince Hawke Lonechief to help her…somehow.

Then suddenly, in the midst of her fear and weariness, a thought took hold. She had to turn this over to the Lord. He would make it possible if it was meant to be. One of the hardest things she’d had to learn—was still learning—was to give control over to Him.

A movement to the left made Kit gasp and jump to the right. “What’s that?”

“Any number of animals.” Concealed in shadows, Hawke came to a stop and swung around toward her. “Probably a rabbit.”

“A rabbit I can handle.” She relaxed her rigid stance.

“Running from a predator.”

“Predator!” she squeaked.

“You sound worried now.”

Although she knew he couldn’t see her expression, she scrunched her mouth into a tight line of displeasure. “And you sound smug.”

“I guess some good came from this. Now you know what can happen if you go off by yourself.”

She had to convince him she was still serious about going to Desolation Canyon—with or without a guide. Otherwise she didn’t have a chance of convincing him to help her. The only good thing she saw from today’s incident was that Hawke had come after her. That gave her hope.

“Yes, you’re right.” She nearly choked on those words as she stepped closer to him. “I had a little dress rehearsal of what could happen if I’m not better prepared. I have learned a valuable lesson. Next time I’ll be better prepared.”

“Next time!” He snorted and spun around forward, shining the light down the path.

In the glow she saw him shake his head. “You didn’t think I was going to give up my plan, now, did you?” She infused just a touch of mockery into her question. “You obviously don’t know much about me.”

When she settled her hand on his shoulder as he continued toward the road, his muscles beneath her fingers bunched up. He didn’t say a word for a good ten minutes. She didn’t like the idea of being this close to him, either, but one bad move in a day was her limit.

He halted abruptly, pivoted toward her and pointed the flashlight at the small space between them. An eerie radiance cloaked his harsh features. Anger vibrated off him.

“Make me understand why this trip is so important to you that you’re willing to risk your life for some myth.”

His clipped statement rivaled the nip in the air. Shivering, she hugged her arms to her chest. “It’s getting cold and this isn’t the place to have that conversation. Remember?” She could still imagine that rattlesnake’s mate stalking her escape.

“Fine. Let’s go. We’re almost to your car, then we can have that conversation.”

Not out here, if she had anything to say about it. She trudged behind him. Although the clouds raced across the face of the moon, for a brief few moments its rays bathed the end of the road, revealing his Jeep parked behind her car.

A sigh escaped her. She’d made it back safely. She’d had her doubts a couple of hours ago when a crispness set in as the sun began its descent in the sky. Trapped, thirsty, with water within arm’s reach but unattainable, she’d curled up on the flat part of the boulder to retain what heat she had while she’d prayed for the rattlers to get tired and leave.

Heat. She needed heat. At the beginning of Black Horse Pass she hurried forward, relieved that her keys were in her pocket, not her backpack. After digging them out, she unlocked her door and dived inside, trembling as she tried to start her car.

Nothing.

How could this be happening? With her teeth chattering, she tried again.

“What’s wrong?” Hawke appeared in her open door, bending down to look inside.

“I don’t know. It won’t start.”

“Here. Let me try.”

Kit clambered from the driver’s seat, and Hawke climbed in behind the steering wheel. He turned the key, then glanced down at the lighted dashboard.

“I don’t know why I’m surprised. You don’t have any gas.”

“Sure I do. That can’t be it.” She stretched in front of him to stare at the empty gas gauge in shock. “I filled up a few days ago and haven’t driven much. I don’t understand.” He was too close; she quickly jerked back.

Removing the keys, he handed them to her, then pushed to his feet and slammed the door. “Well, there isn’t much we can do tonight. I’ll drive you back. You can see about your car tomorrow. It certainly isn’t going anywhere.”

Still stunned, she stood by her Honda, watching him stride toward his Jeep. He settled himself behind his steering wheel, the interior light shining down on him. His vehicle beckoned with warmth and a way home.

She proceeded forward, paused and glanced back. I should have had at least a third of a tank of gas. Yes, she had been focused on going into the canyon, so maybe she hadn’t had as much as she thought. Had she been so preoccupied that—She shook that thought from her head and continued toward Hawke’s Jeep.