Chapters (50)
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- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- CHAPTER ONE
- CHAPTER TWO
- CHAPTER THREE
- CHAPTER FOUR
- CHAPTER FIVE
- CHAPTER SIX
- CHAPTER SEVEN
- CHAPTER EIGHT
- CHAPTER NINE
- CHAPTER TEN
- CHAPTER ELEVEN
- CHAPTER TWELVE
- CHAPTER THIRTEEN
- CHAPTER FOURTEEN
- CHAPTER FIFTEEN
- CHAPTER SIXTEEN
- CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
- CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
- CHAPTER NINETEEN
- CHAPTER TWENTY
- CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
- CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
- CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
- CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
- CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
- CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
- CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
- CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
- CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
- CHAPTER THIRTY
- CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
- CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
- CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
- CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
- CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
- CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
- CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
- CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
- CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
- CHAPTER FORTY
- CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
- CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
- CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
- CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
- CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
- EPILOGUE
- Teaser Chapter
Leading Hannibal, Kade followed the shooter’s tracks higher up into the hills. At one point, the hoofprints disappeared into a rocky outcropping of granite, forcing him to pause. He and Ellie spread out, searching the ground, hoping to pick up the trail on the far side of the boulders.
Kade spotted hoofprints in a patch of mud, returned and signaled for Ellie to follow, and quietly led the way over the rocks and down the other side, where he’d picked up Keller’s trail.
They mounted and followed the prints, winding up on a game trail Keller had used to climb higher up the mountain. Kade swung down from the buckskin and crouched on the ground to make a closer examination.
“Looks like he came through here last night. The mud has dried a little. He’s still heading south. He keeps going, he’ll hit Copper Spur Road. If he’s got a truck and trailer parked somewhere nearby, he could load his horse and just disappear.”
They rode for two more hours, taking a short break to water the animals and eat the sandwiches Ellie had packed, then continuing south, exactly the way Kade figured.
At one point, the shooter had ridden into a stream to hide his tracks. Kade dismounted and walked the bank, first heading north to be sure the guy hadn’t backtracked. Seeing no sign of him, he led Hannibal south along the bank and finally found the place where the shooter had ridden out of the water.
Kade mounted and waited for Ellie to catch up with him. They had stopped talking a while back, just to be safe, and were using hand signals to communicate. There was a chance the guy had set up camp somewhere in the area. Or was lying in wait along the trail.
They finally reached Copper Spur Road, just a narrow lane, most of the pavement washed out over the years and never replaced. Ellie pointed to a wide spot that served as a turnout. Tire tracks marked the place where a vehicle had been parked, and the trail of hoofprints ended there.
Kade cursed. “He’s gone. We’ve lost him.”
“At least now we know he’s pulling a horse trailer. We need to tell the sheriff.”
Kade nodded, pulled out his phone, and looked down at the screen. “No service.”
“We’ll call as soon as we get in range.”
That’s when the first shot rang out.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
ELLIE’S HEART JERKED. SHE AND KADE QUICKLY LED THEIR HORSES down a slope off the road into a copse of trees dense enough to provide some measure of cover. Two more shots rang out, then two more.