anyone?”
“Yes.” Jaime folded her legs and sat down next to Sara. “There was only one guy camping. He was up on the ridge about halfway up the mountain.”
“Do you think it’s a problem?”
Their eyes met. “I think, maybe, yeah. He had his fire out before it was barely dawn and packed up and moved on. I couldn’t follow his tracks in the rocks but he definitely went down the mountain.”
“And you think he’s close by?”
Jaime motioned with her head. “I think he’s up there.”
Sara followed her eyes, looking at the tree-covered hill about a hundred yards away. “Okay. So now what?”
Jaime sighed. Yeah, Jaime, now what? She didn’t have a clue.
Pack everyone up and head out? He would simply follow them, stopping when they did, biding his time until he could take his shot. No. As far as he knew, they were still oblivious to his presence.
“I think tonight, as soon as it’s dark enough, we pack everyone up and move. Quietly.”
“Tonight? And hike? Don’t you think they’re going to want to know why?”
“You want to tell them the truth? That there might be an assassin following us?”
“No, of course not. This is supposed to be a relaxing trip for them, not hell week.”
“Look, I’m really sorry about all this. I really am.”
“Did you ever think that you should have just told me the truth at the beginning? Then we could have stopped and gone back down and not have put them in danger.”
“You’re not serious? You didn’t believe the FBI when they told you. Do you really think you would have heeded my warning?”
“Would it have hurt to try?”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Michaels, but I was following orders. And since we’re trying to place blame here, how about you? The FBI warned you but you took these women up here anyway.”
“How dare you? Do you think I would intentionally put them in danger?”
“No, I don’t think you would intentionally do that but then I don’t really know you, do I?”
Sara stood up quickly. “And I don’t really know you, do I?”
She walked away quickly and Jaime scrambled after her. “Sara, wait.”
“Go to hell.”
“Oh great. We’re going to have a fight now ?” Jaime grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. “You can’t go running off like that. Jesus! Stay behind the trees, for God’s sake.”
Sara’s green eyes flashed at her but Jaime refused to release her arm.
“Let go of me,” Sara said slowly.
“If you don’t start listening to me, I swear to God, I’ll handcuff you,” Jaime threatened.
“And I’d like to see you try.”
Neither noticed Abby as she walked over, not until she stood next to them, hands on her hips.
“Hey guys? Everything okay?”
Sara stared at Jaime another few seconds then forced what she hoped was a smile onto her face.
“Of course, Abby.”
“Well, Sandra is threatening to strip without you.” She looked at Jaime. “We thought you might want to come join us.”
“Yeah? Need me to keep her in line, do you?”
Abby shrugged. “It’s just more fun if you’re around.”
“Well, let’s go then.”
“Sara?”
“No, Abby, I think I’ll—”
“She’ll come too,” Jaime interrupted and again wrapped her fingers around Sara’s slim wrist. “Won’t you?”
“Don’t think I won’t hold you under the water and drown you if I get the chance,” Sara said under her breath as they followed Abby to the springs.
Jaime laughed but didn’t release her hold. Oh yes, this was going to be a barrel of fun. She’d been teasing earlier about the handcuffs but she very well might need to use them. For a woman whose life was threatened, Sara could be so damn stubborn.
The only consolation was that the springs were hidden by the tall spruce trees. She looked around, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to see them from the mountainside where she guessed he was hiding. Not here, anyway. Their tents, however, were well within view.
“Where have you been, Jaime? You’ve been
“Yes.” Jaime folded her legs and sat down next to Sara. “There was only one guy camping. He was up on the ridge about halfway up the mountain.”
“Do you think it’s a problem?”
Their eyes met. “I think, maybe, yeah. He had his fire out before it was barely dawn and packed up and moved on. I couldn’t follow his tracks in the rocks but he definitely went down the mountain.”
“And you think he’s close by?”
Jaime motioned with her head. “I think he’s up there.”
Sara followed her eyes, looking at the tree-covered hill about a hundred yards away. “Okay. So now what?”
Jaime sighed. Yeah, Jaime, now what? She didn’t have a clue.
Pack everyone up and head out? He would simply follow them, stopping when they did, biding his time until he could take his shot. No. As far as he knew, they were still oblivious to his presence.
“I think tonight, as soon as it’s dark enough, we pack everyone up and move. Quietly.”
“Tonight? And hike? Don’t you think they’re going to want to know why?”
“You want to tell them the truth? That there might be an assassin following us?”
“No, of course not. This is supposed to be a relaxing trip for them, not hell week.”
“Look, I’m really sorry about all this. I really am.”
“Did you ever think that you should have just told me the truth at the beginning? Then we could have stopped and gone back down and not have put them in danger.”
“You’re not serious? You didn’t believe the FBI when they told you. Do you really think you would have heeded my warning?”
“Would it have hurt to try?”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Michaels, but I was following orders. And since we’re trying to place blame here, how about you? The FBI warned you but you took these women up here anyway.”
“How dare you? Do you think I would intentionally put them in danger?”
“No, I don’t think you would intentionally do that but then I don’t really know you, do I?”
Sara stood up quickly. “And I don’t really know you, do I?”
She walked away quickly and Jaime scrambled after her. “Sara, wait.”
“Go to hell.”
“Oh great. We’re going to have a fight now ?” Jaime grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. “You can’t go running off like that. Jesus! Stay behind the trees, for God’s sake.”
Sara’s green eyes flashed at her but Jaime refused to release her arm.
“Let go of me,” Sara said slowly.
“If you don’t start listening to me, I swear to God, I’ll handcuff you,” Jaime threatened.
“And I’d like to see you try.”
Neither noticed Abby as she walked over, not until she stood next to them, hands on her hips.
“Hey guys? Everything okay?”
Sara stared at Jaime another few seconds then forced what she hoped was a smile onto her face.
“Of course, Abby.”
“Well, Sandra is threatening to strip without you.” She looked at Jaime. “We thought you might want to come join us.”
“Yeah? Need me to keep her in line, do you?”
Abby shrugged. “It’s just more fun if you’re around.”
“Well, let’s go then.”
“Sara?”
“No, Abby, I think I’ll—”
“She’ll come too,” Jaime interrupted and again wrapped her fingers around Sara’s slim wrist. “Won’t you?”
“Don’t think I won’t hold you under the water and drown you if I get the chance,” Sara said under her breath as they followed Abby to the springs.
Jaime laughed but didn’t release her hold. Oh yes, this was going to be a barrel of fun. She’d been teasing earlier about the handcuffs but she very well might need to use them. For a woman whose life was threatened, Sara could be so damn stubborn.
The only consolation was that the springs were hidden by the tall spruce trees. She looked around, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to see them from the mountainside where she guessed he was hiding. Not here, anyway. Their tents, however, were well within view.
“Where have you been, Jaime? You’ve been
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