Untraceable by Elizabeth Goddard

Zach, who had slowed even more to argue with Rhea.
    Isaiah had made Heidi a promise. He had the gut feeling it was a promise she didn’t want, maybe didn’t need, but he was more worried it was a promise he couldn’t keep. Regardless, he’d made it—and Heidi had no idea what drove him to want to protect her. She could never know.
    Isaiah suspected the reasons went much deeper than the trauma of his past. Even if he hadn’t been close to a murder victim, blamed himself for her death and been considered a person of interest, he would have made the promise to Heidi.
    There. He admitted it. Felt good, too.
    He’d forced emotional distance between them to protect her from him, and to protect himself. But more often than not, he wondered if that had been a mistake. He couldn’t deny he was drawn to her and every time she looked at him he saw the hurt in her eyes, though it decreased every day.
    She was getting over the hurt. That was a good thing, wasn’t it?
    Yes and no. Isaiah couldn’t help but feel the pain of loss. But none of that mattered in this insanity. What mattered was that Isaiah would protect Heidi. He’d never doubted that, but now he’d voiced the words to her, and that made her even more vulnerable because she might just trust him enough to follow through.
    Sure, she could hold her own, and true, her brother Cade would do anything it took to keep his sister safe, but Isaiah wanted her to know he was there for her, too. He would make a difference when it counted. He had to make a difference this time.
    Isaiah had been hiking fast enough to keep up with Cade’s relentless pace, but Isaiah slowed, letting Heidi catch up with him. She kept her head down for the most part, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. This was an endurance test they would all have to pass.
    Behind them, Rhea continued to argue with Zach. Jason grumbled, as well. When Heidi looked up at Isaiah, he recognized the concern in her eyes over the discontent among the criminals. He felt it, too.
    What would their grumbling mean for Cade, Isaiah and Heidi?
    Isaiah slowed down even more to see if he could make out their conversation. If there was something other than a field of snow ahead of them, he might suggest that he and Heidi and Cade make a run for it. They could hide. But Cade would likely argue that they might be gunned down before they could ever find cover.
    Soon enough, Zach would realize their formation had gone awry and Heidi would likely be in the back with him again, but for now, Isaiah needed to know what they were saying.
    “If you can’t get ahold of him how do you know he’s going to be there?” Jason asked. “He’s dumped us, that’s what he’s done. We’re on our own.”
    “Shut your mouth, do you hear me?” Zach again.
    “I’m so tired now. How are we going to make it?” Rhea whined. “Can’t you have him pick us up somewhere near here? Get a helicopter or something.”
    “Both of you, shut your traps.”
    The pause in conversation implied that they feared Isaiah was listening. Time to redirect things. “Tell me about your photography?”
    “Huh?” Heidi stumbled a little.
    “We want them to think we’re engrossed in our own discussion,” he said under his breath.
    “Oh, yeah, well, I think photography has kept me sane these past few...” Heidi let her voice trail.
    “Months?” he finished for her. He hadn’t meant for the conversation to turn serious, but she’d opened that door. “Heidi, I’m so sorry about everything that happened to you.” Including any part I played in it.
    “I didn’t think I’d ever get over the day Jenks fell and died. I should have done something to keep it from happening. Some search and rescue team member I am.”
    “Hey, it wasn’t your fault, Heidi. Never was.” He knew others had told her that repeatedly, but she’d been unwilling to accept it.
    He wasn’t sure he would’ve reacted any differently had he gone hiking with friends and