Backfire. Elizabeth Goddard

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      His gaze lingered on hers longer than necessary. She wasn’t sure why, but unfortunately, she liked it. What was it about him?

      Then he turned his attention to the climb down. She couldn’t have known when she woke up this morning that the day would end with her taking refuge on a small terrace in a cliff face with Solomon, a fallen jogger and David Warren, hiding from a would-be killer.

      * * *

      Tracy waited with Jay while David climbed up to make sure it was safe by the trail for the incoming SAR team. The guy had courage and was all about protecting others.

      He leaned over the ledge and looked down at her now to let her know he had finally returned. The clouds chose to release their burden at that moment, lashing them with a relentless fury and forcing her to drag her eyes away from the ledge.

      At least the rain woud keep her from looking up every other minute, terrified that the next person she saw would be the man who’d shoved Jay over the ledge.

      How was it that she had to face off with a killer twice in her life? She wanted to question God about the insanity in this world. Wanted to condemn David for leaving her. Solomon, too.

      As it was, she feared Jay was quickly losing his battle with death. But she was thankful David had returned. She never thought she’d ever be so glad to see him—a man she’d avoided.

      She looked up again and saw David. His gaze held hers as the rain pounded all of them and he shouted, “I’m coming down.”

      “What about the rocks? Won’t it be too slippery? Maybe you should wait,” she called up.

      “I have gear this time. SAR is here.” He shot her a smile and gestured with the climbing ropes before he started setting an anchor. But then he frowned. Called down to her. “How’s Jay?”

      Tracy’s heart lurched. “Not doing very well, I’m afraid.”

      He made it about halfway then called down to her again. “You pray, Tracy?”

      She’d prefer he paid more attention to rappelling in the rain than trying to reassure her.

      She wished she had a hood. Something. Rain splattered her face when she called up. “Yes, of course.”

      “Well, good, then. Because we have that, if we have nothing else. And it’s what truly matters.”

      Tracy had seen the Warren family in church; heard they were heroes and Christians. But she hadn’t known the depth of that conviction until now, when David gave her a glimpse of the man he really was on the inside.

      And then he was right next to her, holding her steady in the pouring rain.

      He pulled the pack from his back and took out a big sheet of plastic. “Here, take this for a minute. I’m going to hold this over you and Jay to cover you.”

      He also tugged out a thermal blanket. “Now, cover Jay. At least we can keep him from getting any wetter. Keep him warm.”

      Tracy nodded and did as David asked.

      Jay’s eyes blinked open. “Why did this happen?”

      “I’m sorry... I don’t know. But there is a helicopter coming. It’ll be here soon, Jay. You’re going to be just fine.” She didn’t want to ask if he was in pain because she knew he was. “As soon as the helicopter gets here, the SAR team will position you in the rescue basket and the medics will take care of you.”

      God, please let the rain stop, just long enough for us to get Jay to safety. Airlifting someone injured could be treacherous on a good day, much less in a rare thunderstorm.

      Why had this kind of weather unleashed now, with Jay straddling this world and the next?

      “What happened, Jay? Why’d someone push you off a cliff?” Tracy cringed. Should she really be asking him? It wasn’t her business. Those questions were for the authorities.

      Still, it creeped her out to think that Jay’s would-be killer had been lurking in the woods. Maybe if she understood what had happened, she wouldn’t be so scared.

      “Saw him on the trail. Stopped to catch my breath. Just making conversation. Then he tried to kill me.” Jay coughed. “Probably thought he succeeded. That’s what I get for being too friendly.”

      Tracy had nothing else to say but that she was sorry, and she didn’t want to say that repeatedly. Nor did she like the sound of his cough. Maybe he shouldn’t even be talking. She opened her mouth to tell him that he should rest now when he spoke again.

      “He had an interesting tattoo. I’ve been thinking about getting one...and I asked him about it. Maybe that’s what sent him into a fit. How crazy is that?” He squeezed her hand.

      But it was as if he squeezed her heart. Tracy couldn’t breathe. Images of the worst night of her life filled with flames and smoke and death accosted her. Somewhere outside her memories, David asked if she was okay, but she couldn’t escape the images.

      “Tattoo?” she finally managed to ask. “What...kind of tattoo?”

      Jay closed his eyes. Was he unconscious again?

      “Jay, please, I need to know. It could help us identify the man who did this.”

      She held her breath, afraid she would never get the answer. Fearing what the answer might be all the same.

      The pounding rain slowed to a trickle, giving them a reprieve. In the distance she heard the whir of the rescue helicopter.

      The plastic David held shifted. “Tracy,” he said. “I need you to climb back up to give us room to get Jay on the rescue basket and into the helicopter.”

      Still reeling over what Jay had said, she couldn’t respond.

      “It’s safe, Tracy. Others are up there. The Mountain Cove PD is on the way, too.”

      He lowered the plastic. “Tracy? Are you okay?”

      “Sure. Give me a sec.” She squeezed Jay’s hand, trying one last time. “What kind of tattoo, Jay? Please, it’s important.”

      He looked at her then, the pain in his face almost intolerable. “Numbers and a scorpion with flames on the wrist. I should have known better, but I thought it was cool. Asked what the numbers—”

      Tracy didn’t hear more, having already gone into a shock of her own.

      No, it couldn’t be...

      How had he found her?

       THREE

      The helicopter hovered above them.

      David stood underneath the rescue basket that was used like a medical stretcher, watching as Jay was hoisted up and into the chopper. The rain was beginning to lash them again. Carefully securing Jay in the basket СКАЧАТЬ