Buried Mountain Secrets. Terri Reed

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СКАЧАТЬ and a shiver prickled the fine hairs at Maya’s nape.

      “Brady! Answer me,” she called out, praying that her search wasn’t futile.

      Where were all the other hikers? She could only guess because of the later hour in the day that most had already made their treks up and back down the mountain path. She rounded a bend in the trail. According to the GPS tracker, she should have been right on top of Brady. But the path was empty.

      With her breath lodged in her lungs, she searched the bushes on the sides of the trail. A patch of blue snagged her gaze. She dived for the bramble of tangled foliage. “Brady?”

      Horror closed her throat. It was her baby brother’s favorite backpack. She tugged the blue backpack from beneath the thorny bush. She hugged the bag to her chest, her heart thumping as fear clouded her vision. Where was her brother?

      Had he strayed off the path? Was he hurt and needing help?

      She put on the backpack so that her hands were free to push back the low branches as she made her way into the thick forest.

      The snap of a branch breaking sent a bird flapping from a tree branch above. Maya’s heart jackknifed as she froze, unsure from which direction the noise had come. “Brady?”

      Something hard and heavy slammed into her from behind, sending her sprawling forward on her hands and knees. Dirt and debris bit into her skin. Rough hands grabbed at her. She rolled away, landing awkwardly on the backpack. A hooded person with a strange mask covering their face rushed toward her.

      Terror had her rolling again into the bushes. She scrambled to her feet, ignoring the ripping of her jeans on a branch. The hooded figure yanked on the straps of the backpack. Maya delivered a low fisted shot to the person’s gut, knocking the assailant back several steps, enough so that Maya could twist away with her brother’s pack still on and flee into the woods.

      She ran as fast as the terrain would allow, dodging branches that scratched at her hands, tore her coat and plucked at her hair.

      Behind her, she heard the thrashing of her attacker through the underbrush, quickly gaining on her.

      She had to find safety. She darted around a copse of trees and spied a downed trunk. She jumped over it and hunkered down, out of sight.

       Please, Lord, protect me. Protect Brady.

      Why was someone trying to hurt her? Where was her brother?

      * * *

      “There’s been another injured treasure hunter outside Denver,” Deputy Kaitlyn Lanz announced in grim irritation.

      Deputy Alex Trevino shook his head. “That makes five in the past week.” He rose and headed to the sheriff’s office. Pausing in the doorway, he addressed the older man sitting at the oak desk. “Sir, we really need to do something about Patrick Delaney and his treasure hunt.”

      Sheriff James Ryder ran a hand through his silver hair. “If I thought there was something to be done, I’d do it. I’ve talked to Patrick. Mayor Olivia has talked to Patrick. Even the feds have talked to Patrick. The old coot won’t relent. He’s the town’s biggest supporter so there’s only so much pressure we can exert on him. He’s within his legal rights.”

      Frustration beat a steady tempo at the back of Alex’s head. “It’s only a matter of time before we have issues here in Bristle Township.”

      “Don’t borrow trouble, Trevino,” the sheriff said. “How are your plans for the festival coming along?”

      Alex was in charge of the security measures for the upcoming Harvest Festival and parade. “Good. The auxiliary volunteers have committed to patrolling Main Street. Between the volunteers, Kait, Daniel, Chase and me, we’ll have the festival covered.”

      “What about the parade?”

      “That, too.”

      The outer office door to the department banged open. Alex spun, his hand going to his holstered weapon. The other three deputies on duty rose from their desk chairs and took similar on-guard stances.

      An older man with wisps of gray hair covering his head and a panicked expression rushed into the station house. Ethan Johnson.

      “Mr. Johnson, can I help you?” the station receptionist, Carole Manning, hurriedly trailed after him.

      “Come quick,” Ethan said to the room at large. “It’s the Gallos.”

      Though he relaxed his stance, alarm threaded through Alex’s veins. An image of a dark-haired beauty rose in Alex’s mind. He’d seen Maya Gallo just this morning standing in the window of the hardware store. Though he didn’t know the woman well, he found her to be pleasant when she helped him with tack and such for his horse, Truman. “What’s happened?”

      “I was there this morning, but I had to come back because I forgot to get some bedding for the nests in my chicken coop and the store is closed. Only the door is unlocked. It’s not like Maya to leave the store unattended. Something’s happened.”

      The sheriff stepped out of his office. “Now, Ethan, I’m sure Maya and Brady are fine. Maybe they are at the diner having a late lunch or have gone home for the day and forgot to lock up. Let’s not jump to unnecessary conclusions.”

      Ethan shook his head. “No, Sheriff. I tell you, this isn’t like Maya. And Brady was all riled up this morning about something.”

      “Probably the treasure,” Carole stated with a sage nod. “Brady is big into finding the treasure and a new clue was released this morning.”

      Alex glanced at his superior, then back to Carole. “But the clue could be anywhere in the Rocky Mountains.”

      “True.” She walked over to his desk and sat at the computer, her fingers flying over the keys. “Here. Take a look at this. Mr. Delaney put up a partial map.”

      They all huddled around the desk to look at the computer screen.

      “That could be Eagle Crest.” Deputy Daniel Rawlings towered over them at nearly six-three and pointed to a spot on the screen.

      “Or it could be any number of mountains from Canada to New Mexico,” Kaitlyn pointed out, flipping her blond ponytail over her shoulder. “There’s no way to be sure that’s our Eagle Crest Mountain.”

      “Well, whatever the case,” the sheriff said, “we need to do our jobs and make sure our citizens are safe.” He pinned Alex with a hard look. “Find the Gallo siblings.”

      Glad to be put in charge, Alex nodded. “Yes, sir.”

      “Ethan, let me walk you out.” The sheriff gestured for the other man to leave with him.

      “Okay, you heard the sheriff,” Alex said. “Kait, get the Gallos’ home address from Carole and see if the Gallos are there. Daniel, you go to the store and check it out. See if there are signs of a struggle or something that will tell us why Maya closed up early.”

      “What do you want me to do?” Deputy Chase Fredrick asked. He was the youngest and newest of the deputies. Medium height and lean with sandy-blond hair and dark СКАЧАТЬ