Page 4 of Deadly Peril
“Something tells me that he was,” Jana said. “Call it a feeling…but I have an eerie sense that some idiot aimed at me.”
“But why?” Coley stood up on her skis and looked around. “The creep did a disappearing act, because I don’t see anyone racing away.”
“Anyone stupid enough to shoot a rifle on these slopes wouldn’t stick around long enough to be recognized.”
“Who would want to hurt you?”
Jana took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “I admit…I’m freaked out. Even if that was a warning shot, it was way too close for comfort.” She’d been around rifles most of her life, but that had been the first time one had been pointed at her.
“That had to be an accident,” Jana said. “I don’t have any enemies, or anyone who hates me enough to want me dead.”
“An accident?”
“Yeah, some crazy-ass hunter in the wrong place.”
Coley scrubbed her hand over her face. “I don’t think so. There’s nothing much to hunt on these trails…except other skiers.” She paused. “It was no accident. I don’t believe in coincidences.”
Jana ran her finger over the notch in the tree bark. “If I’d been a split second faster, that shot would have hit me.” She looked at her friend. “We should get out of here.”
A weird thought came to mind. It was possible that the threatening letters she’d received carried authentic danger. The messages had been cryptic. The sender had warned Jana that she wasn’t safe, that she wasn’t insulated from harm.
That hadn’t been anything to take seriously. Jana didn’t understand the intent of the threats. The letters and texts hadn’t made any demand, so she was unclear on what the person wanted from her.
It was reasonable to assume that the letters had some connection to what had just happened. But it boggled Jana’s mind. Her life had been at risk out on that slope. She was at home on those trails, more comfortable there than any other place.
Jana looked at Coley. “We won’t be coming to this resort for a few weeks.”
“No arguments from me.”
Another thought struck Jana. She stopped and grabbed Coley’s arm. “Whoever shot at me knew that I was skiing here.”
Coley stared at her.
“That means the shooter had the advantage of knowing I ski here often.” Jana shuddered. “Or my would-be assassin followed me.”
“You can’t keep this a secret anymore,” Coley said, and shook her head. “The letters, the texts…you have to tell someone.” She hesitated a beat. “Someone just tried to kill you.”
