Chapter 13
Walker
Iwoke the next morning and carefully slid out from beneath Destiny’s arm. She’d slept hard when we weren’t otherwise preoccupied. The first night she’d slept in the cabin, she hadn’t been a sleep talker, not like last night. Her words were mumbled and didn’t make any sense. After what seemed like an eternity, she’d finally settled down and fell into a deep slumber.
I threw a log onto the dying fire and poked it back to life before getting dressed. I checked my equipment and replenished the food supply and was sliding into my coat when she finally opened her eyes.
She looked good enough to eat. The blanket and sheet covered her naked body, resting just above her breasts. The need to take her again claimed me hard and fast, yet I resisted.
“Where are you going?” she asked. Her tired voice came out quiet in the room.
“I’m going to check one of the other caves for your friend. This one is closest, so you can stay and rest.”
She sat up, clutching the blanket to her chest. “I should go with you.”
I crossed the room and gave her a gentle kiss, trailing a path down her neck. “I’d rather you save your strength for tonight.”
She tsked. “Is this your way of escaping a morning-after scenario?”
“Hardly.” I chuckled. “This is me getting back to the prize faster.”
I stood, knowing if I lingered any longer, I’d never make it out the door.
“Be careful,” she said.
“Shotgun is in the corner if you need it. More wood is on the back porch. The satellite phone is in the room. I’ll add fuel to the generator on my way out. Keep the doors locked, rest, and relax.”
She nodded.
I grabbed my backpack and stepped outside into the frigid air, and even that hardly touched my burning libido. I needed this hike. Time to get Destiny out of my mind and concentrate on the task at hand of finding her friend. Coworker. Ex-boyfriend. Fuck.
It was my job, I reminded myself as I refueled the generator. She wouldn’t even be here if her ex wasn’t in danger. I needed to put things into perspective. She would be gone just as soon as she got what she needed, and my life would go back to the way it was before.
I worked off my frustration during the hike to the third cave. This one held promise. I scanned the cave from a distance and the surrounding area looking for any signs of life.
There was a pile of wood at the cave entrance, set up like the bonfire I’d started two nights before. Someone had been inside. It was only a matter of who and whether they were still alive.
As I approached, I grabbed my gun, the weight heavy in my palm. I didn’t know if I’d find Putnam, poachers or wild animals. All could be dangerous.
“United States Forest ranger. If anyone is in the cave, show yourself.”
There was movement, a flash of shadows followed by the sounds of rustling.
“We’re coming out. Don’t shoot,” a male voice answered.
We. That one word made me shift my finger to the trigger. I was expecting one person. One man.
A man stepped into the opening with his hands up. He had dark wavy hair and a scraggly unshaved beard. A woman stepped up with him. Dirt marred her face and her clothes.
“Identify yourself,” I called out.
“My name is Richard,” the man answered.
“Ritchie Putnam?” I asked.
“Wait, how did you know?”
“People are worried about you. And who is your friend?” I asked.
