“And?”
“We spoke with a detective. He said they’d look into it, but without any proof . . .”
“I figured.”
“So what are we going to do?” Piper said.
“The way I see it,” Jake said, sitting forward, “you’ve got a couple options. Without the microchip and without Erik as a witness . . .”
“Elaine,” Landon said. “She was heading for Portland a few minutes after us.”
Piper looked down.
“They got to Elaine too?”
“Brakes went out on her car. She careened straight into the mountainside,” Cole said.
“Let me guess, her car exploded upon impact.”
“Yeah.” Cole nodded.
“Any evidence of an incendiary device?”
“Police are still sorting through the ashes.”
“So that leaves us with no witnesses and no hard evidence.”
“Jake”—Piper turned to him—“you were explaining our options.”
“Why are you asking him?” Kayden said. “Landon’s the law official.”
“Yes, but Jake obviously has a plan.”
“Which no one else finds strange? I mean how does he know so much about criminals?”
“Not this again,” Cole said. “Jake’s just trying to help.”
Kayden slumped on the edge of the bed. “I can’t believe I’m the only one who finds it strange . . . or who cares.”
“Jake,” Piper said, “please continue.”
Jake nodded, his wounded gaze shifting off Kayden and back to Piper. “As I see it you have three avenues. You can try and find the microchip.”
“Definitely possible,” Piper said.
“You can attempt to figure out what was on it and re-create the information . . .”
“Not possible,” Landon said. They didn’t have the scientific ability or access to the data Erik had gathered.
“Or option three.” Jake leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees. “We catch the guy Ed Thompson hired to kill you and get him to turn on Thompson.”
“How exactly would we do that?” Cole asked.
“I’m sure he’s heard by now that his attempt on our lives failed. I just make myself a target while the rest of you set a trap,” Landon said.
“I’m the one he wants,” Piper said.
Landon shook his head. “No way.”
“I’m the one he tried to run off the road in Yancey. For some reason he is focusing on me.”
“She’s right.” Jake stood. “I know you’re all going to disagree, and with good reason, but Piper does make a far easier target.”
Landon knew it was true, but it meant endangering the woman he loved yet again.
“Why don’t we just locate the microchip?” Darcy asked.
“We’ll start searching,” Landon explained, “but we don’t know for certain that Karli passed it on to Reef. And even if we find it, nothing on it would prove that Ed Thompson had Erik and Karli killed. It only proves the insulin was tainted. If we want Karli’s and Erik’s killer . . .”
“And Elaine’s,” Piper added.
“And nearly both of yours,” Darcy said.
“ . . . then we need to catch him ourselves.” Landon looked around the room. “Somehow we need to get him to show himself.”
“He obviously wants the microchip,” Piper said. “If we find it, he’ll come after us.”
“She’s right,” Landon said.
“So, what? We find the microchip and lure the killer in?” Darcy asked.
Cole cleared his throat. “That sounds incredibly dangerous.”
“But necessary.” Landon looked at Piper and sighed. How was he going to keep her out of danger?
51
They returned to Yancey, began their search for the microchip, and made sure the killer knew they weren’t backing down. Piper was right; even if they located the microchip, they still needed the killer to prove Thompson was behind the murders. Otherwise, it was simply conjecture. Sound conjecture, but conjecture all the same. They needed tangible evidence, and so far they had none—no helpful trace evidence or fingerprints from the crime-scene, no physical description other than the basic appearance of the man Piper had seen: tall, slender, with dark hair. If they were going to catch the killer, they needed to draw him in.
Piper played her role perfectly, calling BioTech, threatening Ed Thompson, letting him know they were on to him and that they’d be painfully vocal about it. Meanwhile they tediously searched through Reef’s belongings, trying to locate the microchip.
It pained Landon every second of every day waiting for the killer to appear, knowing he would, but also believing they had no choice. They’d set up an elaborate surveillance system at Yancey’s port and marinas, calling in every law-enforcement favor Landon had garnered over the years. They’d left Slidell out of it—though he wouldn’t intentionally ruin their plan, they couldn’t trust him not to muck it up.
If an outsider stepped foot in Yancey, they’d know it. The trick was determining if he was the killer.
Two days after they returned to Yancey, Gage burst into Last Frontier Adventures’s storage garage, where they’d set up temporary headquarters out of sight of any onlookers. “Jake just called. He thinks we have a winner.”
Landon stood. “Where?”
“A man just checked into Trailside Lodge. According to Bev he’s been there once before.”
Landon straightened.
“The same week Karli was murdered.” Gage smiled.
“His name?”
“That’s the thing. Bev says he went by Mr. Smith the first time and Mr. Sanders this time. She asked him about it, but he told her she was mistaken.”
“Any chance she is?”
“Not Bev. She’s got a knack for faces and names.”
“Is Jake keeping an eye on him?”
“Yeah, but from a good distance. He doesn’t want to risk scaring him off. So far Mr. Sanders hasn’t left his room.”
“We need to discover his real identity. Did Jake get a picture?”
“Not at the lodge, but since you have a team photographing every nonlocal that steps off the ferry, we can take Bev’s description and hopefully find a match. Jake said he’ll text the description and you can get online and compare it to the images they’re downloading from the ferry station.”
“Great. Once we have a match, or at least a few options, I’ll send the photos over to Piper and Reef and see if either one recognizes him. It’s possible seeing the photo might jog Piper’s memory of whoever ran her off the road. Or if we are really lucky, Reef might remember seeing him around the circuit events. The killer had to be tracking Karli for some time to be able to strike at the opportune moment.”
“We might be even more fortunate than that,” Gage said.
Landon arched a brow.
“Seems dear old Bev is a CSI fan. When the guy signed in under a different name, it piqued her interest. Soon as he headed for the elevator, she slipped the guest ledger pen into a plastic bag and insisted Andy run it straight to the lab.”
“Awesome. I’ll make sure they run it for prints ASAP. In the meantime, let’s not let Mr. Sanders out of our sight.”
“And you’re certain you’ve seen him before?” Landon asked as Reef studied the photograph a second time.
“Yeah, I figured he was part of the event staff.”
“Why?”
“He wore a yellow jacket.”
“And?”
“Midnight Sun staffers wear yellow jackets.”
“Is there any kind of insignia or writing on these staff jackets?”
“Yeah, there is a falcon on the front chest, right side.”
Landon leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees as he sat beside Reef on his cell cot. “This is extremely important. I want you to take all the time you need and really think about it, but do you remember if his jacket had the event insignia on it?”
Reef sat back, c
losing his eyes, and inhaled. “He had something on it, but I can’t say for sure if it was the event symbol or just something that looked similar.”
“Okay.”
Reef opened his eyes. “Does that help?”
“Absolutely. I’ll have Jake speak with Rick Masterson and see if he recognizes the man. He may have taken a temporary job with the circuit or maybe just the local event to gain better access to Karli.” Landon put the photograph down. “And you’re certain Karli never passed anything to you?” They’d been over this so many times that he almost felt foolish asking, but sometimes repeated questioning jarred something loose and an answer came.
“Man, I’ve been racking my brain, but no, Karli never gave me anything.”
“It would have been small, no bigger than the head of a pin.” They’d searched the contents of Reef’s and Karli’s hotel rooms, Piper and Kayden’s house, even Reef’s belongings locked in evidence, but no microchip.
“I’m sorry, man. You don’t know how badly I wish I knew where that thing is.”
“I think I have a pretty good idea.” Without Erik’s evidence compiled on the chip, no testimony, not even Elaine’s, had she lived, would have been the rock-solid proof they needed. Where was it? “What about Karli?”
“What about her?”
“You knew her.”
“About as well as anyone could, but obviously not that well. I had no idea she’d been in Witness Protection, no idea what she was going through.” Regret was clear on his face.
“Where would Karli stash something of value?”
“I don’t know.” Reef slumped back, thinking. “Could be anywhere in the lodge.”
“Think something more personal. Something Karli was attached to . . .”
Reef laughed. “Her equipment.”
“What?” Landon turned.
“Sorry. That wasn’t funny. It’s just Karli had zero attachment to people, but her equipment . . . You touched it, you died.”
“Thank you, Reef.”
“Huh?”
Landon strode out of the station, dialing Piper. She was at the lodge, insistent the chip had to be there somewhere. She picked up on the second ring.
“Hey, sweetheart.”
“Hey there.” He could hear the smile in her voice, and it warmed his heart.
“I need you to do something.”
“Okay.”
“But you can’t go alone. Jim’s still over there, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, so take him with you and go check Karli’s equipment.”
“Her equipment? Why didn’t we think of that before?”
Piper hurried around to Trailside’s storage shed, where she’d been told all unclaimed gear left after the competition ended was being housed. Deputy Jim Vaughn waited outside as she ducked into the cold metal building. Flipping the fluorescent lights on, she strode down the first aisle. Reef had provided a description of Karli’s equipment. She was looking for a red Burton board with Rebel scrolled in Gothic calligraphy across the bottom. The shed was filled with junk that had accumulated over the decades, so it took several aisles of searching to locate it, but she did.
She bent to examine the bindings, the various intricate grooves and spots where a rhinestone could have been replaced with a microchip. Nothing. She grabbed Karli’s boots, examining the outside and then running her hand along the black furry interior. Her hand stilled along the bottom of Karli’s left boot. It took a minute, but Piper tore the lining out and found a small metal chip glued to the surface. Bingo!
She wrapped the chip in a scrap of the boot’s lining and pulled out her phone to call Landon. “I got it! We’ll meet you in the lodge—at the front desk.”
He’d known it would be the girl that found it. And the smug smile on her face was proof that she had. But there were too many people around the shed. He’d wait until the deputy escorted her back into the lodge, and then he’d strike. It’d be messier than he preferred, but they’d left him no choice.
Piper stepped into the lodge through the rear door. She hadn’t taken but a few steps when she heard a thwack behind her. She turned to find Jim slumping to his knees. She bent to help him and something whizzed overhead, shattering the glass of the door. He’s here. She ducked, dropping to the ground as Jim’s blood seeped into the carpet.
“Piper,” Landon rushed down the hall from the opposite end.
“Get down,” she hollered.
An arm reached out and grabbed Landon, pulling him into the adjacent hall.
“Landon.” She scrambled to her feet. Stumbling, she stopped short at the corner. Taking a deep breath, she peered around, and her hope died.
A man held a gun pressed to Landon’s temple, his other arm tight against Landon’s chest.
“Go back!” Landon screamed.
“Toss me the chip,” the man hollered.
Her eyes narrowed. It was the man from the cafeteria, from the plane, from her room at the lodge.
“Now!” he roared.
She pulled the lining-wrapped chip from her pocket.
“Don’t do it. He’ll just kill us both,” Landon said.
“Shut up,” the man hissed.
Footsteps thudded down the hall. Help was coming.
The man shook his head, kicked the emergency exit door open behind him, sounding the alarm, and yanked Landon outside.
“He’s got Landon.” Piper stuffed the chip back in her pocket and tore after them, as voices rang from behind.
“Piper, stop!” Cole hollered.
She shoved the door open, and sunshine blinded her momentarily. Squinting, she searched the trees, the grounds. People stood stunned and staring. A snowmobile started on the north side of the woods. “He’s taking off.” She bounded through the snow, only to be caught short by a hand.
She turned to find Cole, his deep breaths a white vapor in the frigid air. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”
“He’s got Landon.”
“And the chip?”
“I have it.” She pulled it from her pocket, amazed something so little could cause so much devastation.
“Then you have the bargaining power.”
“So . . . what? You’re suggesting we just sit back and wait for him to contact us?” She didn’t give him a chance to answer. “No way. Bev and Andy have snowmobiles. I need to go after him.”
“Then you need Jake. We both know no one can track like him.”
52
Cold seeped through Piper’s gloves despite the fleece lining. They’d been tracking Landon and his captor for hours. They’d found the snowmobile with an empty tank of gas at the base of the thickly wooded forest. He’d chosen his route well. Even though they had extra containers of gas, their snowmobiles couldn’t fit through the tangled roots and narrow passages this section of evergreens afforded.
Jake remained stubbornly silent on the skirmish that must have ensued before Landon and the man entered the woods. Blood and haphazard tracks said it all. Landon was hurt, but two sets of footprints remained, filling Piper with an unsettling mix of hope and dread.
“We wasted too much time,” she said, trudging through the dense undergrowth barring their way. They’d given them nearly a half-hour head start while coordinating and supplying their search party.
“We had no choice,” Cole reminded her. “We’re better prepared. He’s out here without supplies, which means we have the upper hand.”
She yanked her foot out of the tangle of roots and vines ensnaring it. It sure didn’t feel like they had the upper hand. But they knew this mountain far better than he did—and he was outnumbered. They’d catch him. She only prayed they wouldn’t be too late.
Piper hovered over Jake as he bent to examine the fading tracks. The snow had started an hour back, thickening in intensity over the past ten minutes. Even an expert tracker like Jake was having difficulty finding what remained of their imprints.
“We’re going to lose them,” she said
, her chest tightening.
“Then we vary our approach.” Jake stood, eyeing the landscape. “He’s going to move for shelter in this storm.”
Landon could tell the man where to find shelter, but would he? Would he think it best to let the man wear down in the elements or lead him to shelter so they’d be easier to locate?
“From here there are three options,” Jake said. “The ranger station at Ford’s Pass, the observation tower on Northface, or the emergency shelter by the spring.”
“The station is best supplied,” Cole said.
“But the tower has the best vantage point,” Piper said. He knew they were tracking him. He’d want to see them coming.
“If they’re holed up in there, he’ll see us coming even in this storm,” Jake said.
“I know, but I’m betting that’s where they’ll be.”
Cole shook his head. “Landon wouldn’t lead him there.”
“He might not have had to,” Jake said.
“What do you mean?”
“The man has shown some clear knowledge of the area in the path they’ve taken.”
“You think he planned for this contingency?” Piper asked.
Jake shook his head. “I don’t know that I’d go that far, but he knew the most remote area to run you off of Highway 11. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’d studied the terrain or at least had the resources available to him.”
“But if he doesn’t have a plan, Landon would surely take him to the ranger station,” Piper said. It was not only the best supplied, but the most frequented.
“So which do we head for?” Cole asked.
“All of them,” she said.
“What?”
“We have to split up and check all three.”
Cole shook his head. “No. That’s too risky.”
“We don’t have a choice. If we choose the wrong one, we risk losing him completely.”
“She’s right,” Jake said.
“Fine, so how should we split up?”
“I’ll go with Piper to the observation tower,” Gage volunteered. “Kayden, you and Jake head for the emergency shelter. Cole, you take the ranger station.”