the sheriff and tell him we need a recovery team. You okay to get her up the hill?”
“We’ll manage.” Chase helped Jane to her feet. He met her terrified gaze. “Take it slow and steady.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and they made the arduous climb up the incline. They ended up having to crawl on hands and knees to keep their center of gravity low, until they reached the guardrail. Chase lifted Jane over the metal rungs and set her on the gravel of the turnout. Then he climbed over, grateful for the stable ground.
Jane wrapped her arms around her middle; her lips trembled and tears streaked down her face. “Are you okay?”
“I am.” His hearing was returning and his heart rate had slowed. “You? Did he hurt you?”
“I’ll have some bruises.” She stared at him, her eyes wide. “You saved my life.”
The wonder in her tone scored him to the quick. “If I had been better at my job, you wouldn’t have been in the situation in the first place.”
“This is not your fault.” There was compassion in her tone. “He was a police officer, too.”
Chase shook his head. “No. He was an imposter.”
Her eyes widened in shock. She let out a shuddering breath. “If you hadn’t come along...”
“But I did.” And he was thankful for that small favor from God. He gestured toward his vehicle. “Let’s get you inside my car where you can feel safe.”
He hustled her to the back of the Sheriff’s Department vehicle and opened the door for her. She hesitated, most likely remembering the last time somebody told her to get into an SUV.
“Trust me,” he murmured.
She glanced over her shoulder at him, her pretty eyes intense. “I want to.” There was doubt in her voice, but she climbed inside the vehicle without further comment.
Warmth expanded within his chest. At this point he’d take whatever confidence she’d give him, even though he didn’t deserve it. The sound of sirens punctuated the air. “Stay put, okay? Let us sort this out.”
She settled in the seat. “I’m not going anywhere.”
He left the door open so she wouldn’t feel trapped and hurried to meet the sheriff, Deputy Alex Trevino, Kaitlyn and the EMT.
Taking a deep breath as the adrenaline letdown coursed through his body, Chase’s legs wobbled. He tucked his thumbs into his utility belt so no one would see that his hands trembled, as well. He’d shot and killed a man.
Not something he’d ever hoped to actually do. Oh, he trained for it. They all did. Aimed for center mass as he’d been taught. Maybe if he’d shot Peters in the leg or the shoulder... He gave himself a sharp internal shake. He could’ve easily missed a smaller target or hit Jane. And Peters’s next bullet could’ve torn through Chase’s skull. No, he’d done the right thing.
The sheriff and Alex climbed out of the sheriff’s vehicle and strode toward him. Kaitlyn joined them, having driven her own personal truck with the horse trailer behind it.
Putting his hand on Chase’s shoulder, the sheriff said, “Daniel filled us in on what happened. Are you okay?”
Standing tall, Chase nodded. “Yes, sir. I will be. A little shaken.”
Empathy shone in his boss’s gaze. “That’s to be expected. You did well.”
The sheriff’s praise slide inside of Chase, bolstering his confidence. “Thank you, sir.”
“Alex will escort you and Miss Thompson back to the station.” Sheriff Ryder turned to Kaitlyn. “You know what to do.”
“Yes, sir.” Kaitlyn’s hazel eyes were kind as she shifted her gaze to Chase. “I’m glad you and Jane are unharmed. Please tell her I’ll check in with her later.”
Mild surprise washed over Chase. He hadn’t known that Kaitlyn and Jane were close. “I will. How did you know to bring your horse?”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Hey, when somebody heads up the mountain with a hostage in tow, you never know when a horse might come in handy. I figured if the kidnapper took Jane deep into the forest, it would be best to be prepared to follow.”
As she strode away, Chase marveled again at being blessed to be a part of the Bristle Township Sheriff’s Department. Each team member was smart, competent and trustworthy. He could not have asked for better people to work with. They were like family.
“I’ll drive,” Alex said. He hopped into the front seat of the SUV Chase had driven up the mountain.
Not wanting to alarm Jane, Chase slid into the back seat next to her and shut the door. Jane was watching Kaitlyn ride by on her horse, a big roan with a black mane and tail. The pair stopped for a moment. Kaitlyn appeared tiny on top of the huge beast. Her blond ponytail hung down the back of her brown uniform.
“What’s she doing?” Jane asked, leaning forward to watch Kaitlyn through the SUV’s front window.
“Plotting out her course down the side of the mountain,” Alex supplied as he started the engine.
Kaitlyn steered the large animal to the left, skirting around the metal barricade and slowly began a crisscrossed descent down the side of the hill until she disappeared from sight.
“Okay.” Jane turned her troubled gaze to Chase. “But why is she doing that?”
“She’s going to locate the body. And help coordinate the recovery from down below,” Chase answered without sugarcoating the work that would need to be done.
Surprise widened her eyes. “Is that safe for her to do?”
“Kait’s an accomplished horsewoman and a member of the mounted patrol,” Alex replied from the front seat. “Her family breeds and trains horses. Plus, she knows this mountain like the back of her hand. She grew up here, unlike me or Chase.”
“The sheriff wouldn’t have asked her to do this if he weren’t confident in her abilities,” Chase added. “All the members of the mounted patrol are highly trained. With terrain like we have here, there are places only accessible by horseback.”
“Are you on the mounted patrol?” Jane asked.
Chase met Alex’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “Not yet. Alex has been teaching me how to ride. One day I hope to be trained enough to join the patrol. But for now I’m content to be ground support to the others.”
“Leslie offered to give me a riding lesson,” Jane said.
“You should take her up on the offer,” Chase said. “She’s an auxiliary member of the mounted patrol.”
“Auxiliary?”
“A fancy term for volunteer,” he told her. Like many western state mounted patrols, the members were a mix of paid law enforcement and trained, unarmed civilians.
“Perhaps I’ll take a riding lesson.” Jane turned to stare out the window. “If I live long enough to.”
He didn’t like to hear the despair in her tone. “You’re safe, Jane.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not.” She faced him. There was determination in her expression. “That man was sent to kill me. There will be more. I have to leave Bristle Township. Disappear again.”
“You can’t,” he told her. “You said you wanted to be brave and do the right thing.”
“I don’t want to die,” she said.
How did he get her to trust that they could protect her?
He needed to know what they were dealing with and why so they could form a plan to keep her safe. “Tell me about the night you witnessed a murder.”