Hiding in Montana, page 1
The door handle began to move.
Lexie lifted the knife, prepared to bring it down on whatever part of Lanier’s body came through the door.
Suddenly the handle stopped turning and the shadow moved away.
He was leaving? Why? Then a dog barked and she knew Chris and Teddy were close by.
“Lexie!” Hearing Chris shout her name made her close her eyes and thank God for sending him to her rescue.
“Lexie?” Chris’s voice sounded as if he was in one of the bedrooms. “Are you okay?”
Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit
These police officers fight for justice with the help of their brave canine partners.
Detection Detail by Terri Reed, April 2022
Ready to Protect by Valerie Hansen, May 2022
Hiding in Montana by Laura Scott, June 2022
Undercover Assignment by Dana Mentink, July 2022
Defending from Danger by Jodie Bailey, August 2022
Tracking a Killer by Elizabeth Goddard, September 2022
Explosive Revenge by Maggie K. Black, October 2022
Rescue Mission by Lynette Eason, November 2022
Christmas K-9 Unit Heroes by Lenora Worth and Katy Lee, December 2022
Laura Scott has always loved romance and read faith-based books by Grace Livingston Hill in her teenage years. She’s thrilled to have been given the opportunity to retire from thirty-eight years of nursing to become a full-time author. Laura has published over thirty books for Love Inspired Suspense. She has two adult children and lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her husband of thirty-five years. Please visit Laura at laurascottbooks.com, as she loves to hear from her readers.
Books by Laura Scott
Love Inspired Suspense
Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit
Hiding in Montana
Justice Seekers
Soldier’s Christmas Secrets
Guarded by the Soldier
Wyoming Mountain Escape
Hiding His Holiday Witness
Rocky Mountain Standoff
Fugitive Hunt
Visit the Author Profile page at LoveInspired.com for more titles.
Hiding in Montana
Laura Scott
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
—Matthew 4:4
This book is dedicated to my good friend Kathy Zdanowski. Your turn is coming, my friend. Don’t give up. Keep writing!
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Dear Reader
Excerpt from Surviving the Wilderness by Maggie K. Black
ONE
Pilot Lexie McDaniels sat in her tiny corner office in the Blue Skye Aviation hangar and waited for the storm-tracking software to load on the computer screen. She had a flight tour scheduled the following morning and wanted to make sure the weather forecast hadn’t changed. Living a few miles outside Great Falls, Montana, nestled in a valley between the Rocky Mountains, she knew from personal experience the conditions, especially the wind, could change on a dime.
A flash of movement through the window at her right caught her eye. She frowned and leaned forward to peer through the glass, attempting to pierce the darkness beyond. At nine o’clock at night, she was alone in the hangar. Skip the mechanic and Harry the airstrip owner had left hours ago.
She didn’t see anything unusual. The light from the nearly full moon was partially obliterated by tall leafy trees lining the northwest corner of the parking lot. The runway was located in the opposite direction. Lexie frowned again and told herself she was imagining things. Still, her plane was her only way of supporting herself, so she rose and headed through the dark hangar, intending to go outside to check things out.
Most likely the wind had blown something past her window. There was no reason to worry. Five years ago, she’d put her past behind her. She was safe in Montana, as far from the big city of New York as a person could get.
Upon reaching the door, she wrinkled her nose at the horrible smell of body odor mixed with cigarette smoke mere seconds before hard hands grasped her shoulders, yanking her backward against a taut sweaty body.
“If you scream, you’ll die.” Hot smelly air hit her face.
No! The harsh words filled her with fear, but sheer survival instincts quickly kicked in. Lexie elbowed her attacker, stomped on his feet, but then went still as she felt the hard barrel of a gun dig painfully into her side.
“Stop it!” The man’s grip tightened painfully. “Behave and you won’t get hurt.”
She had to swallow hard against the ball of fear lodged in her throat. She sent up a silent prayer for God to protect and guide her. “W-what do you want?”
“You.” The single word was followed by a creepy laugh. Visions of being attacked or worse tumbled through her mind. “And that plane.”
Her Cessna? Lexie instinctively dug in her heels. No way. Not happening.
But her assailant was strong and easily dragged her across the concrete floor of the hangar. She tried not to panic. To not think about the danger of flying at night in the mountains.
Yet what did that matter, anyway? This guy could very well kill her once her usefulness as a pilot was over.
“Wait!” The word came out hoarse as his arm was wrapped tightly around her neck, partially cutting off her air supply. “I need to have a mechanic check the plane before we go.” She stalled for time; why exactly, she wasn’t sure. “It’s important the engine is in peak flying condition, especially if we’re heading out at night.”
“Nice try, but I saw you flying the plane earlier. It’s fine. We’re leaving. Now!” He ruthlessly dragged her forward.
Lord, please help me! She went limp, her sneakered feet dragging behind in a way that managed to tangle her legs with his.
It was enough to knock the sweaty guy off-balance. The arm around her throat loosened and the gun moved away from her side for a fraction of a second. She gathered her strength, but before she could react, the assailant abruptly let her go.
Lexie fell to the floor, her knees hitting the concrete hard, but then she quickly jumped up. She heard muffled grunts and saw two dark shadows fighting. A low growl had her taking several steps backward in fear. Through the darkness, she saw the whites of an animal’s eyes.
What was going on? Suddenly one of the men groaned and slumped to the floor while the other jumped up and raced out of the hangar. The dog continued to bark and growl, giving chase to a point, but then stopping near the open hangar doorway. The dog wheeled around and ran back to the man on the floor.
Lexie felt certain the man who reeked of body odor was the one who’d disappeared outside, but the news wasn’t entirely reassuring. What if this guy was an accomplice?
She edged around the stranger sprawled on the floor, giving the dog a wide berth as she made her way toward the light switch. The incandescent lights came on low at first, providing her eyes time to adjust as they slowly grew brighter.
The man on the floor didn’t move. Was he dead? Was he involved with the man with the gun? She was torn between taking off and staying to make sure the stranger was alive. The dog sat right at his side, which made it impossible for her to approach.
“Good doggy” she said in a weak voice. “Nice doggy. Don’t bite me, okay?”
The dog licked the stranger’s face. The man let out a low moan, and finally lifted his head. “W-what happened?”
“You tell me.” Lexie eyed him warily. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”
The man managed to sit up. He stroked the dog, calming the animal. “Ma’am, are you okay?”
“I’m not the one on the floor,” she pointed out.
“Yeah.” He put a hand to his head for a moment, then staggered to his feet. She noticed he had a backpack with him, yet he didn’t seem like a hiker who’d wandered in. He was a bit unsteady as he stood there, looking around. Finally, he met her gaze. “I’m Chris Fuller, with the Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit.” He shifted the backpack and lightly rested his hand on the dog’s head. “And this is Teddy, my partner.”
Lexie loved dogs, but nothing about this scenario was normal. Now that the animal had stopped growling, the brown-and-white spaniel appeared friendly enough. She crossed her arms over her chest, chilled despite the mild June temperatures. Finding two strangers in her hangar, in the span of a few minutes, was frightening.
Chris Fuller was well over six feet tall and wore casual black jeans paired with a black T-shirt covered with a bulky black vest. His warm brown skin highlighted his muscular arms and shoulders. He wore his black hair short and had a jagged scar over his left eyebrow, and his intense topaz gaze seemed to look right through her.
It took a moment to notice the blood on his temple. “You’re hurt. I have a first-aid kit in my office.”
“Not now.” He waved his hand impatiently. “Do you know the man who attacked you?”
She shivered and shook her head. “No. Why? Is that why you’re here?”
“Yeah.” He frowned. “How long was I out?”
“Not long, less than a minute.” She instinctively took a step backward as he approached. “Wait, how do I know you are who you say you are?”
He looked surprised by her question. He looked down at the front of his vest, then pulled the lanyard out from beneath to show her his badge. “I’m a cop, and so is Teddy. See his K-9 vest? You’re safe with us. What’s your name?”
“Alexandra McDaniels. I go by Lexie.” She let out a relieved sigh. God had sent one of the good guys to save her. “Okay, I believe you and Teddy are cops, but why are you here?”
“We’re tracking an escaped convict wanted for murder.” The officer pulled paperwork from his back pocket and unfolded it. “Do you recognize this man? His name is Frank Lanier. Is he the person who attacked you?”
Lexie stared at the mug shot. There was something about his face that niggled at the back of her mind. Had she seen him on the news? “No, I can’t say for sure. I’m sorry. It was dark, and he grabbed me from behind.” The memory of the attack made her shiver again. “You believe this escaped convict is the man who attacked me? It would explain why he dragged me toward the plane and ordered me to fly him out of here.”
If not for the officer and his dog showing up when they did, she might very well be up in the air right now with a brutal killer.
He must have seen the revulsion on her features. “Hey, it’s okay.” Chris’s smile was reassuring. “You’re safe, remember? Teddy tracked Frank Lanier here, and my partner is rarely wrong.” He gave his dog another pat. “Don’t worry, we’ll find him and soon. Trust me, it’s our job to make sure secrets don’t stay buried for long.”
Lexie stared at him, having trouble meeting his all-too-knowing topaz gaze. His statement about uncovering secrets struck a chord deep within.
Because it was imperative that her secrets remained hidden, forever.
* * *
Chris did his best to ignore the throbbing pain reverberating through his head. It irked him that Lanier had gotten away. He needed to get out there and find him, but not until he made certain Lexie was doing okay.
The pilot was stunningly beautiful, with long wavy dark hair and bright green eyes. She looked unnerved, and he felt bad for what she’d been through. Nothing bothered him more than men who mistreated women. “Lexie, why don’t you let me escort you home? Teddy and I need to get back to tracking this guy as soon as possible.”
“Just go. I’ll be fine.” Her attempt at a smile was pathetic. “Although I still think you should let me bandage your cut.”
“I’d rather make sure you get home safely. My injury isn’t serious.” He’d suffered far worse as a risk-taking teen and in his career as a cop. After working for three years as a K-9 officer in Phoenix, Arizona, he’d been grateful to land a spot with the new Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit. They were still in their first year, on contract with the FBI to assist with cases across the region. The team was already on probationary status to determine its need, and thanks to a dangerous incident at the K-9 training center in Denver two months ago, they were under even more scrutiny. The case was still under investigation.
Regardless, Chris felt certain that tracking down and arresting Frank Lanier would help silence any fears about their team’s future.
His boss, Tyson Wilkes, had created the concept of their Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit, recruiting officers he considered the best of the best. Their role was to interface with other law enforcement agencies to cover the wide expanse of the Rocky Mountains. Chris had been proud to be included, even though his relationship with his half brother, Ben Sawyer, also a RMK9 officer, was rocky. Ben was the one who’d recommended him to the sergeant in the first place.
Chris and Ben were professional at work, but their personal relationship was strained. Mostly because Ben kept trying to convince Chris to let go of his anger long enough to speak with their father. The father who’d had an affair with Chris’s mother, but then dumped her because she wasn’t part of the rancher community. Drew Sawyer had then married Ben’s mother because she was not only from the community but came from the prosperous neighboring ranch, adding to his father’s wealth.
Yeah, meeting the old man wasn’t high on his list of things to do.
Not that it mattered now. He and Teddy had a killer to catch.
“I don’t live far, and I have my Jeep.” Lexie finally stepped closer. “I’m sure I’ll be okay getting the rest of the way home while you and Teddy go to work.”
“Come a little closer.” He dropped to a knee beside Teddy. “Friend, Teddy. Lexie is a friend.” He held out his hand to Lexie. “Let him sniff you.”
She looked interested as she placed her slender pale hand in his. A shock of awareness rippled up his arm, and he tried to mask the sensation by focusing on his partner.
Teddy sniffed for several long seconds, then his tail wagged back and forth with exuberance. Teddy was friendly by nature, unless threatened. He was also a phenomenal tracker, his nose one of the best of all K-9s on the team, second only to Nell the beagle.
At least in Chris’s humble opinion. Besides, Nell was a cadaver dog. She didn’t have Teddy’s ability to find Lanier, who was alive and on the move.
“He’s beautiful,” Lexie murmured.
“Thanks. I think so, too.” He rose to his feet, hiding a wince as his head began to pound again. “Ready?”
Lexie nodded. Before they moved, he took the evidence bag out of his pocket and offered Lanier’s scent to Teddy. “This is Frank. Seek Frank,” he commanded. “Seek.”
Teddy sniffed and then lowered his nose, following the scent all the way outside.
Chris scanned the area outside the hangar, holding Teddy at bay as Lexie shut down the lights and locked the door. He noticed a dark blue Jeep parked off to the side from the main entrance.
“Seek,” he repeated. Lexie watched in apparent fascination as Teddy followed the scent across the parking lot toward a spot along the edge of the woods. Teddy alerted and sat.
Not surprising to learn Lanier had sought cover in the forest. “Good boy. Heel, Teddy.”
The dog looked back at him, as if he wanted to keep going, but then spun around and returned to his side. Chris quickly returned to Lexie and escorted her to the Jeep.
“He’s amazing,” she said in awe. “I’ve never seen a K-9 in action before.”
“He is,” Chris agreed. Teddy’s nose kept working, as he sniffed around the vehicle. Thankfully, Teddy didn’t alert at the Jeep, so he felt certain Lanier was hiding in the woods.
Lexie unlocked the car and opened the door. He tightened his grip on her arm and looked in the back seat and the rear storage area before nodding and releasing her. “It’s clear.”
“Thanks.” Her smile was tremulous. “Take care of yourself, Officer.”
“Chris.” He wasn’t sure why he corrected her. After all, he was a cop. “You, too, Lexie.” He thrust a business card into her hand. “Here’s my contact information. Don’t hesitate to call if you need something.”
She nodded, tucked the card away and slid behind the wheel. He waited until she was safely locked inside the vehicle before offering Teddy Lanier’s scent once again.
“Seek,” he commanded.
Teddy was eager to get back to work. His partner picked up Lanier’s scent and trotted quickly toward the trees lining the far side of the parking lot. Chris pulled his weapon, something he should have done when he’d approached the hangar. When he’d first heard muffled voices, he hadn’t anticipated Lanier had gone inside and taken a hostage.
A failure he’d have to own. He inwardly winced at how Tyson would take the news. Then he shook it off. He still had a good chance of bringing Lanier into custody.
“Seek,” he encouraged his partner as the dog wound his way around trees and brush. Chris held his flashlight nestled between two fingers of his left hand, using that same hand to help stabilize the gun he was holding with his right.
