He kept her uninjured hand in his and didn’t stop when they reached the trees. “I landed wrong. It’s only a sprain. Let’s keep moving.”

  Though he tried to dismiss the pain, she could see it on his strained face. Along with his shoulder and head, Fletcher’s injuries were growing.

  “I can’t believe Sam was involved. He seemed so sincere.” Leora glanced over her shoulder. “Do you think he’ll come after us or wait for the others?”

  “Without a doubt, he’ll be looking for us.” His words were not what she wanted to hear but exactly what she believed. “He let us get away. The woman Jade and whoever she is working for won’t be happy.”

  Even though they hadn’t been walking for a long time, Leora struggled to get enough air into her lungs. She had to keep pushing past the exhaustion. Fletcher was doing everything in his power to save them, fighting through great pain. She would do the same.

  The chill once more bore into her bones. Leora wiped rain from her face to see the path ahead. She didn’t want to think about what might have happened to Tanner and Ethan. The guilt she felt over involving Ethan and Fletcher in this nightmare returned. If she hadn’t called Ethan, would any of this be happening?

  As much as she prayed this would all end once these people had whatever they thought Tanner had taken, she didn’t believe it. They’d eliminate Tanner and anyone else who stood between them and freedom.

  Driving rain soaked their clothes quickly. She couldn’t stop shivering. They wouldn’t be able to keep going like this for long.

  Fletcher stopped for a second and listened. “I hear something.”

  Leora focused hard on what he heard. Rustling—coming from nearby. She whirled in time to see a large dog emerge from the woods and bound toward them in attack mode. “Oh, no.” She shrank against Fletcher.

  “Molly!” Fletcher exclaimed in a shocked tone. He recognized the dog right away. “It’s okay, girl. It’s me.” The dog responded to his voice and changed her demeanor. “This is Ethan’s dog.” Fletcher leaned down and examined the dog. The German shepherd had a bloody gash on her head. “She’s been hit with something. They probably knocked the dog out to get to Ethan.”

  Molly wagged her tail, excited to see a friendly face.

  “How did she get here?” Leora asked in amazement.

  Fletcher frowned. “The dog wasn’t at the house when I arrived.” He turned to Leora. “I think she followed the men who took Ethan and your bruder.”

  The dog sniffed the ground as if searching for her owner’s scent.

  “The wilderness isn’t far from Ethan’s place,” Fletcher told her. “Molly is a trained military dog. She’s been tracking Ethan. The fact that Molly is here seems to confirm Ethan was at one time. If Molly is out in the woods, she’s on Ethan’s trail. Which means he must have found a way to escape his captors, as well.”

  She prayed he had Tanner with him. Before she could voice her hope aloud, another far more disturbing sound grabbed her attention. Multiple vehicles were moving up Sam’s driveway.

  “They’re coming to search for us.” There wasn’t a second to spare. With Molly sniffing the air, they pushed deeper into the woods.

  The dog quickly trained on a particular trail and started through the woods at a fast run.

  “I sure hope she’s trained on either Ethan or your bruder’s scent.”

  If Tanner was with Ethan, her friend would protect him. She clung to the hope both Ethan and Tanner were still alive.

  The rain came down in sheets, making it hard to see anything, even the dog in front of them. She had no idea how many more bad men were around the area looking for them, but they were far outnumbered, and she didn’t want to think about what might happen if they were captured again.

  Leora looked over her shoulder. Several flashlights had entered the woods behind them. Her heart sank. “They’re following our footprints. What do we do?”

  “We can’t outrun them. We have to find a place to hide until they’ve passed by.” It was a long shot, and she knew it. Chances were, if the men were tracking their steps, there would be no getting away.

  Fletcher commanded the dog to stop.

  Leora searched the woods for a place to hide out of sight. All she saw was more trees. With so many looking for them, and with Sam giving them the direction they’d gone, where could they possibly hide that they wouldn’t be found?

  Gott, we need Your help. Because she wasn’t sure how much longer either of them would survive without it.

  “Over there,” Fletcher whispered close to her ear. “There’s a downed tree. It’s our only chance.” He grabbed hold of Molly’s collar and led her over to the rotted tree covered in moss. The ground around it was littered with decaying branches, which should hopefully hide their footprints.

  Leora crouched behind it.

  “It’s not going to be enough to keep us hidden from view,” Fletcher said and scanned their surroundings. “There’s plenty of brush around. If we can cover ourselves with it, they might not see us. Molly, stay.” The dog obeyed the command as she’d been trained to do.

  Working quickly, they gathered as much brush as possible. Fletcher helped her pile the brush all around and on top. It was risky. If they were spotted, there would be no escaping. He’d then walked deeper into the woods and circled back around to create a deception that he and Leora had kept going.

  With Molly crouching beside them, Leora wrapped her arms around Fletcher and prayed this decision wouldn’t be another among the many wrong ones she’d made that would lead to their deaths.

  Fletcher gestured for the dog to lie down and she obeyed.

  Tucked in close beside Fletcher, Leora tried to hear anything above the drumming of her heart.

  “They have a dog with them. Are we sure this is our people?” An unknown man clearly had doubts thanks to Molly’s appearance.

  “It’s them,” Sam said. “The one footprint is much smaller. I don’t know where the dog came from, but these footprints belong to them. And they’re getting away. I can’t let them escape like I let Tanner and the other fellow. He’ll kill me if this happens. With the rain picking up, it won’t be long before their footprints are washed away. Let’s go.”

  Tanner and Ethan had escaped. Leora held on to the hope they’d reach law enforcement in time to stop whatever these men had planned.

  Fletcher still held Leora tight while she thought about what Sam had said. He’d mentioned a man—like Jade had before. There was someone higher up calling the shots.

  Leora’s thoughts yanked back to the moment when several sets of footsteps could be heard moving through the woods.

  Their pursuers fanned out around the tree trunk, their flashlights flooding the area.

  Gott, keep us hidden. The prayer slipped through her head as her eyes followed the flashlight beams.

  “The underbrush is so thick through here, I can’t find their tracks again.” A different male voice from the others.

  “Well, they can’t have disappeared,” Sam yelled. A flashlight shot toward the tree stump and Leora did her best not to react. “Let’s keep going. They’re probably hurt from tumbling down the stairs. We should be able to catch them.”

  When the lights finally left their location, Leora released a breath. It fogged the air in front of her face. Please don’t let them see it.

  Soon, the noise of tromping through underbrush faded. Was it safe to leave their hiding place?

  “Should we leave?” Leora asked when Fletcher remained still.

  “Yes, let’s go. We have to get as far away from here as possible. They’ll soon realize we didn’t go the way they’re headed.” Fletcher struggled to stand and waited for Leora.

  Molly held her position until Fletcher gave her the order to move.

  “We can’t go back to Ethan’s house in case anyone is watching. Heading left will take us back to Sam’s place. Looks like we go right. Come, Molly.” The dog immediately heeded Fletcher’s voice and left her resting place.

  The shepherd sniffed the air and quickly picked up her trail again. Leora had to believe if Ethan and Tanner had been at Sam’s and escaped, then Molly would be tracking Ethan’s scent. It gave her hope. They had a chance at finding Ethan and Tanner first.

  A determined Molly headed them deeper into the wilderness. Once they’d covered enough space where they could no longer hear the men’s voices, Fletcher slowed their speed.

  “Maybe we should take a break?” he said to the sound of her labored breathing. “We’re safe for the moment.”

  She shook her head. “We can’t. Ethan and Tanner are out there somewhere. They could be hurt much worse than we are. I’m fine. I want to keep going.”

  “All right.” Fletcher continued to keep watch on their surroundings as if expecting Sam and his crew to appear again.

  Something caught Leora’s attention up ahead mostly because Molly had zeroed in on a spot on the ground. She had something.

  Please don’t let it be Ethan or Tanner.

  FOUR

  Fletcher covered the space between him and the dog as quickly as possible while Leora followed.

  “What do you have, girl?” Fletcher leaned past the dog to pick up what appeared to be a piece of material. He held it closer so he could see through the darkness.

  “Is it Ethan’s?”

  “Possibly. Molly would certainly recognize Ethan’s scent on it. But Ethan wouldn’t have left it there deliberately. Chances are it got caught on the underbrush and he wasn’t even aware of it.” As a trained soldier, Ethan would know not to leave a visible trail behind with armed thugs scouring the woods. Fletcher didn’t want to think about what these people would do to Ethan if they found him.

  “He’s still on the move,” Leora concluded. “I sure hope Tanner is with him.”

  Fletcher held the scrap of fabric out to Molly to reinforce the scent. “Seek.” She immediately stuck her nose to the ground, found the scent again, and bounded after it.

  He and Leora began walking again.

  “Molly responds well to you.”

  “She’s a gut dog. Ethan told me Molly had been trained in numerous combat situations, including detecting and finding injured soldiers, and drug and explosive reconnaissance.” He glanced her way. Like Ethan, the dogs had become Fletcher’s passion.

  Leora smiled. “Tanner mentioned Ethan had started training dogs after his last visit here.”

  Tanner had visited Ethan’s ranch...

  Fletcher nodded. “I didn’t realize your bruder had been here before.”

  Leora frowned. “Really? He came here several months back...or at least I thought he and Ethan had met up here. Maybe I’m mistaken. I’m learning there are many things Tanner kept secret from me.” She sighed. “So, you help Ethan train the dogs?”

  He inclined his head. “Jah. It’s been a rewarding endeavor. Ethan and I and my bruder Mason have been working together as hunting guides and helping out with the local search and rescue teams.”

  She turned her head his way. “That must be challenging.”

  “It is at times, but also very rewarding.” His daed and grossdaddi both had instilled in Fletcher and his brothers the desire to give back to the community they called home. For Fletcher, it was easy to do. He loved living in West Kootenai. Loved how close he was to his family and the gut friends he’d made through the years. He couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

  At one time, he’d thought Catherine had felt the same way—they’d even planned the life they’d share here as youngsters. When she’d told him she wanted to leave West Kootenai, it had hit him like a physical blow. What Catherine had wished for had been worlds apart from what he’d imagined. In the end, he’d realized their differences were too great to overcome. There would be no future with Catherine.

  He’d wallowed in the pain and the hole her severing their relationship had left in his heart to the point where he couldn’t seem to dig himself out. When Ethan had asked him to help with the dogs’ training, Fletcher had jumped at the chance, although he suspected Ethan had realized he needed a distraction from the hurt.

  “It must be nice helping others so much,” she said as they walked.

  “It really is.” Fletcher listened for any sounds they were being followed. In the distance, scraps of conversation drifted their way. He stopped for a moment. “They appear to be heading toward the road up ahead. They probably figure we’d try to reach it. For now, it’s best if we keep going on this path.”

  She glanced around the soggy woods. “I sure hope we can find someplace with a phone soon. We need help. Sooner or later, they’re going to find us.” She shivered and gathered her cloak tighter.

  “You’re right. It’s getting colder, and the rain isn’t letting up.” He glanced at the weeping skies peeking through the trees. Though Leora wore a cloak, it was soaked through. His coat wasn’t much better, but at least it might be a bit warmer. Fletcher carefully shrugged out of it minding his injured shoulder. “Here, put this on.”

  “Oh, I couldn’t. You need it.”

  He shook his head. “I’ll be fine for a little while, and the coat is much heavier than your cloak.” He placed it over her shoulders. Leora slipped her arms through while favoring her wrist.

  “How’re you holding up?” He pointed to her swollen wrist.

  “It barely hurts.” She dismissed his concern. “How bad is the ankle? It must be hard to keep putting pressure on it.”

  “To be honest, I’m not sure.” He grimaced. “First chance we get, I’ll have a look. I know it’s sprained, but I can’t tell how badly.” He didn’t bring up his injured shoulder or the bump on the back of his head.

  “Did your bruder mention having trouble with someone?” Fletcher was a person who saw the world logically, for the most part, and yet nothing about what had happened seemed logical.

  “Now that you mention it, there was something Tanner said a few days before I lost contact with him. He’d stopped by my house. He was on his way to make a delivery, but it didn’t have to be there for a few days.” She noticed his confusion and said, “Tanner drives a truck for a delivery company transporting artwork around the northwest.”

  Though his family used wagons to deliver their furniture, Fletcher had seen many trucks delivering items to the places where they sold their pieces. He’d had occasion to speak with some of the drivers from time to time. Most were hardworking men and women. Many talked about the schedules they were forced to keep. At times, it could be difficult to make the deadlines. “What did your bruder say to you?”

  She kept her attention on Molly. “Tanner stayed overnight with me, and he seemed unusually jumpy. When I got up the following morning, he was awake already and had made breakfast. He had told me the night before that he planned to stay a few days and maybe stop by to see the rest of the family. Only, he was ready to leave when I awoke.”

  Fletcher frowned. “Do you have any idea what changed his mind?”

  “I’m not sure, but I think it had something to do with his phone. It kept beeping, as if someone were messaging him. My Englisch employer has a cell phone. She showed it to me one day. When she receives messages, there is a certain sound associated with it. She had the same beep as what Tanner received.”

  “Did you ask him about it?” Fletcher thought about the simple phone he carried for search and rescue. Occasionally, he’d receive a group text. Usually it consisted of some news important enough to notify each of the participants but not critical enough for a direct call.

  “I did. He told me it was his work and his delivery date had been moved up.” She glanced his way. “I don’t think it was the truth.”

  “Why do you say that?” Fletcher wondered if Tanner had been keeping the truth from her because he didn’t want to worry his sister.

  “It was more in the way he acted. Before he left the house to get into his truck, Tanner checked out the window as if he were looking for something—or someone.”

  Against his will, a tremor of alarm slithered down Fletcher’s spine. Had Tanner known the trouble coming after him and gone to Leora’s home to hide out?

  Leora sighed softly. “As he was leaving, he told me if anything were to happen to him, I should get in touch with Ethan. He would know what to do.”

  This had Fletcher’s head swinging her way. “Did he say what might happen to him?”

  She shook her head. “No, and he didn’t really give me time to ask. He kissed me on my cheek and then left. That was the last I saw of my bruder.”

  As interesting as it was to guess what Tanner might have been hiding, it was really only speculation.

  “I called Tanner later the same day and he answered. I asked him about what he’d said, and he brushed it off. Tanner told me he’d been under a lot of stress with his new route. He’d only recently started delivering artwork to different galleries around Colorado and surrounding states. I wanted to believe him.” She shrugged.

  “But you didn’t.”

  “Not really. As I’ve said, Tanner and I are twins. We have a connection that is hard to describe. But he told me not to worry, and so I tried. When Tanner stopped returning my calls, I called his employer who told me Tanner had texted him to say he was quitting.”

  Fletcher stopped walking. “You’re kidding. When?”

  “According to his employer, after he delivered his last load. He said Tanner had left his truck at the gallery. Nothing about what he said made sense. My bruder wouldn’t act so irresponsibly. He loved his job and would never disappear and not get in touch with me. Even when he was traveling around after he got out of the service, Tanner always kept in touch. He’d find a way.”

  “Maybe someone else sent the text. Do you think that whoever was texting Tanner before the trip had something to do with his disappearance?”

 

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