Humberto.” Richard pointed his finger at Trey, Zach and Jacie. “You three ready?”
Jacie nodded. “The sooner the better.” She pushed aside the horror she’d envisioned of what Tracie was enduring and focused on finding her. “Let’s go.”
Zach cupped her elbow and led her to the back of the house to the landing pad beside the barn.
“Do you recognize Bruce from your days at the FBI?” Jacie whispered.
“No. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t recognize me.”
“Will it be a problem if he does?”
“We don’t know until he comes forward.”
Jacie nodded. “In the meantime, you’re just my boyfriend from college. By the way, I went to Texas A and M.”
He grinned. “Good to know. Have to have our stories straight in case someone asks.”
“By the way, where did you go to school?”
His mouth twisted into a mischievous hint of a smile. “Now, that would blow my cover if I told you, wouldn’t it?”
Richard turned toward Jacie. “I’ll take the front with Trey. You two can look out the side windows. We’ll head for the ridge overlooking Wild Horse Canyon and go from there.”
Jacie nodded. Any effort toward finding her sister was a step in the right direction. She had to focus on that and not on the evasive answer Zach had given her.
She didn’t know much about him, other than that he was former FBI and now worked as a cowboy for hire with Hank.
Jacie bit her lip to keep from pressing for more answers and climbed into the helicopter.
Trey handed her a headset and one to Zach.
They tested the communication devices as Trey started the helicopter engine, the noise of the rotors drowning out any attempts at conversation without the headset.
With her seat restraints fastened securely around her, Jacie curled her fingers around the straps and closed her eyes. As she sent up a silent prayer for a safe takeoff and landing and finding her sister, a hand nudged hers.
She opened her eyes.
Zach pulled her fingers free of the belt and wrapped it in his big, warm hand. He didn’t say a word but squeezed gently as the helicopter left the ground.
The man didn’t even flinch or exhibit any measure of anxiety, as if he’d been up in helicopters on many occasions. Which Jacie wouldn’t know, given that he hadn’t shared much of his background with her. He was a stranger, yet their kiss made her feel closer to him than the other two men in the helicopter. Jacie had worked with Richard and Trey over the years; Richard was more of a father figure and Trey, an acquaintance with a wife and family waiting for his return in the little town of Wild Oak Canyon.
The helicopter skimmed past the barn and house, rising into a bright blue sky with big fluffy clouds dotting the heavens. It was like any other day, except two men were dead and Jacie’s twin was missing.
She concentrated on the ground below, practicing her ability to recognize features before they reached the canyon when it would count.
The truck with the trailer loaded with two four-wheelers flew down the highway below toward the Raging Bull Ranch, making good time.
As they passed to the southeast of Hank Derringer’s spread, Jacie made out a gathering of vehicles in the barnyard. True to his word, Hank was on it, organizing locals into a search party. The FBI and DEA would arrive soon and add to the number.
God, she hoped they found Tracie and that she was alive.
* * *
Z ACH HELD J ACIE ’ S hand throughout the flight.
In less than fifteen minutes, he could make out the ragged edges of a canyon, spreading out below him.
“That’s Wild Horse Canyon ahead,” Richard’s voice crackled over the headset. “Where exactly did you enter the canyon?”
“Farther to the east.” Jacie’s hand tightened around Zach’s fingers as she leaned toward the window, staring at the ground. “There. Right below us. A trail leads down the side of that slope into the canyon. You can see the four-wheeler at the bottom, flipped upside down. The
Jacie nodded. “The sooner the better.” She pushed aside the horror she’d envisioned of what Tracie was enduring and focused on finding her. “Let’s go.”
Zach cupped her elbow and led her to the back of the house to the landing pad beside the barn.
“Do you recognize Bruce from your days at the FBI?” Jacie whispered.
“No. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t recognize me.”
“Will it be a problem if he does?”
“We don’t know until he comes forward.”
Jacie nodded. “In the meantime, you’re just my boyfriend from college. By the way, I went to Texas A and M.”
He grinned. “Good to know. Have to have our stories straight in case someone asks.”
“By the way, where did you go to school?”
His mouth twisted into a mischievous hint of a smile. “Now, that would blow my cover if I told you, wouldn’t it?”
Richard turned toward Jacie. “I’ll take the front with Trey. You two can look out the side windows. We’ll head for the ridge overlooking Wild Horse Canyon and go from there.”
Jacie nodded. Any effort toward finding her sister was a step in the right direction. She had to focus on that and not on the evasive answer Zach had given her.
She didn’t know much about him, other than that he was former FBI and now worked as a cowboy for hire with Hank.
Jacie bit her lip to keep from pressing for more answers and climbed into the helicopter.
Trey handed her a headset and one to Zach.
They tested the communication devices as Trey started the helicopter engine, the noise of the rotors drowning out any attempts at conversation without the headset.
With her seat restraints fastened securely around her, Jacie curled her fingers around the straps and closed her eyes. As she sent up a silent prayer for a safe takeoff and landing and finding her sister, a hand nudged hers.
She opened her eyes.
Zach pulled her fingers free of the belt and wrapped it in his big, warm hand. He didn’t say a word but squeezed gently as the helicopter left the ground.
The man didn’t even flinch or exhibit any measure of anxiety, as if he’d been up in helicopters on many occasions. Which Jacie wouldn’t know, given that he hadn’t shared much of his background with her. He was a stranger, yet their kiss made her feel closer to him than the other two men in the helicopter. Jacie had worked with Richard and Trey over the years; Richard was more of a father figure and Trey, an acquaintance with a wife and family waiting for his return in the little town of Wild Oak Canyon.
The helicopter skimmed past the barn and house, rising into a bright blue sky with big fluffy clouds dotting the heavens. It was like any other day, except two men were dead and Jacie’s twin was missing.
She concentrated on the ground below, practicing her ability to recognize features before they reached the canyon when it would count.
The truck with the trailer loaded with two four-wheelers flew down the highway below toward the Raging Bull Ranch, making good time.
As they passed to the southeast of Hank Derringer’s spread, Jacie made out a gathering of vehicles in the barnyard. True to his word, Hank was on it, organizing locals into a search party. The FBI and DEA would arrive soon and add to the number.
God, she hoped they found Tracie and that she was alive.
* * *
Z ACH HELD J ACIE ’ S hand throughout the flight.
In less than fifteen minutes, he could make out the ragged edges of a canyon, spreading out below him.
“That’s Wild Horse Canyon ahead,” Richard’s voice crackled over the headset. “Where exactly did you enter the canyon?”
“Farther to the east.” Jacie’s hand tightened around Zach’s fingers as she leaned toward the window, staring at the ground. “There. Right below us. A trail leads down the side of that slope into the canyon. You can see the four-wheeler at the bottom, flipped upside down. The
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