Into the Night(33)

Fury pumped through Bowen’s body.

“That’s probably where you saw me,” she added, voice softer. “Because, no, as I said, I don’t think we’ve met before.”

He didn’t back away. Didn’t apologize. If anything, his stare seemed to warm as he focused on her. Bowen moved closer to them. Back away, Ranger. Back away.

“I wish we had met before.” Zack’s voice was gentle. Dick. “And I wish we were meeting under better circumstances now. Because I think you’re a very interesting woman, Special Agent Night.”

“You like women who escape from killers?” Her words were crisp.

“I like strong women. Smart woman. I think you’re both.”

The printer beeped. Ranger Jackass finally turned away from her and snagged the papers that had just pushed from the machine. Then the guy was leaning over the counter as he pored over them. Looking for similarities, and Macey crowded in closer.

Bowen didn’t like it when Macey got close to the guy.

Shit. It’s getting personal. Hands-off. No strings.

She looked back at Bowen.

He wanted his hands on her.

“Five of them were planning a brief stop at Rainbow Falls.” Zack glanced up at Bowen. “But you knew that, right?”

Bowen inclined his head.

“After Rainbow Falls, the trail keeps going up to the summit of Mount LeConte. That’s where they were supposed to be headed. The end goal.” He thumbed through the pages. “Actually, now that I think about it...there was a guy here, maybe three, four days ago? He was going on the same path.” Zack moved away and tapped on his computer again. “Right. Curtis Zale. He was heading up there, too.”

“We need to get there,” Bowen said. He wanted to see that trail.

But Zack glanced toward the windows. “Yeah, I don’t think you quite get how things work out here.” He rolled one shoulder. “Here’s a little rule to help you... In the Smokies, it takes hikers an hour to make it about 1.5 miles. Rainbow Falls? It’s 2.7 miles away—that’s one way. So say two hours to get there. That’s just to the falls. If you want to reach the summit, you’re looking at nightfall by the time you get to the top of Mount LeConte. And you two—you aren’t prepared for that kind of hike. Not today.” He drummed his fingers on the countertop. “Why don’t you come back tomorrow, at first light? I can take you out then. We’ll have enough time to get to the summit.”

“We have gear in the truck,” Bowen told him. “And no, this isn’t my first hike. Macey and I will head up to Rainbow Falls. We need to see that scene today.” And they had just enough time to do it before the sun set, barely. They’d go up the full summit tomorrow, with the ranger. “The trailheads are marked, we’ll get there.”

Because every moment counted. They had a killer out there—two killers, if he wasn’t mistaken. The bastard who’d been hunting hikers and the perp who’d made death into a game.

“I’ll guide you,” Zack said quickly, “just like I promised.”

“Then let’s get moving.” Because he didn’t want to waste any more daylight. Time was precious, and he had the sinking feeling that he was already far behind in this deadly race.

*

THE TRAIL WAS QUIET. Almost too quiet. Or at least, it seemed that way to Macey. Maybe she’d just spent too long in DC—too long surrounded by the sights and the sounds of the city. But the forest put her on edge. Her steps didn’t falter as she hiked. She and Bowen had both changed before heading to the ranger’s station. She wore jeans and a loose coat. Hiking boots. And she had her gun.

Never leave home without it. Especially not after last night.

“We’re turning up here,” Zack called out. “There’s a log foot bridge that crosses over the creek. Once we get past that, it won’t be much farther until we hit the falls.”

He’d kept up a brisk, unrelenting pace, but Macey and Bowen had both followed him easily. She glanced around, trying to peer through the trees. So many trees. So many shadows. It was all too easy to imagine a lone hiker going through those woods, unaware that he was being watched.

Hunted.

Because predators didn’t always walk on four legs. The most dangerous predator...he walked on two.

They passed another sign on the trail. “During times of high stream flow, Rainbow Falls Trail is impassable. Use Bullhead Trail.”

Macey stilled, her foot near one of the large boulders that often seemed to line the side of the trail. “Is the Bullhead Trail as well traveled?”

“Nah, not at all,” Zack told her. “Folks just use it when they have to do it—they’re going for the falls, you know? They don’t want to miss the view. Plenty more people use the Rainbow Falls Trail.”

So if their killer was looking to isolate prey, he would be less likely to use the Rainbow Falls path...and more likely to focus on the Bullhead Trail. Because he has a better chance of not being spotted by anyone else. “Maybe the missing hikers were diverted.” She glanced around, trying to see through the trees. Thin trees, thick trees, twisting trees that seemed to wind into the sky. “Maybe they had to go off their original path because the stream was too high.” She could hear the flow of the water.

Maybe it hadn’t even been the stream that had caused them to divert, though. Perhaps they changed routes because they had some help. The kind of help that had gotten them killed?