Montana Hidden Deception
Author
Amity Steffen
Reads
15.4K
Chapters
15
A murderer lies in wait… A witness in their sights. Nurse Nina Montgomery finds herself evading gunfire in the woods of Montana after unknowingly stumbling upon a man burying evidence of his crimes. When slashed tires and an explosion make it clear that the criminal knows Nina's identity, Detective Mateo Bianchi races to search for a deadly assailant who will stop at nothing to silence Nina and keep the truth hidden. Can they brave the wilderness and unmask a hidden killer, or will they find themselves the next victims?
ONE
Nina Montgomery began to carefully make her way down the steep incline. It was a perfect day to visit Mulberry Creek State Park. The rolling Montana sky seemed to stretch out forever from here. She’d departed from the trail to reach this higher elevation, hoping to get a few pictures of the newly hatched eaglets. What she had thought would be a good vantage point hadn’t turned out to be that great. She’d gotten a few shots with the fancy Nikon camera her family had given her when she’d finished nursing school last year but doubted they were going to be anything spectacular.
It was no matter. The day was beautiful. The air was warm. The sun was shining. She’d just seen a momma raccoon with her kits trotting by. Nina loved springtime. Everything was fresh and new.
This is the day that the Lord has made, she thought. It was bright and glorious and perfect.
With measured footsteps, she edged her way downward. It would be mildly disastrous to take a tumble out here. If she twisted her ankle, it could take hours before someone else came this way. Nina already knew from past visits that cell phone reception could be spotty on this side of the park.
Almost to the trail now, she began to relax as the incline evened out. She held up her camera again. Last week, by chance, she’d taken a few good shots of a doe with her twin spotted fawns nestled in the woods. She stood still, using her zoom lens like a binocular.
She let out a gasp of surprise.
What was that? On the other side of the trail, movement.
Was it a bear? It was low to the ground, tucked in among the shrubbery. Rooting around.
No. It was too small to be a bear.
Her heart thumped harshly in her chest.
Was it a cub? That would not be good. Where baby was, momma was sure to be nearby. Her mind instantly whirled, trying to remember what to do if confronted by a bear. Make yourself as big as possible and try to appear frightening? Or curl into a ball and play dead? She couldn’t recall.
Then the creature stood and she realized it wasn’t a bear at all.
It was a man.
Odd.
He knelt down again, as if he’d only needed to stretch a moment.
Intrigued, Nina stood there watching him. Now that she was focused on him, she could see the man wasn’t really rooting around at all. He wore thick black gloves along with his black sweats and his black hoodie. He had a garden trowel and he was digging a hole. What was he doing?
This was really odd.
Click.
Click.
Click. Click.
Almost reflexively, she snapped a few pictures.
Then she shook her head. What was she doing? It wasn’t like her to spy on someone. He was probably just burying a time capsule. Or maybe he was geocaching. That had become popular lately.
Nina really had no idea what it entailed, other than leaving objects where other people could somehow find them. Did that include burying them?
Common sense told her she should keep moving. Just mind her own business. But her curiosity was burning hot and insatiable. She continued to move closer to the trail. For a moment, she contemplated simply asking what he was doing. But the man seemed to be working frantically now. Something about his movements, the way he viciously stabbed at the earth with the trowel, set her nerves on edge. Didn’t people use their phones while geocaching? She wasn’t sure, but that made her wonder if he was doing something else. But what?
Almost unconsciously, Nina slipped behind a tree. There was no way off this trail without strolling past the stranger. Suddenly, she did not want to do that. Instead, she lingered in her hiding place, feeling a bit foolish, but the old adage better safe than sorry swirled through her mind.
He stood again. This time he cast a glance over his shoulder. His features were mostly hidden under the hoodie he wore. Dark sunglasses covered much of his pale face. As she peered through thick branches, Nina thought it looked like he was scanning the area. She hoped the dense pine boughs would provide coverage for her.
He lifted a metal box that his body had been blocking. It wasn’t much larger than a shoebox. For a moment, he just held it, almost reverently, then he lowered it into the hole.
At least he’s not burying a body.
Nina pressed a hand to her chest, startled by the thought. Her heart pounded against her palm and she realized that this situation was making her more than a little uncomfortable.
The stranger grabbed the trowel again and with choppy, hurried movements, began filling the hole back in with the pile of dirt he’d accumulated. He tossed another glance over his shoulder. This time his gaze seemed to slowly scan the area. Could he sense her out there, watching?
Nina’s heart was pounding so hard now she thought she could hear the blood sloshing through her veins.
Was she being ridiculous?
Maybe.
Better safe than sorry.
Moving slowly, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. No reception. Just as she’d expected. She stuffed it back inside. It was probably for the best. Who would she text and what would she tell them?
Don’t worry about me. Watching a man dig a hole while I hide behind a tree.
Thinking of trees, she wished she’d found a bigger one to hide behind. She was grateful she’d thrown on dark jeans and a navy T-shirt this morning. It wasn’t exactly camouflage, but at least it wasn’t something that would stand out.
After what felt like forever, the man rose. She realized now he had a backpack. He shoved the thick black gloves and trowel inside. Then he scanned the area again. Thoroughly. Was he looking for someone? Something? Or was he just trying to commit the place to memory so he could come back later?
Dangling the backpack in his hand, he began to make his way out of the woods. He didn’t have far to go. Maybe twenty feet or so. Nina saw that he held a can of spray paint. First, he glanced up and down the trail, which caused her to look as well. There was no one in sight in either direction. Then, with his back to her, he shot a quick blast of black paint against the white bark of a birch. It was subtle, not something that would grab the attention of anyone hiking by. But it was obvious enough that someone looking for it would find it again.
The hole he’d dug was straight back from where he’d marked the spot. His hand tapped restlessly against his thigh. A minute later, he took a step into the tree line then stopped, as if debating what to do.
With a growl, he whirled and stomped out to the trail.
Nina realized she was holding her breath, pushing herself up against the tree as she tried to remain invisible and praying he would be on his way. She felt so alone, so secluded. It made her long to be at her family’s ranch where there were kids and chaos. Really, she wished she was just about anywhere but here.
In another moment, he took off down the trail. Though his movements had seemed frantic, hurried, while he’d been digging, he seemed to be moving at a leisurely pace now. Or perhaps she was mistaken. Was his pace leisurely...or hesitant?
She watched him go and then her eyes swung across the path. From her position, she could just barely make out the black dirt covering the freshly dug hole.
Detective Mateo Bianchi was desperately trying to enjoy his day off. It was tough. Days off provided too much time to think. He’d hoped spending time at the Mulberry Creek State Park would refresh his mind, cleanse his spirit.
Leave him feeling invigorated.
Instead, it left him feeling drained. It wasn’t due to jogging the trails, either. No. It was seeing all the families. Happy families with bickering kids, excited kids, exhausted kids.
Being here made him think of Josh and Nate. It made him miss them with that wretched ache that never went away. This was the sort of day where he and Jolene should’ve brought the twins to the park, had a picnic, enjoyed a hike.
But they were gone. Dead. His entire family. Killed in a horrific car crash two years ago. And he would probably never stop feeling as if he were to blame.
Maybe he didn’t deserve to have a relaxing day.
Nate and Josh never would. Gone before their seventh birthday.
As his shoes smacked against the hard-packed earth, he glanced skyward, wondering for the millionth time why God had let it happen.
Knowing he wouldn’t get an answer, he blew out a breath and tried to relax by taking in the view as he jogged along this out-of-the-way path. He scanned the brilliantly vibrant new spring foliage. It was admittedly beautiful against the flawless azure sky. He pulled in a lungful of fresh, clean air.
The trail curved and he glanced down in time to avoid a man rushing around the corner. Mateo stepped back and they barely missed smashing shoulders. They guy had his hood up, head down, and didn’t even acknowledge Mateo.
Fine by him. He wasn’t in the mood to chat with anyone, anyway. That’s why he’d chosen this trail. It was on the edge of the park. There wasn’t much to see, so it didn’t get as much foot traffic as some of the others.
He glanced at his watch as he jogged along. It was nearing dinnertime and, as if it had just gotten the memo, his stomach growled. Maybe it was time to turn back. He wasn’t a great cook but he was pretty good with the grill and he had a steak marinating in the fridge.
He slowed, ready to pivot, and nearly skidded in his tracks.
A woman stood inside the tree line, holding a metal box. Her long strawberry blonde hair was falling out of her ponytail. Dirt was smudged across her creamy-smooth cheek. Her pale green eyes were wide in surprise.
There was a pile of dirt at her feet.
Stranger still, she wore disposable gloves.
Her face scrunched, as if in embarrassment. “Detective Bianchi.”
He arched a brow, surprised she remembered him from the one time they’d met. “Nina Montgomery, right?”
She gave him a hesitant smile and nodded. “I suppose you’re wondering what I’m doing.”
“Yes.” He realized he was staring at her. She was such a strange, unexpected sight standing there in the trees, and he’d seen a lot of strange things over the years. “You could certainly say that.”
She walked toward him, holding the box out in front of her like an offering. “It’s an interesting story,” she began.
“Can’t wait to hear it.”
“Hey!”
Mateo turned to see the man he’d nearly bumped into earlier racing toward them.
“Drop that box!”
His arm was outstretched and Mateo had seen enough weapons, even from a distance, to know the man was aiming a gun at them. He darted forward.
Nina let out a shriek, but instead of dropping the box as commanded, she dashed into the woods and took off running. Mateo tore after her, grateful she’d headed for the thickest foliage. He heard the unmistakable blast of a gun, muted by a silencer but audible all the same. Bark exploded on a tree off to their side.
Mateo grabbed Nina’s hand as they ran. It made dodging foliage cumbersome, but it was better than being separated as the greenery became thicker and thicker. They dodged around trees, tore through bushes, and jumped over a few fallen logs.
The gunman was now shooting indiscriminately through the thick copse of trees. Bullets seemed to be flying on either side of them, taking out bark or sending up clumps of dirt as the slugs tore into the ground. His spine tingled—burned—with anxiety as he imagined a bullet tearing through his back.
Or Nina’s.
God, protect us! The prayer took him by surprise. He hadn’t prayed in years, but if he was going to start again, now seemed like as good of a time as any. The last time he’d prayed, he’d been begging for his child’s life. It seemed God hadn’t listened then.
Would he listen now?
What was in that box? How was Nina involved in this?
Though he barely knew the woman, his instincts told him she was not complicit in a crime. He knew both of her brothers and their wives. They were good people. Law-abiding people.
Was this a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time?
What was it with her family? They were virtual trouble magnets. He had just helped her brothers through some pretty trying ordeals. Just last fall, her brother Seth had landed himself in the hospital after helping solve a child trafficking case. Nina had hovered over his bedside, scolding Mateo for questioning him while he was recovering from a concussion. She’d had spunk, but she hadn’t deterred him.
Mateo risked a glance over his shoulder and saw nothing but trees.
“Who is that guy?” he asked.
“No idea.” She tossed a quick look at him but kept moving. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you all about it as soon as I can.”
She would tell him later. That was for sure. Right now, he needed to concentrate on keeping them alive.
The park was enormous, covering thousands of acres. Would anyone hear the shooting? Would they question what it was, where it was coming from? Or would the sound be too muffled as it traveled over the dips and hills, through the trees and down the trails?
They ran and ran. The bullets had finally subsided. Either the man had run out of ammo or he had given up. Was he trying to track them, though? He looked over his shoulder, wondering if they’d left a trail through the trees. The greenery was fresh, new, and seemed to have sprung back into place. The ground was covered with last year’s leaves. He didn’t think they were leaving footprints anywhere.
“Here.” He tugged Nina sideways then pulled her in beside him behind a massive boulder. It was one of many they had passed and wouldn’t stand out any more than the others as an obvious hiding spot. “Get down.”
She didn’t hesitate, simply dropped down beside him. In the chaos, he hadn’t realized she was still clutching the box. He saw it now, though, tucked under one arm.
Again, he wondered what it was holding that was so important.
She let out a soft groan.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, his voice low and concerned.
“Just apparently not in great shape,” she whispered. “Stitch. In my side. Ouch. Or maybe I shouldn’t be running after guzzling a bottle of water.”
The Nikon camera dangling around her neck snagged his attention. “Any chance you got a picture of the guy?”
“Actually, yes.”
Mateo felt hope spring up, but Nina immediately quashed it when she made an apologetic face.
Her voice was low as she spoke. “Unfortunately, he had his back to me the whole time. I honestly don’t even know why I took the pictures. It was just a reflex. I’m sure I don’t have anything useful.”
“You never know. We’ll have someone look at the pictures.” As soon as we get out of this, he added silently.
He swiped sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. Then he scoured the forest, looking for any sign of the shooter. Had they lost the guy? He pulled his phone from his pocket. On a positive note, it was fully charged. Yet that didn’t do a lot of good when they had no reception. Regardless, he sent off a few texts because he had to do something.
Nina shifted beside him. The box was now settled at her feet. She pulled off the disposable gloves that still baffled him and shoved them into the fanny pack she wore. When she glanced up at him, her expression was questioning.
Mateo gave her a warning look but didn’t have to tell her not to speak.
She nodded to let him know she understood. Then she gave him a strained smile, as if to tell him she was okay. He patted her shoulder and then turned his attention to the woods. Mateo was grateful she was holding it together so well. He knew a lot of people would melt down under so much pressure. Being shot at? Chased through the woods? Targeted?
It was a lot to deal with. He’d been in law enforcement for more than a decade now and he still felt plenty rattled over what had just happened.
Yet there she sat, doing what sounded like deep breathing exercises. Or maybe she was simply trying to relieve the stitch in her side. He realized then that her eyes were closed and her hands were folded. In prayer? Probably.
They crouched there, hidden behind the boulder, both listening. They were so close their shoulders were touching. It was the only way to be sure they were both secreted. He glanced at his phone every few minutes, but none of the texts appeared to have been sent. Fifteen minutes passed. Then twenty. If he’d been alone, he may have begun creeping through the woods.
But he wasn’t alone. He was with Nina and he was unarmed. A helpless sensation slithered through him. He hated feeling like he was cowering in the bushes, but for now he knew hiding was their best option.
He had so many questions for this woman.
Thirty minutes slipped by. He was torn because he didn’t want to act hastily. He needed to be sure they weren’t being stalked. Yet the longer they stayed hidden, the more time it gave the perp to get away.
Finally, he stood slowly and peered over the boulder.
His heart pounded as he waited for the sound of a gunshot.