Threat Detection
Author
Sharon Dunn
Reads
16.5K
Chapters
21
ONE
Volcanologist Aubrey Smith was grateful for the cool of the evening as she slipped out of her backpack, a nice break from the August heat. She gazed up at the focus of her research. Even though Mount St. Helens was beautiful at dusk, she had to work quickly to gather her samples and make the hefty hike back to the lab where she worked. It would be dark soon and traversing a beach of ash and then a boulder field was a challenge in daylight, so she didn’t want to do it at night.
Her research in the lab at the Washington State Geological Foundation had gotten away from her, and she had not been able to leave until late in the day to get up to this spot on the volcano.
Aubrey unzipped her backpack and pulled out the sample containers. She studied the ash and pebbles on the ground. It was a specific kind of rock she was looking for that had probably only been formed in certain places when Mount St. Helens had erupted in 1980. That was the theory she was running with anyway. Volcanic rock contained crystals that grew in the magma soup underground before an eruption hurtled the rock to the surface. Studying them would shed light on the events deep in the earth that had led to the eruption.
The fading light made it hard to see. She pulled her phone from her pocket and used voice commands to turn the flashlight on. Sweeping the light over the pumice and ash, she bent down to see better.
The noise of one rock crashing against another caused her to jerk her head up. Was someone in the boulder field down below? Signs were posted to the tourists to be off the mountain before dark, and a permit was required to hike this far up the treacherous section of the mountain. Still, there was always someone who thought the rules didn’t apply to them. Strange though. Because this part of the volcano required special equipment, hiking poles and gloves, and had a high level of difficulty, not many visitors chose to come this way.
She shone her light at the large black rocks below her.
“Is someone down there?” Still aiming her light, she took steps toward the boulder field. “Hello, are you lost?”
The skin on her arms prickled, a fear response. Though she could not see anyone, she could feel the weight of a gaze on her.
Her heart beat a little faster as she continued to sweep the light around the rocks.
Nothing.
She told herself she was just jumpy being out here alone so close to sunset.
She turned back toward where she’d been searching for the right sample. She couldn’t waste any more time.
As a child, one of her foster moms had recited a saying all the time. We’re burning daylight. She shook her head at the memory. Bernice had been a grandmotherly type who lived on a mini farm with lots of animals. That home had given Aubrey positive memories. Not all the foster homes had.
“And I am indeed burning daylight,” she said to herself, smiling at the memory of Bernice and the zoo she kept on her property.
Her hiking boots crunched on the more pebble-like ash. She moved the flashlight, spotting the type of rock she’d been looking for. She knelt and reached toward the tiny stones with a scooper.
A pinging noise made her lift her head and straighten her spine. She whirled around, glancing everywhere. Her heart raced, though she could not process what the noise was.
It sounded like a gunshot. Very close to her.
A second sound, this one closer and more explosive, confirmed her worst fear.
She was being shot at.
When she glanced toward the boulder field, a dark shadow was headed her way.
Aubrey took off running. She lifted her backpack only to have it be torn from her hands by another bullet. The man was getting closer and more accurate with each shot. In the fading light, she could not see him clearly.
She hurried to put some distance between herself and the shooter. One of her feet slipped. She righted herself. Traversing the ash beach with the poles she had brought with her was hard enough, but without that support, it was like trying to walk on ice. She gasped for breath. At this elevation, the air was very thin.
Her stumble had allowed the man to close the distance between them. There was no place to take cover. She moved as fast as she could over the precarious terrain, sliding on her behind and using her hand for support when she needed to.
Another shot came so close to her, it made her ears ring. She gasped.
Why would someone be shooting at her?
Slipping and sliding, she moved in a wide arc toward the boulder field, which would provide some cover.
Her breath came in sharp, intense jabs.
The pursuer ran steadily toward her.
Aubrey could not fathom why someone was after her. She still clutched the phone in her hand. If she could get to a hiding place, she’d be able to call for help. She knew from experience that the signal this close to the volcano was spotty at best. She needed to get closer to the wilderness trail beyond the boulder field in order to secure a signal.
She put the phone in her pocket for now.
With the pursuer nipping at her heels, she made her way to the giant lava rocks. She could hear the man’s footsteps behind her as she climbed over and around various shapes of stone.
Another shot glanced off a rock just as she ducked behind it.
She kept moving. The man was so close she could hear him grunt from the effort it took to navigate this part of the mountain. She had a small advantage in that she’d been up and down this mountain so many times, she’d become an expert and knew the fastest route.
Her hands hurt from climbing. Aubrey had removed the gloves she wore on the way up and put them in her backpack. She kept going. No matter how fast she went, the man remained close. Because this part of the hike required using both hands for balance around and over the rocks, he was unable to shoot at her.
How long would this man persist in chasing her?
The rocks gave way to brush, and she could see the forest where the trail was. She sprinted toward the evergreens, bracing for another round of gunfire.
The trees loomed in front of her. If she could find a hiding place, she would be able to call for help.
Once she found the trail, she stepped across it into an area where the trees grew close together. She ran for a few minutes more then slipped behind a large trunk.
Aubrey took her phone out and stared at it, breathing a sigh of relief. She had a signal. Her finger hovered over the keypad icon as she prepared to press 911.
Footfalls very close to her caused her to freeze. Her pulse thrummed in her ears. It sounded like the man was less than ten feet from her.
Her lips quivered from intense fear.
She could hear the footsteps falling on leaves and dirt, growing softer and then louder.
Though he was close, he was still searching for her but had not pinpointed where she was.
She put her phone back in her jacket pocket, not wanting the glow from the screen to give away her location.
Light shone off to the side. He was getting closer. She drew her hands to her body and pressed against the tree trunk.
Please, God, don’t let him see me.
The man shouted as he continued to swing the flashlight. “I know you’re here, and I know you took it. Give it back.”
What was he even talking about?
The footsteps came closer. If he shined the light this way, he’d see her for sure. Aubrey had no choice but to run. She pushed away from the tree and sprinted back toward the trail. No more gunshots were fired, yet his footsteps pounded behind her. Maybe he was out of bullets or maybe he thought it would be easier to take her out some other way.
She was in good shape from having hiked this trail several times a week. She only hoped she was in better physical condition than the man chasing her.
As her feet pounded the trail, the man’s footsteps beat like a funeral dirge behind her. Never growing louder or fading. She had to do something to shake him.
Aubrey darted off the trail into the thick of the trees. In the dim light, it was hard to see obstacles. She kept going. Then she saw her opportunity, branches leaning against a tree as if someone had started to build a lean-to. She reached out and grabbed the thickest one, whirled around and smacked the man several times, twice in the head and once in the stomach. While he was caught off guard, she kicked the back of his knees so they would buckle. He cried out and fell to the ground writhing in pain, but he wasn’t unconscious. The action would only buy her seconds, but that would be enough.
She sprinted back toward where the trail was. The knowledge that she was not far from the trailhead made her run faster.
The trailhead opened up to a paved parking lot. There was only one car, which had to belong to the pursuer. It was probably locked and without keys. She ran toward where she’d secured her mountain bike and fumbled with the lock. Did she have time to do this? The lock broke free just as the man emerged from the forest and darted toward his car.
She swung her leg over the mountain bike and pushed off, pedaling frantically. She would be on the road for only a short stretch before she could get on a trail where the car could not follow.
The car roared behind her, the headlights cutting through the darkness, engulfing her. The whirring of her wheels grew more intense. She reached the place where the mountain bike trail connected with the road. Leaning hard, she veered off.
The man in the car would have to go all the way around to get to the viewing area she would come out on.
When she reached the viewing area, she stopped and pulled her phone out, then pressed 911.
“What is your emergency?”
Aubrey was so winded she could barely get the words out. “A man shot at me. I’m headed down to the Geological Foundation. He may come after me.”
“Some officers are in the area. I will send them over there.”
Aubrey lifted her bike up and shot across the paved viewing area toward the trail. She saw headlights in her peripheral vision. The pursuer was coming this way.
This part of the trail had tight turns and bumps. She leaned her bike and focused on not crashing, switching gears as the trail became steeper. Standing on the pedals, she caught air on the ridges. The trail opened up into the parking lot by the foundation where she worked.
Wailing sirens reached her ears. She stared up the road that the pursuer would have to take to get down here, hoping the sound of the sirens would make him stay away. Only her car remained in the employee parking lot. The foundation had closed for the day. She was alone.
She thought to shut herself in the lab for safety, but then she saw the flashing sirens of a police car. Help had arrived. Two vehicles entered the lot. A male and female officer got out of the police car, which belonged to the park police. The SUV, with a K-9 emblem on it, contained only one officer. He swung open the door and stepped out.
Aubrey thought her eyes were playing tricks on her in the evening dimness. The officer dressed in a light green uniform met her gaze, and she was sucked back in time. She was looking at the man she’d been engaged to ten years ago, Isaac McDane.
Shaken by seeing him and everything that had just happened, she barely heard the female officer ask her a question.
“Ma’am, I’m Officer Nielson. Are you the one who phoned the police about a shooter? Can you tell me what happened?”
As he unloaded his K-9 from the kennel in the back of the SUV, Isaac’s mind buzzed. The last person in the world he thought he’d ever see again was Aubrey Smith. For a moment, he doubted that it was even her until the expression on her face darkened when she saw him.
It wasn’t someone who looked like Aubrey. It was her. The woman who had broken their engagement via a text when they were both only eighteen.
Freddy, a beagle trained to detect electronics, hopped down to the ground. Having his partner close made him feel like he could handle anything this job threw at him. Facing the fiancée who had dumped him, though, made him wish he hadn’t been in Gifford Pinchot National Forest working a case alone. The rest of the Pacific Northwest K-9 team he was a part of were working cases in other national parks in Washington. Their bond went beyond what they did as police officers to supporting each other emotionally.
He and Freddy had just ended the day helping the Park Service Police with an investigation when he’d seen the police car and followed to see if they needed backup. He’d radioed to ask if they could use his assistance, and since it was an active shooter call, they accepted.
Aubrey gave him nervous sideways glances when he approached.
As he drew close, she turned her attention to the other two officers. He knew both of them by sight and name, having been in the area for a week.
Officer Lansbury looked at Isaac. “This woman was shot at while up at the top of the trail, and the perp chased her down the mountain.”
“Is the suspect still in the area?” Freddy sat at Isaac’s feet.
Aubrey nodded but didn’t make eye contact. “He might still be. It takes a while to get out of the park. He was driving a dark blue sedan.” She seemed rattled.
“Did you see what the man looked like?” asked Officer Lansbury.
Aubrey shook her head. “It was dark, and I was running.” Her voice faltered.
Even after ten years, his instinct was to comfort her, make her feel safe.
“There is a chance we could catch him. Not much traffic at this hour,” said Officer Nielson.
“He might be staying in the area at one of the hotels or lodges,” Officer Lansbury said.
“If you two want to try to catch him, I can interview this woman and relay the details of the attack to you in a report,” Isaac offered.
Lansbury nodded at his partner. “We better hurry. If the perp is planning on leaving the area, we don’t have much time. We can put out an all-points bulletin.”
Officer Nielson cupped Isaac’s shoulder before running to jump in her car. “Thanks for your assistance on this.”
The police car pulled away.
Isaac turned to face Aubrey. What do you say to someone after ten years and such a cruel breakup? What surprised him the most was how intensely the pain from the past rose to the surface. As if her rejection of him had just happened yesterday.
She seemed at a loss for words too.
Freddy broke the silence with a yipping look-at-me sound.
Aubrey laughed. Her face brightened as she stared down at his partner. “He’s cute.” Freddy wagged his tail. “And charming.”
He appreciated that Freddy had found a way to break the ice.
She drew her attention back to him. “Been a long time, Isaac.”
It felt as if she was pushing him away with each word. He was here to do a job. That was what he would focus on, not the churning turmoil he felt. “I’m sorry you were attacked. I wish we could have met again under different circumstances.”
“Do you?” Again, it felt like her words were some sort of accusation. She was the one who had dumped him without explanation.
Just focus on your job.
“I heard part of what you said to Officer Nielson. That you were high up on the volcano, and someone shot at you. You said you didn’t get a look at the guy?”
“Not really, it was dark. Everything happened so fast.” She gestured toward the building by the parking lot. “If you don’t mind. I need to put my bike inside.”
He noticed the signage on the concrete and metal structure: Washington State Geological Foundation. “You work here?”
“Yes, I’m a volcanologist completing my PhD.” Her face brightened more as she spoke about her work.
Studying volcanoes had always been Aubrey’s dream. Those plans had been made when they were both eighteen. Most people didn’t stick to the goals they made at that age. He certainly hadn’t.
Of course, in many ways his life had not been his own when he was younger. Because he was from a prominent family, his parents had been pushing him into going to law school. He was too immature to know that that was their dream, their design on his life, not his. Besides, generations of McDanes had taken that path and been successful and happy.
Aubrey guided her bike toward the door, pulled out a key card and swiped it across the reader. He followed her inside. The building was dark. Aubrey walked to an office and pushed her bike inside.
He found himself checking out the photographs on her desk. Perhaps searching for evidence that she was dating someone. He had already noted that she didn’t have a ring on her finger. It looked like mostly work-related photos. He recognized one of Aubrey with her older sister, Emily, a recent picture he guessed. He had not met Emily when he and Aubrey were dating, only seen pictures. The sisters looked alike except Aubrey was blonde and Emily’s hair was light brown.
Aubrey propped her bike against the wall. After grabbing her car keys from a container on her desk, she closed the door to her office. “Do you have any more questions for me? I’d like to go home. It has been a long, hard day.”
Already headed toward the door, Aubrey didn’t seem to want to stand still. In addition to her having been the victim of a crime, his presence had probably stirred her up.
“I do need to ask you more questions. Can you tell me anything about the man who attacked you?”
She shook her head. “Tall, in good shape. I didn’t see his face.”
“Do you have any idea why someone would want to shoot at you?”
She swung the door open. She was acting like she couldn’t get away from him fast enough. She shook her head. “It doesn’t make sense. There is no reason someone would come after me, and if you wanted to commit a random act of violence, there are way less remote places to do that.”
“So the culprit was maybe up there for a specific reason?”
Still holding the door, she turned to face him. “What he said to me implied that I had something of his and that I should give it back.”
“Do you have any idea what that might be?”
She shrugged. “I was gathering samples. I didn’t have anything valuable on me. All the stuff in my backpack was related to my research.” She stopped for a moment. When she spoke again her voice faltered. “My backpack, my equipment, my camera, they’re all still up there.”
He’d seen this before with crime victims, a delayed response once the adrenaline wore off. The impact of what had happened to her was sinking in.
He stepped toward her. “You’ve been through a horrible attack, Aubrey. Don’t discount the impact of that.” He reached out and patted her upper arm.
She gazed up at him with those sparkling green eyes. “Guess I don’t just brush this one off, huh?”
“It’s pretty normal to be shaken by something like this,” he said.
She studied him for a long moment. “Whatever made you decide to be a cop?”
“That’s a long story.” It was the first personal question she’d asked him. Her brisk response to being around him seemed to soften a little. “This is a pretty sweet gig though. I’m part of a team of K-9 officers who assist with investigations in the national parks in Washington State.” He touched the patch on his left pocket that identified his unit.
She stepped through the door, and he and Freddy followed. Isaac stared out at the parking lot surrounded by forest.
Aubrey double-checked that the door was locked. Her blond hair fell across her face as she leaned over. She was as beautiful as he remembered.
She had just turned to face him when a gunshot disturbed the evening quiet.
